Brynna: A Stone Society Novella

by Faith Gibson

  “Tell me,” Brynna said, wrapping her arm around Travis’s waist.

  “Let’s take Banyan up on his offer to build a house on his property. I’d like to have something that is ours. Something we design together. Turning the manor into a hotel won’t be a major undertaking. The hardest part will be making sure the land is zoned properly, getting the necessary permits, those types of things, but I have no doubt you can make it work. Now that we’re talking about a future together, I can’t see us living here. I definitely want kids someday, and I would love to build a house both of us love where we’re close to your brother and his mate. Somewhere our kids will get to grow up together.”

  Brynna tipped her face up, smiling, and Travis kissed her lush lips. “I think that’s a great idea. You know what else I think?”

  “No, what?”

  “I think it’s time to get naked again.”

  Travis agreed. Several times.

  Chapter Six

  At breakfast the next morning, Brynna told the others what she and Travis had decided, including their plans to marry once the new house was built. Marcie made mimosas to celebrate both their mating as well as their engagement. Uri and Banyan gloated, thinking they had something to do with Brynna finally telling Travis he was her mate.

  “I get it,” Brynna told Uri. “You didn’t really want to go shopping with me. You just wanted to get me alone so you could talk to me.”

  Uri sucked in a breath, placing a palm over his chest. “I absolutely did want to go shopping. But I wasn’t the only one having a chat.” He pointed to Banyan who scowled at his mate.

  “You’re not supposed to tell our secrets,” Banyan chastised, but they were grinning at one another.

  After they ate, Travis got busy working on the new house plans, and Brynna moved Travis’s things into her – their – bedroom. After that, she went from room to room and wrote down all the things she wanted to change. The list was extensive, but she had the money to make it into a cute, yet modern boutique hotel. She had been ready to remodel the manor and live there, but now that Travis had made his wishes known, she loved the idea of building a house closer to Banyan and Uri. In between rounds of lovemaking the night before, they talked more about having kids. Travis assured her she’d make a good mother and promised he’d be there with her every step of the way, showing their offspring nothing but unconditional love.

  As she walked through her childhood home, Brynna paused at the door to the room where she’d spent all her time with her tutors. It was one she usually avoided because it reminded her of how much she’d missed out on. It amazed her that it still looked exactly as it had all those years ago. What also amazed her was the shape her house was in. Who knew a building could last so long? Either it had been well built, or her father had spent lots of money upgrading and maintaining it. In that moment, it dawned on her she should be paying for utilities and such.

  Brynna went in search of her brother. Not finding him in the kitchen or living room, she stuck her head in the small office where Travis was working. “Hey, Babe. Have you seen Banyan?”

  Travis looked up from his computer, his eyes lighting up the way they did every time she walked into a room. “Yeah. He and Uri went to the armory. Is everything okay?” Travis stretched his arms over his head, and Brynna stared at the patch of skin showing when his shirt rode up. “Bryn?”

  “Oops, sorry. Just admiring the view.” She flopped down in the chair opposite the desk. “I just realized I should be paying bills around here. It’s not that I don’t know how to do those things because I lived on my own a long time. It didn’t dawn on me to ask how the utilities were being paid. I’m sure B has it set up, but I don’t like the thought of him taking care of everything.”

  “I would think with him being out of the country part of the time he has it set up on autopay. You know he’s going to argue that you should let him continue paying since he and Uri are staying here.”

  “He will, but at some point, I need to take over.” Brynna bit her bottom lip, studying her mate. “Can you take a break?”

  “Sure. Was there something you needed?” Travis tapped a few keys on the computer, then stood and came around the desk, stopping in front of Brynna. She slid her hand under his shirt, scraping her nails down his stomach. The muscles contracted, and Travis sucked in a breath.

  “Yes. I need you.” Now that she’d gotten a taste of her mate, she couldn’t get enough of him. Brynna dropped to her knees and released the button on his shorts.

  “Wait.” Travis grabbed her hand before she could lower the zipper. He walked over to the door, closed and locked it, then returned to where he’d been standing. “Now I’m ready.”

  Brynna grinned up at him. “Not into exhibitionism?”

  “Not really, no.” Brynna unzipped his shorts and pulled them down his thighs. Travis leaned back against the desk and spread his legs. His cock was hard and leaking, and she licked the slit, humming at how good he tasted. She took him in hand before wrapping her lips around his veiny length and bobbed up and down. She hadn’t given many blowjobs in her life, but she found she enjoyed it more with Travis. Probably because he was her mate. Her intention had been to get him off then let him get back to work, but he had other ideas. One hand was fisted in her hair, and it tightened when he was close. He pulled her off his dick and demanded, “Stand up.” Bossy Travis was a sexy Travis.

  When Brynna was on her feet, he spun her around and pushed her chest down on the desk. “God, you’re so fucking hot,” he muttered as he lifted her dress over her ass, pulled her thong to the side, and slid his erection between her legs, rubbing it back and forth through the dampness. “Hang on, Princess,” was all the warning he gave before sliding home. Brynna grabbed hold of the edge of the desk as her mate set a near-frantic pace. Travis reached around and eased one hand between her panties and her mound, rubbing her clit with practiced skill. Brynna didn’t want to think about how he gained his talents, so she focused on the pleasure instead. She loved this side of Travis. The usually quiet man was more confident when they were having sex. It was as though he had his own beast inside that came alive when bare skin was involved.

  “Travis,” she husked. “I’m so close.” Taking that as a challenge, Travis rubbed faster and fucked harder. His grunts were feral, and that spurred her on as much as his fingers on her clit and his dick in her pussy.

  “Fuck, you feel good.” Travis wrapped his free hand in her hair, pulling her head back for an awkward yet sensual kiss. “Come for me, Princess. I want to feel your pussy clamp down on my dick,” he mouthed against her lips.

  His dirty words were all it took to send Brynna over the edge. Her fangs dropped, her core pulsed, and she growled as she came. Travis grunted a “fuck” as he spilled his release inside her. Dropping down over her back, he pressed her chest into the desk and caught his breath as he came down from his orgasm. Brynna loved his weight on her, and the desk digging into her hips didn’t matter. All that mattered was the absolute perfection that was this man.

  “God, I’m sorry.” Travis pulled out and grabbed some tissues out of the container on the desk.

  “Whatever are you apologizing for?” Brynna missed his weight when he stood and used the tissues to wipe their combined essence from her thighs.

  “I was crushing you. Next time tell me to get off.”

  Brynna snorted, then slapped a hand over her mouth. Travis grinned as he took care of her. He was the best of both worlds – a fierce lover and a gentle mate. He tossed the tissues in the garbage can beside the desk, then righted her thong before pulling her dress back down. Only then did he put himself back to rights. Brynna slid her fingers through his hair, scraping her nails against his scalp. Travis closed his eyes and let out a contented sigh.

  “I like your weight on me.” They stood wrapped in each other for a few minutes before she kissed him on the cheek.

  “I’ll let you get back to work. I’m going to talk to Marcie for a bit.” Brynna rel
uctantly left her mate and went in search of her best friend. Marcie was outside on the patio, her lap full of burlap ribbon. When she wasn’t busy cooking wonderful creations in the kitchen, Marcie was making some type of craft. Today’s was a wreath. She was artistic, like her brother. Brynna was more than a little jealous since she didn’t have an artistic bone in her body.

  “Hey you. Shouldn’t you be holed up in your bedroom with your new mate?” Marcie asked when she saw Brynna.

  Brynna grinned and fanned her face. “Nope. There’s a perfectly strong desk in the office.”

  “You go, girl. I’m so happy for you.” Marcie held out her fist, and Brynna bumped it with her own.

  “I’m so happy for me. Gah, I never thought I’d find my mate, but Travis is perfect.”

  “If that smile is any indication, I’d say so.”

  Brynna sat down and stared at the fountain. “That’s weird. Did you turn the water off for some reason?”

  “No. Lawrence is the one who takes care of things like that. I wouldn’t even know where the water valve is.”

  “Yeah, me neither.” Brynna needed to learn how to do lots of things around the house. Having someone to do it for her was convenient, but she felt bad about it too. She had taught herself how to do things like cook and run a load of laundry, but there was more she could learn. She sat quietly as Marcie pushed the fabric through a metal ring, which would eventually become a wreath for someone. Marcie made all the gifts she gave for birthdays and holidays the same way Lawrence painted his gifts. Brynna would love to be able to make something personal, but she didn’t have the ability.

  Staring at the fountain, Brynna’s beast pushed against her. She opened her senses but didn’t detect anyone or anything out of the ordinary. Still…

  “I’m gonna call B and see if he can walk me through turning it back on.” Brynna rose from the chair and returned inside to find her phone.

  “That’s the last of the orders,” Uri said, setting the long box aside with the others ready for pickup. “B?” His mate was staring out the window. “Banyan,” he said louder.

  Banyan startled, looking Uri’s way. “I’m sorry, did you say something?”

  Uri strode across the armory to stand next to his mate. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m not sure. My beast is agitated, but I don’t see anyone hanging around.” Banyan turned and pulled Uri into his arms. “It’s probably nothing.”

  Uri cupped Banyan’s cheek. “I wouldn’t be so sure. Our Gargoyles don’t get antsy for no reason. Something spooked Brynna yesterday when we were at the café, but she didn’t see anyone either.”

  Banyan took a step back. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Urijah gripped Banyan’s wrists and put them back around his waist. “Because Brynna didn’t make a big deal about it. I chalked it up to her being nervous about talking to Travis. But now that you’ve felt something too? I’m worried.”

  “With Drago still out there, I don’t trust that he didn’t have someone follow us. We might not have been the one to take Alistair’s head, but we were part of the battle. I’m going to call Brynna and—” Banyan’s phone rang. “Speak of the devil. Brynna? Is everything okay?”

  “How do you turn the fountain on?”

  “What?”

  “The fountain. It stopped working, and I want to turn it back on.”

  Banyan shook his head, but relief coursed through his body. Uri felt it as surely as if his own body relaxed. “There’s a panel in the small garage that houses all the breakers to the outside lights. Lawrence labeled them, so you should be able to find it easily.”

  “And if it hasn’t been flipped?” Brynna’s footsteps came through the phone as she walked. Uri stepped behind Banyan and slid his arms around his mate, pulling B’s back to Uri’s front. He settled his chin on Banyan’s shoulder.

  “Then there’s probably a problem with the cord. It’s buried beneath the walkway.” Banyan waited while his sister made her way to the small building. When he took another look outside, Uri walked over to the opposite wall and did the same. His beast’s trepidation stemmed from Banyan’s. Uri knew Banyan didn’t want to cause undue paranoia, but being King, he would always have to look over his shoulder, and his family was always at risk.

  “Found it.” They heard Brynna flip the breaker. “How does one breaker get turned off, but the others don’t?”

  “I think it has something to do with the circuit overloading, but I’m not sure. We’ll have to ask Lawrence. I can make a sword with my eyes closed, but when it comes to electricity, I’m useless.”

  “Speaking of useless, I want to start paying the bills. Before you argue, it’s my house and my responsibility. You’ll be moving out soon—”

  “Bryn, you aren’t useless. The utilities are paid a year in advance. I can show you the accounts when I get back, but there’s nothing for you to worry about until January. What’s going on?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Uri should have told Banyan about the conversation he had with Brynna while they were out, but he didn’t want to betray her trust. If he felt it was something dire, he would have confided in his mate.

  Banyan ran a hand down his handsome face. “It isn’t like you to be down on yourself. You’re one of the fiercest females I’ve ever known. You have had adventures most beings only dream of. So what’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

  Brynna blowing out a breath sounded over the line. “I thought turning the house into a hotel would give me a purpose, but what about when that’s finished? I’ll hire someone to run it because I won’t be living in Norway full time. Travis has his architecture. You and Uri have the armory. Marcie has cooking and crafts, and Lawrence has his art. It’s not going to take long to remodel this place, and then what?”

  “What about interior design? I’ve seen your ideas, and they’re fabulous. You and Travis could team up. He can do the exteriors, and you do the interiors. If that’s something you’re interested in.”

  Uri thought that was an excellent idea. Brynna needed something to keep her busy. She had been focused on making Travis happy for the last couple months, and now that they were mated, she needed another project.

  “What if he doesn’t want to work with me?”

  “Why wouldn’t he? He’s your mate. I promise he wants to spend as much time with you as possible.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  “Good. Not to change the subject, but Uri told me about the feeling you had at the café. I don’t want you to dismiss that. We can’t ever let our guard down. Just because no one has challenged the throne in over a thousand years doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Plus, the Greeks are still out there.”

  “I’ll stay vigilant; I promise.”

  “We’re done at the armory. I was thinking of picking up some steaks so we can give Marcie a break tonight.”

  “That sounds good. I’ll see you both soon.” Brynna disconnected, and Banyan closed his eyes.

  “Hey.” Uri closed the distance and hugged his mate. “She’s going to be okay. Turning the manor into a hotel will keep her busy for a while, then she and Travis will be building their own home plus planning a wedding.”

  “I know. Is it bad that I want to go find my parents and throttle them? I swear, if I’d had any idea of how they treated Brynna, I’d have come back for her.”

  “They raised her the way they were raised.”

  Banyan pressed his forehead to Uri’s. “I promise you now I won’t do that to our children. They are going to have as normal a life as we can give them.”

  This was a discussion they’d had more than once. Uri was looking forward to having a houseful of children with Banyan. He ran his fingers through Banyan’s hair and pressed their lips together. Banyan opened for him, deepening the kiss. What started off as a small show of affection quickly turned passionate, and it was a good hour before they left the armory.

  Both males were on high alert, but neither had the
feeling of being watched. They stopped off at the store and got steaks and all the fixings before heading back to the manor. Uri was glad to see Brynna in a good mood when they got home. She was sitting on the patio holding Travis’s hand while they admired the fountain which was once again working.

  Banyan grilled steaks while Uri fixed twice-baked potatoes, green beans, and sweet carrots. Marcie and Lawrence went into town for a night out, leaving the two couples alone. Travis was coming out of his shell the more he was around them. He showed them the progress he’d made on their house plans, and Brynna talked about the dream home she and Travis would build together. The night was perfect, and Uri looked forward to many more just like it.

  After they finished eating, Banyan turned on what Brynna called twinkle lights that were mounted overhead. They looked like tiny Christmas tree lights only smaller. They gave off a bluish tint and twinkled above the four of them as they danced to a playlist on Banyan’s phone. It was one Uri had put together after they first mated. All the songs were slow and sensual. Uri and Banyan danced close, foreheads pressed together, lips ghosting soft breaths. Words weren’t needed. He closed his eyes and laid his head on Banyan’s shoulder, swaying to the music.

  “What the hell?” Brynna groused. Uri opened his eyes to see what she was fussing about. Her hands were on her hips, and she was looking up. “The lights went out. And not just those. The house is dark.” Brynna wasn’t wrong. There were no lights coming from inside.

  “Stay here,” Banyan said. “I’ll go check the breaker box.” He took off jogging toward the side of the manor.

  Something is wrong.

  Uri agreed with his beast. He took a step closer to Brynna and Travis. Just in case. He reached out with his senses, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. No one was hanging around that shouldn’t be.