“We’re leaving. Now.” Stone looked at Elijah, who nodded and went to pick up Nixie who was still unconscious on the chair.
“Not with my daughter,” my father roared.
“Calm down Drake.” Xavier grabbed my father’s face and stared at him waiting for him to calm down. I watched with rapt interest. I had never seen anyone calm my father down like that.
Finally my father’s slit eyes returned to his human blue eyes.
“He is not going to take her away.” My father snarled quietly to Xavier.
Stone growled and started to speak again, when I pressed my forehead into his chest and shook my head no.
“None of you will be leaving.”
Fear snaked its way down my spine.
“You can’t keep us here.” Stone growled, pulling me toward Elijah who had picked up Nixie and stood closer to the door.
“Stupid shape-shifter, do you really think I would let you leave with her? I will not allow the Bradens to destroy her.” That only seemed to piss Stone off more. He let go of me, turning so that I was pressed behind his back and he was a step closer to Xavier.
“I would never harm her, Gargoyle. We know about what the Vedenins did to her. I won’t allow you to send her back.” Stone answered.
“Send her back? I am a York and no friend to the Vedenins or the Bradens. Your clan seeks to use her.”
Stone’s face grew rigid. “So you have her best interest at heart?” He gave a sharp laugh. “You would use her just like they did.” Stone started to push me backwards.
“We would never do that her. We are trying to save her!” My father tried to push past Xavier again.
“We know about the alliance between your clan and the Vedenin clan.” Stone replied still shielding me. Elijah stood next to him with Nixie in his arms. She was starting to stir a little. I tried to reach out and touch her arm, but Stone quickly pushed down my arm to keep me hidden from sight.
“We have no alliance with the Vedenin clan. Your information is wrong.” My father was still struggling against his friend. Xavier touched my father’s cheek gently, which seemed to calm him down slightly. Then he turned to face us.
“I guess that you received a lot of false information. Though you, wraith…I am shocked that you would go along with the façade that your precious Jacobs has been flaunting around for Cain.” Xavier looked smug and Stone stiffed. His head turned toward Elijah.
“What is he talking about?” Stone snarled.
“Jacobs was not honest with you. He was planning on destroying her.” Elijah’s black eyes were on me, watching for my reaction. He knew all along. I was it, I was to be destroyed. Nixie must have woke up during the conversation because a loud crack rented the air.
“You asshole! Put me down now before I bust your damn eardrums!” Nixie started to twist her way out of Elijah’s arms who, instead of trying to hold on, simply dropped his arms. She almost fell on her back, but twisted just in time. “You fat whale.” Nixie said as she pushed herself off her knees into a standing position. “Well, you boys sure know how to yell and be all caveman like, but how about you tell us straight out what the hell is going on?” Nixie stood with her hands on her hips and looked like she was ready for business.
“Cain wants to kill off the returning paranormals.” My father growled. His voice was becoming unrecognizable again.
“Sorry I don’t understand deep throat? What?” Nixie asked looking curious, but cautious of Xavier.
“Thought to be extinct paranormals are resurfacing. We are calling them the rebirths. Cain wants to kill them off, and the Vedenin clan are planning to control them. Simple enough? So if you leave, and take her back to your clan, you are ensuring her death,” Xavier announced staring at Stone.
After that, things got a little hazy for me. Stone didn’t say anything, but he radiated anger. I could feel it pouring off him. Nixie’s eyes were filled with infinite sadness. I knew she had no idea about this, that she would never try to kill me. Elijah, who never showed emotion anyways, made no indication of not knowing or even feeling slightly remorseful if he did.
Elijah agreed to stay as long as we were staying. Xavier promised them that if the others wanted to leave within a couple days after learning everything he had to tell them they could. I was another story. I was not allowed to leave. My father made sure everyone knew that. He tried to grab me away from Gabriel, but I was kept hidden behind the strong back of the man that I was starting to completely trust. Xavier took my father aside and talked to him in hushed tones. Finally my father agreed that I could stay in my own room.
Xavier offered to show to their rooms. I walked next to Gabriel.
Nixie looked deathly pale when Xavier almost touched her. It was the only time she did talk since waking up in Elijah’s arms.
“Do not ever touch me, York. Ever,” she hissed. She moved past him and went into the room, slamming the door firmly behind her.
My father walked behind us. When we arrived at my room, he grabbed me into a hug. It felt…normal to have his arms around me again. A piece of my past that I longed for. Gabriel watched the interaction, and said nothing. As they headed away to show the boys their room, I walked into the small room. It was simple with a bed and dresser. I curled up on the bed and tried to breathe.
I hadn’t realized that I started to count the stitching in the quilt. It thrummed in my head. Four-hundred seventy-seven. Then I started to count a new sound of pounding. One. Two. Three. Four-five-six. Seven.
“Audrey?”
I went back to counting the quilt. Four-hundred seventy-eight.
“Audrey?” Something moved me away from the quilt. I couldn’t count it if I couldn’t touch it.
I looked at the face that was forcing its way into my view. Beautiful green eyes, worry. That is what I was seeing in his eyes, a sort of empathy with worry.
“Hey you are safe. I will never let anyone hurt you. I promised didn’t I?” Stone whispered in my ear as he pulled me closer. I could feel his intake of breath and the slow exhale.
“My father promised no one would ever hurt me either. But he has. So many times.” I whispered. I was scared. I was so scared that Stone was going to take me back to his family, his clan.
“What do you mean he has hurt you?” Stone asked quietly. His lips touched the side of my face. My eyes closed involuntarily.
“I deserved most of these scars. But,” My hand went instinctively to touch the one on my face, but Stone’s hand was already there, touching unflinchingly at the puckered, revolting scars.
“No, you didn’t deserve any of these scars. Especially these.” He leaned down and kissed each scar length for length.
I closed my eyes against the sweet attack. Though he had held me earlier, he laid me down now, his body lightly touching mine, but never pressing on me. When I opened my eyes, his were a deep purple looking back at me.
“You are the most stunning woman I have ever met.” He leaned down and kissed my lips this time.
I lifted my head slightly when it felt like he was going to pull away.
My hands moved to his hair. I now understood why his hands had always sought out my hair, even when I don’t think he realized he was doing it. At the cabin, which felt like weeks before, we would be on the deck and his hand would touch and lightly tug strains of my hair. I never complained because it set me into this relaxed feeling. Now touching his hair, feeling how it slipped past my fingers, leaving trails of strange tingling feelings, I couldn’t stop.
Stone groaned and his body pushed lightly onto mine. His lips left mine. When I tried to follow, he nudged my head back into place and moved to kiss my scars again. He touched the damaged part of my lips, and I felt his tongue touch every ridge. I shivered violently. I moved my head slightly so that I could kiss him back. He let me this time, allowing me to control the kiss, to take it at my speed. I was nervous. I touched his lips with my tongue and he opened for me with another groan. I practically sighed when the taste of
him flooded in. I pulled away first, trying to get air.
“Gods, I don’t ever want to stop kissing you.” Stone’s hand drifted from my waist moving upward. I squirmed lightly, feeling uncomfortable memories surfacing. I tried to push them away to remind myself who I was with.
“Gabriel,” I whispered his real name. It stopped his hand. He looked at me. His eyes flashed a light red for only a second before flashing back to purple.
“Say it again.” He whispered, his forehead touching mine.
“Gabriel.” His eyes shut, and I was cut off from his emotions. I felt uncertain, scared. But when his other hand came to touch my hair, I felt surprisingly safe again. His other hand wandered up to touched the hem of my shirt. When I didn’t push him away or fidget, he moved it to my skin. His hand left a fiery trail behind. One hand moved closer to the scar on my ribs. I didn’t move. I waited for him to jerk away, to be as disgusted. Instead when he touched it, he sprawled his hand out so that he could feel the whole thing. My lungs expanded under the open hand. His fingers tightened slightly when I breathed in and loosened when I exhaled. Time slowly passed as he traced my scars. His eyebrows pinched together.
“Tell me why he did this.” His voice was strained like it hurt him to ask. “Please.” His voice was so desperate I wasn’t sure I could ever deny him anything. So I started to talk.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Stone
“He branded me to remind those around us that I was his daughter, his to protect. My mom died bringing me into the world. I think after losing her, he was afraid of losing me too.” She looked down as if she was ashamed to tell me this. I lifted her chin forcing her to see me, to look into my eyes and see that all I had for her was sympathy, there was no pity. A new feeling was forming, but I refused to acknowledge it. Not now. Not when things were so crazy. It was the heightened emotions, and the need to protect her.
“You did not kill your mother. If she were here, I am certain that is not how she would see it. A mother, a true mother, would give her life for her child no matter what the circumstances. You did nothing wrong. It was her time and the best you can do is accept it and live your life as she would have wanted you to.” She wasn’t looking at me when I spoke, but out across the room. When she brought her gaze toward me, there were tears in her eyes.
“How could she ever forgive me? How could I ever forgive myself?” She asked quietly.
“She wouldn’t expect you to ask for forgiveness because there is nothing to forgive. To forgive yourself is a burden only you can deal with. One day you will know it is okay to live.”
I touched her hair again and watched her eyes, waiting for her to accept what I said. She finally did and nodded her head. I wanted to push her, to have her tell me more about her past, but I knew this was the first time all night that she was really able to relax. She curled into my side and closed her eyes.
I couldn’t stop thinking about what Xavier York had said. I knew that the head of the York family was someone powerful, but I hadn’t expected a Gargoyle. While they were one of the best warriors in the paranormal world, many paranormals knew about their weakness. They had a human form, which made them vulnerable enough to kill. Some gargoyles chose to live in their weakened, human state, which made them targets. That is what I didn’t understand.
How was this gargoyle holding a position as head of this family? More than that, what if what he said was true? Why would Jacobs be hiding this from us? From his team? His team of elite paranormals? Weren’t we those rare anomalies? I had too many questions and not enough time or trust. I knew the one person that probably would tell me the cold hard facts flat out, but I wasn’t ready to leave Audrey. Talking to Elijah would have to wait. For now, all I wanted to do was sleep with Audrey in my arms.
I stroked her hair for a long time before sleep started to take me. My thoughts still raced even in my sleep.
• • •
When I woke, Audrey was still curled in toward me. I had moved so both my arms wrapped around her. My leg tucked over hers as if I couldn’t handle not touching her at all. I leaned my head down in her hair. She smelled like lavender and smoke.
I closed my eyes again, finally allowing myself to think about this new emotion building in my chest. She had shared something with me last night; something painful from her past. It was killing her. Protectiveness wasn’t what I was feeling now. This new feeling wasn’t pity, I could never pity her. While I knew she struggled, she was getting better, she was trying. It was also more than simple sympathy. It was an understanding.
There were things I couldn’t say to her while she was awake, but I could tell her while she slept.
“My mother was a beautiful creature. She was only an animal shifter, but still my father fell head over heels for her. He was always a bit of an elitist. She had an affinity for tigers. I rarely ever shift to that form now, but when she was alive, I wanted to be like her. When she went off for a run, she would be a tiger and I would be her tiger cub, following after. She would turn back to her human form, laugh, and tell me that I was the cutest little cub she had ever seen. She told me I had great control over such a powerful creature. I was only six years old."
“I'll never forget the last time we went out as tigers. We weren’t living with a clan at the time. My father was away talking to the Braden clan that day trying to find the clan with the most influx of shape-shifters, really any type of shifters. My mother took me out because I kept complaining about how my skin felt itchy. When shape-shifters are young, we can’t control our bodies as well and the need to switch forms is stronger. If we don’t change forms often enough, our skin feels constricted and our muscles too tight.”
“I could have just changed my human form, but I wanted to venture with my mom. I wanted to run with her and play. I didn’t know it was a full moon that night. Werewolves tend to give up to their animal spirits during the full moon. Wolves, especially the Were, will attack if they feel threatened. We didn’t know they were out in our forest. We didn’t know that as going out as tigers, we would trigger an attack."
“My mother protected me the best that she could. They tore her to pieces, and while we can regenerate our cells and heal quicker, there were too many wolves. They attacked too swiftly. I tried to fend a smaller wolf off, but he got my right front leg. The attack caused me to start losing a lot of blood. While she was fighting, I ran. It was the first time I had ever changed while moving. I shifted into a wolf, and they left me be. When they left, I went back to my mother and howled. They didn’t return, though."
“My father found us in the morning. She had reverted back to her human form and I was curled in her arms as a baby tiger again."
“The look on his face that morning…it was as if the world had ended. I think even though he knew I was alive, he was so terrified of ever losing me, that he pushed me hard. He forced me to be better than all the others. He wanted me to be able to protect myself. He demanded that I be more. I cut off the ties to my heart the day I lost my mother, so I did as he asked. I became a killer. You unfortunately, my beautiful girl, are making me feels things I haven’t felt in over a century. That I chose not to feel.”
I sighed and pressed my face a little closer to the top of her head. I pulled her tighter not wanting to let her go. She was making me better, I understood that, but yet I was scared of everything I could lose when I would eventually have to let her go.
“You make me so much more than I am.”
I must have fallen asleep again because, when I woke up, Audrey had her chin on my chest, staring at me. I blinked a couple times making sure I was seeing right. She smiled, her lips pulled tightly across her face, her scars bunching together, her other flawless side pushed up. Her clear eyes sparkled in the light sunlight.
“Beautiful,” I whispered, my eyes searching her face closely. Her smile turned shy and she hid her face in my chest. Her body shook and I realized she was giggling.
“What? What is it?” I asked wanting t
o laugh along with her, feeling the heavy weight of the past rolling off my shoulders.
“Nothing.” She peeked up at me, her voice muffled as her lips were still on my chest. What I wouldn’t give to have my shirt ripped off at that moment so I could feel her lips on my bare skin. I swallowed and pushed the thought away. I moved my hand to touch her face, I couldn’t help myself anymore. I found myself touching her all the time.
We remained silent for a long time. Audrey looked as if she was almost drifting again. Seeing her now, I knew that she had always known what she was. I didn’t understand why she would keep it a secret.
“You know what you are, don’t you?” I didn’t look at her eyes; I was too focused on my hand running through her long locks, the strands slipping between my fingers. I kept combing and watching.
“I am nothing special. I never have been.”
“Why do you say that?” I asked.
“I could never be what he wanted me to be.” Her voice was strangled. I looked at her and I saw the fine sheen of tears building in her eyes.
“You are more than I could have ever hoped for.” The words slipped out, without warning, without hesitation. She moved up my chest, her hand over my heart. I wondered if she could feel how hard it was beating. She made no indication that she did though.
Her slim, long leg nudged mine apart. My breathing grew heavy and seeing her like this, I wasn’t sure how I was controlling myself. I couldn’t control certain parts of my body. I knew that I couldn’t force beyond where she was willing to go. I wouldn’t do that to her. Her long hair created a curtain around us, in this place we were in our own world. Nothing could harm her, and nothing could harm me.
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