“But why?” Seth actually whined.
Frowning, Bobby replied, “This—” he pointed at the two men again—”is exactly why. This behavior. You watch me like a hawk, don’t want to give me my own life, and you let your friends treat me like crap. I don’t deserve that. No one deserves that.”
Seth looked first shocked, then confused, and finally crestfallen. He’d started to nod and turn away when Forest snarled, “You cheating little faggot. Is this your new man? Were you bending over for him and decided he was a better lay?”
Bobby felt the blood drain from his face. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Shock rocked his system upon hearing Forest’s accusations.
Maelgwn had no such problem and growled angrily. He pulled Bobby against him. “You bastard. If we weren’t in the middle of a lobby I’d smash your face in for that,” he snarled. He glared at Seth. “This is exactly why he left you. He didn’t date me until after he’d let you know ya’ll were over. You should be defending Bobby, not me. If either of you ever come near Bobby again, I will make you very sorry.” As he spoke, his voice dropped lower and lower, until finally he growled, “Leave, now.”
Bobby tried not to react outwardly, but the rumbling of Maelgwn’s voice actually turned him on. It was…not what he expected. What surprised Bobby even more was Seth’s quiet, “I’m sorry,” then he grabbed the back of Forest’s neck and steered the man from the building.
“Wow,” Bobby whispered. “Why did I find that sexy?”
The look of anger melted from Maelgwn’s face. He leaned down and whispered, “It’s a paranormal thing. Come on.”
Accepting that at face value, Bobby allowed Maelgwn to lead him into the elevator. When Maelgwn pressed the button for the fourth floor, he asked, “How do you know what floor I’m on?”
Maelgwn actually seemed to flush, his dark mocha skin deepening further. “Uh, I’ve been watching you for a couple weeks, Bobby.”
“You have?” Surprise flooded him and his brows shot up.
Shrugging, Maelgwn stepped out of the elevator. “I told you I scented you a couple weeks ago at the hospital. After that, I couldn’t just leave,” he explained.
Bobby gripped his bicep and squeezed. “I’m glad you didn’t.”
It took five days, eight wolves, and one huge good-bye celebration for Bobby to find himself driving south. Gus and Tible drove an old beat-up pick-up truck in front of him, and Maelgwn had flown ahead the evening before to make certain all arrangements had been made for their arrival.
The kind words and well wishes he’d received from people he now knew were shifters still blew Bobby’s mind. He had far more friends than he realized, and his heart felt full with the knowledge that he now drove to face a new future.
He carried a walkie-talkie, which allowed him to speak with Gus and Tible when need be. Bobby looked forward to arriving in less than an hour, but feared the huge changes taking place in his life. To keep from panicking, Bobby sang along with the radio at the top of his lungs and thought of nothing but the road signs and following the truck in front of him.
Time flew and soon, in front of him, Gus’s truck slowed and turned onto a wide gravel driveway. After a couple minutes driving through tall pines, a mansion-like structure appeared. Three stories, a wide veranda, several porches, and a light brown façade gave it a regal look without being overdone.
Bobby parked his car and gripped the steering wheel tightly. He concentrated on keeping his breathing deep and regular. The fact that he’d turned his life upside-down to be with a man—gargoyle—was finally sinking in, causing his heart to race and spots to dance before his eyes.
A tap on his window jerked Bobby from the abyss his mind had been sucked into. He looked over and saw Tible giving him a look of concern. Letting out a breath slowly through slightly parted lips, Bobby opened his door and climbed out. He gave Tible a wan smile.
“Are you okay?” Tible whispered the question. That’s when Bobby realized they weren’t alone in the courtyard. His gaze roved over the people—er, gargoyles— that were collected on the sweeping front veranda. There were almost three dozen gathered, about twenty-five percent appeared human, but Bobby didn’t know how to tell if that was just a form some of the mated gargoyles took for convenience.
They were all different shapes and sizes, from thickly muscled, squat five foot ten gargoyles to slender, toned gargoyles. Some even had their wings attached to their arms and torsos instead of growing from their back. All looked at him with curiosity.
As one, they parted, and Maelgwn strode through their ranks. Looking at him amongst his own kind, Bobby decided he really was the most magnificent of the group. He screwed up his courage—bolstered by Maelgwn’s smile—and walked toward his lover, vowing to not embarrass him.
Maelgwn held out his right hand, palm up. Bobby didn’t even hesitate to take it, returning his gargoyle’s smile. It didn’t escape his awareness that he was putting a whole hell of a lot of faith in a man—creature—he hardly knew, but every instinct he had screamed that he was safe. Which should have been odd, since Bobby hadn’t felt that with Seth’s friends, but there it was.
Maelgwn tugged on Bobby’s hand, and he went willingly into Maelgwn’s embrace. With one arm wrapped around Bobby’s shoulders, Maelgwn turned toward his clutchmembers and said, “This is Bobby Truman, my mate. Treat him with the same respect as you do me.” He paused, and Bobby realized there must be an implied threat in there somewhere, for all the gargoyles and humans dropped their gaze for several seconds.
“I’m sure you’ll all get a chance to meet him, just try not to overwhelm him, hmm?” Maelgwn continued, this time warmth and affection filling his tone. “I know I can count on you all to make Bobby feel welcome as he adjusts to us and our way of life.” He turned to a gargoyle with a dark gold hide who stood several inches shorter than Maelgwn but was just as broad. “Grab Bobby’s bags, would you, Sapian?” After Sapian nodded, Maelgwn looked down at Bobby. “Would you like a tour? Then maybe we’ll swing by the kitchen and get you something to eat or drink?”
“I’m not hungry, but I’d love a tour…um, after a trip to the bathroom?” Bobby muttered.
Maelgwn grinned. “You got it. Come on.”
He led the way into the house, his arm securely around
Bobby’s shoulders. Once they were away from prying eyes, Maelgwn paused and swept Bobby into his arms and captured his lips. “Missed you,” Maelgwn murmured against Bobby’s mouth.
His need to pee forgotten, Bobby sagged against his lover, kissing him back with equal heat. “Only been twelve hours,” he managed to say between kisses. Bobby could admit, even if just to himself, that he felt the same. He’d missed Maelgwn, too.
“Too long,” Maelgwn responded. Seconds later, Bobby found himself lifted into Maelgwn’s arms with his back pressed against the wall. He wrapped his legs around his lover’s waist and buried his fingers in Maelgwn’s thick, dark hair. He was just about ready to give in to his need to hump against Maelgwn’s wonderfully hard abs when a throat clearing sounded loudly nearby.
Maelgwn eased the kiss to an end, then turned his head to glare at the gargoyle who’d interrupted. “What?” he snapped.
“My apologies, Maelgwn,” the man said, dropping his gaze in deference. “There is a vampire here to see you.”
“A vampire? Anyone we know?” Maelgwn asked, concern lacing his tone.
A pained look crossed the gargoyle’s face. “Damune.” The name was delivered with a curl of the guy’s top lip.
“Damn it,” Maelgwn snarled. “Can’t get one damn day,” he added under his breath. To the gargoyle he said, “Put him in the green room. He can wait there until I’ve settled my mate.” When the guy opened his mouth as if to argue, Maelgwn growled, “He can wait, Tobias. Bobby is more important.”
“Yes, Chieftain,” Tobias immediately responded. “I’ll have Einan join me.”
“Good idea. See you shortly.” Once Tobias had disappeared around a corner, Mael
gwn gently lowered Bobby to the floor. He gave him a pained smile. “Sorry, sweet. Duty calls.”
Bobby nodded. “Who’s Damune?” he asked curious.
“He’s a vampire enforcer in the coven two hours south of here. He’s one of three vampires vying for the right to lead the coven since their leader’s health has been declining for the last couple years. He thinks he’s being discreet about it, but he’s not,” Maelgwn said bitterly.
As they walked, Bobby tried to pay attention to the twists and turns but soon found himself hopelessly turned around. “You don’t want him to lead?” he asked absently, glancing over his shoulder. Didn’t I see that painting once already?
“He wouldn’t be my first choice.” Maelgwn shook his head. “He’s a cruel man who’s never satisfied. If he gains power, I can see us fighting off advances on our territory. That’s not what we need to keep our existence a secret.”
Bobby refocused on Maelgwn. His lover wouldn’t let him get lost. They arrived at a suite of rooms done in masculine greens and blues. Bobby looked around, impressed with the subtle lines of quality in the furniture. He did a double take and looked again. “Um, Maelgwn? Where’s your bed?”
Maelgwn chuckled. “Before you, I turned into stone during the day and stayed up all night,” he gently reminded Bobby. “I never needed one before.”
Bobby nodded, frowning. “Am I…Are you not…” He nibbled his lip, trying to figure out how to ask where Maelgwn expected him to sleep.
His lover wrapped an arm and wing around him, pulling him against his chest. “Relax. I’ve a bed on order. It’s supposed to be here tomorrow. I’m sorry, we’ll have to make due with a nest of pillows and blankets tonight,” Maelgwn said, pointing a claw at a large mound of colorful throws and pillows in front of a fire. A tray of chocolate covered strawberries and champagne, both on ice, rested on a small table nearby.
“Are you going to be long? I don’t want to enjoy those treats by myself.” Bobby kept his tone teasing, but in truth, he really didn’t want to be by himself in this new, strange place quite yet.
Maelgwn pressed a kiss to his temple. “I’ll try to keep this meeting brief, so I can get back to you as quickly as possible. Sapian will be here with the bags shortly. I’ll have him give you a tour of the common rooms, so you can start getting the lay of the land, then I’ll catch up with you. How’s that sound?”
Bobby knew his lover was trying to help ease him into his life, and he appreciated it. “Thanks. I’ll be around, and believe it or not, I do feel pretty safe here.”
“Good. See you in a bit,” Maelgwn said, kissing him one more time before pulling away and leaving.
Bobby swept his gaze over the room again and spotted the bathroom through an open doorway. He made his way there and cleaned up, finishing by splashing water on his face, letting the warm water soothe him.
When he left the bathroom, he wandered over to a window and admired the moonlit view of a courtyard and garden. At the moment, several inches of snow covered everything, making the trees and shrubs appear to shimmer.
The sound of a throat clearing made Bobby spin and face the doorway. He found the broad-shouldered, gold skinned gargoyle Maelgwn had referred to as Sapian standing just inside the room. He held Bobby’s suitcase in one hand, his backpack over a shoulder, and his laptop case in his second hand.
He grinned, showing off a mouthful of sharp teeth. “Where do you want them?”
Bobby pulled his gaze away from Sapian’s canines and realized the gargoyle’s brown eyes twinkled with mirth. “What?”
“The bags. Where do you want them?”
“Oh.” Geez, this guy must think I’m an idiot.“Yeah, sorry. Long drive. Kinda fried my brain,” he said, waving a hand toward his head. He hoped his depreciating grin appeared acceptably convincing. “Um, just…” He looked around the room. “I have no idea,” he admitted. “How about the corner? I’ll ask Mal where he wants me to…well, put it.”
The guy eyed him for a second, lifting a bony brow ridge as he did so. Bobby barely managed to keep from fidgeting like a kid caught somewhere he shouldn’t. Instead, he held Sapian’s gaze and waited.
The guy smiled again, his moment of tension passed, just toward the corner Bobby indicated, saying over his shoulder, “A gargoyle doesn’t actually accumulate a lot of shit, since half our life we’re sleeping stone. It’s not until after we find our mates that we start collecting things.” He paused, put down Bobby’s stuff with more care than Bobby would have thought. Turning back to him, Sapian pointed at the dressers, “Most of these drawers are probably empty. I’m sure Maelgwn wouldn’t have a problem with you checking them out.”
Bobby nodded, considering his words. Cocking his head, he said, “Okay, I get the not bothering to collect clothes. Maelgwn explained that only certain form-fitting pieces turned to stone with them, like the loincloth. But why wouldn’t they start accumulating other things until after they mate?”
Now that the bag was off his shoulder, Sapian wrapped shoulders relaxing. The like that. Sapian strode his white wings around himself and headed toward the door. “Mementoes of outings with our mate, gifts for our mate, gifts from our mate.” He paused and grinned. “Mates are kind of important to us,” he said, winking.
Sapian’s easy-going manner put him at ease. “I see. Good to know.”
“You ready to see your new home, Bobby?”
“Yes, I am.”
Chapter Ten
Maelgwn prowled through the estate, more than a little irritated at having been pulled away from his mate on their first night there. “Fucking vampire,” he muttered under his breath. Upon reaching the room, Maelgwn took a moment to take a few slow, deep breathes. He had no intention of allowing Damune to see how riled he was. He didn’t want to give the vampire any leverage to use against him.
Once in control of himself, Maelgwn opened the door and headed into the green room, known as that for the pale green walls and green floral furniture. Maelgwn thought the space looked hideous, but since it was mainly used by the women for game night, he never bothered to voice his opinion. Besides, it was fun to stick people he didn’t like in there and see them squirm in response to the garish décor.
Damune lounged on a love seat, staring coldly at Tobias, who stood in front of the fireplace opposite him. Einan was to the left of the doorway, guarding the room. Two more vampires stood behind the sofa Damune sat on, looking distinctly uncomfortable. Although their gazes roved around the room, Maelgwn suspected it had more to do with a desire to avoid looking at the large stenciled flowers on the walls rather than doing their job and watching Damune’s back.
Damune slowly stood. Tobias paused in whatever he’d been saying, probably a platitude that Maelgwn would be there soon, and inclined his head to his leader. Maelgwn returned the gesture, then focused on Damune.
“Greetings, Damune,” he stated formally. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”
Damune’s lip curled slightly. “I’ve come to warn you to stay out of my coven’s territory. I’ve seen gargoyles at the bakery in Farmington. I will not stand for further infringements by your kind,” he snarled.
The lack of respect from Damune pissed Maelgwn off. He grinned, showing off his pointy teeth. “You dare come into my home, where you have been welcomed as a guest, and threaten me?” He took a step forward and spread his wings. “Your uncouth behavior is either a pathetic attempt at a show of strength, or a sign of your stupidity, Damune. Can you tell which one I’m leaning toward?” he sneered.
Hissing, Damune showed off his fangs. “Be careful what you say to me, gargoyle,” Damune warned. “I’m next in line for coven leader.”
“Then you should know the wisdom of keeping the peace with your neighbors,” Maelgwn stated, unimpressed.
Damune scoffed. “My coven is more powerful than your clutch. If I so decided, I could easily have you all destroyed.”
Maelgwn growled and flexed his claws. “You’ve worn out your welc
ome, Damune. Get out.” He stepped to the left and pointed toward the doorway.
The foolish vampire curled his lip and headed past Maelgwn. His two bodyguards followed closely, but not closely enough. Maelgwn grabbed Damune’s arm, spun him around, and slammed him face first into the wall. He pressed the claws of one hand against Damune’s throat while laying his other arm across his back to keep him in place.
Snarls and thuds sounded behind him, and out of the corner of his eye, Maelgwn watched his beta and enforcer subdue the other two vampires. Maelgwn leaned close to Damune and whispered, “And if I ever hear you threaten anyone in my clutch again, I will hunt you down and tear out your fangs. Do I make myself clear?”
Damune, his eyes glowing red in anger, tried to turn his head and snap at him. Maelgwn dug his claws into Damune’s neck, the faint scent of iron hitting his senses as he drew blood.
“Do I?” Maelgwn growled.
“Yesss,” Damune hissed, the word sounding like it was pulled from his throat forcefully, which Maelgwn knew it was.
Maelgwn released the pressure on Damune’s back as he moved his hand around to his shoulder. He grabbed and shoved him toward the door, not giving the vampire time to retaliate. Maelgwn didn’t have to look to know his gargoyles were close behind with the other two vampires. Together, they forcefully removed the three from his home.
Shoving them out the door, the group stumbled past a couple gargoyles still on the veranda chatting. The two men stopped talking upon seeing the commotion, but by the gleam in Damune’s eye, Maelgwn knew the damage was done. The pair on the veranda had been talking about Maelgwn’s newly acquired mate.
Knowing he could do nothing now, Maelgwn watched in silence as the three vampires climbed into their vehicle. The little smirk Damune gave him through the window as they drove away sent a cold jolt through Maelgwn.
Once they were out of sight, Maelgwn turned to Tobias and snapped, “Report this incident to the Vampire Council. I want Damune investigated.”
“You think they will?” Tobias asked, though he’d already started back into the house.
Trill to Me Sweetly Paranormal love 1 Page 8