Stone Destiny (Stone Passion #3)

by Warneke, A. C.

  The urgency she had to step outside of the shop disappeared as abruptly as it came and mindlessly, she walked back into the shop, a dazed expression on her face. Armand was by her side in the next moment, his arms around her and he looked at her with concern, “Are you alright?”

  She nodded, looking up at him in stunned disbelief, “I’m the one who told Ajreis how to break the spell.”

  He tried to not laugh but his face cracked and a chuckle escaped before he could stop it. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close, kissing the top of her head while trying to stifle his laughter, “Only you, Ferris, only you.”

  Chapter 23

  A Return to the Present

  “Come on, you two,” Apollo’s voice sang out as he sat down on the bed, nudging Ferris closer to Armand with his hip. Ignoring the sleepy grumbles, he continued in a cheery voice, “I have things to do in a few minutes so if you want to get up to the roof on time I’ll give you a lift.”

  Armand grinned as Ferris snuggled further into him. He hadn’t meant to fall asleep but she was so warm and snuggly that when he lay down with her to get her to rest he simply succumbed as well. Since their return to the present he had spent nearly every day as a man. Not because they intentionally had sex to keep him human during the day but because they indulged themselves every chance they got and were always joined when the sun rose. There had been one day he had stayed as a gargoyle and Ferris had curled herself up in his arms and spent the entire day resting against his stone chest.

  He had no complaints but as much as he loved it he was concerned because Ferris was so tired lately. It would probably be best if he let her get her sleep at night and return to his gargoyle form during the day for a few days. Hugging her tightly, he simply breathed in her sweet scent and let her rest a while longer.

  “The fun is about to start, guys,” Apollo continued undeterred. “You don’t want to miss all of the explosive fireworks and melodrama, do you?”

  “There were no fireworks,” Ferris mumbled, pressing her nose into Armand’s neck and breathing in deeply. Armand loved it when she did that. He loved the feel of her nose as it pressed against him, the puff of her breath as she breathed out, the swell of her breasts against his chest as she breathed in.

  “I swear if you two don’t get up I’ll pull the blankets off,” Apollo threatened.

  “Don’t do that,” Ferris managed, her eyes still closed, her body relaxed. “We’re naked.”

  “Hmm, that puts me in a difficult position,” Apollo murmured thoughtfully. “For I would love to see you naked but I’d rather not see Armand in all of his naked splendor.”

  His father’s jokes no longer bothered Armand because he knew Apollo had put Ferris behind him. He hadn’t really had a choice because in the end, or the beginning, Ferris had chosen Armand. Nothing his father did would ever shake his faith in Ferris again. If, upon occasion, Apollo looked at Ferris with longing in his hazel eyes, Armand could only sympathize because Ferris was one hell of a woman.

  Ferris’s hand smoothed over his chest and Armand’s breath caught in his throat. The little minx wouldn’t dare…. His hips jerked as she curled her fingers around his erection, slowly gliding her hand up and down. He felt her sleepy smile against his chest and he loved her. Gods, he loved her.

  “It will be even more difficult if you don’t leave,” Ferris growled, popping one eye open and teasingly glaring at Apollo. “I plan on giving my husband a proper wake up kiss and if you’re not out of here in, say, two seconds, you’ll be seeing a lot more of his naked splendor than you would ever want.”

  Apollo held up his hands and slowly backed out of the room, a grin on his lips as he conceded defeat, “Okay, you win. Just be ready in fifteen and don’t do anything that will hurt the baby.”

  Ferris’s hand stilled on his penis and they looked at one another with matching dumbfounded expressions. Sitting up in bed they stared at the door, Ferris struggling into a lacy bra as the blankets pooled around their waists. As one, they called out, “Apollo!”

  He appeared in an instant, a beaming smile lighting his face, making him even more brilliant that usual. “Don’t tell me you didn’t know? I mean, you’re about three months along.”

  Ferris looked just as thunderstruck as Armand felt and when she spoke, her voice was velvety soft, “But, we’ve never had sex while he was a gargoyle. I mean, that’s how Jenna and Melanie got pregnant and well, we’ve never done it that way.”

  “Yeah, but they weren’t Dragon-Mated,” Apollo explained slowly, as if Ferris and Armand should have already known this. “And neither of them were young goddesses.”

  Armand’s hand slipped to Ferris’s flat stomach, meeting Ferris’s hand which was already there. Their dragon tattoos were lined up perfectly in that position and just as Ferris and Armand were touching hands Fray and Zilahr were touching claws.

  Ferris moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue, something that Armand found so arousing even when his brain was being fried in amazement. Her voice was even softer as she asked, “Is he a dragon or a gargoyle?”

  Apollo’s eyes sparkled mischievously, “I don’t know. And I don’t know if he is a he or a she. But now that the two of you are up, get dressed and let’s get going. Time’s a-wasting and tonight is a big night.”

  Not caring whether or not Apollo was still standing in the doorway, Armand framed Ferris’s face in his hands, kissing her senseless as he laid her back down on the bed. Covering her slender body with his, he worshiped her mouth with tongue and teeth until she was panting, until her hips were rolling, silently begging for release.

  Her legs wrapped around his waist as he slid into her, claiming her over and over with every thrust of his hips. He loved her so much. How could he not? She reordered time and the universe to fulfill their destiny. Somehow she had known, she had always known, that they were destined to be together and she was unwilling to accept his foolish stubbornness, even if it meant taking on gods and dragons and Fate herself.

  She was a hell of a woman.

  “Thank you for saving me, Ferris,” he breathed into her mouth. “I love you.”

  Opening her eyes, she stared up at him with fathomless, blue-green eyes. For the most part she kept her powers muted but every now and then they shined through and it always took his breath away. In a solemn, passionately broken voice, she vowed, “If you were ever taken from me, Armand, I would tear the world apart to bring you back home.”

  “You won’t ever have to worry about that, love. I’m yours forever." He actually feared for any poor fool who would be so stupid as to try to separate them because he had no idea how powerful she was and he doubted she knew either. And Ferris being Ferris, she shared her power with him. She shared everything with him. "Let’s go home.”

  As the scene from a lifetime ago played out on the roof, Armand and Ferris stayed hidden from view behind one of the chimney stacks. As she listened to the conversation between Apollo and Armand, tears welled in her eyes and she couldn’t help but look at her Armand. He truly knew everything and he still loved her. She hadn’t doubted, not really, but to hear him speak words of passion for her, the conviction in his voice….

  “Why did you send me away?” she asked softly. "That night in the studio? Why did you say it was over?”

  “I was jealous,” he answered honestly, kissing the salty tears from her cheeks. “I didn’t think I could compare to a god and when I saw the painting of you and Apo… well, Marick, I thought you wanted him. Especially since….”

  “You didn’t see any of my paintings of you,” she whispered in belated understanding. Scrambling until she was on her knees and kneeling before him, she cradled his beloved face in her hands, “You silly gargoyle. Don’t you know that you’re my everything? You’ve always been my everything.”

  Cupping her elbows, he smiled at her, “I couldn’t fathom the depths of your devotion until I let myself accept your love. I still don’t understand how you can love a lost gargo
yle but it doesn’t matter because I love you and I am grateful for you. Still, I don’t deserve you, Ferris.”

  “Silly gargoyle,” she grinned, kissing his lips. “Silly, silly gargoyle.”

  Lost in their kiss, it took a moment to become aware of being watched. Opening an eye, Ferris saw Apollo standing there, leaning against the wall and wearing a too-bright smile. Sitting back on her heels, she looked up at the gorgeous god, “Is it time?”

  He nodded once, the smile no longer reaching his eyes. Reaching out, he touched her cheek with the tip of his fingers and a slight shudder wracked his body, “It’s time to say goodbye, sweetheart.”

  “You’re leaving?” she asked softly.

  He glanced at Armand for only a moment before he met her eyes once more, “I think it’s for the best. The children will be able to find me wherever I am….” He paused for a moment as his brows drew together, “I’m sure you’d be able to find me, too, if you so desired but that is neither here nor there. It’s time I moved on.”

  Awkwardly, she came to her feet and wrapped her arms around him, “I will miss you, you know. You and Omari and Marick have been an incredible part of my life.”

  Kissing her forehead, he inhaled deeply before pulling back and smiling down at her, “I’m sure we’ll see each other again, sweetheart. Maybe in a thousand years when the world is ready for new gods.”

  "Thank you for everything," she whispered, her smile trembling as she let him go.

  He held out his hand for Armand, “Son?”

  Armand clutched Apollo’s wrist and pulled him in for a hug, “I love you, father.”

  “I love you, too, son,” Apollo said with a suspicious hitch of his breath. “Give everyone my regards and tell them I will be seeing them again someday.”

  He stepped back and smiled his brilliant smile. Light surrounded his body… no, it came from his body, lighting up the night with radiance and warmth. Ferris wanted to watch him go but the brilliant light was too much and she shielded her eyes, leaning against Armand for support.

  For several long breaths, they stood in silence, holding tightly to one another. In a few minutes everything was going to change… Hell, everything had already changed. Armand slid his hand to her flat belly, bending his head so his lips were next to her ear, “Ready?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be,” she said, excited and incredibly nervous to be facing her family after everything she and Armand had been through. She offered Armand a smile, sliding her arm around his waist as he draped his arm around her shoulders. Together, they made their way back to where it all began.

  Heated conversation reached them the moment they stepped through the doors and they looked at one another. Ferris lowered her voice, “Maybe we should leave and come back when everyone has calmed down.”

  He leaned closer, flooding her with his intoxicating scent, “What do you think they are arguing about, love? Listen.”

  “You shouldn’t have let him up on the roof with her,” Michael bellowed. “She needed some time and he’s probably up there carving her heart out all over again. Jesus, Raphe, what were you thinking?”

  “That they needed to talk,” Raphe said on a resigned sigh. “She loves the bastard and if he’s willing to put forth just a little bit of effort I’m sure it will work out. I just want her to be happy.”

  Grinning, she looked up at Armand, “Won’t they be surprised?”

  He shook his head but he was smiling.

  “If you’re so worried,” Rhys interrupted. “What don’t you go up on the roof and check on them.”

  “Fine,” Michael shouted, slamming the door open and crashing into Armand as he stepped into the hall. A hush fell over the rest of the room. Even their thoughts were silent as Armand and Ferris stepped into the room and faced their families.

  Michael’s brows drew together as he noted the intertwining of limbs. “The last time any of us checked the two of you had called it quits and were quite miserable about it.”

  “That was a long, long time ago,” Armand said with a slight smile, hugging Ferris more tightly against his side. “Practically a lifetime.”

  “It was like ten minutes,” Leo interjected, his own eyebrows raised with interest. “Did you make up or something?”

  Ferris’s face split into a wide grin as she looked up to Armand with all of the love in her eyes. “Made up, hooked up, got mated, got married, and have a baby on the way.”

  Dead silence filled the room once more before a loud squeal broke through and the next thing Ferris knew she was in her mother’s and her aunt’s arms, spinning in mad circles. Nervously, she looked across the way and saw Armand in his brothers’ embraces, the hearty congratulations as every gargoyle slapped him on the back with all of their brute strength. Her darling Armand was going to have bruised shoulders later that night but he had the look of a man well-pleased with himself.

  His eyes met hers from across the way, love shining brighter than the sun in the green depths. She loved him with all of her heart, her soul. He was her gargoyle, her destiny.

  Epilogue

  A Perfect Beginning

  Ferris reclined on the chair watching her husband splash in the water with his pod brothers, Alex, and Gavin, the five of them basking in the sunlight. Deep, masculine laughter washed over her bare skin and she shivered. She loved the sound of Armand’s laugh.

  “Mom, do you know how disturbing it is to see a whale get turned on?” Gwendolyn asked, casually paging through a magazine. A delicate shudder rolled through the blonde’s lithe body but her smile belied her words. “You might want to bank those hormones until you and Armand are alone in your bungalow.”

  Ferris glanced down at her bulging belly, watching it as the baby rolled. Placing her hand over the baby, she smiled, “The whole point of getting a private island was to be able to spend time in the sun without prying eyes.”

  “And yet your three gargoyles spend more time as men than gargoyles,” Gwen continued with a sigh. Sitting up, she wrapped her arms around her knees and stared out over the dazzling Caribbean waters. “At least the kids still spend some of their time as gargoyles. They’re so bloody adorable when they’re gargoyles.”

  Ferris grinned at her daughter, absently stroking her pregnant belly. “My nieces and nephews are adorable all of the time.”

  "Yeah," Gwen agreed, a small smile playing at her full lips. "But they're less fragile as gargoyles."

  "Gwendolyn," Ferris groaned at Gwen's teasing, smiling when her daughter laughed.

  “Pass me the suntan lotion,” Jenna murmured, holding out her hand to anyone who would listen.

  Melanie tossed her the bottle, laughing when it landed just out of Jenna’s reach. “Sorry, sis.”

  “Whatever,” Jenna grumbled good-naturedly, smiling as she picked up the bottle and tried to wipe off the sand. Squeezing some lotion onto her hands, she rubbed it into her golden skin and sighed, “This was a brilliant idea, Ferris. I don’t know why we didn’t think of it sooner.”

  “You didn’t have the trio of terrors yet to take over the job at the Castle,” Ferris murmured absently, absurdly proud of Raphe, Michael and Leo for stepping up to the task. They were perfect gargoyles for the new world, a world without veils, able to adapt in ways the older gargoyles still struggled with.

  “True, true,” Jenna murmured, relaxing back with a sigh.

  Melanie giggled her irresistible giggle, making Ferris automatically smile. “The kids have shifted into their gargoyle form and the guys are having an impossible time chasing them. Even Alex is joining in on the fun.”

  Sarah and Orion were nearly a year old and just as mischievous and adventurous as Georgia had been at that age. Georgia and James were best friends, with Georgia leading them into all sorts of exploits. With three large gargoyles, a host of pixies and a parcel of sprites keeping an eye on the two tots, everyone was able to relax. Of course, Jenna and Melanie never completely relaxed, always keeping tabs on their offspring.

 
; “Fray?” Ferris murmured lazily, feeling the tug as he pulled himself from her body. He looked at her with a gleam in his jeweled sapphire eyes and she grinned. “Go full-on dragon and give those kids a thrill.”

  He beamed as his body stretched out, growing to twenty feet long, his golden scales shining beneath the sun. His wings stretched upwards as he took off into the air, the rush of wind moving over Ferris’s skin and lifting her hair from her neck. A chorus of squealing laughs came from the ocean and the women all chuckled.

  Sitting up, she watched Fray chase the young gargoyles, swooping into the water and splashing the men every chance he had. The dragon was utterly gorgeous against the backdrop of the crystalline water. He was showing off for Zilahr, who was far too pregnant to fool around with her mate, and Ferris thought it was incredibly sweet. Armand wore the heavily pregnant dragon with pride and Ferris thought he was even sexier.

  It was exhausting watching them and after a few minutes she lay back down on her beach chair, content to just listen to the laughter and the chatter around her.

  “I’m so glad you stumbled onto a trio of gargoyles all of those years ago, Lenni,” Jenna said on a sigh. “I can’t imagine more perfect lives.”

  Ferris smiled to herself, knowing how close they came to never knowing about gargoyles at all. She figured it was one of the advantages of being a goddess, though she didn’t like thinking about the idiosyncrasy of time too much because it gave her a headache.

  Droplets of cold water woke her from her daze and she squealed as Armand’s warm lips kissed her belly, “Hey, love, you looked so beautiful over here that I couldn’t resist. How are you feeling?”

  “Like a whale,” Ferris murmured, exchanging a grin with her daughter. Pushing herself up to a sitting position so Armand could join her on the chair, she rubbed her belly. “He’s been very active today.”