INFLAME: (a gargoyle shifter and witch romance) (Underground Encounters Book 8)

by Lisa Carlisle

  Lucan pinned Veronique down with his body, his legs pressing on her arms to prevent her from projecting any more magic.

  He grabbed her throat. “I’ve been waiting for this for thirteen years.”

  The ice in his voice sent shivers along her spine. The fury in his exaggerated gargoyle features struck more fear along every inch of her flesh. And the wide span of his dark wings made him appear more like a vengeful demon than a protective gargoyle.

  Veronique flailed, kicking her legs out and grasping to reach him. Her mouth gaped open as she gasped for breath. Her eyes bulged and her face turned blue.

  “No, you’ll kill her!” Elise shouted and came out from her cover. This wasn’t the right way to stop her. Even though her sister was evil, Elise didn’t want her dead.

  “That’s the plan,” he seethed. “She deserves to die.”

  “Please. Don’t,” she begged. “She’s my sister.”

  “She attacked you. She attacked me. She’s attacked far too many people I care about.”

  “But—but—” How could she convince him to stop? “Marguerite loves her. She’s her mother! She’ll never forgive you if you do this.”

  His distorted features twisted with conflict. “She’s better off without her.”

  “Please, Lucan. Have mercy. For your daughter.” She stepped over and placed her hand on his shoulder. She might be overplaying her hand, but she added, “Release her for me.”

  Her pounding heartbeat ticked by.

  A rumbling from within his chest turned into a shattering howl. He released Veronique’s throat. As she choked for breath, he pulled ties out and clear tape off of some packing materials near the garbage. He bound her hands behind her back and attached her to the dumpster.

  “Where you belong,” he spat.

  “Merci,” Elise said. As she was about to touch his arm, he yanked it away.

  “Don’t touch me again, Elise,” he spat. “You’re just as bad as she is. I never should have trusted you.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  LUCAN’S HEART CRUMBLED to stone dust. After discovering that Elise had betrayed him three nights ago, he stayed far from Salem. The sting of her betrayal cut like storm winds on his wings. His muscles were too stiff, affecting the trajectory of flight. No matter how far he soared, the bitterness clung to him, weighing him down.

  He avoided Elise. How could he be near her and see her lying eyes?

  To numb himself, he indulged in an excess of whiskey. But, it hampered his ability to fly, so then he couldn’t soothe himself that way.

  On Sunday afternoon when the fog in his brain finally lifted, he met Danton and Mattias at the apartment Danton shared with Tracy. She was in a study group, so they had the place to themselves. With three gargoyles in the one-bedroom place, it was already crowded enough.

  Lucan paced before the coffee table in the living room. “She lied to me. Betrayed me.”

  Danton paced and rubbed his jaw. “There has to be some explanation.”

  Lucan grunted. “That she’s a woman and a witch, as evil as her sister.”

  Even as he heard the words come out of his mouth, a part of him knew it wasn’t true. Elise had been nothing like Veronique. But dammit, why did she lie to me?

  At least, Veronique was gone. After tying her to the dumpster, he notified his boss, Tristan. As a descendent of a long line of witches, he’d set the calls in motion to inhibit Veronique’s use of magic and ship her out of the country. She was back with the council awaiting trial for cursing him. Although she wasn’t dead, perhaps justice would catch up with her in the end.

  “Something doesn’t add up,” Mattias said. “Why would she free you from the curse and fight her sister?”

  Lucan rubbed his forehead and grumbled, “Hell if I know. Once again it proves I don’t know shit about women. I didn’t with Veronique back then and I sure as hell haven’t learned anything by now—with her sister, nonetheless.” He threw his hands up. “And now I have a daughter. I’m the worst possible choice to be a father.”

  “You need to take a step back, so you can look at things clearly,” Danton said. “When it comes to Veronique, you’re so blinded by rage, you can’t see the bigger picture. Or, what’s more important to you.”

  “And what’s that, my older and wiser brother?” Lucan said with contempt. Perhaps Danton was partially right, but years of boiling anger had clouded Lucan’s judgment. He’d admit that.

  “It’s not just Marguerite,” Danton said, “but Elise.”

  Her name hit Lucan like a cold slap. He’d been a fool to think she might have been his mate. Maybe he’d had a fantasy or two that he could share a slightly bigger apartment like this with her and Marguerite one day. Fat chance of that ever happening. He was wrong. A mate wouldn’t betray him the way she had.

  He raised his hands and stepped back. “No. This isn’t helping.” He had to get away from them. Escape the betrayal. He left the apartment to go back to searching for solace in the skies.

  As he searched for cover to shift, a young woman’s voice stopped him.

  “Dad?”

  He turned on hearing Marguerite’s voice. That one word only reserved for him cracked through the hardness shielding his heart.

  “Marguerite, what are you doing here?”

  “I heard what happened.”

  “From who?” He had a solid guess, so he wasn’t sure why he asked that.

  She raised her brows in a come-on look. “Aunt Elise, of course.”

  “Oh.” He swallowed. “How is she?” Wait, why was he asking that? She lied to him—he shouldn’t care about where she was or what she was doing.

  “Being thoroughly miserable.”

  A sharp pain twisted inside him. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel any pain. “Why?”

  “Come on, Dad. You don’t have to play dumb. I know there’s something going on between you—and now look at you? You look like hell, like you haven’t slept in a week and are just as miserable as she is.”

  He grimaced. “That’s what happens when people lie to those who care about them.” He heard the bitterness in his voice and wanted to slap the bullshit out of his mouth. What a fine time for a parenting lecture from an absentee father.

  “What did she lie about?”

  “About your mother. Saying she was dead.”

  Marguerite furrowed her brows. “She said that?” She shook her head. “That’s weird. My mom was sent away, not dead. She was going to be put on trial for using dark magic to control others—like what she did to you.”

  “Then how did she end up here?”

  Marguerite gave him a come on, it’s obvious look. “She escaped. She’s pretty good with dark magic, as you know.”

  Lucan replayed the conversations with Elise in his head, searching for the exact words. She’d said that Veronique was gone. Had she ever used the word dead?

  Shit, he couldn’t recall that ever happening. When the spell had been broken, he’d assumed Veronique had died. He’d pictured her death so many times, it was easy to conclude. Elise had said that her sister was gone, leaving Marguerite without a mother. It must have reinforced his assumption.

  Oh fuck. She hadn’t betrayed him after all, but he’d pushed her away with that unfounded accusation.

  He was a world-class idiot. And he’d almost made the biggest mistake of his life.

  “Damn it, I was wrong.” He shook his head and implored his daughter, “Can you take me to her?”

  “Sure.” She beamed with a wide smile. “As long as you fly us there.”

  Lucan laughed. He hadn’t taken his daughter out for a flight yet. “Of course. Otherwise, what kind of gargoyle father would I be?”

  She responded with a sage nod. “Not a bad one at all. I’m glad Aunt Elise convinced me to come meet you.”

  They exchanged a look that spoke more than he could ever say. They were father and daughter. They’d figure this out.

  Maybe he wasn’t such a shit dad after
all. After a rocky start, he might get better at it with time.

  And, Elise had brought them together. Created a family. Would she still want to be part of it with them?

  Before he shifted to gargoyle form, he added, “Hold on. Your dashing dad is about to look more handsome.”

  She laughed, but then her face dropped. “She’s planning for us to return to France sooner than we’d planned.”

  His gut caved in. “How soon?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  Fuck! All his muscles hardened while he screamed inside his head. She couldn’t go. She was the one for him. The only one.

  His mate.

  His soul whispered the word again—mate, as if relieved he’d finally understood.

  What an idiot he’d been for not accepting that fact sooner.

  “Marguerite, I want to ask you something.”

  “What?”

  “I know we had a rough start, but I want to be a part of your life. Would you ever consider staying here with me instead of returning to France?”

  She peered at him with wondrous surprise before her face spread into an enormous grin. “I thought you’d never ask.” She rushed over and gave him a big hug.

  He held his daughter in his arms. Something about this moment felt so right. For thirteen years, he’d dreamed of destroying the woman who’d cursed him. He’d given up that drive for the daughter they’d had—and for Elise. They gave him a reason to live rather than destroy.

  And with the comfort of his daughter safely in his embrace, he knew it had been the right thing. She might never have forgiven him otherwise.

  When Marguerite pulled back, she smiled with a wise look of someone well beyond her age. “But, only if Aunt Elise stays, too.”

  He nodded. “I couldn’t agree with you more. But, will she want to be near me?”

  He’d lashed out at Elise, accusing her of being just like her horrid sister.

  Marguerite sighed. “She’s been pretty upset. Devastated actually.”

  His stomach caved in. What a dick he’d been.

  “Then again, I’ve never seen her look at anyone the way she looks at you,” she added.

  A flutter of hope rose within. He gave his daughter a half-smile. “Worth a shot, right?”

  “Right,” she agreed. “The worst that could happen is that she’ll turn you down. And maybe tell you to piss off.”

  “Hey,” he scolded. “Language.”

  “Oops, sorry,” she said. “So, are we going to fly to her or what?”

  “Yes,” he replied. “But, first, I need to go get something important.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  ELISE STARED OUT TO the ocean. She found a quiet spot on the beach where she could be alone. The sun glittered with playful sparkles on the waves. She turned away. How could it mock her with such brightness when her world had darkened?

  Tomorrow, she’d be crossing this ocean with Marguerite and they’d return to France. It was for the best, right? Her mission to introduce Marguerite to her father was accomplished, so they could return to their own lives.

  Then why did she feel so empty inside?

  She’d replayed his cutting rebuke countless times, and each time it sliced a bit deeper in her soul:

  “You’re just as bad as she is. I never should have trusted you.”

  What had she done to make him think that? She would have asked him had he given her a chance to ask, but he’d flown off, leaving her staring at his wings ascended with beautiful sorrow as they rose in the sky—whispering adieu.

  Ah well, she had no business being here anyway. She was a witch and belonged with her coven in France.

  Movement in the sky caught her attention. Goddesses, it was Lucan flying in gargoyle form with Marguerite in his arms! Elise stood and wiped the sand off her legs. What on earth were they doing there?

  She glanced around to see if anyone else would see them flying. This part of the beach was still deserted on this cooler April morning. Then, she remembered how he used magic to cloak himself when he flew.

  But, still, why was he here?

  After they landed a dozen feet away, Marguerite turned away and covered her eyes. In the next moment, Elise understood why. He shifted from his gargoyle form to the magnificent male one—the same one who’d captivated her body and soul. He was nude. Her heart thumped. It took her utmost resistance not to ogle him. She averted her eyes as he pulled out some clothing from a satchel.

  He headed over to her. “Elise, can we talk?”

  She pulled her gaze to him. With only a pair of black pants slung low on his hips, he still revealed too much of his beautiful skin and dazzling muscles. Why tempt her that way with what she couldn’t have?

  “What is it, Lucan?”

  Marguerite said, “I’ll give you some space.” She walked to the shoreline.

  After Marguerite had removed her shoes and waded in the ocean several yards away, Lucan said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what I was talking about.”

  She rubbed her temple. “I don’t know what happened. What did I do to you?”

  “Nothing. I’m an idiot.” He exhaled and stared out to the ocean. “When the curse broke, my brothers and I assumed Veronique had died. When you said she was gone, that confirmed it in my mind.”

  “Oh.” Elise nodded as she pieced together the rest. “And when she showed up, you thought I lied to you.”

  “Right.” He pulled his gaze back to her. “Like I said, I’m an idiot.”

  She sighed. “No. I wasn’t forthright with what happened. Perhaps I should have told you the details.”

  “Marguerite filled me in. I know Veronique was sent away for a trial.”

  “Right. After she’d drank too much mead one night, she’d admitted to me who Marguerite’s father was. When I pushed her for more, she’d admitted what she’d done to you and your brothers. I was horrified and turned her in.”

  “And saved me.” He took one step forward. “Thank you, Elise. For saving me and my brothers. For bringing me my daughter. For coming into my life.”

  “Of course.” Her voice came out hitched. It was difficult to breathe with him so close.

  He raised his hand close to her cheek. She ceased breathing as she awaited his touch, but he hesitated and then lowered his hand.

  A wave of disappointment flooded through her.

  “I don’t want you to leave,” he added. “You or Marguerite. Because there’s one thing I’m certain of. You’re the one for me. The only one. My mate. And I’ve fallen in love with you.”

  Her heart pounded and ricocheted around her ribs. He loved her? This was beyond her maddest fantasies. The words sound so right, echoing in her soul.

  “I love you, too, Lucan.”

  His entire body beamed happiness, from the broad smile on his face to the twinkling in his eyes and the excited motions of his body.

  He stepped forward and took her hands in his. “Will you stay here with me?”

  Was she really hearing this? She glanced over at Marguerite. She waded but peeked over and smiled.

  Elise searched Lucan’s eyes. Everything she’d ever wanted was right there. All the love she’d ever craved was with this shifter who stared at her with admiration. Although she’d never felt she belonged there with the coven, she knew deep in her heart she belonged with him, wherever that was. They were meant to be together.

  “Oui,” she replied, holding back tears of joy.

  “She said yes!” Lucan announced. He swooped her in his arms and swung her around.

  Marguerite ran over, whooping in glee. The three of them hugged in a giant embrace on the beach.

  “Or, we could all go back to France,” Lucan added. “I don’t care where we are, as long as we’re together.”

  Elise exchanged a glance with Marguerite and knew they agreed. “Here,” Elise replied.

  Lucan beamed. “Wait, I almost forgot to give you something.” He reached into his satchel and brought out a small box. He unwrapped it
to reveal the blue glass witch ball, the same one she’d admired in the store.

  She covered her heart. “You remembered.”

  He handed it to her. “For our place. The three of us.”

  Marguerite glanced up to the two of them. “A family.”

  Epilogue

  THREE MONTHS LATER

  Lucan paced the floor of the apartment he shared with Elise and Marguerite in Salem. His daughter’s school books were spread over the coffee table. Her favorite class—potions—was marked by several colorful sticky notes. Elise’s presence was stamped on their place with the number of potted plants covering every horizontal surface. He had a book on opening a restaurant, a stack of menus, and commercial real estate listings in one neat pile. When he’d spoken to Tristan about opening a restaurant with a Vamps-like vibe, he encouraged Lucan to learn about the business and come up with some ideas. Tristan had the funding and an eye for real estate and said he’d be willing to partner on the right opportunity.

  Other than that, Lucan’s belongings were minimal, having been used to living a simple life. The most important parts were already there—Elise and Marguerite.

  He went over his list again in his head to make sure everything was covered. This was the night. He glanced at the blue glass witch ball hanging in the picture window, the first thing they’d hung when they’d moved in.

  The living room rug practically had a hole in it by the time Elise came home.

  When she entered, he paused and took her in. Damn, she was beautiful—and she was his. His insides softened. She wore a dark blue sundress that set off her honey blonde hair. He pictured the events that would follow, and his cock twitched with expectation.

  He rushed over to her and greeted her with a kiss. “Welcome home.”

  She smiled and glanced around the room. “Wow, this is quite the welcome.”

  He’d put the vases of flowers on the coffee table, the kitchen table, and every spot that wasn’t covered.