Primal Pleasure: Pendragon Gargoyles, Book 3 (19 page)

“You stupid, arrogant—”

He caught the back of her head and crushed her mouth to his. Only when her anger retreated and she softened against him did he loosen his hold on her.

“I trusted you,” he said again, but with him continuing to sweep his mouth across hers, she could only come up with one response.

“Why?”

“Because you use your brain and not magic to win at cards. Because you put other people’s needs ahead of your own, helping strangers on crutches and listening to your friend’s problems, even when it’s not always convenient for you. Because you’re loyal and protective of your human friend and the sister you would do anything to save.”

“And you thought all those reasons were good enough to trust me with something as powerful as the dagger?” The one she’d nearly unmanned him with, but if he noticed how close the blade had come to his groin when they’d collided, he didn’t let on.

Wait. Something he’d said tugged at her memory. “Something you said about strangers on crutches—”

He pressed his finger to her lips. “Someone is coming.” He pulled her to her feet.

She glanced down at the dagger, feeling nothing from the weapon. “Something’s wrong with it.”

Cian took it and tossed it into the narrow opening, and she knew it was better to hide it until they knew what they were facing. Too many people coveted the weapon to risk revealing its presence to just anyone.

He pulled her behind him just as four men came in to view. She recognized Urien immediately, his eyes—one green, one white—as creepy as ever.

How could they have tracked her through the catacombs? No one knew where they were… An oracle. Cian’s family had used one to track her, even deep in Korrigan territory.

Two of the men parted and Elena was jerked to the front of the group by a chain fastened to very familiar restraints.

Shit.

Urien twirled the end of the chain. “Nice, huh? I really do appreciate you leaving these in a bag at your pet human’s place. They’ve come in pretty handy.”

Ignoring him, Emma focused on her sister. “You okay?”

Elena cocked her head, her gaze darting from Emma’s throat to Cian. “And here I was about to ask you the same thing.” A sly grin curved her lips. “I’m thinking you got the better end of the deal this time, Em. Except for Gareth.”

At the mention of the sorcerer’s name, Cian growled. She touched his shoulder, needing to soothe the cat she glimpsed in his eyes.

Urien pointed his sword at Elena’s back, a reminder of who had the advantage.

Elena glanced over her shoulder. “Is that it? So the saying is true. Little sword, little package.”

“I don’t need much of a reason to take your head,” Urien snapped.

“Why don’t you take these cuffs off and we’ll see if your balls are really made of brass or just pussy willows?”

He dug the tip of the sword into her nape, and Elena hissed.

“I’m surprised Gareth trusted you to bring me in.”

Urien’s attention predictably shifted to Emma. “You give yourself too much credit, love.” He cocked his head. “So this is the gargoyle who caught two arrows mid-air? Intriguing.”

“He has nothing to do with any of this.”

“Is that so?”

She nodded. “Wrong time and place.”

Urien gestured to the fierce grip Cian had on her. “I get the impression your pet thinks otherwise.” He tsked. “I had thought you of all people had higher standards, Emma.”

“Happy to have disappointed you.”

He jerked his head at the guy closest to Emma. “Bring her.”

Her. Not them. However, her momentary relief that Cian was going to be left out of it evaporated the second Elena stepped forward.

“You really don’t want to leave him behind.”

Emma braced herself, recognizing her sister’s tone, positive she wasn’t going to like whatever came next.

“The gargoyle was cursed by one of Constantine’s daggers.”

Chapter Eleven

Cian glanced back and forth between the two women glowering at each other from opposite sides of their cell.

Twins. Identical twins. Being trapped with two beautiful women might be a fantasy come true for some men, but for Cian, it just made his head hurt.

Twins.

It had only taken one look at Elena’s numerous tracings to figure out which of them had actually cursed him. What he hadn’t been able to figure out was why Emma hadn’t told him the truth, and where all of that left him—aside from trapped in a sorcerer’s dungeon.

Emma pivoted from the iron door that had slammed shut only moments ago. “Why in the hell did you tell them about Cian being cursed?”

Elena shrugged. “Seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“Really? The way you thought castrating a dragon was a good idea?”

If Cian didn’t know better, he’d swear Emma was about to unleash her animal half.

“He had it coming, and besides, it was just temporary.” Elena rolled her eyes, and he got the impression this wasn’t the first time they’d had this kind of conversation.

“Or the time you cast an enchantment spell and made a wraith fall in love with one of Morgana’s trolls?”

“You have to admit, they were a damn cute couple.” She glanced at Cian. “In that so-ugly-it’s-cute kind of way.”

Emma wasn’t amused, her cheeks flushed with an angry color he’d been on the receiving end of more than once. “And what about this time?”

“I would have kept my mouth shut if I’d known you were in love with the gargoyle.”

“I…” Emma seemed to remember he was in the room. She’d been preoccupied with her sister ever since they’d followed Urien’s markings out of the catacombs and were transported—by dragon no less—to the sorcerer’s castle and locked up. “It would just be really nice if you could behave for a decade or two.”

“And how much fun would you have then?”

Emma’s eyes nearly popped right out of here head. “Fun? Seriously?”

Elena crossed her arms. “So you two haven’t had any fun? ’Cause I’m guessing there must have been at least a little fun going down for that to happen.” She pointed at the nearly healed mark he’d put on Emma.

“It’s not what you think.”

Elena snorted. “What? You tripped and fell on his teeth?”

He fought a grin before remembering that Emma’s twin was right at the top of his list of least favorite people.

“It’s not like that.”

“So that’s not a mate’s mark on your shoulder?”

“It’s complicated.”

When Elena glanced at him, he only shrugged, staying out of it for now. He knew from experience that it was better to let siblings get it out of their system. Half the time Cale had come away more scratched up than he or Briana when he broke up one of their arguments.

She turned back to Emma. “And I suppose that’s my fault too?”

“As a matter of fact, yes.”

Looking annoyed, Elena stalked toward his mate. “Is there anything you don’t blame me for?”

“Is there something here that isn’t your fault?”

Elena threw her hands up in the air. “God, maybe you can talk some sense into her.”

Taking that as his cue, he straightened from the wall he’d been leaning against since the two had started with each other.

“Why did you do it?” He’d been wondering for weeks, had given up on getting an answer out of Emma. At least now he understood why she had never offered an explanation.

Emma, who’d paced in his direction a moment ago, stopped in her tracks. He hadn’t let on that he’d figured out which twin was really to blame for his imprisonment. He could tell by the expression on Elena’s face when she turned toward him that she’d been anticipating the question for a while.

“I overestimated my control.”

“So why not undo it then?” Emma asked.

“I was a little freaked out at the time, and his brother nearly took a chunk out of my hide, so I bailed.”

“Leaving him like that permanently.”

“Not intentionally.” Elena sighed. “Come on, Em. You know I’m not that heartless. Most of the time,” she tacked on at the end.

For the first time he saw regret flash in Elena’s eyes. “I did try to undo it and nothing worked. So I went with a counter spell, but I just assumed it never took since I thought he was still doing his masonry impression until a few days ago.”

She frowned and glanced again at the mark on Emma. “Ah.” Satisfaction gleamed in her eyes, and he realized her counter spell must have been tied to his mate.

If Elena had tried to make it so that his mate could break the spell with her proximity, then when Emma ended up on the roof with him…

He was such as ass. All this time he’d believed their bond was related to some kind of enchantment spell, had fought his instincts, and the cat had been right all along.

“Ah?” Emma snapped. “That’s all you have to say?”

“So I should apologize for getting you two together?”

This time Emma’s voice actually cracked with anger. “You want credit for making him think I’m his mate, all thanks to your enchantment spell?”

Elena shook her head. “Enchantment spell?”

Cian whirled on Emma before her sister said anything more. He knew the lengths his mate went for the people she cared about. She’d let herself be held prisoner for days to protect her sister. If she knew his feelings for her were genuine, she’d feel even more responsible for him. She spent enough time worrying about other people. He refused to burden her with his real feelings while they were locked up.

“When were you planning on telling me you weren’t the one who trapped me in stone?”

She blinked. “I did try to tell you a couple times.”

He crossed his arms.

She blew out a breath. “Look, I didn’t think you’d be all that quick to help me find Elena if you knew the truth.”

“You would have been right.” He was still angry with her twin, but not as much as he was himself. At the same time he knew if not for the curse, if not for his family tracking the wrong sorceress, it might have been centuries before their paths crossed.

Seeming to read his mind as easily as her sister, Elena gave him a smug look. “I like red. Rubies, designer clothes, sports cars. Just something to keep in mind when you’re shopping for an appropriate thank you gift.”

“Unbelievable,” Emma muttered.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I am starving.” Elena wandered over to the door. “Who does a girl have to curse around her to get some food?”

When Emma took a step toward her twin, Cian snagged her wrist, coaxing her in the opposite direction. Fully embracing their bond and accepting that Emma was truly his, left him calmer than he’d felt in weeks. Now that both man and cat were at peace with each other, he could focus entirely on getting his mate as far from the sorcerer as he could.

Emma dropped onto the bench beneath the cell’s only window, the bars over it fortified by Fae magic. She stared at their joined hands and carefully slid hers free. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you everything. If I had, you might not have followed me out of the casino that day.”

“I would have followed you through the catacombs.”

“We already did that.”

“We did, didn’t we?” He lifted her hand to his face, indulging in the warmth of her palm on his skin. “Then you might as well give up trying to get rid of me.”

“Don’t do that.”

Hearing the pain in her voice, he frowned. “What?”

“Don’t make me fall even harder for you.”

“Even if I vow to catch you?”

She shook her head, but before she could voice another objection, he touched his forehead to hers. He didn’t take it any further than that at first, marveling over her quick intake of breath and the way her fingers trembled.

“Cian,” she whispered, and her voice caught him hard in the chest.

Opening his mouth over hers, his plans to distract her were lost the second she boldly stroked her tongue across his. Between one breath and the next, he couldn’t remember what he’d even wanted to distract her from in the first place. He knew only Emma’s addictive taste, the feel of her lips and the certainty that enchantment or not, she had him completely under her spell.

Elena cleared her throat. “As much as I hate to break up your fun, our favorite Fae is coming down the hall, and he’s not alone.”

A moment later Urien opened the cell door, and Cian got his first look at the sorcerer who coveted his mate. Gareth was a couple inches shorter than him, his hair dark and long, his expression calculating as he dismissed Elena by turning his back on her.

The sorcerer’s hard green gaze bypassed Emma altogether, landing on the grip Cian had on her. There was only a whisper of warning before an invisible hand closed around his throat and pinned him against the wall.

“Stop!”

Cian reached out to prevent his mate from moving toward Gareth, but the grip around his throat tightened.

“You got what you wanted. I’m here. You have no need for them.” If the scent of her fear didn’t overwhelm him, he might have believed she was as calm as she appeared.

As if he’d grown bored already, Gareth released him, his attention focused on Emma. “Oh?”

“And my father won’t tolerate you holding Elena prisoner.”

“Permanently, no. But he knows she is my guest until the ceremony is complete.”

“Lying son of a bitch,” Elena snarled.

Gareth cocked his head, moved closer to Emma. “That’s a very interesting tracing.” Catching Cian’s eye, the sorcerer drew his finger across her throat.

Cian betrayed no response—though he sure as hell wanted to—knowing it was exactly what Gareth wanted.

Sighing, the sorcerer let his arm drop back to his side. “I look forward to discovering what other surprises you have in store for me, Emma. As soon as you’ve scrubbed every trace of the cat off you.”

“Let them go and I swear you’ll have my full cooperation.”

Gareth laughed, the sound making Cian ache to bury his fist in his face. “I’m afraid I need more time to find the best way to utilize the gargoyle’s exposure to the dagger’s magic, and when I do, I’ll want him on hand.”

“If you have him, you don’t need Emma,” Elena pointed out.

“My family is expecting an alliance between our houses today.” He tipped his head toward Cian. “He’s no more than an early wedding present which I’m very grateful to Emma for.”