Page 52 of Hated By the Gargoyle

From the moment I saw him in my camera, to how I ended up being chained to the wall. And everything in between. I even added the raunchy bits, blushing as I got through those, but still able to get the truth out. I hadn’t realized just how badly I needed to talk about this with someone else, and now that I’d gotten it off my chest, I felt a weight lifted.

“That’s why I say he didn’t mean it. It’s… it’s like he was something–someone–else. Something was wrong and…” I looked around, but the three women seemed to only be looking at me with sad gazes.

“It’s obvious he has PTSD,” Dolores said gently.

Fresh tears formed in my eyes and a sob got caught in my chest. Finally, finally they understood.

“Yeah.” I sniffled, pulling my hands from theirs so I could wipe away the tears.

“These gargoyles can be unpredictable,” Lourdes said, patting me gently on the knee. “Their minds work differently than a human’s because they weren’t born in the human world and weren’t made like humans are made. However, I think mental health spans across all species and clearly Qanek needs help.”

I swallowed the tightness in my throat. “I don’t know how to help him.”

“I don’t think you can, honey.” Lourdes sighed and shook her head. “And I won’t put your safety at risk.”

My brows pulled together. “What do you mean?”

The Queen of the Underworld stood and smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress, but kept eye contact as she said, “He needs help, and we are going to help him manage his PTSD and his rage, but I won’t allow you to be there for it.”

“What? But I–”

“He hurt you. Whether it was an accident or he didn’t know what he was doing, it still happened and it never should’ve happened in the first place.”

I slumped in my seat, her words hitting me.

“And I’m not going to risk him getting triggered and hurting you again. We will find Qanek help, and when he’s able to control his anger and reactions, then he may see you. But in the meantime, you should go back home. Rest. Get back to your life and decide if you truly want to be mated to a gargoyle.”

The thought of going back home and acting as if nothing had happened was baffling, but what else could I do? The Queen of the Underworld seemed determined to have her way, and I didn’t have the energy to fight back. Because at the end of the day… she was right.

I had to think about myself and my safety. Qanek was strong, and no matter how much I understood what he was going through, I couldn’t live with him waiting for the moment he would snap and accidentally hurt me. I didn’t deserve that, either.

I wiped my tears away, angry with myself. With the world. “I don’t want him to think I’m giving up on him.”

“Hey, now.” Lourdes came forward and took my hands in hers once again. “You aren’t giving up on him. You’re just giving him space and room to grow into his fullest potential, to live a life where he can manage the darkness he carries. A life for the both of you. So don’t blame yourself or feel guilty about leaving. None of this is your fault…”

I shook my head. “All my life, I’ve been discarded and I know Qanek feels the same way. In the entire world, he’s the only one who ever made me feel wanted, loved. We were only together for a short time, but it was real. What he did was wrong, I know that, and I know I deserve to be with someone who won’t tie me up or hurt me at the first sign of conflicting opinions. But, he deserves love too.” I looked her in the eyes.

“I won’t disagree with you, but he needs to get his anger under control. If he doesn’t get it under control, it could be detrimental, and dangerous, to himself and everyone around him.”

I nodded with her. But I felt… sad.

“Do you want to be with him?” Lourdes asked gently.

“He deserves to heal and to know that I will be there waiting. For however long it takes.”

And I would wait. It was thanks to him that I knew what it was to truly care for another as friends and as more.

Sure, we’d both done so many terrible things to hurt each other, and I wasn’t sure he deserved my forgiveness. But already, I missed him. The kind him. The grumpy him. The one who untangled my hair and hunted food so I wouldn’t starve. The one who asked me about my hobbies and held my pinky tightly in his claw.

“Will you forgive him?”

“Is it wrong to say yes?” I sounded weak, even to my own ears.

“No.” Lourdes patted my hand.

“If he’s able to change…”

Lourdes nodded in understanding. “It’s always possible.”