Kelsey laughed. “I think he’s probably around thirteen, but he’s still going strong.”
Petting him one last time, Shane faced Kelsey. “I’m out. Tell my little guy I stopped by.”
With that, Shane stripped off his clothes, and Kelsey turned away just in time, shaking her head. Transforming into his gargoyle form, he sprung out of the large window.
Shane knew exactly where he was heading. It was the same old drill every night. Since it was Saturday night, he knew she’d get out of the club at one in the morning. He preferred to get there earlier and sneak in the back to watch her perform. Once she was done, he’d follow her until he was sure she reached the safety of her home. This was his routine every single weekend when she had a gig at the clubs. On weeknights, he didn’t rest until he made sure she was back home safely. Who knew Samantha Jordan would grow up to be such a phenomenal singer?
Watching her blossom into a beautiful, young woman right before his eyes had been very difficult. He was intrigued by her at first, especially when he realized that his powers didn’t work on her. She was a sweet girl—strong, no doubt. Poor little Sammy had lost her dad in line of duty when she was only ten years old and then was kidnapped by the same killer.
Shane still remembered that horrible night when he had saved Kelsey and his brother. It was the same night he’d met Samantha. He shuddered, thinking what she must have gone through when she was kidnapped by the psychotic serial killer at such a tender age.
Since then, Shane had been unusually attached to her. It was completely atypical of him, especially since he made a point of not becoming attached to anybody—with the exception of his family and his clan. When she was younger, they had become close. She trusted him and shared her growing pains, seeking his advice. Although she had become more distant in the recent years, Shane was still having a hard time letting their friendship go. The fact that he followed her around without her knowledge all these years, like a little puppy, did not please him one bit.
Through time, he hated to watch her attend her high school dances and have her first boyfriend—her first kiss. He had no idea why it infuriated him, but he had become fiercely protective of her. It was all he could do to hold himself back from pulling the sixteen-year-old punk off her while he kissed her for the first time.
Now, back in his human form, Shane sat in the back of the club, watching her in awe. As she performed on stage, it was impossible for Shane to tear his eyes away. How could she already be twenty-one years old? The graceful beauty with long, dark hair swayed her hips to the music as her seductive voice echoed through the room. Shane closed his eyes, hypnotized by her singing.
He knew his behavior had been completely uncharacteristic, and he wondered what the hell he was doing. Of course, Samantha had no idea that he was there—that he was there every single night she performed. Sure, she had seen him at various family gatherings Damien and Kelsey had, especially for Ryan and Tori’s birthdays through the years.
At first, Samantha went out of her way to talk with him and to spend as much time as possible with him whenever she could. She shared her deepest secrets, letting him see her fears and dreams. She leaned on him many times for support during life’s disappointments. But soon after she turned sixteen, she became quiet around him. Even when he tried to speak or joke with her, she would have difficulty making eye contact with him. He had no idea what caused the shift in their easy-going relationship, but he missed her like crazy.
As her show came to an end, Shane hovered around outside, waiting for her to head to her one-bedroom apartment. Although she was still in the dressing room, with his gargoyle hearing, he could hear her conversing with one of the band members, Tim.
“I’ll walk you to the train station, Samantha,” Tim said.
“Oh, you don’t have to, Tim. I can just grab a cab to the station.”
“No biggie. I’m heading that way, anyway. Thought you could use some fresh air.”
“You’re right. It’s warm enough tonight. Thanks, Tim. I’ll meet you outside in ten minutes.” Shane could almost picture her eyes twinkling as she smiled.
Deciding to keep his human form, Shane waited for her to exit the club. He saw Tim already outside, puffing away on his cigarette. Shane shook his head, not understanding humans. They already had a short lifespan compared to gargoyles, yet they continued to make choices that were dangerous to their health. He didn’t care, though. To each his own. Right now, his only focus was making sure Sammy reached home safely.
When she stepped out, he noticed she had changed out of her black mini-dress and was wearing her faded skinny jeans with a beige top. Shane made sure to remain hidden and follow them from a safe distance. With his acute hearing, he could still spy on their conversation as they walked.
“You were fantastic tonight, babe. The crowd was going nuts!” Tim put his arm around Sammy’s shoulders as they walked, making Shane cringe.
“Thanks, Tim. I felt pretty good tonight, you know? Everybody played great, too. We were just on.”
“You’re too talented, darlin’. You gotta find a contract somewhere. Don’t forget about us small folks once you get big.”
Shane clenched his jaw when he noticed Tim pulling Samantha closer to him.
“Shut up, Tim. I’m cool where I’m at right now. Almost done with college, and then I gotta grow up and face all my responsibilities, I suppose,” Samantha said.
“You mean like bills and all that shit?” Tim laughed, and Shane could hear Samantha’s quiet laugh joining him. “Look, Samantha, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something. I really dig you. You know that, right?”
“I dig you, too, Tim. The whole band is pretty freakin’ cool,” Samantha said.
“No, not like that. Like, I really like you, you know?”
“You’re drunk, Tim. You don’t know what you’re saying.” Samantha shook his arm off her shoulders.
Tim stopped and grabbed her wrist. “I know what I’m saying. It’s because I’m drunk that I finally got the guts to say it. Come on, Samantha, I know you feel it, too.”
Shane wanted to tear him apart as he watched Tim pulling her into his embrace.
“Stop, Tim.” Samantha laughed nervously. “You’re my buddy, and that’s it. I’ve already told you this before.”
When Shane saw Tim trapping Samantha against the light pole while he leaned against her, it took everything out of him not to rush over there and rip Tim’s heart out.
“Come on, sugar. You’re so damn hot. Just give me one kiss.” Tim was not about to give up.
Shane noticed a young woman who was about to pass him. On impulse, he pulled her to him. Although he was forbidden to use his powers on humans, he simply didn’t care about the rules at that point.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he said, staring right into her eyes. “What’s your name?”
Completely lost in a trance, the young blonde answered, “Rachel.”
“My name is Shane. We’re on a date. You’re really into me, got it?”
Rachel nodded, smiling at him as if he was the only man on earth. Shane grabbed her by her arm and headed toward Samantha. His plan was to make it seem like a coincidence that he was walking by them. That way, he could get close enough to deal with Tim.
But he didn’t need to worry about Samantha. She already had Tim’s arm twisted behind his back, leaving the drunk man squirming.
“Don’t do that shit again, Tim. I’m not some girl you can make a pass at, especially when I say I’m not interested. Do I make myself clear?” Samantha asked as she continued to hold Tim’s arm.
Shane was astonished how quickly she had handled the situation, and his heart beat extra fast with pride. Apparently, his sweet, little Sammy was a tough, young woman.
“Okay! What the hell? You’re gonna break my arm!” Tim squealed.
Just as Samantha released him, Shane and Rachel reached them.
“Sammy?” Shane asked, acting completely surprised to see her.
“Oh, I was just out and about with Rachel here. When we were passing, I thought that was you. What a surprise running into you like this!”
Rachel continued to cling onto Shane, as if feeling threatened by Sammy. “Shane, sweetie, are you going to introduce us?” Rachel purred.
“Oh, sorry. Rachel, this is Sammy. Well, I mean Samantha. And this is Rachel.” Shane had no idea why he was fumbling over his words. What he really wanted to do was beat the crap out of Tim.
Samantha cleared her throat as she inspected Rachel from head to toe. “Hi,” she mumbled, avoiding looking at Shane. “This is Tim. He was just leaving.”
“Aww, come on, Samantha. Give me a break,” Tim whined. “Let me at least walk you to the train station.”
“I’m good, Tim.” Samantha’s voice remained stern when she addressed him.
Still not taking the hint, Tim leaned into Sammy and whispered, “I can rock your world, babe. Just give me a chance.”
Unable to stop himself, Shane shoved Tim away from Samantha. “Didn’t you hear the lady?”
Tim sized up Shane and stepped toward him, apparently deciding he didn’t want his ego bruised in front of Samantha. “Who the fuck are you? This doesn’t even concern you!”
“Tim, shut up!” Samantha demanded, clearly embarrassed by his behavior.
Shane could already sense what Tim’s next move was going to be. “Don’t do it, man,” Shane advised.
But, in his drunkard state, Tim dove for Shane to tackle him. It was easy for Shane to not only step out of the way, but to make sure Rachel was a safe distance from Tim as well. He heard Sammy yelling at Tim, but by then, Shane was looking for an excuse to teach Tim a lesson. Knowing he had to hold back from using his full strength, Shane grabbed him when Tim charged again. Bringing him to the ground, Shane couldn’t resist landing a couple of punches on his jaw.
“I suggest you get the hell out of here before I really hurt you. You’re lucky I’m holding back,” Shane warned. After raising himself off Tim, Shane turned to Samantha. “You okay, Sammy?”
Blinking a few times as if shocked, all Samantha could do was nod.
He then turned to Rachel and asked, “You okay, Rachel?”
Rachel continued to stare at him in awe. “Wow! You are amazing, babe!” She bit her bottom lip and batted her eyelashes at him.
Once Tim was finally able to pull himself up, he yelled, “You’ll regret this!” He then turned away from them and disappeared down the street.
“I’m so sorry about everything,” Samantha said. “He’s not normally like that.”
“You gotta be careful what kind of people you hang out with, Sammy,” Shane scolded. “Come on, I’ll get you home.”
Samantha’s attention turned to Rachel in confusion. “Um, no, it’s okay. I know you’re on a date with your girlfriend. I’ll be fine.”
“Oh, it’s all good. Rachel was just leaving. Right, Rachel?” Shane turned his attention to Rachel. “I’ll get you a cab.”
“Yes, I was leaving,” Rachel agreed. “Will I see you later?” She leaned toward Shane and kissed him hard on his lips.
Shane saw Samantha swiftly turning away from them.
“I’ll call you later,” he answered Rachel. Waving down the cab, he helped her in and whispered, “Okay, you don’t know me, and you will forget this incident, including meeting me. You will go back to your life as usual.” When Rachel stared at him in confusion, he closed the door and watched the cab drive away. Taking a deep breath, he then turned toward Samantha.
“Shane, you don’t need to get me home. I’m a big girl now. I can go home by myself. I already feel like crap that you were involved with all that drama with Tim. Now, you parted with your girlfriend—”
Shane chuckled. “She’s not my girlfriend.”
“No?”
“Nope! I don’t have girlfriends, Sammy. That’s not my scene.”
“Shane, the bachelor, huh?”
“If I can help it.” He laughed. “It’s like this. Why settle for a pizza or Italian food when you can have American, Chinese, Indian, Mexican…you know, the works?”
Samantha’s eyes widened. “Are you serious? You’re comparing women to food?”
He smirked his devilish grin. “Come on, little Sammy. Let me escort you to your home.”
Shane took her hand and wrapped it around his own arm, enjoying the close proximity. He knew he was going to get burnt by his irrational behavior, but at that moment in time, he didn’t give a damn about anybody but the girl next to him.
Two
As soon as he saw her safe back in her apartment, Shane knew he needed to satisfy his restlessness. There was no way he could call it a night. Not yet.
He needed a woman. He knew taking his frustration out with good ol’ fashion sex would do the trick. Rachel. Yes, he would track her down.
Finding a secluded place, Shane stripped out of his clothes. As soon as he turned into his gargoyle form, it was easy enough to locate her. Instead of going home, she had headed to another club. It suited him just fine because he was now the predator, and he would hunt her down.
Shane changed into his human form in a dark alley and put his clothes back on. When he entered the club, the loud music and the flashing of the strobe lights only magnified his current mood. He spotted Rachel immediately by the bar. The night was just about to begin.
When he noticed a blond man engaged in a conversation with her, it didn’t deter Shane. He’d seen plenty like him, hoping to end the night with some action. But they were usually too drunk and ended up making a fool out of themselves.
Shane strolled up to Rachel, knowing she would have no idea who he was from their earlier encounter. Confidently, he took her hand and asked, “How about a dance?”
Whereas Rachel seemed surprised, the blond-haired man turned toward Shane, irritated. “Are you serious, man? Can’t you see we’re talking?”
Shane flashed a cocky smile. “I saw a beautiful woman bored out of her mind, begging somebody to rescue her.”
Rachel giggled under her breath, but the man stood up from his stool, ready for a confrontation. “Get lost,” he ordered Shane.
“I will if the lady’s answer is no. The way I see it is if she’s enjoying your company, she won’t head to the dance floor with me. Then I’ll be on my way. So, I’ll ask again, my lady, would you care to dance?” Shane bowed dramatically in front of Rachel.
She instantly stood up and said, “I’d love to dance.”
Without even a second glance toward the other man, she continued to hold Shane’s hand as she led him to the dance floor. Shane couldn’t help but throw a quick glance at his competition, raising one of his eyebrows in victory.
“So, what’s your name?” Rachel asked, immediately dancing close against Shane’s body.
“Shane, and you are?”
“Rachel.” She giggled. “Where are you from, Shane? Haven’t seen you around.”
Shane was in no mood for small talk. All he wanted was some alone time with her to handle his business. It would be so much easier if he’d use his powers and control her actions. But, he had never stooped to that level and wouldn’t do it now. If he were going to be with a woman, it would be with her eyes wide open.
“Oh, here and there,” he answered, pulling her close into his arms. He moved his body to the beat of the music, allowing the dance to do its magic. When he felt Rachel melt against him, he knew he had already won. “How about you? Are you from around here?” he asked.
“Yeah, I actually live in an apartment nearby,” Rachel replied, her eyes meeting his.
Shane held her gaze and slowly lowered his mouth. Once he claimed her lips, he heard her sigh as she clung onto him tighter. The kiss was passionate right from the start; he wanted her to know what was on his mind.
“I’d love to see this apartment of yours,” Shane said as his li
ps found the nape of her neck. He could hear her heart beating faster, her body calling out to him.
“Yeah?” she said, her voice husky.
“Let’s go,” Shane said, bringing her hips against his, so she could feel his desire for her.
Without saying another word, she turned and guided him out of the club. As soon as they were in a cab, Shane pulled her back in his arms. Rachel straddled herself over his hips as she continued to kiss him.
“Shane,” she whispered. “I want you.”
The cab driver continued to ignore them, and Shane couldn’t resist. Rachel’s short mini-skirt was already riding up, giving his easy access. He knew she needed a release, and who was he to deny her of it? As he continued to kiss her, his hand crawled up her skirt until it settled between her thighs. When Rachel moaned, he pulled her panties aside so his fingers could find what they were seeking.
“Shane,” she moaned, clinging to him tighter.
He knew exactly how to touch her and what would bring her to her undoing. When his fingers stroked, she threw her head back. Shane rubbed faster, his fingers performing magic. It didn’t take long for her to reach her climax. As Rachel collapsed onto him, panting, Shane glanced up in the rearview mirror to see the cab driver had watched the entire show. Shane flashed him a cocky smile with a wink, knowing he had probably made the cab driver’s night.
As soon as they reached Rachel’s apartment, she was already tearing his clothes off. “Damn, you’re hot!” she said in the middle of her kisses.
Shane had no problem with her attack. He had her clothes off before she could process what was happening. Swiftly carrying her to the bed, Shane was soon on top of her, completely naked. Devouring every inch of her body, he sighed. This was what he’d been craving all night long.
When he knew she was ready for him, he grabbed his pants to pull his condom out. He had made a rule to always wear a condom when having sex. Although he wouldn’t catch any diseases because of his gargoyle immunity, the last thing he needed was to get somebody pregnant. Damien had already proven that it was very possible for a gargoyle to impregnate a human. Fatherhood was definitely not in Shane’s future if he could help it.
Fate's Roar Page 2
