Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

MORGAN

M y heart's beating too fast, my breaths coming in choppy and shallow.

"What?" I ask, merely to buy myself some time, to be able to think .

Emmerich, who looked so fucking disappointed with me just moments ago, now steps closer, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Why were you in the forest on our land during a snowstorm? If humans are so sensitive to cold, why would you do that to yourself?"

I would expect this kind of questioning from Klaus, who seemed the more serious of the two, more intense, but it's sweet Emmerich who's questioning me.

I don't think I can lie to them. They seemed to sense my distress, and from how fiercely Klaus is frowning now, a low growl emanating from his chest, I think he's about to launch himself at Emmerich for upsetting me—but this is exactly what I didn't want. They are roost mates—a married couple, for all intents and purposes—and I'm pushing a wedge between them. If I'm right, then this mating business is forcing Klaus to be super protective of me, to the point that he might decide to eliminate the perceived threat to my safety, who just happens to be Emmerich.

"Stop," I croak, taking a step back. "Both of you, just stop."

They blink, their expressions of surprise so similar, I'd laugh if this situation wasn't so delicate. Instead, I slump back in the armchair and take a deep breath to calm myself. I'll have to tell them the truth. They deserve it, especially if it means they'll need to send me away. If they're truly convinced I'm their mate, that will hurt them, no doubt about it. Besides, Klaus saved my life, and Emmerich went out of his way to make me comfortable, so I owe them that much.

They both stand in front of me, looming like granite statues. I don't think they're aware of the effect they have on me—this is just the way they are, gargoyles in their natural environment.

"Please, sit." I crane my neck and look from one to the other. "It will be easier to talk that way."

Klaus blows out a long exhale, then takes his seat by the fire. Emmerich hesitates for a moment, then does the same, the legs of his chair scraping on the flagstone floor as he moves it closer to me. Even now, he seems drawn to my side by some strange twist of fate.

I enjoyed their attention earlier without thinking things through. It makes perfect sense that they have different expectations for a relationship than I do. We're different species, after all. It seems that for them, reproduction is the primary goal. It also brings up the issue of long-term relationships. If I'm their chosen brood mate, will they drop me and exchange me for a new one as soon as I give them children?

And am I seriously considering being a baby mama to a pair of bat-winged supernaturals?

"Emmerich has a point." Klaus breaks the awkward silence stretching between us. "Why were you in our forest tonight?"

I swallow down my anxiety. They won't hurt me, no matter what I tell them, I know that. But they might decide I'm too much trouble after all, and fly me back to town. If they were worried about me exposing them to the world, they could even leave the area, and I'd have no proof of their existence.

The thought of them leaving sends horror coursing through me. I've only just met them!

"I was searching for the haunted tower," I admit. "I heard stories about winged creatures flying around here, and I wanted to come and see what the fuss was all about."

Klaus lifts one black eyebrow. "All alone? And on Christmas Eve? Aren't humans usually busy with their families at this time of year?"

His piercing gray eyes are unflinching as he stares at me, and my stomach twists at the realization that I'll have to explain everything to them or risk sounding like I'm hiding something significant—something dangerous to them.

That won't do, not when my only crime is trusting a man I shouldn't have.

"I didn't have enough time or money to go visit my parents this year," I begin, my voice small. "They live near Richmond, Virginia, and I'd either have to drive down, which would be difficult in this weather, or fly, which I couldn't afford, not with the holiday ticket prices. So I told them I was spending Christmas with my friends."

My mom had been disappointed, but I had spent a lot of time with them recently, so she understood. And she'd been happy for me, told me how proud she was of me for picking myself up and living again.

"You lied to your parents?" Emmerich asks. "Why?"

My throat tightens painfully. "I didn't want them to worry. If they thought I was spending Christmas alone, they'd want to fly here, and Dad doesn't like flying, especially not around the holidays." I lower my gaze to my lap, unable to keep Emmerich's gaze. "And they'd see my crappy apartment, which I've been trying not to tell them about."

Klaus lets out a low, rumbling growl, then cuts it off as if it escaped without his approval. He clears his throat and asks, "Why would they be worried? And why is your apartment crappy?"

My cheeks flame at the intrusive questions, but I know he doesn't see them as such. These two are living in an old tower, sure, but they've renovated it beautifully. Every time I glance around the room, I see more signs of their impeccable taste. There are cozy cushions on the couch, thick velvet drapes on the windows, and small bookshelves built into wall niches wherever there's room. The rug in front of the couch must have cost a fortune, and the same goes for the landscape painting on the far wall, which looks like it might be some sort of a Romantic original.

I glance from Klaus to Emmerich. They were so happy earlier, thinking they'd snagged a great human mate for their roost, but in truth, I'm not exactly a catch.

I don't want to tell them the truth, but how can I keep it from them? It would be unfair, and they need to have all the facts before deciding what to do with me.

Looking down at my lap, I take a deep breath to brace myself. "My apartment is crappy because I can't afford a better one. It's close to where I work, which is at an eco-agricultural company, and it's incredibly boring, but it pays the bills. I have a lot of those," I say with a wry smile. "Before I arrived in Clearwater to take this job, I was a junior researcher on a national bat conversation project. So was my fiancé."

"Fiancé?" Klaus growls.

At the same time, Emmerich blurts, "Bat conservation?"

I nod at Emmerich. "I studied conservation biology. Bats are the most fascinating creatures, which is why I was intrigued when I heard about giant winged creatures living in an abandoned tower in the middle of the forest."

He snorts, but before he can say anything, I swing my gaze to Klaus because I need to get the story out now or I'll never finish.

"He's an ex-fiancé now. He cheated on me, and there was no way I could work with him, so I was left without a job and without an apartment because he was the one listed on our rental contract." I shrug, trying to look more casual than I actually feel. "I haven't talked to him in several months, and I'm over him in the sense that I don't miss him anymore. I didn't take the breakup well, though. It got pretty bad a couple of months ago when I was still living with my parents, so that's why they've been worried for me. That's why I told them I was spending the holidays with friends."

I push my glasses up my nose and add, "I've been doing online therapy for weeks now, so I'm a lot better than before, but I'm still a bit short on the friend front." I click my tongue and correct myself, "Well, no, I have Arielle, but she had other plans for Christmas, which apparently included finding a kraken boyfriend, so I didn't want to interrupt. I was going to spend the evening at home, watch TV and microwave a pineapple-ham pizza, but then I decided that was too sad for me and went out on an adventure."

I spread my arms as if to indicate that we all know how that story ended. I could have died in the forest and would have frozen if Klaus hadn't found me.

"Did you come here to expose us?" Klaus asks, his voice level.

I stare at him, wondering what his question really means. Would he get angry if I said yes? Keep me from leaving?

And would that be so bad?

"I didn't know you were…sentient," I say carefully. "I didn't even fully believe the legends were true. I thought that an especially large colony of bats might be living here, or, if the creatures people told me about really turned out to be supernatural, that they'd be…" I gesture with my hand, searching for the right words. "I don't know what I thought. But the moment I saw this place, right after you saved me, I knew I could never write a paper about you. I already messed up your Christmas—I'm not about to ruin your lives as well."

"You didn't ruin anything—" Emmerich starts to say, leaning forward to grasp my hand.

But Klaus cuts him off, his expression severe. "You wouldn't just be exposing us. There are dozens of supernaturals in Clearwater. You'd be putting everyone in danger, including your friend, Arielle, and her kraken boyfriend, as you said, because humans would descend on this place and tear it apart, searching for more proof of anything strange. There are children here, Morgan. Families who have lived here for decades, creating a safe haven for creatures like us."

My eyes well with tears at the thought of uprooting innocent people's lives. "I would never . Please, you have to believe me. I ditched that plan the moment I met you. I'm sorry I ever thought it was a good one at all."

"You're a scientist," Klaus replies, still frowning. "Will you be able to let this go? We are not rabbits to be studied."

"Of course not," I agree quickly. "But…" I chew on my lip, not knowing how to phrase my issue.

Klaus' gaze softens a fraction, and he leans in, taking my other hand. "What is it? You can tell us anything. You already know our secret, Morgan."

"I'm just curious ," I burst out, pulling my hands from theirs. "I mean, you're gargoyles . You talk about reproduction and mate bonds and tails and horns, and my mind is about to explode! I have so many questions. So. Many. Questions!"

I put my fingers to my temples, then spread them out, miming a head explosion.

Before either one of them can say anything, I add, "I want to measure your wingspan and test how far you can fly, I want to study your horns under a microscope to see if they're made of keratin like a goat's, and also test your resistance to cold because how are you both not freezing when you go out in the snow? But I know that's not going to happen because you're intelligent individuals and studying you would be wrong ."

I say all this very fast, the words rushing from me, and only stop myself after I see their shocked expressions.

"I'm sorry," I whisper. "I, um, get carried away sometimes. I would never study you because that would make you uncomfortable. Also, it would be unethical, I'm pretty sure. And I'd never tell anyone. I swear. It's just a professional deformation, wanting to know everything."

The gargoyles both stare at me, their focus unwavering. Klaus' expression is still unreadable, his rough-hewn features stony. But Emmerich is grinning again, which has some of my tension melting away. He's hovering on the edge of his seat, and when he meets Klaus' gaze, his smile widens. I bite the inside of my cheek—it's Klaus' approval I need. Emmerich seems satisfied with my explanation, but if Klaus refuses to believe me…

The corner of Klaus' mouth tips up in a grudging smile, and he lifts one shoulder in a shrug as if to say, why not?

Emmerich lets out a long exhale, then pats my knee. "You can study me. I'll be your subject, Morgan. Just don't cut off my horns, they take ages to grow back."

A great bubble of relief grows in my chest, expanding outward. "Y-you're serious? You're not angry?"

"We can smell you're telling the truth," Klaus confirms. "And if you weren't a curious scientist, who knows if our paths would have crossed."

I let out a laugh that sounds too much like a sob, and all my emotions come crashing over me. I was so afraid they'd send me away—I didn't even know how much their acceptance meant to me until this moment.

"Ach, don't cry," Emmerich says, his eyebrows furrowing. "Come here."

In a quick move, he reaches forward, grabs me by my waist, and hauls me to his lap. I flail a little, then settle in his warm embrace and lean my head on his naked chest. His leathery skin is so intriguing, I can't stop myself from running my palm over his biceps. Then I realize I'm feeling him up and drop my hands to my lap. A couple of deep breaths later, I'm calm enough to peek up at Klaus, who's been watching us in silence all this time.

"Thank you for believing me," I say softly. "And I'm sorry?—"

"Stop that," Klaus commands. "No more apologies."

"Okay." I offer him a small smile. "If I ever ask too many questions or make you uncomfortable, you have to tell me."

Emmerich nods, his chin brushing my temple. "I will have lots of questions, too. Starting with this strange noise your insides are making."

I jerk in his lap. "Oh. That's my stomach rumbling. It means I'm hungry. I haven't eaten since lunch."

Klaus frowns at me. "Why didn't you say something?"

"I forgot!" I put a hand on my belly, pressing in lightly. "I was busy discovering some mythological creatures, you know."

Emmerich's chest rumbles with a laugh. "Jasper's human, Arielle, packed some food for you. But you will have to tell us when you get hungry, or we might forget to feed you."

"How many times a day do humans eat?" Klaus asks, already reaching for the duffle bag Emmerich brought back from his expedition earlier. "Do you need to eat every day?"

I blink, gaze darting from one to the other. "Um, yes, we eat every day, preferably three to five meals. I like three main ones, then some snacks to make it through the day."

Klaus stares at me in disbelief, then shakes his head. "How do humans achieve anything if they spend half their days eating?"

"I assume you don't?"

I'd noted the absence of a stove before, but I thought that maybe they preferred eating out.

"We hunt every ten days or so," Emmerich says. "The woods here are full of deer and other wild game."

It's my turn to gape at them. "You catch your own food?"

"We are very good hunters," Klaus assures me. "Usually we'll take down a deer together. That's enough to last us both for a week or more. We eat more frequently if we're flying a lot, but I can't imagine having to eat every day."

Emmerich is nodding along. "It would make sentry jobs very difficult if I was hungry all the time."

I raise my eyebrows at them. "Sentry jobs?"

"We work for a private security company," Klaus explains. "We'll often take night shifts, guarding buildings or people, depending on the assignment."

I imagine a pair of gargoyles sitting on a rooftop somewhere, so much like medieval church statues. But surely that must make things difficult if they actually have to defend their target from humans? How do they keep from getting spotted? Surely people would notice two massive statues just appearing out of nowhere?

Klaus snorts out a laugh, his serious expression lightening. "I can almost hear your head bursting with all the questions. You're wondering how we move around human society, yes?"

He roots through the duffle bag and sets a pair of apples on the now-empty armchair. He adds a jar of peanut butter, a pot of jam, and a bag of sliced bread to the collection, along with three bananas and a bottle of milk.

I give him a sheepish smile and pick up a banana. "That thought did cross my mind, yes."

"We wear glamours," Emmerich explains as he carefully unscrews the cap on the milk bottle and hands it to me. "Irma at the apothecary creates amazing charms that help us hide our wings and horns and turns our skin a human color."

"As long as we don't brush up against people or get in crowded spaces, no one notices what we are," Klaus finishes. "Now, do you want some bread? We don't have plates, but there has to be a knife somewhere…"

"That's fine," I stop him, then peer into the duffle bag. "Can I have one of those protein bars instead? That'll be enough for now."

I'm thinking of the late hour and the fact that I'll need to go to bed soon. If I eat too much right before bedtime, I'll toss and turn, my stomach too heavy to get comfortable.

"If this is how little you eat at each meal, it's no wonder you have to eat so often," Emmerich grumbles.

"Our digestive systems must be wildly different," I say between bites of banana. "Yours must be kind of like a snake's. They're known for eating a bunch of food all at once, then digesting it slowly."

"We are nothing like snakes." Emmerich lifts his chin to peer down his nose at me.

I shrug, grinning. "I'll have to research if other animals behave like that. There have to be others that you'll like better. But definitely not bats. They fly out all the time to feed on insects."

Klaus offers me a small smile. "We know. We have a colony living up in the rafters."

I nearly drop my banana at this bit of news. "You what?"

He chuckles, the sound reverberating around the room. "I thought you'd like that. There are hundreds of them, but they're hibernating for the winter. We can take you to see them tomorrow if you'd like." He offers me a sly look from under half-lowered eyelids. "That is, if you'd like to stay the night."

I finish off the last of the banana and carefully fold the peel, wondering where I should put it. "That's very devious of you, to tempt a woman with bats . How can I resist?"

His grin widens as he takes the peel from me and carries it into the kitchen. "Is it working?"

"Oh, yes," I call after him. "Me wanting to stay here has nothing to do with two amazing gargoyles. I'm only here for the bats."

Emmerich wraps his arms around me and squeezes me tight to his chest. "Hmm, I don't mind sharing your affection with those little critters. As long as you sleep down here and not in the cold attic."

I glance up at him. "I thought you weren't bothered by the cold."

"That doesn't mean I don't prefer this living room to that drafty old room," he grumbles. "Do you know bats poop right where they sleep? Every spring, we have to clean out all the bat shit or the ceiling would cave down on us."

"Mm, bat poop is an excellent fertilizer," I tell him. "You could sell it for some extra cash."

Klaus rejoins us, stopping in front of us, his arms crossed over his chest. "We're not so desperate for money yet. But we'll keep that in mind."

I stretch my arms up, yawning. "What time is it? I feel like I've lived about three days' worth of adventure today, but it wasn't that late when you brought me here, was it?"

Klaus walks over to the mantel and picks up a phone. "Just past nine."

I gape at him. "You have a phone! Why didn't you— I mean, of course you have a phone, why wouldn't you? Do you—do you have a charger?"

He presses his lips together, surely to keep from laughing at my stuttering monologue, then shows me a cleverly disguised charging station on their bookshelf, with two chargers ready to use. I hop from Emmerich's lap, hobble over to where my jacket is drying by the fire, and take out my dead phone. If I manage to get a good signal, I'll let Arielle and Mrs. Rowell know I'm alive so they don't send out a search party for me. The screen lights up immediately, and I wait a minute before powering on the phone. I type out two texts and send them out, hoping they'll go through, then set the phone down, not wanting to get distracted by random emails when I have so much more interesting stuff to think about now.

I turn around to find Klaus and Emmerich both staring at me.

"What?" I ask.

Emmerich scrubs his hand over his face. "I-I like your outfit very much."

I glance down at myself, then blush. My leggings mold to my every curve, and my top has ridden up, exposing an inch of skin. Suddenly self-conscious, I tug it down again. "Thank you." The words come out as a squeak, so I clear my throat and say, "I like your style as well."

It's an understatement. Those leather pants should be outlawed with how perfectly they outline their thick thighs and tight butts, and I have absolutely zero complaints about them going shirtless all the time.

This is dangerous territory, though. Since Klaus kissed me in the stairwell, neither of them has made a move on me—and I get that, especially since we had to discuss some really important things. But now that I should get ready for bed, I'm feeling a little awkward. They said they're okay with me kissing both of them, but how does that translate into real-life situations?

"Can I sleep on the couch?" I break the silence stretching between us. "I saw a blanket in that duffle bag, so I'm sorted for the night if that's okay with you."

Emmerich turns to Klaus. "Oh, yes, I didn't have the heart to tell Jasper and human Arielle that we have plenty of blankets for Morgan. They were being very helpful."

I frown. "You have blankets? But you said you didn't sleep…"

I trail off because Klaus is already shaking his head. He moves to the far side of the room and disappears from view behind the wall that separates this room from the spiral staircase.

"Just because we usually rest by crouching," he calls, his voice slightly muffled, "that doesn't mean we weren't prepared to nest if we found a mate."

My eyes go wide. "You-you build nests ?"

My mind immediately conjures up a sort of giant stork's nest, a structure of branches and straw set on top of a chimney—or a tower in the middle of the forest.

Emmerich takes one look at me and grins. "What are you thinking about, Liebchen ?"

I shake my head, not wanting to admit it. "Nothing. Will you show me?"

He steps right up to me and offers me his arm. "Yes. We'll build it just for you."