I have loved her since before I actually spoke a word to her. I first saw her when she was 15, interning in my Father's office. In keeping the illusion that gargoyles are not basically immortal, and only live longer than normal lives, I was completing my bicentennial trip through undergrad and law school. Thankfully, due to modern science, we are able to claim the 'genius' portion of our secret powers and I was able to 'test out' of most of my classes. But having been away at school for so long, I had no idea who she was or how young she was. She certainly did not look like she was 15.
I just saw her and the moment our eyes met it was like the universe shifted. And suddenly everything revolved around her rather than the sun. With out knowing a thing about her, including her name I knew she was made for me. A gift from God. When she spoke it was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard in my nearly 400 years. I couldnt even process the words through the sounds of heaven leaving her mouth. To this day I have no idea what she said, the the laugh I earned from the look of shock on my face is still the sound track to my dreams.
Because I am a masochist, I made it a point to interact with her every opportunity I had. She was constantly being hit on my men left and right, them having no idea that she was a minor- though paranormals rarely care about that, as long as the subject has reached the age of consent (which is marked by puberty) and they are consenting. Supernatural men are all pigs, myself included. I could not get her attention by hitting on her the way all others did, so I tried what I have seen in the movies. Tease her, because movie logic says if you treat the woman you love like trash she will not be able to resist you. It did not work the way I intended, incase you were wondering. She was indeed unable to resist me- but its because she hated my guts. She went out of her way to insult me and make my life hell. Little did she know I am a glutton for punishment. Any opportunity to breathe the same air as her and hear that voice…
Through half a decade of research, I have learned this is called imprinting. It is another side effect of the gargoyle's curse, and has been recorded but 10 times since. It is extremely rare but humans and supernaturals both have stories about it. It's the idea behind soul mates. My soul is linked to hers by this magic. For as long as I live, I can never love another like I love her. I wonder if that is the reason for the magic preventing female gargoyles. Surely a female gargoyle would love her child as much as she loves her soul mate, since mothers love so deeply and fiercely? But this is of course just speculation.
If she would give me a chance, I just know she would be the breaker of all curses. There has been but one loophole found thusfar, if you can even call it that. If the Royal that the Gargoyle Prince loves chooses to love him for who he is before they wed, rather than fall in love later, and they marry for both love and duty, the curse would be broken. This would not only break the curse on my family, but the curse that is upon all gargoyles.
Magic that powerful has consequences, side effects if you will. And the unforeseen side effect has been the reproductive difficulties that have plagued our kind for the last 4000 years. Dr. Jeffires did the math based off the census data I collected. Gargoyles have fathered fewer and fewer male children as centuries pass. Only 27% of them are males, and less than 10% of those males have taken gargoyle form. This of course does not include any members of the royal line, since we are guaranteed to have gargoyle offspring. That magical side effect left us with only 2.7% chance of growing the gargoyle community.
Human fairy tales often speak of the power of 'true love's kiss' not even realizing how rooted in truth that is. True love's kiss will seal or break a contract. It was the lack of love that bound my family to this curse and is the only thing that would be strong enough to break it.
My poor brother did not believe the curse was real. He believed it to be a fallacy told by our ancestors in order to force us to gain power and wealth. He fell in love with and secretly married a witch in 1692. The moment they said their vows and sealed their union with a kiss she burst into flames. The humans thought this was an intentional act of violence, having heard the rumors that she were a witch, and thus the Salem Witch Trials began. Not every woman murdered was a witch, honestly probably less than twenty. The rest were just women suffering from mental health crisis that the actual witches has not yet had the opportunity to help them with. His stupidity not only cost him the love of his life, but also hundreds of innocent women theirs as well…
Since then he has been a cynical ass and an absolute buzz kill. I am fortunate enough to live thousands of miles from that insufferable creature on the opposite side of the world. He manages the London office, taking care of all the EurAsian clientele with his team. Anytime there is even the slightest chance I may have to work with him I immediately delegate that account to another under the guise of 'training and development.' Father thinks I am an excellent mentor, but truly I am avoiding the idiot who forced me to become the next heir.
When he married sweet Martha, he unknowingly passed the buck to me. Had he done his suty and married someone of royal birth and secured an heir, I would have been free to marry for love. I wouldnt be cursed to love a woman that loathes me. I mean, she might still loathe me, but maybe there would not be a magical tether that keeps me tied to her. This is of course speculation because my brother was the first person to not believe in the curse and test fate. Dude fucked around and found out.
I am ripped from my inner monologue when I feel absolute power slam into me and the whole room seems to shake. Lily's face is a deep red which makes her bright eyes pop. Lily has just used compulsion so strong that even her mother flinches. The vampire Queen actually flinches. My father fakes a flinch as well, so I follow suite. Gargoyles, being the keepers of magic, are immune to all magic we do not wish to be influenced by. This is one of those facts we keep to ourselves. We can allow ourself to be "magiced" so to speak, but it actually takes effort to put our guard down. It was us who coined that phrase, unbeknownst to the rest of the world.
My father being the current Gargoyle King has been working closely with Queen Elizabeth in the search for answers about Princess Lily. He has agreed to continue to work with her even after Lily's coronation later this week. Dr. Jeffries have made many fascinating discoveries which they are now sharing with the group.
They are talking about how she has not met any of the normal things expected of a vampire nor a werewolf. Normal werewolves cannot shift until the first full moon on or after their 16th year, but she has been shifting since the day her umbilical chord fell off. There has never been a female alpha wolf, but she has scented of alpha and had alpha aura since birth. Never has a normal wolves command the pack, this is a power only active alphas have, but Lily has commanded the pack since she hit puberty. Lily can even control her own father, Supreme Alpha- which has also never happened in recorded history.
Never has any supernatural being resisted the compulsion of the vampire queen- aside from gargoyles, but she has been fighting Queen Elizabeth's powers more and more since she was 10. Never has anyone other than the vampire Queen been able to use compulsion on the UPU Board members, but Lily has. Never has any one been able to use compulsion on the reigning vampire Queen, but Lily has. Never has a born vampire drawn their fangs, thus awakening their blood lust before 21, until Lily. It normally takes years of discipline and self control to overcome that lust, but she was in control from her very first taste. She first drew her fangs at 16, having her first taste of blood. I know because I was her first taste. I've seen that miraculous self control first hand.
At my grandfather's funeral I was a wreck. I felt like I had failed him in some way… He died in the midst of an arguement with me. I was angry about this damn family curse and was prepared to refuse the crown. Force my father to never die, or to produce a new heir. For, if a gargoyle king has no heir he himself cannot die. I was going to gracefully exit the world in order to avoid my responsibilities. He and my father had been negotiating an arranged marriage between me and some. This would be torture to me. To be married to one person while you love another so completely and fully. Cruelty beyond measure. The only thing more curel would have been to force me to marry Lily, spending a lifetime tied to one who hated me.
I did not know the negotiations were complete. I did not know the contract had been signed in his blood. When he finally relented and said I would not be forced to marry her, he broke the contract. My choice not to marry the love of my life killed him. I watched as a single tear fell from his eye the moment his heart stopped beating.
I was such a mess I had excused myself to try to get my shit together, be a fucking man. Lily came to check on me and offer her condolences. In my grief I took advantage of her kindness. I don't know what came over me, almost like I was not in control of myself. Grief does weird things to a man. The innocent embrace of a family friend turned into soft kisses to her neck which she returned by turning to face me, which turned into one passionate kiss. And when I pulled back and looked into those eyes, shining like freshly polished lapis lazuli, I just couldn't stop myself.
I fell into her- crushing my mouth against hers. She didn't hold back. She pushed me against a wall and her hands went from my shoulders to the back of my neck, pulling on my hair. She pressed her body against mine and for the first time in my long life I damn near blew my load with my pants still on. I had no choice but to turn us so that I was able to put a small amount of space between us to reduce the friction. And the moment I had her against the wall she lifted her leg, and somehow my hand ended up steadily going up her thigh. The moment my hand cupped her ass and I squeezed she let out a moan straight from heaven. I lost it. Like a teenage virgin at prom. And the second i blew my load I pulled back from her resting my forehead against hers, in shame.
This woman took my face in her hands, forcing me to look her dead in the eyes and that's when I noticed her fangs. They must have come when I came. She kissed me so softly, and despite how softly she kissed me her fangs nicked my lips. I could feel a small draw of my power as my blood left my body and entered hers. But that was it. She once again looked me in the eyes, searching. For what I am still not sure. But then she said "I'm sorry for your loss," and walked away.
And fuck me if I don't relive my grandfather's funeral everytime I close my eyes.