Fate's Roar Read online

  “I understand, Kelsey. I would never want to hurt her. I’d never forgive myself if I was the cause of her pain.”

  Kelsey squeezed his hand. “I know, Shane. I know you care deeply for her. You helped raise her. It’s just important that you’re honest with yourself.”

  “Don’t worry. I hear you loud and clear. It’s probably a good idea to get away next weekend for our annual gathering. I think I need it.”

  Kelsey smiled. “You’re the best!”

  “Are you bringing the kids with you this year?”

  “Not yet. I think they’re too young. They’ll stay with Sofia while we’re away. We’re renting a room at MGM Grand. Damien and I can finally have some alone time—without the kids.”

  Shane couldn’t help but laugh. “When are you guys flying out?”

  “We’re taking a plane this year. It’ll be red-eye flight on Thursday night. I’ll check into the hotel, and Damien will crash at the headquarters there. Friday and Saturday nights, we’ll head to the hotel after the function and stay there until Damien has to return to the headquarters again. How are you getting there?” Kelsey asked.

  “The usual. I’ll fly out and crash at different headquarters on my way.”

  “Are you going to fly out with your clan?”

  Shane shook his head. “Nah, I’m a solo kinda guy. You know that. It’ll take several nights of flight to get there, so I may leave Tuesday night. That way, it’ll give me plenty of time to arrive before the function starts Friday night.”

  Kelsey hugged him. “Thanks, Shane, for everything. You’re a pretty amazing guy. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Shane rolled his eyes, hugging her back. “I know Ryan and Tori are already asleep, but I’m gonna give them a quick kiss before heading out.”

  When Shane finally left his brother’s house, he purposefully didn’t search for Samantha. Instead, he hunted for food and then ended up in Camille’s arms.

  Ten

  When he was flying to Vegas, Shane regretted not trying to see Samantha before leaving for several days. Still, he was proud for keeping his promise to himself and not trying to locate her. It was for the best. He didn’t need to give the poor girl any confusing signals. She was too good for the likes of him—too pure to be tainted by his devilish ways.

  It was nice to travel the long distance by himself. He loved seeing the world from up above. Although it was dark, his sight was up to par, even compared to other gargoyles.

  His wings flapped fiercely as he speared through the wind. Shane was fast, and it was exhilarating to soar freely through the open sky. As the wind rushed through him, he lost himself into the velvet blanket of darkness with the glistening of stars shining bright to light his path. The full moon hung high in the sky, throwing silvery pearl of light along with the stars. He felt elated and liberated; he wouldn’t give up this life for anything. Once again, he remembered how Damien was willing to leave his gargoyle lifestyle when he first met Kelsey. Shane never understood it. For him, this was a gift. Why would he ever think of giving all this up?

  Shane waited for Damien and Kelsey to attend the event Friday night. He liked to stand by his brother’s side to show a unified front. He also knew that as soon as they entered, all eyes would be on Kelsey and Damien. He’d promised Kelsey he’d be right next to her to show his support.

  No matter how much the female gargoyles tried to intimidate her, Kelsey did not back down. She was dressed in a breathtaking, long, red dress with tiny rhinestones embedded throughout. She held her head high with confidence.

  “You look stunning, Kelsey,” Shane whispered as he walked on one side of her.

  “Eyes off my wife,” Damien whispered who was walking on the other side. He possessively held Kelsey’s hand as all three entered through the grand entrance.

  Shane chuckled. “Your wife owes me a dance tonight. She forced me to attend here.”

  “I didn’t force you, and I’d love a dance,” Kelsey said, her self-assured smile never faltering, even as a hush fell through the banquet hall.

  The Council, who was the governing body for the gargoyles, organized such events. It was fairly easy for them to utilize banquet halls such as these because of their ability to control human minds.

  All of the gargoyles were dressed in their clan jewels, showing off which clan they belonged to. The females moved their hips sensually, and the men flexed their muscles more. Damien and Shane had remained in their gargoyle forms and wore matching thick necklaces across their necks and bracelets around their wrists. Neither Shane nor Damien liked to show off; they preferred to keep it simple. They’d avoided the glitter all over their body and decorating of their wings like the other gargoyles. Even so, the two brothers stood out amongst the crowd since they were much taller and more muscular than the others. Raw power radiated around them whenever the duo entered a room.

  The three strolled down the center aisle while all eyes were upon them. To show their respect, they stopped at each table where the leaders sat. There were four different tables where The Council sat and one center table with the Master Gargoyles. Their father sat there, maintaining his indifference toward his sons. This was one of the sacrifices of being a Master Gargoyle. They weren’t allowed to show any emotions. Shane knew better of his father, though. He loved his sons. His father, after all, had saved Damien’s life and helped with the birth of both of his grandchildren since they weren’t sure how Kelsey would be during her pregnancies. Pushing away thoughts of his father, Shane approached each table with Damien and Kelsey, and they bowed before heading to their own seats.

  Gargoyle food was raw meat, so The Council made sure that Kelsey was served human food. Some other members from Shane’s clan also sat at their table, including Rennik and his mate.

  “Camille looks beautiful,” Kelsey whispered to Shane.

  Shane smirked, knowing Kelsey wouldn’t miss Camille eyeing him as soon as he’d entered.

  “She does,” he agreed, raising his glass of wine toward Camille and making her blush.

  “Her brothers are here from out of town,” Rennik chimed in.

  The three brothers were sitting at Camille’s table, and one raised his wine glass to Shane, letting him know that he’d witnessed Shane’s flirting.

  “That’s Jared,” Rennik continued to explain. “He’s the only one out of them who can shift into a human.”

  Shane nodded—he knew this of course. The other two brothers, Luther and Marco, didn’t have this gift. Although there really was no concrete explanation why some gargoyles were able to take on either the human or the gargoyle form, the theory was they had human blood running in their veins. And some inherited this ability. This was not common amongst gargoyles, though. It was a rare gift indeed.

  Soon after dinner, Damien guided his wife to the dance floor, showing his fellow gargoyles that she will always be the love of his life. When Shane danced with his sister-in-law, he again complimented her on her beauty, grace, and courage.

  “I’m curious, though. How come you and Damien attend this function every year? Let’s face it. Most of the gargoyles here hate you guys.” He raised his eyebrow, waiting for her answer.

  Kelsey sighed. “This is part of who Damien is…his culture. It’s also part of my kids’ culture. I would never turn my back on it.”

  “You won’t let anybody chase you away, right?” Shane asked, his heart filling with pride.

  “I face things head on. I learned long time ago not to run away from my fears. Believe me, running away never works.”

  “I’ll remember that,” Shane said as he glided her on the dance floor.

  “What’s the latest with you and Camille?” Kelsey asked. “I love the jewels on her face.”

  Camille had tiny jewels going across her forehead as well as three on her chin. It made her appear like a rare, exotic beauty.

  “I knew you couldn’t wait to ask me about her,” Shane teased.

  Kelsey giggl
ed. “Seriously, though, she’s really into you.”

  “She’s cool. We get along just fine.”

  “And?” Kelsey persisted.

  “And nothing. Come on, I gotta take you back to your husband. He seems bored out of his mind.”

  After bringing Kelsey to Damien, Shane danced and flirted with many females that had captured his attention. At one point during the night, he stepped out to the balcony for some fresh air. All in all, it wasn’t a bad night. Maybe it was good for him to stay busy and keep his mind preoccupied on other things besides Samantha. Just as he was about to return to the party, Jared, Camille’s brother, strolled out to the balcony. He blocked Shane’s path from going back inside.

  “What’s up?” Shane asked.

  “Just checking to see what you’re up to,” Jared answered calmly.

  “What I’m up to is of no concern to you.” Shane tried to go around Jared, but again, Jared blocked his path. “What’s your problem, man?”

  “I want to know what your intentions are with my sister,” Jared replied, stepping closer to Shane.

  “Again, not your concern. Now, get out of my way before I beat your ass in front of everybody. I’m sure you wouldn’t want them to witness that,” Shane threatened, his eyes fuming. He didn’t like anybody backing him into a corner.

  “I make it my concern. You will not make a fool out of my sister, Shane. I know about your reputation, and I’m warning you now.” Jared stepped closer still and inhaled deeply. “I can smell trouble, and I know exactly how to handle the likes of you.”

  “Are you threatening me?” Shane asked, challenging him.

  Jared and Shane were inches from one another, neither of them backing down. Just then, the balcony door swung open, and Rennik stepped out.

  “Hey, Shane. I was just looking for you,” Rennik said.

  Shane’s eyes were still blazing, and he wouldn’t look away from Jared’s challenging glare.

  “Get out of here, Rennik,” Jared ordered.

  Rennik stepped closer to them and chuckled. “I don’t think so, Jared. Your little badass attitude is not gonna work with me or Shane. You got a problem with my boy here? Well, then you got a problem with me also. I suggest you quietly slip back into the party before you make a complete fool out of yourself.”

  Jared turned to face Rennik, clenching his jaw. He was outnumbered by two powerful gargoyles. Shrugging his shoulders, he said, “You can’t always protect your boy, Rennik. He’ll slip big time one day, and you won’t be there to bail him out. You’ll see.”

  “Just get away from my face,” Rennik warned.

  Without another word, Jared left them and disappeared into the crowd.

  “What the hell is up his ass? You shouldn’t have interfered, Rennik. He’s gonna remember this. You don’t want that crazy dude as your enemy,” Shane said.

  “One of these days, you’ll have to listen to your own advice, my man. I told you not to mess with that family. Of all the brothers, Jared is the craziest,” Rennik said.

  Both friends leaned their arms onto the banister. “I didn’t do anything to him. I don’t know why he even came out here,” Shane said.

  “Jared’s been watching you all night. I saw him follow you out to the balcony. I knew he was looking for trouble, so I came out here to check.”

  “I could have handled him,” Shane mumbled.

  “That’s not the point. You don’t want to fight this guy. He’s unpredictable, and so is that family.” Rennik lowered his voice. “You don’t want him to find out about your extracurricular activities with the human females, believe me.”

  “He needs to stay out of my business.”

  Keeping his voice low, Rennik continued, “And you definitely don’t want him to find out anything about Sammy.”

  Shane glared at Rennik. “What the hell does that mean?”

  “Dude, relax! I’m not the enemy here, remember? I’m saying, you better make sure he never finds out about your feelings toward her.”

  “I got that under control. I already told you that,” Shane said, also keeping his voice low.

  “I know you, Shane. You can go on pretending all you want, but remember, we’re like brothers. We’ve been through way too many things for me to not know your weaknesses. Believe me, my friend, she’s your weakness. I’m just letting you know to be extra careful around Jared and his brothers. If they ever find out—”

  “Okay, I get it! I hear you, okay? Let’s just drop this.” Shane took a deep breath. “Thanks for having my back.”

  “Always, my brother.” Rennik put his hand on Shane’s shoulder. “Let’s join the party again before we’re missed.”

  Shane nodded, and the friends entered the festivities, putting the incident behind them for the time being.

  Eleven

  Saturday night was more or less similar to Friday night. At one point, The Council began to give their speeches, and Shane started to feel restless. There was no way he would be able to sit through their updates on new laws, reminders of the rules and expectations, and where to invest their money. Most gargoyles had a lot of money since they’d been around for so many years. They’d learned how to multiply their wealth through bets and investments. None of it held Shane’s interest, though, and he was itching to sneak out of there. Signaling to Damien he was leaving, Shane quietly slipped out.

  He was in Vegas, and he needed to hit the strip. The restless energy was consuming him, and he finally quit trying to fight it. Taking his human form and putting on black pants with a black, fitted turtleneck, Shane was ready for some action.

  Within minutes, he found himself sitting at a bar in a crowded club. Taking swigs of his beer, he checked out the scene. The place was filled with plenty of women to unwind with. All he had to do was choose which one he was in the mood for.

  The choice was taken out of his hands when a beautiful blonde approached him. “Hey, gorgeous,” she said.

  Shane decided she would do. “Hello!”

  “Want some company?” she asked, taking the stool next to him.

  “Want something to drink?” he replied with a wink.

  “Thought you’d never ask. I’ll take gin and tonic. My name is Carrie by the way.”

  “I’m Shane.” He then signaled the bartender over to order Carrie’s drink.

  Shane really didn’t want to waste time with small talk. After a couple of drinks, he pulled her to the dance floor. As soon as Carrie was dancing, she wrapped her arms around him and began to kiss him. She deepened the kiss as her tongue entered his mouth. Her hand suddenly slipped to the front of his pants, rubbing him to the point where he wanted to take her right there on the dance floor. Her scent was changing, indicating that she was ready for him. Luckily, some part of him was still sane, and he managed to pull them both to a dark corner of the club with less traffic.

  Pinning her against the wall, Shane took over. As he continued to kiss her, his hands squeezed her breasts through her dress. Carrie released a moan as her hips rubbed against his. Shane frowned when Samantha’s scent filled his mind. What the hell! She was haunting him all the way in Vegas!

  Determined to push Samantha out of his head, Shane kissed Carrie even harder. He pulled her mini-dress up, happy to see that she had no panties on. Burying his face in her neck, he inhaled deeply. He loved the smell of a woman ready for sex. Still, only Samantha’s scent remained. In fact, it was becoming even stronger.

  Angry with himself, he unzipped his pants, hoping Carrie would succeed at distracting his crazy mind. Just as he was about to enter her, Shane heard voices.

  “Man, that’s hot! I’d like somebody to have sex with me like that,” a female said.

  “Let’s get out of here,” another voice answered. A voice too familiar to him.

  Shane froze and turned his head toward the source. His eyes connected with the eyes that had lingered in his dreams for years.

  Samantha stared back, blinking couple of times, as if she couldn’t believe w
hat she was seeing. Her hand covered her mouth, and she shook her head.

  “No,” she whispered, before turning around and bolting away from them.

  “Sammy,” Shane managed to find his voice, but she was already running out of the front door.

  “Uhh, what’s going on? Are we doing this or not?” Carrie said.

  Shane pushed himself off her and zipped his pants back up. This couldn’t be happening. How could it be real? Without a second thought, he sprinted out of the door, searching for Samantha. It wasn’t hard since her scent was calling out to him. Within seconds, he found her hiding in an alley, behind a garbage dump. She was crouched down, her face covered with her hands. He could hear her crying softly, and it took everything out of him not to sweep her into his arms.

  “Sammy?” he said as he approached her.

  She jumped up as soon as she heard him. Turning her back to him, Samantha quickly wiped her face.

  “Sammy?” Shane repeated, simply because he was completely at loss for words.

  “Leave me alone, Shane.” Samantha tried to walk past him.

  Shane grabbed her arm, stopping her. “What are you doing here? And why are you upset?”

  “I said leave me alone!” Samantha attempted to pull her arm out of his hold.

  “No, I won’t. Not until you answer my questions.”

  “I’m here because my girlfriends brought me here for my 21st birthday! What the hell are you doing here?” Samantha stared at Shane, her eyes blazing.

  “Your birthday was couple of months ago.”

  “So? This was the weekend we were all available. What are you doing here, Shane?”

  “I’m here on a family function. A reunion of sorts,” Shane explained, still shocked to see her in Vegas.

  “Really? Huh, could have fooled me. Was she your cousin by any chance? I mean do you make a habit of having sex with your family?” Samantha spit the words out, clenching her jaw.