Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 128061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
I didn’t need support or to be reminded to keep a stiff spine. I needed to cool the rush of fire fueled by my gargoyle to dominate those jerks and wipe those insufferable smiles off their faces.
This was how it was going to go, was it? They thought they could laugh at my crew and I wouldn’t retaliate? Just what kind of outfit did they think Austin and I ran here?
I pushed out a hard slap of magic. Let them see who they were messing with.
It rolled over that cairn like a wave, wiping the smiles clean off their faces. Wings fluttered, eyes widened, Edgar randomly put up a fist.
“Put yer hand down, ya gobshite,” Niamh murmured to him.
“Hello,” I said with a firm voice. “Welcome. My name is Jessie Ironheart.”
I took a step forward, and Austin did so at the same time, in perfect sync. The cairn on the right, the ones who’d mocked me, all took a step back. Except for the leader. Pierce. A.k.a. Mr. Cashmere.
He stood his ground, a cocky sort of playboy grin curling his lips. This one wasn’t mocking like the others—it was an obvious attempt at charming, boosting his handsomeness. It wouldn’t do him any good.
“I am the alpha of this territory,” I continued, “along with my mate Austin Steele. This is a multi-species magical territory, as you can plainly see. We have different rules than you are used to. I’d advise you to learn those rules as quickly as possible, because we are unforgiving if you break them. You will address me as Alpha, Ironheart, or a combination of both. My mate will be addressed as Alpha, or Alpha Steele. Do you understand?”
None of the gargoyles acknowledged me, and so I sent a blast of magic at both cairns this time, eliciting various forms of acceptance. That would do.
“You are all of course aware,” I went on, “that I have not been a gargoyle long. I became a gargoyle the day I got magic, which was about a year ago. I’m still learning the ropes, and I make a lot of mistakes. I imagine you’ll see those mistakes as a sign of weakness. If you snicker at them, though, make sure to do so from a distance, because my mistakes kill people. Alpha Steele is not new to his magic, and he doesn’t make mistakes. If he means to kill you, he’ll do so viciously. This is the only warning you are going to get. Now…”
I smiled at Venavin’s cowed postures. They were lucky all I’d done was hit them with a little magic and address them with words. If it had been a shifter situation, Austin would’ve leveled them all.
“Let’s see what you’ve got.” I looked at Austin. “Who would you like to start with?”
His gaze beat into Pierce.
Maybe he still planned to level them all.
He started forward.
The man of the hour met us with a flawless smile oozing charm and charisma. He had a face that would make photographers weep and a toned body he clearly worked hard on. His hair was styled long, just past his ears, and a lock of hair had a habit of falling across his right eye, accentuating his brilliant smile.
“It’s legendary to meet you, Jessie Ironheart,” he said, offering a shallow bow. “Gargoyles in general have been so curious about you. It’s been an age since there was a female gargoyle. Most of us had started to think they were a myth.” The wattage of his smile increased as he leaned forward. “I’m Pierce. I make the softest, most luxurious fabrics you’ve ever had the pleasure of feeling. You must’ve liked your sweater. I excel in creating the perfect fit.”
“Why are these not uniform?” Naomi asked in a stern voice, standing at the side of his setup and holding a blanket to catch the light. I hadn’t noticed her following us over.
“Well…” Pierce jerked his head to get the hair out of his eye, and his perfectly manicured eyebrows lowered. “That is an artisan piece. They are handmade and rarely uniform.”
Naomi looked over her half-moon reading glasses at him. Without a word, she dropped the blanket to the ground and moved on. It didn’t take a genius to know that she hadn’t liked his answer.
Without skipping a beat, Pierce turned back to us. “Our specialty is in our knits.” He gestured for me to follow him. “Please. Let me show you.”
“Not me.” I hooked a thumb Austin’s way. “He’s the one in the market.”
Pierce swung his gaze slowly, and his face visibly fell. Charming women was in his wheelhouse, it seemed—no surprise with that face. He didn’t seem so confident about the big alpha staring him down.
“Of course,” he finally said, leading Austin to the table.
“His appearance lives up to the hype,” Patty whispered as she stepped up beside me. “His personality, however…” She grabbed my arm. “Oh look, Goman cairn has more of those infuriating rugs. Naomi made that other one work so well. Let’s see if there are any others that will drive me crazy.”