Gargoyle (Woodland Creek) (13 page)

Isaac literally shoved the wailing shifters to the side, even stepping on them in the stairwell as they raced down the flights of stairs. When he bustled out of the front of my building. The streets were in pure pandemonium. Shifters raced down the streets, screaming, all fleeing the black fog that was only three blocks away now. My eyes widened at the sight as we were jostled from side-to-side in the stampede of people.

Isaac started tossing people left and right, fighting to get to the middle of the street. “Just hold on to me, Little One. I’ll get us out of here.”

I shrieked as we suddenly rose into the air at a sickening pace, the warm body under me suddenly silver and hard as stone. I watched with enormous eyes as his clothing fell to the street littered with shifters below us. My body rejected the motion, but I moved my arms and grabbed onto the strap of my red bag for fear of losing it. But it slowly dawned on me that Isaac had positioned it perfectly so that his wings could still carry us away without being hindered by the strap.

The black fog was only a block away. I was on the back of a Gargoyle. And I wanted it. My life had drastically changed. I hissed, “Fucking fly!”

I grunted as the Gargoyle dipped, air fluttering my hair against my cheeks, and then all of the oxygen rushed from my lungs as he flew hard. His wings beat the air forcefully, my body pressed down against his stone-hard frame with the force.

“We’ll be all right. Just don’t slip off me.” Isaac’s voice was rough—deeper and scarier than I had ever heard before. His solid arms tightened around my legs. “Got it?”

I wasn’t going anywhere, even if he thought I was. Though this was the ride from hell, like a nightmare roller coaster. With every flap of the Gargoyle’s wings, we would fly up...then
down
. My body lifting the barest bit off his solid frame before I would bash back down onto his flexing shoulder. And there was no cushion, each flap of his wings making my stomach smash into his body, knocking my breath out of me. And the rushing wind against us didn’t block the sounds of chaos and pain beneath us.

Higher…we flew
higher
.

I blinked as we turned, the sun seen only the barest bit before, now becoming more bright.

“We don’t have time for your curiosity,” I bellowed at the top of my lungs. “You need to fucking
fly
.”

He grunted, his voice garbled, rough timbered. “Are you still in pain?”

I paused. I wiggled my shoulders and glanced at my arms, now normal colored. “Um…no.”

“Then we have time.” Another grunt. “We’re far enough away from the magic now.”

“What about your family? Are you sure they’re fine?” My eyes widened as the Gargoyle turned again. The ride truly became a nightmare. His wings flapped in hard thrusts, the ups and downs horrific, and the air inside me crushed out of my body for longer periods of time. And then…there were the Gargoyle roars. Constant. Almost a warning of sorts. I was pretty sure I saw silver vapors at one point, but it was too hard to tell with the wind now drying my eyes out completely.

Our descent, when it came, wasn’t as dreadful as I thought it was going to be. It was a smooth glide, instead of a nosedive. The sun disappeared when we glided through trees; nothing else was seen but leaves for a few moments, then the dawning sun was muted through the overhanging limbs.

I grunted, a short shriek actually passing my lips when my body jarred as we landed.

Okay, not so smooth.

Isaac’s arms were wrapped around me protectively as he laid me on the softest grass, ducking his Gargoyle head down when I continued to hold onto the strap of my bag. It slipped over his left wing and his head, the red bag thumping down beside me. I lay sucking oxygen on the gentle ground, staring up at him as he shifted back into human form. Then he was standing over me, in all his muscled, naked glory.

I started sucking in large gulps of air for a whole different reason.

The shifter was simply…gorgeous. My libido kicked into high gear.

Isaac’s stunning green eyes scanned me from head to toe, peering for any lingering injuries though he paused, inhaling deeply. His gaze stalled on my crotch. His jaw clenched and a simple black, arrogant brow lifted. The Mayor knew exactly what I was doing. He probably even knew I was getting wet down under.

I didn’t even care.

That was a whole lot of man flesh to ogle.

Mmm.

There was a delicate throat that cleared to our right, a soft feminine sound.

Our gazes swiftly jerked in that direction.

All three of Isaac’s siblings stood side-by-side. They were in their pajamas.

In front of Isaac’s ‘quaint’ mansion.

I was on his property.

His house itself was heinously frightening in old architecture, the top spiraling points. It was a location I would never have stepped onto before.

Mandy’s eyes were enormous on her face as she took in the two of us. Her brother, with only a pair of holey jeans on, his chest bare. Me, in my pink camisole shorts set. Not to mention…the current time of day it didn’t help matters to be dressed as we were. Mandy’s lips pinched, and she mumbled, “Brother?”

“Not right now, Mandy,” he growled. He jerked his gaze away from them and then peered back down at me. His Gargoyle huffed quietly, then his eyes flared the smallest bit and his lips puckered. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” I muttered, standing and brushing dirt off my legs. “I’ll have bruises on my stomach from that ride, but nothing’s broken.” I cracked my back and stretched. “Really. I’m good.”

Isaac scowled a moment at me but swiftly glanced up to his family. “What’s the news?”

With his gaze traveling between the two of us, Mike spoke quietly, “The magic stopped.” He pointed up to the brightening sky. “As soon as you two flew through Hanna’s spell protecting your home…it disappeared.”

My stomach rolled, and I barely kept from heaving at the reality. “It’s as I feared.”

Isaac’s attention snapped to me. “Explain.”

I pointed at myself. “It was coming after me.”

Black brows lifted. “You’re saying all of that was an attack? Focused on you?”

I sucked in a quick breath, hooding my gaze. “It was as if the night was attacking the day.” My voice was rough. “Don’t look at me like I’m crazy. I know what I’m saying.”

He stared for a long moment. His gaze flicked down to the bag I clutched in my right hand. The Mayor hummed quietly. “Perhaps you do.” His lips twitched, and he shook his head. He peered up at the sky and lifted his fists to it, shaking them. He shouted to the heavens in amusement—and anger, “This is what you give me? The woman full of faith is a goddamn human!”

Finn ran his fingers through his hair, not even commenting on his brother’s outburst. “This is going to cause a hell of a backlash. Our town is not in a state to have this type of turmoil occur so close after the incident.”

Woodland Creek residents were going to freak the fuck out, in other words.

His gaze still on the clouds, and still naked as can be, Isaac grumbled, “Where’s Mother?”

Mike hummed. “Inside. I believe she’s making pancakes.”

Isaac snorted, finally peering back down. “Her normal for high-stress situations.”

Mike spread his hands far apart. “There are a lot of them.”

Isaac rubbed his belly. “I might as well eat before I have to go back into town and handle this shit with the Chief of Police.” He snorted softly. “That man
has
to know what the hell is up with all the problems we have here.”

My lips twitched. “He’s not stupid.”

Isaac pointed a sharp finger at me. “And you’re staying here today under the protection of my home.” A finger flick at his siblings. “Mandy and Mike will watch over you here.”

Shit.

I wasn’t ashamed to admit I hid in Isaac’s bedroom all day long. With one mere glance from Mrs. Stone at the breakfast table, her predator peeking out of her gaze, as she evaluated Isaac’s and my attire, I had been properly frightened. Mandy and Mike hadn’t needed to watch over me, just knowing they were downstairs in Isaac’s—freaking huge ass—home was enough to scare me.

As night began to fall, the door eventually creaked open. I peered over the edge of the black, ancient book I was reading—for the hundredth time since receiving it on the night my eyes were opened forever. I hadn’t forgotten the wizard’s words either.
All of them
. My silent regard ran over the shifter entering the room quietly, his green eyes tired, and his black hair disheveled from a rough day of work.

He loosened the tie around his throat, watching me as he removed it. He tossed the blue silk tie onto his bed and unbuttoned the top button of his dress shirt. A black brow lifted on his tan face. “Evening reading?”

I closed the book calmly. “Something like that.” I placed it back into my red bag next to the chair I was sitting on and zipped it. “How did it go today?”

He eyed the bag quietly. “You’re really not going to tell me what that is?” A quiet grunt. “It smells of wizard magic.”

“Then you probably shouldn’t try to touch it unless I let you.” I shrugged a shoulder. “You know how wizards are with their belongings.”

“Yes, I do. Which is why I find it curious that you have it.”

I was honest. “A dying wizard gifted it to me.”

His head cocked, his green eyes evaluating my blue gaze. “Did this wizard gift you with anything else?”

“Yes.” I sat back on the chair and lifted my legs up on the cushion, hugging them close to my chest. With the knowledge I had…I needed to continue to be honest. See where this went. With a
shifter
of all people. “He put a spell on me. It allows me to see who is wizard, shifter, or human.”

He stared.

“What? No commentary?”

Isaac cracked his neck. Shrugged. “I’ve seen many things in this town. But a wizard giving his worldly possessions to a human is a new one.”

I cleared my throat. And my cheeks pinked. I peered to the side, away from him. “He mentioned a few other things, too.”

There was an extended silence.

Abruptly, Isaac chuckled softly. “Hanna mentioned a few things to me too, none of which I would have expected to come true. There were also a few key details she failed to mention.” My attention turned back to him. He flicked a finger at me and changed the subject. “I see you raided my closet.”

I picked at the sweatpants I wore—and one of his t-shirts. “I didn’t have any clothes here.” And I wasn’t about to ask Mandy for anything. Speaking of which, my eyes lifted to his. “I can’t believe you left me here alone with your family.”

Isaac actually grinned. “Caleb took care of that issue.” He rolled a finger. “Remember? You’re under his protection, not merely mine.”

My jaw gaped. “Oh.”

He nodded his head. “There are a few wizards who my family completely respects. He is one of them. They won’t harm you.”

My brows puckered. “And Hanna?”

“She’s like a sister to my mother. They are very close.”

“So I’m safe?”

“You are.”

I picked at his sweatpants again, watching as he moved across the room in my direction. “You never said how your day went.”

He shrugged a shoulder and bent at the waist, placing his hands on the arms of my chair. The Mayor leaned over my body, peering down at me, bringing a scent of cool air and soft musk with him. His gaze ran over me from head to toe while he spoke absently, “Today required a spell. It was a disaster out there. Nothing would erase it from their memories except magic.”

I hummed gently, holding his gaze.

His green eyes halted on my lips. “Are you still heartbroken over that asshole?”

My forehead crinkled, my voice breathless from the heat penetrating off his body. “I’d rather not talk about him.”

“Hmm.” His head cocked. “Want to tell me everything the wizard said to you?”

“Want to tell me everything Hanna said to you?”

He snickered quietly. “Fair enough.” His nostrils flared and a shit-eating grin graced his features. “But I think you like me.”

Instant. “You are an insufferable asshole who relishes the power his position affords him.”

“You still like me.” Again, he inhaled deeply. “More than a little.”

I glared. He could scent my arousal for him. “Now,
that’s
not fair.” I lifted a hand and pinched his nose, holding his nostrils together. “Quit sniffing me.”

Isaac grinned and brushed my hand away easily. “But I like the scent.”

I snorted. “Freaking shifter.”

“Freaking human.”

I shouted in surprise when he lifted me straight from the chair.

His breath heated my ear. “Afraid to dance with me, human?” Tipping his head back, he grinned impishly and damn if my gaze didn’t snag on his mouth.

Stayed there, too. I cleared my throat. “What about Carla? Are you still dating her?”

“Not since I was with you.”

I blinked. “Oh.”

“And I could use a dance partner tonight. Want to sign up?”

I bit my lower lip, my attention still holding steady on his plump lips.

“I need a yes, Little One.”

It came out a small pant. “Yes.”