Calming a Demon Heart Read online

  Into the paranormal world: A wounded heart is not easily mended, requiring a soothing, patient hand.

  Matthew Beakman’s life just got turned upside down. His brother, Marty, stumbled across something strange and fascinating and amazing! Gargoyles exist! Matthew wants to know everything about them. First, though, he wants to find the gargoyle that saved his brother’s life and thank him. Their people’s leader, Maelgwn, points out a blood-red, behemoth of a gargoyle named Vane, then warns Matthew away from him. Never good at following orders—and because he can’t help but find himself intrigued by the huge creature across the room—Matthew tracks Vane down anyway. At first, he’s confused by the way his body responds every time Vane growls at him, until a conversation with Logan makes him suspect that he and Vane are mates. Unfortunately, he also learns Vane went through some extreme torture in the hands of humans. How can he convince the stubborn gargoyle that not all humans are the same?

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  Calming a Demon Heart

  Copyright © 2014 Charlie Richards

  ISBN: 978-1-77111-882-8

  Cover art by Scott Carpenter

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  Published by eXtasy Books

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  Calming a Demon Heart

  A Paranormal’s Love: Book Six

  By

  Charlie Richards

  Dedication

  To Smith & Wesson—without you, I wouldn’t feel safe walking down the driveway to feed my horses at night…gotta love the mountains.

  Chapter One

  Matthew Beakman’s jaw sagged open in shock. His heart tripped in his chest, and the blood roaring through the veins of his ears made it tough to hear. Gripping the arms of the chair, he pushed backward into it on reflex as he gaped at the sight before him.

  In his defense, it wasn’t every day that he saw a massive, six foot six African American turn into…something else. A gargoyle. A massive winged creature with dark blue skin, long black hair, bony ridges for brows, an angular jaw with protruding canines…and the fucking claws!

  Holy hell and shit balls!

  He’d just managed to pull himself together when the huge creature, Maelgwn, appeared to grin, showing off plenty of very, very sharp teeth.

  “Oh!” Matthew couldn’t help his gasp.

  “So, now you see what we really are,” the other man—wait, gargoyle—in the room said. This one, Sapian, also a big male, had his light, brown hair pulled back from his face with a black band. Sapian curved his bronzed-skin lips into an amused expression. Also seated on the large sofa across from them, he stated, “This is why we live in a secluded compound and any who try to expose us are dealt with.”

  “Dealt with how?”

  Matthew glanced to the left at his buddy, Logan. At least, he wasn’t going through this debriefing alone. He and his friend had arrived hours before because these guys had broken into a hospital and transported Matthew’s injured brother, Marty, to their complex. Now they were learning why.

  Gargoyles were real and Marty was…well, dating one.

  So surreal!

  The scars on Logan’s right cheek stretched as he lifted that brow—one from the base of his ear to the corner of his eye, then a second from the corner of his mouth and meeting up near the middle of the first. They etched even deeper due to the pinch of his lips. He’d always thought his friend handsome regardless—what with his broad shoulders, heavily muscled arms, and thickly built body. No matter what the man said when drunk, his freckles, fair Irish complexion, and shortly cropped red hair—to hide the curls—did nothing to detract from his appearance. While normally Matthew thought Logan’s green eyes—usually filled with good humor—were his friend’s most amazing feature, right now, a hardness shown from Logan’s piercing gaze.

  “We prefer to avoid bloodshed,” Maelgwn stated. They’d learned that the big blue gargoyle was the leader, and for good reason. He had a relaxed, yet commanding air, which made it easy to follow his instructions. The ridges over his eyes drew together and his eyes narrowed. “However, I will do whatever it takes to keep my people safe. If I think someone is a danger to them, first we confirm, then we capture.”

  “You hold people against their will?” Matthew asked, realization striking.

  “When we need to,” Sapian admitted.

  “You planning on holding us?” Logan asked in his quiet blunt fashion.

  “We hope it won’t come to that,” Maelgwn replied. “Many people, and I don’t mean just humans,” he pointed out, “fear what they don’t understand. Fear breeds prejudice. Prejudice breeds violence and discrimination.” He shrugged his massive shoulders. “You understand the problems we could be facing if word of our existence got out, don’t you?”

  Matthew appreciated the creature’s honesty. Now that he had his senses under control, he realized none of the gargoyles he’d seen had hurt any of them. In fact, they’d done everything they could to help his brother…because his brother was involved with one of their kind.

  “My brother,” Matthew murmured. He tapped his leg for a few seconds as he tried to figure out what he actually wanted to ask. Finally, he stated simply, “The doc said he’d be okay.”

  Sapian smiled and nodded. “Yes. Marty will be fine.”

  “And the guy who shot him?” Matthew pressed. “When his, uh, boyfriend came bursting in, he said some guy named Simon had been stopped.”

  “I’m sure you mean his mate, Raymond,” Maelgwn stated. “Yes, Marty is safe. The threat has been neutralized.”

  Nodding slowly, Matthew thought about his brother, Marty. Just last week, Matthew had been so worried about him. His brother had become reclusive, spending most of his evenings at a coffee bar. When he’d confronted him, he’d learned that not only did his brother have a thing for a guy, but also had become obsessed with him. Matthew had been uncertain how to respond at first, since his brother had never admitted to liking men before. He’d thought his brother was completely straight. Still, wanting Marty to be happy, Matthew had encouraged him to go for it.

  When Marty admitted that he thought the object of his infatuation might be something other than human, they’d done some research together online. Matthew had really just thought it was fun and games. He’d thought he’d play along with Marty, all the while thinking his brother had imagined what he’d seen in the woods that evening last week.

  God, was it really less than a week ago?

  Never in a million years, would he have thought that the picture of the gargoyle he’d pulled up on the internet would look so similar to his brother’s boyfriend.

  Raymond was a gargoyle, just like these creatures sitting across from him and Logan. It boggled Matthew’s mind that Marty was involved with one…happily, happily involved with
him. Matthew had seen the love in his brother’s eyes as he’d gazed upon Raymond, holding out his hand to the gargoyle, beckoning the male to his bedside.

  Matthew had done the only thing he could. He’d welcomed Marty’s boyfriend to the family. These creatures, however, called Marty and Raymond mates. What did that mean?

  Meeting Maelgwn’s dark eyes, Matthew asked, “What’s a mate?”

  Maelgwn smiled, the move reaching his eyes. “Each paranormal has some kind of soul mate out there, who is essentially, their other half, someone who completes them. If we’re lucky enough, we find that special someone. We bond with them, and spend the rest of our days pleasing him or her. For Raymond, that’s your brother, Marty.”

  Matthew smiled, uncertain how to respond to that. He nodded slowly, because he didn’t know what else to do.

  Logan, evidently, wasn’t quite at a loss for words. “Does that mean Marty can never leave?” he asked, leaning back until he lounged on the sofa’s arm cushion. He rested his left ankle over his right knee and added, “’Cause I gotta tell ya, I know he’s down for the count for a while, but he’s my business partner. Does relations much better than I do.” He tapped his scar and smirked. “I’m sure you can understand that. You gonna let him out of your sight to keep working with me?”

  Sapian snorted and smirked right back at Logan. “We already know Raymond’s mate won’t betray us, so as soon as he’s up and around, he’s free to do as he wishes.”

  “And us?” Matthew asked. “Are we free to go?”

  “Not at this time,” Sapian stated bluntly.

  Logan dropped his leg, leaned forward, and picked up the coffee carafe. After pouring himself a mug-full, he took a healthy swallow of the liquid. He hummed appreciatively and smiled. “So, what do we gotta do to win our freedom?” he asked bluntly.

  Maelgwn actually chuckled. He reached over and smacked Sapian. “Stop freaking them out.”

  “He doesn’t look freaked out,” Sapian commented mildly.

  Logan peered at Matthew. “Coffee?”

  “Ya know,” Matthew mumbled, amazed at the oddity of the situation he’d found himself in. “Yeah, I do want some.”

  Matthew couldn’t help watching in amusement as Logan reached out and fixed another cup of coffee, this time adding a dash of milk and three heaping teaspoonfuls of sugar. He handed it to Matthew, who took it, sipped the sweetened bitter brew, and nodded his appreciation.

  Pointing at the two gargoyles that were eyeing them both with interest, Logan grinned at Matthew. “Do you find it interesting how they discuss us like we’re not even here?”

  Unable to help grinning, Matthew nodded. “Indeed. How do you think they’d react if we did that to them?”

  As they glanced around at each other, they all busted up laughing. Matthew just managed to keep from spilling his cup of coffee as he clutched his ribs with his other arm. Finally, the chuckles died away, but Matthew still felt himself grinning.

  “Look,” Matthew stated, a smile still pulling at the corners of his mouth. “I’m never gonna do anything to hurt my brother or the people he cares for. You have my word that I won’t reveal your existence to others.” He sighed and admitted, “As a gay man, I’m pretty damn familiar with discrimination. I’d never want to see anyone else hurt because of it.”

  Maelgwn grinned broadly. “You’re really not going to be held against your will. I figure you’ll want to stay close to your brother while he heals, so if you want to stick around of your own free will, we’d be happy to have you.” He peered at Logan next. “Both of you.”

  Matthew exchanged a surprised glance with Logan. His friend shrugged. Returning his focus to the two gargoyles, Matthew nodded. “I’d appreciate that.”

  “Sounds good,” Maelgwn responded. He turned toward Sapian. “I’ll take them to breakfast if you want to confirm room assignment.”

  Sapian nodded. The gargoyle rose and headed out one of the study’s doors. Maelgwn rose as well, and Logan and Matthew followed his lead. As they headed in the opposite direction, Matthew couldn’t help but let his curiosity get the best of him. “Uh, breakfast? It’s almost eight o’ clock at night.”

  Maelgwn chuckled as he wrapped his massive black wings around his shoulders like a cloak. “Gargoyles are stone during the day and living creatures at night. Our meals are backward.” Maelgwn clapped Matthew on the shoulder. “You’ll get used to it.”

  “Wait, stone by day? I saw you in the diner,” Matthew pointed out frowning, a fresh wave of confusion swamping him.

  Maelgwn lifted one brow and swept his gaze over Matthew again. “Ah, yes. You were sitting with mine and my enforcer’s mates, Bobby and Cornelius.” He chuckled. “Our men do like to cause trouble.”

  Matthew snorted, not understanding that at all. Instead, he pointed out, “It was just after noon and the sun was shining. How do you explain that?”

  “Once bonding between mates is complete, gargoyles will go through a process called molt,” Maelgwn told him while leading the way down the hall. “After molt is complete, we have the ability to take on a human form during the day instead of turning to stone.”

  “Handy,” Logan quipped.

  Matthew silently agreed.

  Noise spilled out of an open doorway as a muscular dark green gargoyle shoved his way through. As the door closed, the big creature nodded. He swept his gaze over them curiously, before moving down the hallway.

  Maelgwn opened the door and motioned for them to precede him. Matthew obeyed and stepped into the room. His brows shot up as he saw over two dozen forms milling around, some seated at the three long bench tables eating and laughing. Some looked human, while some were clearly gargoyles. Many of them glanced their way, but as soon as Maelgwn stepped into the room behind them, they nodded and resumed their conversations with those around them.

  Matthew realized they were being directed to several tables laden with food set up near the left wall. As he helped himself to biscuits and gravy as well as a few slices of bacon, he tried, discreetly, to take in the myriad of red, yellow, green, and even purple gargoyles. They came in so many shapes, sizes, and colors.

  When he sat down with his plate, Maelgwn on one side, Logan on the other, Matthew took his first bite of thick gravy and fluffy biscuit. The sausage chunks flooded his senses with flavor, and he hummed his approval.

  As he chewed, Matthew peered around the room, taking in the many differences of the gargoyles around him. Once he’d swallowed, he asked, “So, is Vane around here? Raymond said he stopped the guy after my brother. I’d like to thank him.”

  Maelgwn paused, his fork halfway to his mouth. After a second, he finished the move. As he chewed, the big gargoyle nodded. Finally, he swallowed and stated, “Yeah. That’s him over there,” he stated, pointing with his fork. “But he doesn’t care for humans much, so I’d recommend steering clear of him.”

  Matthew followed the gargoyle leader’s indication and found his gaze riveted by a broad-shouldered, thick and heavily-muscled, blood-red male. He draped his black wings around his shoulders, as seemed to be the gargoyle’s style, accentuating their width. It wasn’t even the thick, black, lethal-looking horns that jutted from his temples that really caught Matthew’s attention. It was the fact that the gargoyle sat alone.

  Everyone else gathered in groups of three or more, but Vane had the area to himself. He focused solely on his massive steak, and from that distance, Matthew wouldn’t be surprised if the thick slab of meat weighed in at sixty-four ounces.

  Even with Maelgwn’s warning ringing in his ears, Matthew couldn’t get the idea of thanking the obviously reclusive gargoyle out of his mind. When Vane finally rose and left the room via a door to his left, Matthew could no longer contain himself. Matthew turned to the gargoyle leader next to him and asked, “Where’s your john?”

  Maelgwn pointed his fork toward a door across the room, the same one that Vane had just disappeared through. “Take a right o
ut that door. On your immediate left is a set of double doors, which will lead into a rec room. Head in there, then the first door on the left is a half bath.”

  “Awesome, thanks,” Matthew stated, hurrying to his feet. Maybe if he moved quickly enough, he could figure out where the big red muscle-bound hotty had gone. He mentally rolled his eyes at his thoughts. Damn. Did he really think the huge bruiser was hot?

  Yep.

  Matthew reminded himself that he was just going to thank the gargoyle. Although he tried to keep that thought lodged firmly in mind, he couldn’t help feeling a fissure of excitement course down his spine.

  Why the fuck is that?

  Not really wanting to dwell on that reaction, Matthew tried not to appear in too big a hurry as he rounded the table and headed toward the door. He closed the door behind him while glancing in both directions. Thinking he spotted movement to his left, he headed that way.

  Hustling swiftly down the hallway, Matthew stretched his stride, using his six foot one inch height to advantage. Still, he only managed to keep catching a fleeting glance of red and black each time he rounded a corner.

  Finally, after several minutes of pursuit, Matthew saw the gargoyle he followed disappear through a doorway. At least, this time, he caught sight of him enough to know it really was Vane. The blood-red body and black wings were unmistakable. He paused outside the door, debating, but since it’d been left open several inches, decided to risk it and headed inside the room.

  As Matthew gently pushed the door open further, he peered around it, trying to differentiate the objects inside the darkened interior. He could just make out a sofa and a chair, plus some dark smudges deeper inside that might have been an archway.

  Matthew had about convinced himself to back out of the room—hell, going in there was more nosey than even he wanted to admit to being—when a big hand clamped a firm grip on his upper arm. Matthew found himself yanked the rest of the way inside. While hearing the slam of the door, Matthew’s front was pressed into the wall. Grunting, he felt a heavy weight press against his backside while huge hands grasped his wrists and forced them over his head.