by A C Warneke
“I’ll take a week off your sentence,” she wheedled. “And you wouldn’t really have to do much, just tell mom and dad that you’re hanging out here and that I’m with you.”
He gasped, widening his laughing eyes. “You want me to lie to our parents?”
“Just a little white lie,” she pleaded, glancing over her shoulder and catching Roman’s frown before he stepped back into the shadows. “I want to go out with my, er, boyfriend.”
Dominic’s eyebrows shot to his hairline as his eyes widened even further in surprise. “He’s here? Can I meet him?”
Without waiting for an answer or an invitation, he pushed into Daisy’s temporary room and came to an abrupt halt. Daisy turned around in time to see Roman step out of the shadows, looking massive in the small room, material covering his face and most of his body. Letting out a low whistle, Dominic breathed, “Holy shit, he’s huge.”
A horrified giggle escaped Daisy’s lips before she clapped a hand over her mouth. Still, her eyes danced with laughter as she made introductions. “Roman, this is my twin Dominic. Dominic, this is Roman.”
She could tell by the stiffness of Roman’s shoulders that he wasn’t happy meeting any of her family but he was polite as he held out his hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Yeah, of course,” Dominic muttered, staring at the gray, stone hand before taking it and giving it a firm shake. Glancing at Daisy, his brow furrowed, he whispered loudly, “You weren’t lying when you said you went flying with a gargoyle.”
“Of course I wasn’t lying,” Daisy said in exasperation, moving over to Roman’s side and sliding her arm through his. He really was huge, not just height wise but width wise as well. “Will you cover for me?”
“Daisy, introduce him to mom and dad,” Dominic said logically, standing with his hands on his hips and staring at her as if she had gone mad. Perhaps she had because she didn’t want to share Roman with anyone just yet. He was hers and she just wanted to savor him for a little longer without the chaos of her loving family. “They’ll welcome him with open arms.”
“I know,” she said, her lips twisting into a wry smile. “Can’t I have this, Dominic? Just for a little while?”
“Daisy,” he growled.
“I promise I will introduce them… just not yet.”
“Daisy, it’s okay,” Roman said softly. Turning to face her, he ran his hand over the side of her face, resting it against her cheek. “I don’t want to worry anyone, least of all your parents.”
She offered him a smile, “I kind of want to worry them, Roman, just a little bit.” That made her sound like an awful person but it wasn’t like that, not exactly. “It’s just that I’ve always been well behaved but I’m not a little girl anymore and I kind of want to… misbehave. At least a little.”
“Daisy,” Dominic growled but she was ignoring him because Roman was smiling at her with mischievousness and understanding. Knowing he was defeated, her brother heaved a dramatic sigh, “Take another week off my sentence.”
“No,” she said, still grinning like a loon at Roman. “Three weeks without sex and your silence.”
“Jesus, Daisy, you do not play fair,” Dominic grumbled. “I should just tell mom and dad that you’re running off with your gargoyle.”
“And I’ll tell them about the time when you were seventeen and you told them that you were going camping with the guys but instead you took Felicity to a concert in Madison. How you went bar hopping with your fake ID’s. How you got into a bar fight, and nearly had your head ripped off because you went up against an ogre,” she countered, shaking her head in feigned disapproval. Unlike her brother, she had never had the guts to break any of the rules. Until now. “How do you think mom would feel knowing how close she came to losing you?”
“That’s ancient history,” Dominic shot back. “Besides, the guy was making Felicity uncomfortable and at the time I hadn’t known he was an ogre. I just thought he was an extraordinarily foul smelling man.”
“I know,” she agreed with a dismissive shrug of her shoulders. “But then you and Felicity spent a week in bed as she, ahem, nursed you back to health. Well, her and the entire UW cheerleading squad.”
Dominic’s forehead furrowed as he suddenly bellowed, “How the hell did you find out about Felicity and the, um, cheerleaders?”
“Dominic,” she said calmly, a hint of reproof in her voice. “I’m actually friends with all of the wolves you screw. I think they forget you’re my brother because they tell me everything, Dominic. Everything. There are plenty of stories I could share with mom and dad….”
“You’ve a cruel streak, sister,” he whispered, sounding impressed. Pressing his lips together, he looked away and swallowed. “So, three weeks and my silence?”
Throwing her arms around her brother’s neck, she gave him a hug, “Thank you!” Turning back to Roman, she grinned, “Ready?”
“You’re a dangerous girl,” Roman said, shaking his head but she heard the smile in his voice. Turning to Dominic, he murmured, “It was nice meeting you.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Dominic grumbled, throwing himself onto Daisy’s bed and crossing his arms across his chest. Apparently, he had already forgotten his original purpose in knocking on her door and Daisy wasn’t going to remind him. As he said, one of the other wolves would have fun with the new girl. “Just don’t stay out too late.”
With a chuckle, Daisy pulled Roman out of the pool house before turning to him. “So? Can we fly?”
He laughed, the rocky sound making her skin tingle and her heart skip a beat in her chest. “Yes, Daisy, we can fly.”
Pushing the cloak off his massive shoulders, his fantastic wings stretching out, he wrapped his arms around her and pushed off the ground. Within moments they were soaring over the vast wildness of her parents’ estate. “Where do you want to go, my little flower?”
She hadn’t thought that far ahead but she didn’t care where they went as long as they were together. “Let’s find someplace far away from everything and see where it goes from there.”
“Your wish is my command,” he murmured, flying higher until clouds covered the ground and she had no idea where they were going. She should have blackmailed Dominic long before now only she had never had any reason to do so.
As they walked through the woods, holding hands, Roman felt a strange contentment that warmed him to the depths of his frozen soul. For a few minutes, he could forget what he planned to do, especially when she gave him a shy smile, a smile that pierced his brain and made him a little insane. But then he’d remember and a dull, heavy weight would settle in the pit of his stomach and he was no longer certain what he was going to do. Whatever happened, whether he traded her for his freedom or he didn’t, he wanted to know the extent of her power as a Siren.
He racked his brain trying to figure out a way to make her sing without making her suspicious when he finally came upon a solution, one that was so simple, he would have smacked himself on the head. Some of the blame could be laid on Daisy’s slender shoulders for she was very distracting and she kept making him forget they didn’t have a future.
Clearing his throat, he sang a verse from a song that had been popular in his time. When he had been a man, he had had a decent singing voice, perhaps not as glorious as Alexandro’s but it had pleased the ladies. Now, his deep tenor was a rocky bass and the song sounded much different, much darker.
I’d steal a day just to spend it with you
I’d steal a smile just to give it to you
But the hour grows late and the smiles are long gone
I’ll hold onto forever, forever in a song
“That’s beautiful and so sad,” Daisy murmured, leaning her head against his arm. “What is it?”
“It’s called Love’s Last Kiss. It was something from my time,” he explained, not being purposefully evasive. He didn’t want her asking too many questions because he didn’t want to think about the past and everything he had lost. If he
thought about that then he’d think about the curse and what he had to do to end it. “How about this one?”
He started singing a song that was popular now, changing it from a fast pace rock tune to a slow, emotional ballad. Her little gasp filled his hollow heart and he sang a few more bars before he whispered, “Sing with me.”
She ducked her head before she murmured, “I really shouldn’t.”
“Don’t tell me you can’t sing,” he teased, watching her carefully and sensing the longing and conflict battling within her.
“I can sing,” she hesitantly admitted, not quite meeting his eyes. “But I really, really shouldn’t.”
Coming to a stop, he grabbed her hands and cocked his head to the side. Without the hood in place, he was able to see her lovely face, the darker gray blush that even the moonlight couldn’t hide. “Why ever not?”
“Well, it’s not a secret or anything,” she hedged because he knew it was a secret. Xerec hadn’t heard a single word about her being a Siren until he had spied on her and her family and he heard everything. Instead of saying anything, he let the silence grow until it became uncomfortable. The color of her face deepened as she finally stammered, “I’m, er, the daughter of a Siren.”
“Ah,” he said because he thought he’d have to wrangle a bit harder for her to admit to such a trait. But, of course, it was Daisy, a girl too trusting for her own good. In a teasing tone, he asked, “So, does that mean you’re a Siren as well and your song will lead me to my death?”
She smiled at his words but shook her head. “It’s not like that, not exactly. It’s just... when I sing, there are some rather unfortunate consequences.”
“Such as?” he urged, wondering if she was strong enough to make him give up everything for the pleasure of her kiss. It’s not like it would take very much to push him over that edge.
Her lips twitched as she contemplated her next words but in the end she simply said, “Theoretically, I can compel people to fall in love with me but I think that’s just a myth. I mostly create lust.”
“But if they’re already in love with you?” The words came from out of nowhere, gruff in their naked honesty. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.
Her smile lit her whole face but she reined it in and murmured lightly, “I don’t know. Nobody’s ever been in love with me.”
“Now that I find especially hard to believe,” he said on a low growl, coming to an abrupt stop and pulling her against his body. He ran his hands down her arms until he reached her hands and then he twined his fingers with hers. Gazing down at her, fierceness possessing him, he rasped roughly, “I want to hear you sing, my little flower. Sing for me.”
Glancing around as if making sure they were alone even though there was no one around for miles, she looked up at him without even a hint of flinching, and rasped, “I don’t wish to… influence you.”
The corner of his hard mouth quirked up in a half-smile, “Sweetheart, I’m a gargoyle. Your Siren song has no power over me.”
Her tongue darted out and smoothed over her lower lip, obviously conflicted. “Um, I’m fairly certain my song will have some power over you, I’m just not sure in what way or to what extent.”
“Sing, Daisy.”
“Roman.” She was obviously uncomfortable but he wasn’t going to let it go. It was too important.
“We’re all alone,” he cajoled, brushing his thumb over her damp lip, his body tightening as he watched the movement. She didn’t have to sing because he was already too enamored of her. “Sing.”
Her lips parted and in the next moment he was transported to Ecstasy. As her song weaved through him, he would have done anything for her, expose his hideousness to the world, fly her to the distant stars, give up his quest to gain his freedom. The pure sound erased centuries of agony and he could have listened to it forever except his body was hardening and if he didn’t kiss her before his heart beat once more he was going to die.
A lesser mortal stood no chance against her.
Sliding his fingers into the silk of her hair, grabbing the back of her skull, he pulled her face against his, taking her song into his mouth, forgetting just how large his mouth was. Before he could pull away, her slender arms were wrapped around his neck and she was pressing soft kisses along the hard ridge of his lips, delicate kisses that were powerful in their own right when he couldn’t kiss her as he wanted. Fuck, he wanted to devour her. Instead, he had to hold himself steady as she kissed him, as she nipped at his lips and licked his mouth.
A tingle went down his spine, warning him of the looming disaster…. No, it was just the looming dawn. Pulling back, panting heavily, he rasped, “I want you. But the sun is going to rise soon and I have to get you home before anyone realizes I’ve taken you again.”
Resting her head against his chest, breathing just as heavily, she murmured, “If Dominic fails me I’ll add a month to his punishment.”
Stroking her hair, he chuckled, “You should add an extra month anyway.”
Her laughter made him smile. She made him smile. Not wanting to take her home, knowing he had to, he scooped her up into his arms and flew back, taking a more direct route than he had used before. The hour long flight took less than ten minutes and her laughter at the realization made him laugh. Standing outside her door, he didn’t want to say goodbye but if he didn’t leave now then he wouldn’t make it back to the city before the sun rose and he’d be stuck in an unfamiliar area as a statue.
“I’ll be at The Black Wolf tomorrow,” she murmured, twining her fingers with his. “Will you come? You can meet the pack….”
“I would like nothing more but it’s not a place I should go,” he interrupted, answering as honestly as possible. “I’ll try but if I’m not there, I’ll be waiting for you here.”
Nodding, she gave him one last kiss before she murmured, “Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Chapter 11
As soon as she walked through the doors of her dad’s bar, a group of girls cried out, “Daisy!”
With a smile, she made her way through the crowd, trying to ignore the butterflies that were murdering one another trying to get out of singing. Giving hugs to all of her friends, she slipped into the booth next to Jeanette and grinned. “Hey! It’s been ages. How are all of you?”
Excited chatter filled the air as they all started talking at once. It was chaos and impossible to follow and she loved it. When she had decided to spend the summer taking extra classes, this was what she had missed out on, getting together with the wolves.
“So, what’s this I hear about you banging a gargoyle?” Jeanette asked, twisting in her seat and putting Daisy on the spot. With her vibrant purple hair and flashing blue eyes, Jeanette was extraordinary. Her natural hair color was a pale blond, the color of her wolf, but she liked changing it as often as possible and she loved experimenting with color. Jeanette had had green hair, black hair, hot pink, bright yellow, a mixture of blues and greens that Daisy had thought was beautiful, and everything in between.
“I’m not banging anyone,” Daisy protested, knowing that her cheeks were bright red.
“A gargoyle?” Steffie asked with a longing sigh. “Are they as gorgeous in real life as my cousin tells me?”
“How does your cousin know about gargoyles?” Daisy asked, since she hadn’t known about them until Roman had come into her life. And gargoyles were pretty much the opposite of gorgeous. Even Roman, whom she loved with her whole heart, was not attractive, not even a little bit. But he was precious.
“I think it’s wishful thinking on your cousin’s part,” Jeanette interrupted, for which Daisy was grateful. “Everyone knows that gargoyles don’t go out in public, preferring to keep watch over the city from the top of the castle.”
Steffie heaved a disappointed sigh and no one seemed to realize Daisy had never answered the question. After a half hour of catching up, the door opened up and all of the girls sighed in pleasure. Dominic. Daisy didn’t even have to turn around to know that her brothe
r had just entered the bar. They had driven in together but he said he needed a few minutes to get his libido in check otherwise he’d be banging the first chick he saw despite his promise. He was definitely disturbed but she loved him.
Twisting in her seat, she watched as he sauntered over to the table, a smug smile on his face as he acknowledged all of the females in the place. A few girls even warranted a kiss and, if she wasn’t mistaken, a pat on the bottom. Yep, definitely disturbed.
“God, he’s gorgeous,” Jeanette sighed. “I’d give him my virginity again if I had it to give.”
“You and all of the other girls,” Daisy grumbled beneath her breath. He stopped right in front of her and the battered and bruised butterflies trembled in fear. “Dominic.”
“Daisy,” he grinned, sending a wink to one of the girls behind her. “Have you prepared a song?”
Smiling to hide her terror, she nodded, “I have.”
“Would you like to sing now or should we wait until the patrons have had a little bit more alcohol?” he asked, solicitously.
“What’s going on?” Jeanette asked with an uncertain grin, her gaze darting back and forth between the twins.
“Daisy is going to sing,” Dominic said with a hint of pride and amusement in his voice.
“Really?” Jeanette asked, looking at Daisy with a frown. “But you don’t sing.”
“Now is fine,” Daisy told Dominic even though it wasn’t. Turning to Jeanette, she shrugged her shoulders, “I promised my brother that I’d do this.”
Standing up, she looped her arm through Dominic’s and dragged him with her. With a grim smile, she managed to say, “Since you’re abstaining, you can get up on stage with me and watch the show from the best seat in the house.”
“Daisy, sweetie, you’re just not that powerful,” he said gently with a hint of condescension as he patted her hand.
“It has no effect on you because you’re my brother,” she returned in the same mildly pompous tone. She accepted his help onto the stage before tugging him up with her. A few of the closer tables saw the siblings but most of the bar was still talking loudly, unaware of the show about to begin. But Dominic wasn’t going to let that continue.