Page 13 of The Last Gargoyle’s Christmas Wish (An MM Monster Christmas #3)

CHAPTER 13

G rady stared at the closed door to Cas’s room through which Cas and Graal had just entered.

“Do you have enough space for an orc to live here with all of you?” Uzoth asked him.

Grady sighed. “We’ll make do. We always make do somehow.” Grady leaned back in his chair, turning his face to the fire.

Cas and Lacy shared a room. But thankfully, he didn’t think she’d be home tonight. He heard her say something about a party with Orim, and recently she’d been staying at Orim’s quite a bit. So hopefully that would be a problem to deal with tomorrow.

“Cas has always had such a big heart. It’s no surprise he invited Graal to live with us if Graal was in need.” The flames flickered in the hearth. “Cas is so much like our mother. Huge heart and always so giving.” It sometimes made their lives more difficult, but Grady couldn’t fault him. “You want more tea?” Grady stood.

Uzoth held out his cup. “Yes, please.”

Grady refilled the cups. “And it’s good that it is going well between him and Graal. Cas had a break-up pretty recently. Cas and Xavier had been together a long time. So I worried.” Grady laughed. “Nothing new, right?”

The corner of Uzoth’s lips lifted.

Uzoth was not particularly expressive, but in the time they’d been meeting, Grady had gotten better at reading the minute movements of his facial features. For example, Grady knew that a slight lift of the corner of Uzoth’s lips was practically a full-blown smile.

“So it’s nice to see Cas with someone new. Especially because his last partner was an arrogant prick.” Grady handed Uzoth his tea and then retook his seat. “I like Graal better.” Grady frowned. “Although, Cas has moved on rather quickly. I hope he isn’t rushing himself.”

Grady shook his head as new worries began to take shape. He really didn’t have the energy to deal with new worries. But when had that ever stopped him?

“Cas seems to like Graal a lot.” Uzoth lifted the cup of tea and inhaled.

“He does.” Grady took a sip of the tea. “And Jack had a date with Avery, another customer. So that’s good. Nice to see him out and about and meeting people. For years a lot of my siblings didn’t have much of a life. They just worked or cared for our younger siblings.”

Uzoth’s dark gaze fixed on him. “Like you.”

“Yeah.” Grady glanced at Uzoth. He smiled. “And now I have a friend to drink tea with at night.”

Both corners of Uzoth’s lips lifted into an actual fucking smile. Grady grinned, pleased to have elicited such a strong response.

These nights spent talking with Uzoth had become the highlight of Grady’s day. He’d been sleeping less, which wasn’t great, as he stayed up later to spend more time with Uzoth. But he felt lighter in spirit in Uzoth’s presence.

Sadly, there always came a time each night when he had to ask Uzoth to leave. Or more commonly, Uzoth saw Grady nodding off and rose, saying he needed to leave so Grady could sleep.

A few times, he’d wondered what would happen if he invited Uzoth to stay the night. Not even for sex, although that had definitely been on his mind of late, especially because Grady kept looking at Uzoth’s muscular body that was always on display.

But mainly, he’d just like to spend more time with Uzoth. He’d like to lie beside him as he slept. Maybe even hold him through the night. Grady took a deep breath and looked at Uzoth. He’d gotten much better at reading Uzoth. Still, he couldn’t tell if he saw attraction or anything more than friendship in his eyes.

Grady worried that if he asked, he might offend the ancient gargoyle and lose this precious connection they had.

“May I ask you a question?” Uzoth asked.

“Of course.” Grady took a sip of his tea.

Uzoth stared at the cup he held in his hands. He didn’t speak for several moments.

Grady furrowed his brows, wondering why Uzoth hesitated.

“You do not have to answer if you wish.” Uzoth paused. “But I am curious about what happened to your parents?”

Grady’s hand on the cup spasmed.

Uzoth leaned towards him. “I had only wondered. But I do not wish you to speak of anything that causes you any unnecessary pain. I would not want that.”

“No,” Grady said hoarsely. “I want you to know.”

And Grady realised he did. Grady wanted Uzoth to know all the parts of him, including the dark painful parts that lay buried deep inside his core. It was such a large part of him. It had made him who he was. He kept it always hidden. But he wanted Uzoth to see.

Grady dropped his gaze. “It would have been thirteen years ago. My parents needed to pick up some supplies. Dad asked me to come along and help them carry stuff.”

Grady placed the cup on the table and stared at his hands. “That morning, Mother showed me how to make a protection charm. I wore it around my wrist.” Grady lifted his hand. He tugged back his sleeve to reveal the worn woven band around his wrist. “I still wear it. Last thing she ever made for me.”

Grady’s throat tightened. He pushed on. “I asked if she and Dad wore one.” His eyes burned. “She said I could make them that night. She laughed.”

Grady’s hands shook. “We were crossing the street. There was a runaway carriage.” He let out a breath. “I was right beside them. I was right there.” The muscle below his eye twitched. “Somehow, I got knocked back. But it ran straight over them.”

Horse and human shrieks had pierced the air. Bones had crunched beneath horses’ hooves and carriage wheels. The metallic tang of blood had filled his nostrils.

Grady closed his eyes, trying to push away the sight of their mangled bodies, mutilated beyond recognition, from his mind. He’d clutched at them, holding his parents.

He’d screamed. He’d wept.

And Grady had not had a single scratch on him. Not a single fucking scratch. The only evidence of the accident had been his parents’ blood and insides covering his clothes and skin.

A choked sob escaped Grady.

And suddenly Uzoth was there, wrapping his arms around Grady. His wings unfurled and curled around them as if protecting them from the world and all the pain and hurt that had ever touched Grady.

For several seconds, Grady held himself still, body rigid. Then he sagged into the embrace.

“I am sorry.” Uzoth’s voice rumbled. “I should not have asked such an invasive question.”

Grady hugged Uzoth back, clinging onto his shoulders. “No. I want you to know.” Tears streamed down his cheeks. “I want you to know.” He rested his head on Uzoth’s chest. Tears dripped onto Uzoth’s tough skin. “I haven’t spoken of this in years.”

He’d not cried since leaving the scene of the accident. He’d never had time to process his parents’ loss. He had to look after his siblings.

But here in the protective embrace of Uzoth, he wept for his parents, for their loss. And for all he had lost with them. For the first time in his life, Grady grieved his parents.

Grady wept and wept. Time slipped past. But Uzoth didn’t move, didn’t release him; he just held Grady tight in his arms.

And Grady had never felt so safe.