“I mean light and dark met at our trial. So maybe we know the path?” Cerek scrubs his hands down his face.
Could he be right? Does that mean my father could be an angel or a gargoyle? That doesn't make any sense, though. If he was a gargoyle wouldn't I turn to stone? And can demons and angels even have kids together? My mind spins. Why am I assuming this is about my father? I think it's the secret that Lilith is keeping from me. But it doesn't mean it has anything to do with this prophecy. It sounds way bigger than the issue of my paternity.
“That doesn’t make sense.” Gideon shakes his head. “It’s probably something that hasn’t happened yet.”
Cerek glares at Gideon. “Are you calling me stupid, pebble?”
"What's the next part? We need to put it all together before we jump to conclusions." Berwyn steps between the two men, trying to defuse the tension.
"Though the journey is perilous, the end is unclear," Josiah rattles off. "That's pretty self explanatory."
"But the two lines are interesting." I chime in. "Follow your head or your heart. One will lead to redemption while the other will lead to destruction.”
"That will be made clear when the decision presents itself." Usiah stretches, then laces his fingers behind his head. "Keep going."
"A precarious balance between Ash and Stone, and the second coming; three heads are better than one." Josiah leans forward, his eyes lighting up. "That makes sense! Ash is obvious, and stone is us. Three heads are Cerberus. But what's the second coming?"
"Maybe it's just Cerberus coming back to our world from hell?" Donavan suggests.
"That could be it, or maybe it's something more." Josiah shakes his head, not sounding convinced. "The rest is, one will rise and one will fall. When the trumpet sounds the last days will await."
"That gives me apocalypse vibes." Usiah grins. "Are we going to fight a war?"
"No, I think it might be talking about the two sets of three." Berwyn stands up and paces the length of the room. "Or could it be another trial?"
My stomach chooses this moment to growl loudly. I can feel my face flush as six sets of eyes land on me. Why do I embarrass myself so easily around these men? Cerek looks at his wrist and a watch appears.
"It's well past lunch, maybe we should take a break for food before continuing." He suggests looking around the room for confirmation.
"Good idea. We'll go downstairs and whip something together for the group and meet you back here in a few." Gideon stands and gestures for his brothers to join him.
"Sounds like a plan." Usiah shoots him a lazy grin.
As soon as the gargoyles leave, Cerek turns to me, pinning me to my seat with a stare.
"Why are you hiding in this room acting like a scared human? You are so much more than anything in creation right now. Why do you think both sides would want you dead if they learned what you are? You could change the world with a single thought." His eyes burn with desire as he stalks forward. "You're busy entertaining gargoyles and chasing prophecies, but you are ours. Lilith promised you to us in exchange for our silence. And I will have you... all of you."
My core clenches as his deep baritone washes over me. But how will this work? I hold too much power over them to meet on equal ground. And what about my Stones? It's not like I know them well, but there's a pull I can't resist. I don't know that I could choose if I had a gun to my head.
"Wait, what do you think I'm doing with them?" Pressure builds in my chest as I tip into a blind rage. "And it doesn't matter anyway because I am my own person. Lilith can't promise me to anyone. I don't give a fuck who you tell about me. If I want to be with someone, I will be with them. If I want to fuck a random human on the street, guess what, I'll do that too!"
I stomp into my bedroom and slam the door after myself. Why did that bother me so much? I know the answer already. It's because part of me wants to be owned by them... all six of them. I've always been my own person, and independence is important. Allowing any man, let alone six of them, to consume me wasn't in my plan. I have to be careful.
But I can't deny how badly I want to feel their hands exploring my body. To feel important to someone... like I belong. I need a crystal ball to see how all of this plays out.
12
Gideon
I don't trust the demon dogs, regardless of who holds their leash. Though it would be easier to bring everyone downstairs, I don’t want them in my space. I’ll put up with them for Ash’s sake, but that doesn’t mean I have to accept them. The way they look at our mate rubs me the wrong way. I need to speak with my brothers before I do anything rash.
We hit the stairs as Ash's voice rings through the hallway. "Wait, what do you think I'm doing with them? And it doesn't matter anyway because I am my own person. Lilith can't promise me to anyone. I don't give a fuck who you tell about me. If I want to be with someone, I will be with them. If I want to fuck a random human on the street, guess what, I'll do that too!" Followed by a door slam.
What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall to hear what they said to her. A smile spreads across my face. Maybe I have less to worry about than I thought, though her last words make my eye twitch. The thought of her choosing anyone but us makes my chest ache.
We will have to treat her with kid gloves. It's obvious that she wants control of her life, and our bond essentially strips that away from her. Does she not even feel it?
"I wonder what they said to her." Donavan snickers. "Because I don't want to repeat that mistake."
"Does it even bother you that they are living with her right now?" I glare at him.
"Not really. She thinks for herself, and if she wants them too, there's nothing I can do about it except hang on for the ride and make sure she knows I'm still here." Donavan shrugs.
"That's the most logical thing you've ever said. What happened to you?" Josiah turns and elbows him in the ribs.
"I guess I realized I want her in my life no matter how that happens. It's kind of strange. I don't care about how I feel, only what will make her happy." His forehead creases as if he's just understanding the words he's speaking.
"That's not strange." Josiah grins. "That's maturity and the bond speaking. It's natural to want to protect our mate, but it's also natural to want to make them happy. I wonder what trait the bond will bring out in me?"
"You just want to take care of her." I groan. "I can see it already. Josiah running bubble bathes and lighting candles. Fetching her donuts on a Sunday morning before she wakes up."
"I could see that too. Now, let's hurry up and make lunch before they kill each other up there." Josiah winks at me then races down the stairs.
Donavan races after him while I just shake my head, continuing forward at my previous pace. If I take long enough, they'll finish the work before I arrive. I'm so accustomed to being the one getting things done that it's a refreshing change to see them both motivated, especially Donavan. Josiah isn't a slouch, but Donavan flies by the seat of his pants more than he should.
I'm still uneasy about the hellhounds, even if my brothers are accepting. I have a feeling they will do whatever necessary to remove Ash from our lives and that's not acceptable. It's not something I can allow to happen.
I reach the apartment and observe the chaos happening in the kitchen from the doorway. Josiah and Donavan have sandwich supplies strung across the counter. While one lathers the bread in mayonnaise, the other piles meats and cheeses on top. They don't need my help anyway.
As I debate going upstairs, Josiah notices me. "Hey, pile these up in a container. Would you?"
Damn, I wasn't fast enough. I nod as I enter the kitchen and find a large platter. I carefully stack the overstuffed sandwiches while they clean up their mess.
"What should we have with these?" Donavan opens the cabinet.
"Why not some fruit?" I suggest, unsure of what is currently stocked in the refrigerator.
"Take the sandwiches up and I'll bring the fruit." Josiah sticks his head in the fridge. "Donav
an, take a case of water in case Ash only uses tap."
The tap water here isn't good for us. Something about their treatment process makes us ill if we drink too much of it. I don't know how humans drink the stuff. Spring water has always been a safer choice for us.
Picking up the tray, I rush up the stairs, eager to chaperone Ash and her new pets. As I approach the door, I hear the three hounds begging Ash to open the door. She must be really upset to leave them alone. Or maybe the attraction I sense was in my head. This woman has me unable to tell up from down. This bond is going to be my destruction.
I knock on the door, schooling my face so they won't know I was listening. Usiah opens the door, grinning when he sees the platter of sandwiches.
"Ash, your gargoyle brought you food," he hollers. "Will you come out so he's not alone with Cerek?"
The door swings open and Ash glares at Cerek as she shoves past him.
"You will not speak to me like that again. Do you understand me?" she growls, refusing to look at him.
"Yes, mistress," he grunts out, his hands balling into fists at his sides.
I set the food on the coffee table as she plops on the couch, her eyes widening as if she just realized something. She stares down at her hands, a gloss appearing over her eyes. I can sense the sadness and guilt radiating off of her and can't fight my instincts.
Rushing forward, I sit next to her, wrapping my arm around her shoulders, trying to console the pain that's strong enough to make my chest ache.
"I didn't mean to force you to comply." Her voice is barely above a whisper as her eyes lock on to Cerek. "You can speak however you choose to."
"Do you wish for him to speak in such a way or not?" Berwyn's brow furrows as he surveys the scene.
"I don't appreciate being spoken to in such a manner." She shakes her head. "But it would mean more if he chose to respect me than me forcing it."
"You don't want the power of the leash?" Usiah's eyes light with mischief.
"I don't want to force you to obey me, but if it comes down to it, I will use it if I must." Her eyes harden when she sees his expression.
"The air is way too tense in here." Donavan barges through the open door. "Let's eat and call a truce. We can all be friends."
"What makes you think anyone was fighting?" Cerek growls, levelling my goofball of a brother with a stare.
"First, we could totally hear Ash screaming at you." He saunters forward and sets the water on the coffee table next to the sandwiches. "Second, I can feel what Ash is feeling. So I know she's upset, and it's because of you."
The stupid jerk. We agreed to take this slow, and he blurts out our connection just like that! I raise to my feet as my chest tightens and I lunge forward, punching him in the jaw.
"You dumbass. We haven't talked to her yet." I growl as he tackles me to the ground.
We roll around, landing half-assed punches until a pair of thick arms wrap around my waist and pull me off of him. I glance up and notice Berwyn has Donavan by the waist. When I quit struggling, the arms drop from me and Usiah chuckles.
"You're pretty strong for a stone man."
"I think you have some explaining to do." Ash glares in my direction and I can feel my heart shrivel.
Shit. I didn't want to drop this on her so early and not in front of these demon dogs.
Josiah steps through the door and stops. His eyes dart around, carefully assessing the situation.
"What did you guys do?" he asks, his eyes landing on me. "You fucked something up, I can tell."
"Donavan started it." I cross my arms over my chest.
"Are we two again?" Donavan throws his head back and laughs. "I thought you were the mature one."
"Let's calm down, eat, then we need to talk about whatever is going on." Berwyn steps forward, holding his hands up.
"Fine, but I'm not happy about this." Ash glares at me again and I can feel myself shrink under her oppressive stare.
13
Ash
I take a deep breath. Berwyn is right. Food first, then they can explain what Donavan meant, and why Gideon attacked him for saying it. Are they hiding that they’re connected to me somehow? I do feel an unnatural pull towards them, but I figured it was a gargoyle thing.
I stand up and grab dishes from the kitchen cupboard, then come back and place them on the table. The men dive into the food, but suddenly my stomach feels full, as if a pit grew in there in the past few minutes.
Grabbing a plate, I load it with a sandwich and some fruit, but barely pick at it.
"Eat." Cerek grunts, pointing at my plate. "Don't let stupid emotions deprive you of basic instincts."
"Easy for you to say. You don't possess emotions." I sneer at him.
"I feel deeper than your tiny heart can possibly imagine, demon," he snarls before turning his back to me.
That simple gesture, no matter how much he infuriates me, breaks my heart a bit. Despite how I reacted to him wanting to possess me, I find myself wanting him to want me. What is wrong with me?
I take a bite of the sandwich and it feels heavy and dry in my mouth. Chewing carefully, I let my mind wander. What are we going to do? I have to live with Cerberus. We can't keep arguing, but I'm afraid if I word something wrong it will become an order. I don't quite understand how the leash works yet. Why didn't Lilith tell me about it?
That woman keeps her secrets closely guarded. I still think she knows who or at least what my father is. Why is she telling me to figure it out when she could tell me herself?
The sandwich is gone and I set the fruit to the side. "Now, explain yourselves."
"We didn't want to scare you away. So much has happened in a short time to you." Gideon starts and I notice understanding light up Josiah's face.
"We were planning on telling you soon. But we wanted to give you a chance to acclimate to your new surroundings first." Josiah rubs the back of his neck.
"Spit it out already." Usiah leans forward as if he's enjoying a show.
"Gargoyles have bonded mates. They are selected for us by the universe." Gideon shifts uncomfortably.
No, I can see where this is going and I don't want to hear it. I don’t have time for this. There’s too much going on in my life right now.
"I think that's enough for today." I stand up. "Everyone is free to see themselves out."
This can't be happening... but it does explain the pull and how Gideon seemed to know I was upset before I said anything. Not to mention Donavan's comment. But all three of them?
Then my mind flashes back to one of our first conversations. They knew the moment they saw me. That's why they won't destroy me. I'm their mate. I take a deep breath, trying to push down the anger that’s building within. The nerve to keep this from me, even if I don’t want to know.
I can face this head on. It's better to hear it now than to live in denial. I'm Lilith's granddaughter and we don’t hide from the truth, but this isn’t what I need right now.
Taking a slow, deep breath, I sit back down.
"Since you didn't leave, by all means, continue." I try to act unfazed.
"So, for gargoyles we have a destined mate. We feel an overwhelming attraction to them. Like everything in our very being wants to do whatever we can for that person." Donavan fidgets with his hands. "Since triplets are unheard of in our species, we assumed we wouldn't have mates."
"When the mutt over there said that identical siblings share a soul, it all clicked into place." Gideon stares at his shoes. "We knew the moment we met you that you were our mate. It was a surprise that we all three felt it, but it didn't lessen the connection we each feel to you."
"This is a lot to process." I feel my chest tighten as my heart pounds faster.
How can this be happening? I don't want fate to decide my life. It should be my choice who I'm with. But I can't deny their words because I feel it in my very soul. But what about my attraction to the three hellhounds? Can I really turn my back on them? Sure, Cerek is a jerk, but his words
did things to me. I need to step back and think this over.
"It's impossible to run from fate, pet." Usiah steps forward until he's in front of me. "We tried."
"I can't deny what I feel for all of you." My eyes meet each of the six sets staring at me. "But I also can't jump into this feet first. My life is already upside down. I need to focus on one thing at a time, and that means first figuring out the real reason Lilith sent me here."
"Besides the obvious to protect you, I think she wants you to discover who your father is on your own for a reason. Maybe it's something that will turn Hell on its ear." Berwyn taps his chin as he speaks.
“No, there’s something more there. She’s up to something.” I tap my chin as my mind races.
My gut tells me this isn’t about me but about her. What I don’t understand is how? How could removing me from Hell and telling me to find my father benefit her?
"So, you're going to ignore us all until you figure out the big secret?" Cerek snarls as he rolls his eyes. "Sorry sugar, but I'm not going to let that happen. I already told you how I felt, and if I have to share you with these pebbles, I'll do it. But you can't deny us."
"Would you even know what to do with me if you caught me?" I bite the tip of my finger as I meet his eyes.
"Cora, my heart be still." Donavan puts his hands over his chest.
“Cora?” I arch an eyebrow. “Did you forget my name?”
“Cora means heart. It suits you.” He winks as I roll my eyes.
"Why not get to know us? No pressure to take things further until you're ready." Josiah chimes in. "I'm sure if things happen naturally it will make you feel better."
"And all six of you will get along and are ok sharing me?" I raise an eyebrow.
The tension between the two sets of men is already unbearable. How will it be when they decide I'm the prize? Or have they seen me as that all along?
“Fuck that shit.” Cerek growls.
Ash and Stone (Hidden Truth Book 1) Page 7
