her. “It was a different time then. She was a princess, royalty, and I was a lowly farm boy–”
“Oh, don’t give me that bullshit, Zander!” Now he stood directly in front of her and she felt herself shrinking against his threatening presence. Pulling herself up tall, Elena poked her finger in the middle of his chest. “A woman who truly loves a man will move heaven and earth to be with him. No matter the cost.”
“It was a different time–”
“You’ve been around a hell of a lot longer than I have, pal, and you know as well as I do, throughout history many a member of royalty has married outside of their class. Nothing stands in the way of true love, Zander. Nothing.”
* * * *
Zander knew Elena spoke the truth. He’d had a great many years to remember his brief courtship with Princess Aceline, and he had come to realize what they shared was not ‘true love’.
Unlike now, when Zander was first turned, his sight had remained intact during his stone state throughout the daylight hours, a cruelty inflicted upon him. The morning he’d been cursed, the king had placed Zander’s gargoyle statue form facing the garden which was Aceline’s favorite spot around the castle grounds. From his perch on the turret, he had been forced to watch his former beloved as she frolicked with the many suitors who had come seeking her hand.
For several months, Zander had been tortured during the daylight hours as Aceline and her gentlemen callers canoodled and groped one another, assuming they were hidden from watching eyes.
Zander came to the realization the princess had been using him all along as a means to rebel against her overbearing father.
The end of a piece of his torture finally came the day the princess married a prince from across the seas and Zander never laid eyes on her again. Only when Princess Aceline moved away from the castle, did the king have Zander’s sight taken from him.
Standing before him now, Elena stared back at him through the most beautiful cobalt blue eyes he had ever seen. They were more beautiful than those of Aceline’s, because within the shimmering depths of Elena’s, Zander realized Elena only had eyes for him.
Unfortunately, cursed to live his life as a gargoyle, he realized there could be no future between Elena and him. Physically, he could never love her as a man should love a woman. In his cursed form, his cock was so enormous it would surely split her in two if he entered her.
Zander needed to find a way to break the curse.
The woman of his heart, his true love, stood before him, confusion and hurt marring her beautiful features. His inability to confess his emotions was destroying Elena.
“Elena.” He reached for her as she opened the bedroom door.
“I said I need some air,” she said, and walked down the short hall. “I’m leaving, Zander.”
“If you leave, I cannot protect you when the sun rises,” he pleaded as he followed her.
“I don’t need your protection.” She turned to meet his gaze. “I need you. I want you. Don’t you understand? Your stone form through the day, and your human-gargoyle form at night. Your wings, talons, the tail, I want the whole of you. And I will not play second best to a dead woman’s memory. She isn’t even worthy of your thoughts. I deserve more. Good night, Zander.”
Before he could respond, she left the penthouse, closing the door behind her.
For several moments Zander stood, staring blankly at the closed door before finally uttering, “Yes, my love, you deserve more than I can give you.”
“So, you’re just going to let her walk away?” Adan said from the open terrace door.
Zander spun around and spewed a mighty roar.
Unconcerned and undeterred, Adan crossed his arms over his broad chest and leaned against the frame of the sliding door. “Feel better now, beast?”
“No,” Zander admitted.
“Then for the love of the gods, go after her.”
“To what end, Adan? I am a beast, a monster of the
“Oh, don’t give me that bullshit, Zander!” Now he stood directly in front of her and she felt herself shrinking against his threatening presence. Pulling herself up tall, Elena poked her finger in the middle of his chest. “A woman who truly loves a man will move heaven and earth to be with him. No matter the cost.”
“It was a different time–”
“You’ve been around a hell of a lot longer than I have, pal, and you know as well as I do, throughout history many a member of royalty has married outside of their class. Nothing stands in the way of true love, Zander. Nothing.”
* * * *
Zander knew Elena spoke the truth. He’d had a great many years to remember his brief courtship with Princess Aceline, and he had come to realize what they shared was not ‘true love’.
Unlike now, when Zander was first turned, his sight had remained intact during his stone state throughout the daylight hours, a cruelty inflicted upon him. The morning he’d been cursed, the king had placed Zander’s gargoyle statue form facing the garden which was Aceline’s favorite spot around the castle grounds. From his perch on the turret, he had been forced to watch his former beloved as she frolicked with the many suitors who had come seeking her hand.
For several months, Zander had been tortured during the daylight hours as Aceline and her gentlemen callers canoodled and groped one another, assuming they were hidden from watching eyes.
Zander came to the realization the princess had been using him all along as a means to rebel against her overbearing father.
The end of a piece of his torture finally came the day the princess married a prince from across the seas and Zander never laid eyes on her again. Only when Princess Aceline moved away from the castle, did the king have Zander’s sight taken from him.
Standing before him now, Elena stared back at him through the most beautiful cobalt blue eyes he had ever seen. They were more beautiful than those of Aceline’s, because within the shimmering depths of Elena’s, Zander realized Elena only had eyes for him.
Unfortunately, cursed to live his life as a gargoyle, he realized there could be no future between Elena and him. Physically, he could never love her as a man should love a woman. In his cursed form, his cock was so enormous it would surely split her in two if he entered her.
Zander needed to find a way to break the curse.
The woman of his heart, his true love, stood before him, confusion and hurt marring her beautiful features. His inability to confess his emotions was destroying Elena.
“Elena.” He reached for her as she opened the bedroom door.
“I said I need some air,” she said, and walked down the short hall. “I’m leaving, Zander.”
“If you leave, I cannot protect you when the sun rises,” he pleaded as he followed her.
“I don’t need your protection.” She turned to meet his gaze. “I need you. I want you. Don’t you understand? Your stone form through the day, and your human-gargoyle form at night. Your wings, talons, the tail, I want the whole of you. And I will not play second best to a dead woman’s memory. She isn’t even worthy of your thoughts. I deserve more. Good night, Zander.”
Before he could respond, she left the penthouse, closing the door behind her.
For several moments Zander stood, staring blankly at the closed door before finally uttering, “Yes, my love, you deserve more than I can give you.”
“So, you’re just going to let her walk away?” Adan said from the open terrace door.
Zander spun around and spewed a mighty roar.
Unconcerned and undeterred, Adan crossed his arms over his broad chest and leaned against the frame of the sliding door. “Feel better now, beast?”
“No,” Zander admitted.
“Then for the love of the gods, go after her.”
“To what end, Adan? I am a beast, a monster of the
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