Knights of Stone: Gavin: A gargoyle shifter rockstar romance

by Lisa Carlisle

  None of them gave Gavin a hard time. They must have heard the serious note in his tone.

  He paced on the stage while he waited for them to arrive. This was where they often perched in stone to rest under the sun. It was also the site of their infamous concerts, where the Knights of Stone had stood as statues before shifting to their human form and performing their songs. And like Fiona had asked him, they’d then unfurl their wings at the end of the show and soar into the night sky.

  He’d deflected answering directly as he often did and had tried to convince her that it was yet another rumor. How long could he keep up the charade now?

  Once his brothers all flew in, Gavin climbed off the stage. “I have some news.”

  None of them replied with a lighthearted snide comment, which was typical of their banter. “The woman I’ve been staying with in Inverness,” he continued. He rubbed his hands together. Why were they suddenly so clammy? “She’s pregnant.”

  All of them stared with shock. The sounds of the surrounding forests seemed amplified in his brothers’ silence with leaves rustling and insects chirring. Even the waves crashing on the cliffs seemed more pronounced as Gavin awaited his brothers’ reaction.

  Lachlan broke the weighted silence. “A human?”

  “Aye,” Gavin replied. “Fiona.”

  “And I’m guessing it’s your child,” Bryce added.

  “That’s what she says,” Gavin replied. “I have no reason to doubt her.”

  “Fuck,” Calum said. “You’re going to be a father? The most confirmed bachelor of all of us?”

  “It will be good for you,” Mason added. “I’ve seen how you are with Andrew.”

  Gavin paced over the grass near the stage. “Being an uncle is one thing, but I’m not ready to be a father.” He threw his hands up in exasperation. “I know nothing about commitment—let alone how to raise a child.”

  “You’ll figure it out as you go along, just like every parent does,” Mason said. “Neither Kayla nor I knew what we were doing at first when we had Andrew, but then we had help from others who’d been through it.”

  “I don’t see how it would work in our case,” Gavin said. “She hasn’t lived in Inverness long. Will she stay there or move to be closer to her family? She sure as hell won’t want to move here with me.”

  “Why do you say that?” Calum asked.

  “She’s human,” Gavin said. “She lives in a human city. What can I give her with an island that doesn’t have any of those conveniences she’s used to?”

  “What does this mean?” Bryce asked. “Would you consider moving to Inverness to be close to your child?”

  “I don’t know,” Gavin said. “What to do, how I feel, what to tell her—anything.”

  Lachlan asked, “Does she know about us?”

  Gavin took a deep breath and exhaled with a groan. “No. I haven’t told her. It isn’t easy to tell a woman, oh, by the way, our child is only half-human. Ready to hear about what this means?”

  “Right,” Bryce said. “I don’t envy you there.”

  Lachlan added, “We always have to be wary about humans knowing our secret.”

  “Can we trust her?” Bryce asked.

  Gavin shook his head and ran his hand over his brow. “That’s the tricky part. She’s a reporter. She’s written about the supernatural. It’s like she has this obsession with it. I found articles she wrote on werewolves, selkies, fae, and other shifters. She interviews humans, who naturally get most details wrong, but still.”

  “Gargoyles?” Calum asked.

  “No, none that I saw.”

  “That does pose a risk,” Lachlan replied. “We’ve discovered the dangers of humans probing our secrets.” He and Bryce exchanged a glance.

  “I know, I know,” Gavin said. The implications of him impregnating a human weighed upon him.

  “Everything about her has turned my life upside-down,” Gavin added. “I don’t know her that well, but I sense I can trust her. Something about her has drawn me from the beginning, some kind of mystical lure I’ve been unable to ignore or resist.”

  “Do you think she’s your mate?” Mason asked.

  Gavin swallowed. The inexplicable pull to her had led him to question if she was his mate more than once, but it was too much to add that possibility to his already shaken core.

  “Let’s not go there, yet. I can only deal with one monumental change in my life at a time. And right now, it’s adjusting to becoming a father.” He took a shaky breath. “Then, I need to figure out what to tell Fiona.”

  Lachlan rubbed one brow. “This is a difficult situation. In this case, she has a right to know the truth about her child.”

  Gavin nodded. He sensed that was the proper thing to do, but he needed to talk it out with his brothers.

  Calum added, “If you don’t tell, she’ll find out, anyway.”

  “Right,” Mason added. “It’s better coming from you than being stunned by her child’s supernatural abilities.”

  Andrew hadn’t shifted yet, but when angry, his skin would turn gray and leathery and features would distort in gargoyle form.

  Gavin took a weighted breath. “I’ll tell her the truth. I can’t imagine how she’s going to take it.”

  Chapter 10

  She’d stopped by the doctor’s office at lunch the next day, and he’d confirmed the pregnancy. As she walked home from the office after work, she scanned her surroundings. It was a gloomy day with dreary skies hovering above drab buildings, but as she trekked over the gray pavement, splashes of green pierced through. She stared at the growth through new eyes. Even on a dull day, life could flourish.

  She sighed and touched her stomach. Life could start in the most unpredictable of ways. Her pregnancy hadn’t been planned. When exactly it had happened was unknown, but it was—magical. She and Gavin had created something beautiful together, someone who would carry a part of each of them. Even if she never saw Gavin again, would she see him in their child?

  Nothing about their situation would be easy. Life was full of complications and ensuing adjustments. Well, that’s how life had seemed to her. After Fiona created a plan, fate could change it with a snap of her fingers. Her short-term fling with Gavin had turned into something quite different. Perhaps she was totally ill-equipped for motherhood, but now it would happen, nevertheless.

  She turned from the river toward her flat set a few streets back. It was on the third floor of a building. Some of the flats had spectacular views of the river and castle, but not hers. Her salary wouldn’t allow it, so she’d stick with her view of the car park. Besides her job, she supported herself by freelancing for magazines, writing for blogs, advertising for companies on social media, basically whatever gigs she could do to pay the bills. The glamourous life of a single working woman in the city, soon to be a mom.

  She swallowed. Motherhood would be an expensive adjustment. Oh well, she’d manage. She’d find more gigs. Somehow, she’d figure it out.

  Once she entered her flat, she assessed her living space with a critical eye. A baby would be moving in next spring. At least with two bedrooms, she’d have room for the baby. Her study would have to go. She’d have to box up the books lining the shelves and find another location for them. Essentially, all she needed was a laptop to work, so she’d manage.

  The walls in the study were sage green. Should she paint them? That brought up another question. Would she find out the sex? Hmm, probably not. Who this tiny person was growing inside her would remain a mystery until they met face-to-face. She could keep the walls green for now, but what about décor? Didn’t infants prefer contrast as their young eyes developed?

  She was getting ahead of herself. A more practical matter was doing all she could for a safe pregnancy. And telling her parents...

  Ugh, not something she wanted to do. They already thought she was too independent for her own good, moving around too much. They still lived in the village where she’d grown up. She’d moved from it as soon
as she was old enough to support herself with a job. Inverness had an appeal as a quaint city—exciting, but not too wild or dangerous like some of the other bigger cities.

  The baby was going to change her world for sure. But how would it affect her relationship with Gavin?

  Although Gavin had told Fiona he’d be back as soon as he could, only two days had passed before he prepared to return. He couldn’t stay away from her for long.

  He dressed in leather pants that he often wore on stage and had stashed additional clothing in a bag. Then he flew to Inverness. Once he landed in an area with dense trees for coverage, he retracted his wings and put on a white shirt and a pair of boots. Before he removed the magic that cloaked him, he searched her neighborhood for any signs of observers. Once he was assured he was alone, he lifted the magic and walked the short distance to her flat.

  He ventured to a shop that advertised healthy food. She was carrying his child. He wanted to make sure they were both well-fed. He scoured the menu unsure of what a pregnant woman would want. The orange juice had bothered her stomach. What other food or scent sensitivities would she experience? Since she’d eaten chicken in the past, he picked up two types of chicken sandwiches and a veggie one, as well as two kinds of salads. Hopefully, she’d go for one of the options.

  Although he knew the key code, he rang her bell.

  When she opened the door, she said, “Gavin.” Her voice came out a bit breathless. “I’m surprised to see you here so soon.”

  “Hungry?” He raised the two bags of food.

  She laughed. “It looks like you are. Come on in.”

  After they sat at her table with the food and glasses of water between them, he shuffled around in his seat. He picked at his sandwich like a bird nipping at a piece of bread. It wasn’t like him. The scent of chicken often made his mouth water. He could easily gobble all the sandwiches himself. He got up twice to get things that weren’t necessary, like condiments and salad dressing. And he’d refilled her glass although she’d barely drank a quarter of it.

  Fiona tilted her head and eyed him keenly in the way she did when she suspected something was off. “You seem jumpy.”

  That he did. “I’m just...” He shrugged as he was at a loss for words.

  She leaned back in the chair. “Freaking out about the baby?”

  “Umm… well…” That was a factor, but the bigger one was what he had yet to reveal. And why was he stammering? This was so unlike him.

  “Trust me, I am a bit, too,” Fiona said. “But I told you, don’t feel like you’re forced to be here. I’ve taken care of myself for a long time, and I’m capable of continuing to do so.”

  Fuck. Did she think he was trying to bail on the situation? The idea of having a child he’d never know slicked his gut like someone had stabbed him with a mic stand and then twisted. He had better open his damn mouth before he screwed up the situation.

  “I know you can, Fiona. Aye, I’m still a wee bit jittery about the whole fatherhood thing. But, I’m here because I want to be here.”

  She arched her brows. “Are you sure it’s not some sort of obligation?”

  “Of course not. You know how I feel about you. I couldn’t stay away.”

  “I do?” Her brows arched higher. “All I know is you like to have sex with me.”

  “Fiona, don’t. Come on, you know I’m into you.”

  She barked out with a laugh. “Aye, I was there.” She said in a suggestive tone. “I felt you inside me.”

  His cheeks burned. Shite, he’d never had to explain feelings like this before, and he was doing a terrible job of it. “You know what I mean. I’m mad about you. I have been since the first time I saw you.”

  Fiona’s eyes sparkled. A smile spread across her face that he could only describe as luminous. Warmth extended from his chest to his extremities.

  Her smile vanished. “Now with the baby, it changes things. It changes us.”

  Gavin ran his fingers over his forehead and through his hair. “Of course it does. We’ll figure it out as we go.” He smirked. “I didn’t come up with those profound words on my own, by the way. Those were the only pearls of wisdom I could glean from my brother, Mason.”

  She laughed, breaking the tension. “Profound indeed. Then what’s wrong?”

  Gavin took one of her hands from across the table and gazed into her eyes. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

  The seriousness in his tone must have clued her in because she leaned back in her chair with a wary expression. “What is it?”

  “You know how you’ve been asking about the truth about my brothers and me?”

  “Aye.”

  “There’s something to the stories you’ve heard. Some truth to the rumors.”

  “Which ones?”

  “The thing you asked me about—the statues and wings at our concerts. They’re true.”

  Fiona blinked. “So, what this means is that you’re a—?” She circled with her free hand encouraging him to finish.

  “Gargoyle shifter.”

  Fiona’s eyes widened. She pulled her hands away. “Gargoyle?” She laughed with a disbelieving sound. “I mean I’ve heard of shifters—feline and wolf for instance—but gargoyles? No, that can’t be right.” She squinted. “Gargoyles? How? What does that mean?”

  “It means I can shift to other forms—stone and gargoyle. I can fly in winged form.”

  She stared at him with a frozen expression and then chuckled. “You almost had me there. Stone form.” She pointed at him and snorted. “Like a statue. Good one!” She shrugged and conceded, “I get it. This is payback for me prying you with questions you think are stupid.”

  “It’s not a prank, Fiona.” He drummed his fingers on his thigh.

  She studied him again. “It’s real?” Her voice was just above a whisper.

  “Aye. And it’s deathly important that you keep this secret,” he implored. “If that knowledge gets into the wrong hands, it’s dangerous.”

  She didn’t respond but stared out the window.

  He stood and walked over to her and took her shoulders. “Listen to me, Fiona. I’m telling you this now because of the baby. You need to understand what I am.”

  Fiona leaned away from him and stood, scraping the chair legs across the tile floor. “Are you saying that my baby isn’t even human?” The higher pitch in her voice signaled her alarm.

  He had to tread carefully to keep her fears from escalating. He dropped his hands to his sides and rubbed them over his pants. “He is. Or she is. But, also, like my kind.”

  “What the hell?” She put her hand on her stomach and stared at it. “What does this mean?”

  “Gargoyles are guardians of the earth. We’d never hurt you.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t believe this. Are you sure you’re not messing with me? It’s because of my articles, right? This is a joke. If you are mocking me, it’s incredibly cruel.” Tears slipped from the corners of her eyes. “This is our child we’re talking about. An innocent baby.”

  “I’m not,” he swore. “I would never tease about this.”

  Pacing, she said, “I don’t believe it. I can’t believe it.”

  Gavin took a step closer to her. “It’s going to be fine. I’m sorry I upset you. It’s the last thing I ever want to do. What can I do to show you that you have nothing to fear?”

  She plopped onto her sofa and fixed her eyes on his with a challenging stare. “If what you’re saying is true, Gavin, show me.”

  * * *

  Fiona crossed her arms, half-expecting Gavin to laugh and admit it was a prank. A twisted one considering her state. He wouldn’t be that callous, though, would he?

  “Fine.” Gavin pulled off his shirt, revealing his impressive abs.

  He followed up with unbuttoning leather pants and sliding them over his hips. If she wasn’t so concerned with what he was about to show her, she could easily be distracted by this magnificent strip show. Once he was fully naked, he fixe
d his gaze on her.

  “Don’t be alarmed.”

  She grunted with disdain, yet her pulse quickened. If it was a hoax, he wouldn’t take it this far, would he?

  His skin turned gray, and his body contorted.

  It felt like her ribs clenched around her lungs. Her skin tingled with clamminess. “Gavin, what’s happening?”

  She stood. By the time, she made it to her feet, Gavin was gone. In his place was a statue—a gargoyle with tremendous wings and exaggerated features. It appeared like a combination of lion and canine with horns. It crouched on four legs with wide shoulders on a stout body that reached up to her chin.

  “Oh my God!” She covered her mouth. “Gavin, Gavin!” She rushed over to the statue and touched the stone. It was cold and hard, like marble. “What happened? Are you trapped?”

  The cool stone softened beneath her hand. She stepped back. What the hell was going on? The stone appeared to shimmer and vibrate. She backed toward her kitchen. Was she in danger? Should she get a knife?

  The statue slimmed and grew taller. Russet-brown hair grew from its hair and its charcoal color faded to that of flesh. She turned to grab a knife from the block on her counter. When she turned back, Gavin stood there again in the nude.

  She dropped the knife on the counter and ran over to him. “What the fuck, Gavin?” She pushed his chest, which was almost as hard as the stone of the statue had been and just as unyielding. “What the fuck?” she repeated.

  “I told you. I’m a gargoyle shifter.”

  She stepped back and waved her hand. “That’s not fuckin’ possible.”

  “I’ve never heard you swear so much before.”

  “That’s because I’ve never had a man turn to bloody stone in my goddamn living room. How is it possible?” She dropped her head into her hand and laughed. “No, it’s not. It’s some kind of illusion, isn’t it?”

  “Fiona, this isn’t an illusion. It’s me. I’m flesh and stone. I can also shift to winged form and fly.”

  “Are you mad? Out of your mind?” She stepped away from him and threw her hands up with exasperation. “I just found out I’m having a baby, and the father is acting like a goddamn madman.”