“That’s pretty obvious.”
“Not just of property. In love, we are territorial of our partners, females as well as males.”
She sipped her wine, then said, “I’ve realized that.”
“Austin is an alpha, and that means his reactions are stronger in comparison to other shifters. You’ve seen what happens. It can get worse, if the offense is worse. It’s not his past that drives it. It’s his emotion fueling his animal, do you understand? It’s a primal reaction.”
“I understand what you’re saying, but I don’t necessarily understand what you’re driving at.”
“His intense reaction to someone touching you, or inappropriately flirting with you, will never go away. In possibly the very near future, it might get infinitely worse, at least for a time.” Until the mating bond was firmly established.
“Define ‘inappropriately flirting.’”
“If they’re too close, too aggressive in their flirting, we’ll say, and it’s making you uncomfortable. I’ve seen shifters flirt with you in a friendly way, and that doesn’t concern him. He has more control than he’ll ever give himself credit for. But the second you get uncomfortable, for any reason, it’ll flip his switch, do you get me?”
“Yes. Why are you telling me all this?”
“Because if you can’t handle that side of him, you need to leave now. Or maybe after dinner, because I agree, he is one helluva cook. But if you can’t handle that side of him, then you should not stay the night.”
Nervousness filled her expression this time. She shifted uncomfortably, squeezing her crossed legs, and Kingsley looked away.
“He has to ask me to stay over first…” she said quietly, and it dragged his gaze back.
She was such a riddle, this woman. Very intelligent, fast on her feet, but wow, did the obvious just fly right past her sometimes. That was probably the only way she could stay in that deathtrap of a house with those intensely weird caretakers.
Determination infused her bearing. “I can handle that side of him. News flash: women don’t like inappropriate flirting. Using him as a scapegoat will be good stuff.”
“You took down a thunderbird. You don’t need a scapegoat.”
“I mean, sure, I could handle it myself, but a lot of guys who get turned down, even respectfully, fly off the handle. They make a scene. It’s nicer to just avoid it.”
Kingsley was glad he didn’t have to hide his look of utter bewilderment and disgust. “Does that go on in the Jane and Dick world?”
“Doesn’t it go on here?”
He shook his head in disbelief, the situation with Kace making a lot more sense. “Listen, if someone makes you uncomfortable in the magical world, you tell them to piss off. If they don’t, you make them, or you’ll look weak. Don’t wait for Austin next time. Do it yourself.”
“I would’ve felt bad telling Kace to piss off. He was being respectful about the whole thing.”
“Did you feel bad when Austin ripped Kace out of his chair and made him submit in front of the whole bar?”
A grimace creased her face. “Yes? I honestly hardly remember. I just remember this weird need to clutch on to Austin’s back like a mountain climber afraid of falling off. Which is embarrassing to admit, but…”
Oh yeah, she was definitely in the mating slide. That was behavior similar to a powerful female shifter entering the mating bond. Earnessa had once nearly killed a female who’d rubbed Kingsley’s shoulder. He’d never been so turned on in his life, watching his girlfriend at the time defend her claim on him. Jess had only just started the slide. For her to act like this already…
“Man, I wish I lived around here,” he said, then sipped his wine. “You are going to be fireworks when things start rolling. I’d ask your gargoyle buddies about being territorial, if I were you. If gargoyles are more territorial over their mates than shifters are, and some lady drapes herself over Austin, you will burn this town to the ground.”
Twenty-Seven
I sat at the island, stuffed and happy, watching Austin bent over a handmade crème brûlée with a cooking blowtorch, finishing up the crust on top. I was content in a way I’d never been, utterly peaceful. Full, fulfilled, relaxed…
Except one idea kept circling through my mind.
Mate.
Cold shivers worked through me as I watched Austin’s bicep pop when he leaned down to finish the last crème brûlée.
Female gargoyles mated. I’d heard that in the beginning of this magical journey. They banged everyone in sight and then settled on one mate. Permanently. I wasn’t a total fool—I knew what Kingsley had been telling me.
Austin glanced over at me, lifting the blowtorch a little. I muted the link between us so he couldn’t feel my mild freak-out.
It suddenly felt like my life was hurtling forward at a million miles an hour. I’d done the blood oath with Ivy House, signing on for life, which played hell on my nerves when I really let myself think about it. I’d launched into this new life less than a year ago, and here I was making life decisions again. Only this one was permanent.