Chapter 6 – Xander
“ W hat do you mean? Who was it here for?”
I could be wrong. I don’t want to scare her, but there’s no denying that something wanted to get through my barrier, which has never happened before. Not until I brought a human into my home.
“You said your mother told you about supernatural beings? That there are good and bad ones?”
She nods.
“The bad ones are able to disguise themselves as humans to find their victims. We protect the city the best that we can, but sometimes evil slips through, especially during the day.”
“Why during the day? ”
“Because the sun temporarily turns gargoyles to stone. We are not able to patrol, leaving our protective barriers vulnerable to an attack. Certain celestial and astronomical events also weaken our wards.”
Her eyes widen, now fully invested. “What type of astronomical events?”
“Eclipses, meteor showers, All Hallow’s Eve. The veil between worlds is thinnest during these occurrences, and it allows supernatural beings who are stronger to penetrate the shields.”
“So, what kind of supernatural beings are we talking about?”
“Demons, rogue angels, creatures from the underworld.”
She gasps. “What about vampires? Are they real? Werewolves?”
“Yes, though vampires and werewolves are not necessarily evil. Vampires can fall into bloodlust if they’re not able to find a donor in time, and werewolves lose their humanity to silver poisoning.”
“Fascinating. What about bigfoot? The Loch Ness monster?” She giggles, and I nudge the glass of water closer to her. She rolls her eyes but takes a sip.
“Bigfoot yes, but they stick to the forests. The Loch Ness monster, no one knows. I’m mostly talking about hellhounds, banshees, harpies...any mythological creature you can think of can have ill intent. Even gargoyles can become a threat. Me and my army sense any evil, and we defeat it before they can do harm or form a resistance large enough to bring down our shields.”
“Locheran said you were becoming weaker.”
I swipe my palm down my face. “He did, did he?”
“Why? Are you sick?”
My anger about Locheran spilling my secrets fades as I take in her concern. My hand finds her cheek again. I can’t help it. I love touching her. Her skin is soft and warm. I want to tell her why I’m becoming weak, but I’m worried it will scare her away. What if she is my fated mate? If it is her destiny to be mine, she’d still have free will. She’d have to willingly accept me as her mate before we’re able to perform the bonding ritual to bind our souls. But I don’t want her to feel pressured if I tell her I could die if this does not happen.
“I’m weakening because I am approaching my thousandth year of living.”
Somewhat true, just not the entire truth. I can only hope she won’t hate me when I confess everything.
“One thousand,” she whispers and hums.
I expected her to question me about my age, but she says nothing. Instead, she reaches for my hand, taking it in hers. Such a tiny hand compared to mine. Her touch is electrifying, and I hold my breath as she traces her fingertip over my palm, then across all four of my fingers and along my nails.
“They’re so long and sharp.”
I retract them, and she gasps. Many new things she discovers about me gets that reaction.
Nothing has scared her away yet.
Will she let me explore her body once we get over the night’s excitement?
“I’m sorry you had to go through this tonight. Like I said, whatever tried to get through the barriers was after something. If it’s you, then I need to know why.”
“Me? But I’m just a human.”
“You will never be ‘just’ anything. Never underestimate yourself, Evangeline. Not in your beauty, your career, or your life.”
She lets out a long breath, her eyes filling with tears. One falls down her cheek, and she’s quick to wipe it away.
“Sor–” She stops herself and smiles. “You’re right. I am totally worth kidnapping.”
I can’t help the burst of laughter that bellows chest deep.
The amusement lighting up her face slowly fades.
“Wait,” she says quietly and stands. “There’s something else about the stories my mother used to tell me. ”
I’m curious about these stories. It’s clearly why she wasn’t afraid upon meeting me. She’s been hearing about our existence her entire life. Then why did she act so shocked when I listed all the supernatural beings that exist?
Maybe her mother didn’t provide those details. Or maybe it’s the booze speaking. The water is helping, giving her a clear mind as we piece together the puzzle that is tonight.
“She used to tell me that something wanted to kidnap me. She’d adorn my crib with flowers—”
“Heathers? Like your tattoos? Is that why you got them?”
She nods. “My mother urged me to brand my body. She even recommended a friend to do it. It was a unique experience. The woman didn’t speak English and during the entire tattoo session, she sang beautiful words.”
A spell infused within the ink, as I suspected the moment we met.
“Anyway, I didn’t question my mother’s concern. I always believed her. My father, however, thought she was crazy. He sent her to a psychiatric hospital when I was ten. She’s still there.”
“Can you share some of these stories she told you? ”
“Yes, but I’m convinced she held back a lot of details from me. Maybe because I was too young. I tried to get her to reveal more once I turned eighteen, but she was on so many meds, she could barely speak. She still doesn’t talk much.”
“We should visit her then. If she wanted you to get the tattoos of protection because she feared something was after you, then she must know more. We’ll explain what happened tonight and maybe that will encourage her to give you all the details she left out. Anything that could provide some clarification on what could be hunting you and why.”
Because it’s possible I could be the reason she’s in danger.
“Okay, but visiting hours are only Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, six a.m. until six p.m. I’d have to call to set up a special visitation after sunset. But like I said, I’m not sure how much help she’ll be. On top of the meds, she’s in her seventies now. Her memory isn’t what it used to be.”
I cross my arms, thinking.
“All we can do is try. When do you work again?”
“Tuesday.”
“Is there any way I can convince you to take time off until we figure this out?”
“I... ”
“Just think about it. I can help you with any finances—”
“I couldn’t.”
“If it means you’re safe, then I insist.”
She scrunches up her nose, and I stop myself from telling her that I will give her anything she could ever dream of, because I realize how crazy that sounds being we just met.
“Is your mother’s hospital located here in the city?”
“No. About an hour and a half outside.”
“Fuck.”
“What?”
“I’m afraid I can’t go with you then. As king, I’m tethered to this city. I can only fly a mile or two outside of the limits. I’ll send Locheran in my place.”
The thought of not having her near me already sparks a ball of panic deep within my soul. However, I trust my commander.
She opens her mouth to argue, but I hold up my finger.
“You need to go, and I must stay and protect this city. Locheran is my most trusted soldier. He will keep you safe. I’ll send a team of soldiers with you two as well. Monday at sunset, he’ll fly you up there.”
She considers my words and eventually relents. Still, her eyebrows pinch together .
“Do we have to fly? Won’t it be weird if Locheran and I show up without a car? And I’m not about to walk in with wind-whipped hair. I’d rather drive or take the train.”
Right. She’s ‘not a fan’ of heights. I suppose they should go the boring human route. While no one would notice if they showed up without a car, she might be right on the wind-whipped hair. I like to keep mine braided when flying.
“I’ll hire a car for you two. I don’t trust trains. Too public. I’ll have a few soldiers fly up there to scope out the place, make sure there’s no danger before you arrive. The rest will escort the car.”
“You’re wasting too many resources on me.”
I tsk at her.
“Oh, Kitten. You are not, and never will be, a waste. And if you keep doubting yourself around me, I will have my soldiers find the fucker who convinced you that you’re not worthy. I’ll rip their spine out of their body and feed their flesh to the hellhounds that prowl at the gate between Hell and Earth’s realm.”
Her mouth hangs open, her eyes wide. “Jesus, Xander.”
“I apologize if that was too detailed and violent for you—”
“Um, no. That was...hot.”
She giggles, and the sound warms my chest with pride.
“I know that’s not a normal reaction, but I’ve never had anyone offer to murder someone for me. I’m...flattered. Does that make me weird?”
I brush a piece of her hair behind her ear, and she blushes at the move. “No. But even if it did, I like weird.”
She yawns, her eyes struggling to stay open. Despite how badly I want to hear more about how me violently killing someone in her honor pleases her, she needs sleep.
“Let me prepare the guest room for you.”
“I can go home.”
“No. Not if something is targeting you.”
“I have my cat at my apartment. I need clothes, personal items...”
“I’ll send someone to get your belongings and the cat.”
“Her name is Birdie.”
“I’ll send someone to get Birdie then.”
Locheran is going to kill me. He’s scared of cats. I remind him he’s a six-foot three, three-hundred-pound gargoyle, but I can never convince him he’s safe from being killed by a cat.
The odds are low, but never zero, he’d say.
I fire off a text to him and ask Evangeline for her keys. While waiting for Locheran to arrive, I lead my tired kitten to the room where she’ll be staying. She pauses at the door .
“What if I want to stay in your room with you? So you can protect me.”
She glances up at me with those doe eyes and fluttering lashes again. They’re a weapon, I swear.
I plant my hand on the doorframe and lean into her. She holds her breath. “I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands to myself if you shared a bed with me. And while that is what we had intended to do when coming back to my place tonight, you’re tired, and what I have planned for you will take all night. You need to rest. Tomorrow we can play.”
Before she can argue, I turn to a closet outside of the bathroom across the hall from her room.
“Towels and toiletries are in here. I’ll get you some clothes to sleep in for tonight.”
I sense Locheran at the penthouse door and excuse myself, despite how much I don’t want to leave her side.
“Kitten’s keys,” Locheran says when I open the door, his hand held out and a smirk on his stupid face.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
I slap the keys into his palm and try to close the door. He sticks his foot inside to stop it.
“Do you think she’s the one?” he asks.
“It would explain a lot of things. Like why she’s seeing our true forms. ”
“Don’t fuck it up,” he quips, and I narrow my eyes at him. He bows. “Your Majesty.”
“Get the fuck out. I’ll text you her address.”
“Fuck you for sending me to get a cat,” Locheran yells as I close the door in his face.
When I return to the guest room, the door is open, and I hear the shower running in the bathroom across the hall.
I set a pair of my sweats and a t-shirt on her bed and prepare her a sandwich with chips and a glass of water. I didn’t get a chance to take her out to dinner. I had planned a beautiful date beginning with a meal at my favorite French restaurant, a walk along the Hudson River underneath the night sky, and multiple orgasms to end the night.
Instead, I have a possible fated mate who is being targeted, likely because of me.
I shower as well and dress in a similar outfit to the one I chose for Evangeline. The thought of her wearing my clothes awakens my cock. Now that the danger is over, at least for now, I’d love nothing more than to ravish her. But I must be patient. She’s too tired tonight.
I walk out of my bedroom at the same time she does from the guest room.
“Hi,” she says shyly.
“Hello, Kitten. ”
Her cheeks blush at the nickname. She loves it. I take a step towards her.
“I left you something to eat.”
“Thank you. I just finished it. I love turkey sandwiches.” She matches my step with one of her own. Her eyes dart around my body, to my horns, my mouth, my arms, down to my four-toed feet. “Can I...”
She looks away and plays with a wet strand of her brown hair.
“What is it, Evangeline?”
“Can I touch you?” She grimaces. “Innocently, I mean. It’s just...I have this overwhelming urge—or need —to touch you.”
She shakes her head.
“That’s dumb. I’m sor—” Her nose crinkles, almost saying the word I’ve scolded her not to use.
“It’s not dumb. You can do whatever you’d like to me— with me.”
She smiles and moves closer. Raising her hand, she places it on my stomach and runs it up my abs to my chest. I hold back my growl because if I let it out now, I’ll grab her and hold her against the wall while I slam my cock into her wet pussy.
The smell of her arousal is intoxicating.
Her palm smooths over my chest, and I wish I hadn’t put on this damn shirt so I can feel her skin slide over my own.
She walks around me, and I hear her suck in a sharp breath.
“Your wings,” she whispers, finding them tucked to my back. “They’re purple too, but a darker shade.”
“Would you like to see them?” I ask and turn to face her.
She nods.
“Come here.”
I take her hand and lead her to the living room where there’s more space.
“Are you ready?” I ask with a smile.
She nods, and I extract my wings. They shoot out, expanding twenty feet from end to end.
Evangeline gasps and places her palm on her chest.
“They’re so big,” she whispers. The words make my cock twitch. “Can I touch them?”
I pause before answering. I’ve never let anyone touch them before. My wings are my lifeline. If I lose them, if they’re damaged, I couldn’t fly. I wouldn’t be able to defend my kingdom.
“You don’t have to...”
“No, that’s not it. It’s just…I’ve never let anyone.”
“It’s okay– ”
“Kitten,” I say, barely able to contain how much I need her to touch my wings. “Come over here.”
She slowly walks to where I stand in the middle of the living room.
“You can touch them. I want you to.”
“Are you sure? We just met, and it seems like things are going way too fast. I mean, I messaged you for a one-night stand and the moment I saw you, I knew it wasn’t going to be that. And I can’t explain why.”
I can, but not right now. I don’t want to ruin this moment.
“I feel the same way. Sometimes our bodies don’t listen to reason. And that’s okay.”
She smiles. “What will happen when I touch your wings?”
I shrug, even though I know. “Let’s find out.”
She walks to my side and lifts her hand. She gives me one last glance, and I nod my approval.
The moment her palm grazes the thin, silky membrane, I let out a moan. She pulls her hand back as if it burned.
“Oh,” she breathes out. “Is that supposed to happen?”
I wrap my wings around her, cocooning her body, and cup her face in my hands.
“With you? Yes.”
I kiss her .
Our first kiss.
Her soft lips meld into mine, plump and eager as they open to let my tongue slide in. She tastes like cinnamon.
Her hands smooth down my chest, her fingertips teasing the hem of my shirt before she slips them underneath the fabric. My cock jerks the moment her warm palms cover my abs.
The kiss intensifies the more she touches me. It’s as if every part of her that makes contact with me sends currents through my veins. Electricity fills the air with every stroke of my tongue over hers.
She moans into my mouth, and my fingers move to the back of her head to clutch her hair, still damp from her shower. I fist the strands, tugging roughly as I deepen the kiss.
She feels so good.
She’s making me feral.
A beast.
She gasps, and I stop.
“Too much?” I ask, out of breath.
“No, harder,” she responds, just as breathless.
Her fingertips skim over my wings again, and I nearly come undone .
I let out an animalistic growl and take her ass in my hands to lift her. Her legs automatically go around my waist.
“I know you’re exhausted—”
“I’m not.”
“I was going to let you sleep—”
“I’m not tired.”
“But if I don’t taste you right now, I might lose my goddamn mind.”
“Then taste me, Your Majesty.”
She doesn’t have to tell me twice.