Free When a Gargoyle Lives (Gargoyles Book 2) by E A Price

out of loyalty to their clans, but they fought like dragons for months after their ceremony.  Until eventually, the fighting became less frequent, and affection bloomed between them.  His father remembered it happened so gradually that at first he barely noticed.  It started with his mother preparing his favorite meal for him.  With his father sharpening her sword.  This was akin to gargoyles giving each other flowers.  Until eventually they laughed together, rather than argued.  And they realized they loved one another.  He didn’t like to admit it, feeling it was somehow unmanly, but he always loved hearing that story.  He had pictured himself and Kara taking a similar route once upon a time.
    But Chloe’s affection, that was… fast.
    Perhaps he was just irresistible and interesting, charming.  While his ego would like to believe that, the females in his clan had disabused him of that notion many years ago.  Arrogant, sometimes irritating – those were words that were bandied around by the females.  While they had been happy to slake a need with him, they certainly weren’t interested in talking to him.
    He had not cared.  He was young.  He wasn’t interested in anything more at that time, even with Kara.  He had wanted to mate her, but anything tender hadn’t even entered into his consideration.  That kind of thing would happen later.
    Chloe had hugged him.
    When had he last been hugged?  Probably as a baby, and that wasn’t hugging – that was being held, and his mother had put a stop to that as soon as he could walk.  She loved her younglings in her own way, but she hadn’t been the most maternal creature on the planet.
    Perhaps he was just scared of what his relationship might turn into with Chloe.  Then he shot that thought down.  He did not get scared.  Men like him did not get scared.  Grudgingly he could admit to a little loneliness – but that really was pushing it.
    No, he was just wary of the difficulties of mating a human.  That had to be it.  He needed time.  Mixed matings were new territory, and it would be hard.  Although, Luc, and Kylie didn’t make it look particularly hard.
    And just why did his thoughts keep returning to that insufferable female Brenda?
    *
    “We couldn’t just keep her here!”
    “The security of the clan comes first over one female.  And we need to look into why our alarm did not work when she came onto the property.”
    “I think it’s because she’s been here before and the magic recognizes her as a friend...  Don’t give me that look – I’m new to magic, I’m still learning.  And as for Brenda, she’s eighteen.  She’s not even out of school yet.  We couldn’t keep her here as a prisoner.”
    “We should have ascertained that she was not going to tell anyone of our presence.”
    Gracchus gave Ric a brief smile and turned the TV up to cover the arguing between Luc and Kylie.  Clearly Luc did not like the way she had handled the situation with Brenda.
    Their loud argument could be heard through the ceiling.  Gracchus continued watching TV while Annis was fiddling with some type of garment.  What was that he was saying about Luc and Kylie making their relationship look easy?
    A bang sounded, and Ric tensed.  Are they…
    Then Kylie laughed, and the volume of her voice increased even more.  “Really?  You’re putting your foot down – that’s hilarious.”
    Luc growled.
    “I would not worry,” said Gracchus, managing to watch Starsky and Hutch while listening to the argument and talking to Ric.  Impressive multitasking.  “He will not hurt her.”
    “Are you sure she will not hurt him?  Human females are surprisingly fierce.”  Again his thoughts returned to Brenda.  What the hell was wrong with him?
    Gracchus grinned, showing his fangs, knowing exactly who he was referring to.  “Yes, she was spirited.”
    Ric rolled his eyes.  “Not the word I would use.”
    Dragoslava let out a roar that drowned out even