Free Stone Solitude by A.C. Warneke Page B

the first time we met,” her mom said with a slight grin before she frowned again. Brushing a strand of hair from Daisy’s face, she murmured, “But you’re so young and I worry about you. What is he?”
    “Um, he’s a gargoyle,” Daisy admitted, a soft smile curving her lips as she thought about Roman, about his stone skin and his blunt flirtations.
    Cocking her head to the side, her mother looked bemused, “He’s not one of the gargoyles that protects the castle in the city, is he?”
    “You know about gargoyles?” Daisy asked, a little hurt that her parents had never told her about such magical creatures.
    “Only a very little,” Lexi admitted in distraction. “To be honest, I had thought they were more myth than reality until your dad pointed them out one day and explained that they were living creatures though I’ve never seen them up close, obviously. I mean, they spend their time on the roof of the castle. You say he’s a gargoyle?” At Daisy’s nod, she grunted, “Huh. What does he look like?”
    “I don’t know.” Shrugging her shoulders, Daisy sighed, “He keeps his face hidden from me like he’s afraid of what I’ll think.”
    “Does that bother you?”
    Daisy let her mother’s question sink in a little bit, trying to be as brutally honest with herself as possible, realizing that if she was being perfectly honest, she was a little bit shallow. Slowly, she raised her lashes and met her mother’s eyes. “I wish I could say it doesn’t bother me, that it doesn’t matter what he looks like because it’s his soul that matters, right? But I have to admit that I am concerned and a little… nervous. I mean, he has a glorious body so how bad does his face have to be to make him want to keep it hidden?”
    Her mother’s mouth formed a perfect ‘ O ’ as she stared at Daisy. “Dearest, just how much of his body have you seen?”
    Drawing her answer out, Daisy murmured, “Um, most of it?”
    “Most of it as in all of it?”
    “I haven’t seen anything above his chin or below his knees.” Quickly, she added, “I’ve seen more of the pack when they strip off their clothes before they shift.”
    Her mom covered her mouth as her eyes widened in horrified laughter. “Does he have a gargoyle body, a little twisted and overly muscled?”
    “It’s more or less human,” Daisy answered. “Except for he’s gray and he has wings. And a tail.”
    “A tail.” Amusement lit her mom’s eyes as her natural humor rose up. “Like a wolf’s tail?”
    “Not even close,” Daisy said with a reluctant smile. “It’s long-ish and slender and surprisingly agile.”
    “He’ll show you his tail but not his face.” Her mom pondered that for a moment before she narrowed her eyes and asked, “Do you wish to see his face?”
    “I do, but I want him to reveal himself when he’s ready. Why?”
    Color climbed into her mother’s face as she said softly, “I was going to suggest singing to him.”
    “But you’ve always taught me that being a Siren is a gift and we shouldn’t abuse our powers.”
    “It wouldn’t make him fall in love with you, sweetie,” her mom stammered slightly. “He’s a gargoyle and is most likely unaffected by our song.”
    “Then why sing to him?”
    “Because singing sometimes makes a supernatural creature do what he wants to do anyway.” The color deepened as she looked away, avoiding Daisy’s stunned expression. “It can also, um, enhance one’s, er, pleasure. Daisy, don’t look at me like that. You’re a Siren and a wolf, two notoriously lusty creatures, and you’ve imprinted on a gargoyle. I don’t want you going into anything unprepared. I just thought I had more time to… discuss these things with you.”
    Daisy opened and closed her mouth a few times before she managed to ask, “Is that why there are so many pups in our pack?”
    Her mom’s laughter eased the awkwardness of the conversation, at least a little bit. “In this new world, fertility