by E A Price
He waved vaguely at Annis and Chris. Annis was hovering near Ingrede, waiting for her chance to hold the new youngling.
“You know Chris, and that is Annis his mate.”
“Yes,” agreed Annis with a warm smile, “we spoke on the phone. It is pleasant to meet you,” she said gently. Then she narrowed her eyes at Bea who was trying to cut in line for a chance to hold the youngling.
Castor looked around and grunted. He was hoping to get this over with so that he would have a chance to be alone with his mate.
“Where is everyone?” he grumbled.
“Drago is on the roof with Martha,” murmured Kylie.
Tilly raised her eyebrows. “On the roof?”
“Yes, he likes it up there,” replied Castor with a reassuring smile.
Plus, everyone else liked him to be up there too. Perhaps it was better that she meet him later – Drago was a lot of gargoyle to take all at once. Though, Tilly didn’t seem in the least bit overwhelmed by everything that was happening.
Considering everything that had happened to her in the past week, Tilly seemed remarkably cheery. She was taking everything in her stride, and Castor felt immensely proud of her. He had told her much of the gargoyles history and explained to her what it would mean to be his mate, and she had merely smiled, blushed and told him she wanted to be his mate more than anything in the world. She was certainly good for his ego.
“What about Brenda and Ric?”
“Brenda?” repeated Tilly wondrously. She looked at Chris. “Your niece is mated to a gargoyle too?”
He pursed his lips, and Annis snickered.
“Yeah,” groused Chris, “but right now she’s at home doing her homework.”
Castor left it unsaid that Ric would undoubtedly be with her, and as such, little homework would be done.
“What about Gwen?” asked Tilly.
Castor looked at her, and her cheeks darkened. “I understand she is also mated to a gargoyle.”
He nodded. “Tristan. I believe they are at her house.”
He said something about Gwen’s mother wanting him to come to tea. Castor didn’t really understand why he would want tea, but Tristan had seemed oddly nervous and excited about the whole thing.
Tilly squeezed his hand and smiled. A thrill of arousal coursed through his body. Where the hell were his damn clan mates? He wanted the introductions over and his little mate cooing in his arms. He liked the way her whole body blushed when they made love. He found her bashfulness so stimulating. Tilly wasn’t anything like he expected his mate would be – no, she was a thousand times better. Nor was she quite as meek as he first thought – Ryia could attest to that – but he was certain he didn’t want her to change.
She beamed at him, and her doe-like eyes sparkled. Oh, forget his clan mates, he…
“You don’t have to look so smug!” complained Joely stomping into the room. She waved hello at everyone and dropped a suitcase on the floor.
Brom followed carrying several other suitcases, all bulging, and also Joely’s daughter, Daphne, who was giggling excitedly.
“What is happening?” asked Ingrede with interest.
“My mate is moving into the mansion,” declared Brom.
Joely gave him the stink eye. “There’s only so much begging I can take.”
Brom humphed though he didn’t lose the look of delight on his face. No wonder. He didn’t like his mate living away from him at all. Castor wondered how long it would be before he could persuade Tilly to move as well.
Joely beamed at Tilly. “Hey, honey, welcome to the crazy family. That’s Brom,” she pointed at her mate, “ignore him completely.”
Tilly nodded solemnly. “Oh, I will.”
Castor burst into laughter, and Tilly turned an adorable shade of dark crimson.
“Now,” said Joely, “let me get a look at that baby!”
She advanced on Ingrede and the new youngling. Annis and Bea huffed.
“There’s a queue,” said Bea.
“Perhaps Tilly would like to hold her,” suggested Ingrede, kindly.
Tilly froze as the scrutiny of every gargoyle, and human alike fell on her. Castor grunted and tried to shield her with his wing, but Tilly merely smiled.
“If you don’t mind…”
She hurried forward and beamed as she took the sleeping gargoyle into her arms. The baby was dark green and his horns merely nubs on his head. Tilly laughed lightly as his short tail immediately curled around her arm. Castor understood he was large compared to human babies, but he looked just perfect in Tilly’s arm. One day perhaps… He let out a shuddering breath, and his tail whipped against a lamp.
“Another lamp,” sighed Kylie. “I honestly don’t know why we bother replacing them.”
Luc snickered and draped an arm over his mate. “Soon that will be our youngling.”
Kylie gazed up at him lovingly. “I know.”
“I told you the birth would be fine,” said Ingrede as Cai curled her into his arms. Wolfe crawled into his mother’s arms letting out a happy growl.
Kylie smiled. “I know, but I just wish I could have a human doctor there for my birth.”
“Have you considered Dr. White?” asked Tilly as she traced the youngling’s pointed ears. She clearly didn’t think there was anything untoward with a human and a gargoyle having children – which was good because Castor was hoping for a large family.
Kylie shrugged. “Maybe, she seems okay. We just need to be certain that Blackthorne…”
“Blackthorne?” Tilly scrunched her nose. “I heard Dr. White on the phone talking about someone called Blackthorne.”
Everyone stared at her and Tilly shrank just a smidge. “Did I say something wrong?”
Castor rushed to her side and glared at everyone. “No, that is just a name we know well.”
He hadn’t been that specific when telling Tilly about their current problems.
“I just heard her mention the name on the phone. She was saying something about how she was doing everything she could – but I didn’t hear much. I’m sorry I can’t tell you more.”
Castor stroked Tilly’s back reassuringly. “We are grateful for what you can tell us, my mate.”
Kylie and Luc exchanged glances and Chris wrapped an arm around Annis.
“We need to be careful around the doctor,” said Chris with a hard expression on his face.
Yes, they would.
*
“You are happy?” asked Castor.
Tilly beamed at him. He had managed to pry her away from his clan mates who seemed eager to talk to her – he was eager to get her alone.
“I am,” she said unabashedly.
She was a little concerned about Dr. White, but at that moment in time, she was very happy. She’d finally found what she was looking for – someone who loved her and a family who accepted her.
“Are you?” she asked.
“Yes,” he breathed, “though I feel like we wasted an hour talking to our clan mates. There are so many other things we could have been doing.”
“Like what?” she asked innocently.
Castor gave her a feral look, and she shivered excitedly.
“Then what are we waiting for?”
Tilly dropped his hand and started running in the direction of their room, fully aware that within seconds her mate would scoop her up and carry her the rest of the way. Her small legs really couldn’t run fast enough for his liking.
He let out a roar of laughter, and a second later she was warmly tucked into his arms as he sped through the house. She was right where she wanted and needed to be.
Epilogue
A few days later
Aleck stared into the night sky. It was a cold night, his wings automatically wrapped around him.
“They are not coming back,” hissed Elson. “They must be dead.” The gargoyle sounded quite thrilled at the prospect.
Aleck clenched his jaw and whipped his tail back and forth. He could not honestly say
the thought saddened him. Ophelia was not a good clan leader. She was harsh and cruel and secretive beyond belief.
She was trying to cobble together a clan and yet there was no trust between them because she would not tell them anything. Aleck along with the rest of the gargoyles were chafing under her leadership. It would only have been a matter of time before one of them challenged for leadership.
Elson smiled. “At last we can get rid of that creature.”
He nodded at the hut where they were keeping the witch.
“No,” rumbled Aleck.
Elson narrowed his eyes. “She is…”
“Needed – to wake more gargoyles,” finished Aleck.
Elson’s nostrils flared. He was considering ignoring Aleck, but he wouldn’t. He knew Elson well enough to realize the smaller male would not openly confront anyone larger and stronger than him. No, it seemed more in his nature to stab them in the back.
The smaller male snorted and walked away grumbling, most likely to tell everyone he believed Ophelia to be dead. Aleck believed it too, either she was dead or captured.
Aleck gave the hut a wary glance and then stared at the sky again. The question was, what did they do now?
To be continued
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