Abruptly, he sat up and framed her face in his hands, holding her eyes, “Sweetheart, I didn’t expect you to remain celibate when I left.”
She let out a nervous giggle that was unsteady because she was so grateful for his warmth and so afraid of his reaction. “I wanted to. I’ve never wanted anyone but you.”
“Shh,” he murmured, pulling her head against his chest, resting his chin on the top of her head. His heart was racing in his chest and he was shaking a little but he just held her.
Tears welled in her eyes but she wiped them away and tried to laugh again. It wasn’t funny. “God, I don’t want you to hate me.”
“I could never hate you,” he breathed. He pressed a kiss against the top of her head, holding his lips there for an eternity. Pulling back, he rasped, “Did you love him?”
“Yes,” she answered honestly even though it was so much more complicated than that. Because she was looking so closely she saw the flash of pain in his eyes and she knew she had to explain. Covering his hands with hers, she shook her head. “But not like I love you, never like that. I loved him like I love Ajreis and Raphe and the boys and I never, ever meant to sleep with him.” Now that she started, the words came pouring out, “On the fifth anniversary of you, um, leaving me, I got a little drunk and, well, it just sort of happened and that was going to be that but then it wasn’t, you see, and….”
“You had a child,” he said on an exhalation of breath.
“Twins,” she told him softly. Shaking her head, breathing in his heavenly and familiar scent, she relaxed into his arms, “Can you imagine? I get a little drunk and I get knocked up.”
“Oh, sweetheart,” he crooned. “You really shouldn’t drink.”
“I know,” she agreed. Tilting her head back, she admitted, "But I wouldn’t trade them for the world, even if they aren’t fully human.”
His eyes widened as he stared at her for an entire heartbeat before his gentle caress became frantic as he ran both of his hands over her face, her shoulders, her back. He pulled her forward and over his lap, his rock hard thighs pressing against her pelvis as he ran his hands over her naked bottom. With a squeak, she twisted around and grabbed his hands to stop the manhandling, which she wouldn’t have minded if it weren’t so impersonal. "What are you doing?”
“I’m looking for horns or a tail,” he said wildly, pulling one hand free, scrubbing his fingers through her hair, running his hand down her back once more. She giggled as his fingers moved over her ribs. “What did you do?”
“It's complicated and I promise to tell you the whole story but there are a whole bunch of people who will be excited to see you,” she grinned. The reality of everything that had happened to her smacked her upside her head and she sobered a little. Catching her lower lip between her teeth, she hesitantly told him, “My children are here tonight if you want to meet them?”
“I do. Of course I do,” he said with an odd smile, standing up with her still in his arms. “But we might want to get dressed first.”
Giddily, she beamed at him as she pulled out a robe she had stashed up there for this moment. She hated handing it to him because that meant he was going to be covering up his gorgeous body and it had been ten long years since she had gotten to ogle it to her heart’s content. Well, at least in real life. Her canvases were filled with Armand. “This night has been so amazing, Armand. Don’t ever leave me again.”
His gaze heated as his eyes roamed over her nude body and she felt the blush begin along her chest. With a smile, she grabbed her clothes and dressed, tying the skirt at her waist to keep it up. Armand’s laughter washed through her and settled in her soul, making her deliriously happy. She was soaring on the euphoria flooding her system as she weaved her fingers with his. “Um, don’t freak out when you see them.”
He stopped dead in his tracks and looked down at her, arching a single eyebrow and looking absolutely, deliciously imperious. “Pardon? Are they green-skinned metamorphs?”
“Well, they spent most of their lives in a faerie realm where time moves differently,” she said slowly, her brows drawing together in trepidation. “They’re not small children. And, um, no one knows that they’re mine.”
Armand’s lips parted but no words came out and she grinned. She had managed to render Armand speechless. Pressing her finger beneath his chin to close his mouth, she tugged on his arm and grinned, “Come on, everyone is going to be so excited to see you. It’s going to be such a surprise!”
Armand hadn’t been sure what to expect when Ferris had suddenly sat up and physically closed herself off to him but it sure as hell wasn’t a confession to being a mother. It pained him to admit to the surge of jealousy that threatened to burst through his skin when she told him she hadn’t been celibate, which was ridiculous since he told her to find someone to love. He hated the idea of anyone else touching her and he knew it was hypocritical since he had touched so many women.
Hell, because he didn’t have enough faith in Ferris he had given up his nights to Felicity. What right did he have to feel jealous because Ferris found comfort in another man’s arms? She was with him when he woke up. She found a way to wake him up early.
His brows drew together in a slight frown as he recalled her words about getting drunk and he wondered if perhaps it was not entirely consensual. He remembered how muddled she got when she drank and if some asshole took advantage of her by getting her drunk he was going to kill someone. Obviously it was a supernatural creature since humans normally didn’t have access to any other realm and if they did they didn’t survive long. If Ferris had been in a place where time moved rapidly she should have aged and she hadn’t, which only made him even more curious to hear her story. It was bound to be interesting.
Only Ferris. She was the only human he knew who was accepted by everyone that wasn’t human. Draping an arm around her slender shoulders, he pulled her against him, smiling that she was back where she belonged. Gods, he had been a fool to not give her his nights. Out of all of the women in the universe she was the only one who would never have left him.
The only one.
A surge of panic welled up within him as the ramifications started to hit him: Ferris moved Heaven and Earth to be with him. How was he ever going to live up to her expectations? When he only had a month he was able to be the man she believed him to be but the thought of being that man every day for the rest of his life was exhausting. Ferris deserved so much more. How was he ever going to be what she needed?
His smile felt strained as his doubts and concerns waged war in his head, as his heart beat frantically in his chest. She was going to want him to give up his nights for her and it was the very least she deserved after proving her steadfastness and loyalty. But the idea of giving up his nights for a third time turned his stomach to lead and filled him with dread unlike any he had ever known. Even knowing she would accept his gift and complete the ritual wasn't enough to alleviate his anxiety.
Especially knowing she would accept, because he would have to be the man she believed him to be for the rest of his life.
It was twisted and he knew it was fucked up but he couldn’t be that man, that gargoyle, Ferris dreamed about. Nothing had changed in the ten years he had been stone. He was still a gargoyle without a purpose. He had taken the coward’s way out the first time and now he was even more hopelessly lost than he had been before.
“I didn’t tell anyone that there was a possibility you were going to be waking up,” Ferris murmured softly, her voice interrupting his dark thoughts. “We weren’t sure what was going to happen when Ajreis did the ritual.”
She looked up at him with those blue-green eyes of hers and calmness settled over his soul. His pulse thudded thickly beneath his skin and the world beyond Ferris disappeared. Her lips were moving and he forced himself to pay attention to the words she was saying. “The first time he did it on the new moon, like you guys do, but that didn’t work and we realized it was because he needed the sun and the moon in equal
parts because his father was human whereas your father is Apollo.”
“How did the two of you even come up with such a plan?’ he asked, quite frankly a little stunned that an imp had enough power to break the gargoyle’s gift.
Shrugging her shoulders, she admitted, “I’m not really sure. Ajreis simply showed up one afternoon and said he knew what had to be done, that he was visited by an old friend and she had explained what needed to be done. She just hadn’t been clear on when it needed to happen.”
“What happened to Felicity?” he asked.
Ferris came to a halt and looked up at him with a queer expression on her face, “You knew her name?”
Realizing his mistake, he slowly nodded, “I met her a few years before and I had kept an eye on her ever since.” Pressing his lips together, he hesitantly admitted, “She was one of Katrina’s descendants.”
Ferris nodded her head, her adorable frown slowly melting away as she absorbed his confession. “Why didn’t you simply tell me this before?”
“I didn’t want you to hate me,” he admitted awkwardly, hearing the voices of his family coming from somewhere inside of the huge suite. Anticipation welled in his gut at the thought of seeing them again. Apprehension also surged as he thought about the changes ten years wrought.
At that she tilted her head back and laughed, “I could never hate you. I’m a fool for you, Armand. Don’t you know that by now?”
What could he possibly say to that statement that wouldn’t make him sound like a besotted idiot himself? Now that they might actually have a future, he was a little overwhelmed by colossal hopes and irrational doubts. Curling his arm around her neck and ignoring the warring emotions, he kissed the top of her head.
Pausing outside of the rec room doors, she looked up at him, giving him a moment to gather his thoughts and his composure. With a smile that held more confidence then he actually felt, he nodded his head and Ferris pushed the doors open. The sight before him was pure chaos, with his brothers Vaughn and Rhys both holding onto small bundles of blankets, with a pair of younglings underfoot. Jenna and Melanie sat in the middle of the crowd, laughing and looking radiant and happy.
Michael, Leo and Raphe were even there, playing a game of cutthroat on the pool table. A fourth player was there as well and Armand realized with a start that it was young Alex all grown up. The young gargoyle was the spitting image of his father with his golden hair. He looked at the children once more, at the little girl who was a perfect blend of Melanie and Vaughn. Georgia. The other child looked like a miniature of Rhys, only with Jenna's dark hair. Armand didn't even know his name.
And then there were the two babies in his brothers' arms.
Armand’s heart lodged in his throat at the sight: life had gone on without him and so much had changed, even though it hadn’t been very long. He was tempted to turn around and find refuge in his bedroom until Raphael looked up and saw Ferris, a smile curving his lips. But the smile turned into a scowl the moment he saw Armand.
Ferris twined her fingers with his, giving him what he needed without him even asking and all he could do was stare at this amazing woman who held his heart in her hands. She smiled up at him a heartbeat before she cleared her throat to gather everyone’s attention. When the room suddenly went deathly quiet he looked up and saw the expressions of disbelief on everyone’s faces a moment before there was a cacophony of noise as his brothers rushed forwards and embraced him.
“Welcome back!” Vaughn said, switching his baby to his other arm as he embraced Armand.
“This would explain why Ferris has been spending every night on the roof,” Rhys grinned, hugging Armand as well. “We worried that she was having difficulties with the tenth anniversary coming up, except she wasn’t miserable enough.”
“Stop,” Ferris grinned, playfully batting at Rhys’s free arm as he leaned over and placed a kiss on her rosy cheek. “I gave up pining ages ago.”
“Welcome home,” Melanie said warmly, wrapping her arms around his waist and giving him a hug. It felt natural to return the hug, as if she had been a part of the family for centuries instead of a few decades. She held out her hand and Alex strolled over, a wide grin on his handsome face. Not to be outdone, young Georgia popped up as well, grinning from ear to ear.
"My gods, you've grown like weeds!" Armand gasped, staring at the two gargoyles. Turning to Alex he shook his head in wonder, "You look just like your father."
"So they tell me," Alex grinned cheekily.
Turning to Georgia, he was amazed. The baby who had caused so much trouble looked like a young lady who was going to be a heartbreaker in a few years. "The last time I saw you you were just a wee, little thing."
"I've grown up," she said, her smile open and affectionate. "It's good to have you back, Uncle Armand."
"And this is Orion," Melanie said, tilting the baby just enough so Armand could see the incredibly young infant. "He just turned three months old."
“It’s good to see you,” Jenna murmured, giving him a hug as well before leaning into Rhys’s arms and watching Armand with weary eyes. Her son stood by her side, watching Armand with wide, curious brown eyes. Jenna placed a comforting hand on the young gargoyle's slender shoulders and murmured, "This is James."
Armand looked past the well-wishers to the trio of gargoyles who held back, eyeing him with something close to animosity. He felt Ferris’s soft body press up against his as she whispered in his ear, “Don’t mind the demented trio. They’re just pissed they have to give up your room.”
Fury swept through him at the thought of the young gargoyles stepping foot in his room until he heard Ferris laugh and realized she was teasing him. A reluctant smile curved his lips as he simply nodded his head at his youngest brothers. He was sure that they would vent their spleen at another time when he wasn’t the center of attention. And if it was bad enough, they would wait until there were no children around.
Suddenly a baby was pressed into his arms and he had no choice but to take it. A pair of large, brown eyes gazed up at him from an excessively pink face. Rhys’s finger moved over one of the chubby cheeks as he beamed, “This is Sarah, our newest gargoyle. She's almost three months old.”
The air went out of the room as he stared down at the baby he held in his arms and suddenly he wanted a child with Ferris. Glancing around the room at the children, at the pride and glowing happiness on the parents’ faces, his gut clenched and he wanted all of it. Terrified and exhilarated, he turned his head to tell Ferris something when the world froze. Two incredibly beautiful people, a male and a female, strode into the room with effortless grace, their platinum blond hair giving away their identity before he even saw their faces.
He looked down and saw the joyous smile lighting Ferris’s face as she saw the newcomers and the joy he had been feeling turned to shards of glass, ripping through his guts. Unable to speak, he could only watch as they stopped just beyond the circle surrounding him. Melanie saw them and smiled brilliantly as she looped an arm through the male’s arm and then the female’s. “Armand, you haven’t met the newest residents of the Castle, Gavin and Gwendolyn.”
His jaw tightened and he had to swallow the bile that was rising up in his throat. How could no one see whose children they were? They had Ferris’s blue-green eyes and Apollo’s hair and bone structure and subtle radiance. Betrayal tore through him as he glared down at Ferris. Ignoring the look of confusion on her face, he growled, “Did you fuck him as soon as the sun rose or did you wait until I had spent a few weeks encased in stone?”
“What are you talking about?” Rhys asked with forced laughter, extricating Ferris from Armand’s arms and pulling her towards her family as Vaughn wrapped a hand around his arm to hold him back. She looked at him with wounded and confused eyes that squeezed the last drop of blood from his shredded heart.
“Armand, please,” she whispered fiercely, her eyes pleading with him to stop speaking but he couldn’t stop. Fury burned the pain and jealousy away and a
ll he wanted to do was hurt her as badly as she hurt him.
Jerking away from his brother’s hold, handing the baby to someone, anyone, he stalked towards her, using his height to intimidate her and ignoring the feelings that made him weak. “Did you think I wouldn’t figure it out that it was my father that you slept with? That their father is Apollo?”
“What are you talking about?” Ferris pleaded, infuriating him with her incredible acting abilities. “I’ve never even met Apollo. Their father is Marick.”
Armand sneered in disbelief, “Look at them, Ferris. They have his white blond hair.”
Color stained her cheeks as her gaze darted away and he knew he was right to distrust humans, to distrust her. “That’s because Marick sometimes likes to pretend he's an old wizard.”
This time Melanie gasped, her eyes widening in her face as she looked between Armand, Ferris and her two offspring. Covering her mouth with her hand, she whispered, “Omari?”
“Yes,” Ferris nodded, her cheeks bright red as she avoided everyone’s gazes now. The two spawns forced their way through the crowd and wrapped their arms around Ferris, protecting her.
Jenna had tears in her eyes as she asked Ferris in a pained whisper, “Why didn’t you say anything?”
Ferris met his eyes over Jenna’s shoulder and he couldn’t be in the same space as her anymore. Turning his back, he walked away before he shattered completely. Of course his father would be the one to lure Ferris away. The bastard only cared about his own pleasure. Hadn’t Apollo nearly killed Melanie when he had given her the blood of Medusa? Hadn’t he always vowed to have a human, damn everything that stood in his way, including his own son?
Even as Ferris’s words of ignorance pricked at his conscience he couldn’t let it go. He couldn’t help but feel betrayed, especially when the product of that betrayal stared at him with Ferris’s blue-green eyes. All of those warm, fuzzy feelings that had been taunting him were gone, replaced with cold, hard reality. Ferris slept with Apollo.
Stone Destiny (Stone Passion #3) Page 18
