Page 11

DARIUS

I am a master of keeping my cool, but when the little witch before me says she wants her room because she’s drooled on the pillows…I laugh. I laugh so hard it makes the room shake a little, all the old books and paintings shivering in place, before I catch myself and stop.

“Forgive me.” I pause to inwardly check on the magic flowing between myself and my nest-mates and find it glowing. “That has never happened before.”

“You’ve never laughed?” she asks with a smile that can only be described as shit eating.

It reminds me of Atlas, and it just makes our magic glow brighter.

“You’d think, but he laughs at his own jokes far too much,” Atlas pipes in, moving from the darkened corner of the room more into the light.

He cuts a striking figure in comparison to the rest of us, all dark in ways our colors are brighter.

He’s also always been a lot better with night patrols when those weren’t a thing of the past. The future is so confusing now that we’re known entities in the world of mortals.

Perhaps the witch can help us…re-assimilate in some ways.

“I see,” Charlotte says carefully. She narrows her eyes on Atlas, her proverbial hackles raised.

I try not to feel slighted, but it does ache a little.

As the alpha, there’s a lot of posturing one must do to keep the others in line, but this is all out of my control.

Atlas is my nest-mate, but Charlotte—this witch—is unknown to us and could be capable of magic that even any manner of magic.

As the oldest of the lot, I know there should be an increased sense of caution until we can get more information on her.

“Is that right?” Atlas asks, crossing his arms tightly over his chest and turning his hard stare into a full glare.

The edge of his lips quirk up into a sneer, and that’s what snaps the tension like a taut bowstring.

“I see, you’re the full-of-yourself one, huh?”

“She’s got you pegged!” Marcus howls with laughter, and his wings beat as he leaps across the room and kneels at her side. “You’re funny, Charlotte. I like that a lot.”

She blushes a deep crimson and flicks her eyes to Marcus, taking him in now that he’s closer. He’s the best person for her to be close to at the moment. He made himself known to her before, so maybe him showing what a fucking goof he is will keep her calm.

“I’ve seen you before, haven’t I?” She lifts a hand and very gently ghosts it over his jaw.

Marcus closes his eyes, and it’s like she’s stroked his dick instead of the air in front of his face. “Yeah, I forgot my football and went to get it to keep busy. I’ve got a lot of energy.”

“I bet,” she giggles.

“Lots of energy and fuck all to do with it until now,” I say, trying to insert myself back into the conversation. “We are going to be working out a new sort of schedule. If we are allowed to be protectors again, then we will not slack in our duty.”

“Who gave you such a duty?” Charlotte asks with a smile on her face that is nearly too big, like she’s holding back a laugh.

I roll my eyes lightly, trying to lock down the smile dying to climb onto my face. She’s beautiful, and it’s beginning to get under my skin. She looks so soft and comfortable in my chair. I want her to be well tucked and settled—but next time in my lap.

“Some gargoyles are born, and others are made. From the dawn of time itself, we’ve only ever had one real purpose: to protect those who need it.

No one gave us this duty, it’s our whole reason for being,” I explain, trying not to feel like some monologuing superhero.

“Other monsters have joined us, but we were the first.”

“You’re born knowing your life’s purpose?” she asks, tone becoming a little exasperated. “Lucky ducks.”

“I wouldn’t say that exactly.” Julius rubs the back of his neck and smiles lazily. “We were born to do it, we’re good at it—in my opinion—but I have a purpose outside of protecting people.”

“Me too! I love sports. I’m great at footy and all kinds of other things. I’m also the fastest,” Marcus says as he grips the arm of the chair and leans closer to Charlotte, waggling his eyebrows.

“We have other hobbies and passions, of course. We have all the free will and consciousness of any person, mortal or otherwise,” I say, giving Atlas a sharp look as he begins to open his mouth.

The young gargoyle chuffs and shakes his head, tipping his body back before slinking out into the hall.

Eloise steps back into the room with two large boxes of pizza.

“I assume this is what you were expecting when I arrived?” She keeps her words directed at Charlotte and moves past me and my nest-mates like we’re a part of the furniture. She puts the boxes onto Charlotte’s lap. “My job seems to be done. Text me if you need anything.”

Eloise leaves with a nod to each of us and an additional warning look toward Atlas.

The younger witch takes a deep breath, her eyelids fluttering closed as she takes in the smell of pizza. Her stomach gives another thunderous growl before she pops open the top box and fishes out a slice with strange meat on it.

“I can’t believe he was really able to get Canadian bacon.” She takes a big bite and moans.

The sound strikes me in the core, and I stiffen. Beside me, Julius goes rigid as well, and Marcus nearly swoons. His eyes practically form hearts as he gazes at the witch.

“How long will you be staying?” My voice is tight, her soft sounds of pleasure a siren’s song to my cock.

Charlotte swallows, dabbing her lips with a napkin that was in the box, and she shrugs. “I’m hoping to get the whole finding myself requirement done quickly. I’m hoping to keep it under a year.”

Clearing my throat, I take a step back, toward what I hope is the door.

“We’ll leave you to your pizza. Let us know if you have any other questions. We’ll be around but stay out of your hair for the most part. Are you certain you only require a year?”

Marcus pouts hard as Charlotte nods, her mouth so full of pizza that it makes her cheeks puff. My mind drifts for a moment to what she might look like with my cock stuffed in her mouth. I clench my hands into fists and lengthen my claws to dig into my flesh.

I’ve never been so careless with my thoughts to let one interaction turn me into a sexual deviant.

“Should be all I need. I don’t want to inconvenience you guys any more than I already have.” Her eyes find Atlas, who stepped back into the room and is still brooding. “How hard can it be to find yourself?” she asks with an exasperated sigh.

I flee the room with a nod, wondering the same thing.

JULIUS

Darius leaves the room without another word, but I can’t find it in myself to pull away from this woman just yet. Charlotte. Her name is Charlotte, and it fits her sort of perfectly.

“Mind if we stay?” I ask, trying to keep my tone casual.

“I’m out,” Atlas says bluntly, casting one more burning look at Charlotte before he follows our alpha from the room.

“Well, may Marcus and I stay?” I rephrase my question.

Charlotte seems to glitch, a little scrunch pulling her face and a twitch jerking her forward a touch. She holds up a finger, swallowing her mouthful of pizza before she smiles. “Of course, it’s your house—uh, castle.”

“It’s our castle for sure, but mi castle es tu castle, am I right?” Marcus chuckles.

Charlotte sets her pretty eyes on me for further explanation, and I bite my cheek to suppress my grin. I remove my glasses and lift the corner of my sweater, using the improper material to clean the glass. Her eyes flick down, following the move, and her gaze almost heats my skin.

There might be something more to this witch than even Marcus first gleaned. My sporty nest-mate has always been the most open to changes in our environment and magic, but even I can’t deny the something that is there with Charlotte near.

“So the big blue gargoyle is the owner of the castle?” she asks, taking a small bite of her slice.

“That’s right. We lost the deed about a hundred years ago. Things get misplaced in magical spaces and then never turn up—” I begin.

“Or they turn up attached to a very pretty witch,” Marcus chimes in.

Charlotte blushes and shakes her head. “Thanks, but it’s not exactly attached to me, per se. I thought this castle belonged to my aunt?”

I wince slightly, shrugging to hide the movement. “It’s impossible. We’ve been the only owners since the castle was built. We’ve also been the only occupants.”

Charlotte purses her pretty pink mouth as she takes in that information.

“So I’m going to find out jack about my family here?” Her cute little nose scrunches up from displeasure.

I bite into my lower lip, fighting the urge to press my mouth across the bridge of her nose.

“Not necessarily,” Marcus says suddenly, one hand flying to rest on her knee. “If they ever lived in town, then Eloise will help you find info.”

“Speaking of her, um, why was she so…willing to go along with this ownership stuff?” she asks.

Her intelligence is nearly giving me a hard-on.

“Eloise knows better than most to roll with the punches when it comes to weird magic shit,” Marcus says with a scoff. “Plus, Darius said it was OK, and we sorta need the actual deed back.”

“Right,” she murmurs. “Right, right, OK, so…I can stay?”

“This is technically your castle now, but of course you can stay,” I say. “Darius did agree to a year, and I’m sure that could be extended if you needed.”

Or wanted. Forever seems like just enough time to stay and find yourself.

“Talking about the castle and our alpha sure is a gas,” Marcus snorts. “So can I ask you about you now? And may I have a slice?” he asks, giving her knees a squeeze, and her cheeks go crimson.

“I order too much anyway.” She pushes some hair behind her ear. “Since we’re going to be living together, I’m an open book, ask away,” she says as she rests her hand on top of Marcus’.

My breath catches in my throat at how perfect they look together before Marcus shuffles forward and grabs a slice of pizza with his mouth from her lap.