by Faith Gibson
“But I shot you! Six times!”
Trudging through sand wasn’t easy nor quick, but she pushed her short legs as hard as they’d go. When she reached the back door, Thomas was no longer on the deck. Stella glanced around the house as she hurried for her phone. He was nowhere in sight, but she figured he’d gone back to his sister’s home. Stella placed the call, and when they asked for the address, she stuttered, “Uh, I have no idea. Can you trace my phone?” How embarrassing. She didn’t even know the street name.
“You’ll need to stay on the line,” the operator explained at the same time Cyrus yelled, “Get out of here!”
“Oh, shit,” Stella whispered.
“What was that?” the operator asked.
“Nothing, just feeling kind of dizzy.” Stella had no idea how long she had until the cops showed up, but she had more pressing matters. Praying they were able to access her location in the few minutes they’d been on the phone, she disconnected, then ran up the stairs. Cyrus was standing in the middle of the room, fangs bared, claws out, and wings spread behind him. The bedroom wasn’t small, but his imposing figure took up most of it. Thomas was on his ass with his hands out in front of him.
“Please don’t hurt me,” the older man begged.
“He won’t hurt you,” Stella said, stepping in front of Cyrus. “You won’t hurt him, Cyrus. Thomas is your mate.”
“I know that, but fuck! I don’t want him to see me like this.”
“Tell your Goyle to stand down. You can do it. Tell him he’s scaring your mate.” Stella hoped she was saying the right thing. Zeke spoke to his shifter like they were buddies. “Cyrus, you can do this.”
Cyrus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Stella stepped back toward the door, holding her hand out to Thomas. “Come on, we need to go downstairs.”
Thomas scrambled to his feet, not looking back as he rushed from the room. Stella closed the door behind her, then followed the older man.
“Wh-what was that?”
“Long story really short, that was Cyrus transitioning into his Gargoyle for the first time. He is a shifter, and you are his mate. Being around you caused the shift. You are his destined life partner, chosen by the fates to be his one and only. I know it sounds strange, and it looks frightening. It’s really not, once you get used to it. Cyrus is still the same man you met earlier, only now he’s more. I need to get back down to the beach. My boss hit you over the head, then tried to kidnap me. My own mate is down there waiting on the cops. Maybe you need to come with me and let the EMTs check your head.”
“I’ve had concussions before. I’ll deal with it because I am not leaving until I know Cyrus is okay.”
“Spoken like a true mate. Okay, but if you need them, there are pain relievers on the end table. I had my own concussion just yesterday.” Stella took off toward the back door but turned at the last second. “You’re probably torn between disbelief and wonder, but please let Cyrus get through these first few hours. He’s getting a handle on controlling his inner Gargoyle, and he would never hurt you on purpose, but if he did harm you accidentally, it would kill him.”
“I’ll just…” Thomas sat down on the sofa. “Why’s it so cold in here?”
Stella didn’t hang around to explain. She rushed back down to the beach. In all the excitement, she’d forgotten to grab shoes. In her double-socked feet, she ran straight for the edge of the water, then turned right and jogged on the packed sand. Sirens rent the night, and by the time she reached Zeke, several police officers were headed between two of the houses in their direction.
Zeke released Bradley’s arm and stepped back with his hands up. Bradley pointed his good hand at Zeke. “Arrest him. He broke my wrist!”
“After you tried to kill him!” Stella yelled. She didn’t know how to explain the fact that Zeke had been shot but not injured, much less killed.
“This man tried to kidnap my fiancée. He shot at me several times, but he missed as I zigzagged out of the way. His gun is over there,” Zeke said, pointing to the weapon. “He followed Stella here after paying someone to attack her. You can call Officer Dowd with the New Fallbrook police department.”
“She’s not your fiancée! He’s lying. Stella, you have to believe me,” Bradley begged. Stella almost told the cops about Bradley hitting Thomas, but then she remembered the man had bigger headaches than talking with the cops, and Stella didn’t want them anywhere near the house when Cyrus was dealing with his transition.
Stella held up her left hand, waggling her ring finger. “He most certainly is my fiancé.” A couple of officers slapped handcuffs on Bradley and hauled him off. Stella had only heard the term kicking and screaming until that moment. After giving their statements, they were allowed to go home.
“We need to hurry. Thomas must have heard Cyrus screaming because he went upstairs and saw Cyrus in all his Gargoyle glory.”
“What? Come on.” Zeke picked Stella up, and faster than was humanly possible, ran with her across the beach to their house. Thomas was where Stella left him, only he now had the blanket she’d used earlier wrapped around his shoulders. He jerked his head in their direction when they entered the room.
“I’ve got Thomas. You go check on your brother,” Stella urged. Zeke held Stella’s arms, staring at her. “I promise I’m fine. You saved me.”
“How did he get to you anyway?”
“I opened the door to tell Thomas Cyrus wasn’t feeling well, and Bradley hit him over the head with his gun. Then he grabbed me and took off. I knew you’d come after me.”
“Always, but fuck, Baby. I’ve never been more frightened in my life than when I heard you yell my name.”
“And I was only scared until I remembered his bullets wouldn’t hurt you.”
Zeke cradled Stella’s face, his forehead still wrinkled. She reached up and smoothed the skin with her fingertips before arching up and kissing her male. “Go.” Zeke pressed his lips to her temple, then rushed upstairs.
“Would you like some coffee?” Stella offered Thomas who was staring at her.
“Do you have anything stronger? Because that” — he gestured upstairs — “requires it.”
“I understand. And yes, we have… I actually don’t know what all is here. Let me look.” Stella perused the cabinet where Zeke’s liquor was stored. She rattled off the various kinds of alcohol available, and Thomas opted for Scotch. After pouring a generous amount into a glass and handing it over, Stella found her discarded coffee cup she’d dropped earlier and put it in the sink before fixing another cup. When she returned to the living room, she sat on the other end of the sofa.
“Now, how about I tell you the long version?”
Zeke hated leaving Stella for even a second, but his brother needed him. He knocked on the door. “Cyrus, it’s Zeke. I’m coming in.” He wasn’t sure what he expected to find when he entered the room, but it wasn’t Cyrus calmly sitting on the end of the bed.
“I’m sorry I had to run out on you, but Calhoun tried to take Stella.”
“Is she okay?” Cyrus asked as he extended his claws and retracted them yet as quickly.
“Yes, she is. And Calhoun’s on his way to jail. Looks like you’re getting the hang of things.” Zeke leaned against the doorframe, keeping an eye on his brother while he listened in on his mate telling Thomas all about Gargoyles and half-bloods. The fates chose well when they gave Stella to him.
Cyrus opened his mouth and extended his fangs. “I’m trying. The claws aren’t bad, but these damn teeth…” Cyrus winced when the sharp ends cut his bottom lip. He retracted them, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Zeke pushed off the door and went into the bathroom for a washcloth. After wetting it with warm water, he returned and handed it to his brother. “You’ll need this for a while. What about your wings?”
Cyrus narrowed his eyes, and a few seconds later, his wings spread out behind him. Cyrus stared at his reflection in the mirror on the wall across from where he was sitting. “
I can’t believe this is all real.”
“It’ll take a while to get used to it, more so having another voice in your head than the actual shifting.”
“Yeah, uh, Stella actually helped with that. She told me to talk to it… Him.”
Zeke chuckled. “It’s okay to call your beast an it. You’ll be calling it several things for a while, none of which are nice. You just can’t let it control you when it tries to take over. That’s the hardest part of being Gargoyle. Your shifter will be headstrong and combative, especially where your mate is concerned.”
Cyrus turned sad eyes to Zeke. “I probably won’t have to worry about that. I phased in front of him and yelled at him to leave. I doubt I get the chance to explain things to him.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. He’s currently sitting on the sofa with Stella, and she’s explaining things from her perspective. He didn’t leave when you told him to, so that’s a good sign.”
“Really?” Cyrus turned his face toward the door, cocking his head to the side. Zeke figured his brother was listening in on the conversation taking place downstairs. “I can hear them.” Cyrus stood. “I need to go—”
Zeke held his hand out. “Hang on, Brother. I know you want to talk to him. Hold him, and claim him. Your beast is going to demand it. That’s going to be the hardest thing you’ll ever face – not claiming him immediately. But you need to be in control before you’re alone with Thomas, and that’s not going to happen quickly. I know you would never hurt your mate intentionally, but until you have some time to get used to the shifter inside, you need to keep your distance.” When Cyrus’s fangs dropped, Zeke pointed. “Case in point. You’re pissed, and you need to tamp that shit down now.”
“Sorry.” Cyrus took a step back and got his beast under control.
“I’m proud of you, Brother. You’re doing much better than I was at this point. Better than most of our siblings I helped through their transition.”
“Like I said, Stella helped. She told me to talk to my Goyle. How did she know? It’s not like she’s a shifter.”
Zeke smiled, thinking about his mate. “I may have spoken aloud to my beast in front of her. Plus, she can hear it in her head now that we’re mated.”
“Holy shit. Are you serious?”
“Yep. Not all couples have that level of bond, at least not right away. But I think me dressing down my Goyle gave her the idea.”
“I’m glad she did.” Cyrus stretched his neck, popping it from side to side. “Do you have any pain killers? My body feels like I got run over by a bull.”
“I do, but right now, they won’t help. Your body is adjusting to the changes and will be for a few more days. The aches will abate.”
“If you say so. Say, will you go talk to Thomas for me? Explain things from our perspective and ask him to give me a few days?”
“I’d be happy to. For now, you have a little chat with your beast and let it know who’s boss.” Zeke clapped his brother on the shoulder, squeezing gently.
Now that Cyrus had gone through the burning up portion of the transition, Zeke flipped the heat back on, then headed downstairs. Stella and Thomas were facing each other from opposite ends of the sofa with Stella talking about the mate bond.
“Everything okay down here?” Zeke asked after telling his virtual assistant to start the fireplace. His house in Tennessee was wood burning. It fit the log-and-stone structure, but he appreciated being able to have insta-fire thanks to his electric unit. When he turned around, Zeke gave Thomas his attention.
“I honestly don’t know. This morning, I met the man of my dreams, then tonight I find out he’s not a man at all.”
Zeke crossed the room and picked Stella up. He sat in her spot, settling her on his lap. “Cyrus is the same man you met this morning, but now he is more. His core values haven’t changed. Gargoyles were put on Earth to watch over humans. Before I explained about our family, Cyrus’s life revolved around his parents and their ranch. Now that he’s transitioned, I don’t see that changing, except for where you come in.”
“But we just met,” Thomas said, unwrapping the blanket from around his shoulders.
“Stella and I met less than a week ago. Now, we’re mated. She’s wearing my ring, and we’re planning our future. As she explained to you earlier, mates are different than human couples. The fates choose that perfect being for you. The one who will love you above all others. Unconditionally. They will be your lover, your spouse, and your best friend for the rest of your lives. Our parents – our birth parents – have been together over two hundred years, and they’re as much in love now as when they met, if not more. The bond only gets stronger as each day passes. I understand it’s a lot to take in, but I promise Cyrus is the other half of your soul, the same way Stella is mine.”
“Is that why I was drawn to him immediately? Usually, I’m too shy to even talk to another man.” Thomas’s skin blossomed red as he turned his head.
“Thomas, are you not out?” Stella asked.
“No, I am, at least to my family. Well, my sister. She and I are close. Our parents have both passed away, and she’s the only one I have left. But she knows. She’s tried to fix me up several times with friends of hers, but it was always a train wreck. I…” Thomas blew out a breath. “I’ve never been in a relationship. I’m fifty-one, and I don’t know what it’s like to have a boyfriend or partner. The few dates I went on once my parents passed were lackluster at best.”
“Same here,” Stella admitted. “I was in two short-lived relationships that went nowhere. I think it was because I was waiting on Zeke. I think the stars weren’t aligned for you either because you were waiting on Cyrus.”
“But look at him, then look at me. He’s… well, he’s an older version of you.” Thomas pointed at Zeke.
“Actually, I’m four years older than my brother. I happened to go through my transition in my late twenties, and the aging process slowed, keeping me looking the way I do now. The same thing will happen to Cyrus. He will forevermore appear to be in his fifties. The same as you will if you agree to the bond. You’ll be the handsome man with the flawless skin and a head full of dark hair.”
“How will I explain that to my sister? Won’t she wonder why I stopped aging?”
“After a few years, yes. But our biological father has developed prosthetics that can either show you with a few wrinkles, or he can give you a completely new look. My niece who is in her twenties used one of the masks to portray an old woman, and her own mate didn’t recognize her. It’s the same way our father has been able to stay in New Atlanta with no one realizing his true age or identity. We’ve been dealing with hiding in plain sight for centuries, and we have it down to an art. The easiest way to get around it is to move every ten or so years.”
“What if someone were to find out the truth, and say, go to the press?”
“Would you believe someone if they told you Gargoyles exist without proof? What would you have said if Cyrus told you what he was going to become this morning?”
“I’d have thought he was mental. Oh, okay. I see what you’re saying. This is a lot to take in.” Thomas looked over his shoulder toward the stairs. “I don’t hear any screaming, so does that mean he’s okay now?”
“The worst of the pain is over, but now he has to learn how to gain and keep control over the shifter. He asked that you give him a few days, because being around you riles his beast.”
“Oh. I… Does the beast not like me?”
“It likes you too much. It knows you are their mate, and it’s trying to convince Cyrus to come down here and drag you upstairs, then keep you locked up for days. Cyrus doesn’t have enough control though. Not yet.”
Thomas clapped his hands on his legs, then stood. “I guess I’ll go then. It’s been an exciting night for all of us. Stella, I’m glad your stalker didn’t hurt you, and I appreciate you talking with me. Zeke is a lucky man. Uh, male.”
“I’m the lucky one, but you’re welcome. I�
��m here if you want to talk further. Just maybe give me until about noon tomorrow. It has been a long day, and I plan on sleeping in.”
Well, maybe not sleep. I hope I get to snuggle my hot fiancé and get naked at some point.
Zeke chuckled, then nuzzled Stella’s neck. “I heard that,” he whispered.
“I should let you two…” Thomas pointed his thumb toward the stairs. “I’ll show myself out, but please tell Cyrus to call me if he wants to talk. I want to know how he is.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Cyrus called from upstairs.
Thomas snapped his head around, and Zeke explained, “Shifter hearing.”
“Uh, I look forward to it,” Thomas responded to Cyrus. He shook his head, but the man was smiling. “Until tomorrow.”
Zeke stood with Stella cradled in his arms and walked Thomas to the door, both bidding him a goodnight. He then carried her up the stairs to their bedroom. After placing her on the bed, he sat down beside her and cradled her hand between his. “I’m so proud of you. You did well talking Thomas off the ledge.”
“I understood what he was going through. Yes, he might have been tossed into the deep end of the Gargoyles-are-real pool without a life preserver, whereas you explained it to me first, but I told him everything you told me. He’s a very nice man, and from what little I know of Cyrus, I think they’ll be perfect together. Thomas owns his own business and can work from anywhere, so if they do complete the bond, I can see him moving to Montana.”
“I sure hope so. But enough about Thomas. You’ve had a long day, and I’d be a terrible mate if I kept you up any later.”
Stella cupped Zeke’s face, rubbing her thumb over his jaw. You’d be terrible if you didn’t.
Zeke’s beast rumbled in agreement. “If you insist.”
Epilogue
Stella was in heaven. She had never been to Tennessee, but she never wanted to leave. The house Zeke brought her to was nestled at the base of the Smoky Mountains. Where their home in California was light and airy with the ocean outside the doors, this one was wood and stone and surrounded by trees. The fireplace roared with real cut wood. The scent of oak permeated the room, and the warmth enveloped Stella like one of Zeke’s hugs. Her mate gave the best hugs.