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“It’s only fair if we pick up the bill since you are the one going out of your way to visit us,” Koruk said. “It would make us happy.”
Was it a shifter thing? Or alphas or gargoyles or? Suddenly I didn’t want to argue. I was always pushing hard to be responsible for everything. My mom raised me all alone and never had much, and she’d taught me never to count on a man. I’d just accepted that, but now I wondered how much that had also kept me from finding a partner in life. My father had left her, and her many boyfriends had been unreliable to say the least.
But at some point, I had to take a chance.
“All right. Thank you.” Sometimes it got awfully lonely being responsible for my own…everything.
Chapter Thirteen
Koruk
“I didn’t think it would be that much of a fight,” I said, chuckling. We didn’t have much time. Malinda, to our surprise, had agreed to fly in the next day.
“She’s human. We have to be aware of that. She doesn’t understand the need for us to provide for her.” Oz had his phone open as we walked to the “guest” bedroom. It was in fact the bedroom we had built for our mate—and for us all to share when she wanted.
I hoped that was every night, but sometimes people needed their space and time to breathe. We would give her whatever she needed.
She was already mine. My gargoyle knew it. I knew it. Hell, every time she giggled or smiled, even my wings, tucked against my back muscles, tingled with desire. All of me wanted her to be ours.
Communication was key as we’d learned asking her to come here and to allow us to pay for it all. We’d been single all our lives and were careful with our money. We could provide for Malinda, but we were proud as hell of her career.
The first thing we did was open all the windows in the room, letting the fresh air in. We’d built it for Malinda even before knowing her or ever setting eyes on her face. A large, open space featured two California king beds put together. The custom comforter would have to stay. We spent the morning cleaning the floors and dusting the surfaces of the heavy wooden furniture. There was a seating area near an expanse of windows and on the other side, a walk-in closet and a huge bathroom with a shower and a large tub made for three.
Once everything was clean, we went to the store. She’d said in her profile she loved anything vanilla and brown sugar scented, so we may have gone overboard buying shampoo, body wash, and bath bombs all in that scent. We picked up thick, fluffy towels to replace the ones that had hung in the en suite unused, along with some luxurious new rugs.
We stopped by the grocery store and had to text her about food allergies and likes and dislikes.
Malinda promptly texted us a list.
“Who doesn’t like peanut butter?” Oz asked. “That might be a deal-breaker.” Her note about the topic apparently warranted a call from him to her. We walked around, picking things up while they talked on the phone. It was good to see my best friend happy and laughing again. Not that we didn’t share laughs before, but there was a glint in his eyes now.
The glint of a shifter in love.
A shifter who had found his mate.
“No allergies,” I reiterated, taking the phone from him.
“No, allergies, Koruk. Thank you.” My name sounded like heaven on her lips. Sometimes when she said thank-you for something, a compliment, or a praise, her voice became breathy and gods, it turned me on. It would be hard to control myself around her, but humans didn’t mate like we did. They took their time to fall in love and grow to bond with their mates.
Once we saw Malinda, our gargoyles would decide one way or another.
But at this point, I didn’t foresee him deciding anything other than the fact that Malinda belonged to us.
Even thinking about her mating with another made my veins burn.
“Everything set for the flight?” I asked, pushing the cart toward Oz to take over. I’d hijacked his phone call, but he didn’t seem to mind.
“Yes. I’m all set. I’m nervous though.”
“Why is that, female?” I asked. The last thing I wanted her to be was nervous, but I understood. “How can we help you?”
She sighed. “As soon as I see you two, I’m sure the nerves will be done. Just be you, Koruk.”
“I can do that. Text us when your ride picks you up and when you get to the airport and every point until you get here.”
I almost regretted being such a caveman until she responded. “I will. I promise. You two are extra protective of me. A shifter thing?”
“Maybe. Has no one protected you before, female?”
