“Don’t ever return to our territory!” some guy shouted.
“Fuck you,” Glacier yelled back. He lowered his voice. “Hold on tight to me.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist and found the pegs for her feet. His bike didn’t have a bar at her back. Pest started his own bike and that’s when Glacier took off. Pest drove behind them down the alley.
Warm sun caressed her skin. It still tingled a little but there was no pain. The sheer shock of being out in daylight made the experience feel surreal. It was something she never would have expected to happen again in her life after being turned into a Vampire. They stopped for traffic and merged when they could leave the alley. She squinted a little, but her eyesight improved after they’d made it a few blocks. Humans were out and about, walking around, living their lives in the daylight.
She looked up to glance at the sun but it instantly blinded her. She lowered her chin, seeing spots. It didn’t hurt, but she wasn’t ready to do that again anytime soon. She tightened her arms around Glacier.
He released the hand grip and gently cupped her hand over his waist at a red light. “It’s going to be fine. How are you doing?”
She realized since she could hear him so well that there must be a speaker inside the helmet. She hadn’t noticed when she’d first climbed on the bike. “I’m good.”
“Can you see anything?”
“Things are a bit blurry but it’s getting better. It’s so…bright.”
He chuckled. “Get used to it. You’re my mate. This is how it will be from now on.”
He’d stunned her again.
“Did you hear me?”
“Yes.”
“I won’t risk losing you. Now let’s have this conversation later, in more detail. I don’t know if these headsets are secure.”
“I had no idea this was possible.”
“That’s the point. The highway is coming up.”
They merged with traffic and Pest drove up beside them, both bikes sharing the lane. Mandy just enjoyed the view. Her vision became clearer, helping her make out every detail around her. She couldn’t see as far as usual but it was beautiful and breathtaking to see sunlight glinting off all the vehicles.
She glanced down at the part of her arm that was exposed. Her flesh wasn’t blackened, or even red. It still tingled from time to time but the sensation was so faint it wasn’t alarming. She adjusted her hold on Glacier, using his body and clothes to help her shield some of her skin from the sun.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m tingling a bit where the sun is on me. Is that normal?”
“I don’t know. No pain though?”
“No.”
“Slide your hands under my shirt.”
She did it, enjoying feeling his bare skin under her palms.
“Better? You tell me if something starts to go wrong. It shouldn’t though.”
That didn’t reassure her. He seemed to read her mind, or guess what she was thinking about, considering his next words.
“I’ll tell you why that law was made. I have to put this carefully, remember.” He paused. “I know that once, both of them got along. They didn’t always hate each other. Then the ones like you wanted what my kind had. They called it a cure. Which is pretty fucking dumb, because it’s not like you take it once and it lasts forever.”
She nodded against him. “But it will last for the day?”
“It should. That’s what the historical accounts we have say. Sometimes a few days with regular, um, doses.”
Feedings, she supplemented silently.
“They wanted to use us.”
Again, she could translate. Vampires had wanted to enslave Gargoyles, in order to drink their blood. But she’d seen Glacier shell. She’d probably break her fangs if she attempted to bite him when he became dark gray. “I bet that didn’t go over well.”
“No, it didn’t. Anyone who came after us died. And it lasted for a long damn time.”
“You said that.” Thousands of years.
“Eventually, anyone who had known and tried to get what they called the cure just wasn’t around anymore. The battles stopped. Laws were made to keep it from restarting.”
“But you broke that law today.”
“I got permission. We’re also here, and nowhere near where those battles took place. It would still be a disaster if anyone found out. Do you understand?”
She could just imagine. If the council found out drinking Gargoyle blood could give them the ability to walk in the sun, to not burn. They’d do anything to obtain a Gargoyle. Every nest might join together to start a new war. Rumor had it that there weren’t all that many GarLycans and Gargoyles in the United States. The Vampires would attempt it. They might lose thousands of lives in the process, but it would be worth it if they caught anyone with Gargoyle blood to feed from.
“Shit. It would be horrible.”
“Yeah, baby.”
“They can never find out.” She held him a little tighter. Glacier would be in danger.
“They won’t.”
“What about when the ones we just left enter the shop? They’re expecting to find something that isn’t there.”
“Took care of that. I had Pest burn something.”
She closed her eyes and snuggled into his back, hoping the Werewolves bought that the ashes they found used to be her.
“Why’d he tell them that you left me unchained?”
He chuckled. “To stall for time. They’re a bunch of pussies. I want us long gone before they work up the nerve to go in and find what we really left behind.”
* * * * *
Glacier didn’t like how quiet Mandy had become after their talk. He knew she wasn’t in pain though, since she occasionally rubbed his stomach with her hand. It was a form of torture, since he’d had a constant hard-on after she’d bitten him.
They had left the Lycan territory hours ago. He drew his brother’s attention and motioned at his tank. Pest gave him a hand signal to indicate he understood. They changed lanes, getting off the highway at the next gas station.
“We’re pulling off for a bit. I need to refill the tank and eat something.”
“Okay.”
“How are you doing?”
“I’m great.”
“Is your skin hurting at all?”
“No.”
“Talk to me. I’m starting to worry.”
Mandy hesitated. “I just keep thinking about how much you’ve risked for me. Why did you do this?”
“Because you’re mine.”
He pulled into the gas station and parked in front of a pump. Pest took the spot on the other side. Glacier tapped her hand as he put the kickstand down and killed the engine. “You might feel stiff from riding for hours. Stand up and stretch.”
“I’ll keep the helmet on.”
“Is your skin okay? Don’t hide anything from me.”
She released him and climbed off. He missed the slight weight of her pressed against his back. She did as he asked, lifting her arms above her head. His gaze locked on her breasts, which were pushed out in the process, and he wished she weren’t wearing clothes.
“Enough of that shit,” Pest chuckled. “I can’t see your face but there’s nothing wrong with my sense of smell. Think about sex later. Public bathrooms are nasty. No family of mine is going to lower themselves to screw in one. In a few more hours, we’ll settle in before dark at some hotel.”
“Motel,” Glacier corrected.
“Hotel. They have cameras and better security. We want to keep short stack completely off the supernatural radar. Motels are buffets to her kind. Plus, while I don’t think we’re being followed, that was a crowded highway. We also didn’t have time to look over our bikes when we left. Which I plan to do now, to see if they’re tracking us. I’ll fill the tanks. You go inside to grab us grub and something to drink. Short stack will be in my company, since we want to keep her helmet on. It would look weird if she walked inside with it o
n; someone might think she’s about to rob the place. Humans are too uptight.”
Glacier removed his helmet. “Be back. Stick with Pest, Mandy.”
“Like glue,” she promised.
Glacier strode inside the mini-mart part of the gas station, grabbing some premade sandwiches and water for him and his brother. He waited in line and then paid. His continually scanned the area, breathing through his nose. Only humans were inside the store. He liked it better that way. He exited, dropping off the bag on his bike seat.
“I’m going to take a leak.”
“I’ll go after you get back.” Pest had finished filling Glacier’s motorcycle and moved around the pump to his own bike.
“Are you doing okay, Mandy?”
She nodded at him. “Yes.”
“Be right back.”
Glacier entered the bathroom and used it fast, washed his hands, and took a minute to check his phone. He had a few missed calls from that asshole Kevin, one from Neb, and another from Creed. He texted both of his brothers, letting them know they were on the road and he’d speak to them when they settled for the night.
He and Pest ate fast, standing near the pumps since the station wasn’t busy. Then while Pest inspected the bikes, Glacier checked over Mandy’s exposed skin. It had become a little pink but not enough to alarm him. Otherwise, he’d have dragged her into the bathroom to make her feed from him again.
Pest nudged him. His brother frowned and flashed open his palm.
Glacier identified what he was being shown. “Yours or mine?”
“Yours, under the edge of the seat.”
“What’s going on?” Mandy inched closer.
Pest dumped the device into the trash with the food wrappers. “We were tracked.”
Glacier climbed on the bike, putting on his helmet. “Kevin isn’t done with us yet, or he wanted to make damn sure we left his territory. The idiot is probably planning something. We’re definitely staying in a high-end hotel tonight, something with at least eight floors. Lycans don’t fly. We can.”
“Penthouse suite it is, and hopefully they have balconies.” Pest started his bike.
“But we’re out of his territory.” Mandy sounded dismayed.
“I think that’s the point. He probably believes he can come after me tonight and not get blamed if I die. He doesn’t really want a war with GarLycans. Just me. He’s too much of a pussy for that.”
“Fucking moron,” Pest muttered.
“That’s Kevin.”
Then they were on the road again. They could leave the main highway, but the smaller ones led to out-of-the-way spots, which would make for an attack easier. Every mile they drove without someone seemingly following them had Glacier relaxing a little more. Still, he kept his attention on his mirrors. He had a mate to protect. He’d allow nothing to happen to Mandy.
Chapter Twelve
The suite had two master bedrooms with attached private bathrooms, a large living space, and a balcony. They were on the tenth floor of a well-known hotel chain. Mandy had kept her chin tucked as they’d checked in and taken the elevator to their floor.
Pest dropped his bag inside the door, addressing his brother.
“I’m going to go eat a real meal in the restaurant, have a beer, and maybe get laid. I’ll take my time, since you have a promise to keep.” He pointed at Glacier. “Make damn certain the bond is strong. We don’t need your girl drawing Lycans to us on the road tomorrow like the Pied Piper of pussy.”
“Excuse me?” Mandy gaped at Pest.
“It’s not a given that she’ll react that way. We’re in uncharted territory,” Glacier responded.
“True enough, but it’s best to be prepared in case it does happen. Tell her about the calling.” Pest left the suite, closing the door after him.
Mandy turned to Glacier, arching her eyebrows.
“It’s a weird Gargoyle thing, because my kind tend to be thickheaded and emotionally remote. It’s possible that you may put off ‘fuck me’ pheromones that any man will respond to. Lycans are especially susceptible, since they have the best sense of smell. Think of a Lycan woman in heat, times ten. It makes Lycan men lose their damn minds and go into a frenzy unless they’re already mated. Even close proximity to humans, despite their duller senses, will make them horny.”
She felt a little stunned, yet again.
“It’s true. It’s why it’s called the calling. Your body will make sure a Gargoyle wants to fuck you to seal the bond all the way, to make it strong. The good news is, we get to fuck like bunnies tonight to make sure you’re properly claimed.” He grinned. “I’m not going to complain about that. Are you?”
She grinned back. “I’ve seen bunnies fuck. So, you plan to furiously hump me and finish in about twenty seconds?”
He put down the pack he held and lunged.
She laughed as he lifted her, tossing her over his shoulder and walking into one of the bedrooms. He used his boot to close the door. “Maybe not like rabbits, but we’re not getting much sleep tonight. I know you have to be exhausted.”
“I’m doing good, and I suddenly feel very awake.”
He bent, easing her onto her feet next to the bed. “Strip, baby. I’ll be right back.” He left her and entered the bathroom, closing the door.
Mandy kicked off her shoes and removed her clothes, noticing the pinkness had faded already from where the sun had touched her. The toilet flushed in the other room and water ran. She pulled back the covers, climbing into bed. Both excitement and nerves filled her.
She knew Lycans took mates, and it seemed Gargoyles did as well. But she’d never thought she’d become a mate. Companion to a Vampire wasn’t nearly as intense. They agreed to live together, set rules to abide by, but could always part ways if it didn’t work out. That wasn’t the case with mates. It would be a bond forever, only to be broken with death, from what she understood.
It was tempting to shower. The smell of her hair bothered her, along with the makeup. She jumped out of bed just as the door to the bathroom opened.
Glacier’s cool blue eyes roamed down her body and he reached for the front of his jeans. “You’re so sexy.”
“I want a shower first. I smell.”
“I don’t give a damn. We’re bonding first. We’ll shower later.”
“I reek, Glacier. Even I can’t stand it. Wearing the helmet didn’t exactly air out this hair color stuff.”
He opened his pants, bent and tore off his boots, then his socks. He straightened, shoving his pants off. The shirt went last. She stared at his body. He had an amazing one. Muscular and cut. His cock was thick and hard.
He smiled. “Get back on the bed unless you’d like me to take you standing.” He strode to her. “We’re mating.”
“What does that entail? You need to bite me, right? We have to exchange blood?”
“I need to flux and bite you during sex. It will trigger mating in a Gargoyle.”
She frowned. “Flux?”
“I need to partially shift. Wings out, my skin very lightly shelled. I’ll drink your blood while I’m fucking you. It will trigger me to secrete hormones that I release into you with my sperm. That will mate us. Do you understand?”
She really didn’t, but she thought she got the gist. “Has someone like you ever mated to a Vampire before?”
“Not that I’m aware of. That’s not saying it hasn’t happened, but no one wrote about it in our history books we have at the cliffs. You’ll be my mate though, regardless of whether your body reacts the way other women’s do to mating.”
“What happens normally?”
“The calling, if we don’t bond strongly. If we do, I’ll be able to track you anywhere you go. It’s a mate thing. My instincts will lead me to you.”
“Like a homing device or something?”
He stopped in front of her but didn’t touch. “Yes.”
“What about me? Will I be able to sense and track you?”
“That’s a Gargoyle thing
, so I doubt it. But regardless of our physical responses to this mating, you’re mine, Mandy. Make the commitment to me. Say you’ll be my other half.”
She reached up and pressed her hands to his chest. “I can’t have babies. You’ll be giving up becoming a father.”
He didn’t flinch or react in any way. “I’m aware.”
“Mating is for life with you, right? You’re half Werewolf.”
“We like the term Lycan better. Yes, this is for life, Mandy. I’m never going to let you go. I don’t give a damn about having kids. One day, if that ever changes, we’ll figure it out.”
“Can your blood change mine enough to make me fertile?”
“No, baby. There would have been warnings written about it. I’m certain that’s impossible. I’m sorry if you were hopeful. Walking in the sun without burning is the best I can give you.”
“That’s not true. You’re offering me the world. I just wish I could feel as though I’m giving you the same. Instead, I’m cursing you to a life without having a family.”
He moved, sat on the bed, and hooked her waist. He pulled her onto his lap and held her there. “I already have a family. My father got my mother pregnant four times with his sperm. He was a shit dad. I won’t go into all the details, but let’s just say when my youngest brother had to kill him, it was warranted and approved by the rest of us. Emphasis on the had to kill him. Father left Creed with no choice.
“My mother is dead because she was a Lycan mated to a coldhearted bastard who never loved her. He didn’t give a damn that he slowly killed her with his absolute neglect of her emotional needs.
“The point is, they had a family, and look how bad that turned out. One day, if we want kids, we can adopt. I’ve come across plenty of orphans, both human and Lycan, who I helped find homes for after shit hit the fan in their lives. Other guardians have experienced the same tragedies and dealt with the survivors. I can put word out to my clan, and even to the VampLycans, if we’re ever ready to raise a child. We won’t be able to pick the race or sex, but I don’t give a damn. A child in need of love is all that matters. But right now, I just want you. Let’s worry about the future later.”