Chapter 24
Hadrian
“Downtown looks amazing,” Petra says excitedly. She claps her hands as she slides her tail around my wrist. If I’d known her when she was younger, she’d have ridden around on my shoulder and wrapped her tail around my neck, resting the spade over my heart.
Sorrow fills me that I missed out on her entire life so far.
I suppose Dad missed out on it too. Technically we all did.
I had the benefit of growing up in Pine Gulch and experiencing this town and so many of her beautiful festivals. It’s part of what I love about living here.
I reach for her hand and thread it through the crook of my elbow.
“Okay, little sis. You’re not old enough to drink mead, but there’s a non-alcoholic version you can enjoy tonight.
Part of what happens during the Mead Cute Festival is a whiskey and mead trail that starts at the Welcome Inn and ends at the Auction House.
It’s the first step in the festival with a huge dance that happens tomorrow.
” I smile down at her. “You want to walk the trail with me?”
She looks shyly up at me. “What about Bluebell? It seems like we should do this with her. She’s been working on this event ever since I came to town.”
Sadness fills me. I tackled some of her to-dos this morning.
Deliver flowers to each business on Main Street. Check.
Paste flyers about the dance in every business window and drop extra flyers off at the wraith hotel and the portal station. Check.
Set up the Bodice’s table with a custom mead ordered for the occasion. Check.
But there was a lot I just couldn’t do without her guidance.
“I’d love nothing better than to do this with her, Petra, but we’re still keeping this a secret for another couple of days, right?”
She shakes her head. “I hate that you don’t feel like you can tell anyone what you are to one another. How is that gonna work? Is Uncle Jasper going to freak out?”
“Yep,” I answer honestly. “I think he will. And it’ll take me some time to convince him it’s all gonna be fine.”
“What secret are you gonna tell me today?” She bumps her hip with mine. “I’ll tell you mine. I prayed that when you met me, you’d be cool, and I’m lucky it worked out that way.”
Pulling her close, I noogie the top of her head.
“I’ll tell you a secret too. I always wished I had a little sister, but I didn’t think my folks would ever do it.
I always felt like I was in the way of their research and I didn’t think they’d want more children.
But now I have you and not them, and it’s pretty cool. ”
Her eyes go wide and fill with tears. “For real? You wished for me too?”
“Yeah,” I admit. “I didn’t know you’d be this cool though. I’m pretty glad about that.” For a long moment, I stare into purple eyes that mirror mine, shocked at how quickly I’ve acclimated to having this small person in my life.
“I’m pretty sure I love you,” I say with a soft laugh. “Even though you’ve only been here a short while. How crazy is that?”
She hops up into my arms, throwing hers around my shoulders. “I always loved you, even before I knew you. But thank you, brother.”
I wrap my arms around her and hug her close. Time slows as I infuse care and connection into the hug. When we break, she wipes a tear away as she slides back down to the ground.
“Well, should we start at the Welcome Inn, then?”
The Inn waves her shutters at us in a clear invitation. Laughing, I look down Main Street. Every building is welcoming, doors flung open wide. Happy creaks and groans ring out.
It’s almost like PG herself is in a better mood than usual, and that’s a beautiful thing.
Petra loops her hand back through my arm and pulls me toward the two-story hotel.
The front entrance is wreathed in a short pumpkin tunnel covered in dozens of varieties of green and orange pumpkins.
Long tables beneath the Welcome’s front windows are full of mead and fall-themed desserts.
Helpers pass out drinks, and I guide Petra to the nearest table.
A minotaur male smiles at us. I recognize him from around town, although I don’t know his name. “Hi, little one,” he says kindly to Petra. “Pumpkin hot chocolate for you?”
A tiny gnome hops up onto the table and lifts a cinnamon roll toward her. “And don’t forget to try the pumpkin cinnamon rolls. They’re mini, like us, and it’s a gnome specialty!”
“Oh my gods,” Petra exclaims excitedly. “A gnome. I’ve never met a gnome! Thank you so much. I’d love to try the hot chocolate and the dessert.”
She takes them both with more effusive thanks.
After that, we visit BrewHaHa Beans, Skylight Bakery, Whiskey Business and then hop back over to the Buxom Bodice.
I’m disappointed not to find Bluebell there, but I knew she had a full day and a meeting with Lemon and some reps from Hearth HQ.
How she continually lands herself on every committee and organizing group is a surprise to me, but somehow she does it.
It’s one of the many things I want to help guard her against. I want her spending her time precisely where she wants to, and not with her brothers or whoever else just because they expect her to.
My woman has been running so hard for so long, and I didn’t realize just how much it drained her until I lived across the hallway.
“Hadrian?”
I spin in place to find a gargoyle male standing there with a younger gargoyle on his shoulder. The younger one hops up and down while holding on to the male’s horn.
The male smiles at me, reaching out with one hand. “You probably don’t remember me. I’m Alo, and this is my son, Iggy. We’re from Ever. You spent a little time with us during that exhibition game while we were convincing Manorin to stick around as our coach.”
Realization courses through me, and I grab his hand to shake it. “That’s right! And you did steal him. I came here hoping he’d be here, but Ever snatched him right out from under us.”
He chuckles, purple eyes dropping to Petra.
“Ah, this is my sister, Petra,” I offer.
“I’m nine,” Petra chirps, staring up at the younger gargoyle. “How old are you?”
“Seven.” He hops off his father’s shoulder to hover in the air with a big smile. “Do you want to go play somewhere? I don’t like pumpkin-flavored stuff, and Dad says everything is gonna taste like that, and also I’m already so bored.”
Petra laughs and looks up at me. “Is that alright with you? I can take him to the pumpkin maze. It’s super cool.” She winks at the younger male. “I also just got here, but I promise nothing tastes like pumpkin, it's just full of pumpkins. And gourds.”
I look between her and Alo. “If it’s okay with his father, it’s okay with me. Just keep in touch, okay?”
Petra lifts her arm, pointing to the comm watch. “Aye aye, Capitán.”
An aqua-winged pixie skips up to Alo and throws her arms around him, smiling up at him like he’s the best thing in the entire world. His eyes soften at the corners when he looks down at her.
She rests a hand on her swollen belly, rubbing it.
Pregnant, she’s pregnant.
“Actually I think I’ll follow them around for a minute, if you don’t mind.”
“You don’t have to do that,” I start but she waves me off and points to her belly. “This baby is growing so dang fast and the walking will do me wonders. I’ll keep an eye on your little one too, no worries!”
I look between the adults. “Are you absolutely sure?”
The younglings look at us for just a moment before Iggy grabs Petra’s hand and yanks her up into the sky. “C’mon! Mir will hang with us and she’s so cool, she’s my mom now!”
The younglings dart off and Mir sighs. She reaches up and pecks Alo on the cheek, then turns toward the alleyway, lumbering after them with one hand on her lower back.
Once they disappear down the alleyway between the Welcome Inn and Whiskey Business, I turn to the other male. “How long you in town for?”
“Couple of days,” the big gargoyle says with a smile. “My mate wanted Iggy to experience everything Pine Gulch has to offer, but we’ll head home after that.”
I watch her walk slowly down the alleyway. “You sure we shouldn’t follow her? I feel bad that she’s watching the kiddos.”
Alo blows out a breath. “Oh I learned not to correct my pregnant mate about the first day or two after we found out. She would be highly miffed if we followed her now. And you don’t wanna be on the bad side of a pregnant pixie, I can promise you that.”
My mouth dries as I think about how fucking fun it would be to see Bluebell like that, her stomach all huge and rounded with our child. We haven’t even discussed children since we started dating, although I know it’s something she wants eventually.
The need to sink my fangs into her, to claim her, to have us belong to one another the way these two do? I’m salivating at the idea of it.
He watches her go, a soft look in his eyes.
It’s so striking to see such an obviously predatory monster so…
taken. So sweet. I want that so badly I can taste it.
Once his mate is gone from view, he glances at me again.
“I’m gonna head up the street and find my uncle but it was good seeing you, man.
Hope we kick your ass next time we play, but I’m not holding my breath. ”
Chuckling, I shake his hand.
Now all I want to do is find Bluebell. I hope she’s done with her meeting because, like always, I can’t wait to see her.
After saying goodbye to him, I head down Main Street.
Lemon and Furyon are standing with Sheriff Rygold, meads in hand.
Oz has his back to Lemon as he flirts with two male pixies, one of whom has his hands all over Oz’s chest. Maybe he’ll finally get laid, since it seems to be his chief complaint lately.
My gaze drifts back and forth as locals and visitors alike partake in the beauty of downtown PG.
The town herself is in a great mood, waggling shutters and flapping window sashes at passersby.
Even the Bodice is ready for the day, my flowers brightening up her front window.
Her door is thrown wide open, and even from the street, I can see she’s full inside.
“Fancy seeing you here.”
Warmth and desire curl through me as I turn to find Bluebell standing there with two meads in hand. She hands one to me as she takes a sip of hers.
“Long-ass day, but I am finally done with my to-do list,” she mutters.
Bite. Claim. Cherish. Protect.
The need to wrap her in my wings, sit her on my cock, and bite my way up that slim neck overwhelms me. My focus narrows, tail swishing as I lift my wings just slightly. My chest heaves as my body tightens.
Bluebell cocks her head to the side, giving me a quick once-over as a blush trails over her high cheekbones. “Hay, you alright? You look…tense.”
“I am,” I whisper as I take a step closer to her. Can’t touch her in public. Don’t want to hide her. I’m so fucking done with this. “Come upstairs with me for a minute? I need to talk to you.”
“Of course.” She sets the mead down on a tall round table. “Everything okay?”
Grabbing her hand, I pull her toward the alleyway between our building and the next. I open the door, flaring my nostrils as she slips through. Her footsteps disappear up the stairs as I grip the doorframe and try not to lose absolute control.
Gargoyles aren’t meant to love in hiding. Our love is loud and public and centered on snacks and extreme affection. We practically make falling in love a sport. Loving Bluebell behind the scenes feels like I’m not doing my job, not doing our love justice.
After rushing up the stairs, I follow her down the hall. Yanking my door open, I pull her through and lock it behind us.
“What’s going on?” She plants a hand on her hips and waves at my body. “You look like you’re freaking out.” Her beautiful eyes spring wide as she scans my face. “Oh my gods, did something happen?”
I shake my head. “Baby, I just…I saw you there, and all I wanted to do was shout about how fucking much I love you.”
She gasps, but a smile quickly overtakes it. “You do? You love me?”
I wrap both wings around her and pull her until she hits my chest. Reaching down, I lift her into my arms, tucking her legs around my core.
Forehead pressed to hers, I brush my lips against her soft mouth.
“I love you, Bluebell Tucker. I will always love you until the gods take me from this earth. And even then, among the stars, I’ll still love you. ”
I part from her long enough to fist her long braid around my hand. “And I want to claim you, feel you in my chest, feel my heartbeat sync to yours. I want you inside me so deeply, nobody can tear us apart.”
Her lips pull upward into a sensual smile as she stares into my eyes. “I want that too, Hadrian. I’ve thought about it for literal decades, wondered what it would feel like to have that bond with you, something even deeper than the friendship we already shared.”
She jerks her head toward my nest. “So what are we even waiting for, mate? Let’s do it now.”
Groaning, I stalk to the nest and fall on top of her in the soft sheets, careful not to flatten her as I flare my wings and grip holes in the walls to hold myself steady.
Pulling my shirt apart, I toss it aside. Bringing her hands to my stomach, I guide them to the top of my jeans. A feral smile overtakes me as I watch her fumble with the button, pulling it open.
“I’m gonna take you so hard,” I murmur as I watch her shove my jeans down my hips. “And you’re gonna take me, Bluebell of House Alkazar. Then you’ll feel me, all of me.”
“I can’t wait,” she says with a demanding little noise. “I’m done hiding you, Hadrian Alkazar.”