by E A Price
“Thanks.” He looked up at her with a pout, and she snorted.
She was about to give him a piece of her mind when more customers arrived, and she was forced to stall her angry outburst. Two men came in, looking around shiftily. They weren’t locals and didn’t look like tourists but maybe they were just lost.
Joely moved towards them but froze as one of them brought a gun out of his overcoat.
“How many people are in here?” he snarled.
“Uhh, just us and Hank in the kitchen,” she breathed, her whole body turning to jelly.
The man nodded at his friend and he strode to the kitchen, returning a minute later dragging Hank.
“Hank!” Her hands flew to her mouth. “What did you do to him?”
The second man grinned. “Nothing, he fainted when he saw my gun.”
“All the money from the till or we shoot you all,” said the first man, clearly not as amused as the second.
Slowly, Joely moved to the till, unable to take her eyes off the gun. She was aware of movement behind her. A coffee cup was knocked over, and she heard Chuck struggling to his feet.
“I don’t want to die!” he howled, shoving Joely out of his way.
He slipped on a menu that had fallen to the floor and hit his head on one of the tables, knocking him out cold. Joely looked at Hank and Chuck. Probably not a good thing to rely on these men for protection she thought sourly.
The second man started laughing, but his mirth was cut short as the lights went out, plunging them into darkness.
“What did you do?” demanded the first man.
She guessed that was aimed at her, but she could barely see anything. She heard a commotion coming from the kitchen, and a second later, something big came through the swing doors.
“Joely, duck,” commanded an angry, gruff voice.
Joely didn’t question that command. She dropped to the floor, and knowing the layout of the diner by heart, proceeded to crawl around the counter for cover. Behind her, there was growling and shouting, and she flinched as a gun went off a couple of times. She thanked her lucky stars Daphne wasn’t with her tonight and prayed to whoever the hell was out there that she could see her again.
The altercation ended with some loud screams and then silence. The next thing she knew, someone had hold of her arms and was dragging her up as she struggled.
“It is me,” murmured Brom.
“Brom?”
Joely squinted as she made out his solid, reassuring form in front of her.
“Oh, Brom!” She threw herself at his hard chest, and he wrapped arms and wings around her. “How did you know…”
“I cannot stay,” he rumbled. “I am sure others heard these men’s guns. I must leave before I am seen.”
Joely nodded unhappily and untangled herself from him, leaning against the counter for support. Brom pressed his forehead against hers for a second before he took off, leaving as swiftly as he arrived.
“Thank you,” she called, but he had already left.
The lights flickered back on, and Joely took a moment to compose herself before calling the cops, and perhaps an ambulance. The robbers didn’t appear to be in good shape, but they could go hang. She thought maybe Hank and Chuck might need help. She looked at the two of them and thought of Brom. He really was something special.
*
“Merry Christmas!” cried Brenda jumping into Ric’s arms.
He caught her and blinked at the extra decorations and all the food. Nearly all the clan – gargoyles and humans were there.
“What is all this?” he asked his mate.
Brenda wriggled out of his arms. “Well, since you didn’t get to join me at the town Christmas party, I thought we could have our own. Figured you don’t have to watch this one through a window – unless you’re into that, in which case it’s Christmas, go nuts. Plus this party is even better – much more exclusive.”
Ric looked around speechless. It did indeed look a lot like the party she had attended. His clan mates gave him varying degrees of smiles and grunts.
His chief and Kylie were curled around one another. Chris was trying to teach Annis how to dance – it was not going well, but the two of them were giggling and enjoying themselves. Maggie and Andrew were trying to make the gargoyles slow down on the drink that he believed to be called egg nog. Grey was trying to prove that no drink was too much for him and was drinking it directly out of the bowl. Bea was adjusting an elf costume on young Wolfe. Gustave was mixing mulled wine while Twenty-Six added more spices – up to the point where he kept sneezing. Drago was spitting out a mince pie and scowling. Well, Christmas wasn’t for everyone.
“It is perfect,” he said, beaming at his mate.
“Best party I’ve ever been to. By the way, do gargoyles normally drink alcohol?”
“No,” chuckled Ric as he watched Tristan who now appeared to be trying to challenge Bob, the dog to an arm wrestling competition. “Tonight should be interesting. Thank you.”
“I know it’s hard sometimes that we have to be apart for a lot of things, but I figure you’re worth it.”
“Indeed I am,” he said stoically.
“By the way, Chris says he’ll shoot you if you ever pluck me up off the street like that again.”
“Really, he adores me.”
“Really, he’s looking for any reason to shoot you.”
Ric laughed heartily and kissed his perfect mate, squeezing her in his arms. He looked up to see Cai and Ingrede under the mistletoe.
“Kiss!” he shouted, ignoring Brenda’s groan.
*
Cai rubbed her belly possessively. He had been the same when she was heavy with Wolfe. So proud and in awe of the life they had created together. She hoped this one would be a girl, but if not they could keep trying for more younglings. She would like a whole brood.
“I felt him move,” declared Cai beaming.
“Her,” Ingrede corrected.
“I am sure it will be another boy, but you need not worry, my angel, we will continue mating until you have your girl. I do not care how long it takes.”
“You are very selfless, my love,” she teased, and Cai gave her a predatory grin.
“Kiss!” yelled Ric.
Cai looked up in irritation, automatically pulling Ingrede closer to him for protection. Ingrede gazed over at Ric, baffled.
“You’re under the mistletoe,” explained Brenda, trying to reel in her snickering mate. “It’s tradition to kiss under the mistletoe.”
Ingrede looked up; she thought that was just a weed growing out of the ceiling.
“Kiss!” called Ric again.
Ingrede looked away in embarrassment. They did not kiss. Kissing was not the gargoyle way. They nuzzled and licked like their dragon ancestors, but kissing was very much a human invention. Even if it did look very nice and enjoyable.
She expected Cai to howl and stomp over to Ric to give him a piece of his mind (or more likely pummel him with his fists), but to her surprise, he didn’t. Cai cupped one of her cheeks and leaned down to brush his lips over hers. She gasped and held still at the softest of touches. It was brief but beautiful, and she wanted more.
The rest of the clan broke out into cheers and shouted for them to ‘get a room’.
Ingrede looked up at her mate in surprise. “What was that for?” she whispered.
“Your Christmas present,” he purred.
“I loved it.”
“Wolfe is happy with Bea. Perhaps we should indeed go to our room so that I may give you more Christmas presents.”
Ingrede clasped her mate close to her – he truly was the mate of her heart. “That sounds wonderful.”
*
Joely checked on Daphne. She was still tucked into bed, sleeping soundly and happily oblivious to everything that happened earlier in the evening.
When Chris arrived at the diner, she gave him an edited version of what happened. He gave her curious looks, especially when he saw what appear
ed to be claw marks on the two robbers, but he didn’t say anything.
The two robbers were taken to hospital, while Hank and Chuck were checked out and permitted to go home. Chuck sheepishly told her he wouldn’t bother her again. No, she wasn’t thrilled at him trying to make a run for it and leave her in the diner with the robbers.
It had been a long night, and hey, it was gone midnight, it was now Christmas Day. She didn’t have time to get to the store so she wouldn’t have anything for Daphne. She just hoped she would understand, but then, so few six-year-olds were reasonable when it came to presents.
She thought of Brom, and she wanted to cry. Angrily she dabbed at her eyes. She was just tired and overwrought from earlier. She just needed…
A thump sounded from her back garden, and her heart boomed in her chest. Was that…
Joely hurled herself through her house and out into the garden, stopping short as a large ginger cat looked up at her with a challenging expression.
“Get lost, cat,” she muttered.
“I hope you are not that dismissive to all creatures that land in your garden.”
Brom appeared out of the darkness, wearing his Santa-ish cape and sporting a wide grin.
“Brom,” she breathed.
He moved towards her, pulling her into his arms and crushing his mouth to hers. Soft snow fell around them, the tiny snowflakes sizzling on their heated skin.
“You are well?” he asked gruffly, pulling an inch away from her.
“I’m fine, thanks to you. You weren’t hurt, were you?” She tried to look him up and down, but she could barely move in his grip. Not that she was complaining.
“Of course, not,” he scoffed. “My only regret is that I did not kill those males for threatening you. But Chris would not have liked that.”
“Chris? You know Chris?”
Brom hesitated for a couple of seconds before admitting, “He is mated to a clan sister.”
“Chris and a gargoyle?!” she exclaimed in shock. No wonder he had given her a strange look earlier – he knew a gargoyle had to have been at the diner. “Well, well, well, it’s always the quiet ones.”
“I would not say you are particularly quiet,” he smirked, and his eyes heated.
No, the only thing that kept her quiet in sex was kissing and biting. Not that he was complaining.
“Har-di-har-har. What exactly were you doing at the diner?”
“I had to ensure you got home safely. Although you do not wish to be my mate, I do not wish to see you hurt. I knew that Daphne was safe with Kylie, so…”
“Wait, Kylie, too?!” What the egg nog was going on?
“Yes, she is mated to my chief.”
Sweet, little, curvy Kylie mated to a gargoyle chief? That was even more surprising than Chris. “Slap a carrot on me and call me a snowman. This town is crazier than I thought.”
“I asked Kylie if she could offer you assistance in taking care of Daphne.”
Joely melted a little on hearing that. If it had come from someone else, she might have been a little riled and annoyed at someone interfering with her business, but Brom was different.
“Thank you for that.”
“Thank Merlin I was there tonight, I cannot bear to think about what may have happened if…” His words trailed into a growl, and his face turned stormy.
“I’m fine,” she reiterated. “I’m just glad you were there for me.”
“Even though you do not wish to be my mate, I will always try to protect you.”
It was going to be hard, that much was obvious, but all the objections she had to their relationship had been obliterated when he saved her life. She loved him. She wanted to be with him. Daphne loved him too, wanted him in her life. Everything else would sort itself out.
“You know you never actually asked me to be your mate.”
Brom huffed. “Why ask when it is hopeless.”
“It’s Christmas, who knows what will happen.”
He let out an annoyed grunt. “Fine, Joely will you do me the honor of becoming my mate?”
“Okay.”
“See? Are you happy… What did you just say?” His eyebrows nearly rose to meet his horns in surprise.
“I said, okay. I mean I don’t really know what being a mate entails, but I guess it’s like being married.”
“No, repeat it, say it again.”
“Okay, I want to be your mate?”
Brom took a few more moments to comprehend what she was saying. She gave him the time he needed while she trailed her fingers over his muscles. These babies were incredible.
“I thought you had a lot of objections that I did not understand and thought were ridiculous – but you had them nonetheless.”
Joely let out a breath. “I still kind of have them,” she admitted, “but after tonight they don’t seem to matter so much.” She steeled herself before blurting the words, “I love you.”
“You love me?” he asked slowly, and she nodded.
“It’s okay if you don’t say it back,” she said awkwardly.
“Gargoyles have never looked for love in matings before. At least in my clan they did not.”
“Oh.” This did not bode well.
“However, I find my every waking and sleeping thoughts are consumed by you and Daphne. I find that all I want is to make both of you happy and to protect you. But you, Joely, I feel empty when I am not with you, and my body craves yours with a burning need the like I have not encountered before. The thought of not being able to touch you again is devastating. I fear that this must be love.”
“You fear?” she giggled, loving everything he just said.
“Yes, I fear, because being at the mercy of such a tiny human as you is daunting. I fear that you hold my future in your small, pink hands.”
“Well, if you’ll have us, then your future can be with Daphne and me.”
Brom beamed, his hard face softening. “I would like that, very much. If it would not wake Daphne, I would roar into the sky that I have found my mate.”
Joely snickered. “How about we kiss instead?”
They did kiss again, the heat of their embrace almost making her forget that they were standing in the middle of the snow at midnight. Her freezing toes soon reminded her.
“We should go inside,” she murmured. “I’m kind of freezing to death.”
“Yes, of course, I must ensure my mate is thoroughly warmed. I wonder how I shall do that…”
“I’m sure you’ll find a way.”
Brom upended her on his shoulder and grabbed a sack. Joely twisted around trying to look at it.
“What’s in there?”
“A turkey and some gifts for Daphne.”
“Really?”
“I am Santa after all,” he said smugly.
“Ugh, you need to get over this Santa complex.”
He tapped her lightly on the ass, and she wriggled on his shoulder.
“So what exactly did Daffy tell you she wanted for Christmas? There’s no way there’s a pony in there.”
Brom strode into the house and dropped her on the sofa. He kneeled in front of her and grinned. “She told me she wanted what everyone else at her school had.”
“And what is that?”
“A daddy.”
Joely blinked at him, speechless.
“I did, however, bring a new teddy bear that Kylie procured for me as well as some books. Although she may be thrilled by my presence at first, I believe the novelty of receiving me as a gift will soon wear off.”
“You didn’t know I was going to change my mind about us.”
Brom ran his fingers down her cheek. “No, but I hoped. I thought I was going to have to persuade you. I was fully prepared to go to any lengths.”
Joely’s fingers found the belt to his loincloth. “Well, feel free to show me a little persuasion.”
He gave her an unforgiving leer. “Is that what you want for Christmas?”
“Definitely, but I’m a greedy girl,
so I want it over and over again.”
There were no objections from Brom as he peeled her out of her pajamas. “Merry Christmas, my mate.”
“Merry Christmas.”
It turned out to be the best Christmas yet.
*
Kylie ran her fingers through her hair and then gagged. “Ugh, gross. Must wash hands.”
She quickly washed her hands, forcing herself not to look at the pregnancy tests again. A month ago she had a scare and had worried she was pregnant, but it had come to nothing. She had gone on the pill to ensure she had no further close calls, but now… this wasn’t a close call at all.
Luc pushed his way into the bathroom, his huge presence making the room seem even more claustrophobic.
“Little one, you left the party, I was worried.”
Kylie gave him a watery smile before looking at the four positive pregnancy tests. “I have something to tell you…”
To be continued…
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