Gargoyle (Woodland Creek)(30)

The shifter was simply…gorgeous. My libido kicked into high gear.

Isaac’s stunning green eyes scanned me from head to toe, peering for any lingering injuries though he paused, inhaling deeply. His gaze stalled on my crotch. His jaw clenched and a simple black, arrogant brow lifted. The Mayor knew exactly what I was doing. He probably even knew I was getting wet down under.

I didn’t even care.

That was a whole lot of man flesh to ogle.

Mmm.

There was a delicate throat that cleared to our right, a soft feminine sound.

Our gazes swiftly jerked in that direction.

All three of Isaac’s siblings stood side-by-side. They were in their pajamas.

In front of Isaac’s ‘quaint’ mansion.

I was on his property.

His house itself was heinously frightening in old architecture, the top spiraling points. It was a location I would never have stepped onto before.

Mandy’s eyes were enormous on her face as she took in the two of us. Her brother, with only a pair of holey jeans on, his chest bare. Me, in my pink camisole shorts set. Not to mention…the current time of day it didn’t help matters to be dressed as we were. Mandy’s lips pinched, and she mumbled, “Brother?”

“Not right now, Mandy,” he growled. He jerked his gaze away from them and then peered back down at me. His Gargoyle huffed quietly, then his eyes flared the smallest bit and his lips puckered. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” I muttered, standing and brushing dirt off my legs. “I’ll have bruises on my stomach from that ride, but nothing’s broken.” I cracked my back and stretched. “Really. I’m good.”

Isaac scowled a moment at me but swiftly glanced up to his family. “What’s the news?”

With his gaze traveling between the two of us, Mike spoke quietly, “The magic stopped.” He pointed up to the brightening sky. “As soon as you two flew through Hanna’s spell protecting your home…it disappeared.”

My stomach rolled, and I barely kept from heaving at the reality. “It’s as I feared.”

Isaac’s attention snapped to me. “Explain.”

I pointed at myself. “It was coming after me.”

Black brows lifted. “You’re saying all of that was an attack? Focused on you?”

I sucked in a quick breath, hooding my gaze. “It was as if the night was attacking the day.” My voice was rough. “Don’t look at me like I’m crazy. I know what I’m saying.”

He stared for a long moment. His gaze flicked down to the bag I clutched in my right hand. The Mayor hummed quietly. “Perhaps you do.” His lips twitched, and he shook his head. He peered up at the sky and lifted his fists to it, shaking them. He shouted to the heavens in amusement—and anger, “This is what you give me? The woman full of faith is a goddamn human!”

Finn ran his fingers through his hair, not even commenting on his brother’s outburst. “This is going to cause a hell of a backlash. Our town is not in a state to have this type of turmoil occur so close after the incident.”

Woodland Creek residents were going to freak the f*ck out, in other words.

His gaze still on the clouds, and still naked as can be, Isaac grumbled, “Where’s Mother?”

Mike hummed. “Inside. I believe she’s making pancakes.”

Isaac snorted, finally peering back down. “Her normal for high-stress situations.”

Mike spread his hands far apart. “There are a lot of them.”

Isaac rubbed his belly. “I might as well eat before I have to go back into town and handle this shit with the Chief of Police.” He snorted softly. “That man has to know what the hell is up with all the problems we have here.”

My lips twitched. “He’s not stupid.”

Isaac pointed a sharp finger at me. “And you’re staying here today under the protection of my home.” A finger flick at his siblings. “Mandy and Mike will watch over you here.”

Shit.





I wasn’t ashamed to admit I hid in Isaac’s bedroom all day long. With one mere glance from Mrs. Stone at the breakfast table, her predator peeking out of her gaze, as she evaluated Isaac’s and my attire, I had been properly frightened. Mandy and Mike hadn’t needed to watch over me, just knowing they were downstairs in Isaac’s—freaking huge ass—home was enough to scare me.

As night began to fall, the door eventually creaked open. I peered over the edge of the black, ancient book I was reading—for the hundredth time since receiving it on the night my eyes were opened forever. I hadn’t forgotten the wizard’s words either. All of them. My silent regard ran over the shifter entering the room quietly, his green eyes tired, and his black hair disheveled from a rough day of work.

He loosened the tie around his throat, watching me as he removed it. He tossed the blue silk tie onto his bed and unbuttoned the top button of his dress shirt. A black brow lifted on his tan face. “Evening reading?”

I closed the book calmly. “Something like that.” I placed it back into my red bag next to the chair I was sitting on and zipped it. “How did it go today?”

He eyed the bag quietly. “You’re really not going to tell me what that is?” A quiet grunt. “It smells of wizard magic.”