Creed Read online

  She wasn’t shocked by the laws he’d just explained. She’d grown up in a Lycan pack. Some of their laws were downright barbaric. “Why would they want to do that to me? Why are you telling me this?”

  He paled slightly. “You don’t know?”

  “Know what?”

  He closed his eyes and dropped his chin to his chest.

  “Know what? Creed?”

  He looked at her, and she saw a deep sadness in the depth of his gaze. “I lost control. I thought you goaded me into it on purpose by biting me.” He held her hands a little tighter. “I changed forms while we were on that bed.” He paused. “While I was inside you. I lost control of my forms and I bit you back. I was drinking your blood during sex.”

  Angel was grateful she was already sitting on her ass. The implications sank in. “Oh God.”

  He nodded. “We mated. The bond is weak since I only bit you near the end…but it’s done.”

  Chapter Six

  Angel refused to believe it. Sure, they’d had sex. He had shifted a little but she was pretty sure it was around the time they’d both gotten off. She could see little marks on his skin from when she’d accidently bit him on his shoulder but they were already healing.

  He had bitten her.

  She looked at the wound, unaware of it until then. She’d been too freaked out over Creed turning to stone. It ached a little and still bleed, but it wasn’t life threatening or really painful.

  “I don’t feel any different. I would. I don’t. We didn’t mate.”

  Creed tilted his head, his look unhappy. “We did.”

  “No. We didn’t. It was one little slip at the end. That’s all. It doesn’t mean we bonded.”

  “Denial won’t help. Believe me. That’s why I shelled my skin. I didn’t want to accidently hurt you if I began beating on some walls to air out my frustrations. I could have brought the mountain down around us.”

  “I probably only got a drop or two of your blood. That’s not enough. Lycans hav—”

  “I’m not just Lycan. We do share our blood with a mate but that’s not why. We do it to help her live longer and be stronger. We also give our blood to women when they’re carrying our children, so the baby will retain strong Gargoyle traits. I drank your blood while I wasn’t in control of my body. That’s what mates us. I’m mostly Gargoyle. I told you, I take after my father. I came inside you when I was fluxing and drinking your blood.”

  “Fluxing?”

  “It’s what we call between flesh and stone. I looked at my skin. There’s no doubt.”

  “But I barely bit you.”

  “It’s not a matter of sharing blood with a Gargoyle. The second I bit you in that fluxed state, the taste of your blood in my mouth during sex, it triggered hormones to flood my body. Bonding ones. I came inside you while I was fluxing and drinking your blood. It’s how we mate.” He glanced down at her stomach, then back at her face. He let go of one her hands and reached down between them, resting his palm over her belly button. “I’m inside you right now. My seed is already altering your DNA. GarLycans will know what I’ve done within hours or days, depending on the strength of the bond. They’ll smell it and sense it from you. Lycans and Vampires will as well. You won’t be safe in the human world. You’ll have to live with your pack so they can protect you. It’s done, Angel.” He took her hand again with his, clasping them both once more.

  She didn’t know what to say or think. It was the shock.

  “It’s my seed that starts the change while in fluxing and I was in the claiming. It’s so you are able to breed with me easier, and hormones were released to make you mine. The good news is that you don’t have to worry about human years. Not for at least twenty or so years, when you’ll start to age again. Surviving mates keep those traits for about that long. You’ll be the same physically, as far as strength and your abilities go, but you’ll have a better immune system and heal a little faster. Remain very still when you have cuts. That’s how we mend wounds.”

  “Surviving mates? Why did you say that?”

  “I’m going to fall. Lord Aveoth would only kill or enslave you to ensure my suffering.”

  “What the hell does fall mean?”

  “It’s when we fly so high that the air thins until we can’t breathe and change into human form. We fall.” He clamped his lips together.

  Dread and understanding hit. “You’ll die. No one could survive that.”

  “That’s the point. It’s an honorable end to our existence. It will keep you safe. As I said, you need to tell whatever guardian that replaces me that I forced you to—”

  “No!” Angel shook her head. “Stop it. You’re not going to do this fall thing. No fucking way.”

  “It’s the only way to keep you safe. As I said, it’s an honor to fall for you. I will—”

  “Will not do that.” She released his hands and sat up, getting in his face. She grabbed a handful of his hair at the base of his neck so he couldn’t pull away. “No, Creed. I’ll go away and not come back. When is your hundred years up? You just said I’ll live longer. Nobody will know what happened here unless they smell me. I’ll go back to Seattle today.”

  “I can’t lie. I have to report what happened.”

  “Bullshit!” She was furious. “I did this. Not you. You warned me you were losing control. I just thought you meant we might have rough sex. It was an accident. This Lord Aveoth isn’t perfect. No one is! Shit happens. We didn’t plan this.”

  “I have honor, Angel. I must confess the truth of having a mate to Lord Aveoth.”

  “And I have this thing called common sense, and wanting to save both of our asses if your laws are that messed up. No.” She shook her head. “I won’t let you commit suicide. Do you got that? Not an option. Forget about it. We’re going to go with my plan. I’m going to jump in my rental and haul ass to the airport to fly out of here. You’re going to keep being guardian here until your time is up. Then we’re going to pretend we mated after you come get me. See? No one’s the wiser and no broken laws. Doesn’t that sound like a plan?”

  “Come get you?”

  She nodded. “I’m your mate. Don’t think I’m going to let you forget that. I’m willing to wait for you.”

  Creed wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. It smashed her breasts against his chest when she almost fell into him. He reached around her with his other arm and hooked her under her ass, dragging her closer. He took a seat and adjusted her body until she sat on his lap.

  “I’m glad you were the one, Angel. You’ve always been my weakness. That’s why I stayed away when you said you had feelings for me. I knew I couldn’t resist if you touched me. I wanted to bring you home and live in your warmth. You are life and everything that matters to me.”

  Tears swam in her eyes. “Now you’re going to be all lovey and wonderful. Damn it, Creed. Tell me we’ll go with my plan.”

  “I must confess the truth to Lord Aveoth that I have a mate. I could never live with a lie that big.”

  “Then I’ll go with you. We’ll do this together.”

  He reached up and forced her to release his hair. He brought her fingers to his lips and brushed a kiss over the back of them. “No. I won’t risk your life or them enslaving you.”

  Tears slipped down her cheeks. “I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember. I won’t survive if you do this fall thing. Do you understand? Especially now that you’re mine.” She leaned her head against his chest. “You are mine. Not anyone else’s.”

  He rested his chin on the top of her head. “Not according to my people. I had no right to take a mate. I broke the law. The fact that we didn’t mean to form this bond won’t matter. We’re ruthless with laws for a reason. I’ve always understood that.”

  She realized he was as stubborn as ever. She had to go and fall in love with someone like Creed. It meant she had to accept there were some things she couldn’t change about him, even if right now, she really wished she could. “Fin