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  “You felt malevolence in the air?” Zander asked her.

  “Well... Um, I don’t know if I’d call it...that,” she said, confusion heavy in her voice. And then she shrugged. “But there’s definitely something.”

  The braid holding her dark hair in place had worked its way loose in the scuffle, and the front of her t-shirt was torn. As she took a couple of steps back from him to brush the hair from her face and straighten her clothes, Zander’s eyes caught the pale swell of her left breast.

  For the first time in centuries, he found himself unable to control the hardening of the flesh between his legs. The loincloth tied around his hips began to stir, and he prayed to the gods no one would notice, especially not the woman standing in front of him.

  “Did you recognize the male?” Adan snarled low as he walked toward them.

  After Mabon and Kenyon collected their bearings, they joined the group.

  “Yes,” Zander replied with a frown.

  “You know who attacked me?” the woman asked, and then she appeared to take in the men, or rather the beasts, which had come to her aid.

  “King Xavier,” Zander said. How could it be? And why?

  “Are you certain?” Mabon asked.

  Zander nodded.

  “Impossible,” Kenyon retorted in a clipped tone. “We watched him die at your hand the year after we awoke.”

  A vision of that day flickered in Zander’s mind. A vivid image of his hands wrapped around the king’s throat.

  “Uh, what’s that?” the woman muttered, raising a brow.

  “Not in front of the innocent,” Zander projected to the others.

  “Who is King Xavier?”

  “Fine,” Henrik said. “Kenyon is right, Zander. We each witnessed the king draw the final breath of his life.”

  “I do not know how it is possible,” Magnus added. “But I too saw the king with my own eyes, holding the woman.”

  From the corner of his eye, Zander watched the young woman studying each of them. The expression on her face revealed her curiosity. He wondered what thoughts raced through her mind as she looked them over. Each of the beasts stood no less than seven feet in height, and Adan being the smallest of the six weighed in around four-hundred-twenty pounds.

  With little effort, Zander could slip into her thoughts if he chose to. However, he never invaded another’s mind without consent. He’d always considered the ‘ability’ an invasion of one’s privacy, and never used it as a means to gain the upper hand.

  When her gaze settled upon him, for the second time in as many moments, Zander lost the ability to control his body’s reaction. Her eyes were the most brilliant blue he’d ever seen. The pure innocence within the sparkling orbs triggered something primal in him. As they traveled over every inch of his enormous frame, his flesh felt singed.

  “The woman felt the king’s presence,” Mabon interjected into Zander’s thoughts. “Do you think he is after her specifically?”

  “I believe it’s a possibility which should not be ignored,” Adan replied.

  The woman’s studious examination of him and his fellow beasts did not make Zander feel at all violated. He found her innocence and curiosity intriguing. With a slight tilt of her head, she appeared to seek a better look at the wings protruding from his back. Without thought, Zander spread them, providing her an exceptional view of them fully expanded. An appreciative smile curled her lips, and her eyes flickered with excitement.

  “Hmm, I have a sneaking suspicion you guys aren’t from around here, are you?”

  The six gargoyles were engaged in their mental conversation, and not one of them acknowledged her question.

  Her gaze roamed down the length of his body, coming to a brief stop just below his waist. The sight of her teeth sinking into her lower lip had the blood flowing straight to his cock. Zander cringed inwardly as he thought of his loincloth coming to life before her eyes.

  For what he felt was the first time in his long existence, the gods must have been smiling down on him. Her eyes continued on their journey to settle on his feet, where long talons dug into the earth.

  Shifting his tail between his parted legs, Zander flicked the tip as if waving to her. A soft giggle slipped past her lips.

  It was evident the woman felt no fear, and Zander couldn’t help but wonder why that was. From all sides towering, mythological creatures of ancient folklore surrounded her. Living, breathing beasts. She should be terrified.

  “All right then,” Henrik said. “What do we do with the woman?”

  “We will see that she gets home safely,” Mabon said. “And then we will–”

  “I believe the king has her in his sights,” Adan stated with firmness that would not be ignored. “Until we know why, she should stay with us. We will be able to keep her safe.”

  As they carried on with their conversation, Zander noticed her head turning toward each of his comrades as they spoke. Was it possible she could hear them? If such was the case, there was something very extraordinary about the woman in their midst.

  “I see a lot of muscle here. Are you guys as hard as you look?”

  Zander came to a decision. It would be for the best, and most importantly for her safety. She already knew too much about them, and appeared far too comfortable among them. Using his gift, he would render her unconscious and search through her bag for an address to her home.

  Zander didn’t feel completely confident the king’s sights were on this woman specifically. Why would they be? She appeared to be a regular mortal woman. Zander didn’t see a connection.

  After they settled her in her home, they would keep surveillance for a few days to be sure she remained safe.

  The thought of leaving the woman alone disturbed Zander in a manner causing him some alarm. Yes, she certainly was a feisty one, and appeared to be able to handle herself for the most part. Nevertheless, coming face-to-face with the king after close to two-hundred years had sparked an array of questions for which Zander could not find any answers.

  Protectiveness like nothing he remembered experiencing in the past surfaced–this woman was his responsibility. He would personally see to her safety and well-being. He alone would protect her.

  Zander would have no trouble watching over the woman after the sun set, however through the day was going to prove a problem. He would have to enlist the assistance of Jeff for the daylight hours.

  Zander waved his hand in front of the woman’s eyes to take away her memory of them and send her into a state of deep sleep.

  She blinked back, unfazed, and raised an eyebrow.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, crossing her arms over her breasts.

  The others stopped communicating through thought, and finally glanced down at her.

  “Attempting to erase your memory of us.” Zander wiggled his fingers in front of his eyes in confusion. “But you seem to possess an ability to block me.”

  “Why the hell would you want to take away my memory?”

  “Because you have seen us, and you are unafraid. It will be safer for you with no memory of what you have witnessed this night,” Zander said, still examining his hand. Meeting her speculative glare, he felt the need to add, “And you have quite a mouth for a lady.”

  “Bite me,” the woman replied with a challenging grin.

  Zander forced a wide smile, displaying the sharp points of his fangs. “Do not tempt me, young one.”

  “Oh, now I get it...you’re the big bad bully of this band of merry men?”

  The other beasts broke out in laughter.

  Zander grinned. She had spirit.

  “Well, taking away her memory of us didn’t work,” Kenyon said. “Now what?”

  “We must eliminate her,” Magnus replied.

  “Eliminate me?” she repeated, turning her head to him and narrowing her eyes. “I’m not sure I like the sound of that.”

  “We don’t kill innocents,” Adan stated sharply.

  “Well, that’s a reli
ef,” the woman said, placing her hands on her hips. “The last I checked ‘innocents’ don’t much like that either.”

  “But she has seen us,” Henrik reminded them. “She will reveal us and what we are.”

  “I’m not going to tell anyone about you! Get over yourselves. And stop talking about me like I’m not here.”

  “You can hear our thoughts,” Mabon exclaimed in surprise.

  “Of course I can hear you,” she answered with an annoyed shake of her head. “I have ‘the gift,’” she added, a hint of defiance in her voice.

  Zander nodded. “Then it is a possibility.” The answer to one of his questions now confirmed. “The young one is in danger.”

  “Hey, I’m twenty-eight. Watch it with the ‘young one’ stuff.”

  “And I am over two-hundred-thirty,” Zander replied, pulling himself to his full height and inhaling a deep breath, expanding his broad chest.

  “Wow.” The woman looked at him wide-eyed. “You’re old.”

  The five other gargoyles snickered.

  “Not as old as some,” he snarled over the top of her head. The chortling died off. “And you are a child,” he said, looking down to her again.

  “I am not a child,” she growled back.

  Zander laughed heartily, finding amusement as the woman grew flustered. “You are a youngling.”

  The woman stepped forward and poked Zander in the middle of his hard, muscled chest.

  “You call me a child one more time, you overgrown beast, and I’ll knock you into the middle of next month.”

  Zander took a step back, and his comrades laughed.

  Adan chuckled. “Damn, I’d like to see that, babe.”

  Zander released a mighty roar, stirring the stray dark curls framing the woman’s pretty face. She didn’t even flinch. Instead, she placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head to one side, a sparkle glinting in her eye.

  “Feel better?” she asked with a smile.

  “Not by a long shot,” Zander grumbled. “You better not be more effort than you are worth, woman.” Taking a step forward, he scooped her up effortlessly with one arm and launched himself in the air.

  Chapter 3

  “Hey, you brute!” the woman squealed, pounding clenched fists on his chest. “What the hell are you doing? Where are you taking me?”

  “You are not safe on your own,” Zander replied. “At least not until I find out what the king wants with you.”

  Higher and higher, Zander and his five friends climbed into the sky. The woman in his arms shifted and looked at the growing distance between them and the ground.

  “I think I’m going to be sick,” she choked out, throwing her arms over his shoulders and wrapping her legs around his waist. “I’m sorry I poked you and called you a beast. Please don’t drop me,” she pleaded.

  “I will not drop you, little one,” Zander said softly against the top of her head.

  “What did I tell you about calling me that?” she said in a croaking, nervous tone against his neck.

  Zander chuckled and wrapped his free arm around her in an effort to make her feel more safe and secure. After a moment, he felt her body relax in his arms, but her grip on him remained firm.

  “I am Zander,” he said. “And what may I call you, young–milady?”

  “E-Elena,” she whispered. “My name is Elena.”

  * * * *

  The flight across the night sky seemed to take forever as far as Elena was concerned. She didn’t dare chance pulling her face from the crook of the beast’s neck as he held her tight against him. Despite her confidence he wouldn’t drop her, Elena refused to loosen her hold.

  The creature who held her tightly had taken her breath away when she’d first seen him moments before. The wavy locks of his long, dark hair blew in the gentle breeze. Elena found herself wanting to reach up to enmesh her fingers in the thick tresses.

  His voice had been confident, the smoky tone soothing. Standing in place, unmoving, he’d looked as though he’d been carved from stone. Yet under her hands, against her cheek, his flesh was warm, the texture soft, and the muscles beneath firm. The expression of seriousness that seemed permanently etched in his face didn’t take away from how handsome the man, er, beast was.

  When she’d fired him up and a roar had burst from his full lips, his eyes had taken on an eerie amber glow which had stirred her arousal, rather than scared her.

  When he’d wrapped his arm around her and leapt into the air, climbing into the night sky, Elena had been startled. Having a fear of heights since childhood, she had never even set foot in an airplane. As far as she was concerned, if people were meant to fly, they would be born with wings. But she might have to reconsider that now given that the being holding her possessed wings.

  The weight of his strong arms cradling her made her feel secure, safe. Elena believed with every fiber of her being the beast holding her as they flew across the vast dark heavens would protect her with his life. She wondered for a split second why it was so easy for her to believe such a thing.

  The flip of her belly told her they were descending toward the ground. A soft thump and sudden stop signaled their landing.

  “We are down now, Elena,” Zander said, yet his arms remained where they were. “Elena?”

  “Huh? Oh, uh, okay,” she mumbled, and unwrapped herself from Zander’s body. As her feet touched the ground, her knees threatened to buckle.

  “Easy does it.” Zander held her upright with his hands on her hips.

  Only a handful of seconds passed before Elena’s land legs came back to her.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “You are welcome.”

  In quick succession, five additional thuds sounded as the others landed.

  “Where are we?” Elena asked, putting a little distance between her and the creature standing before her.

  “We are on the roof of the Regency Hotel,” someone answered from behind her in a deep booming voice.

  “What!” Elena squeaked, grabbing Zander’s forearm in a death grip. “The Regency is–is–for-forty-five st-stories high.”

  “Oh yeah, babe, it’s an awesome height for a free-fall launch.” With arms outstretched simulating flying, another gargoyle jested with a teasing grin.

  “Elena does not like heights,” Zander remarked in a gentle tone, attempting to pry her dug-in fingertips from his arm.

  The second beast made a face. “That’s going to make it tough for flying, babe.”

  With the expanse of his large hand pressed against the small of her back, Zander led Elena closer to the huge beasts watching her. She found herself staring at creatures she’d only read about in storybooks. Though they possessed human-like qualities in their appearance, the beasts before her were definitely the beings of childhood nightmares.

  Then why wasn’t she afraid? Okay, she wasn’t a child, but she should at least be mildly frightened. Not once in the past fifteen minutes had a shiver of fear struck her. Well, besides the flying. Of course, learning she stood on the tallest structure in the city didn’t bode very well either.

  The comfort Elena felt around the beasts made her feel protected and safe, and warm.

  “You are gargoyles?” she uttered, more as a statement rather than a question, glancing up at Zander. “Living, breathing, gargoyles.”

  The seductive emerald green of his eyes reflected the smile curling his lips.

  “Yes,” he replied. “Living and breathing, for the time being anyway.”

  Each beast was enormous, standing between seven and eight feet tall, she guessed. If they were as solid as they appeared, their weight would be unimaginable. The tips of their ears were pointed, and each seemed to be sporting a rather sharp and impressive set of fangs. Although for the most part, their muscular physiques were quite similar, Elena could easily identify their individuality.

  “Elena, allow me to introduce you to our clan,” Zander said. “Funny boy here is Adan.”

  “A ple
asure, milady.” The one who’d taken to calling her ‘babe’ seemed to have a sense of humor. His eyes were the most vibrant violet she had ever seen, his skin a deep shade of lavender, and he hadn’t a single strand of hair atop his head. Adan mocked tipping a pretend hat as he bowed before her.

  “You’re trouble,” she chided.

  “So I’ve been told,” he replied.

  “This is Mabon.”

  “Milady.” The hue of his flesh held a reddish tint, just a shade lighter than the hair on his head. The brilliant yellow of his eyes had her skin pebbling with goose flesh.

  Still, she wasn’t afraid.

  As she glanced around, nodding to each beast, Elena tried not to stare too hard at the one eyeing her with multi-colored locks. His hair hung down the middle of his back, streaked the various colors of a rainbow. She wondered if Zander read her mind as he introduced the beast next.

  “Our very own paint chart over there is Kenyon.”

  A warm smile and a nod were her greeting. Then he offered her a quick wink, making Elena giggle.

  “And the elders of our clan are Henrik and Magnus.”

  “Welcome to our lair, Elena,” the one named Magnus said. He too wore his hair long, which was spattered salt and pepper; mostly salt. His piercing black eyes felt as though they were seeing into her very soul. His skin was the same shade of gray as a cinder block.

  “It is our pleasure to have you here,” Henrik added. This beast had long white hair, which appeared very thick. Hypnotizing crystal blue eyes met hers, accentuated by the darkness of his skin.

  “Thank you,” she said. “And thank you, all of you, for hearing me and coming to my aid.”

  “Again,” Magnus said, “it is our pleasure to have been of service to you.”

  “I have questions,” Elena blurted out.

  “Of course you do,” Henrik replied. “You will be staying with us for a spell,” he continued. His voice left no room for discussion on the matter. “Why don’t you freshen up first, then we will speak.”

  “Oh. Okay,” Elena stammered. Though comfortable in the beasts’ presence, she remained uncertain about staying with them. “Uh, where?”