Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 128061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
A block of a man took up a large portion of the sidewalk up ahead. Long wings flowed down his back and nearly scraped the ground behind him. Dark jeans squeezed powerful legs, and the black jacket he wore must have been crafted out of sails for it to cover his shoulders.
Gargoyle, obviously, and not one of the residents. She would’ve noticed a guy like this wandering around town.
More importantly, Austin would’ve noticed.
He walked with purpose, and his poise bespoke a mix of confidence and arrogance. A stern expression covered his handsome face and his eyes almost glowed, like embers plucked from a dying fire. Each movement screamed strength. His bearing shouted powerful, keep away!
“I might have found myself in a little situation,” she said into the phone, not daring to take her eyes off the stranger.
“I’m jogging that way now. What do you need? What can I do? Should I call Jessie or Austin?”
“No time. Let’s see how this plays out, shall we?”
She lowered the phone again and stepped back, giving the gargoyle plenty of space. Most women would’ve probably crossed the road, but she didn’t want this creature at her back. From what little they’d learned about gargoyles, the powerful ones were aggressive and unpredictable. Jessie’s antics had nothing on them. Nathanial was a spring day compared to the reports she’d seen.
Her smile was disarming. She’d spent a lot of years practicing it.
“Hello,” she said pleasantly, holding her position. She didn’t want him to think she was intimidated. It might call to the predator in him.
He slowed, his gaze flowing over her. He must be six-eight if he was an inch, and solid muscle. Absolutely freaking enormous.
“Hello,” he replied in a whisky-drenched voice, smooth and slow and wicked. “What is a pretty little thing like you doing out here all alone?” He inhaled deeply, smelling the air.
And if that wasn’t a little unsettling, she didn’t know what was.
“You smell delicious,” he said with a release of breath. “What sort of magic do you possess?”
The frown was hard to keep off her face. Had he never met a mage?
“The smell is likely my new perfume, so thank you.” She laughed, making sure it reached her eyes. “Just headed to a party.”
His focus on her was acute as he studied her face, dipping his eyes to take in her body. He stepped closer, his size dwarfing her, his intensity lighting sparks of unease while simultaneously driving heat straight through her middle. His eyes seemed to spark, glowing a little brighter. She hoped to hell she was seeing things, because she hadn’t heard of a gargoyle with that trait.
“I love parties.” His voice dropped a fraction. “I’d love to meet you at a party. Tell me, are you lost—”
His words cut off, and he stiffened. His wings rustled as he half turned, looking over his shoulder.
Another large shape loomed in the growing darkness. He walked toward them with fluid grace, not hiding an unspeakable menace tethered on a very weak chain.
Broken Sue stepped between them. His large arm came out in front of her, covered in a crisp green dress shirt. She’d always thought he was huge, but his height and muscle mass seemed almost average compared to the new guy. He was a few inches shorter and less bulky.
“Who’re you?” Broken Sue asked the stranger, his voice rough and deep.
All the tension immediately left Nessa’s body. She flattened her palm against Broken Sue’s side, the equivalent of holding a knife in a shaky hand. Feeling it, he hooked his arm around her, his hand finding her side, and tucked her a little more behind him.
The stranger bristled, and a blend of danger and violence leaked into the air around them. “Who’s asking?”
“The beta of this territory. You’d better declare your intentions, or I will remove you myself.”
Nessa peered around Broken Sue to get the stranger’s reaction.
His ember-like eyes had a hard gleam in them. His wings stilled completely, and his muscles tensed in preparation for battle. When he leaned forward, warning shivers erupted all over Nessa’s body.
“You should take a care how you speak to me,” the stranger said slowly. “I am the lead enforcer of Gimerel.”
Holy hell.
Gimerel was the cairn that had sent the bracelet, known for their battle strategies and ruthless fighting prowess. The cairn leader was hailed as a battle mastermind, but his second-in-command was considered a battle genius in his own right. He led with an iron fist, maintained excellent aerial organization and flight patterns, and statistically lost the fewest raids out of any cairn. Or so spreadsheets and hearsay would have Nessa believe.
The Gimerel lead enforcer was practically a celebrity in the gargoyle world, with garhettes happy to throw their knickers at him and brag to their friends about one-night stands. Niamh was excited to poke holes in what was sure to be an enormous ego.