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  When Zander turned her around, she spied a sliding glass door leading into a room. “We are on the terrace of the penthouse suite,” he said and led her toward the door. “No one has stayed here in over forty years. The housekeeping crews never come up.”

  “How come? This is the poshest hotel in the city. Why would no one stay up here?”

  “Rumor has it the penthouse is haunted.” Adan chuckled.

  “Really? I didn’t know that.”

  “Apparently six gargoyle statues here on the terrace has given the penthouse a bad rap.” Zander shrugged. “Mortals have a perception that–”

  “I know, gargoyles are evil, as opposed to guardians and protectors.”

  Zander slid the door open and ushered Elena into the large suite. He ducked beneath the frame, following her in.

  They stood in the vast open space of a sitting area with two couches, a recliner chair, and a big screen plasma television mounted on one wall. Zander gave her a quick tour, showing her a full service kitchen, two bedrooms and three bathrooms.

  “Do you guys even use this suite?” she queried, awed at how spotless it was, considering that six man-beasts occupied it.

  “Yes.” He chuckled. “Our needs are easily met. None of us like living in filth, so we tend to keep our lair tidy.”

  “Hell, I live by myself and I’m not this clean.” Elena laughed. “I can’t believe six of you share this space.”

  “There are clean towels in the bathroom through there, and you should find the necessities to freshen up.”

  “Thank you, Zander.” Elena reached up, placing her hand on the firm muscle of his left pec. “I’d already had a rough day before the attack, and what I’d really love is to take a long, hot shower.”

  “Take your time, Elena.” His deep voice soothed her. “There is a robe hanging behind the door, it is clean and warm. Wrap yourself in it when you are finished. I will wash your soiled clothes.”

  Elena nodded and held Zander’s gaze for several heartbeats before he turned and lumbered down the hallway.

  After pushing the door closed, Elena peeled off her dirty clothes and leaned into the tub to turn on the water. It surprised her to find bottles of shampoo and conditioner, and then she caught herself snickering. With all the hair the six beasts had between them, why wouldn’t they use shampoo?

  There wasn’t a bar of soap to be found, but rather a vast assortment of body washes, and not a single one with a floral or feminine fragrance. Elena giggled at the absurdity of her thoughts while sniffing several varieties. Choosing the one she was certain she’d smelled on Zander’s skin, she climbed into the shower.

  With her shower finished, Elena dried off and wrapped her hair turban style on the top of her head. Plucking the plush, black robe off the hook on the back of the door, Elena stared down at herself after fastening the belt around her waist. The robe hung to the floor, hiding her feet from view. Despite the curves of her hips and the ampleness of her breasts, the garment was miles too big for her and fit like a burlap sack.

  Taking a look at her reflection in the moderately fogged up mirror, she shrugged and reached for the door.

  The sitting area was empty, and the sound of voices drifted in through the open glass door to the terrace.

  “Well, we’re going to have to do something,” Elena heard Mabon say as she approached the door.

  “If he is out there, we must find him,” Magnus added.

  “We will,” Henrik said.

  Elena was just about to step out on the terrace when she felt someone watching her from behind. Turning her head, she met Zander’s gaze.

  “Did your shower feel good?” he asked with a knowing grin.

  Elena nodded, easily returning his smile. As her eyes held his, she noticed a dishtowel slung over his right shoulder. The way he leaned lazily against the doorframe, Elena couldn’t stop herself from thinking about how incredibly sexy he looked.

  “Would you like a beverage?” he asked. “Water, juice?”

  “What would the chances be of you having something a little stronger?” she asked, and turned to walk toward him.

  “Very good,” he replied with a nod. A deep chuckle reverberated through her as he pushed himself away from the frame, allowing her to enter the kitchen. “How powerful are you looking for?”

  “Got anything that bites back?” She snickered.

  “Besides me?” His tone teased, however his eyes darkened, almost as if he were aroused.

  Elena shivered at the intensity of his gaze. “H-how about a rum and diet cola,” she stammered.

  “I’ve got something even better,” Zander said. “If rum is your pleasure.”

  I’m not sure you’d be willing to tackle my pleasure, she thought as she studied his bulging, muscular frame.

  Zander shot her a glance that sent a pulse straight to the juncture between her legs. The inside of her thighs grew damp.

  Hmm, if I can hear their thoughts, they can probably hear mine. I’d better be careful of that.

  A soft chuckle shook Zander’s shoulders.

  He pulled a bottle containing a dark amber liquid from a cupboard and poured a healthy shot into a blender sitting on the countertop. Opening the refrigerator door, he grabbed some items, then added fresh berries, pineapple and orange juice to the blender.

  “Kenyon is addicted to fruit smoothies,” Zander said.

  “Ahh, interesting.”

  He deposited ice cubes into the concoction, placed the lid on top and then pressed the blend button. When the whirling ended, Zander removed the pitcher from the base and pulled a tall glass from the cupboard. After filling it, he pushed a straw into the mixture and set a paper umbrella on the rim.

  Turning toward her, he extended the glass and gave her a wink. “For you, milady.”

  “Thank you.” Accepting the glass, Elena moaned inwardly at the huskiness of his deep voice. Placing the straw between her lips, she took a sip of the pinkish-colored slush and closed her eyes. “Oh, Zander, this is fabulous. I can’t even taste the booze.”

  “Well, you said you wanted something that bit back.” He grinned. “You shouldn’t have to wait too long. Come on.” He picked up a platter of sandwiches off the counter. “You must be famished.”

  Feeling the need to ‘second’ Zander’s motion, Elena’s belly rumbled angrily.

  “That answers that,” he said. “It’s a nice night, we will eat out on the terrace.”

  Elena preceded Zander onto the terrace, and the conversation between the others trailed off. She stopped for a moment, feeling uncomfortable for interrupting them.

  “I’m sorry,” she began to say. “Should I leave you guys to–”

  “You should come and sit,” Kenyon replied and pulled a chair over to the glass-topped table in the middle of the terrace. “You have had a trying evening, you need to eat, then rest.”

  Elena nodded. “And I have questions, remember?”

  “Of course, milady,” Henrik said.

  The conversation over their meager meal remained light and casual.

  As the minutes ticked away, Elena found it difficult to focus as they talked. Now that her belly was full, and her drink had bitten back as she’d requested, her eyelids grew heavier as the moments passed.

  With one elbow on the table, Elena rested her chin in the palm of her hand and decided to close her eyes for just a few minutes. A second wind would be hers soon enough, and then she would start firing her questions to the gargoyles conversing around the table.

  Elena had no idea how much time had passed, but she awoke to strong arms scooping her up from the chair. Nestling herself against the firm body cradling her, she instantly caught Zander’s scent. A moment later, she was settled on the comfortable surface of a bed, robe and all, and felt the blankets being pulled up to her neck. Along her sides, he tucked the blankets in, making her cozy.

  “Sleep well, young one,” she heard him whisper in the darkness in his deep voice.

  “Don�
�t call me that,” she replied, through an unladylike yawn.

  Zander’s soft chuckle made her grin.

  “Good night, milady.”

  “Good night, my lord.”

  * * * *

  Zander took a step away from the bed where Elena now lay. The dark curls atop her head covered the pillow, and soft sounds slipped past her full lips as she drifted off to sleep. It took every fiber of his cursed being not to lean down and press his lips to hers. He imagined they would be soft against his, and her taste, like sweet ambrosia.

  Through the window, the moon from the heavens above cast a glow across the bed, making Elena appear even more angelic.

  Her presence stirred something inside him; something Zander assumed was long since deceased. Perhaps the Fates would allow Zander an opportunity to learn more about the woman who lay before him. Something about her presence sparked a fire inside him that he found exciting, refreshing, and welcoming to his mundane, cursed existence.

  The light of her heart drew him to her, and he was unable and unwilling to fight the pull.

  As he watched Elena sleep a few minutes longer, instinct told Zander his life was about to change.

  Forever.

  Chapter 4

  Something woke Elena with a start. When she looked out the window it was still dark, but dawn approached. Various shades of grays, pinks and oranges streaked the sky, bringing the world to life. The air seemed to crackle with an electric current.

  Her body began to tingle and her mind raced. Scenes from the night before replayed in her thoughts as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Elena found relief now that she was awake. The previous night hadn’t been a dream. The beasts were real. For reasons she had yet to figure out, their lives intersected with hers. But why? What common denominator could she possibly share with them? She wondered if they’d been introduced into her life to help her. Or was it the other way around?

  She had no idea what a clan of gargoyles would need her help with. They were large in size and shape, had the advantage of flight, and according to Zander with his memory erasing thingy, possessed some type of magical abilities. What could they want with her? She was a mere mortal, a librarian technician who took care of a stray cat, and chose to keep to herself.

  As far as Elena was concerned, there just wasn’t anything extraordinary about her.

  Tightening the belt around her waist, she adjusted the robe before walking out of the bedroom. Her thoughts wandered to Zander. Something about him sparked her arousal. But there was more to her attraction besides the way her body yearned for his touch. Yet the thought of the two of them being together was absurd.

  I’m a mortal. A plain, ordinary woman, with nothing spectacular to offer him.

  Aside from keeping her safe and making her feel protected, Zander had given no indication he felt an attraction toward her. And why would he? They were too different. They were strangers. Well, there had been several heated glances between them, but Elena was probably just being hopeful about what she’d read in his expression.

  Never having been in love before, Elena wondered if what she felt toward the man was just that. From the moment she’d laid eyes on him, something drew her to him. Zander’s deep commanding voice was soothing, the woodsy scent of his hard flesh an aphrodisiac to her senses. His touch, electric.

  As she’d watched him blend her cocktail in the kitchen the night before, Elena never wanted to be apart from Zander. Attentiveness came naturally to him. Never before had she felt as safe as she had when in his arms.

  The man was walking power, confidence, and utter dominance.

  Wrapped in Zander’s embrace felt right, exactly where she was meant to be. Elena knew the Fates worked in mysterious ways, but to bring a mystical creature and a mortal woman together, seemed a little far-fetched, even for the Fates. Within the pages of a romance novel was where that sort of fantasy could be found.

  The sky grew brighter as Elena arrived in the sitting area. She found it empty, which didn’t really surprise her. The beasts seemed to prefer being outdoors, only using the kitchen to prepare their meals.

  An eerie silence drew her attention to the terrace, and as she stepped through the open door, she spied the six beasts perched around the ledge facing the world.

  “Guys?” For the first time since crossing paths with the beasts, Elena grew nervous. “What’s going on? The air feels funny.”

  Six pairs of glowing eyes, each a different color, turned to her.

  “Guys?” she repeated with caution.

  The look on their faces brought her a sense of comfort. Elena was concerned, but now unafraid.

  Yet rather confused.

  * * * *

  “Go back inside, Elena,” Zander snarled. He didn’t recognize his own voice. “Now.”

  The hurt look in her eyes at his sharpness almost had him vacating his perch to gather her in his arms, but considering the time, it would be disastrous and the effort futile. He desperately wanted to assure her everything would be okay, but he wasn’t confident of that himself.

  The sun was rising.

  “Actually, Elena, you need to leave. Run. Run before the sun crests,” he barked out as an order. “And do not look back.”

  Confusion danced in her eyes as her mouth opened to speak.

  Zander did not want Elena to witness his transformation to stone.

  But it was too late.

  He felt helpless when he saw her wide-eyed expression as the change began. He could no longer speak, to tell her once again to go.

  Crackling filled the air, and Zander felt his feet begin to harden, taking root on his perch atop the ledge. Up his legs, the stone climbed. Of their own volition, his wings spread wide and his back hunched slightly as his body turned to stone.

  Over his shoulder, Zander watched Elena’s face turn white and suspected the blood drained to her feet at the scene unfolding in front of her. Her body wavered. The sound of terror in her voice filled the air swirling around the terrace as she screamed, “No!”

  Taking a deep breath as the final seconds of the transformation turned his body to stone, Zander allowed himself one last thought. Elena would be gone when he woke at nightfall, of that he was certain.

  There would be no possibility of her feeling safe around him, around them, after watching their change into statues. During the final moment as his senses deadened, he hated himself and what he was. Damn you to the fires of hell! he cursed the Fates, furious he hadn’t been allowed the opportunity to explain things to her. To tell her what he was feeling toward her.

  A mighty roar echoed in the recesses of his mind as his surroundings faded into nothingness.

  * * * *

  As dusk descended over the city, Zander’s senses again began to stir. He imagined the stasis his body experienced during the daylight hours was the equivalent of death itself. He felt and heard nothing. He saw nothing. And yet, knew he was still alive.

  The change would come soon. The sensations were growing stronger.

  There was a chill in the air tonight.

  As Zander anxiously waited for the sun to set, he felt a loss unlike anything he ever had in the past. That morning, something inside him died.

  A few more minutes was all he had to wait.

  However once the sun set, he had no idea what he would do. The night before he’d learned nothing of Elena, he had no idea where he could find her now that she was gone.

  She deserved an explanation.

  The last of the sun finally disappeared, and a painful sensation began to stir inside him. The brief splinters of agony only served to remind him of what he was.

  The sounds of exploding concrete shattered the silence of the night and a mighty roar echoed around the terrace, closely followed by several others.

  Any other night, Zander would have launched himself off the side of the building without a second thought to exercise his stiff muscles. But tonight he spun around, hopeful.

  In the middle of the te
rrace Elena stood, beaming.

  The sparkling of her eyes made Zander’s heart swell, not to mention another part of his anatomy. Her beautiful lips were curled in a slight smile. With confidence she stood, her hands behind her back, the gentle curve of her hips drawing his attention. Zander took comfort in her presence, her support warming him.

  She was here.

  “Good evening,” she said. “Did you sleep well?”

  Zander leapt off his perch and closed the distance between them, and pulled her against his towering body. Her arms wrapped around his frame, returning his embrace.

  “You are here,” he said.

  “You sound surprised.” She chuckled against his chest.

  “I am,” Zander admitted.

  “Hey, Elena,” Adan called over as he landed. “You came back.”

  “I never left,” she said.

  “But, I saw–” Zander began, but she interrupted him.

  “I couldn’t. The thought of leaving never crossed my mind.” She shrugged. “The six of you are so vulnerable as statues. Through your conversation last night, you indicated I may be in danger, and something about a king. I don’t understand it all. But you came to my rescue, and the thought that I may have put you guys in danger... Well, if something happened to any of you I could never forgive myself.”

  “So you stayed here out of pity,” Mabon stated simply, nothing accusatory in his tone.

  “No,” Elena snapped, turning to glare at him.

  “Then guilt,” Henrik retorted, his tone matching Mabon’s.

  A savage growl rose from deep within Elena.

  Six pairs of eyes grew wide.

  “Don’t you dare insinuate that I am not being sincere, you beasts. Believe it or not, I actually care about what could happen to you while you are unable to defend yourselves. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Crystal, babe.” Adan laughed.

  “Your clothes are different,” Zander said, sliding his hands down the length of her arms. Her body shivered under his touch.

  “Well, that’s an interesting story.” Elena giggled. “You guys should have warned me someone watches over you through the daytime hours. The man who arrived here shortly after you changed was as shocked to see me as I was to see him. I nearly hit him over the head with a vase by the door when he tried to come in.”