“You’re being more and more demanding lately, aren’t you?” Shane asked.
“Yep! Now, eat your food. I’m not leaving until the plate is clean. And just to clarify, if you don’t go hunting with your brother, I will be bringing human food to you every night. Your choice,” Kelsey said.
Without saying another word, Shane snatched the plate from Kelsey and began eating.
With his black tuxedo on, Shane looked in the mirror one more time. Damien had forced him to trim his hair and beard. It had been three weeks since Shane had seen Samantha and since then, he had no interest in any self-grooming tasks. But Damien had demanded that he’d have to clean himself up for the event, so Shane was left with little choice in the matter.
Knowing Kelsey had asked Samantha to be her maid of honor, Shane prepared himself at seeing her again. He had already decided he would be polite to her and keep his distance. Her rejection was just too painful for him, and he wasn’t sure if he could handle it again.
When they reached his father’s home, the ballroom was already decorated beautifully. He had a feeling Sofia was behind it. Everybody was well aware that she was at his father’s home quite a bit.
Shane had already picked up Samantha’s scent, but when he didn’t see her, he realized she must be with Kelsey in one of the rooms to help her get ready. There were less than thirty people for guests. He saw some of his clan brothers and their mates. Even Aisha, Rennik’s mate, was there.
“Who are they?” he asked his brother when he noticed some humans he didn’t recognize.
“They work with Kelsey at the station,” Damien explained as he took his spot next to Shane at the top of the aisle. “With her being a captain, she’s gotten pretty close to some of her crew.”
“Don’t they see the gargoyles? Why aren’t they reacting?”
“Father placed a spell on them so they see the gargoyles as humans. He did the same to the minister who will be doing the ceremony,” Damien whispered.
“Ah, yes. Weird how Father keeps his human form pretty much all the time now, eh?”
“No, not really. He has been spending a lot of time with a certain human female for a while now. You and I keep our human forms at home around Kelsey and the kids,” Damien explained.
“That’s different. We’re talking about our Father.”
“A lot has changed, Shane. People change…I know he has. I think he’s a lot happier now.”
Shane watched his father as he interacted with Sofia. The only other person he had looked that way at was his mother. Damien was right; his father finally seemed at peace.
When he noticed Damien shifting his weight nervously, Shane said, “Why are you fidgeting? You’re already married to her!”
Wiping the sweat off his eyebrows, Damien said, “I know, but it feels like I’m getting married for the first time. It’s the strangest feeling.”
Shane smiled, happy for his brother and his family. Just then, the music started, and everybody turned to watch the bride enter. When Samantha entered first, Shane had to look away. He couldn’t bear to see her in her gorgeous mauve-colored dress, her hair pulled up with some loose strands framing her face, and her full lips luscious with red lipstick. Even though he had promised himself he’d be strong, seeing her there before him made his heart stop.
Keeping his head down, he didn’t look up until Kelsey was ready to walk down the aisle. Ryan and Tori were on either side of her, walking with their mother. Kelsey was a breath of beauty with her long, white wedding gown. It was simple yet elegant, just like her. He could hear his brother’s heart racing with anticipation. He could almost feel how much his brother loved her.
Once the ceremony was over, the celebration started. The guests enjoyed dinner and dancing, and Shane quietly drifted to the back corner. He watched Samantha closely and noticed she had brought a guest. He didn’t recognize who the man was, and suddenly, Shane was curious.
Listening to her conversation, Shane heard her introduce him to Kelsey and Damien. “This is Jackson. He’s my fiancé.”
“Fiancé?” Damien and Kelsey asked in unison.
Shane almost fell to his knees when he heard her. No, this couldn’t be happening.
“Yeah, we’ve been dating for several months, and Jackson just proposed last weekend. I wanted to surprise you guys.”
Jackson smiled and extended his hand. Neither Kelsey nor Damien responded at first, but they shook his hand. Kelsey cleared her throat and said, “Well, err, nice to meet you, Jackson. Excuse me, we have to go make our rounds to our other guests. We will have to catch up later, Samantha.”
Samantha turned to Jackson and said, “Come on, darling, let’s go dance.”
Shane watched in horror as the nightmare unfolded before him. When he realized the song was Arms by Christina Perri, he had enough. That was the song they had danced to. With his heart racing, the old, territorial Shane returned. He was going to win her back even if it was the last thing he did.
When he approached them, he said, “Excuse me, can I cut it?”
Jackson looked confused, and said, “Well, umm, is that okay, honey?”
Samantha stared at Shane in disbelief.
“Yes, it’s fine with her. This is our song after all, Sammy.” Shane took Samantha’s hand from Jackson’s and began to guide her away. He turned to Jackson and said, “Sammy and I go way back. Definitely longer than the few months you’ve known her.” Pulling her into his arm, he held her possessively.
“What are you doing?” she hissed.
“Dancing with you, of course.”
“Um, I was dancing with my fiancé. You have no right to interfere.”
“That wimpy guy is your fiancé? He can’t handle you, Sammy. Why did you choose him? Was it because he was safe and predictable?” Shane caressed the back of her neck, his touch feather-soft.
“How dare you!”
“You’re not marrying that guy. Not if I can help it,” Shane said, placing his hand on her hips and bringing her against his body.
“You have no right, Shane. I can’t believe you’re doing this in front of all the guests. You’re making a scene, and you’re about to ruin Damien and Kelsey’s wedding.”
“The only person who’s acting awkward is that friend of yours. If you look around, everybody is smiling at us in awe, including your own mother. She must not like the new guy too much.” Shane buried his face into her neck, knowing her body was responding to his touch. She was his, and he was going to do whatever he had to do to make her see that.
“She likes him just fine,” Samantha huffed.
“Really? Why is she smiling ear to ear and wiping her tears of joy while she’s watching us?”
Samantha glanced toward her mother, and shaking her head, she said, “She’s being a bit dramatic. Luckily, between the two of us, I’ve always been the more practical one.”
Shane laughed under his breath. “Practical is not the word I would use to describe you, Sammy. If I remember correctly, you were always waiting for your knight in shining armor. At least, that’s what you’d tell me when you were younger. You’d say one day your knight was going to come and sweep you off your feet, and you both will ride away together on your horse into the sunset.”
“That was the naïve Sammy. I learned very quickly that the knight in shining armor doesn’t exist.”
“Don’t let life change you, little Sammy,” Shane said as he played with one of her loose strands of hair.
“Would you stop calling me that?” Samantha bit her bottom lip, frustrated. “This is ridiculous. I told you I wanted you to leave me alone.”
“Liar,” Shane whispered in her ear.
“I am not lying,” she answered between clenched teeth.
“Yeah? Why do you still wear the bracelet and my ring? Every single time I’ve seen you since I’ve given them to you, you’ve had them on.”
“That’s because somehow, they give me strength. I don’t know what it is about the jewels, but wh
atever power they have, I feel more connected to my gargoyle side. Don’t flatter yourself. It has nothing to do with you, trust me. Those days are long gone, Shane. Believe it or not, you mean nothing to me.”
“Interesting,” Shane said as he caressed her lower back. “Why are you trembling to my touch then? Why is your heart racing out of control?”
“Maybe because you’re pissing me off,” Samantha hissed.
“Well, at least I can elicit some emotions out of you. It’s better than nothing, I suppose.” Shane shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll take it.” He smirked and threw her a quick wink while he continued to move his hips against hers with the music.
Sighing in defeat, Samantha asked, “What do you want from me, Shane?”
Shane looked down at her, contemplating. “I want to show you something. Come on, let’s get out of here.”
“Are you crazy? We are Damien and Kelsey’s best man and maid of honor.” Samantha stared at him in disbelief.
“I promise you, they’ll understand. I wouldn’t even be surprised if they did this whole thing so we could see one another again.” Shane chuckled, putting nothing past his brother and his wife.
Samantha frowned, annoyed. “I’m not gonna go somewhere with you just because you want me to.”
“What do you have to lose, Sammy? If you’re worried about your little friend, I can handle him.”
“I don’t want you to handle him. You have absolutely lost your mind!”
As the song came to an end, Shane took her hand and led her back to Jackson, who was still standing there staring at them.
“Hey, buddy,” Shane said. “I gotta show Sammy something, so she’s leaving with me.”
Jackson looked at Samantha, confused.
“It’s okay, Jackson,” Samantha said. When she leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek, Shane quickly pulled her away before her lips could make contact. Guiding her away, he glanced over his shoulder and said, “No need to wait for her. I’ll make sure she gets home safely.”
Shane made eye contact across the room with Damien, who was watching them intently. His brother gave him a brief nod of approval as Shane exited with Samantha. Leading her to the room that had a balcony, Shane shifted into a gargoyle and seized her in his arms as he leaped into the dark sky.
Samantha squealed as he soared high. Grabbing onto him for dear life, she yelled, “What are you doing?”
“Just relax and enjoy the ride.” Shane smiled down at her, loving the way she held onto him for protection.
When she finally did relax, Samantha laughed as the wind rushed through her hair. He spun her around, dove down to the buildings below, and soared back up to where the stars were dancing. They both laughed together, forgetting their past and not worrying about their future. And in that moment in time, both forgot about their pain. Eventually, the ride came to an end, though, and he brought her back down on top of the Empire State Building.
“What are we doing here?” she asked.
“I used to come here often to think…you know, to try to figure out what my purpose in life was,” Shane explained. “But I haven’t been back up here for a long time now.”
“Why not?” Samantha turned to face him.
“I was lost, and I couldn’t find myself anymore,” Shane mumbled, his eyes full of pain.
“What happened?” she asked.
Shane smiled, recovering quickly. “Look out there, Sammy.” He pointed to the city. “Do you see there’s a whole world out there? There’s so much life—so much to live for. But I see none of it. That world is just an empty, lonely place for me without you standing by my side.”
“Shane, I…” Samantha stopped midsentence when Shane shifted into his human form and strolled toward her. “You’re naked,” she whispered.
“I know. I like being naked.” Shane smiled.
“I know you do.” Samantha turned her back to him and tried to increase the distance between them.
“No, don’t walk away from me. I need you to hear me out.” When Sammy turned to face him, he continued. “Don’t you know how I feel, Sammy? You are the air I breathe, the light in my darkness, the beat of my heart. You are the reason for my existence. I want you to ride this crazy roller coaster called life with me.” Shane dropped down on one knee. “Samantha Jordan, will you be my forever mate?”
Her eyes widened in shock, and she whispered, “Is this a marriage proposal?”
“Will you dump that guy? And can we have lots of babies?” Shane asked, his eyes dancing.
“Babies?” Samantha asked incredulously. She sighed as Shane continued to hold her hand while smiling ear to ear. “Jackson is not my fiancé. He’s not even my boyfriend. He’s just a friend, and I begged him to pretend to be my fiancé for the night. He’s gay, actually. Knowing him, he was probably jealous you were dancing with me, and not him.”
Shane’s mouth dropped open. “What? Why would you do that? I almost beat the poor guy up.”
Samantha kneeled down as well, facing him. “Because I wanted you to think that I’d moved on. Because I wanted to make you jealous. And because I wanted you to fight for me…for us.”
Pulling her against his chest, Shane needed to feel her. He needed to be assured that she was actually there with him. “It almost killed me to see you with him. The old me surfaced—the territorial one—and I knew I had to fight to get you back.”
Resting her head on his chest, Samantha asked, “What does this mean? What happens now?”
“I’ll go back to The Council, and I’ll tell them I’ve claimed you as my forever mate. I’ll take whatever punishment they have in store for me. Hell, I’ll even go back to that prison for you.”
“Prison?” Samantha asked, lifting her head to look at him.
“Long story. I’ll fill you in one of these days.”
“You went after Jared, didn’t you? You’re the one who killed him? Is that why you were in prison?”
Shane closed his eyes, remembering his days in the prison. “It’s over. I did what I had to do. And I’ll do what I have to do again to claim you as my mate.”
Samantha leaned into him and held him tighter, her body trembling. “What if The Council says you have to be a human?”
“It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters but being with you.”
Samantha frowned. “But you love being a gargoyle.”
“I love you, Sammy. I would give up the whole world, even my life, for you. With you by my side, nothing would ever be a sacrifice.”
She cupped his face with her hands and brought her lips to his. The kiss was gentle and soft, yet tentative and unsure. “Please help me understand. Why did you leave? I wish you would have just confided in me.”
Shane took a deep breath as he rolled his thumb over her lower lip. God, she was so beautiful. She needed an explanation for his actions. He could sense she was still holding back.
“Once upon a time, there was a beautiful girl named Samantha,” he started.
“Shane, I’m being serious,” Samantha said, her eyes pained.
“Just hear me out, please, Sammy. This girl did not just have beautiful looks, but she had a heart of gold and the most amazing angelic voice. Everybody she crossed paths with was taken in by her beauty. But the one who fell hard for her was no match for her. He was nothing like her because he was a selfish beast. He used others for his own gratifications. She was too pure for him, too innocent. He was not good enough for her. She deserved better…somebody as pure as her. The beast thought of her as his angel, somebody he always needed to protect from the likes of him.” Shane paused as he played with her hair that was now blowing from the wind.
“He resisted her for many years…fought his feelings for her. They were forbidden to be together, after all. Still, he could not stay away. One night, he gave into his selfish desires and took her. All night, he made love to her and made her his. When he finally realized what he’d done, guilt consumed him. He had ruined not only their special friendship, but
also his angel’s innocence simply because he was still that same selfish beast. Hating himself more than ever, the beast walked away from her, letting his only love go…hoping this one selfless act will help his angel find her happiness. Each night, he suffered without her. Each night, he wished death over life without her. Finally, as hard as he tried to keep his distance, he could no longer go on without her. Suddenly, their differences didn’t matter anymore. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t her prince. It didn’t matter that he was no angel. All that mattered was his love for her was real. It was pure. So, the beast found his angel again, fell to his knees, and begged for her forgiveness with tear-filled eyes.” Shane tried to fight his tears, but some snuck out.
Kissing them away, Samantha said, “You forgot to mention that the angel had always been in love with the beast. To her, he was beautiful. To her, he was her knight in shining armor.”
Shane held her tight, afraid to let her go.
“Did they finally get their happily ever after?” Samantha mumbled into his chest as tears flooded down her face.
“And they lived happily ever after,” Shane promised.
The End
GIRL BEHIND THE VEIL
(enjoy a sneak peek)
One
My assignment was simple. Buy the girl and get out. It shouldn’t be too difficult since I’d been in much more dangerous missions than this. Piece of cake.
Besides, being in the Special Forces for the United States government had trained me well to perform under pressure. At the age of twenty-five, I was one of the younger soldiers on the force. But I had more than proved my worth. Not only was I picked for this assignment because of my age, but I was one of the top combat and weaponry agents and fluent in four different languages.
I was disguised as Pier Silvani, a wealthy son of a very successful Italian business man. Pier had the reputation of getting what he wanted, even if he had to bend the rules to get it.