10. Gwen

CHAPTER TEN

GWEN

I stirred, my eyes fluttering open to darkness. A comforting weight covered my body. A shaky hand reached to touch it, not quite feeling like my own.

Someone had drawn a blanket over me, leaving me very naked underneath.

The softness beneath me wasn't the hard stone floor of Ivy's lair, but a bed.

I tried to piece together how I'd gotten here. The last thing I remembered was the surge of power, the destruction of Ivy and her vampires, and then... nothing.

For a moment, I entertained the idea that it had all been a terrible nightmare. Lucid as hell, and one that left you feeling wrung out and utterly drained of everything after exiting the dream world.

But as I shifted, a dull ache radiated through my body. Another shaky hand maneuver, and I felt the rough texture of bandages against my skin.

No, not a dream. The ordeal had been painfully real.

But something felt different. As I lay there, I became acutely aware of my surroundings. The air seemed to hum with energy, and I could sense the very stone of the walls around me and the roots in the dirt beyond. It was as if a veil had lifted from my senses, revealing a world I'd always known existed but had never truly seen.

I reached for that newfound awareness, that kernel of magic within me. It was there, pulsing just beneath the surface.

Only it wasn't a kernel anymore. The tap was on, flowing freely, even if exhaustion still gripped me too tightly to try channeling it.

Gingerly, I attempted to sit up. The room spun, and I groaned.

"Easy there," a deep voice rumbled from deeper in the Undercroft. A door opened, and Garrex materialized at my bedside, his big frame nearly eclipsing the light from the hall. Even in the dimness, I could make out his features: his stone-hewn jaw, the powerful muscles of his bare chest.

I tried to ignore the sudden warmth in my belly, the memories of how those rock-hard abs had felt pressed against me. He perched on the edge of the bed, his large hand hovering over mine before gently clasping it. The touch sent a spark through me, and I wondered if it was magic or just... us.

"How long was I out?" I croaked, my throat dry.

Garrex's lips quirked into a half-smile. "Long enough for me to patch you up without a single complaint. Easiest patient I've ever had."

I snorted, wincing as the motion pulled at sore muscles. "Glad I could oblige."

Despite the levity in his tone, I could see the relief etched in his features. He'd been worried about me, and the weight of that realization settled heavily in my chest.

"What happened?" I asked after a moment.

Garrex's expression darkened. "Ivy and Sulien are dead. So are the vampires."

My memory of that night came rushing back in vivid detail. The cistern. Ivy's monstrous creations. The surge of power.

I blinked, stunned. "Sulien, too?"

Garrex nodded solemnly. "He tried to prevent me from flying to your aid."

His words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of recent events. I couldn't find it in me to feel bad about the other gargoyle's fate outside of what it meant to Garrex. How many centuries had he known Sulien? And to have that voice silenced, even if it wasn't the most pleasant...

I took a deep breath, knowing we needed to address the elephant in the room.

"Garrex," I began hesitantly, "about what happened with Cecily... the woman you were with that night, was she of Lockwood ancestry? Or somehow connected to them?"

His jaw clenched, and I could see the pain and guilt flash in his eyes. "She may have been," he answered stiffly. His wings twitched.

I leaned back against the headboard and scrubbed my hands down my face. I took a deep breath; the pieces fell into place in my mind, and they were just... sad. Jealousy, power grabs, death. Not saying those with power needed strict ascetic lifestyles, but damn. How different might the world look if there had been a bit more cooperation and a lot less murder?

"Is this what it means to have magic?" I asked Garrex quietly. "Grudges building to feuds, for generations?"

Garrex's brow furrowed, confusion clear on his face. "I think I missed something."

I couldn't hold back the flood of thoughts any longer. "This whole thing—luring you away, Cecily's fate, trying to kill me—they were the culmination of a long-standing plan. It's all been about consolidating power for the Lockwoods."

Garrex sat in stunned silence for several long moments. I could see the gears turning in his head as he processed what I'd said. Finally, he spoke, his voice heavy with emotion. "I have lived a very long time. Seen many things, endured much strife. But this..."

"So, what do we do?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I think a great many things are about to change because of you." His fingers traced the edge of a bandage on my arm, his touch feather-light. "I think we get to decide what to do on our own."

Our own. Like we were a team. That warmed me, the chill I'd been harboring melting away.

I looked at Garrex. Really looked at him, noticing the little details that made him unique. The lines carved into the stone of his face. The imperfect match of his horns, one curling just slightly sooner than the other. The new crack in his wing. It looked fresh, like it had only formed recently.

I reached for it, my fingertips brushing down the sides of the fissure. The touch sent a spark through me. A shudder ran down Garrex's spine.

"Thank you," I murmured. "For protecting me."

His lips twitched. "It is my duty to serve, witch."

I shivered at the way he said "witch," his deep voice sending a bolt of pleasure right to my core. He was a protector, my protector, but my feelings went far beyond a guardian and his ward. I wanted more.

I wanted him.

On my next pass over his wing, I moved more deliberately, running my palm down the smooth stone. He shuddered again, a low growl rising from his throat.

"Gwen..." he warned. "You're still weak."

"I'm also alive." My hand slid down his chest, tracing the ridges of his stomach. "Thanks to you."

He swallowed thickly, his muscles tensing under my touch. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't," I assured him, my gaze dropping to his lips. "And this isn't me thanking you for saving my life. It's me telling you I'm yours, too."

The next kiss was hot, needy, and hungry. Any hesitation evaporated. Garrex's hands tangled in my hair as his tongue dove into my mouth.

He pressed me into the mattress, careful of my injuries, but the contact was anything but gentle. I moaned against his lips, the taste of him setting me on fire. I ached to be closer, to feel all of him against me.

"More," I pleaded between kisses. "Please, Garrex."

His lips trailed down my neck, the sharp tips of his teeth scraping over my pulse. I arched into him, heat pooling between my thighs. My fingers threaded through his hair, scraping over the base of his horns.

He growled, the sound vibrating against my skin. He shoved down the blanket and one big hand palmed my breast, the rough friction of his thumb driving me wild. My nipples hardened into stiff peaks, eager for more.

My fingers trailed over his shoulders, caressing every inch of his warm skin. He was so strong, so solid, so real. My body came alive under his touch, my desire for him threatening to overwhelm me.

When his fingers dipped lower, finding the slickness between my thighs, I couldn't contain my gasp. He chuckled, a low rumble that sent shivers through me.

"Already so wet for me, little witch," he purred, his fingers stroking my clit in agonizing circles. "Tell me what you want."

My hips bucked against him, my breath coming in ragged gasps. "You," I managed. "I want you, Garrex."

"My name on your lips sounds divine, my beautiful witch. Do not stop."

His touch was electric, stoking the flames of my desire until I thought I would burn up from the inside. I clung to him, my fingernails raking over his shoulders, his wings, his back, desperate for more.

Then his finger slipped inside me, and I cried out with relief and pleasure and greedy need all wrapped in one. My body clenched around him, welcoming him, needing him deeper.

Garrex growled in approval, working another digit in with the first. The stretch was exquisite, sending sparks of pleasure radiating out from my core. My head fell back, my body trembling with every stroke of his hand.

"Look at me," he commanded. "I want to see your eyes when I make you come."

My eyes snapped open, locking with his smoldering gaze. I rode his hand shamelessly, my hips matching every thrust of his fingers. My legs shook, my orgasm building with every passing second.

Garrex curled his fingers inside me, hitting that perfect spot. White-hot pleasure washed over me, my climax crashing down in wave after wave. I trembled beneath him, clinging to his shoulders, as if he were the only anchor keeping me tethered to reality.

In some ways, he was.

Gradually, I floated back to earth, my heartbeat slowly returning to normal. Garrex kissed me gently, reverently, as if I were made of glass.

"I'm not fragile," I murmured between kisses, my hands moving down to his waist, tugging on the fabric there.

"Gwen..." His tone held a hint of warning.

I grinned against his mouth, reveling in the power I held over him. "I believe there was something about a duty to serve? Let me help you with that."

I worked him free, his cock springing eagerly from the confines of his pants. I'd already learned he was proportionate to his size, but seeing him fully erect was still a sight to behold. Thick, long, and glorious, like a god of old. I bit my lip, my eyes drinking in every inch of him.

Every inch I was desperate to feel moving inside me.

Garrex was panting, his jaw set, looking like a man barely holding onto control.

"You're sure, little witch?" he asked.

I nodded, wrapping my arms around him and drawing him closer. "Very. Please, Garrex."

His restraint broke. He surged forward, his lips finding mine in a hungry, demanding kiss. His hands roamed over my body, pinching, rubbing, teasing, reigniting every nerve-ending with need.

I spread my legs, making room for him between my thighs. The tip of his cock nudged against my entrance, and we both groaned in pleasure. I was already soaked, aching with need for him. Slowly, he eased into me, filling me by an inch. Then two. Three.

My head kicked back as he pulled out, then sank deeper with the next thrust. My nails dug into his shoulders, trying to steady myself against the onslaught of sensations.

"Fuck," I breathed, my voice barely more than a ragged moan. "Yes."

Garrex grunted, his fingers digging into the flesh of my hips. "Say it again."

"Yesssss."

Another stroke, this one deeper and harder. He bottomed out, his cock pressing against every sensitive spot inside me. Pleasure spiked, mixing with the delicious pain of being stretched to my limit.

He moved slowly, easing into a rhythm that stoked the fire in my veins. Each thrust came with a kiss, a bite, a scrape of his fingers across my skin. I surrendered to him, my body singing under his touch.

He pressed my knee back, opening me up for him. The new angle made him sink even deeper, his cock rubbing against that perfect spot with each thrust. I gasped, my eyes rolling back in my head as he picked up the pace.

The pressure built in my core, my entire body trembling beneath him. I was so close, the edge of my climax within reach.

His thumb found my clit, his strokes mirroring the movement of his hips. I felt the familiar tingle of another orgasm coiling in my belly, every fiber of my being tightening.

"Come for me, little witch," he growled. "Show me how much you want me."

My eyes opened, catching Garrex's gaze fixated on my throat. His eyes, dark with desire, bored into the exposed column of my neck.

"Garrex?" I panted, my voice breathy and unsteady.

His eyes snapped to mine, and I could see the raw hunger there. He swallowed hard, jaw clenched tight.

"I want..." His eyes darted back to my neck, and he licked his lips. "I want to claim you. With a bite."

Yes.

The thought flashed through my mind, white-hot and burning with certainty.

This was Garrex. The stone-skinned gargoyle I trusted with my life. With my body.

With my heart.

My gaze traveled over his broad shoulders, down his chiseled chest. I thought about how he'd been there for me, protecting me even when I'd acted without thinking. A reckless infant, he'd called me, and he wasn't wrong.

He was my protector, my guardian, my lover.

I reached for him, tilting my head to the side, exposing my neck to him. An invitation. A promise.

His nostrils flared, and the animalistic hunger in his eyes only added to my excitement. Another thrust, this one hard and deep, and I let out a cry of pure, unadulterated pleasure.

"Gar—"

Before I could say his name, his lips claimed mine. His kiss was fierce, possessive, full of raw passion and need. He drove into me, fucking me like I'd never been injured in my life, and it was everything.

Garrex buried his face in the crook of my neck, his hot breath tickling my skin. I felt his tongue flick out, teasing and tasting me, before his lips parted, baring his fangs.

With one last thrust, he bit down, sinking his fangs deep into my flesh. I shattered around him, my climax ripping through me with an intensity that stole the breath from my lungs. My body convulsed, my legs shaking with the effort to keep up. My vision blurred, the world narrowing to a tunnel of ecstasy and bliss and absolute pleasure.

His grip on my hip tightened, anchoring me against the bed. He came with a roar, his cock twitching with every pulse of his release.

As we came back down, Garrex nuzzled my neck, lapping at the puncture wounds with his tongue. The act was surprisingly tender, soothing the sting of his bite.

"Are you all right, little witch?" His voice was barely a whisper, but it echoed in my ears.

I nodded, unable to find words for a moment. A warm, languid feeling spread through my body as perfect contentment settled into my bones. The bite on my neck throbbed gently, a pleasant reminder of our connection.

I felt... complete. As if a piece of me I hadn't known was missing had finally clicked into place. I didn't know the hows or whys. Hell, this reckless infant hadn't been a witch for more than a handful of days. But I knew with every part of me that he, his mark, everything was as it was meant to be.

I curled closer to Garrex, reveling in the feel of his strong arms around me. His skin was warm, his chest rising and falling steadily beneath my cheek.

A stray thought niggled at the back of my mind, and before I could stop myself, I spoke. "Garrex...?"

"Hm?" he responded, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on my back.

"What time is it?"

His hand stilled. There was a moment of profound silence before Garrex tensed, realization dawning.

I slung out my arm and reached blindly for my phone. Holy shit.

I shoved the screen at him and pointed. He wrapped a large hand around my wrist to steady me and peered at the display.

Past dawn.

His eyes widened, darting around the room as if seeing it for the first time in this light. His skin, while still carrying that faint grayish hue, remained as supple as flesh rather than immobile stone.

"How...?" I started, but the question trailed off as Garrex met my gaze.

A slow smile spread across his face, wonder and joy lighting up his features. "It seems, my witch," he said softly, cupping my cheek with his hand, "that you've broken more than one curse tonight."