Page 16 of Shadows and Stone

"That's it," Ryker breathes, his blue eyes blazing with a wild, possessive fire. He turns toward the door. "I’m going to the campus security office. I’m going to tear this campus apart until I find whoever is sending these."

"Wait—Ryker, stop!" I stand up quickly, blocking his path.

He towers over me by more than a foot, his broad chest heaving. His gargoyle aura radiates pure protection, and I swear I can hear the silent thrum between us like an ancient ward drum.

Protect. Protect. Protect.

Anyone else in my position would be terrified. Looking up at a seven-foot-tall, purple-skinned monster ready to tear Creelin apart for my safety should be terrifying.

Instead, an exhilarating rush floods my body, making me feel wild and alive.

My heart races. I know it’s not from fear of the stalker, but from the raw, undeniable intensity of him. The way his protective instincts have gone into hyperdrive. The way he looks at me like I’m the most precious treasure on earth.

I step closer, closing the tiny distance between us until my chest is pressed right against his.

"Teagan, move," Ryker growls softly, though his massive hands instantly come up to hover protectively around my waist. "You aren't safe. This stalker situation is escalating. I should have intercepted this mail before you ever laid eyes on it—"

"I don't care about the letter, Ryker," I interrupt, looking up through my eyelashes with a slow, wicked smile.

Ryker freezes, blinking down at me, completely thrown off by my calm reaction. "You... you aren't afraid?"

"Afraid?" I reach up, my fingers sliding along the hard, granite-like texture of his forearm, feeling the coiled strength beneath his skin. "Why would I be afraid when I have a protective seven-foot-tall gargoyle who looks ready to murder someone just because they looked at me wrong?"

Ryker’s sucks in a sharp breath. His pupils darken. The wild anger in his gaze instantly shifts into a thick haze of desire.

"Teagan..." he warns. "This is an actual security threat. I’m supposed to be professional. Protective."

"You are," I purr, sliding my hands up to rest against his broad chest, feeling the frantic thud of his heart. "And honestly? It is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Whenever you’re near, I feel safe. So, fucking safe." And it’s true. I’m pretty sure I’d be panicking, if I read that note by myself.

A low, guttural growl catches in Ryker's throat.

All the careful walls, all the strict professional boundaries he has tried so desperately to maintain since moving into the suite, shatter in an instant. With a sudden, possessive move, Ryker wraps his massive arms around me, and crushes me against his broad frame.

Yes! Hell yes!

His wings sweep forward, closing around us like a purple cocoon, shutting out the rest of the world, the dorm, and those creepy letters. In the dim, sheltered shadow of his wings, the air smells of cologne, crisp autumn wind, and sweet vanilla.

He buries his face in the crook of my neck, his hot breath sending a violent shiver racing through me. He’s quiet, holding me tightly. Keeping me secure. Every lingering trace of anxiety melts away until it’s just the two of us alone in this room.

I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him down as I press my lips against his pointed ear. "That’s right. Keep me safe, gargoyle," I whisper against his skin. "Show me just how good you are at guarding what's yours."

Ryker lets out a ragged, deep groan, his hands sliding down to grip my hips, lifting me effortlessly against his chest as his lips finally crash down onto mine.

Chapter seven

Ryker

I’m losing my damn mind, and the worst part is, I’m entirely to blame.

Holding Teagan Dae against me in the shadowed privacy of my own wings is dangerous. So. Damn. Dangerous.

He’s tiny compared to me. Like a small, vibrant thing of soft heat tucked against my granite frame. His mouth tastes like sweet, iced coffee and something uniquely him, an intoxicating mix of vanilla and pure temptation. It completely obliviates every single fucking rule I set for myself when I took this assignment.

Professional, I remind myself, even as my hands tighten on his hips, lifting him an inch higher so his lips line up perfectly with mine. You’re supposed to be his mother-fuckin’ bodyguard, not his… boyfriend?

Teagan lets out a breathy noise into my mouth, his fingers tangling in my hair and tugging. The last thread of my self-control snaps. I deepen the kiss, my tail curling possessively around his calf and sliding upward. For ten years, I’ve woken up every morning feeling hollow. Like an empty shell wandering a world where everyone else has a story. A family. A place to belong. But right now, with Teagan melting against my chest, this kiss makes my lack of memories worth it.

When I finally tear my lips away, we’re both gasping for air. The dim light of the bonus room filters through the small gap between my wingtips. Teagan’s dark eyes are blown wide. His cheeks are flushed with a pretty pink that contrasts with his bright purple hair.