Page 45 of Fated to the Gargoyle

I stop at the bottom of the porch steps. What I want is to carry her back inside and shut the door on the question. I keep my voice even instead.

“My love. We have completed the mating process. I cannot be away from you, Treasure.”

“I’m not saying that. What I’m saying is I still have a job.” Then she pauses, frowning. “Well. At least I think I still have a job.”

I stare at my mate. There is a chest of treasure sitting in her apartment, and what she wants to keep is her apron. I do not argue with her. If she wishes it, she will have it.

I spread my wings. Her arms tighten around my neck, and we lift off into the dark.

She loves to fly. I learned that on our first night in the air, and it holds true all the way down the mountain, her laugh warm against my throat when I bank over the valley lights. I hold her tighter than the flight requires. It is over too soon.

The shopping center lot sits nearly empty. I come down soft a few feet from her car. She kicks her feet to be set down, and I frown at losing the weight of her.

She tosses her purse onto the passenger seat, then leans into the back and comes out with the pants she made me.

“You wish for me to wear them now?” My wings pull in close behind me.

“Yes!” She claps once.

There is no one in the lot to see, so I let my mate dress me. She crouches and holds the pants open at the ground. “I made sure they’ve got extra stretch at the bottom for those big feet.”

I step in, one clawed foot and then the other, a hand on her shoulder for balance I do not need. She put her hands on cloth and thought about my feet. No one has ever considered my feet.

She works the pants up my thighs, and there I stop her. I unwrap the loincloth and pull them the rest of the way up myself. She snatches the loincloth off the asphalt and tosses it into the back seat. “You won’t be needing this no more.”

She steps back and takes in her work. “How do you feel?”

“Uncomfortable.” The fabric grips places no fabric has ever gripped.

She beams at me. “That’s the spirit!”

I want my loincloth back. I keep that to myself.

“Are you staying with me tonight?” she asks, softer.

I tip her chin up with one careful claw. “Yes, Treasure. That is not up for debate.”

She pats at the edges of her hair, humming to herself.

My brother’s scent rides in on the night air. He drops out of the dark and lands out past the streetlights.

“Perfect,” she says, and leans back into the car for the second pair of pants.

Sable sees what’s in her hands and steps backward.

I take the pants from her gently. “Allow me to help him, Treasure.”

“Mm-hmm.” She glances between us. “So I’ll head home, and you’ll meet me there?”

I stop what I am doing and rest my forehead on hers. “That is fine, my love. I will not be far behind.”

She shrugs, pushes up on her toes, and presses a quick kiss to the corner of my mouth, getting away with something.

Sable catches sight of my mark on her neck and smiles. He will put his life down guarding her now.

She waves at him.

“Sister,” he says. He folds one wing across his chest and bows his head over it. She presses a hand over her heart.