“Who are you?” the shorter centaur on the right barked at Calum.

The sharp prongs threatened to permanently silence Calum. He might have made a fatal mistake in coming to this realm.

“I’m Calum.”

“Why are you armed?”

With all the recent incidents, he wouldn’t dare venture to another realm without a weapon. “I’ve faced trouble of late. Most recently with a dragon.”

The centaurs exchanged a look. “Why are you here?” the taller one demanded.

“I came to see Arielle. Do you know her?”

“You’re not from here. How did you get into our land, gargoyle?” he responded.

“The same as Arielle. Through a portal. I helped her return.”

The shorter centaur sized him up. “We’ll see about that. What do you want with Arielle?”

“To talk to her.”

“About what?”

“That’s between Arielle and me.”

The centaur lowered the trident, aiming it at Calum’s gut. “It better include me unless you want a few more holes in your body.”

Calum winced, anticipating the pain of the trident. What the bloody hell could he use as an excuse to explain why he’d cross realms to find her? Nothing came to him, but the truth. It had worked with Arielle and the fairies…

“I came to tell her I loved her.”

The centaurs stared at him before breaking out in laughter.

“A gargoyle and a pegasus—are you barking mad?”

Shite. Maybe that wasn’t the best way to go. “Just let her know I’m here.”

“Come.” The taller centaur said. He moved behind Calum and pointed the trident at his lower back.

The centaur didn’t lower it until he’d led Calum to a stone cell and had locked him in.

Calum pushed at every inch of his circular enclosure, seeking a weakness so he could find his way out. Nothing.

“Jailed by centaurs,” he grumbled. “What a smashing plan.”

* * *

Arielle spent the next several hours saying goodbye to members of her herd while her mother prepared magic to send her on her journey.

When she was returning home, her mother ran out. She grabbed Ariel’s wrist.

“The centaurs claim to have caught a gargoyle trespassing on their lands in the hills. What’s his name?”

Arielle’s heart pounded. It couldn’t be. “Calum.”

“That’s the one,” she said. “He came looking for you!”

Arielle blinked. Was she dreaming? She had to be. There was no way Calum crossed into her realm to find her. That was insane, if not impossible.

“Come on,” her mother insisted. “They have him locked up in a dungeon.

They’d imprisoned him? Arielle burst into a run upon hearing that. The damn centaurs considered themselves the guards of the lands, but were notorious for being overzealous in their watch for danger. She and her mother had to slow their pace as they climbed a hill above the pegasi village in the valley.

“We’re here to see the gargoyle,” her mother declared to a centaur guard.

He gave her a disinterested glance in return. “He was trespassing.”

Arielle stepped up to him. “He was lost. Not trespassing. He was coming to see me. You’re overstepping your boundaries by imprisoning him. Let me see him.”

Her heart pounded while she stared at a guard towering over her by more than a foot. What she’d said had some truth in it—the centaurs had no right to decide who visited the pegasi village. She wasn’t going to back down no matter what his size. In recent days, she’d faced a dragon shifter so she sure as hell wasn’t going to cower to a damn centaur in her own realm. Besides, Calum had taken on a much bigger risk by coming here. She wouldn’t let him suffer in jail any longer.

The guard stared at her before relenting. “Wait here.” He disappeared inside a small structure.

Her eyes bulged when Calum emerged, the guard holding a trident at his lower back.

“Don’t point that at him!” She ran and grabbed the guard’s arm.

With a scowl, he lowered the trident.

“Arielle!” Calum’s voice hitched, edged with emotion.

“What are you doing here?”

He wrapped her in his arms. After he released her, he asked, “Can we talk?” He shot a withering glare at the guard, but who still loomed like a threatening hulk.

“Sure.” She pulled back. “Calum, this is my mother.” In her excitement, Arielle had forgotten her mother was there.

“A pleasure to meet you,” he said.

She nodded. “Likewise.” Then she waved. “You two, go and talk. I’m sure you have much to discuss.”

Arielle and Calum walked over to an outcrop of rocks on the side of the hill away from the others, where they had more privacy.

He took her hand in both of his. “I came to ask you something, Arielle. What I should have asked when you were on the isle.”

Her mind swarmed with more questions, most of which ended with Why did he come find her?

“Ask me what?”

“Do you… If you… I never asked if you’d think about staying on the island. With me.”

If she thought she was imagining seeing him a moment before, now she was sure of it. She laughed. “Clearly, I’m dreaming. There’s no way any of this is real.”

He stepped closer. “It is real. I never should have let you go. At least, not without asking if you’d like to stay.”

She dropped her head and shook it. “I was planning to return there.”

“You were?” His expression turned incredulous. “But your mother?”

“She helped me see what’s truly important.” She bit her lip. “There’s one thing that concerns me.”

“What?”

“That I’d interfere with your life.”

“No. Never.”

“You were either on watch or saving me from danger. When I saw you on stage, it was like seeing a different side of you. More carefree. What you’re like when you don’t have to worry about me.”

He blinked and then stared at her. “I thought you might turn me down flat but never thought you’d say anything like that.”

“Well…” She shifted her feet. “It’s true.”

He opened his mouth and closed it. “Arielle, you’ve misunderstood my feelings. Let me see if I can explain them.” He put his hand on his chest. “On stage, that’s only one part of me. But it’s not the only one. I am a gargoyle and part of my being is taking care of others, protecting them from harm.”

She shrugged. “I don’t want to be just someone you feel compelled to protect.”

“You’re not. When I met you, something woke inside me—something I’ve seen happen with my brothers, but never understood until I found it with you. You are the one for me, Arielle. The one I want to be near as much as possible. The one who comforts me, who makes me laugh, who makes me want to live…and to love. I want to take care of you because I want to be with you.”

“Oh—Calum.” Her voice trembled.

“I don’t want to live without you, Arielle. I know two different species getting together is hard—I’ve seen it with my brothers and the obstacles they had to overcome. And with us, we face another challenge being from two different worlds. But our love is worth it.”

“Love?” she repeated.

“Aye, I think so,” he said in a softer tone. Taking her hand, he kissed it. “I love you, Arielle. I know we haven’t known each other for long, but what we’ve gone through together is more than what many couples face in a lifetime. The time we’ve spent together was the happiest in my life. I don’t want it to end.”

“Calum…” Choked up, that’s all she could manage.

“Come back with me. Or, I’ll live here with you.” With a wry grin, he shot a look over to the guards. “If they’ll let me.”

“No.” She shook her head.

His face dropped. His entire body seemed to sag. “Oh. All right. I thought I’d check.”

Ach, he thought she was rejecting him. “I mean we can’t live here,” she said. “I won’t tear you from your brothers and your band.”

“Will you come with me then? I know the island isn’t much compared to what you have here—”

“Calum, the island is wonderful.” She waved her arm around. “I was coming to you, remember? I love everything about the island. I’ve always looked for something more—seeking adventure or new places to explore. But when I met you, I found out what I was missing in my life.” She stepped closer and put her hand over his heart. “You.”

“Ah, Arielle.”

“You’re the one for me, Calum. My mate.”

“Mate,” he repeated. “I like the sound of that.” He cupped her face and kissed her.