Creed Read online

  It felt too good to withstand, and she knew she wasn’t going to last after just a few minutes. The climax built, and then she tossed her head forward and tried to muffle yelling his name by pressing her face against the top of his shoulder, next to her hand.

  He buried his face in her neck and snarled. A jolt of pain came next but it felt amazing.

  She frantically grabbed at his back just to cling to him when the wave of pleasure hit. It wrecked her inside. She felt him come. He shook violently over her and she held on to him tighter. She couldn’t think. All she could do was feel. Their bodies locked together while they both rode it through.

  Chapter Five

  Blood. It tasted so sweet. It filled Creed’s mouth and he swallowed. He bit deeper and got more of it. His fangs were locked into Angel. She was holding him but she didn’t scream or try to fight him off. She felt so damn good. Too good. So right. He swallowed again. His dick flexed and he groaned as more of his semen shot inside her. His entire body tingled and goose bumps ran down his limbs.

  His ability to process thought returned—and he realized what he’d done.

  His fangs were buried in the crook of Angel’s shoulder. It was her blood he’d taken.

  He opened his eyes and forced his jaws to part, releasing her. The sight of bright red marring her skin and the drops of her blood on the bedding horrified him.

  He lifted his head a little and saw that one of his hands gripped her shoulder, holding her in place. His claws were extended but hadn’t pierced her skin. The gray tint to his fingers and the texture change was unmistakable.

  He arched away from her more and the side of one of his wings brushed across the bedspread.

  He turned his gaze to stare at her face. Her eyes were closed and a little blood reddened her bottom lip and the skin just under it. He twisted his head, staring at where she’d bitten him. Her human teeth had left tiny indents to show where she’d clamped her mouth. It wasn’t more than a little welling of blood, but she’d bitten him too. It might have been what triggered him to do the same.

  She murmured something and he looked back at her face. Her eyes opened and a small smile curved her lips. “Wow.”

  He was in shock. That’s all she had to say? She wasn’t turning deathly white as understanding of what he’d done dawned on her. He expected her to scream or perhaps try to beat at him with her fists in anger. Her smile did fade a little as she studied his face with more alertness. A confused look surfaced, and she let go of his back to touch the side of his face.

  “You’re partially shelled.” She just seemed to accept it when she smiled again and slid her hand back to his ear, playing with his hair with her fingertips. “It’s okay.”

  It wasn’t. Nothing would ever be okay again. He flexed his wings hard, the panic that seized him helping. The force of movement when he flapped them sharply jerked him back and off the bed. He hit the low ceiling, pain exploding in the back of his head from the rock. He dropped into a crouch, landing on one knee and bracing his hands as he shook off the pain.

  “Creed?”

  He looked at her, watching Angel sit up on the bed. She appeared surprised, and then she frowned. She rolled a little, crawling toward the end of the bed.

  “Why did you do that? Did you just hit your head? Or were those your wings? I heard that thump.” She glanced up at the ceiling he’d slammed into, then down at him.

  His rage exploded. It was hotter than hell, seeming to ignite his body into literal flames. He felt his skin hardening, cooling despite what was happening inside him. He didn’t fight the change. He needed to completely shell his body to keep him locked into place or he might do something catastrophic.

  Angel almost fell out of bed as she scrambled toward him. His vision locked on her and everything turned into shades of black and white. She was naked, her beautiful breasts a sight he couldn’t unsee, nor the fact that the blood on her shoulder had trailed lower, red, thin rivulets from where he’d bitten her.

  She rushed at him and dropped down in front of him on her knees. It probably hurt since he hadn’t done much with the flooring besides toss down a thin carpet over the rock. She grabbed his face with both hands, a fearful look in her eyes now. He closed his eyelids at the last second.

  “Creed? What’s wrong?” Now there was panic in her voice.

  He couldn’t answer her. The burning inside him hurt. The cool exterior of his body seemed to contain it though. He tried to shut down his emotions. He needed to. Angel could get hurt if he didn’t. The walls around them would smash and crack if he threw himself at them now. The entire damn cavern that had been chosen for a guardian to live inside might collapse on top of her.

  “Creed? Talk to me. Tell me what to do!”

  Her voice had risen and he knew the sound of fear. He didn’t blame her one bit. She should be terrified. He shelled his body more firmly, trying to block out the sensation of her touch. It dimmed a little but he remained aware of her hands. He couldn’t shut her out. Not now.

  He roared in rage inside his head. Pure panic returned. He hadn’t reached his hundredth year. He was still obligated to be the guardian of the Lycan pack, or whatever other job he was assigned until he reached that birthday. His father had committed him to servitude, and Lord Aveoth would be ruthless in his punishment. Mistakes were never forgiven.

  Grief tore at his heart next. He’d withstand the lashes he’d have to take. Even spending ten years encased in a prison for his crime would seem easy compared to what he knew they’d do to Angel. Death would almost be considered merciful.

  No! He’d fall before he allowed her to be taken to the GarLycan cliffs and sentenced with him. They wouldn’t have a reason to enslave her if he wasn’t there to suffer the knowledge that she was paying for what he’d done. It was the only way to protect her now.

  “Damn it, Creed! Please? Just open your eyes and say something. Anything! Did you hurt yourself?”

  Her hands explored the back and top of his head, before she moved behind him. She leaned against one of his wings. He hadn’t folded them when he’d shelled out his body. They were still extended. She pressed her body along his back, wiggling between his wings to get a better look at the top of his head.

  “I don’t see any cracks. That’s good, right? No dents.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He was thicker-bodied when shelled than in skin. She put her lips near his ear. “Creed? I know you’re in there. I know you can hear me. You told me that once when I asked if you were aware of your surroundings in Gargoyle form. There’s no way you fell asleep that fast.” The pleading tone in her voice tugged at him. “Please come back and tell me what’s happening to you.”

  Angel ignored the slight abrasive feel of Creed’s rough shell against her bare skin. She’d seen him that way before one other time. She’d thought he was amazing when he’d shown her what he looked like in resting Gargoyle form. Now, not so much. He’d literally used his wings to throw his body off hers from the bed, slammed into the roof, and then hit the floor. His skin had darkened as she watched, turning into that stone quality.

  Tears filled her eyes. Had he hurt himself when he’d hit the top of the cave? For all she knew, this is what happened to GarLycans when they died. Maybe their corpses were sold off and people bought the huge Gargoyle statues to put in their yards, never realizing they had once been living, breathing being. Or perhaps he was just so hurt that he’d blacked out and would remain that way until he came to.

  She ignored how he chilled her skin and how uncomfortable it was to hug a big shape seemingly made out of pure stone. It was Creed.

  How in the hell had things gone so bad all the sudden? They’d had amazing, mind-blowing sex. Then afterward, when they’d recovered, it had all gone so horribly wrong.

  “I’m here,” she promised him. “I’m right here. I have you.” She looked around his room, searching for any sign of a phone. He might need help, but there was none in sight. He probably had a cell phone. She had left her