Chapter 1 – Medusa
MEDUSA
Iswear I can hear the twins laughing, even this far away from our little house in the trees.
I’m sure they coaxed their dads into piggy back rides.
The stinkers just have to give my guys a smile, and four giant gargoyles are tumbling over each other to give them the moon.
I can actually picture our two dark-haired daughters pulling on their dads’ hair, giggling like maniacs.
Damn it, maybe they have me under their little thumbs too…
Smiling, I spread my arms out in the water.
I’m sure I can’t actually hear them laughing, but I’ve seen exactly this scenario a thousand times.
It’s funny though. This is my time to relax.
This is my time to drift in the warmest lake in the gargoyles’ sanctuary, relaxing to the sound of the rushing water from the waterfall.
Despite that, all I can do is think about are the four sexy gargoyles I left behind and our beautiful daughters.
There must be something wrong with me.
Sighing, I force my eyes closed and try to keep my breathing even. Harold thinks if I can learn to meditate, I might not be so high strung. Of course, he's too sweet to actually say high strung, but freaking Bryon does.
So, here I am. I finished my bath and I'm meditating in the most peaceful place imaginable, and still, I can’t relax.
I feel like something under my skin is always buzzing, as if my pulse can’t stop racing.
Maybe it’s from all my years being hunted as a monster and attacked by idiot heroes.
Or maybe it’s just that I have children.
That’s its own kind of never-ending, exhausting battle.
Or maybe I am a little high strung after all.
My hand brushes something soft in the water. I freeze and my eyes pop open. There, floating on its back, is the strangest creature imaginable.
Is it some little beaver, cursed by magic?
An ugly duckling kind of thing?
I stand up in the water, trying not to move too quickly or make too much noise. I study the animal a little more carefully. I still don’t know what it is… but it might be dead.
Frowning, I lean over a little closer. Sure enough, its little chest is rising and falling.
Thank goodness!
It’s got almost a duck-bill on its furry face, strange webbed feet, and a sleek body—almost like a beaver. Like three animals smashed together. Something tingles the back of my thoughts. I know what it is! A platypus!
And the poor thing looks sick. Or hurt.
I touch its smooth fur, and the creature’s eyes open. Sure enough, there’s pain in its gaze.
For a while, I just pet it gently until it very slowly flips around in the water.
It comes closer. One of its back legs barely moving as it does so.
In fact, it holds that leg tightly against its body, and then presses its face against my arm, rubbing softly.
This creature really is a sweet little thing!
My mind goes to the hundreds of cats and dogs I’ve befriended over my two thousand years. I’m usually too much of a mess to have an actual pet, but I’ve missed all my furry-friends. This little guy might be a bit strange, but I find that I instantly like him.
He’s got a sweet nature.
Wrapping my arms around it, I’m relieved when it snuggles more closely. I can’t help it if it won’t let me, so I'm relieved that it seems to accept that I’m not a threat.
Maybe the healer can help figure out what’s wrong with it.
I lift it out of the water and it snuggles between my naked breasts. As it looks up at me with those big, sad eyes, I walk onto the shore. Almost instantly, a shadow falls over me. A familiar shadow.
Bryon hits the ground in front of me, shifting from his gargoyle form into that of a man in seconds.
As always, I enjoy watching the change. There’s just something sexy about him when his flesh is the color of wet stone, and he resembles a very hot statue of a man.
And also something so sexy about the tall human-looking version of himself, with big muscles, a dark beard, and a face that’s always just a tad grumpy.
His dark gaze narrows as he looks from me to the creature I hold. “What the hell is that?”
Mr. Grumpy isn’t happy about my new pet? Surprise, surprise!
I smile and look down at it, hiding my amusement at his reaction. “A platypus, and I think it’s hurt.”
Noticing how little it moves, I feel my smile falter. I hope it isn’t hurt that badly.
“Hurt?” Bryon repeats. “Who the fuck cares if it’s hurt? Drop it, and move away. It could be dangerous!”
Glancing up, I meet his dark gaze, trying not to laugh. Is he really worried about this little creature? I mean, Bryon’s the size of a mountain. Does he actually think that he can’t protect me if the furry animal suddenly becomes a danger to me?
“Are you actually scared of it?” I ask, in a teasing voice.
He puffs himself up. “I’m not scared of anything! But I don’t want some freaky creature touching my woman!”
I pet its head, and it makes a soft sound, almost like it's purring. “Relax, it’s sweet!”
Bryon advances and glares down at it. “Look at those talons on its claws! It’s probably poisonous!”
I raise my eyebrows. “Yeah, and cats are dangerous too.” I give a mockingly frightened look at the sky. “Careful, those song birds are making me nervous! They might just be plotting to overthrow mankind!”
If looks could kill, I’d be dead right now. “Put it down.”
I shake my head, leveling him with the same stubborn glare that my daughters have perfected. “I’m going to bring it to the healer, and you’re not going to stop me.”
A tense moment stretches between us. I know Bryon’s natural instinct is to protect me at any cost, but he’s been working on giving me more freedom.
We have talked at length about him learning to trust my judgment.
I know right now he’s arguing with himself whether or not he can stop me without this becoming a big thing.
Which he’s absolutely right to worry about. It’ll be a cold day in hades before I abandon an injured animal.
I used to try to hide this “softer” side of myself.
I mean, all people saw was Medusa, a woman who could kill with just a glance.
But now that I’m in a sanctuary, without any humans to accidentally kill, and only gargoyles and magical creatures who are immune to my powers, my sunglasses are stowed away and my softer side is coming out a little more often.
And if Bryon doesn’t like it… too bad.
Bryon folds his arms over his chest, but I can already see I’ve won this fight. Score one for me! “You at least plan to get dressed first…?”
Giving him my most innocent look, I say. “But how am I going to choose my next Brotherhood of Gargoyles if I’m not sure who finds me attractive?”
That look comes over his face, the one that turns me on. He stomps toward me, completely ignoring the creature in my arms, and grabs me by the back of the head. His possessive mouth captures mine, crushing my lips with his passion and his anger.
For a minute, I’m lost. I'm lost in the way he feels, the way he sends fire racing through my body.
When his lips part, I stick my tongue in.
He groans and tears his lips from mine. “You were not supposed to enjoy that,” he says, panting.
I reach down with one hand and cup his erection through his pants. “I enjoy every fucking inch of you.”
A shudder moves through his body. “Either get dressed, or I’m tossing that little beast back in the lake and taking you home.”
I grin. “I’ll get dressed, but you’ll have to hold it while I do.”
Before he can argue, I dump the little creature into his arms.
He scowls down at it. “I don’t like this.”
I dress quickly, trying to ignore my heated body. I have to forget how good Bryon’s hard dick felt through his pants, and focus on our argument.
Easier said than done. “You don’t like the platypus?” I ask, and hate that my words are a little breathless.
The little creature is rubbing against Bryon, looking about as innocent as a creature could look.
“Don’t these things only exist in Australia? How the hell did it end up here? How did it get through the sanctuary wards and into one of our rivers?”
I raise a brow, taking a deep breath to clear my head. “Does it matter? It needs our help?”
He scoffs. “Of course it matters!”
Shaking my head, I can’t help but grin. I love my gargoyles, but they’ve got to be the only people in this world who actually think Medusa is fragile and in need of protection.
When I'm dressed, I reach for the creature again, but Bryon simply holds it tighter. “If you’re going to insist on this, then I’m holding it.”
An argument forms on my lips, but I let it die. Bryon is as stubborn as I am. If I don’t want him chucking the creature, I might have to meet him halfway on this.
“Okay, let’s go!”
He doesn’t look relieved as we head for the gargoyle village. “You know the others won’t like this.”
I think of my husbands. Marcus will flip. Forrest will probably want to keep the little guy as a pet, and Harold will want to nurse it back to health, but keep it far from me.
I guess we’ll see.