CHAPTER 7
"We don't know where she's going," Brooklyn spoke. "She's hardly even at the castle anymore."
The five male gargoyles were talking privately. It had become a concern of their small clan that the only female was absent so much.
"While I understand your concern Brooklyn, it is within her rights to leave the castle when she does not have other duties," Goliath explained. "And unless her absence turns out to be a danger to her or our clan, there is nothing we can do."
"But...," Brooklyn began to protest.
Goliath cut him off. "It does not sit well with me either Brooklyn, especially with the Quarrymen out there. But I cannot restrict a clan members rights unless they endanger the clan."
"But what if she's visiting Demona?" Broadway piped in. Like Brooklyn, the heavy gargoyle didn't like Angela spending so much time away from the castle. It limited the time he had to attempt to court her. Not that he, or any of his rookery brothers, had been successful, but she would have to choose one of them soon, as the Breeders Moon was approaching next summer, which gave them just under a year to convince Angela that one of them was worth taking as a mate. "She is Angela's mother, and Angela has expressed interest in getting to know her."
Goliath frowned, he had certainly considered the possibility, in which case he would be within his rights as clan leader to restrict Angela's movements, but he had no proof. Not to mention that he believed Angela knew better than that, especially after the events of the Hunters Moon. "Do you not think I have considered this?" Goliath asked. "Without proof of what she is doing, or proof that whatever she is doing harms the clan in any way, then I cannot restrict her movements, and I will hear no more of this.
Lexington and Hudson were silent the whole meeting, for different reasons.
Hudson didn't really care either way about what Angela was doing, so long as she and the clan were safe. And to him, this was a pointless debate. If their clan was larger, this would not even warrant the Clan Leader's attention. But with such a small clan, Goliath was forced to listen to the two younger gargoyles concerns.
Lexington on the other hand, just didn't think Angela's movements were any of the clans business. Sure, he'd like it if Angela were around more, if she'd give him the chance to court her. But he was realistic and realized that she wasn't attracted to him or his brothers. At least he did after overhearing her and Fox discussing Angela's girlfriend.
It had been a couple weeks ago, and he had gone inside to browse the internet, looking for a gift to buy Alexander, when he had overheard them. Angela had been talking about getting some books to help her when her and her girlfriend decided to mate. He had quickly left before he was caught.
The web-winged gargoyle had been disappointed to hear that Angela was apparently in love with a female, but he had also been happy that she'd apparently found someone. Not exactly being a traditional gargoyle, he didn't even disapprove of the relationship.
So when Goliath turned and left the group to their own devices, Hudson and Lexington weren't too upset, while Brooklyn and Broadway where annoyed at Goliath's lack of action.
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Goliath stared out over the city.
Despite what he'd told Brooklyn and Broadway, he didn't like Angela disappearing so much either. She was his daughter, and he worried for her. And with the Quarrymen...
The large gargoyle sighed. The sun was rising, it would appear that Angela would be staying out again. He didn't like it, not one bit.
As Goliath turned to stone, he resolved to discuss Angela's repeated lateness when she returned.
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Later That Night
Kat smiled as she observed the stone form of Angela in the corner of her bedroom. And for the first time since she had met Angela's eyes, she felt complete.
Looking out her window at the setting sun, she smiled as she heard the sounds of cracking stone. Looking back over at her bonded, she watched in fascination as cracks appeared over her stone skin. As Angela's eyes flared red, the gargess flexed her muscles, shedding the stone shard off of her with a snarl before relaxing.
Kat couldn't keep her eyes from studying her lovers naked body, before meeting the gargess' eyes. "You look beautiful," she whispered.
Angela smiled shyly as she draped her wings in front of her like a cloak, in an attempt to retain some modesty. "Thank you."
Kat chuckled, and handed Angela her tunic, which she had washed while the gargess slept. "I made breakfast, and then I still have the surprise I'd meant to show you last night."
The gargess smiled as she pulled on the tunic, only pulling away her wings once she had it on. Following Kat out into the kitchen, she was pleased to see a plate of bacon and a small stack of pancakes.
After eating breakfast, Angela asked, "So what is this surprise you wanted to show me?"
Kat smirked and guided Angela to sit on the couch up against the wall. Once the gargess was seated, Kat walked to the middle of the room, "Ready?" she asked.
Raising her brow-ridge in amusement at her (...mates? Yes, they may not have gone through a mating ceremony, but it definitely felt like the the right term to use.) mates antics. "Of course."
Smiling, a glow surrounded Kat's body, much the same way it did when she turned into her kitsune form, only when the light faded, standing in front of Angela was another gargess, a gargess with Kat's body and face. Her skin tone was the same as when she was human, as was her hair, but Kat's body as all gargoyle. She even had a small brow-ridge. She was dressed in a copy of Angela's own tunic, only in a deep red color. Kat was a couple inches shorter than Angela, but still taller than she was in human.
Kat smiled at Angela, showing her fangs. "I hope you like it."
Speechless, Angela stood up and walked over to Kat. Raising her hand to her mate's face, Angela gently caressed Kat's face, before leaning forward and rubbing her brow-ridge against Kat's drawing a gasp of pleasure from the other gargess.
"Your beautiful," Angela whispered, placing a soft kiss on Kat's brow-ridge sending a shiver down the kitsune's spine.
"I didn't realize your brow-ridges were so sensitive," Kat said breathlessly.
Angela backed up. "How?"
"Kitsune are shape-shifters, remember," Kat said. "This still isn't my natural form, but like my human one, it is fully functional."
"You can glide?" Angela asked with a smile.
Kat winced. "In theory." At Angela's disappointed face, Kat explained. "My body can glide, but unlike you, I've never learned how. And I haven't exactly been tempted to practice on my own."
Angela smiled again. "Does this mean I get to teach you?"
"If you want."
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It was almost dawn once more when Angela arrived back at the castle.
She had spent the first part of the night attempting to teach Kat to glide. After some practice, Kat had seemed to get a hang of it, and the two had played a game of tag around the city, stopping twice to stop a mugging and an attempted rape.
And if she thought her father was terrifying to thugs, he had nothing on Kat. It wasn't so much her size, but her very presence. Kat had explained that she had an aura of power she could release, that it caused people to feel the strength of her kitsune nature beneath her disguise.
Whatever it was, the mugger wet himself and the would-be-rapist fainted, and wet himself.
They had even had an impromptu lovemaking on top of a skyscraper, both in gargoyle form. Angela was pleased to find that in gargoyle form, Kat had all of the gargoyle erogenous zones.
And so it was with great reluctance that she had left her mate to return to the castle, but she knew she needed to. She just hoped that...
"Angela."
The gargess sighed as her father called. She turned to face the...displeased clan leader. "Yes?"
Goliath narrowed his eyes. "Where have you been?" he demanded. "You didn't return before dawn last night, and your cutting it close tonight."
"I don't think that's any of your business," Angela said calmly.
"Angela," Goliath's stern voice began. "When you've disappeared as long as you have, it is."
"No it's not," Angela shot back, her eyes beginning to take on a red glow.
Goliath growled, eyes glowing white. "You missed your patrol, did not return in a prompt manner, and told no one where you where. You have responsibilities to this clan, that you have ignored.'
"All of us have been caught out after sunrise at some point! Why are you making a big deal of this?"
"BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT MY DAUGHTER!"
Goliath's eyes widened as he realized what he said.
Angela just glared at her father. "So because I'm your daughter, you would lock me away in the castle, is that it?"
"You know that's not what I meant," Goliath tried to explain.
"Isn't it?" Angela asked. "First you don't care if I'm your daughter or not, now you base your treatment on the fact I'm your daughter. Make up your mind father." Angela turned away to make her way to her perch.
Goliath opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off as the sun broke over the horizon, turning him and the rest of the clan to stone.
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