** Longer chapter, yay! I hope you all enjoy it! We are diving deeper into drama, angst, and our characters a bit more- but that will be throughout this book. :D After three books, you should know that I enjoy good drama in my writing by now, ha-ha. I hope all are well and thank you for reading my stories! Please review and tell me what you think! Thank you!**
~Chapter Sixteen~
Honorable Intentions
Before meeting back up with the others, Brooklyn went to the library of the Avalon castle and dug through old pages of books to research as much as he could about the island and its inhabitants. Angela was right, he didn't find much information about the mythological creatures that lived here, but there were many detailed maps and atlas books, which helped him understand the layout of Avalon much better. He read various books and map books in between taking bites of his dinner and ended up studying more than eating. Soon his food turned cold and he lost interest in it altogether. His focus was solely on the task in front of him.
Time was winding down to when he and the others would meet up to try and find King Arthur, so his studying of the maps became more frantic. He pulled out the map that Rose drew, out from his chest piece, and was studying it carefully. So far, her map was a pretty good likeness to the official map book, and he was impressed that she was able to draw most of Hel from a collection of visions she had over time.
Brooklyn found a nearby writing utensil and was now drawing in more detail onto her drawing from what was in the atlas, and for some reason, his attention kept going back to the volcano that was on the southern half of Avalon's island.
Rose mentioned to him, a few weeks ago, that Kevin and thousands of Draugr demons were shown to her through a vision, in a place with lava. Hel and Avalon were mirrored sister islands, so he didn't doubt that Hel had fire and lava everywhere and that the volcano there would be much more active than Avalon's was. But there had to be one on its southern half, as Avalon had, which meant that they must share the same magma crust, the same lava flow. Like the anatomy from the circulatory system, they came from the same vein. He smiled to himself as he made that analogy, and knew Rose would have been proud of him.
But it made the most sense. The islands had to be connected somehow, not just through magic, but actual science and nature's laws. The volcano on this island was their best bet. Minutes passed by as he stared at the atlas and the self-drawn map that Rose drew that he had been editing, but still had so many questions…
How could he get to her when Titania opened the portal? How many Draugr were there? And would they truly make it out alive…? Was studying a map really worth the effort and time, or should he just wing it when they got there?
Through his churning thoughts, his good right eye suddenly looked over to all of the personal items he laid out on the table in front of him to help him better focus. But they suddenly did the opposite of that. The picture of him and Rose on his motorcycle, and Rose's necklace, had many precious memories attached… memories that were haunting him. Though it had only been a few nights that they've been in Avalon, it felt much longer than that.
Weeks have felt to have gone by since he last remembered Rose being in his arms, and suddenly, those moments felt very difficult to truly remember. He could barely remember the feeling of her body, or the intensely warm shock that occurred whenever her lips were against his… the feeling of their beating hearts in synchronize harmony as their bodies and souls became one… The way her voice sounded when she laughed, or when she said his name, both in everyday life and when she cried it out during those sacred nights…
He shut his eye in sorrow, slapped his hands to his face, and groaned to himself. Why did he torment himself like this? Those memories were ghost-like now and acted more like dreams than his reality once.
Then… the pain and panic came.
What if he was too late in rescuing her? What if those moments that he lived for, with her, would forever remain distant and ghost-like. What if he could never hear the sound of her voice or laughter, or feel the completion of their soul-bond, see her beautiful eyes again or her smile. What if he would never again be able to hold her soft and inviting body in his arms, smell the sweet scent of her hair, her skin, and the very heated core of her when they made love?
What if...
"Damn it," he hissed out to himself, grasped his long, wild, white hair, and thought about pulling it out. "What the hell is wrong with me?"
Those damning thoughts and 'what if's' were killing him, and his fear was truly his worst enemy, always has been. Clutching his chest and breathing hard, he closed his eye and tried to focus on breathing properly through the anxiety, panic, fear, and grief. He was constantly praying and hoping from his heart that when he did reach Rose, she would be alive and alright and that the fears in his mind were only that.
Fears.
Time passed by in silence as he gripped his head, trying to breathe through his panic attack and the tightening of his chest, then something strange happened.
"Brooklyn…"
Jolting in his chair, he suddenly looked up, froze, and listened very carefully. It sounded like it had come from the ceiling, or somewhere high above him.
Then he heard it again.
Brooklyn…
This time it was much clearer, and it was clearly a female that said his name. His bond to Rose was still silent, dark, and inactive… but his heart knew that voice. It was Rose's. It had to have been, and it was a whisper… but it was her voice. And she said his name.
Standing up suddenly, the chair scraped against the stone floor loudly. Every instinct and every limb in his body was tensed up; awake and listening. He was wanting more of that sweet beautiful voice that he knew so well; was needing to hear more.
"Rose?" He breathed out while looking around frantically for any trace of her. But their bond was still dark and silent. She wasn't here… but that was her voice. He was alone in this library, and it didn't sound like anyone was messing with him, nor did he sense anyone nearby. His heart was pounding out of his chest, making the pain held there more painful to breathe, and tears filled his one good eye. Wandering the space between his table and the nearest bookshelf, he turned around, searching… listening...
He needed to hear that voice again.
"Babe?" He asked louder, his voice cracking slightly. "Rose… my love… is that you?" He listened again, but silence answered him, and he couldn't feel anything. No magic, no soul-bond activation, nothing. It was just him... and ghosts, apparently, doing their job at haunting and tormenting their victims. Sighing out heavily, he walked back over to the table and leaned his arms down in defeat- wishing he couldn't feel this pain anymore.
But just then, another whisper broke him from his grief.
I… miss… you…
Slowly, and in a haze of pain, he looked up at the ceiling again where he heard it and felt his heart shatter some more. Was this really happening? Was he really hearing things and was it truly her or his own madness settling in?
"R-Rose?" He choked out, placing a claw on his chest.
The voice came from somewhere up above him. In the air… the night sky… the heavens… and now more than ever, he wanted to take to the sky and wrap himself as close to that voice that he could. But he couldn't move. He could only stare back up at an open window, out at the exposed stars, and will them to send his love back to her, as strong and as sure as the universe itself.
"Babe, I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm coming for you," He whispered back, willing her to hear him as tears rolled down his face now. "But I miss you too. So much, babe. Gods... I can barely breathe, Rose. I swear that I am not alive without you by my side to guide me. I love you" He closed his eye now, letting the tears soak his face, muttering how much he loved her out loud, and to himself. "I love you, Rose, I love you… I love-"
"Who are you talking to?"
Jumping, he cussed out a very loud and dirty word, then whipped around to see that Abigail had snuck up on him downwind, yet again. She was holding a book to her chest and smiling at him, but he didn't smile back. Instead, he growled, gnashed his sharp teeth at her, then released the hilt of the sword that he automatically grabbed on his belt.
"Holy freaking Gods above, Abigail," he growled angrily. "What in the hell is your problem?"
She blinked in confusion and her smile fell suddenly.
"What?"
"Why do you keep sneaking up on me?" He snarled, clenching his fists tightly, and again, her eyes widened in confusion.
"I'm not sneaking-"
"You are," he snapped. "I told you last night that you cannot sneak up on another Gargoyle from downwind, and yet you keep doing it! It's not respectful to another Gargoyle's boundaries when you do that. I get that you wouldn't necessarily know that because you were raised by humans, but even they should have taught you boundaries."
"What are you talking about?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him. "I was just coming here to return the book I've been reading and saw you standing there talking to yourself, so I tried to stay quiet to not scare you. I… I'm sorry."
Brooklyn stared at her, then looked down at the book she was carrying, and suddenly sighed out heavily. Perhaps he was over-reacting, again.
"I really wasn't trying to sneak up on you," she continued, "I promise I was just coming here to return a book and find a new one to read." She held up the book she was holding for him to see again. "At first, I wasn't going to bother you, because you looked busy, but then you began to talk to yourself. So I came over to check up on you."
"Yeah, okay," he said, sighing out again. "I'm sorry for overreacting, I guess. But you do need to be careful next time, okay? It may not have been a big deal to you in your mind, but please, don't do that to me anymore, okay? Especially since I have weapons that I could easily draw on you."
"Okay," she said, smiling again while clutching her book to her chest. "Sorry."
"It's okay," he replied, doing his best to smile back at her but knew it wasn't true nor sincere. They stood in front of each other for a few seconds, in awkward silence, when she finally broke the silence.
"So… uh… how... how are you, Brooklyn?"
"Um, surviving," he managed to say, looking for an out, but then decided to take another calming breath and return some civility. "How are you?"
"I'm good, thank you," she said with a brighter smile. "I just barely finished reading one of my favorite books. It's a bunch of old french poems that-"
"That's nice," he interrupted and ran a claw through his hair again. "Look, um, I don't mean to sound or be rude, but I do have a lot of stuff I have to get done, so if you don't mind, I-"
Who were you talking to?" She suddenly asked, and he froze.
"What?"
"You were staring up at the ceiling when I saw you in here… and were… talking to yourself." She started to step closer to him, with an intrigued look on her face, making him slowly step backward away from her. "Were you just talking to yourself again like you were last night?"
"Yeah," he growled slightly, but she giggled, and stepped closer to him again. He grimaced.
"You talk to yourself a lot."
"No, I don't." He said dryly, looking warily at her now since she was backing him into a corner. "I just thought I heard a voice… or… someone talking to me. That's all."
"A voice?" She asked lightly. "Whose? Was it a female's voice?
"Doesn't matter," he snapped. "It wasn't you by chance… was it?"
"No."
"Oh, come on now, Abigail, you're messing with me more, right?" He said with a smirk, crossing his arms over his chest. "You were saying my name to try to mess with me, weren't you? That's the female voice I was hearing…" He didn't want that to be the case, but now that he was realizing that he was hearing Rose's voice, he sounded insane. At this, Abigail's brown eyes widened, and she looked quite disturbed.
"No, it wasn't me." She said more firmly. "I literally just barely walked in here. I didn't talk to you at all until I asked who you were talking to."
Hearing this, he suddenly went pale, and she looked concerned for him.
"Are… are you okay Brooklyn?" She asked quietly as he sunk down into a nearby chair, feeling lost, unsettled, and utterly confused.
"I… I hardly know anymore," He said shakily, bent over, and buried his head in his claws. "I… I feel like I'm losing my mind, Abigail. First, I lose my soul and heart with my mate being gone… and now I'm hallucinating her voice! Gods…" He felt ridiculous and stupid and more than ever he wanted to just disappear. Taking a deep breath, he shook uncontrollably in his chair, when suddenly her claw touched his thigh. He jumped again at the touch, looked up, but then froze. She was kneeling before him with an intense look on her face, one screaming with desire.
"Hey," she whispered, reaching out and taking his claw. "It's going to be okay. You'll see."
"I am not so sure." He said shakily, trying to get back off the chair and away from her. But she was too close.
"Then let me help you feel more sure…" She whispered, leaning into him. Her brown eyes were peering deeply into his, and then she slowly began to slide her claw resting on his thigh, ever so slightly upwards, towards his loincloth. Shock and warning shot through him, and instantly he was on his feet, with her body and face still way too close to a dangerously intimate territory.
"I…" he stammered, backing away from her. "I… I gotta go."
"Oh, no, don't go, please!" She said, standing up and reaching out to him. "I just want to help you feel better."
"I don't need help," Brooklyn replied a bit coldly. "And if I did, I certainly wouldn't be asking you for it. You have a habit of making things worse for me."
"Gee, how sweet of you." She suddenly said in an irritated tone.
"Look…" Brooklyn closed his eye and let out a deep growl. "I'm sorry for being such a jerk, but you're clearly not understanding boundaries. Until you do, I'm not going to be around you. End of discussion. So… since you're here wanting to find a new book to read, I'll just leave."
"What were you doing in here?" She teased, "Other than hearing voices and hallucinating, of course?"
"None of your freaking business, that's what," Brooklyn growled, but his response made her chuckle slightly. She peeked over his shoulder to the atlases laid out on the table, and with another growl, he side-stepped in her way to block her view, but she already saw what he was doing.
"Hmmm…" she mused. "An… atlas. How incredibly… interesting for a read. Not a bore at all. I could recommend some actually good books to you-"
"No, thank you. If you must know, I was studying Avalon so I know exactly where to go when I get to Hel. That's all." He paused, then gritted his teeth in his mouth at the look she was giving him. The look of longing and desire. "So, I'll uh… let you get back to reading your books."
"If you want to know the outlay of the island," she suddenly said, stepping closer to him again, "what better way than to actually go exploring? I know every inch of this place. If you wanted, I could give you a quick tour. By wings, it shouldn't take very long, and I could even show you hidden places that no map will have written down yet."
"No," Brooklyn said. "I uh, that's alright. I was planning on doing that on my own."
"Oh come on, Brooklyn," Abigail argued, stepping closer to him again. "Don't go about this alone… you need someone who can show you places that might be helpful to know when you go to Hel to retrieve your-" she paused briefly and cleared her throat, "- um, mate. Trust me, you won't regret knowing where to go when you're needing to hide from the Draugr."
Brooklyn eyed her carefully, not sure what he should do. On the one hand, he didn't want to be within one hundred feet of her, but on the other hand… she had a point. It would waste less time if someone who knew the island took him around.
But it still wasn't going to be with her.
"Thanks for the offer, Abigail, but that's why I brought the others with me." He said. "Angela knows every inch of this island as well. She's only been gone from this home for a few months, your time, and I doubt the island has changed that much. She can show me…"
"She and Broadway are busy tending to their egg," Abigail countered, shaking her head. "Are you really willing to take that precious time away from them when someone else is offering to take you around? That doesn't seem right to keep parents from their child..."
Anger filled his chest. "You're twisting around my words, I would never do that."
"I'm not twisting around your words," She said coolly. "I can just see past your excuses, and am calling you out on them. That's all."
"What excuses?" He demanded.
"You just don't want me to show you around the island," She said angrily.
"Bingo." He answered dryly.
"That's stupid!"
"It's not." He argued. "I know my limits… and you've exceeded them by pushing me to mate with you when I've already told you that I'm already mated and uninterested. But yet you still are persisting… so you can't blame me for wanting to stay clear from you."
"Fine!" She growled. "Be that way! Sorry for even bothering to help you out! I have only offered to help you out because, believe it or not, I actually do care for you!"
"Oh, trust me, I know." He growled. "You made that very clear to me the first night I arrived here, and every moment after."
"Why are you complaining? You should be flattered, Brooklyn," Abigail said with a dark smile. "What Gargoyle male in his right mind gets the opportunity to have a beautiful female who is craving sex with him, and turns her down?"
"Um, a mated one who already has a wife!"
"Who is in Hel." She drilled into him. "I'm so sorry to tell you this, but, she's not coming back."
"Not if I have any say in that," Brooklyn growled menacingly, but Abigail rolled her eyes.
"Whatever… well, I don't see anyone else jumping in to help you out. If you do want to succeed and have a chance of bringing her back, you can't do this alone."
"I have plenty of help," he snarled, "but thanks for your concern and offer."
Abigail rolled her eyes again, then whipped around away from him.
"Fine, Brooklyn. Do it your way, have fun chasing your tail around." At this, she stormed off, still clutching the book she brought in with her to her chest. He glowered at her as she went, not stopping her, but then she suddenly slowed down at the door-frame and turned to look at him over her shoulder.
"Oh… and by the way, you actually might want to take up on my offer because staring at outdated maps of Avalon is pointless. You're running out of time to save your… oh-so-precious mate's life… but hey, if you're alright with her dying, then fine. It's her funeral and yours anyway. You can't say no one tried to help or stop you."
"What do you mean?" He asked coldly, but his heart jolted at her words, despite his anger and irritation.
She turned to face him fully now.
"I mean that you going into Hel without a decent plan, is going to get you killed quicker than you can say, 'Draugr'," she said. "Thus then will leave your darling mate to die a slow and painful death by Lord Demetrius's hand." Abigail rested her back against the door frame and began picking at her talons. "It would be such a tragedy for you to have come all this way, just for it to end like that. A crying shame."
Brooklyn raised an eye bone at her. "What do you know about Hel, Abigail?" He asked slowly, and to his further anger, she merely looked unconcerned and shrugged at him.
"Nothing."
"Yes, you do," He snarled, stepping closer to her. "What do you know about Hel and Lord Demetrius? Tell me..."
"I don't know what you're-"
"LIAR!" He roared, jumped up into the air, and landed in front of her, wrapping a claw tightly around the hilt of his sword. "I'm warning you, Abigail. I'm not in the mood to play games. Now, what do you know?"
"More than you do, that's for damn sure," she snapped. "But you're the smart one here, no use trying to help you when you already know everything."
"What do you know?"
"Knowledge which has only come from living here my entire life, alright?" She answered unhelpfully.
"Which is?" He hissed.
"Nothing," she shrugged again. "You don't want my help, so why should I tell you?"
"Abigail…" Brooklyn sighed, running a claw over his face. Hating this. Why him? What did he do to deserve to deal with this drama on top of everything else?
"No, no," she said sarcastically, "it's my mistake to even offer you help. You already have a grand plan that'll get you inside Hel without getting caught in the first five minutes, and you also know every nook and cranny that can be a hiding place, right? So why would you need my help?"
She then stared him down so seriously, and he cowered away from her slightly. Her crazy was coming out.
"You also have a plan in getting yourselves out of that place without getting killed?" She asked.
"Uh," Brooklyn started, but she wasn't finished with her rant.
"And you have a plan to face Lord Demetrius and his Queen?" She snapped hysterically. "And you know how to kill them as well, right? Or at least detain them?"
"Uh…"
"Are you also telling me that you have all of that figured out? Because if so, then sure, I'll leave you to it and not waste another breath trying to help you..."
At her words, when he finally heard silence from her loud-mouth, he shut his eye, clenched the bridge of his nose, and grumbled out a sigh. This wasn't getting anyone anywhere helpful, or useful. Abigail knew of ways to help him, possibly, so shouldn't he take every avenue he could in getting back to Rose sooner?
It felt like a double-edged sword to him.
"Okay, okay, fine," he finally sighed out heavily and looked over at her. "I… I'm sorry, Abigail. You're right. I… I don't really have a plan, but I'm working on one."
"Well staring at a map of Avalon isn't going to necessarily help you get to your mate," she said coolly, crossing her arms over her chest, but calming down. "You need to know every inch of this island, Brooklyn, and you also need to have a better set plan."
"Which I'm working on," he argued.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah." He snapped, growing tired of her antics. "Queen Titania is on our side and is going to help us enter Hel by the means of a portal. Okay? She'll also give us a means back here once I have Rose. Then, she's given us permission to try and obtain Excalibur, the sword, as a weapon to be used against Lord Demetrius and his Queen. She mentioned that the sword is the ultimate destroyer of Third Race lives. With it, I will destroy them… and bring Rose home.
And as for any detainment, I know that iron makes them weak… but for now, I'm just trying to get to know Avalon. Once I get to Hel, I can get in, get Rose, and get out."
"Just like that?" She asked in dry disbelief, raising an eye bone at him.
"No, not just like that," he snapped jerkily. "I'm also going to get Excalibur to help me. I was trying to find any information on that as well, but there aren't books here that explain it. However, then I remembered that King Arthur lives here on the island again. So, I and my clan are going to go and try to find him, and ask him for his help."
"Don't waste time trying to find him through books. I know where he lives."
"You do?" Brooklyn asked, hating that she was baiting him in. But a part of what she said earlier was right, he was wasting time. Precious time.
"Mmhm," she nodded, picking again at her talons again. "He lives on what's called the Kings' Hill. It's a ten-minute flight from the Castle, and Excalibur lives in a lake, inland of this island. I can take you to both if you'd like. However, I should warn you… Excalibur is heavily guarded by a powerful siren named 'The L-"
"The Lady of the Lake," Brooklyn interrupted. "Yeah, I know that already. I also know that in order to obtain it, I have to be a leader born with a pure and noble cause. But, since I'm trying to save my mate, and love of my life…" he ground those words in so she would understand, "I would say that I have a chance in getting it from her."
Abigail didn't bat an eyelash at his remark about Rose but snorted at him anyway.
"You make it sound so easy…" she then quit picking her talons, pushed off from the wall, and sauntered over to him slowly and seductively. Her eyes piercing through his like he was a target to hit. "Brooklyn… the Lady of the Lake is a Siren."
Brooklyn shrugged at her and was unconcerned by what she was trying to tell him.
"Yeah? So?"
"So, have you ever faced a Siren before?" She asked slowly, still walking over towards him and making his palms turn moist with nerves.
"Um, no, but I've seen the Lady of the Lake once when Arthur came to Manhattan to retrieve it, and he faced her.." He admitted, not taking his eye off her and what she was trying to do. "But she merely tested his leadership skills. It wasn't anything he or any of us couldn't handle."
"Yes, well… that's because he is the only other person, other than Oberon, who can claim the sword," she chuckled darkly and looked rather amused by his explanation. Brooklyn felt his stomach drop as her eyes gazed over him with hot-desire. She was closing in on him now, but he couldn't seem to move nor feel his legs.
"But for you…" Abigail continued in a whisper, "the challenge might be… much different… than King Arthur's was."
"She's just another Third Race being," Brooklyn said, almost as if trying to convince himself of it.
And Abigail smiled wider at him.
"Yes, but she's a Siren, which is a creature much different than the normal Third Race beings. Tell me, brave warrior, have you never faced creatures like that before?"
"N-no." He managed to get out, backing up, but then found himself at a dead end. His back leg hit the table and he had to brace himself from tripping backward. His eye never left hers, but she was closing in on his personal space; inches from him now. The heat from her mating instincts was intensifying with every step she took towards him. and when she closed in on him, he could smell her natural scent of rosemary and jasmine.
"A Siren is a powerful female temptress…" Abigail breathed, "who has the ability to read your deepest desires and feast upon them. They can shapeshift to what you want the most… to who… you want and desire the most." She stopped in front of him, placed her hand upon his chest, slowly moved her body against his, and brought her face closer to his. "So…" she continued to breathe while touching his beaked face with a gentle caress. "Do you have what it takes to battle your deepest desires, Brooklyn?"
He couldn't move- and was frozen- but had to stop breathing to ignore his own natural, biological senses that automatically were turned on by her. He hated that his body was betraying his heart- but he could only stare at her and babble nonsense.
"Uh- um…. I… I think so..."
She placed a claw upon his chest piece and her body inched towards his. "Hmmm… you think so?" She cooed while sliding her other claw up the length of his beaked mouth and jawline; then inched her face and lips towards his.
Stop… his mind screamed. You've got to stop this! But his body couldn't seem to catch up with logic. His mouth went dry and his heart was pounding in his chest, so much so, he didn't doubt that she couldn't hear or feel it under her claw. Her dark brown eyes stared into his, and she was so close to him now. Too close. Her claw suddenly slid down from his chest, towards his abdomen, and then took her time touching and caressing every chiseled muscle on his bare abdomen, going slower and slower down towards his belt. Towards dangerous territory.
"Facing a Siren will feel… just… like… this…" she whispered, her lips barely grazing his. His core turned molten out of natural instinct, but it felt wrong. Sinful.
"Abigail," he barely managed to whisper, but he couldn't speak. His body was betraying him. Her heat to mate with him was something his own male, Gargoyle instincts was struggling to contain or deny. Without Rose here to fulfill his strong instincts, what Abigail was giving off was something he couldn't easily fight away.
"Shh," she whispered, pressing her body to his and making him want to roar out. She then began to run lazy circles around his defined abdomen. "Just think for a moment, Brooklyn. Are you really prepared to face temptation… far greater than this? I mean, just look at you-" she paused, looked him up and down, and then pressed her lips to his neck. She suddenly groaned out in pleasure and pressed her body harder to his, making him exhale out a hiss and sink his sharp talons into the table behind him.
Brooklyn grit his teeth tighter to ignore her, but the scent and heat her body was giving off was everywhere; taking over all of his own senses. She was beautiful, he couldn't deny that. But he had to find the strength to deny her and what she was wanting, if not…
"Every inch of you is wanting me, Brooklyn. I can see it… I can feel it." She breathed against his skin, moaning slightly and whimpering against him with desire. Her claws trailed down his abdomen more, as her lips explored his neck further. He couldn't move… couldn't tell her no for some reason. This was going too far.
"Why do you torment yourself by denying me?" She breathed against his skin. "I can see the truth. Brooklyn... I'm here to fulfill your desires to be loved and cherished again and your mate isn't. I know you want me as much as I want you because you haven't stopped me. If you've caved this easily to me, do you really have what it takes to fight a Siren off when she gives you something like this? Once you face a creature like her… she'll drag you down to a watery grave. But me? I'll fill the hole in your heart, and fulfill your dreams. I mean, from seeing how you aren't fighting me away… I think-"
She brought her lips back up to his, her lips and tongue suddenly trailed along his skin, making his breathing so frantic, he could barely see straight.
"I think that you want me more than you care to admit." She breathed in his ear, and pressed her body to his, taking his belt in her claws. "So… just take me, Brooklyn. Forget about your third race… human… mate, and take me instead."
Brooklyn's heart was pounding, he was seeing stars in his vision from not breathing in her scent.
"Just say the word," She breathed, slowly undoing his belt, " and we can give into this heat. I can love you more than Rose ever did..."
But that did it for him. He wasn't sure how he wasn't able to move before this moment, but he could now.
"ENOUGH!" He roared, grasping her claws with an iron-tight grip with one claw, and stopped her from taking his loincloth off. She jumped at his roar in shock.
"What?" She asked in a hurt voice.
"I said…" He seethed, "that I. have. Had. Enough."
His eye was lit up brightly, both in arousal and rage, but his mind was now clear. He knew what she was doing, as it was something she always tried to do to him. If anyone was a danger to him and Rose, it was her, not any other creature that stood between him and Rose. His other claw broke through the edges of the table, sending wooden shards everywhere. Then he grasped onto her upper arms with both of his claws, and she let out a loud and shocked cry of pain.
"Brooklyn… what are you-?"
"You could never live up to what my mate and I had together!" He snarled. Abigail gasped out in pain, trying to get his claws off, but he only gripped her arms tighter.
"Ouch… Brooklyn stop it! You're hurting me!"
"Your cunning female tricks won't work on me," He hissed, ignoring her. "I may be a male who is temporarily without a mate, but I am still mated and loyal to her; as well as uninterested in what you have to offer. No matter what you feel I am giving off… at the end of the night, no matter what, it'll still be disgust in your slutty antics and rejection." Her eyes widened at his words, and with a growl, he pushed her away from him in disgust. She stumbled backward a little bit, caught herself, and then stared at him with hurt eyes while running claws up and down her sore arms.
"Have a nice night," he snarled in dismissal, gathering up all of the maps and turning his back to her. "Go to Abel and let him fuck your brains out, Abigail. Trust me, he'll do it without questions and you two will have a blast. That, or go and find a poor rock, twig, or literally anything else, to jerk off on- I honestly don't give a damn. Whatever you do, leave me the hell out of it."
Abigail stared at him with a wide mouth, almost out of disbelief that he was talking to a female in this way, but he didn't care. In fact, he wasn't anywhere near done with what he wanted to tell her in the cruel and harsh language that he wished to use. But he contained himself. Despite him shaking with rage, self-hatred, guilt, and shame over what he allowed so far.
"Well then…" she finally said coldly, "you actually might have what it takes to beat the Siren, after all, Brooklyn. She takes the hearts and minds of unsuspecting males who have tasted love, so you might be in luck… because all I see is a heartless ass who is a poor excuse for a Gargoyle, a leader, and a protector!"
"And I see the door behind you, Abigail," he snarled back, turning to face her now with his eye still lit up in rage and his sharp teeth gnashed at her. "Don't let it hit you on the way out!... or let it… you might very well get pleasure out of it."
Abigail's jaw could have hit the floor by his nasty remark back to her., but she no longer looked hurt, but beyond enraged. Her eyes lit up bright red and a growl and scream exited from her mouth.
"BASTARD!" She screamed, then suddenly chucked the book she was holding as hard as she could at him. He side-stepped lazily away from it's scattering pages and the spine that cluttered loudly against the table. He watched it break apart upon impact, then threw her a mocking smile.
"Missed me."
"UGH!" She screamed, fuming, but she didn't engage with him further. Instead, she turned and stormed across the library to his great relief. Wrenching the door open, she tore through it and then slammed the door as hard as she could; shaking the stone walls around the dais as she went. He continued to hear her screams, and raging growls as she walked away from the library, and they echoed all throughout the castle.
Most likely to get the attention from the others. Thanks to that, he would, no doubt, become public enemy number one after this confrontation. She would tell the others what a horrible male he was, twisting it to make him sound like he was trying to rape her or something along the lines of that. And he anticipated Abel to be on his tail quicker than quicksand.
Fuming and growling in pure fury as well, he gathered everything up from the table he had been working at and stormed out of the library.
"Females..." He hissed to himself as he walked away. With fresh, cool, night air filling his senses and clearing his mind, he didn't know why Abigail got under his skin so badly, but thinking about what she almost did in there made him stop suddenly… and a horrific pain shot through his heart, while the truth quietly whispered in his mind the error of his ways.
You hate that she desires you… but you hate yourself even more now for your disloyal and unfaithful reactions to Abigail's touch and heat. You secretly liked feeling those things again, even though it wasn't Rose touching you. By doing that with another female, you betrayed your vows to Rose… what would she say to you? What would she think, or do?
Brooklyn stopped his walking, grabbed onto his long white hair, and growled out loudly in desperation. He was being driven mad without Rose here, and Abigail wasn't helping. The desperation to bring Rose home, to have her safe again, was tearing him apart. It wasn't about him, and couldn't imagine what she was going through in Hel. However, at this moment, he wanted nothing more than to not be alone anymore. He wanted and needed to be touched, held, and told that everything was going to be okay. He wanted to touch his wife, hold and kiss every inch of her… He wanted to make love to her again...
His eye was still it up in a rage and his heart was pounding fiercely. Hot and untamed boiling fury suddenly filled the void that had been stoked with short-term desires caused by Abigail's persistent advances. But he knew the truth deep down. Those advances were all on her and not him, but it didn't matter what he would say. Everyone would hate him soon- and all because of her. This journey was now even more complicated and difficult to take than it already was.
Clenching his teeth and fists, he released out with a mighty roar and slammed his fists into an adjacent wall. Shards of stone flew everywhere, and again with the other fist, over and over again, he roared out and slammed his fists through the stone. The pain felt good to him, and the rage he released, was addicting. He did hate himself for many reasons, but he hated himself even more by letting Abigail get anywhere close to him and hated the fact that his mate, Rose, was gone; all because he was too weak to prevent it. He couldn't fathom what she would think about him if she knew about Abigail's advances…his natural bodily reaction to them, and he honestly wouldn't blame her for hating him too.
Would she still even want him as her mate and husband if she knew this was happening? He wouldn't blame her if she didn't, but the very thought of losing Rose and her love for good suddenly sent him over the edge. With more deafening and enraged roars, he slammed his fists back into the stone wall, over and over again, clawing and shredding the stone until there wasn't a wall left to shred and destroy.
Angela and Broadway were exiting the Avalon Clan's rookery alongside Gabriel and his mate, Ophelia, after checking up on their eggs for the night. All were talking and laughing amiably with each other about their developing eggs through the dark tunnels of the cliff-side rookery.
"I'm excited to finally see what our child will look like," Broadway said excitedly. "April can't come soon enough!"
"Yeah," Gabriel said. "It's an exciting time for our Clan, for sure. From what Angela and Goliath have told us, it would appear that our Clan is finally getting the break we've needed."
"Absolutely," Broadway agreed, clasping his hand on Gabriel's shoulder.
"So, what are you two doing for the rest of your evening?" Ophelia asked.
"We have to help Brooklyn with some errands," Angela said. "And he's expecting us down in the courtyard soon. So, we'll catch you two later."
"Do you need any help?" Gabriel asked.
"I don't think so, but I'll let you know if that changes," Angela said, smiling. "Thank you."
Gabriel nodded and took Ophelia to his side. "Of course, anytime."
They all walked to the cliffs and stopped to overlook the castle, but stopped when something caught all of their eyes and ears' attention. A Gargoyle was roaring outside one of the outdoor hallways, and with it was the sound of destruction.
"What's going on down there?" Ophelia asked, gasping.
"That sounds like Brooklyn!" Angela cried out, right as Broadway opened his wings and pulled on her claw.
"Come on, let's go and see! He could be in trouble."
Instantly, both of them spread their wings and took off towards his roars as quickly as they could, with Gabriel and Ophelia behind them. When they touched down, the roars were coming from just outside the library. When they ran around the corner, the sight caught both Angela and Broadway in shock.
Brooklyn's back was to them and he was leaned over, breathing heavily. All around him, stone from the wall and a pillar were shattered and smashed to bits.
"Brooklyn!" Angela gasped out, and he instantly turned to face them. His eye was lit up in a white rage, and every muscle was bulged out from true adrenaline.
"Brook," Broadway whispered. "Buddy… what's…?"
"What happened here?" Gabriel suddenly interrupted and stepped forward. Brooklyn's eye faded, showing the true shadow of anger that was still inside of him, and the tops of his claws, which were bleeding slightly, were clenched tightly into fists.
"Nothing," he growled in a gutted voice.
"Sure doesn't look like nothing," Gabriel said slowly while looking around at the mess. "Jeez brother, either you picked a fight with a wall or it picked one with you, but either way, I'd say you won." He then chuckled at the tease, but Brooklyn didn't look amused. Gabriel's face fell slightly and his tone turned sincere.
"Is everything alright?"
"Things are perfect," Brooklyn hissed out in a cold rage, walking past him now, "never been better."
"Brooklyn…" Angela whispered, holding a claw out to touch him, but he quickly pulled his arm away; not wanting to be touched by anyone right now. She flinched back from his reaction with wide-eyes, and then Broadway suddenly took control.
"What's going on, Brook?" He asked seriously, stepping in between him and Angela as if he were going to attack. "Come on, tell us."
"I just needed to get some… frustrations out, that's all," Brooklyn said darkly, forcing himself to calm down. He then turned to Gabriel, who was staring at him with concern, and then over to Ophelia, who was clutching her chest in fear. "Sorry about the mess, I'll clean it up later. For now, I have stuff I gotta attend to. If you'll excuse me..."
With this, he folded his wings on his shoulders and walked away, leaving Angela and Broadway to glance over at each other once, then follow after him, leaving a perplexed Ophelia and Gabriel behind.
They trailed after Brooklyn in silence and followed him into one of the living rooms of the castle. Both Bronx and Boudicca were sleeping next to each other in front of the fireplace. When they came into the room, Bronx promptly awoke and watched them, as if awaiting orders.
Brooklyn didn't say anything, but Broadway held a claw out to calm him.
"Good boy, Bronx. Stay there." He then quickened his steps, grabbed Brooklyn on the shoulder, and forced him to turn around and face him. "Brooklyn… talk to us, what is going on with you?"
"I told you, I was-"
"I don't believe that you were merely getting simple frustrations out. Goliath is the one with the explosive temper… not usually you. Come on, what's got you all hot and bothered? Why did you destroy part of their castle and are in an enraged state? And no more bull-shit answers. Tell us the truth."
Brooklyn's eyes widened at him and didn't answer, and Angela suddenly closed in on him as well, her brown eyes wide with worry.
"Please…" she begged quietly. "We are here for you, but you have to be honest in order for us to be able to help you. What happened?"
"I…" Brooklyn started, then faltered, and shook his head in a heavy exhale. "I just… kinda… lost my cool there for a minute. I'm sorry."
"Why?" Broadway asked. "What the hell happened?"
"Abigail… got under my skin is all," he finally answered in a whisper, not daring to look at either of them. Out of shame. But both Angela and Broadway blinked and glanced over at each other in confusion.
"Abigail?" Broadway asked slowly. "The one that was asking why you were mated with Rose, and then brought you dinner last night?"
"That's the one." He said, nodding grimly. Angela and Broadway exchanged looks one more time, before looking back at him.
"What about her?" Angela asked.
"She's…" Brooklyn sighed heavily again and ran his claws through his hair. "She's in heat for a mate and an egg. I don't know if you both haven't noticed it, which I honestly don't see how anyone hasn't noticed, but… she's been coming onto me every second since we've arrived here. I've told her over and over again that I already have a mate and am married to Rose, but she… she just keeps coming at me." He paused and then sighed heavily again. "She wants me to impregnate her, you guys, but I refuse, but… it's gotten really bad. I try to get away from her, but she keeps coming at me. Keeps… trying to seduce me."
"What?" Angela gasped out and looked horrified.
"I eventually got rid of her, but she's now super pissed at me, which will mean that Abel, who desires her, and the rest of the clan will be on my ass any time now…" Brooklyn continued heavily, still not looking at them. "But… I feel ashamed of myself, dirty, and feel like I've been unfaithful to Rose… but I swear, I haven't done a damn thing. I … I would never do that to her. Ever." He paused and shook his head as tears filled his eye.
"Holy crap, dude," Broadway gasped out, looking utterly shocked.
"I hate myself for not being strong enough to protect Rose from being taken," Brooklyn choked out, "but I now feel even more helpless because I can't even seem to control Abigail from bothering me. She doesn't care that I am uninterested and unavailable to have as a mate, but she just keeps coming at me. And tonight, my instincts and body naturally…" he closed his eye in shame and gritted his teeth, "reacted to Abigail's… and gods, I feel so ashamed of myself."
He turned away from them now and rested his head and arm against another wall. Tears filled his eye, and he couldn't bring himself to hear what they had to say. Or what they thought. But then a claw touched his shoulder, and he opened his eye to see Angela standing close to him. Misery shot through him as her pure eyes gazed into his- remembering that he once sought after her when she had a mate. Though he was nowhere near as disrespectful as Abigail was, he felt even worse.
"Angela…" he breathed. "I…I…"
"Did you do anything to replicate those feelings with her?" Angela suddenly whispered. "Did you touch or kiss Abigail back?"
"No," Brooklyn whispered truthfully. "I would never…"
Angela then smiled at him and nodded fiercely. "I know you would never have. Without a doubt." She paused, then said, "Brooklyn, listen to me, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Stop beating yourself up. You haven't done anything wrong."
"Feels like it…" he whispered.
"Maybe so," she said softly, "but you did the right thing in the end. You didn't accept Abigail's heat to mate with you, and that was honorable and no doubt took great courage. Your love for Rose is eternal and the strongest and purest kind of love. She and you are one, Brooklyn. Never forget that."
Brooklyn stared at her and felt grateful for her words. Relief filled his heart and chest, and she smiled, because she knew he felt better.
"Thank you," he whispered, tears filling his eye. She smiled endearingly at him, grabbed his claw with hers, and squeezed tightly.
"Damn, Brook," Broadway asked quietly. "Hudson warned us how dangerous these kinds of females can be. Why didn't you say anything to us before?"
"Because I thought I got rid of her last night when she brought dinner up to me," Brooklyn replied, turning to face him. "I told her very clearly that she needs to mate with someone else who's available, but she doesn't respect what I have to say. And I… I don't know what else to do, other than getting Rose back as quickly as I can."
"Then that's exactly what we will do," Broadway said, nodding seriously at him, and clasped a claw down on his shoulder. "Let's put some space between us and this castle for a little bit, find King Arthur and the sword, and get Rose back. Okay? That will help most things become right again, but…as for Abigail…" he faltered away, as if unsure what to say. "I… I did notice and felt that she was in heat when we arrived, as every male can I'm sure," he quickly looked over at Angela now and took her claw gently, "but I paid no heed to it, I swear. I already have my angel love."
"I know," Angela said softly, smiling at him.
"Who hasn't noticed?" Brooklyn scoffed. "She's practically flaunting her desire to mate around."
"What can we do about her then?" Broadway asked, looking to his mate now. "She's gotta be stopped… Brooklyn has enough to deal with without a rogue female in heat being added to the mix. Hudson told us when we were entering mating age, that those kinds of Gargoyles are very dangerous to mess with unless we wish to be their mates."
Angela's eyes narrowed suddenly in anger, and her fists tightened into balls at her sides.
"Leave Abigail to me," she said in a low and dangerous voice. "Sounds like she and I need to have a little female chat. Gargoyle to Gargoyle."
"Angela, no…" Brooklyn suddenly said, lifting his head up to look at her. "I agree with Broadway. Let's just focus on what we need to do for Rose and head to King's Hill."
"King's Hill? What's there?" Broadway asked.
"King Arthur," Brooklyn replied. "Abigail told me that's where he lives…" he then turned to Angela, "that is, if what she's saying is actually true, or if it was another game of hers. Do you know if that's where he is now living?"
"It's possible," Angela replied coolly. "King's Hill is a set of cliffs next to where he was sleeping under his curse. We can definitely check there for him, for sure, I know where it's at… but first…" she suddenly turned away, walking quickly away before they could stop her. "I need to take care of this Abigail problem. You boys wait for me in the courtyard with Bronx, this won't take long."
"Angela… I don't know if that's such a good idea-" Brooklyn said, holding a claw out to her. "Angela, wait!"
But the door to the living room slammed shut, and she disappeared. He froze in shock, and Broadway looked terrified. They both knew how Angela could get when in this enraged mind-frame. With Demona's temper and strength, mixed with Goliath's… adding in female hormones of her own, Angela was indeed a deadly mix when pushed hard enough.
"Uh-oh… this… is bad," Broadway said quietly.
As their leader, Brooklyn knew that he should stop her... but as a male… he also knew better than getting in the way of a scorned female. Despite this, he suddenly couldn't help but feel a spark of gratitude for Angela and what she was willing to do for him. He once sought after her love when she was mated with Broadway, but when they talked it through and came to an understanding with each other, they created a special friendship with each other. He was protective of both Angela and Akira, both of whom he cared for a great deal.
Angela was also one of his and Rose's greatest supporters when they first started their relationship, next to Akira, and he knew that she wasn't going to let Abigail go easily for daring to get involved.
"You can say that again," Brooklyn said slowly, but smiled darkly and knew Abigail was going to get what she deserved.
And Broadway did.
"This... is… bad."
Abigail was stewing in a nearby garden after her confrontation with Brooklyn; sitting next to a fountain, plucking flowers from the ground, and picking their pedals apart in sharp, angry movements. Her mind was constantly on the bad boy, newcomer Gargoyle with a short temper, but he was devilishly and ruggedly handsome and took her breath away the moment she laid eyes on him.
Brooklyn.
His name made her swoon. But he was taken. Mated. Or that's what he kept saying. His mate- the human, third race mutated female, was captured and living in Hel. A place and a sentence that was as real as death itself and wasn't something she could easily come back from. Brooklyn kept denying it, but she knew that his odyssey to Hel was fated, cursed, and she did not want him to go. She wanted him to see that she loved him, and could help his pain fade away by her love… and by her touch. Sighing out heavily again, she tossed away the skinned flowers, picked up more, and continued her destructive picking.
Minutes passed and she was still fuming in anger at how he treated and talked to her, but then slowly closed her eyes and moaned quietly when she recalled the feel of his body against hers and his heavily masculine scent. It was so attractive and enticing to her, she wished he didn't push her away. She was so close to breaking him down this time, but even though he fought her away in the end, she saw and felt him become aroused, even if it was just for a moment, but he did. And it did not go unnoticed by her.
At the end of the night, he was a male without his mate there to fulfill his yearnings and desires.
But she was. And she wanted him… desperately.
Just then, she heard and smelled a familiar scent coming from her side, and she groaned slightly.
"Abigail?" A soft male voice suddenly entered the garden.
From the shadows, her one suitor and male interest, Abel, approached her and was holding a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers. A part of her wanted to roll her eyes at him, but she also couldn't help but smile slightly.
"I… uh… saw these in one of the meadows, further inland, and thought you would like them," he said softly, then eyed the stripped flowers that she had angrily destroyed, and continued nervously, "but… uh… it would seem that you disapprove of such things, so uh…" Abigail suddenly smiled, threw the stems to the side, and held out her claws to the ones he was holding. His eyes widened in excitement and a wide grin split across his face. He quickly crossed over to her, sat down next to her on the bench, and handed her the bouquet.
"Nonsense," she said kindly, taking them from him, and smelling the sweet flowers. "I was just..." she paused, shook her head, and then laughed slightly, "never mind. Thank you, Abel. They are beautiful. This is very thoughtful and sweet of you."
He waved her comment away but looked very pleased with himself. "Hey, no big deal. I just thought someone as thoughtful, sweet, and beautiful as you should be told… and treasured."
Her face fell slightly at his words, and she hung her head.
"Abel…" she sighed heavily, but he suddenly took her claw and gently held it in his.
"Please, Abigail, allow me to speak first?"
She opened and closed her mouth a few times, sighed again, and then nodded.
"I… um…" he cleared his throat and then tried again. "Abigail, we have known each other our entire lives, and have been friends… good friends… but, now that we are older and many of our own are finding their mates, I… I can no longer deny that I care for you and have cared for you for a very, very long time." He paused, squeezed her claw a bit tighter, and moved closer to her on the bench.
"Look, I know that I haven't told you this before and I'm sorry that it's taken so long for me to tell you this, but I… I love you, Abigail. I've loved you for a long time, and I know that you are seeking after the new male… Brooklyn, but he's already got a mate. No matter how insane it all sounds to us, he's intensely seeking on bringing her back, and his desperation to get her back made me realize that I should be doing the same thing for the female I have strong feelings for."
Abel turned to look into her eyes, gazing intently into her eyes. "Abigail... you deserve someone who will give you their entire heart and soul, and I want to be that guy for you. So, please, choose me to be your mate, Abigail… not him." He pulled her close to him suddenly and gently pressed his lips to her cheek while caressing her face with a claw. "Ultimately, I just want you to be happy."
Abigail stared at him, speechless, as he gazed intently into her eyes. But before she could do anything more, he stood up and smiled down at her.
"You don't have to answer me now, but please know that my desire to be with you is true, and a vow I plan on keeping forever. All of my rookery siblings have found their mates, and now that you've come of age, I know you are meant to be mine. But that will, again, always be your choice to make. I will be waiting for your answer, no matter how long it takes, because you are worth the wait to me. There's no one else I would rather have by my side than you."
With this, Abel gave her one last look of longing, before turning around and leaving the garden.
Abigail watched him go, thinking deeply about his words and considered them. Looking down, she brought the wildflowers up to her nose to smell. Closing her eyes, she smiled to herself and admired how beautiful they were. No one had ever said those types of things to her before, and for once since knowing Abel, he has never been this forward with her. It was giving her reason to possibly change her mind over pining after Brooklyn… though the chase was exhilarating for her.
The sound of wings gliding overhead tore her from her thoughts suddenly and she looked up in surprise to see Angela landing in the garden in front of her.
"Oh. Angela, hello! What a surprise."
"Abigail," Angela answered curtly while crossing her arms over her chest and wrapping her wings around her shoulders. She eyed her with slight disdain. "Pretty flowers… who are they from?"
"Abel," Abigail replied, smiling, and smelling them again. "Aren't they beautiful?"
"Fetching," Angela said dryly. "I take it that he's interested in being your mate then?"
"Yes, however, I've known for quite some time that he's been interested. But he's finally stepping it up and being brave enough to tell me what's in his heart."
"Will you accept his offer?"
"I might," Abigail said lightly, still not looking over at Angela.
"Does this mean that you are going to quit slinking up to Brooklyn and trying to get him to mate with you?" Angela asked forwardly, getting straight to the point. Abigail looked up at her in surprise, put down the flowers, and stood up. Her eyes narrowed and a dark smirk formed on her face. The gig was up.
"So…" she said testily. "He's told you what happened tonight, did he?"
"Yes, he did, and I'm here to put an end to your schemes," Angela said darkly, growling slightly.
"Oh, I see. Well, did he also tell you that it was him that came onto me?" Abigail asked her, still in a light and delicate voice that was driving Angela mad. "I met up with him in the library when he suddenly cornered me and began to touch me... intimately. I was shocked that he would do such a thing, or act so... barbaric, especially since he has a mate! I then told him that I wasn't interested, but he kept pushing. He said that he is so lonely without his precious mate here to satisfy and tame his arousal. But I fought him away. I just barely got away from him, enraging him no doubt, but the moment I tell the others what he did he'll have a full-on riot for his crimes against me. And my Abel will be leading the charge, most likely." She then sighed out dramatically. "I just hope no one gets hurt."
"Oh… you are enjoying this, aren't you?" Angela growled, her eyes going bright red with rage. "That is not what happened… don't lie to me."
"But it is," Abigail said smoothly, looking at her claws. "I've come here to be alone and to get away from him. It's sad, really. He is desperate for his mate to come back, that he was willing to throw his vow to her away to be with me."
"You don't know what the hell you are talking about," Angela hissed. "You don't know Brooklyn as I do, nor do you know his relationship to his mate, Rose. He would never cheat on her! Especially with an attention-seeking tramp like yourself. You've always been that way, don't deny it, Abigail."
"Are you taking his side over mine, then? I'm telling you the truth, he came onto me!" Abigail asked angrily.
"I am taking his side because I do not believe you. Brooklyn would never do that, to any female, and never to hurt his mate like that. Never in a million years. He's respectable and actually has manners."
"Well… clearly you don't know your precious leader all that well then. He has the worst manners I've ever seen," Abigail jeered. "And as for his mate, she's as good as dead, so who are you to stand up for him? You aren't his mate. Is he so pathetic that he has to send a girl to do his dirty work?"
"If Rose were here and knew what you were trying to do, trust me, she would make short work of you for daring to touch her mate and trying to seduce him." Angela suddenly growled, stepped forward, and eyed her with blazing red eyes. "And as for me, he and I care for each other a great deal and have a special relationship. So if I need to temporarily step in for Rose and fight for his honor, then I will."
"Oh, I see," Abigail cut in. "You're also screwing around with him and are jealous that he wants me instead? My, my, Angela. Who knew the precious golden child of the Clan was capable of being so scandalous. What'll your poor Broadway say?"
"You are a bitch, Abigail," Angela growled out a dark chuckle.
"Takes one, to know one, I guess."
At this, Angela snarled out loudly, stepped forward, grabbed Abigail by the front of her shirt, and slammed her against the side of a nearby tree.
"What… hey!"
"Listen to me, you tramp!" Angela hissed. "Leave Brooklyn alone, do you understand me? I know you are lying and are enjoying playing the victim, but he would never be unfaithful to Rose."
"And you know this how?" Abigail asked in a snarl. "You should have seen him reacting to me, Angela, I think if you saw his reaction to me, you would be singing a different tune right now."
"I don't doubt it," Angela whispered darkly. "Anyone can fall victim to arousal, but he eventually kicked you out, which tells me that he's not falling for your bull-shit! And neither am I. You've never seen what it was like when he and Rose were together as we have… nor do you understand the soul-bond that they shared, and the true happiness they both had. You'll never understand why we are fighting so hard to get her back. Not only is she family, but they are true soul-mates… and both have a bond so strong, that no one and nothing, can separate them or their true-love."
"Except death, which has, in fact, separated them." Abigail teased, and Angela grit her teeth even more prevalent at her. "Why else are you here searching for her soul if it hasn't?"
"She's not dead."
"Yeah, right. Do you want to know what I think? I think you all are delusional," Abigail then pushed Angela off her, showing her true colors now. "But let me tell you what's really going down here, sis. If I want Brooklyn, which I do, I'll get him… just you watch. I can be very persuasive, and whatever I want, I get."
"What about Abel?" Angela asked through gritted teeth. "Why string him along when he wants to be your mate?"
"Because… he said that he would wait for as long as it took until I made my decision…" Abigail said slowly, "and wait for my answer, he will. Because, by gods, this chase between both males is quite… exciting to me."
"You're disgusting," Angela snarled.
"Why do you care?" Abigail laughed. "You are mated to Broadway, so what goes on with myself and Brooklyn, and my mating life, isn't any of your business anyway."
"I've now made it my business and will continue to make it my business until Rose comes back to take it up for me." Angela snarled, raising a talon threatening at her face. "And when she does, oh… you better watch your back, Abigail. Rose will be fair and kind to you at first… but the minute you overstep yourself again and go after Brooklyn, she'll tear you apart."
"Doubt it," Abigail mocked. "She's not a Gargoyle, so it's possibly her that should watch her own back."
Angela smiled darkly at this.
"No," she said softly, "you're right. She isn't a Gargoyle, but she's something far greater… she's Brooklyn's mate and soul-mate. So again… I'd watch it. For now, you get to deal with me and I won't be nice to you if I have to confront you again about this issue. Mark my words, Abigail. This is my one and only warning, back the hell away from Brooklyn."
"How very touching," Abigail jeered. "Do you secretly carry a torch for him as well?"
"No," Angela snarled. "But he is my best friend, my Second-in-Command, and is Rose's mate and husband. I will protect his honor and heart from vipers like yourself until she comes back and takes up that rightful place as his mate. This is your first and only warning." Abigail glared at her and started into a snarl, ready to fight, when they heard another set of wings approaching, and both froze from their fight.
"Angela!" A male's voice suddenly called out. They both turned right as Gabriel touched down.
"Gabriel?" Angela asked. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah," he replied, walking up to them. "You need to come with me right now."
"Why?" Angela said slowly, looking at her brother's excited face. "What's up?"
"More Gargoyles from your clan just barely arrived! They are down on the beach right now, Brooklyn sent me to come and get you. He said that their names were… Lexington and Akira… I think."
"What? Lex and Akira are here?" Angela gasped out.
"Yeah, with like… thirty Japanese Gargoyle warriors who claim they are here to help fight!"
"Alright, I'm coming!" Angela said excitedly, as Gabriel ran to gain height to glide. She then turned back to face Abigail, who looked hopeful at the idea of new Gargoyle warriors arriving in Avalon.
"I hope I've made myself very clear to you tonight. No more games or else you're going to wish you never laid eyes upon Brooklyn, or messed with any of us." She then turned, scaled up a nearby tree, but then stopped and looked back at her. "Oh, and by the way, all of the Avalon male warriors are mated as well. So, don't even try this scheme with them. They are too honorable to get anywhere near the filth you're trying to spread. Go to Abel, Abigail. He's a good Gargoyle. Strong, kind, respectful, protective... he's your best match and seems to care a great deal for you. If not, and you keep this game up with Brooklyn or any of the others, you'll be mine to deal with."
She then spread her long wings and glided away, leaving Abigail to look after her with a stricken look on her face.