Page 41

ATLAS

I feel the tug before my nest-mates. The pull of immense magic leading back to our alpha.

I snort, rubbing my chest over where our connection lays, giving Julius and Marcus a look before darting off.

If anyone is going to deal with this properly, it’s me.

Finding Darius fucking our mate is not where I first imagined he would be.

I freeze in the doorway, watching them as the magic fizzles out, loosening its hold on our bonds.

“Really? Needed a boost, did you, old man?” The words are out of my mouth before I can think.

Darius is up in a flash, his cock just tucked into his slacks and Charlotte left panting on his chair, pearlescent cum dripping down the insides of her thighs and onto the leather of the seat.

“Atlas,” he growls, his features twisted up from the use of the magic to herald us.

He’s more gargoyle than we normally are in our resting states, so I rise to meet him, pulling on my magic to grow just that much taller, my features becoming more monstrous.

“Darius,” I deadpan, flicking out a hand to inspect my black claws.

“You haven’t taken this form in a long time.” His eyes widen, and he slowly releases more of the magic, shrinking just slightly and becoming softer. Well, as soft as a creature made of stone can be.

“I’ve finally gotten more of my magic back,” I bite back, shifting back to my more human state.

Charlotte is staring at us, her chest rising and falling fast.

“You guys are such jerks to each other. I hope you know that,” she says before closing her eyes to catch her breath.

“I know I’m a jerk,” Darius says, drawing my attention back to him.

I arch a dark brow, crossing my arms tightly over my chest. “Finally admitting it.”

“Yes,” Darius grits out, frowning. “I have been an asshole, and I’m sorry.”

I blink at my nest’s alpha, taking him in for the first time in days. He looks smaller somehow, defeated or weighed down by something.

“You”—I inhale sharply—“apologize?”

“Yes, I’ve made a lot of mistakes.” Darius runs a hand through his hair, sinking further away from his gargoyle form and taking on the warm brown skin tone he favors, his hair going dark brown and soft, his stubble changing to match.

“I want to be a better leader, someone more deserving of the title ‘alpha.’”

“It’s about time,” Julius says suddenly. He rests a hand on my shoulder from behind. “I love you, Darius, but you were so afraid of becoming your father that you did it in a roundabout way.”

“Gargoyle daddy has daddy issues?” Charlotte asks with a soft smile on her lips, eyes still closed peacefully.

“I am not a daddy,” Darius chokes out.

“Yes, you are,” Marcus singsongs, coming into the sitting room from the small offset room. “You’re the daddy, and Julius is the mommy. I’m the loveable, sexy uncle, and Atlas is the moody teenager.”

“Fuck you.” I scoff, trying to suppress my laugh.

Charlotte gives us no such kindness. She giggles incessantly.

“Charlotte opened my eyes.” Darius looks back at her like she hung the moon in the sky. “And I want to work with you all to make this nest better.”

“Oh, so she opened your eyes? Don’t you mean she made you cum so hard you want to be a better gargoyle?” Marcus asks, sliding over and tossing his arm around Darius’ shoulder. “Don’t worry, D, we’ve all been there.”

CHARLOTTE

“I am not holding out on you, Kennedy,” I laugh as she squeaks in indignation through the phone.

It’s later in the day, and I’m blessedly alone, so I can talk to my sister.

“You so are! You can’t just not tell me about the details of their very nonhuman monster dicks!” she cries.

“Well, you’re just going to have to get some fancy monster dick for yourself.” I tease her, and she goes eerily silent on the other end. “Something you want to tell me?”

“No!” she snaps too quickly.

I narrow my eyes at the ceiling and blow a raspberry at her through the phone. “Fine, don’t tell me,” I sniff. “You could ask me a little something more appropriate, like what gift they basically proposed to me with.”

For a beat, my sister is dead silent. The line crackles with the intensity of her shock before she asks, “What gift did they basically propose to you with?”

“It’s the heart of the nest,” I say in awe, thinking of the beautiful stone that has little bits of all of them in it.

I have it tucked away for safekeeping. It’s more than just some rock with an uncanny resemblance.

It has actual power in it. “It’s basically the most beautiful rock I’ve ever seen. ”

I can hear the smile on Kennedy’s face. “Of course you would get excited about being gifted a rock.”

“Isn’t that all diamonds are? Rocks.” My brow arches at her, even if she can’t see it.

“Yes, but they’re shiny rocks.” She snickers softly.

“My rock is the shiniest! The best rock that there is, diamonds can get bent,” I growl.

My curtains flap as some of my magic rises to defend my mates from the slight. The lights in the room flicker and pop momentarily.

Kennedy laughs at me across the line, jarring me out of my little tantrum.

That slight use of magic alerts my mates, and my door creaks open. My mates stand in the doorway, their eyes asking a million silent questions that distract me from my sister hanging up on me.

Julius is the first to step into my room and join me on my bed. “Everything alright?”

“Kennedy was making fun of the nest’s heart.” I pout, feeling stupid that I pulled on our shared magic because I got a little upset, more defensive than upset, really.

Being a witch is hard when you’re in training. What I wouldn’t give for a full-on training montage.

Marcus joins us on the bed, taking my legs and laying them across his lap.

Atlas follows and sits beside my head, lifting it softly and sliding his lap under it, making for a wonderful pillow.

Julius takes a seat beside Marcus and takes one foot into his lap.

He presses his thumb into my arch, and I fight a groan.

Darius joins us last, sitting beside me and resting his hand on my hip, making me feel safe and grounded.

“We’ll have to invite her to visit so she can see how sickly in love with you we are,” Atlas says with a vicious grin.

“ Or we could visit New York.” I grin back at him.