But this time was actually strangely nice outside of my bathroom demands. The gargoyles and phoenix were neat, quiet, and polite. I’d never eaten so well in my life, because apparently, Rokad knew his way around a stove, and Lucas had grown so freaking attached to Charm that I was worried she might want to go with him when we parted ways.
Which brings me to today. The last few days I’d expressed a desire to keep hunting Ceuthonymus. Every time I brought it up, the guys switched the topic.
I will not be distracted this time. Ceuthonymus had to die. Before the baby is born. Or neither of us will ever be safe. I’d learned that the hard way. When my mother, Hecate, made an enemy of Hades, she should have found a way to kill the god. Instead, he’d taken her when she hadn’t expected it and ruined her life and mine.
My child will not grow up in fear of an enemy her mother couldn’t destroy. I swore it.
So as we sat down to a breakfast piled high with bacon, eggs, and pancakes, I didn’t even wait for Rokad to sit down. “I need to go.”
“No,” Narath says, almost under his breath.
I lift a brow. “Am I a prisoner now?” Just the word prisoner triggered something inside of me. I was a prisoner once. I never would be again.
Narath’s dark eyes met mine, and my breath caught. Something about this man reminded me of a darkly tortured soul. It’s as if everything I say to him hurts him, but that he just wants me to keep talking. I didn’t understand it. At all.
“You are not a prisoner, but you are ours, and that baby is ours too. It’s our task, our most important task, to keep you safe.”
I feel my mouth pull into a thin line. “I don’t need you to do that. I’ve been fine my whole life without protectors, I’ll be fine now. What I need to do is hunt Ceuthonymus.”
“Em,” Rokad clears his throat and reaches for his fork, even though he doesn’t eat. “We’ve thought about that. And, we’ve talked. We’ve decided that it might be best for you to stay here with Narath and Lucas, and for Conley and I to go hunt this monster.”
“No.” The word comes out harsher than I intended it, but I don’t care. “Ceuthonymus is not a creature to mess around with. He’s powerful, more powerful than you can ever imagine. If you two hunt him, I promise you won’t be back. So either I go alone, or with all of you, but either way I know him, his strengths and weaknesses, and I won’t be left behind.”
“You’re pregnant,” Lucas says.
“Really?” I counter. “I had no idea that when I became pregnant I became useless!”
“We just want to keep you safe.” His voice holds an irritated edge, like I’m being unreasonable.
“And what happens when you’re gone?” The words fall between us, and they crack in a way I didn’t expect.
I squeeze my eyes shut, and for some reason, moments with my mother flash through my mind. She was with me nearly every moment of my childhood, and then she was telling me to run. “Run, Em, Run! Don’t ever look back! Just go, get free! That’s all I’ll ever ask of you!” And, I did run. But I disobeyed her in one way because I looked back. And I saw her being surrounded, I saw the blows that they struck against her body as the Undead attacked. Every blow rung through my soul like it was my body being beaten.
My mom had been my heart. I never imagined I’d lose her, but I did that day, and then I was lost.
I would never be lost again. My child would have me in every way he or she wanted, but I’d never rely on another person like that again.
“We’re not going anywhere,” Conley says, his voice gentle. “You have to realize that this is incredible for us. I don’t think any of us ever thought we’d have a child. But more than that, we’ve been feeling lost, without any kind of purpose. Just killing monsters and passing the days. With you, and our baby, we could have a real life. A reason to want more than just death and violence.”
“I don’t want me or my child being a purpose for someone,” I tell them, and as the words leave my lips, I know they’re true. Part of the reason I’m struggling so much with these guys is that feeling a connection to someone isn’t the same thing as knowing them. I have secrets, and I’m sure they do too. And beyond the secrets, we just had so much about each other we didn’t know.
Having men stay at my side because I’m carrying their child didn’t feel like enough.
“We care about you,” Lucas says, giving me one of those smiles of his that makes my blood feel warm.
“You don’t even know me,” I counter.
“Then, let us get to know you.” Conley runs his hands through his blond waves in a way that I’ve come to realize means he’s frustrated.
I look down at my belly, then the men at the table, and take a deep breath. Fine, let’s see how this whole honestly thing goes. “I am known as Empusa. I am… a monster. My father was a demon, and my mother was a monster, the first witch, and powerful. And as such, I realized I had a strange thirst when I finally escaped the Underworld. I was forced to linger at crossroads and wait for dark-hearted men. I used their attraction to me to get close to them, and then I killed them.”
No one looks surprised.
I frown. “You guys are gargoyles. You hunt things like demons and monsters.” They fucking know this. Why are they acting so innocent?
Conley sighs. “Well, first of all, I looked into it when that monster called you Empusa and learned of your legend. I explained it to the guys, and… we kind of all agreed that we didn’t give a shit.”
My jaw drops open.
Narath speaks next, his voice low and uncertain. “And we aren’t exactly purebred gargoyles. Our father was a demon. We don’t know more than that, but our demon sides have caused us a great deal of trouble all our lives. The other gargoyles want nothing to do with us. And I was considered too dangerous to even be a hunter of monsters until recently. That’s where my insatiable thirst for blood and violence comes from. And the fact that even you think I’m dangerous.”
They must be joking. Demon gargoyles?
But they all look serious.
“So none of you care that the mother of your child is a monster feared by many?”
Lucas grins. “I actually think that’ll make you a pretty badass mom.”
Again, none of them seem surprised.
I frown and pile my plate with food, then start to eat. They do the same. I can feel all eyes on me, but I ignore them. What does this all mean? My biggest secret, they just don’t care about? That means I didn’t have to worry about them killing me in my sleep, especially since they seem to be aware of it this whole time they were taking care of me.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t change the issue with Ceuthonymus.
“I appreciate that all of you can accept that about me, but I’m still hunting Ceuthonymus. It’s what I do. So, you either accept that, or we part ways. Today.”
“We’ll always be at your side,” Narath says without hesitation.
My gaze goes to him. “And if this is going to work, you can’t ever hurt Conley again.”
His mouth draws into a line.
I settle back in my chair. “What if he’s the father of my child? What if I have a phoenix baby?”
Silence swallows the room, and Narath looks panicked.
Lucas answers. “Rokad, Narath, and I are in a Brotherhood. Not just because we’re triplets, but because we’re family. Not just blood family, but a chosen family. We’ve known since we were boys that we would share a woman, if we were lucky enough to have one pick us. No matter who the father technically was, we would all be the father.”
“But Conley isn’t in your Brotherhood?” I ask, sounding confused.
Rokad and Lucas exchange a look, and then Rokad answers. “Lucas and I have built a relationship with Conley. If he was willing, and Narath could put aside their differences, we would willingly have him in our Brotherhood.”
Narath stands, his massive form looming over the table. “A phoenix in a gargoyle Brotherhood? Impossible! Gargoyles and phoenixe
s are enemies. We should be tearing him into pieces, not sharing our woman with him!”
“Gargoyles and monsters are enemies,” I say.
Narath’s gaze swings to me, and there’s panic in his eyes again. “Not you and us. Never you and us. But Conley isn’t like you.”
“How?”
He grumbles. “He’s a phoenix.”
I stare at the big man. “So you won’t accept him?”
“Never!” he says, with a glare.
“So if I have a phoenix child, the three of you will be gone?”
Narath’s confidence falls away, and he stares at me, saying nothing.
“I won’t be,” Rokad says.
“Nor I,” Lucas says.
Narath looks around the table. “So it’s just me that feels this way about the phoenix?” Hurt crosses his face, there and gone in a flash. “I’m sure it would be easier for everyone if I went to sleep again. Wouldn’t it?” Before any of them can answer, he turns and storms out the door.
I release a breath I didn’t know I was holding. My heart aches as I look at Narath, disappearing outside the screen door.
“He’ll come around,” Lucas says. “This is just a lot for him.”
“I don’t know if he will.” Conley pokes at his food, looking sad.
Some part of me wants to fix this broken dynamic, but I have no idea what to do or say. Just like Narath, I feel out of my element.
“I guess we still have time to figure that out, but we don’t have much longer before Charm has her puppies and I have my baby.” Rokad looks relieved, until I keep talking. “Dr. Leo has agreed to watch Charm for this next week or two, since she knows about dog pregnancies. In that time, I plan to kill this monster and be free of him.”
“Em--”
I cut Rokad off. “I’m leaving in an hour. You guys can come with me, or not. It’s your choice, but I’m not going to just sit here and hope you guys don’t die hunting him. Understand?”
After a long minute, Conley nods. “But this time, we do things differently.”
Now, that I could agree to. I might be a monster hunter, but I’m also pregnant. And as much as I want this guy dead, I’d be more careful the next time I ran into him.
“How?”
Chapter 15
Narath
* * *
I can’t do anything right with Em. The more I try to protect her, the more I try to show her that I can be something good in her life, that I can keep her and the baby safe, the angrier she seems to get with me. Some dark voice in my mind says that if I just kill Conley, she can love me. That she’ll stop being angry with me. But every time the voice comes, I remember the look on her face when I attacked Conley.
If I hurt him again, I think she will never allow me around her or our baby, and I’d sooner die than that.
She tries to stand from the chair she’s in, and I’m on my feet in an instant, helping her up. Lifting a brow, she gives me that look that says I’ve done the wrong thing again. “I can stand.”
I nod and let my hands fall to my side. We’re in our fourth city with reports of more than an average number of missing people. Our first one, we found a twisted human was collecting children. I managed to kill him while keeping Em far from the bastard. The next two towns we found minor monsters that had escaped from the Underworld. All of us worked together to kill them, and to protect Em the best we could without pissing her off.
This city we’d been keeping an eye on for two days, but no one has gone missing since we got here, and I can tell Em is getting restless. I didn’t tell her, but I hope we never found Ceuthonymus. He’s far too dangerous to be around my beloved.
“You’re doing it again,” Em says with a sigh.
I jerk. “What?”
“Staring.”
Was I staring? My gaze caresses her tiny frame. Her eyes the color of molten lava. Her hair such exquisite colors that I can’t believe they actually exist. And her face, with her arched brows, full lips, and perfect cheekbones. Who wouldn’t stare?
My gaze drops to her little belly. My baby. Our baby. Is in this incredible woman.
I should stare because she’s miraculous.
“Narath!” Uh oh, she sounds annoyed.
“Yes?”
“The. Staring.”
“Who?” My eyes narrow, and I glance around us. If someone is staring at my woman, I’ll kill them.
“I mean you, you’re staring at me. Why?”
My anger falls away. “Oh, me? I… you’re just so beautiful. You and our baby.”
Her cheeks turn red. “You can be strange, Narath.”
“Yes, I can be.”
She shakes her head and starts to walk down the sidewalk. It’s the evening in this little town, and I’ve been assigned Em. When she said she was craving tea and donuts, I’d torn the town apart trying to find a place that served both when we found this one. I’d watched her devour two donuts and slam a tea. It had made me feel so proud to have given her what she needed, but now she appears to be refocused on finding a lead to this monster.
Even though she’s slowed down a bit and has a slight waddle that I love.
As she’s walking on the sidewalk, a man with a cellphone bumps her shoulder. She lets out a little gasp, and my hand is around his throat before I know what I’m doing. “You knocked into my woman,” I growl.
The man’s eyes widen. “Uh, sorry.”
“Tell her sorry.”
He swallows, I feel it beneath my hand, and his gaze goes to Em. “Sorry.”
Before Em, I would have killed him anyway. Human or not, no one should ever be allowed to hurt my woman and child and live. But very slowly I release his throat, then snag his phone and crumble it in my hand until it’s nothing but pieces. Holding my hand over a trashcan, I let the pieces tumble inside.
“Next time, watch where you’re going.”
He doesn’t say a word, just turns and runs.
I look back at Em’s shocked expression and wince. She’s going to think I’m dangerous around the baby again. “I wanted to kill him, but I didn’t. For you. I’d do anything for you and our baby. I’ll never kill again, if you want.”
To my surprise, she gives me a little smile. “I wouldn’t say you can never kill again. Maybe not humans though, okay? Unless they have dark souls.”
She puts a hand on my arm and tugs me along.
And, I follow her. I would follow her into hell and back. Her little hand on my arm feels like the best thing in this world.
I place my hand over hers, and my heart swells when she doesn’t pull away.
This is the progress Rokad told me about. He said if I was just patient, that Em would see my good heart. I wasn’t sure. The dark voice within me said I should go back to sleep and not bother them with my existence. That I should let the phoenix join the Brotherhood and replace me, but this moment makes it all worth it.
“This way,” she says.
She tugs me down an alley. I don’t even realize where we’re going until the shadows of the roofs above us cloud out the grey light of the setting sun. My instincts kick in, and I hold her hand a little tighter, studying the shadows, but she just keeps pulling me along, deeper into the city, weaving through the alleys between buildings.
“The missing people seemed to be taken from alleys,” she explains, as if I don’t remember. My brothers were currently wandering through alleys, trying to look like prey. “If we’re going to find him, it’ll be in one of them.”
Which is why I want to keep her out of them. She should be safely back on the brightly lit roads.
“I thought you said you’ve been craving pizza. I saw a place just a couple of streets down…”
She seems to consider my words for a second, then shakes her head. “No. We need to stay focused.” Then shrugs. “Besides, we can always have pizza after the monster is killed.”
Night hits, and the streetlamps on the main roads grow brighter, but we still weave off the main roads, findin
g alley after alley. And even though I don’t say it to Em, I don’t want to be here. I want her safely back at the hotel. No, safely back at the cabin. The dark part of me seems to creep back up when I think she’s in danger, and I feel like taking my most precious thing through dark alleys as bait for a monster is the opposite of protecting her.
My demon half claws inside of me. Kill. Blood. Death. Protect, but I grind my teeth together and push the thoughts aside. If I lose control, she will hate me.
“He has to be here,” I hear her whisper under her breath.
I hesitate, then say the words I’ve been afraid to say, “How do we even know he’ll try to hurt you and the baby one day? What if we’re all doing this for nothing?”
She whirls around, and her eyes glow golden in the darkness. “I won’t take any risk with my child.”
“You’re putting your child at risk now.”
She slaps me. Hard.
I look back at her.
She stares at me like she surprised herself. “I’m not. I’m sorry. I just… I know my strengths and limitations. I wouldn’t be here now if I thought my baby could be hurt.”
I wish I had as much confidence in her and myself. “Okay.”
“I’m sorry,” she repeats, and then her hand caresses my face.
I lean into her touch. “Forgiven.”
“My demon half is hard to control sometimes too,” she whispers.
And then, her lips find mine. Lust rolls through my body, and I’m suddenly kissing her back with all the passion that’s been screaming to get out. She moans against my lips as I thrust my tongue into her mouth. This woman may have been the one to teach me how to kiss, but I would make sure she never felt that I wasn’t her equal.
Her hips press against me, and her body rubs gently against my erection.
I swear my demon side goes completely silent. The anger and rage I feel like a constant part of myself is gone. I’m like a cat being pet, so content and happy that nothing exists outside of this moment.
Empusa's Hunger: A Reverse Harem Romance (Monsters and Gargoyles Book 8) Page 9