Page 30 of Curse of Ancients

Bayu inclined his head in appreciation even though he didn’t like the sound of it taking months before he felt safe. Carleigh leaned against his arm. “Do you want a drink while we wait on Tabitha to respond? Or some dessert? You didn’t eat yours at supper.”

“A drink would be good, but I’ll get it. Would you like something too?”

“I wouldn’t say no to a glass of wine. The white one in the fridge please.”

Bayu kissed Carleigh’s cheek before standing. “Silas? Would you care for a refill?”

“If you’re pouring. I’m drinking the Pappy Van Winkle.”

Bayu took Silas’s empty to the bar and refilled the glass. He passed it to the male as he made his way to the kitchen. Bayu retrieved the bottle of white and filled two wine glasses before returning the bottle to the refrigerator. He wasn’t a big wine drinker, but having the same thing was easier than choosing something different. Easy was good since his mind was ready to shut down after the last few days. Bayu wished he could get drunk and forget about his worries for a while.

Silas’s phone beeped. “Tabitha sent the address to a location across the Tennessee border in Kentucky. I’ll send it to you now.”

Once Bayu had it, he forwarded it to Gemi. Or Gemi’s phone, since they weren’t sure if she was on the other end. If she wasn’t, that was going to suck. Other than Juni, his aunt was his last living relative other than his mother’s parents, but he wasn’t certain they were alive. He didn’t want to consider that Gemi wasn’t the one sending the text. He didn’t want to consider much of anything, so as soon as he and Carleigh finished their wine, he took the glasses to the kitchen and washed them. Carleigh leaned against the counter, watching.

“You ready to head upstairs?”

“Let me dry these, then yes.”

Carleigh pulled a clean cloth out of a drawer and dried them herself, then returned the goblets to the cabinet. She folded the towel and left it beside the sink. “Come on, my tiger.” Carleigh took his hand and they made their way up the curved staircase. They stopped to peek in on Juni. Both he and Juniper were asleep, so Bayu didn’t enter the room.

Once inside Carleigh’s – their – bedroom, Bayu found a pair of basketball shorts to sleep in. He would prefer to wear only his briefs, but with so many others in the house, he opted to put on something with more coverage. Carleigh told him to go first in the bathroom, so he did. He changed clothes, dropping his dirties in the hamper inside the closet. He then brushed his teeth. While Carleigh prepared for bed, Bayu turned down the covers and sat on the side. Carleigh had changed into sleep shorts and a tank top. He wanted to peel them off her, but he wouldn’t with her family in the house.

“Which side do you sleep on?”

Carleigh turned off the overhead light, then crawled onto his lap, straddling Bayu’s legs. “I starfish in the middle, so you might get an errant elbow or knee during the night.”

Bayu pushed her hair off her shoulder and pressed a kiss to her neck. “I guess I’ll have to spoon you and hold on tight.”

“Bayu,” she husked, angling her neck so he had better access.

“Soon, my Sayang.” Bayu lay back and rolled them so Carleigh was facing away from him. He tugged her butt against his crotch, which was going to be torture, especially when he woke with a morning stiffy. She reached for the bedding, pulling it up over their legs, then Carleigh threaded their fingers when he placed his arm around her stomach. “You are so very tempting, and I cannot wait until all this is over so we can make love.”

“The first time, my Gargoyle is going to claim you, so it might be more along the lines of rough sex than making love.”

“Are you going to bite me?”

“If you allow it. That’s how Gargoyles claim their mate. Do white tigers do it differently? Is there a ceremony?”

“Not a ceremony, per se, but words are spoken.”

“And you don’t bite your mate?”

“Oh, we do, but it is the words that bind us. The biting is the beast agreeing to the bond.”

“I can’t wait,” Carleigh whispered around a yawn.

“Me too.” Bayu would have to get Tiger back for that to happen though. If he got him back.

Chapter 12

Carleigh and Bayu got a couple hours of sleep before a little boy sneaked into their room and crawled between them, which was a feat considering they were plastered together. Juniper whispered to Juni to come back to his room, but he wasn’t having it. Carleigh rolled over, away from her mate, and lifted the covers, allowing the little one to snuggle in closer. He cradled Harry to his chest and stuck his nose in Carleigh’s neck, warm breath tickling her skin as he sighed in contentment. When Juniper continued to hover at the door, Carleigh waved her off. She then winked at Bayu and closed her eyes. Carleigh had instantly fallen in love with Juni, but with each passing moment, he embedded himself deeper into her heart.

She had never slept with a partner, but she found she enjoyed it after she got over the fact that sleep was all they were doing. Carleigh wanted Bayu, and her Goyle fussed until Carleigh finally told it to fuck off. When her beast retreated, Carleigh felt like shit and reminded it that they needed to wait for Tiger to return. That mollified it somewhat. Sleeping wrapped in her mate’s arms was comforting, and her normal crazy dreams stayed away.

Sometime later, Juni wiggled, waking Carleigh. When he sat up, she rolled to her back and stretched her arms overhead. Bayu’s side of the bed was empty.

Juni bounced his plushy on his lap. “Hawwy’s hungwy.”