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“I never heard why it was called that.”
Kelzeb hesitated. “Our forefathers were vicious. We’ve always had the issue of birthing more boys than girls. The desire to breed would come upon them and they’d hunt for a woman. They preferred Gargoyle ones but you know their birthrate is low. So they’d kidnap humans and take them to their lairs. No one volunteered for that. It was pretty violent. Those women would be chained and taken against their will. You’re young, so you don’t know how humans used to be. They would go insane after being exposed to one of us. Imagine being forced to drink something that made you actually want to have sex with your kidnapper who looked like a demon. Their lives were destroyed regardless of the outcome.”
“Outcome?”
“The ones who got pregnant where kept chained and locked inside the Gargoyle’s lair until they birthed for him. He couldn’t risk her throwing herself off the ledge before she delivered the child. It happened sometimes. The ones who were released afterward were usually murdered when they told their people what happened to them. Their families and neighbors believed they were exposed to evil, and it was safest to kill the women to keep the devil from coming back.
“It was named the ravage because any woman was destroyed if she was chosen to be a breeding vessel. Take your pick on what was worse. Being forced to birth a child for who they thought was the devil, or being killed by their own families and friends after being freed.”
“I’m glad we ask for volunteers now. I could never do that to a woman.”
“No shit. I’ve gone through the ravage, and it’s hell, but I would chain myself to a wall before I forced a woman into my bed. I would never be able to forgive myself.”
“Nor would I,” Creed agreed. “I’ve only experienced it twice but I’d have chained myself too if the women hadn’t been willing.”
“What was your first one like?”
He hesitated. “Cold.”
“How in the hell can you say that?”
“My father arranged it. It was with Winalin. He had an understanding with her brother. They wanted us to breed. I’d planned to unchain her and tell her to run away. I didn’t want to have a youngling that my father would take possession of. Winalin and I spoke once they put us together in guest quarters, and she wasn’t happy with the arrangement either. Unfortunately, they had locked us in and we were stuck together.”
Kelzeb shot him a horrified look but said nothing.
“We both felt resentment, being ordered to be together by our family members. The sex was pleasurable but it was nothing like with Angel. There is no comparison.”
“Because you have feelings for Angel.”
“It’s more than that. She’s very passionate.”
“Wasn’t Winalin?”
“No. She refused to drink my hormones for fear of being unable to prevent ovulation in her body. Neither of us wanted her pregnant. I mostly feared harming her, since she wasn’t as turned on as I was.”
“That does sound cold. We’ve reached the meeting point; they’re waiting.”
Creed sat up straighter, staring at the SUV parked on the side of the road. The Jeep had barely come to a stop when he’d shoved open the door and rushed forward. The scent of Angel almost took him to his knees. She opened the passenger door and he grabbed her around her middle, lifting her right off her feet.
He studied her face, throat, and arms with a quick glance. “Were you hurt?”
She gripped his shoulders. “I’m fine.”
“I heard you were attacked by a Lycan.”
“I’m okay.”
He pulled her closer, hugging her. His dick had become rock hard. His Angel smelled like pure sex. It made him want to rip off her clothes and take her right against the black vehicle. He was only able to resist because three GarLycans were in close proximity to his mate. His protective instincts were keeping his lust in check. Barely.
The two doors on the other side of the SUV opened and the twin enforcers climbed out.
Creed backed up with Angel in his arms. His body fluxed a little when his skin tightened, trying to shell to make him tougher to kill. Both men were reading as a danger to his mate, despite the fact that they’d brought her to him. It was difficult to reason with his mind with Angel in his arms.
“Creed.” Kelzeb used a soft tone. “Don’t. She’s in no danger. We are expected by Lord Aveoth. No one is going to touch her. Control your body now. Anyone could drive by and see you. That’s an order.”
He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing. Angel was with him and safe. He got a leash on his lust and instincts. It wasn’t easy, but he’d had sixty years to learn discipline. His skin stopped tingling and he lowered Angel to her feet. He opened his eyes and met Kelzeb’s stare. “I’m fine now.”
The other man sighed. “Good. Keep it that way. You and your mate ride with me.” He glanced at Fray and Chaz. “You two follow. We’re going home. The talks with the packs have been rescheduled.”
“Fantastic,” Chaz muttered. “I fucking hate them anyway.”
Fray chuckled. “Only because the women avoid us two and flirt with the others. We scare them with our eyes.”
“I don’t want a mate,” Chaz growled.
“Sure you don’t.” His twin snorted.
Chapter Ten
Angel wasn’t certain what to expect of the place Creed called home when he wasn’t living in his cave perched high above her village. She’d never seen another GarLycan until that airport hangar, and then the third one who’d arrived with Creed to meet her alongside the road.
So far, her impression of his people didn’t bode well for her future.
All three men were a bit intimidating. They showed no emotion when they climbed out of their vehicles in an out-of-the-way spot off a dirt road. She stood in official GarLycan territory. They’d passed an electronic security gate that had closed off the road a mile before they’d parked.
Kelzeb addressed Creed, not sparing her a glance. “I’ll take her up. She needs to be presentable before meeting with Lord Aveoth. You need to change clothes.”
Creed stepped in front of her, putting his body between Angel and the enforcer. “I’ll fly her to my lair and see to it.”
“No.” Kelzeb softened his voice. “She’ll be taken to Galihia. You know the rules. She’ll be safe. I give you my word. You wouldn’t have anything appropriate for her to wear. You’re already in deep shit. Do you want to make things worse? Don’t fight me, Creed. The last thing you need is to appear in court wearing chains.”
Angel could feel the tension and she reached out, placing her hand on Creed’s broad back. “It’s okay.”
He turned his head, staring down at her. His eyes had gone black. She was starting to guess they did that when he was angry or his emotions were in serious turmoil.
“It’s okay,” she repeated. It horrified her to think of him being put in chains. She even managed to force a smile to hide her uneasiness. “I’ll be fine.”
He said nothing, just stared down at her.
“Don’t get into more trouble over me,” she whispered. “Please?”
That seemed to sway him. “Do everything you are told.” He turned and reached up, grabbing a thick lock of her hair with his fingers. “Rein in your attitude for me. I find it amusing but they won’t. Do you understand?”
It was a clear warning. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“Treat everyone as if you are in the presence of a visiting elder.”
In other words, his people were formal and would take any lip as a sign of great disrespect. “I understand.”
“It’s important, Angel. It would be bad otherwise.”
She wanted to hug him but refrained. Her fear notched a little higher but she tried to hide it from him. She had no idea what the laws of his people were with regards to etiquette or how harsh their reprimands would be, but his grim tone implied a lot. It would be really severe. She nodded.
“You won’t like the clot
hing but don’t refuse.” He paused. “Try not to speak at all unless they ask you a direct question.”
She really wanted him to explain more but Kelzeb cleared his throat.
“The scouts would have notified Lord Aveoth that we’ve arrived. Making him wait will irritate him. We need to go.”
Creed took a step back from her and nodded. “How long until I’m expected in court?”
“Give it an hour. I want to speak to him first.” Kelzeb removed his shirt and tossed it inside his Jeep. He slowly approached. “I’m going to take her. Leash yourself.”
Creed grew totally still. “Do it.”
The big GarLycan stepped behind Angel. One of his arms looped her hips, the other locked around her just above her breasts. He pulled her tight against his body and she didn’t protest. He lowered his head a little. “Just be still. I won’t drop you.”
That’s all the warning he gave. He lifted her off her feet, bent his knees a little, and then jumped. His wings thumped hard, taking them into the sky.
She grabbed at his arms just for something to cling to. Creed had never flown with her that way. He cradled her in his arms but this GarLycan just kept her locked in front of him. It was more frightening, knowing she could plummet to her death if she slipped from his hold as they rose higher, the ground getting farther way.
He banked to the right sharply, and she gasped and drew her knees up.
“You won’t fall.”
They flew between a pair of mountains. There were woods as far as the eye could see, with no signs of houses or roads below. She twisted her head, staring behind them. Three figures were back there, one of them Creed. It made her feel a little better, knowing he remained close. He’d catch her if Kelzeb dropped her. She’d seen how fast he could move when he dove as he flew.
“Your mate is on the edge. Don’t scream,” Kelzeb warned. “He’d attack me in flight. That would mean you might slip from my hold. Am I clear?”
“Yes.” She wasn’t liking him much at that moment.
“We’re almost there.”
“Couldn’t we just drive?”
“We purposely make it very difficult for anyone to reach our cliffs by foot or vehicle. There is very rough terrain, and we bring in a lot of territorial animals to help us defend the land against intruders.”
They cleared the two mountains and turned left. That’s when she first spotted the cliffs. It was a massive mountain with a sheer side. It split in a few places, showing off some vegetation where trees had grown, but most of it was a flat face of sharp-looking rock. She looked up, realizing it extended high into the air.
“That’s it?”
“Yes. Let me give you some advice.”
She turned her head, looking up at him. “What?”
“Do everything Galihia says. She’s Lord Aveoth’s mother. She’s a GarLycan with a heart, so her advice will be given in your best interest. Listen to her.”
“Thank you.”
He flew them higher. She examined the area of cliff they flew toward. It surprised her when she saw a bunch of open ledges and openings. “How many people live here?”
“Dozens. We live a little spaced apart for privacy. Stay away from the ledges. You wouldn’t survive if you slipped. I hope you’re not afraid of being inside caves, because this might be the last time you’re allowed outside for a while.”
He banked his wings and they dropped. It made Angel feel a little sick. Then he landed, and it knocked the air out of her lungs, but she wasn’t hurt. She turned her head, searching for any sign of Creed. Kelzeb blocked her view though when he marched her forward into a dark hole in the cliff.
She couldn’t see anything until he turned. Faint lights showed that she was inside a tunnel. It wasn’t like anything she’d ever seen before. The rock walls had been smoothed until they were nicely shaped. He stopped and lowered her to her feet.
“Stay at my side.”
“As if I want to get lost. Not.”
He shook his head. “That’s the kind of talk you don’t want to do here. Just agree. Our women were born in another time. Do you understand?”
“No.”
He blew out his breath. “My mother is two hundred and twenty-six years old. I would guess that Galihia is about a hundred and twenty, give or take some years. They are from a time when women were more submissive to men. A lot of them never leave the cliffs. No man wants his mate at risk. Just be quiet and try to learn our ways. Watch every word you say. Creed and I are considered young, but so is anyone under a hundred. We’ve also spent a lot of our lives away from here. We’re more modern. Most of the people here aren’t. Is that clear enough?”
“Yes.”
“You shouldn’t stare into a man’s eyes when you’re speaking to them. Dip your chin and only give them glances if they speak directly to you.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
She sighed and dropped her gaze to stare at his chest. He had a nice one, but it still felt weird. “Like this?”
“Yes.”
“I feel rude since you’re not wearing a shirt. I’m not checking you out.”
He barked out a harsh laugh. “It’s only appropriate to be without a shirt when we’ve just flown in.”
“Creed wears those thin-strapped tank tops. He can get his wings out in them without a problem.”
“It would be ruder to wear them here than to just be bare. They would be considered indecent by our standards. Let me take you to Galihia. Be very polite and respectful to her.”
“I will be.”
He gripped her arm. “This way.” He led her forward.
A big guy approached from the other direction. She tried not to stare. He wore leather pants, military-style boots, and a thin black material stretched tight over his muscled upper body. His eyes were a dark green with enough silver that they seemed to nearly glow. The sword strapped to his hip was scary looking, especially when he reached for it, wrapping his hand around the handle.
Kelzeb jerked Angel by her arm, shoving her behind him. “Stand down.”
“Who is she?”
“A new mate.”
“Who does she belong to? You?”
Kelzeb deepened his voice and it echoed when he spoke. “Keep walking. You’re not challenging for her.”
“Who does she belong to?”
“Not you. Her and her mate have an audience with Lord Aveoth.”
Angel peeked around Kelzeb’s broad back. The other guy still gripped his sword handle but his eye color had faded a little so they weren’t so silver. He locked them on her.
“Who do you belong to?”
“Don’t answer that,” Kelzeb snapped.
He reached back with his other arm and shifted her to his other side, still keeping her behind him. His hold was almost painful as he stepped forward, taking her with him. They walked past the other man. He didn’t attack but as soon as they were away from the stranger, Kelzeb yanked her in front of him so he kept his body between her and the other guy. They turned a corner.
“What was that about?”
“You are giving off the calling. Any unmated man in here is going to investigate and consider challenging for you. Your mating bond is weak and not fully formed yet.”
“What does that mean?”
“They might be tempted to fight Creed to the death. He isn’t well known here and has few friends. It means more than likely they’ll challenge to take his mate. You don’t want that. He’s a skilled fighter but some of these men are on the battlefield often. Creed isn’t. He could be rusty with his sword.”
That made her afraid for Creed. “What do you guys fight here?”
“Vampires mostly, from the larger cities if they’re getting out of hand. We fly in and take out some of their numbers. Occasionally we’ll get Gargoyles flying in from Europe when they believe they can invade our territory. We’re not far from Russia, they also come at us from that way. Full-bloods are pretty fierce.”
“You’re from a Lycan pack. Why do others invade your territory?”
“They want to take over when they’ve expanded their numbers to the point that they need land to add to their territory. Sometimes it’s to gain access to more women.”
“Exactly.” He kept her moving. They reached the top of stone stairs and he led her down, keeping a firm hold on her arm.
“How big is this place?”
He seemed to debate answering her, or maybe how to answer. She almost gave up on expecting him to say anything when he finally spoke.
“Are you familiar with an ant farm?”
“Yes.”
“Think of the interior of these cliffs like one of those. All the homes are linked internally, but we all have exterior entrances that can be sealed off if we’re attacked or in harsh weather. All of our community areas are deep inside, so they’re protected.”
“Have you ever had a full-on attack happen?”
“No, but we are prepared for that event.”
They came to the bottom of the steps and another interior corridor. Lights were along the walls about every twenty feet. She got a good look at them. “Electricity?”
“Generators. We have modernized somewhat.”
“Solar or gas?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I’m curious.”
“We have a river that runs through the base of our mountain. We use the flow of water to create power for our generators. Everything is self-contained from the outside world.”
“That’s impressive. What about when the winter comes and the water freezes?”
“We can switch to fuel but the water runs so deep that it never completely freezes. We’re a very old race. Now stop with your questions.” He halted in front of a massive wooden door. “We’re here. Be respectful. Lord Aveoth is more powerful than your alpha, and this is his mother.”