Chapter 2 – Marcus
MARCUS
Idon’t like that damn creature.
The four of us glare at the little animal swimming playfully around in the river beneath our house. One of its back legs is still wrapped, but I’ve watched it grow stronger over the past two weeks. Now, I’m sure it’s just faking it.
Any wild animal would be gone. So why is this one still hanging around?
Medusa is kneeling down beside the pool with the twins, tossing the platypus little fish. Bryon, Harold, and Forrest are all right next to them. I told them to be nearby to make sure the platypus doesn't get too close to our women. If it does, it will regret it.
The platypus turns, and our eyes meet. For a second too long our gazes lock, and then it goes back to playfully splashing around.
There’s something wrong with that fucking thing.
And yet, Medusa won’t hear a bad word about it. She and the twins just carry on, as if it’s their new pet. Which it is not.
When the healer’s shadow crosses over the pond, I watch as she lands near my family.
For a minute, I just observe her. The older woman looks happy today, which is a good thing for all of us.
Since she’s gifted with The Sight, a foul mood often means she’s seen something dangerous in our future.
And now that the future includes our woman and children, Gelena’s moods are even more important to me.
Taking a deep breath, I feel a little weight leave my shoulders. Now, to deal with the weird creature. I lift off from the balcony of our treehouse and fly down until I land beside her.
“You’ve come to check its injury?” I ask, and even I know I sound a bit grumpy.
Galena grins, watching Medusa and the creature. “As asked,” she says, her tone far too chipper.
Why does she have to enjoy how much we hate this so much? Or maybe Galena just likes seeing our village women happy. They are the future of our people, after all. And Galena’s Sight stuff makes her pretty obsessed with the future, which I guess I understand.
But either way, I find this whole thing irritating as hell.
When Galena shifts out of her gargoyle form, her large wings disappear, and her beautiful grey skin turns back to a human-color.
She wordlessly takes a fish from Medusa and lures the platypus closer, dangling the fish.
It takes the bait, and while it snacks, the healer unwraps its legs and studies it.
“How is he?” Medusa asks, a little too worried for my taste.
The healer stands. “I think the beast is all better.”
Medusa looks sad. Probably imagining how it’ll soon be gone. “I guess… that’s good.”
But the twins clap, their tiny pigtails bouncing. Despite how wary I am of the little beast, I’m suddenly overwhelmed by my daughters’ happiness. Their entire eyes light up when they smile, and their tiny dimples form in their cheeks.
Kneeling down, I smile at my three-year-old angels. “You girls happy it’s all better?”
Bella’s smile widens. “Platty better!”
“Platty so cute!” Trinity chimes in.
Damn it all to hell, I’ve been wanting this thing gone since the first time I saw it, but now, I’m imagining how much it’ll hurt my little girls when it leaves. My grumpy heart seems to grow four sizes bigger. If they cry when this thing leaves, we’re never getting a pet again.
“Now that he’s all better, he probably has to find his family and go home,” I say in my softest, gentlest voice.
Oh crap, Bella has that look in her eyes. Her mouth narrows, and her arms cross in front of her chest. “He’s not going!”
Trinity, on the other hand, looks like she wants to cry. “Platty is going?”
I look to Forrest and Harold. They’re usually the ones who handle the twins when they get emotional. Bryon and I have already decided that we’ll be the ones beating the crap out of anyone who’s unkind to them in the future. That’s what we’re good at—fighting, not emotions.
Harold comes over and kneels down beside the girls, radiating his usual calmness. “We know you both love Platty.”
Bella eyes him suspiciously. “Yes.”
“And that you want Platty to be happy,” he continues.
A little of the fire goes out of Bella’s eyes, and Trinity comes over and curls up against Harold.
“But Platty is a wild animal. Now that he’s all better, he needs to go back to his home.”
Bella’s arms tighten against her little chest. “No!”
“But—“ Harold begins.
“No!” she shouts her favorite word again.
Harold looks to Forrest.
Forrest's green eyes twinkle with amusement, and he trots over.
Before any of us know what he has planned, he hoists Bella up onto his shoulders.
She squeals and uncrosses her angry little arms to grab his hair.
Then, with his free arm, he pulls Trinity in front of him.
All three of them are laughing as Forrest takes off, racing around.
I realize I’m smiling when my gaze locks with Bryon’s, and so is he. Immediately, our smiles fade.
“Medusa…” I begin.
She looks up, frowning. “I know he has to go, but I’m going to miss him.”
Harold wraps an arm around her and says nothing. They simply feed the little beast together.
A thousand words spring to my lips, about how keeping a Platypus is illogical in every way.
I even make it through five different arguments in my mind about the logistics of it, before I give in and sigh.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that Medusa doesn’t appreciate my careful planning in things like this.
Harold’s words always ring in my head. “Don’t try to fix it. Just be there for her.”
So, fighting all of my natural instincts, I sit down beside Medusa and help feed the platypus.
Immediately, I know I’ve made the right decision, because Medusa turns to me with that smile, the one that reminds me so much of our daughters.
Because there are no humans in our sanctuary, or weak magical creatures, Medusa doesn’t have to wear her sunglasses here.
That means I get to see how her smile reaches her eyes.
It’s the most beautiful thing in this world.
Reaching out, I brush back the hair from her face and lean closer. Our lips touch in an instant, and the world drifts away around us. My dick hardens, and my heart races. It’s been two days… I need more than a kiss from my sexy woman.
When we break apart, panting, I realize everyone is watching us, including Galena.
The older gargoyle smiles. “Perhaps I could bring the girls to help pick herbs for a few hours, after they’ve gotten a chance to say goodbye to their pet. You guys could have some alone time, and some time to take the creature some place safe.”
I almost say, fuck yes, but I’m learning.
Harold looks at Medusa. “What do you think? Are you ready to say goodbye?”
I hold my breath, all of the arguments forming in my mind once more.
She looks back at the creature, her eyes sad. “It’s what’s best for him.”
Behind her back, Bryon and I give a long distant high-five. As much as we don’t want to see our girls sad, we’re more than done with this suspicious little creature.
“I guess we should go tell Bella and Trinity then.” Harold looks to where Forrest is still racing around with them, all laughing.
This part won’t be fun. But like pulling off a bandage, we need to do it quickly. Then we’ll be rewarded with sex. Not a bad day at all, if I do say so myself.