Not Her Gargoyle_Shifter Romance

by Annie Nicholas

  If you don’t use it, you lose it. Meaning, he hadn’t flown in months and couldn’t keep up with his brothers.

  A female roar rattled the castle’s walls. “Not another window!”

  “Faster.” He cupped his hands around his mouth as he shouted to his brothers’ receding forms ahead of him.

  Neil glanced over his shoulder in his direction, his eyes growing wide.

  Nick didn’t need to turn around to know a furious white dragon had taken wing from the castle. “Don’t worry. Her aim is terrible.” If Eoin joined her though, he would turn Nick into gravel. “Go,” he shouted. He changed direction and led Angie away from his brothers.

  A fireball exploded on the tip of his right wing. The impact sent him spinning. She must have been practicing because that was close. He flew over the forest canopy, knowing his dark skin would be difficult to spot.

  Another roar split the air.

  He stared at the city lights. She wouldn’t dare flame in a populated area. The humans would be outraged and there were more of them than supernaturals. Nick changed direction again and flapped his wings with all his desperate might, escape his only hope of survival.

  A different roar rebounded through the forest. This one spurred speed into Nick’s flight, weak muscles made strong by adrenaline. Eoin sounded pissed off. It was only a matter of time before both dragons found him and he didn’t want to discover what their punishment would be.

  What had Angie said? Eoin had been painting and Nick had disturbed both the dragon’s art and his mate. Forget punishment, his death was imminent.

  Like the wind, Nick dove down the side of the mountain. He folded back his wings to gain more speed. Ahead was the highway. If he followed its path, he would end up in the heart of New Port. He no longer heard the dragons’ pursuit and glanced over his shoulder. They were gone.

  Short of breath, he winged over the light traffic moving over the highway and glanced over his shoulder once more. Still no sign of dragons. The mountain blocked the view of the castle so he couldn’t see if they had retreated home. This was too easy. He didn’t slow his momentum and rocketed toward the skyscrapers.

  He didn’t know where to find his brothers, but they had escaped unseen. The dragons wouldn’t know to hunt for them. If Nick managed a miracle and escaped, he’d figure out a way to find Norm, Nate, and Neil again. Three gargoyles tended to stick out if you knew how to look.

  A bridge spanned the Beau River, which flowed from the city of Riverbend to the harbor. As he flew over the great structure, a dark creature flew up from the ravine and blocked his flight path.

  Eoin.

  Back winging, Nick tried to maneuver around the huge dragon, but he was going too fast and his wings were not strong enough. He crashed right into the dragon’s stomach.

  The cars below came to a screeching stop. He heard the chatter of people gathering and saw the bright lights as cell phones came to life. His head bounced off the dragon and the flashes from cameras mixed in with the stars circling Nick’s head as he somersaulted in the air.

  Eoin grunted at the impact. “Low blow.” He snarled.

  Nick spun in the air, falling toward the water before his weak wings caught the wind once more. The fast-moving air guided him across the river and into the city. Tall buildings blocked his view and he could no longer see Eoin over the bridge.

  He shook his head to settle his scrambled marbles then recognized the neighborhood. Trixie’s apartment was here.

  And if he happened to encounter Ruby, Trixie’s sexy, gorgeous sister. Well…

  Old buildings in disrepair rushed past him. A group of human males standing on the street corner pointed to the sky as he passed. A fire burned in a trashcan and he paused. Should he put it out? This neighborhood was one spark away from turning into a bonfire. Then he saw the humans huddling around the light talking loudly. They passed a bottle around. Oh, a party. He smiled faintly, recalling many similar evenings with his brothers. The fire was tended then and not his problem. He didn’t have much time before the dragon would spot him.

  Nick spotted Trixie’s building and landed on the roof across the street. The windows of their apartment were dark. Hope faded. The girls must be out. Ruby was very pretty and it would have been nice to see something that lovely once more before Eoin recaptured him. It was just a matter of time.

  He leaped into the air, gliding on the cool night breeze and swept the neighborhood, enjoying his brief freedom. A couple of blocks away, he spotted a redhead hurrying on the sidewalk being followed by a shadowy figure.

  Nick caught a glimpse of her face.

  Ruby…

  Chapter Three

  Ruby and her dress attracted all sorts of wrong attention on the way home. The worst was still trailing her, keeping to the shadows. It looked like only one guy. She hoped. For all she knew, he was herding her into a trap.

  She scanned the familiar, empty street. Forcing herself to breathe slower, she fought the bubble of fear forming in her chest. Ruby had to think rationally if she wanted to reach home safely. Panic was the enemy and would result in her making rash decisions that would get her hurt.

  This wasn’t the first time she’d been harassed. The pepper spray fit comfortably in her hand.

  Home wasn’t too far but she didn’t want to lead the creeper to her apartment. She pulled out her phone. Normally, she would encourage other women to call nine-one-one, but she knew her local police were too busy dealing with murders and drug busts. By the time they arrived, she’d be another victim to add to their list. Instead, she called her friend Moonie. She’d moved from New Port not long ago.

  Ruby got her answering machine. She swore under her breath.

  If she called Betty, the shifter would be full of questions and Ruby didn’t want to explain what had occurred at the club. Nope, not going to happen. She had a little pride left and she’d preserved it at all costs. Her sister was at work with animal control and most likely across town. So, no point in calling her either.

  She crossed the street. Maybe the creeper would take a hint and realize she was onto him. A few steps more and she glanced over her shoulder.

  Of course, he followed.

  The liquor store was closed. It was the only place that would have been open this late. She balled her hands into fists. Fine, they’d do this the hard way. She turned the corner and spun around, pepper spray in hand.

  The stalker came around the corner. His eyes widened at the sight of her.

  Hers went wide as well at the sight of the winged beast landing behind the creeper. The creature picked up the stalker and shook him like an errant puppy. “Leave her alone,” he shouted and tossed him to the other side of the street.

  Ruby pressed the release button just as the beast’s face was lit up by a passing car. She gasped. Oh no, she recognized him.

  He howled and covered his face, wings beating the air aimlessly, forcing some of the spray in her direction.

  Bending over, she choked on the acidic air. She fell to her knees. Dumbass, she couldn’t believe she’d gasped in the pepper spray. That was such a rookie move but—but… “Nick,” she rasped and crawled toward him. “I’m so sorry.” At least, she thought it was Nick. “That is, you, right?”

  “Yes.” He collapsed next to her, eyes bloodshot and raw. “You pepper sprayed me.” He sounded so hurt. Like she’d kicked his puppy.

  Her heart stopped beating at light speed and she slapped his meaty shoulder. “You scared the shit out of me.” He’d also saved her. She wasn’t sure what to say. No one had ever done that before.

  “I was trying to help you.” He wiped his nose with the back of his hand. “Fuck, this stuff burns.”

  She coughed some more. “I know.” Her lungs felt like she’d blown up a hundred balloons. All at once.

  “I need to rinse my eyes before they melt.” He rose on wobbly legs and peered into the night as if looking for a source of water.

  “Come on.” She grabbed his big wrist an
d tugged. “You can use my bathroom to wash off.” She sounded like a three pack a day smoker. “It’s the least I can do.”

  She scanned the street and there was no sign of her would-be attacker. Guiding Nick, she took him to her apartment building. She climbed the staircase to the top, leaning heavily on the rails. Fear had sapped the strength from her legs. Luckily, they didn’t encounter any of the other tenants. Who knew how they’d react to an eight-foot winged, muscle bound creature with bloodshot eyes?

  She had hurt the gargoyle who had accidentally killed her sister. She should feel good about that, but he had also rescued her from Trixie when her sister had been blood crazed.

  It wasn’t like Nick had pushed Trixie down those stairs. He had startled her, kind of like how he had startled Ruby when she’d pepper sprayed him. That was a bad habit he had to break.

  A yellow paper was stuck to her apartment door. She unlocked it and entered, peeling the paper off as she walked through. She was quite familiar with eviction notices.

  “This way.” She maneuvered the huge gargoyle and his wings through her small apartment to the bathroom and sat him on the edge of the tub. She ducked under a random wing spasm. “Stay still. You almost knocked me flat.”

  “Sorry.” He pulled his wings in tight behind his back and they quivered.

  Pouring water onto a face cloth, she waited for the coldness. She added soap and washed his face. Pepper spray was mixed in with an oily compound and soap did the best job to clean it off skin. As for poor Nick’s eyes, all she could offer were cold compresses.

  He leaned into her touch, his hands snaking around her waist.

  “Easy, mister.” Excitement fluttered in her stomach.

  His cheeks were a darker gray in comparison to the rest of his skin. Broad shoulders filled the narrow space and his hands were big enough to wrap right around her. So huge and strong.

  She almost purred. Funny how one supernatural had her running and this one made her want to rub against him. “Long time no see, Nick. I thought you had forgotten all about me.” She’d made it clear she found him attractive the last time they met. He’d never come back and she’d assumed the feeling wasn’t mutual.

  “The dragons chained me to their castle after I helped Trixie escape.” He pulled her hand away from his face and kissed her knuckles. “What were you doing walking by yourself at this time of the night?”

  She blinked at the reprimand. Because she had no one else to walk with wasn’t something she was ready to admit. “I can take care of myself, thank you very much.”

  He kissed the tips of her fingers, one by one. “I noticed.”

  The bathroom grew quiet as she watched him kiss the fingertips of her other hand. He sucked the oxygen from the room with those kisses and her head spun. “Want a beer?” she whispered with a rough voice. “I’d like to hear about your dragon adventure.”

  Seriously, dragons and bondage. Roar. It was Christmas all over again.

  “Sure.” He refreshed his cold compress before reapplying it to his eyes.

  “Follow me.” She strode into the kitchen that was attached to the living room and opened her fridge. A half empty six-pack of beer, a bottle of ketchup, and a container of yogurt were the only things it contained. She pulled out two bottles and held one up to him.

  He grinned and popped it open with his thumb. She bit her bottom lip. It had been a twist off. Damn. “Thanks, but my story is short. The dragons wanted to punish me for what happened with Trixie. I escaped tonight and wanted to make sure Trixie was adjusting to being a vampire.” He took a drink from the bottle and drained half of it.

  “Oh.” Ruby clutched her unopened bottle. “She’s fine. Better than fine.” Better than her. “She moved in with that vampire.”

  “Viktor?” He drained the remainder of his bottle.

  “Yeah, they live over his tattoo parlor.” She offered Nick her beer. “That’s really sweet of you to drop in and check on her though.” She cleared her throat, wishing some strange guy would bother to do that with her. “You know, in the middle of your escape from the dragons and all.” She glanced out the window. “Is Eoin going to show up here again?” She hoped not. He scared her. It was one thing to admire a dragon from afar—quite another when he clung to her building with his claws.

  Nick shook his head. “I lost him over the river. He won’t think to look for me here.” He finally met her gaze. “You look nice.”

  She smoothed her dress over her hips, feeling self-conscious. “Thanks.” Three simple words yet the way he said them made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. She pressed her lips together and tried to figure out what to do with her hands now that they were empty. “Umm… have a seat.” What was wrong with her? Men never made her feel shy.

  He settled on the couch, his wings taking up most of the space. “How have you been?” He leaned forward, elbows on knees, and…waited.

  “Uh.” She sat in the chair next to him.

  He leaned closer, still waiting.

  “I’m broke, about to be homeless, and I hate my job.” She released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. It felt good to just let it all out.

  “You have a job. That’s good.”

  She gave him a crooked smile. “That’s a positive way to look at it.”

  “Being homeless has a type of freedom to it as well.”

  “You don’t have a home, Nick?” She found that difficult to believe. Most supernaturals she’d met were well-off. Ken, Ryota, the dragons, Viktor…

  “I’ve been searching for one but then I was caught up in your sister’s becoming a vampire ordeal.” He shrugged. “I guess I can start looking again. As long as I stay out of the dragons’ way, I should be fine.”

  She sat up straighter in her chair. “You need a place to stay?”

  “And hide. Maybe I can find a job.” He drained his second beer. “I need money. Do you know of any place in the city that might want to hire some gargoyles?” He grimaced. “Honest work would be preferable. The dragons might forgive me if I try to stay out of trouble.”

  “I can ask around.” Anybody she knew that would hire a gargoyle were crooks. The jobs most likely illegal. Maybe Betty or Trixie could help? They had better connections in the supernatural community. “You know, I have an ad out for a roommate.”

  Hint, hint.

  “You have to be careful with strangers, Ruby. Especially when you’re as attractive as you are. You should have background checks on them so you don’t end up living with a serial killer.”

  She leaned her head in her hand and soaked in Nick’s attention. He was like a radiant ball of stony goodness sitting on her couch. Well, crushing her couch. “Would you like to stay for a while until you get onto your feet? Like you said, the dragons wouldn’t think to look for you here.”

  And she could use a change of scenery. Those muscles…

  His wings expanded and contracted back quickly. “Wouldn’t your boyfriend be angry if another male lived here?”

  “My boyfriend?”

  He gave her a roguish smile. “Anyone as pretty as you has to have a boyfriend.”

  She quirked an eyebrow. “Don’t try to play me.” She couldn’t help but be flattered though.

  “I’m not. Are you saying you’re unattached?”

  “Would that make a difference?”

  He leaned in kissing close. “One hundred percent, it would.”

  She licked her lips and enjoyed how his gaze followed the motion. “Are you flirting with me?”

  “Yes.” A husky whisper. He shook his wings and retreated. Pulling out his short pockets, he showed her they were empty. “I don’t have any money. You would have to wait until I find a job.”

  “Well, being poor together is better than being poor alone.” She struggled not to fan herself. Whoa, when had she found a non-human this hot? It wasn’t like Nick was shifter in human form. “Trixie left her furniture so you can use her room. Let me find the spare key to
the apartment.”

  And give her a moment to catch her breath.

  Chapter Four

  Nick lay in Trixie’s old narrow bed, staring at the yellow stained ceiling. One wing crushed between his body and the wall, the other hanging over the edge of the mattress onto the floor. Springs poked into his back and his feet hung off the end of the bed. It was the best sleep he’d had in a long time. So much better than a stone ledge.

  He rubbed his eyes and yawned. The scent of coffee drifted into the bedroom. His bedroom. The only other piece of furniture in the room was an empty dresser. There wouldn’t be much use for it since he owned only one pair of shorts, which he was wearing. He sat on the edge of the bed and absentmindedly scratched his chest. The scent of Ruby mixed in with the coffee and was inviting.

  She hummed an unfamiliar tune in the shower.

  He pictured lathered soap on her skin. Slippery and wet, smelling like flowers. She’d run her hands over her curved flesh slowly, over her breasts, hips, lower between—

  A knock rapped on his door. He startled and realized the shower was no longer running. The door cracked open. With unnatural speed, he pulled the pillow onto his lap, hiding the growing bulge.

  Ruby stood wrapped in a towel, her hair up in a turban. “I made coffee, but there’s nothing really to eat unless you like outdated yogurt.” She grimaced. “I work at a diner. I can bring you something home tonight.”

  Dragging his gaze from her bare shoulders was the most difficult thing he’d ever done. “Sure.” He blinked. Wait… “You haven’t eaten?”

  She shrugged. “I’m used to it. I’ll grab something at work later.” She winked and closed the door.

  The pleasure of his arousal faded fast. She was struggling. He had a roof over his head and a home. All because of Ruby. She hadn’t hesitated in offering him shelter or seemed put off by his appearance. She had such a generous nature. It was a wonder she’d survived this long.

  Nick shuffled out of his room to the empty kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. Holding it under his nose, he inhaled slowly. He leaned against the counter and scanned the small space. It reminded him of the small, dark caves he had grown up in. Low ceiling, no space to spread his wings, snug and warm like a home should be.