by Price,E A
Luc rolled his eyes. “I am more concerned by what happened to you. I fear it may be the work of Blackthorne.”
Chris nodded. “Perhaps we could talk about this downstairs.” He glanced down. “And while I’m wearing pants.”
Annis giggled and ran a claw down his chest to flick the edge of his boxers.
“Here you all are!” cried Maggie, also barging into the room, followed by an apologetic Andrew. “Wow, Chief Tight Pants, that’s quite some chest hair you’re sporting.” Her eyes ran over his torso, and she tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I don’t know why, but I was always pictured you hairless and covered in baby oil.”
Andrew groaned, and Annis growled, deciding that she did not like other females seeing Chris without clothes. She scooted her body in front of Chris, eyeing the other women suspiciously. “You should not be looking at his chest.”
Chris cleared his throat, sounding like he was trying not to laugh. “You know, Annis and I are still healing so maybe we should get a few minutes alone…”
Annis gave him a look of regret. “I actually have something I must do first. Stay here and I will return soon.” She was about to flit away, but she allowed a few extra moments to grab Chris’ shirt, force it onto his body and give a snickering Maggie a hard look of warning.
Chris opened his mouth to protest – and not just because his shirt was now on backward and inside out - but he was stopped by Hurricane Brenda. She zipped into the room, excitedly hugging Chris. Annis gave him a saucy smile as she flitted out of the room – one she would pay for later.
Brenda wagged her finger, but her look of admonishment was ruined by her smile. “You are not allowed to say anything about Ric and me being together now. Do you think I should call her Auntie Annis?”
Ric smirked knowingly, and Chris shuffled uneasily at being the center of this kind of attention. He wasn’t ashamed of being with Annis – they were together, everyone would know sooner or later. But they still had a lot to talk about and his private life was just that – private.
Thankfully, there was another in the room who could care less. Luc’s growl silenced the others’ titters and teases.
“I am concerned about what happened to you and Annis.”
“Yeah, I don’t think that’s the word I’d use,” said Chris. Fucking furious, maybe.
Brenda clutched Chris’ arm, and he was a little surprised and touched to see the worry on her face. “I was so worried; I almost called your girlfriend at the FBI.”
Chris scowled at her.
“Oh, right, ex-girlfriend, because Annis is your girlfriend now,” she said with glee.
“It concerns me,” snapped Luc, “that this man, Carlton Hunter knows of our existence.”
“I don’t think he knew much,” said Chris. “He couldn’t hide his surprise when he saw Annis – he’d never seen a gargoyle before her. And the guys who kidnapped us said that they were expecting a male.”
Luc narrowed his eyes and his tail beat against the floor.
“Gracchus was supposed to be there, not Annis,” said Kylie slowly.
“Indeed,” rumbled Luc. “But few even of the clan knew of this.”
“Yes,” agreed Ric, “neither I nor Brenda knew about that.”
“Neither did Andrew and me,” piped up Maggie.
“No,” said Luc, flexing his wings.
Chris wasn’t easily scared, but the male looked even more huge and menacing at that moment.
Kylie took one of his massive hands. “What is it?”
“It occurs to me that one clan member suggested – nay insisted - that Gracchus be sent on this errand.”
Chapter Forty-One
Annis found Castor in the grounds, staring moodily into one of the fishponds. Oh, she hoped he was not contemplating eating one of the fish.
“Castor, I…” she began.
Abruptly, he stood and blurted, “I am rescinding my mate-claim.”
Annis’ mouth made an O of surprise. “I see, well I…” she trailed away. She was there to reject him, and his words had taken the wind right out of her sails.
Castor folded his arms, his lips pursed in disapproval. “It is evident to me that you wish to engage in a relationship with that human, and I do not intend to make a fool of myself in also trying to court you.”
“I see.” The news certainly traveled fast.
“You are not disappointed?”
Annis shook her head. “Are you?”
“A little,” he admitted cautiously.
“But not because you cared for me?” she surmised.
He gave her a look of puzzlement.
“Forget I asked,” she muttered.
Castor grunted. “I do not love you - love is very much a human caprice. But do not think that I do not have warm feelings toward you. Why do you think I was always kind to you?”
Annis shrugged. “Because you are a good gargoyle, and loyal to your clan.”
He laughed in embarrassment. “I am not sure I have been much of a good clan member since I awoke.”
“Give yourself some credit – it has been less than a week.”
Castor inclined his head in thanks. “I was kind to you because I admired you.”
“Yes, I know you admired that I stayed innocent while waiting for my mate, but…”
“No – I admire you.”
“Me?” she squeaked. How could mighty, perfect Castor admire tiny, imperfect her?
“I admired your spirit. You endured more than any other in our clan, and you could have withdrawn or been bitter – but consistently you remained a kind and gentle soul.”
The memory of her claws raking over Carlton Hunter’s cheeks returned, and she quickly banished it. Surely those were extreme conditions, and she should not feel any remorse for that.
“Um, thank you,” she said awkwardly.
“I cannot pretend that I am pleased with your apparent desire to pursue a mating with a human, but if you are doing it, then I cannot see that it can be very wrong.”
“Thank you. I know this is difficult, but I hope you can be more accepting of humans.”
“I understand your human was instrumental in your survival. I believe he reciprocates your feeling. If those things are true, then maybe he is a worthwhile creature, and perhaps there are other humans like him, too.”
Annis didn’t bother to say that she doubted there were any others quite like Chris; she just smiled at him.
“We are still clan mates, and friends, I hope. If you need me, I will help you in any way I can. I will always care about you.”
Castor grunted and shifted from foot to foot, a little embarrassed. “I am set to spar with Brom, and I believe your human will be missing you soon. Humans are needy creatures.”
She giggled and waved a goodbye. Castor would survive. It may be hard for him to adjust, and overcoming his prejudices would not happen instantly, but she was not as concerned as she had been.
Annis wrapped her wings around her and strode back to the house. She hoped Chris was a needy creature because he was about to be spending a lot of time with Annis who was very needy, and by gargoyle standards, had left it quite late to lose her innocence. She had a lot of time to make up for. Hopefully, Chris had a lot of stamina.
*
“Where is Lief?” roared Luc, storming into the enormous living room.
Ingrede and Cai looked up from playing with Wolfe. Gracchus muted the TV while Tristan and Twenty-Six looked up from their respective books and magazines.
Gracchus stood. “I have not seen him since we woke, Chief.”
Luc growled and stalked away, followed by Ric. Gracchus inclined his head at Kylie as a show of respect. On first meeting her – as had some of the other gargoyles – he insisted on calling her Chief’s Mate. Kylie insisted that they stop and just call her Kylie.
“What is going on, Kylie?” he asked.
She wrung her hands together. “Luc thinks that…”
“Lief!” bellowed Lu
c. The whole house shook and judging by the way Brom, Drago, Castor and Annis all quickly appeared at the patio doors – his voice had carried into the grounds. Kylie just hoped it didn’t carry as far as the town.
Annis flitted to Chris’ side. “What is happening?”
“Luc thinks that Lief told Carlton Hunter where to find you. He thinks that he set up your kidnapping.”
“Oh!”
Chris slid an arm around her waist making more than one gargoyle gasp in shock. “It sounds like he was after Gracchus, not you.”
Gracchus snorted and flicked his wrist; the watch Chris had given him shining in the light. “If this is true, he will pay.”
Annis took the opportunity to nuzzle Chris’ neck. She was partially upset by the news that Lief may have betrayed them, but she would also take any excuse she could get to cuddle with her male.
“Hey, Gracchus, turn the sound up.” Chris nodded at the TV.
The gargoyle did and they listened to the news report. “Earlier today, businessman Carlton Hunter was found dead at his hunting compound. Early reports suggest he was the victim of an animal mauling. Mr. Hunter has recently been under investigation for the illegal importation of endangered species…”
“Couldn’t have happened to a nicer or more deserving guy,” muttered Chris.
*
Lief dropped to the ground in front of Ophelia. He bowed his head to his clan leader, and she roared at him to get up.
“You failed!”
“Forgive me, Chief,” he murmured. “Gracchus was supposed to go, but Luc changed his mind at the last moment. I tried to reason with him, but he would have none of it. I heard them talking – Luc realized it was me. I had to leave before he found me.”
Ophelia flexed her wings. “I give you a simple task, and you cannot even manage that! The only reason I had you woken was to ensure that I had eyes and ears in Luc’s clan, and now that is over.”
She paced up and down. Of all the ungrateful gargoyles! Finding the right witch to wake Lief had been hard enough. Having her put him back to sleep again so Kylie could re-awaken him had almost killed the witch. All that effort was now for naught. Lief was supposed to relay information back to her and to make a few adjustments to Luc’s clan – such as helping her get rid of Gracchus.
Gracchus was a strong male – she remembered him from a thousand years ago. He was said to have no equal in sword fighting, and by Lief’s accounts, was now loyal to Luc. Killing him would have severely weakened Luc’s grasp on his makeshift clan. Creating a clan from a group of gargoyles who each used to belong to different clans was never going to be easy – Luc needed strong supporters and it was strongly implied that Gracchus would be named as second in command of the clan.
If her plan had succeeded, Gracchus would be dead - and with so few of their species left he would have been a loss - but needs must, and she did need the money. She despised using money – it was a human invention after all, but it was a necessary evil. After she killed Carlton, she took all the cash he had on him. Better it be used for her cause than wasted on humans who seemed intent to squander it on new phones and shoes. Pathetic creatures, she thought savagely.
Speaking of pathetic creatures…
Lief still quivered before her. He was not an overly weak warrior, but after he had awoken, Ophelia made sure he realized that she was his Chief. While Luc had always thought that respect was the best way to lead, Ophelia knew it was fear. She made sure Lief had plenty to fear from her.
“You know that you are of no use to me now.”
“Please, Chief, I will serve you any way I can.”
Ophelia snorted. “You are lucky there are so few of us left, I would not waste a gargoyle life unless it were necessary. I suppose there is no value in ending you… not yet at least.”
Lief blanched slightly but tried not to let it show. He better learn how to control himself better. In her clan, there would only be warriors. Although when she took over Luc’s clan and made it hers, she wouldn’t kill Annis. Maybe she was being too merciful, but they would need Annis to cook and care for the future younglings. Though the human members of the clan would of course be the first to go, starting with Kylie. The thought of killing that particular human made Ophelia very happy. She had dreams about just how satisfying it would be.
“Come,” she barked at Lief, “we have much to do.”
Chapter Forty-Two
“I don’t feel like I need to go back to bed,” protested Chris as Annis dragged him to her bedroom. “Shouldn’t we be more worried about Lief?”
“Luc will handle it, and you are still injured,” she protested.
“So are you.”
Annis pushed him onto the bed, and he took her hands, keeping her standing in front of him. “Seriously, how’s your wing?”
She flexed it experimentally. “Stiff and sore. How are you?”
“Stiff and sore,” he smirked pulling one of her hands over his groin.
Annis burst into a fit of giggles. “You are very witty.”
Chris slipped his hands around her body and pulled her closer, standing between his legs. “It bodes well for me that you actually think that.”
Annis cradled his head and planted kisses on his lips and cheeks. “If our relationship is moving too quickly for you, I will understand if you wish to stop and reassess what we are doing.”
He gripped her hips. His straining manhood pressed against her sex separated only by a few wisps of fabric. “Does it feel like I want to stop?”
“Physically, no,” she admitted, feeling inordinately smug that she could incite such desire in this man. “But emotionally, I would understand if…”
Chris raised a hand and stroked his thumb over her lips to hush her. “I love you. Assessment over.”
“Thank you.”
His eyebrow quirked. “Thank you? For what? Loving you? Sweetheart, that part isn’t hard.”
“No, this is hard, though,” she teased running a claw over his groin.
He groaned and pulled his shirt over his head, throwing it aside. “You’re funny. Now get out of those clothes and into this bed.”
Annis brow furrowed. “Are you sure you do not need to speak to your niece regarding our relationship before we go any further.”
“Pretty sure she already knows what we’re up to, and even after all I crap I gave her about Ric, I know she’s happy for us.”
“Well, if you are sure…”
Chris let out an impatient noise and tore at her garment.
“That was my favorite dress,” she pouted in protest.
His gaze devoured her naked form and Annis wiggled for his benefit.
“I’ll buy you more,” he muttered, his eyes glued to her breasts. “A hundred dresses that I can tear off you one by one. Have I told you, you’re perfect?”
“Yes, and I enjoyed it very much.” She was more than happy to be considered abnormal by the rest of the world if Chris thought she was perfect. His love and lust for her were more than enough.
She grasped his boxers, and with a flick of her claws tore right through them, tossing the scraps of fabric aside.
“Those were my favorite boxers,” he teased.
“That is not true. You prefer not to wear them.”
Chris smiled. “How did you know that?”
“More often than not, you do not wear them. I can tell by the way your jeans fit.”
“Paying close attention, were you, sweetheart?” He shuffled backward on the bed, pulling her with him. She crawled after him, her behind wiggling exaggeratedly.
“Perhaps,” she cooed.
Chris collapsed on his back, and Annis settled over his body, straddling him, her already drenched sex kissing his hard member. He put one hand on her thigh, gently kneading her flesh, while the other cupped her mound and pressed a thumb against her nub. Annis bit her lip as he traced lazy circles over the tiny bundle of nerves.
She caught sight of the bite mark she had given him and t
raced it with a talon. “I fear I have scarred you for life.” Truthfully, she liked the idea of Chris wearing her mark – it aroused a primal feeling of pride in her. But she feared he would hate it for ruining his skin. “I am sorry.”
He did not seem annoyed. “I can’t say I am. That bite almost had me coming on the spot.”
“I believe gargoyles bite each other during coupling to increase their pleasure. But they will heal from the wounds – you will not. I have marred your beauty.”
Chris grinned. “I kind of like it. Do you think it’s ugly?”
“Not at all!”
“Well, since you’re the only one who’s going to be seeing me naked – then only your opinion matters.”
Annis smiled and then squeaked as he pinched her clit.
“I wanted to taste you again,” he said, leering at her before sighing, “but I think the events of the last couple of days have started to catch up to me. We might have to take this slow and cut out a few things I wanted to do.”
Annis bent over his body, her breasts grazing his chest as she graced him with a sensual kiss, lingering over his lips, nibbling and nipping at them. “After everything that has happened, I just wish to feel you inside me.” More than anything she wanted the sensual connection to her male – who would soon become her mate. There could be no more exquisite feeling in the universe, than that of the intertwining of their bodies.
She raised herself over him, her tail curling around his leg and her wings rustling behind her. She reached between them and grasped his hardened sex, stroking the length, making him groan and push against her hand. Perhaps it was wrong to think it, but every part of him was beautiful. She wanted to lick and kiss every inch of his peachy, soft skin. Later admonished an inner voice. Now, she needed her release. Needed to give and take pleasure with her male.
“Mine,” she purred.
“Mine,” he echoed.
Annis raised herself on her knees, directing the huge head to her drenched entrance. The large size of his arousal looked almost menacing against her small body, but she knew she could take him, knew he was just right for her – like he was made for her.