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  "That would have hurt," I claimed lightly.

  "It should have hurt," she agreed. "But it didn't, did it?"

  It took me a while to answer. "Nay," I finally said.

  She stopped on the sidewalk and turned to face me. "Victor, you turned to stone."

  Chapter Fifteen

  I opened my mouth to tell Samantha she was mistaken but I couldn't bring myself to lie to her.

  "When that board hit you, I felt the impact vibrate through your body. Your stone body. You turned to stone, Victor!"

  "Shhh," I murmured. With my arm, I swept her around the corner where there was less traffic on the sidewalk.

  "Victor, you turned to stone," she exclaimed in a strained whisper, her eyes getting wider with each of her words, like the truth was only just sinking in.

  "I heard you the first time," I muttered, backing her against the wall of the building and checking around to make sure we were alone.

  "What the hell are you?" she demanded. "And what have you been hiding from me?"

  "Calm down, Sam. I haven't been lying to you. But my family and I are…different. That's a secret we don't share with everyone."

  "What do you mean by different?"

  "Well, we can turn to stone—obviously—and there are a few other traits we have that are different from…normal humans."

  "Like what?"

  "Like…wings," I answered.

  "Wings?" she breathed in a hoarse whisper. "That's crazy. How can you have wings? Why haven't I ever seen them? And what the hell are you?"

  Her rapid-fire questions were hard to process. But it was the fear and uncertainty in her eyes that almost destroyed me. I didn't want her to be afraid of me. "We're gargoyles," I told her gently, like being a gargoyle was a good thing. But I backed away from her at the same time so she wouldn't feel trapped or threatened.

  Samantha took a deep breath as she stared at me. "So your brother is like you, too?"

  "Aye."

  "He's a gargoyle?" she asked uncertainly.

  I nodded without speaking.

  "Does…does Torrie know about this?"

  "Aye. Your sister knows all about us."

  Her back was still pressed against the wall as she edged away from me. "Then I need to talk to her. I need to talk to her before I…"

  "Before you know if you can trust me?" I asked softly. "That's a good idea."

  Turning suddenly, she hurried away like she wanted to put as much distance between us as she could, as quickly as possible. And as I watched her, I couldn't stop the feeling of hopelessness that fell over me. It seemed like every time I had a chance to get closer to her, fate was always getting in the way and moving us farther apart. It felt like a vise was clamped around my heart and it grew tighter with every step she took.

  "Sam," I called out when I realized what I was carrying under my arm. "Don't forget your books."

  She turned and looked at her books while I caught up to her, approaching her cautiously, not wanting her to bolt on me. But she seemed a little ashamed of the way she'd acted. Of course, she had nothing to be ashamed of. She'd just realized I was a potentially dangerous being. And her sister was going out with another one just like me. So she had plenty of reason for concern.

  "Thanks," she whispered and blushed as I put the books in her arms. "I'll…talk to you soon."

  "I hope so," I said. "And Sam? I'd never hurt you. Gargoyles are…protective by nature."

  "Okay," she answered quietly, and backed away a few steps. "What about your other friends? Do they know about you and your family?"

  "Everyone but Walker," I answered. "The rest of the lasses belong to the pack. Like Torrie."

  "Okay," she said again then turned away.

  With a rough sigh, I braced my shoulder against the brick wall beside me and watched until she disappeared around a distant corner. Then I pushed off and headed home, thinking it was unfortunate that I'd had to reveal myself to someone who would probably never be a part of the pack. I mean, she was going out with Walker so she was never going to be mine. And she was never going to wear my rune.

  Back at the Greystone Renovation Project, I was surprised to see how much Walker had gotten done without me. He'd built a seat into the bay window in the dining room and finished it with a nice piece of black walnut.

  "It just needs a few coats of polyurethane," he pointed out.

  "Polyurethane?"

  "It's a finish coat that'll protect the surface."

  "Sounds good," I said, feeling a little guilty about the way I'd spent the afternoon stalking his girlfriend while he worked his tail off at the house.

  Walker leaned back on his new window seat and rubbed a hand behind his neck like he had something to say and didn't know how to start. "Chaos told me how you feel about Samantha," he finally said.

  "He shouldn't have done that," I answered.

  "He didn't mean any harm," Walker murmured. "The thing is, I really like Samantha. That's probably pretty obvious. She's a beautiful girl and really nice."

  "I know all that," I answered roughly, not wanting to have this conversation even though I knew I owed it to Walker to hear him out.

  "The thing is," he continued awkwardly, repeating his words as he studied his shoes. "She might be going out with me but I'm pretty sure she's in love with you."

  "Why do you say that?" I grunted, surprised at the unexpected turn in the conversation. I'd thought this was going to be about how I needed to accept the fact that Samantha was with him.

  "The way she looks at you," he answered, and lifted his gaze to my face.

  "And how does she look at me?" I asked offhandedly.

  "The same way you look at her," he answered. "And she always asks about you when we're together."

  "That doesn't mean anything," I scoffed, even though my heart wasn't on the same page as my mouth.

  "She never asks about the others. She doesn't ask about Havoc or Reason or anyone else. Just you."

  "So, what are you trying to tell me?" I asked, bracing my shoulder against the wall beside the window.

  "That you guys belong together and I don't want to get in the way."

  I let out a long breath and searched his face, thankful for the things he'd said and knowing the sort of sacrifice he was making in offering to walk away from Samantha. And maybe he was right. Maybe Sam and I did belong together. But he hadn't seen the way she'd looked at me that afternoon when she'd found out I was a gargoyle. I slumped down onto the window seat and sighed. "You can't break up with her."

  "Why not?" he asked.

  "Because it might hurt her and I don't want her to be hurt. Besides, if you break up with her, she won't come around anymore and neither of us will get to see her."

  "Maybe," he replied, looking over my shoulder and through the window to the front yard. "And maybe not."

  I followed his gaze to the small silver car that was pulling into the driveway.

  He slipped off his gloves and tossed them onto the seat beside me. "I've just remembered something I need down at the hardware store," he told me and headed for the door at the back of the house. "I'll be gone for a while."

  "Walker," I called out and waited for him to look back over his shoulder. "Thanks."

  "Good luck," he answered with a quiet smile.

  I met her at the front door. "Hey," I said, my voice echoing in the vaulted foyer. "It's good to see you. I wasn't sure if…"

  "You weren't sure if you'd ever see me again?" she asked when my voice trailed away.

  "Something like that."

  "Well, I talked to Torrie."

  "That's good," I said, waiting for her next words, not wanting to pressure her.

  "She told me how she and Chaos were trapped together in that mine. 'Course she had told me about the mine before, and the monster. But I had a hard time believing her. But now…"

  I waited for her to go on.

  She lifted her head and locked her watery gaze on mine. "But now everything makes sense. And
now I understand why she loves Chaos so much."

  She was crying by now so I pulled her into my chest and stroked her hair. "Love's a strong thing," I murmured. "Crazy strong."

  "And I think you should know that I love Walker," she said, her words broken.

  My heart stopped like it had given up and figured it might as well stop beating. "I understand," I managed to get out, even though I didn't understand at all. How could she not love me when my feelings for her were so intense? But as I mentioned before, leadership had taught me that sacrifice is often necessary for the good of the pack, for the good of others. And if Samantha's feelings for Walker were anything like my feelings for her, I had to make sure she got what she needed.

  "He makes me laugh," she continued with a sniff. "He's a lot of fun to be with. But…I'm not in love with him."

  My heart lurched into rhythm again like it had been jump-started with about a hundred volts of power. "You're not?" I questioned her softly.

  "No, Victor. I'm in love with you."

  Almost overcome with emotion, I blinked a few times before I said, "That works so much better for me, Sam. But…"

  "But what?"

  "I'm probably not right for you. Walker's a far better match."

  "What do you say that?"

  "Because he's so smart and you guys have so much in common. You're both studying science."

  She searched my eyes. "You're smart too. Look what you've done since you landed in the twenty-first century. You've started a successful business and outsmarted the harpy that captured your brother. And you could study science one day if you wanted to."

  "I'd…have to get better at reading before I could do that," I pointed out, holding my breath, afraid of what her reaction would be when she realized I was still reading kids' books.

  "I'd love to help you learn," she whispered.

  "Really?" I asked. I held her face in my hands and smoothed the tears away with my thumbs.

  "Uh-huh," she answered breathlessly.

  And as she stood gazing up at me, I leaned in for a kiss. My entire frame shuddered as my lips touched hers and a deep longing hammered over me, causing my barbs to surface violently while blue venom poured across my fingers. Jumping away from her, I sucked in a ragged breath as I stared helplessly at the blue stains on the marble floor. "I'm sorry," I rasped. I…don't know what to say."

  "Don't worry," she murmured and reached for my hand. "Torrie told me about the barbs and everything."

  The afternoon light poured in the open door behind her, outlining her silhouette with a golden glow. And she looked like an angel as she stood there with her hand out. I didn't want to touch her but I didn't want to reject her either, so I lifted my hand and rested my fingertips against hers.

  Smiling up at me, our fingers barely touching, she led me into the kitchen where she found a clean dishtowel and ripped it up into strips. I sat at the table while she bound my knuckles tightly. And when she was done, I pulled her into my lap.

  "Please don't tell me I'm dreaming," I murmured. "And please don't stop me now."

  And we shared our first long delicious uninterrupted kiss. Everything about her was so perfect. Her skin was so soft and smooth, her hair so silky, her eyelashes so long, her lips so lush. And despite all the girls I'd been with, and all the women, that kiss we shared was the most intimate experience of my life. We sat together, my hands tangled in her hair, my heart thudding heavily in my chest, as I held her into the kiss and devoured her mouth. And as my hand glided over her hip and down the long curve of her thigh to her knee, I felt like I'd friggin' died and gone to paradise.

  Of course, we had to replace the bindings on my hands when we finally came up for air.

  "You're hopeless," she laughed softly as she tied off the homemade bandages.

  "Hopelessly in love," I agreed, knowing it sounded lame but what could I do? Back in an earlier era, I might have poured my heart out and confessed my feelings—and worn my lady's token like a badge of devotion. But this was the twenty-first century and a guy had to be careful what he said. I didn't want to sound like I was whipped. "Frickin' hopelessly," I added.

  "Well, as long as you're being so honest, I have a confession to make," she said, sliding back onto my knee.

  "Oh?" I answered, and lifted an eyebrow.

  "I lied to you."

  "How many times?" I asked softly, running my fingers down to the silken ends of her hair.

  "I'm not sure," she answered. "But more than once. In fact, I was lying every time I said I wasn't attracted to you."

  I just smiled back at her.

  "You don't seem very surprised."

  "I guess I kinda knew," I told her. "I knew we were meant to be together."

  "I think you're right," she answered. "Because I was drawn to you right from the start."

  "You mean back at the bowling alley where I first met you?" I asked.

  She nodded. "It wasn't just that you're probably the best looking guy on the planet. It was just…you. The way you acted. The way you teased your family but took care of them too. It was even the way they treated you. With love…and respect. What kind of girl could resist all that?"

  "You put up a fairly good fight," I pointed out.

  "A fight that was doomed from the beginning," she answered quietly. "Anyhow, I'm sorry. I wish I'd been more honest with you. Then we could have avoided everything that happened in between then and now."

  "I wouldn't have changed a thing," I told her.

  "There you are being gallant again," she whispered and touched her lips against mine. "Now what about those wings you mentioned earlier?"

  "Would you like to see them?" I asked on a rumble of laughter.

  "Oh, yeah," she answered. "I want to see them. And I want you to tell me about your rune as well. And what it means."

  And when my brothers walked in with their girls a little later on, Sam and I were sharing a corner of the table, our hands clasped together, our foreheads touching, locked in a state of bliss while I fantasized about the day I'd mark her as my own.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Torrie took one look at us and started dancing around the kitchen. Elaina and Chaos seemed just as amped. Only Reason acted like he had something else on his mind.

  "What's up? I asked him while Samantha shared a tight hug with her sister.

  Reason dropped into a kitchen chair and slowly shook his head. "Today, I asked my professor if she was going to be at Olander's open house."

  "And?"

  "And she hadn't heard anything about it. She hadn't been invited or even received an email announcing the event."

  "So we started checking around school," Elaina added. "And none of the students knew about it. There were no notices on the bulletin board in the art department. No signs posted around campus. Nothing."

  I questioned Samantha with my gaze.

  "That's strange," she murmured.

  I stood up and poured myself a cup of coffee. Leaning back against the counter, I said, "So we're the only ones invited?"

  "Just me and my family…and friends."

  "She might just want a more intimate get together," I reasoned.

  "Then she shouldn't have called it an open house," Reason muttered. "An open house suggests that a lot of other people will be there."

  I searched out Elaina's gaze. "What do you think?"

  "I agree with Reason," she answered. "Something strange is going on."

  I considered the situation for several more seconds. "Then I think we should limit our exposure," I finally said.

  "What?" Torrie and Elaina both cried.

  Torrie scowled at me. "You're not leaving us behind!"

  I smiled down at the little warrior who was almost as strong as a gargoyle because of the time she spent trapped in that mine with Chaos. He'd fed her tiny amounts of his venom to keep her alive and her starving body had absorbed enough of it for her to take on a lot of gargoyle traits, including our increased strength. And of course, Elaina was
no pushover. With her courage and quick thinking, she could hold her own in any battle. Hell, she'd taken off a harpy's nose with nothing more than a frying pan.

  "That's not what I was suggesting, Tor. I wouldn't dream of leaving you behind. But I think we should call Pine Grove and tell the rest of the pack to stay home."

  "Ohhh. Okay," she mumbled, looking a little embarrassed about getting all dramatic, but pleased at the same time.

  "They're going to be disappointed," Elaina predicted. "We only just told them about the open house and the girls were all excited about it.

  But it turned out Elaina was wrong. Because when I made the call to Pine Grove, MacKenzie seemed almost relieved that she didn't have to make the trip. At first I was afraid Hooligan had taken a turn for the worse. But that wasn't the issue. Evidently, Sophie had fallen from her bike two days earlier and Mac had only just found out about it because Sophie wasn't getting better.

  The bicycle's handle bar had driven beneath Sophie's ribs and her mom was worried there might be internal damage. They were on their way to the emergency room so naturally MacKenzie and Havoc wanted to stick close to home. If Sophie had to go into surgery, they wanted to be able to get to the hospital in a hurry.

  "Keep us informed," I said. "And if you see Sophie, tell her to get well soon."

  "What's wrong?" Samantha asked after I'd signed off, a concerned look in her eyes.

  "It's Sophie," I answered and told the others what was going on.

  "Maybe we should stick around too," Reason suggested, like he was looking for an excuse not to go to the open house.

  "I'm sure the hospital doesn't want the entire pack loitering around," I pointed out. "And it's a little late to cancel at Olander Scientific."

  "It's way late," Torrie agreed and turned to her sister. "What are you going to wear, Sam?"

  Samantha buried her teeth in her lower lip and slanted a look up at me. "I don't know. Am I invited?"

  I pulled her hand into mine. Normally, the answer would have been, "of course". And I felt bad I hadn't invited her earlier. But now that I understood there might be risks involved, I hesitated, just because I wasn't one hundred percent sure it would be safe. And I wanted to be one hundred percent where Sam was concerned.