She gave him a hug. “Thank you.”
He returned the hug, but then grabbed her by the shoulders and set her back from him, looking deep into her eyes. “You have a little time, but only a little. Figure out what you want, then either move on or the family has to meet him.”
He sighed again, moving toward the door. “At least this will stop Dad from putting us all on Friday shift so he can introduce you to another guy.”
The door closed. One male taken care of. Now the other to deal with.
Chapter Fourteen
‡
Terak was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, waiting for her return.
At least he put his pants back on. As tattered as they were, it was still a lot easier on her respiratory system seeing him in those versus the white towel.
She put her hands up, a signal to please let her talk before any yelling started. “I didn’t call him. He found my ID at the park when they were investigating the attack. I’m lucky it was him, otherwise there would have been a whole squadron of cops at my door.”
His features were a shade different, softened into human lines, but the intensity of his eyes and set of his mouth was pure Terak. She’d recognize both no matter what else changed. “I know this. I am curious why you did not tell him about me?”
“Why would I? The whole reason I agreed to your people guarding me was so that I didn’t get my family involved in this mess. Running to them would kind of defeat the purpose.”
He started shaking his head, his arms coming to his sides as he propelled himself away from the wall. “Why did you not tell your brother about my abilities, that the human male in front of him is in reality a gargoyle?”
There was a strange tension in Terak, his usual intensity magnified. He was waiting for her answer, his now-clawless hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. The question of whether she should be scared popped into her head, but she pushed it away. Nothing about him scared her. What he was…was…hopeful. “Why would you even ask that? This is your secret. I would never tell anyone about this.”
Terak challenged her, that deep voice still the same in this form. “He is a protector of the human world. Information on your enemies is what any protector would wish.”
Before she could stop herself, her hands went to her hips. “There is nothing I want less than to get into another fight with a stubborn male who is trying to drive me crazy. Now, I don’t know what’s going on in that human-looking gargoyle head of yours, but quit it. You saved me multiple times. We’ve fought together. More than that, I consider you a friend, and I trust you. I would never betray a secret I discovered from my friend.”
Terak reeled back as if someone hit him. “You would call me a friend?”
He looked so adorable and bewildered, and while the smile curling her lips couldn’t be stopped, there was a pang in her chest over what this male’s life was like that the thought of someone calling him friend elicited a reaction like this. “Shocking, huh? Kind of surprised me to. Maybe that kind of stuff only becomes apparent when you’re watching someone bleed and praying he doesn’t die.”
His face held wonderment. It was if he received a rare gift, something he always wanted but never thought he would get for himself. His gaze roamed over her face, like he was committing everything in this moment to memory.
“So,” Larissa said, wanting to stop the awkwardness creeping through her skin, “how does this work? You look pretty healed up, I’d say. Does this mean you are healed as a gargoyle? Your wing was torn pretty bad.”
He shifted. Strange, this big, bad secret, but it bordered on anti-climactic seeing it in action. He went out of focus – only for a second – and then became the other form. If Larissa took a long blink she would have missed it.
She walked behind him to check his wing, stroking her hand over the membrane. It felt like leather, but that soft, luxurious leather, the kind where a jacket would cost most people’s yearly salary.
Her hand traveled to the frame. Even this was warm, his body heat coming through. The muscles bunched under her hand as she took in the area where the frame met his back. This body was that of a warrior. He was hard, perfectly formed. This body was her salvation, her sword and shield in a world that made no sense.
Tiny tremors rippled under her fingertips as she stroked down his muscles. Which shook, her hand or his back?
Her thumb brushed over the tiny hollow in his back that separated his wings. She leaned closer, breathing in his smell as she did that night where he held her in his arms. She’d been so scared that the sensation of flying was a blur. She couldn’t remember if she enjoyed it, even on a subconscious level. Would he take her flying again if she asked?