Perfect Misfits by Lawna Mackie Page B

his wings. He spun around, putting her an arm’s length away.
    She provocatively licked the blood from her lip. “You have sharp teeth,” she purred, rubbing her cheek on his hand, which still held her away from him.
    “Tempest, we can’t do this.”
    “Why not?” she cooed, kissing one of his long claws.
    “Because I’m far to large and dangerous like this.”
    “What if I never see you again?”
    He closed his eyes and jumped away from her again. He’d never let any female touch him physically while he was in gargoyle form. He could hurt her. She barely came up to his torso in height.
    “You will see me again. I promise.”
    “You don’t even want me. I am a misfit after all. What kind of life will I have if I ever do leave here?”
    He let out a big breath and approached her. “You are nothing but perfect.”
    She slumped to the ground and sat. “But you don’t want me.”
    The sadness in her voice sliced through him like a blade. He sank down in front of her. “I do want you.”
    She looked up at him with a weak smile, and then over to Rogue. “I wish I could have Rogue back while you’re gone.”
    “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I wish the same.”
    She lifted her chin. “I’ll be okay.”
    Every little move she made drove him insane with desire. “I know you’ll be okay. I won’t be gone long. Maybe I’ll dream of you again,” he teased with a smirk.
    She swatted at him. “I hope you do.”
    He stood and reached down for her to take his hand. “I want you to stay in the cabin. And don’t leave it to go anywhere. Is that clear?”
    “Now you’re giving me orders,” she protested.
    “Only for your safety. I can place a spell to keep everything out, but I can’t keep you in.”
    “Can you keep the Vemlers out?”
    “I hope so.”
    “Ryder, can you put Rogue by the cabin so I can watch him?”
    “Yes, of course. It might be better to place his figure outside the cabin so he can keep watch. It is what gargoyles do, you know. I bet he’s keeping watch even though he’s in this state.”
    Tempest moved toward the gargdog. “Do you really think so?” She petted his stone head.
    Ryder wasn’t sure what had happened to the creature but his thoughts put a smile on her face, and that was good. “Yes, I do think he’ll be watching you.”
    She did smile. “I’ll feel better believing that thought.”
    “Let’s get you back to the cabin.” He gently bent and picked up Rogue before making his way ahead of Tempest through the trees to the sanctuary.
    Please let this protect her while I’m away.

Chapter Twelve
    “Telling me you can’t find her is not what I want to hear,” Fedor yelled, striking out at the snow troop. “You’re all fucking morons. What did she do, just fly away?” he motioned violently, throwing his arms up in the air.
    “I want to know exactly what you found. Cash, spill it now, and don’t leave anything out.”
    The hairy beast cowered as it moved forward. Fedor felt the anger inside him bottling up like a raging storm. “Hurry up, Cash. I don’t have all day.” He tapped his foot on the ground.
    “We followed her tracks, as much as we could make out. Then we followed the gargdog. His were easier to follow. There seemed to be a scuffle in the snow. It was all trampled down, but then there was a clear path where it appears she must have slid. The creature followed, we saw his tracks. But then…there was the ledge. We can see where she went off the ledge and held on to a branch. She had to have fallen to her death.”
    Fedor saw red.
    What the hell happened? She couldn’t have fallen to her death.
    He ran to the ice cabinet and opened the doors, holding his breath. Many of the colored ice crystals had lost their sparkle, but the one he wanted was in the back. Air left his lungs. Tempest was alive—if she wasn’t, the crystal and stones would also have lost their glimmer.
    “She is not dead, you fucking idiots!” He placed the priceless