Page 58 of Fated to the Gargoyle

Now I do. “Red is the mate, brother. Lena reads gold to my eyes and red to yours, and Treasure has never read red to you.”

“Never,” Sable says.

Treasure gasps and claps her hands together. “Ahhh! That’s great! Now you can help the other gargoyles who make it to town.”

“There were only twelve of us,” Sable says.

She spreads her hands. “Well, can’t you send something out? Like a dragon’s call?”

Sable groans at the word dragon. “There is no need. The messy one already announces us to the world on that podcast of his. It is probably airing now.”

“Oh!” Treasure digs out her phone.

The diner lights go out behind us. Tyson holds the door for Jenna, and Andy locks up. Treasure taps at her screen. Across the lot, Lamar changes course and jogs up to Lena’s car. He opens her driver’s door for her.

I may be petty, but my brother is far worse, and Lamar just opened the wrong woman’s car door.

I lean toward Sable. “Oh, dear brother. We must remain calm.”

Sable glares at me. Then he looks down at the pants he swore he hated, and he says nothing at all.

The podcast comes on through her little speaker, and Messy Jay’s voice fills our stretch of sidewalk.

“—and yes, creek babies, the rumors are TRUE, and this is exactly why tonight is a special LIVE show. Stanley’s put a new waitress on today, and my sources tell me Miss Jenna got herself scent-locked by a certain wolf before her first shift even ended⁠⁠—”

Across the lot, the same podcast spills from Andy’s truck cab. “MOTHERFUCKER!” Andy bellows, and his truck peels out hard.

“Poor Andy,” Jay says. “My advice, add a fated-mates surcharge to the hiring paperwork. The supernaturals will happily pay it.”

Treasure is already giggling.

The show rolls right over Andy’s taillights. “Now, speaking of supernaturals. We’ve got gargoyles in town, and FINALLY they’re wearing pants. Took a whole town lecture and one good seamstress, but we got there. Welcome to Shadow Wolf Creek, Soren and Sable.”

Sable and I glare at each other. Treasure throws a fist in the air. “Whoop! Yes!”

The jokes stop. “But they haven’t gotten the welcome they’ve earned yet, because someone’s been messing with my community. The sheriff picked up our robbery man this week. Dusty little fella. Took a bad fall off a balcony. Allegedly. But that man was just an errand boy. We’ve got a witch, creek babies, and I’m afraid she’s messier than me. Don’t you worry. I’m on it. She keeps playing with my town, I’m gonna burn her edges right off her forehead.”

Treasure snorts and covers her nose with her hand.

She turns the volume up. “And those gargoyles I just welcomed? GREAT in a fight. We’re gonna handle our little witch problem together, and I’ll keep y’all updated on my findings. And before I go, did y’all see another poor woman got herself stuck up on that mountain? Here come them Ironwood bears again. This is Messy Jay reminding you—where there’s smoke, I’m probably the fire.”

“That man is a whole entire mess.” Treasure wheezes it out and pockets the phone. Then she quits laughing. “Wait. So you’re helping Jay with the investigation?”

“Yes.” I keep my eyes on my brother, who is watching Lamar lean against Lena’s open car door. “I have not forgiven him for the bait. But he will need the help. And I have grown to love Shadow Wolf Creek. I want you to have a life here.” I set a hand on Sable’s shoulder. “Which is why you cannot kill him, brother, if we are to stay.”

“She is mine.” Sable points across the lot at the cook.

Treasure nods right along with the murder talk. “I already got a new sister for my clan, and I like her.” I frown down at her. She sticks her tongue out at me.

“Where are his possessions?” Sable rolls his shoulders. “He interferes with mine. I will destroy his.”

Treasure points at the pickup sitting alone under the lot light. “He loves that truck.”

I give her the frown. “Treasure.”

She shrugs at me.

Sable walks.