12. Graeme

12

GRAEME

T he wedding band strikes up a slow, sensual melody as I lead Ecco onto the dance floor. My palms tingle where they press against the silky fabric of her dress, sensitive to every curve and contour of her luscious figure.

I haven't been able to take my eyes off of her all night. I'd like to tell myself that it's because she's my client; it's my job to stare at her, to keep her in my sightlines.

But gods, the way she looks in that dress. She was luminous when she sang the first dance song for Mariah and Thorak. Every person in the room was captivated by her—most of all, me.

And when that elf asked her to dance, I responded entirely with jealousy. I can admit that to myself.

The idea of another man's hands on her… unfathomable.

Ecco fits so perfectly in my arms, her head barely reaching my chest as we start to sway. I breathe in deep, letting her sweet, intoxicating scent wash over me—vanilla and jasmine with an undercurrent of something headier, like a hint of the ocean.

It's all I can do not to bury my nose in her hair and inhale.

"You're pretty light on your feet for a big, bad gargoyle," Ecco murmurs, tilting her head back to look up at me through long lashes. Her violet eyes glitter with mischief and something darker, more heated. I swallow hard.

"Years of martial arts training," I rumble, my voice rough even to my own ears. "Agility is key in close combat."

"Tell me more," Ecco says. "I want to know more about you, Graeme. We're together twenty-four seven. Let's not be strangers."

I consider her request as we drift across the dance floor, our bodies moving together in perfect harmony. Remnants of my clan's teachings whisper in the back of my mind—never let an outsider get too close, never reveal our secrets.

Ecco gazes up at me, genuine interest plain on her face, and those old rules suddenly seem meaningless.

"Growing up in the Grigori clan was… intense," I begin haltingly. "From the moment we could walk, we started training—hand-to-hand combat, aerial maneuvers, stealth tactics. Weakness wasn't tolerated."

Ecco tightens her grip on my shoulder. "That sounds so harsh."

"It's our way of life," I say with a shrug. "The Grigori clan has guarded the Black Mountains pass for as long as gargoyles have existed. It's our sacred duty, and in order to perform it, we must be strong. Ruthless. Emotions are a liability."

Ecco frowns slightly, a flicker of sadness passing through her expressive eyes. "But emotions are what make us alive, Graeme. They're not a weakness—they give us purpose, connection. Make us whole. How can you control emotions?"

Right now, I'm finding it hard. Every fiber of my being wants to crush this woman against me, to thread my hands in her silky blue hair and kiss her until she can't breathe.

Instead, I spin her out and then back into me, moving in time to the music.

"We practice a gargoyle technique called stoneheart meditation," I say. "It grounds us, reminds us to bury any part of ourselves that doesn't serve the clan."

Ecco hums, pressing herself even closer. I feel every lush inch of her, all soft skin and dangerous curves.

"Well, I can't say that I agree with that part of your training. But I love watching you move," she says, fingers playing with the short hairs at the nape of my neck. "So powerful and controlled."

Her warm tone and wandering fingers fuel the inferno already raging in my core. I tighten my grip on her waist.

"Careful, siren," I growl. "Keep this up and I might just lose that famous control you admire so much."

Ecco's breath hitches. She trails a hand down my chest, fingertips dragging over hard ridges of muscle. "Is that a threat or a promise, Graeme?"

Her scent spikes with arousal, filling my nose, my head. I'm drowning in her, drunk on pheromones and need.

It would be so easy to give in to this undeniable spark between us. To let my hands roam, discovering all the secret places that make her gasp and moan. Eight days I've wanted her, dreamed of her, craved her with every cell in my body.

And now here she is, pliant and willing in my arms, ripe for the taking.

But I can't. I'm her bodyguard, sworn to protect her. Anything else would be a betrayal of that oath. And a betrayal of my own code.

I don't do attachments, don't do feelings. A quick, anonymous fuck is one thing, but with Ecco… it could never be just physical. She's already worming her way under my skin, past defenses I've spent a lifetime building.

"Ecco," I warn, even as my disloyal hands stroke down her sides to grip her hips. "We can't. It would be… unwise."

Ecco looks up at me through her lashes, a hint of self-consciousness creeping through as she bites her lip. "It doesn't have to mean anything, does it? Haven't you ever had a one-night stand? It can be fun."

My jaw clenches. "You have no idea what I'm capable of in one night," I growl at her.

Her arousal spikes higher, sweet and intoxicating.

I lean in close, lips brushing the shell of Ecco's ear as I murmur, "But you're my client, Ecco. I don't mix business with pleasure. Plus, you've been drinking."

Her body reacting to my closeness, her fingertips digging into my shoulders, and it goes straight to my cock. I swallow, willing myself to have control.

"I've only had a couple of drinks," she insists, her hands roaming over my chest in a way that makes my blood burn. "And I'm not going to be your client forever. Once the stalker is gone, we can walk away from each other for good. I want this. I want you ."

I can't help myself—I inhale deeply, letting her scent wash over me.

"Believe me, I'm aware." My voice comes out low, dangerous. "I can smell your want all over you. But that doesn't change my answer."

Ecco flushes an even deeper shade of red, clearly taken aback by this revelation of my gargoyle abilities. She opens her mouth to respond, but then something over my shoulder catches her gaze.

She drops her hands from my body and steps back.

"Oh, wow," she says, eyes lit with wonder. "It's snowing!"

I turn around. The sudden blizzard outside is unmissable through the windows, snow lit by the glowing lights strung outside.

"Is that normal? Does it usually snow here in July?" I ask, looking back to catch the confusion dawning on Ecco's face.

"Uh… no," she says, her head tilting quizzically.

Around us, the other wedding guests are starting to take notice, excited murmurs turning to concerned whispers as the snow picks up intensity.

I happen to catch Mariah's eye across the room, her worried expression mirroring my own unease.

Something's not right here.

"We should go back to the inn," I rumble, my hand finding the small of Ecco's back, the instinct to protect her overriding the lingering sexual tension. "Until we know what's going on, I'd feel better if you were somewhere secure."

Ecco looks like she wants to protest, but she must know it's a lost cause. With a sigh, she nods, allowing me to guide her through the crowd and out of the ballroom.

The pale light of dawn lights up glittering lines of frost on the windows, casting an ethereal glow over Ecco's sleeping form and the absurd trappings of the honeymoon suite we're in.

I sit up with a groan and stretch my wings, my body protesting the long night spent on the unforgiving hardwood floor. Not that I could've slept well anyway, with the object of my frustrated desires lying mere feet away, taunting me with her presence.

I roll my neck, trying to ease the stiffness, but the moment my gaze lands on Ecco, every muscle in my body goes taut. Her nightgown has ridden up during the night, exposing the smooth expanse of her thighs, the tantalizing curve of her sizable ass.

It takes every ounce of my self-control not to reach out and run my hands over her skin, to wake her with my touch and finally give in to the hunger that's been consuming me for days.

Fuck .

My cock throbs insistently, straining against the confines of my sweatpants as I drink in the sight of her. The way her blue hair fans out across the pillow, the gentle rise and fall of her chest with each breath.

She's a fucking vision, and it's killing me not to act on my desires.

Ecco came so close to wearing down my control last night. If we hadn't been interrupted by the snowfall, I'm not sure what I would've done.

Right… the snowfall.

Averting my eyes from the tempting view, I push myself to my feet and stalk over to the window, desperate for some distance. Some clarity. But what I see outside only makes the knot in my gut tighten further.

Snow, real snow.

At least three feet of it, blanketing the picturesque town square and turning Elderberry Falls into a goddamn winter wonderland.

In July .

So it wasn't just an aberration last night. How the hell is all this snow not melting?

Something magical is going on, that's undeniable—and I don't like that I don't know who's behind it.

Behind me, Ecco starts to stir, the sheets rustling as she stretches languidly. "Mmm… good morning," she calls, her voice still husky with sleep. "Did you enjoy the view?"

I stiffen, caught off guard by her question. Surely she doesn't mean ...?

But when I turn to face her, the knowing glint in her violet eyes tells me she knows exactly what kind of view I was enjoying. Shit.

I clear my throat, trying to ignore the way my cock twitches at the sleepy, sensual look on her face.

"We have a problem," I say gruffly, nodding towards the window. "You need to see this."

Ecco frowns as she slips out of bed and pads over to join me at the window. I try not to notice the way her nightgown clings to her curves, the tantalizing glimpse of cleavage as she leans forward to get a better look.

"The snow is still there?!" she asks incredulously, her breath fogging the glass. "But it's the middle of the summer! How is this possible?"

"I don't know," I admit, my stomach twisting with unease. "But I think it's going to make our job a lot harder."

Ecco turns to me, worry etched into her features. "You mean protecting me from the stalker?"

I nod grimly. "If we're snowed in, it limits our options, our mobility. Makes us sitting ducks." I pause. "We should get dressed. We need to assess the situation and figure out our next move."

Ecco nods, a flicker of fear darting through her eyes before she masks it with her usual bravado. "Aye aye, Captain," she quips, firing off a mock salute before turning to rummage through her suitcase.

I fight the urge to roll my eyes, but can't hold back a small smile.

After Ecco finishes getting ready, we step out into the hallway. I'm not about to leave her alone in the hotel room; not now, with so many unknowable variables.

The air in the hall is charged with a strange energy, a palpable sense of wrongness that sets my teeth on edge. The magic crackles against my skin, ancient and powerful and completely out of control.

We make our way downstairs, and the agitation level in the inn ratchets higher with each step. Wedding guests are clustered in small groups, their faces tight with worry as they murmur amongst themselves.

Mariah's at the front desk, manning the phones. She throws us a distracted wave when she sees us approaching.

"Do you need any help?" Ecco asks, glancing around the crowded lobby. "What's going on?"

Mariah shakes her head. "No, the staff and I have everything handled. But you should know…we've got a serious problem on our hands."

She quickly fills us in on the situation: Velda, the resident weather witch, has fallen mysteriously ill, her magic gone haywire and unleashing a massive blizzard on the town. Townspeople have been trying to dig out, but the snow keeps coming faster than they can plow it.

With the roads completely impassable, Elderberry Falls is effectively cut off from the outside world.

I curse under my breath, my mind already racing through the implications. Being trapped here indefinitely is bad enough, but with Ecco's stalker still at large, it's a potential disaster waiting to happen.

I glance over at Ecco, seeing my own concerns mirrored in her face.

"So we're stuck here?" Ecco asks Mariah. "For how long?"

Mariah shakes her head. "No idea, until whenever Velda recovers her powers. Could be days, could be weeks."

Days or weeks stuck on Ecco's bedroom floor, trying to ignore the ever-growing urge to rip her clothes off and see just what that vibrating bed feels like when it's at work.

And Ecco's stalker could be anyone—a guest, a staff member, someone she thinks she knows. They clearly have access to some kind of teleportation magic, given how quickly they can appear and disappear. Even if they aren't in the inn with us right now, the snow may not be a blocker to them the same way it is to the rest of us.

This is going to be horrible.