Rage burned inside Aveoth as he stepped away from Jill. He’d tried to hide his stormy emotions with charm, but he no longer had a need for that. She wanted him to unleash his anger on the two clan members who’d brought her to him.
His dick was hard from knowing he’d soon be able to take her to his bed, but he ignored the discomfort it caused as he strode quickly to the strongly Lycan male who’d made threats of sexual torture against the delicate woman now under his protection. The scar on Boon’s face would be the least of his issues by morning.
He halted, though, and glanced back, rethinking it. He didn’t want to frighten her with a show of too much violence. “Are you certain?”
She nodded. “One hundred percent.”
“I’d never do this to you. I don’t hit women. Remember that.”
“No problem.” She raised a fist. “Give them hell.”
She amused him and he liked her immensely.
He faced the two VampLycans. One was obviously an enforcer of Decker’s, but the other was too soft to be a fighter. It didn’t matter. He went for the scarred one first.
He moved fast and punched him before he could react. Boon hit the ground with a grunt. Aveoth spun, kicking out. His boot made contact with the one in the suit at chest level, sending him flying a good eight feet.
He bent, grabbing hold of the despicable man who’d threatened to rape Jill. He broke his arm by holding it tight and slamming his knee into his opponent’s elbow. Boon roared in pain.
Aveoth spun him before he could recover and dropped him on the ground again. He stomped on his hand next, breaking more bones.
Aveoth glanced at Jill to gauge her reaction. She didn’t look horrified or afraid. Her attention was focused on the man now sprawled on the ground, cursing up a storm and rolling in agony.
“Enough or more?”
She tore her focus off Boon to stare into his eyes. “Hit him a few more times. He’s really a dickhead.”
“Your wish is my command.”
He kicked Boon in the ribs and then lifted him, throwing him into the side of the jet stairs. Boon slammed against them and fell to the pavement. The man groaned, still conscious but in serious pain.
The one in the suit had gotten up and tried to run into the woods. Aveoth caught him easily and threw him back toward the plane. He hit the ground rolling. Aveoth stalked after him and grabbed him by the nape of the neck as he attempted to stand.
“You don’t mistreat women,” Aveoth informed him. “It’s bad for your karma.” He threw him at the jet stairs and his victim couldn’t react fast enough to protect his face from the metal. The scent of blood filled the air. He wasn’t an enforcer, so Aveoth figured he’d done enough damage to that one. He’d have broken facial bones.
Boon got up, cradling his injured arm and hand. He snarled and glared at Jill.
Aveoth didn’t like the hateful look in the enforcer’s eyes. He approached him from behind and dug his clawed hand into the male’s scalp. Boon screamed. More blood spilled as Aveoth forced him to turn his head then leaned in until he knew he was all Boon could see.
“Never look at her that way again, or even have those thoughts.” He reached up and touched some of the blood spilling down the side of the VampLycan’s face from the wounds he’d created, as he continued to hold the man’s skull still, keeping his claws embedded into his scalp. He sniffed the blood, making a show of it so the jerk understood. “I can track you wherever you go. I know your scent now—and I won’t forget it. Kneel down and beg her forgiveness for the mistreatment she suffered at your hands.”
Boon didn’t do as he was told.
That pissed Aveoth off enough that he stepped to the side of him and used his boot to kick the jerk behind his knees. The enforcer collapsed hard, despite the fact that Aveoth still kept hold of his head. He reached down with his free hand and allowed his claws to lightly scratch the front of Boon’s throat.
“Should I offer her your head as an apology, or are you going to give her one yourself?” He whispered the words so Jill wouldn’t hear what he said.
“I’m sorry!” Boon yelled. “I’m an asshole. Can you forgive me, Jillian Milzner? I really mean it.”
Aveoth wasn’t impressed with the enforcer’s apology. It wasn’t a surprise. Decker had no decorum, so his enforcers had probably never learned true respect. He stared at Jill to see her reaction. She took a few steps closer then stopped in her tracks.
“Go to hell, dog breath.”
“I can’t kill him,” Aveoth informed her. “It wouldn’t be honorable since I did agree to a deal with Decker, allowing him and his followers to live in exchange for your life.”
She had beautiful light blue eyes when she locked gazes with him. “You messed him up. That’s enough. I just meant he’s going to hell. Assholes like that do.”
“Would you like me to break a few more of his bones?”
She came closer and studied the enforcer on his knees. Her eyes widened and she paled. Her gaze lifted to him. “What are those things shoved into his scalp?”
“My claws. They aren’t fully extended or he’d be dying. They’d be embedded into his brain. I didn’t fully pierce the bone but I have a good hold on him.”
Jill waivered a little on her feet, but steadied before he felt the need to lunge forward if she appeared she might fall over. She swallowed and inched even closer, staring at Boon’s head. Her lips parted, then she sealed them tightly together.
“Do you wish me to break more of his bones?” Aveoth waited for a response.
She shook her head but didn’t look at him. She seemed engrossed with his claws. He released the enforcer’s head by harshly shoving him away. Boon whimpered and crawled toward the jet.
Aveoth watched Jill as she braved coming closer to him. He held still, allowing it.
She reached out toward his hand. He glanced down at it. His claws weren’t fully extended, as he’d said, but they dripped blood. She didn’t touch him but inches separated her fingertips from his claws.
“I wouldn’t hurt you, Jill. I’m going to retract my claws. Don’t be alarmed.” He pulled them in until only human fingernails remained.
Jill sucked in a sharp breath. “That’s not some kind of weaponized glove. It’s your hand.”
“Yes.”
She lifted her head and opened her mouth yet again, staring at him. “What are you?”
He hesitated. It started to sink in that she must not know the truth about her heritage, or that the others also weren’t human. He remembered what she’d told him. Her mother had been human and Decker’s son had never been a part of her life. It meant she’d probably been raised totally ignorant about her father.
“I’m a GarLycan.”
“What’s that?”
“My father was a full-blooded Gargoyle but my mother was half Gargoyle and half Lycan. I believe humans call them Werewolves. I’m predominantly Gargoyle, like all of my people are, regardless of the mixing of our bloodlines.”
“Oh.” She backed up a step. “So…you have wings?”
“Yes.” He reached down and rubbed his fingers on his pants to clean them in case she fainted. He didn’t want to taint her with the VampLycan’s blood.
“Can I see them? I mean, if you’re really a Gargoyle and not just some crazy guy with some kind of fake hand with weapons hidden inside the fingers, like small switchblades.”
“Fake hand?”
“You know. Prosthetics. I’ve seen some that look pretty real.”
She was looking for a reasonable explanation to cling to. He felt sympathy. “I’m not lying to you, Jill. I can show you my wings if you wish.”
The engine to the jet started, and he glanced back. Boon and Cole had boarded and retracted the stairs. The door was sealed. He could see the pilots through the front windows. They looked terrified as they readied to fly away. He didn’t blame them for wanting to flee. Jill was too close to the runway for his comfort, so it made sense to just take her home. He slowly turned, giving her his back.
“Don’t be alarmed. You want proof? Here it is.” Aveoth concentrated and felt the slight swelling as the skin along his shoulder blades stretched until the usually hidden slits parted. His wings grew outward as the bones shifted. He did it slowly so she could watch, and to avoid the searing pain of a fast transformation.
He extended his wings, showing their full expanse, then tucked them and turned around to see her reaction. Jill’s eyes were wide and her mouth hung open. She tried to speak, her lips moved, but no sound came out.
“I’m truly a GarLycan. Don’t fear me. I will never hurt you in any way.”
“Those bastards drugged me,” she whispered. “I’m high as a kite or Boon clocked me in the head so hard I’m hallucinating.”
“Would you like to feel my wings?” He carefully extended them forward, brushing her arm with the side of one.
She reached up timidly and he noticed how much her hand shook. Her touch was gentle as she caressed him and it made blood rush to his dick again. She wasn’t screaming or trying to run away. He was once again impressed with her bravery.
“And this is why I never did drugs,” she whispered. She looked away from his wing to hold his gaze. “I knew you were too hot to be real. They weren’t just smoking cigars on that plane. I must have gotten a contact high from hell.”
He stepped closer and cupped her waist with both hands. She didn’t flinch away. “I’m real. Feel me touching you?”
“Your wings are black. I thought angels had white ones.”
“I’m no angel.” He looked down at her cleavage. “Trust me. My thoughts aren’t pure.”
“You want to do me, don’t you?”
“I want to take you to my bed. Yes.”
“Yeah.” She placed both her palms on his chest. “This is like the mother of all wet dreams. You’re a hot warrior dude who kicks bad-guy ass and then wants to nail me. The wings are a bonus.”
He arched an eyebrow.
“But scowling face isn’t hot. Smile for me.”
It wasn’t hard to do. She amused him. “Your mind is trying to come up with a reasonable excuse to explain what you can’t comprehend. It’s normal, but you aren’t drugged and I am very real.”
She licked her lips. They were plush, and her mouth looked very enticing to kiss. “Let’s just go with the drugs. Otherwise this hallucination is going to transform into some kind of nightmare where you turn into a monster trying to murder me. This is my wet dream.”
He chuckled. She’d eventually have to accept reality. “Fine. Let’s go flying. Have you ever wanted to do that?”
“I just did.” She turned her head. “The jet is moving. They’re turning it around.”
“I’m aware. Flying with me will be much more fun. Put your arms around my neck. I’m going to lift you up and hold you close. Wrap your legs around my waist. It will be more comfortable for you that way while we’re in the air.”
He bent down enough so she could reach him. She wasn’t tall, the way he usually liked his lovers. He’d adjust. She surprised him by doing as he asked. The feel of her arms wrapping around his neck heated his blood. He glanced at her neck and desire shot through him so strong, it astonished him. He wanted to sink his fangs into her and take a taste. It had been so damn long since he’d drank blood from her family line.
He clenched his jaw and kept his lips pressed together. He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He craved to get her naked so they’d be skin to skin. He adjusted his hold on her, curving one arm under her generous ass he couldn’t wait to explore later, and securing his other arm to support her upper back. The cape trapped beneath his arms, still wrapped around her body, should keep her warm.
He flexed his wings and looked at the jet. It had fully turned and the pilots chose that moment to punch the engines.
He glanced upward and leapt.
Jill gasped when they left the ground. “Shit.” Her limbs tightened around him.
He soared higher into the sky and away from the runway. They’d reach the cliffs within ten minutes and then he’d have her inside his living quarters. “I won’t let you fall.”
Jill wasn’t sure what kind of drugs she’d been exposed to but they must have been really powerful. Super-hot guy flew with her in his embrace, their bodies horizontal, the night sky and stars above her. She turned her head, staring down. Normally, she’d be terrified. The wind felt chilly but his body was warm. She watched the ominous landscape below. They sped past a lot of dark trees about a hundred feet down.
He banked to one side and she spotted a large mass of what appeared to be a black, glittery substance. “What’s that?”
“A river. We’re almost home. We’re going higher. Don’t be afraid.”
“Are you kidding? This is a total E ticket ride.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“You know, like a roller coaster but without the falling. That would totally suck if we crashed.”
“We’re not going to do that.”
He grew quiet, and she turned her attention to his massive wings as they flapped. They were big, probably five feet in length on each side, and black. They hadn’t felt like feathers though. They were solid and had a velvety texture. He stopped beating his wings as seemed to glide. It reminded her of a bird. He flapped them again and she looked down. They seemed to soar higher, and when she tipped her head back, looking behind her, she saw the upside-down shape of a huge mountain in the distance.
“That’s home.”
“You must have an amazing view if you have a home on top of that.”
“Inside it. It’s the perfect place for my kind to live. It has a sheer cliff face that is near impossible to climb on all sides. It would take a lot of time for someone to reach our homes and that makes it easy for us to defend them.”
She let that information sink in. “You live in a mountain? Like a bat cave?”
“There are caves where our homes are built into the cliffs, but you’ll find them very comfortable.”
“I don’t see how.”
“You’ll see.”
“So, you’re like a superhero?”
He made a weird growl noise. “Is this helping?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You pretending this isn’t real?”
She twisted her head, peering over her shoulder again. They were really high, the dark shapes of trees appearing tiny now. “This has to be drugs. Otherwise I’m going to freak the fuck out. We’re flying. You have wings and you dug those white spikes you called claws into Fido’s head.”
“We’re about to land. It’s a little jarring. Hold on.”
He tightened his hold on her even more, until she almost felt crushed in a bear hug, and did some maneuver that righted them as if they were standing. The feeling of falling had her gasping, but he landed on his feet. She watched him fold his wings back. It was dark but the moonlight was strong enough for her to make him out.
“You can let go now. I don’t want to retract my wings into my body while still holding you.”
“Right. That sounds dangerous. Could I accidently be sucked in with them or something?”
“No. You’d hear the slight popping noises they make when I fold them back inside, and how it feels, when my skin is pressed against your hands. You’d feel my bones moving around. I doubt you’d find it appealing.”
“They just go inside your back?”
“It’s complicated. My bones transform into different shapes, you could say. They don’t resemble wings while inside my body. Think of a rib cage. My wings contract tight to mimic a second set I guess, while inside me. Does that help explain it?”
He did have a large chest. He’d have to, if he usually walked around with basically two rib cages. She decided she didn’t want more answers at that moment. The explanations he gave were only confusing her more. She unwrapped her legs and slid down his body as she eased her hold around his neck. Her feet touched solid ground.
He straightened, breaking their physical connection. “I’ll stay close and you’ll understand.”
His eyes closed and he tilted his head. She watched a look of pain crease his handsome features. Gross little popping, squishy noises she hadn’t heard before sounded, but it was otherwise quiet where they were. His wings slowly grew smaller until they disappeared behind him. She glanced down at his chest but it was too dark to make out his skin, so she watched his face again.
He opened his eyes. The color of them appeared a bit startling, since they seemed to glow a little, and now appeared mostly silver instead of blue.
“Welcome to my home. I’ll turn on some lights. Don’t move. It’s a long drop to the bottom if you were to walk off the balcony. There are no rails.”
“Does your cave have electricity? I hope so.”
“It does. We’re not barbaric.”
“Of course not.”
He walked away and her eyes followed, peering into the utter darkness he’d disappeared into. She turned her head, taking in her surroundings. It appeared as if she was standing on a rock ledge jutting out of the cliff of massive rock.
“Never do acid, kids. It’s not for the meek or fearful. This shit is getting weirder and weirder,” she muttered aloud.
“I heard that.” Aveoth’s deep voice came from the darkness. “Hang on—and don’t move.”
“You told me that. Big fall and screaming involved. Got it.”
Lights flickered on, literally. They were dim, then blacked out, but came on again.
She stared into a room. It looked like some kind of library, with couches, a fireplace with a mantel, and tons of wooden bookshelves loaded with books.
“Yeah. This is so realistic,” she muttered.
Aveoth stepped into sight and frowned. “What?”
“It looks like a room from an old mansion but in the middle of a cave. Nope. I’m not drugged. This is just so believable.”
He walked to her and offered his hand. “I note your wariness. Come inside. I’ll close the door.”
“Over a cave entrance? I can’t wait to see this.” She let him lead her forward, stepping onto the hardwood flooring inside, over a metal rail at the entrance running from one side of the wide cave opening to the other.
He released her and waved a hand in the direction they’d just come from. “Watch.” He moved to the wall and grabbed the thickest rope she’d ever seen before, a loop that ran from ceiling to floor. He started to pull the front rope downward. A slight squeaking sound, then the wall to the right moved, closing off the opening.
“This consists of four inches of solid metal and rock. The exterior matches the cliff, so our enemies can’t spot our homes from the outside when we close these. I don’t recommend you attempt to open them yourself. They’re on rollers, but it’s still a few thousand pounds to shift.”
“Right.” Jill was reeling inside, trying to take it all in.
The door appeared to be covered in drywall on the inside, like the remaining walls, and painted to match the rest of the library. A painting of the sea even hung there. The seams were noticeable, since there were long strips of dark wood paneling that ran from floor to ceiling on either side of the portion that had moved.
“We do enjoy elegance and comfortable homes.”
She turned her head, gawking at him. He seemed so calm and matter of fact, as if he wasn’t blowing her mind.
“Are you hungry? Perhaps you’d like a drink?”
She glanced around the room. “I have fallen into the rabbit hole, big time.”
He made a soft grumbling noise. “Enough.” He walked right over to her and grabbed her arms, giving her a hard shake. The cape he’d lent her fell to the floor. “You’re not on drugs and this is real. I’m growing tired of your mind trying to find a way to manage the stress of what you’ve learned. You aren’t high, or going crazy, or dreaming. I’m real, and so is all of this. Stop being as conceited as a typical human can be by believing they are the only ones who share your world.”
His grip on her was firm but not hurtful. The tinges of panic started to rise inside her. “I think I’ll have that drink. Do you have booze? Something strong?”
“Yes.” He backed up and released her. “That might help you deal with the shock. I’m sorry you learned of our existence this way. Your father should have told you what he was and introduced you to the truth.”
“The sperm donor is a Gargoyle?”
“He’s a VampLycan, and you’re half one. You don’t carry the scent of a Lycan, so I can only assume you have more Vampire traits. Do you require blood often?”
“I don’t drink blood.” A horrifying thought struck. “Do you?”
He walked over to a bar in the corner, stepping behind it. His muscles flexed as he lifted a large glass bottle filled with dark liquid and twisted off the lid. He placed two glasses on the counter, pouring a generous amount of booze into each. He set the bottle down and approached her with the glasses. He held one out to her.
She took it and didn’t even bother trying to figure out what it was. She just raised the glass and took a gulp.
It was a mistake. Tears filled her eyes, blinding her. It felt as if she’d just swallowed fire that burned from her throat all the way down to her belly. She hissed, almost losing her grasp on the glass.
Aveoth curved his fingers over hers to help her keep hold of it. “Breathe.”
“Shit.” She rapidly blinked, trying to clear her vision and remember how to fill her lungs. She breathed, all right. It felt as though flames should shoot out of her parted lips as she exhaled.
“What is that? Gasoline in a glass?”
He dipped his head, watching her. “Aged Scotch. It’s probably a bit strong for you. I could get you wine.”
Her insides still burned but it dulled a little. She studied his face. He was really too good looking to be real, but she was starting to believe. She lowered her chin, staring at his tan, long fingers wrapped around hers over the glass. They looked so normal…but he wasn’t really a man. Not like any she’d ever met before.
“Remain calm.” He had a soothing voice when it came out that low. “You’re safe. I wouldn’t hurt you, Jill. Your father likely avoided being part of your life because your mother was human. Decker Filmore hates that race. His son was probably ashamed of having a daughter with one. Decker wouldn’t have approved of him taking a human as a lover, much less breeding a child. It’s still no excuse for you never having learned the truth of what your father is.”
She tried to pull out of his hold and he opened his fingers, letting go. She lifted the glass and took a smaller sip, expecting the backlash that time as she swallowed. It still burned but it didn’t make her eyes water.
Panic and fear fought for dominance inside her. She couldn’t look at Aveoth’s face. He had freakin’ wings and claws. It wasn’t some drug-induced fantasy—it had really happened. Reality was sinking in fast. She backed up and bumped into a couch. She twisted her head, staring at the leather monstrosity. It was a big, heavy piece. Did he fly that here? Up a cliff? Oh shit!
“I can smell your fear, Jill. There’s no need for that. Talk to me. What are you thinking?”
She finally found the nerve to meet his gaze. Those amazing eyes, blue with silver in them. No one should have eyes like those, though. They’re too beautiful. “You’re telling me the sperm donor is some kind of half Vampire, half Werewolf?”
“Yes. We call them Lycans, though.”
“My mother just said he was a selfish asshole.” She took another drink.
“He wouldn’t have revealed the truth of what he was to her unless they were bonded for life. It’s forbidden.”
“Right.” She wanted out of there. She glanced around and spotted an open doorway. “So you’re telling me Scarface was growling because he’s really a dog?”
“He smelled strongly of his Lycan heritage. He’s also part Vampire.”
“And the lawyer really is a bloodsucker then?” She took another sip. It helped.
“He smelled mostly Lycan too. It’s rare for them to actually crave human blood.”
“I’m not in Kansas anymore.” She bit her lip, the reality of her situation bitch-slapping her hard. She downed the rest of the drink. “Fuck me.”
She hurled the glass at Aveoth’s broad chest and spun, rushing toward the only exit, an open doorway.
She had to get out of there.
It was pitch-black once she left the room. But she needed to escape. She bumped into a wall and put out both hands, blindly trying to feel her way around for another light switch.
Aveoth cursed loudly from nearby. He was coming after her.
She shoved away from the wall and just ran blind. Her foot caught on something and she pitched forward. Pain exploded into her ribs where she impacted with a solid and unforgiving object. It moved, and she cried out as it seemed to collapse under her, then her head struck something, hard.
Aveoth’s strong, warm hands gripped her. “Damn it. You’re bleeding.”
She couldn’t see a thing. Her fingers touched what seemed like hard wood, whatever she’d landed on. He adjusted her, rolling her gently. She ended up lying on the floor, on her back.
“I’m going to carry you to bed and tend to you,” he rasped.
“Get away from me!” She tried to wiggle out of his reach but her head hurt. It felt as if she’d been nailed with a hammer on her forehead.
“Be still, my little rabbit. I’m going to take care of you. You’re safe with me.”
“Rabbit?”
“You’re the one who said you fell into a rabbit hole. I understood the reference. You saw the books in my library. It’s one in my collection.”
“Great. Gargoyles read.”
“We do a lot of things.” He released her, sliding his arms under her back and behind her knees. “Don’t fight me. There’s no need.”
He lifted her and nausea made her stomach roll. She reached up and touched her throbbing head. It was wet and warm. “I am bleeding.”
“I’m aware. You ran right into one of the guards.”
“We’re not alone?”
“It’s a large carved wooden statue of a guard. I own a few of them. You knocked him over. I think you hit your head on the shield he holds.”
“I don’t even want to know.” She was afraid enough. She closed her eyes and didn’t fight when blackness stole in to take her. She’d never fainted in her life, but it seemed like a good time for it to be a first.