Chapter 9
Nine
Burchard’s POV
The sun was starting to set as I finished my attempts at getting my wings to come.
It only took a handful of hours, but it finally happened after two, and I was able to fly again after four hours of practice.
They were every bit as big as His Majesty’s, but mine were pitch black like the night I came from.
I practiced flying around a little more, before flying back up to the second floor of the apothecary.
There was a change of clothes sitting there waiting for me on the altar, along with a note written in large, looping letters.
“She is my princess, and so tonight, you shall be her prince.”
I smiled, tucking my wings away. I held up the clothing to see if it would be close to something that would fit my large frame, and noticed there were cuts for my wings already in the clothing.
How he knew, I will never know.
I gently shook my head as I slipped the clothing on.
It was a set of trousers and a shirt that one would wear while practicing swordsmanship.
I looked at the mask on the altar, slipping it on.
Looking in the mirror again, I noticed that the mask covered half my face.
I smiled and figured it wouldn’t hurt, a little mystery for her when I met her at the bon fire soon.
At least until she recognized me, until she got used to my new physical form.
I wasn’t going to lie to myself and say I wasn’t worried, but I was also confident that she would love me regardless.
Once I was dressed, the clothes seeming familiar as something Master used to wear, the sun was almost completely down.
I looked down at myself, felt confident, but I wanted to check myself in the mirror once more before I flew to just outside of the bon fire.
I secured my mask, allowed my wings to come out and took one more look in the mirror.
My hair was long and black, matching my wings and eyes.
The mask, silver and shining, accentuated the shine of star dust in my eyes.
I had tied my hair back with more of the leather that His Majesty used to try the crystal around my neck.
Satisfied, I took off. I was rehearsing in my mind how I would approach Annette, the things I would tell her, how I would get her to believe it was really me.
As I was getting close to the party, I felt it.
Something was wrong.
Something was wrong, and practically yanked me in another direction.
I closed my eyes, trying to focus on the sounds, the feeling, before I could pinpoint what it was.
I was flying at break neck speed through the trees, trying to focus on anything that might lead me to my Nettie.
I could feel the unadulterated terror that coursed through her.
I smelt the fear oozing off of her, and the fact I could smell it was the only reason I was thankful for it.
I followed it a few miles until I heard it.
Like a whisper in my mind, but I could tell. It was them.
My stone brothers. They were guiding me, telling me where I needed to go, where I needed to already be to protect my mate, my pair. The other half of me. The person I so desperately wished to have a full, real life with just last night.
The western wall.
Hurry.
Five on one.
My wings pushed harder, taking me towards where she was undoubtedly surrounded.
A low, deep, primal growl erupted from my chest. I flew as fast as I could to the western wall.
I tried to keep my thoughts from turning murderous, but the moment I saw her, soaking wet, barefoot, and terrified, a feral, threatening growl burst from my chest, silencing the forest and surrounding area for a few beats.
There wasn’t a single sound from a living being to be heard.
The only audible sound was the faint roar of the fire, the place we should have been enjoying our evening, not here. Not ready to fight for her life.
Everything around us was frozen in fear at the murderous rage coming from me, except her.
Annette’s eyes searched for where the growl had come from, ready to defend herself against another.
Her head swiveled around until she locked on my eyes through the mask.
She looked slightly confused, but sensing I wasn’t a threat, she seemed to be more relieved than anything.
Her clothing was torn, practically hanging off of her body.
I dropped down, between them and her, unwilling to get them any closer, unwilling to allow them to do something more to her.
I ripped the mask off and tossed it aside.
I reached a hand back, reaching, searching, for her.
When her hand touched mine, I began to feel myself growing.
When I chanced a glance down at my other hand, there were marble claws where my human hand had been just minutes ago.
I smirked back at the wolves surrounding us.
I took a large step back so she was pressed against me, right between my wings.
I knew she would know what to do. I squeezed her hand in mine before letting go, my other hand morphing into the sharp marble claws, ready for action.
No one moved for what felt like forever, but was most likely only half a minute.
I locked eyes with the one in front of me and it was like the air had charged with something dangerous, something deadly.
And then, right at the fever pitch of the silence, they moved.
I moved in tandem, always keeping Annette protected by my wings.
I grabbed one wolf by the scruff on his neck as he lunged.
Once I felt Annette’s arms link around my neck, I took him up about twenty feet before kicking him away and letting him fall.
I moved Annette somewhere safe, then I dove back in.
Before that wolf landed, the other four were on me, running after me, snapping at my wings and feet.
I laughed maniacally as they chased me. I slammed into one before he could take a bite out of my wings, shoving him into the solid stone wall.
I ducked under another, coming out on the other side of the wolf, confusing it, before using all of my weight to shove it into the wall also.
I had taken three of the five out already, thinking I was ahead, but it wasn’t until I noticed one broke off and began to double back, that I had miscalculated.
I took the lone wolf that was following me and shook him, losing him just inside the trees, before doubling back myself and rushing to her.
I was coming up on the guard tower where I had set her when the voices went through my mind again.
Catacombs.
Master.
Danger.
I flew up around the top of the tower and there she was, standing on a ledge, trying to judge if she could jump up and onto the roof of the tower as the wolf snarled and snapped at her, taunting and teasing her.
The look in that wolf’s eyes as he licked his chops while watching the fear on her face had me livid once more.
He shifted back into his human form right as she jumped to grab the roof tiles.
“Get your filthy hands off her!” I shouted as he reached out to pull her back to him by her legs.
She was barely gripping the tiles as is, and I needed to get to her, without him holding her.
I felt like I was between a rock and a hard place as I gripped his arm in my claws and broke it, lifting him into the air with me, and away from her.
We struggled as he tried to turn back into his wolf, but for some reason, couldn’t seem to connect with the beast. I gripped his throat, pulling his face close to mine.
“Come near her again, I’ll fucking kill you. Slowly. So slowly you’ll beg for death,” I let him see the blank, dead, and slightly psychotic look in my eyes that told him I had killed before and I would happily kill again. Only for her.
“She’s mine,” I growled.
He let out a whimper that I think was supposed to be intimidating.
I growled back, pulling him closer still.
Recognition flashed in his eyes and fury sprang forth from him with renewed vigor.
I smirked, and opened my hand that was holding him by his neck.
Knowing, filled his eyes, like it had just dawned on him that I was the only thing keeping him from falling.
Fear quickly replaced the knowing as my skin left his.
His arms flailed as he fell. I didn’t have time to enjoy the terror in his eyes as I looked back to my girl, my Annette, her hands slipping.
I flew to her, gently scooping her up like the true princess she was, and took her back to her room.
“Are…are you…” I could feel her eyes on me as I held her, my wings carrying us where we needed to go.
It was as if she was trying to see if it was really me.
I smirked down at her. I had told her I would be able to talk to her, I said nothing about taking on a more human-Esq form.
The calmer I became, the more my body went back to my human form, the claws turning back into hands.
We got to her balcony, and I gently placed her down, sitting on the edge of the railing like I used to when I was a gargoyle.
She turned and looked at me perched there, her eyes calculating and guarded.
I sat and waited, keeping perfectly still aside from breathing.
I waited until she approached me. She took a hesitant step forward, then another.
I waited still, as her hand rose, shaking slightly as she moved the hair from my eyes.
I kept my eyes closed for a moment as I reveled in the warmth of her skin, the electric touch that ran between us.
I nuzzled my cheek into her hand and when I opened my eyes, her breath caught, the quick intake, shock marring her face as she pulled her hand back.
I detested the loss of contact when her touch disappeared. I instantly reached for her hand, but she kept them curled together in the middle of her chest like she was clutching her pearls.
“Burchard?” Her voice came out unsure and shaky. I locked my eyes with hers and gently took her hands in mine. I pressed her hand to my face again, leaning into her soft, warmth. I smiled, my large canines still prominent.
“Annette,” my voice came out deeper and rougher than anticipated, as I started to enjoy her touch a little too much. I simply smiled at her, willing to deal with the consequences of enjoying her warmth later.
“Have I ever told you how much I like your eyes?” Her voice was soft, awe-struck as she spoke, leaning in closer to me.
She took two steps forward, her body pressed tightly against mine.
I smiled at her, cupping her face. I kept glancing at her lips, and began to slowly lean down.
Her eyes darted down to my lips and back again, becoming half hooded as she started to lean up on her toes into my embrace, meeting me halfway.
My left arm snaked around her waist, pulling her in as my right hand tangled in her snow-white hair.
She slipped her arms around my neck, pulling me completely flush against her as I stood, lifting her to me.
I sat on the top of the railing, pulling her down to straddle me.
When she pulled her lips from mine, her cheeks were flushed a beautiful pink.
She gave me a lazy smile, blatantly staring at my mouth. I stared at hers as I spoke to her.
“This…might not be the right timing for this, but..” I shrugged, removing the hand that was tangled in her hair, “Your father came to visit me today. He gave me this necklace and infused it with Fae magic.” I touched the crystal around my neck.
Her eyes lingered on it before her fingers gently brushed across it.
“To assist in the change?” I nodded. She seemed to accept that answer for a split second, before shivering and curling closer to my body.
I did the princely thing and slid my jacket off, gently placing it on her shoulders, dwarfing her in it.
She looked so good in my clothes, and that made me feel all kinds of feelings that were wildly inappropriate for this specific moment.
“Why did he?” Her question, unfinished and lingering between us. I just smiled gently at her, tucking a piece of hair that had fallen loose behind her ear.
“He said…we’re a pair. We’re mates.” I kissed her nose as her eyes went wide in shock. She sat there, one hand holding my jacket on, the other still around my neck, and looking like I had just dropped a nuclear bomb on her reality.
“How?” The single word filled with some much disbelief and hope.
“I wanted it,” Her eyes widened further at my words, “He said when I wished for it, the act…what we were doing…making love on the altar, that’s when it happened,” I watched her face fall as I explained, “If you don’t…want me, this bond between us…”