Page 78 of A Highland Gargoyle's Lucky Star
Nasser’s answering smile is wistful. “Let’s hope so. But for now, you need to wake up your mate and hie yourselves home. It’s time for him to start helping you reinforce the barrier before the Sluagh arrive.”
“Will you be all right here on your own? Should I send some of my men as reinforcements?”
He waves a hand dismissively. “I’m fine on my own. Besides, I suspect the main horde will attack you at the castle’s node first. If they come for me, I’ll know the barrier has fallen.”
His words send a chill down my spine, but I can’t dispute his reasoning. The pressing sense of urgency within me grows and I wake up Noah—after three tries anyway.
He’s charmingly adorable when he first wakes up, bleary-eyed and with his hair mussed. He blinks at me a few times before giving me a sappy, sweet smile. “Good morning, sexy.” He yawns. “It’s early. We should sleep some more. Get back into bed with me.”
Nasser clears his throat loudly across the room, and Noah peeks around me. “Oh, whoops. Hi, Nasser. How’s it going?”
“Not as good as it is with you two, evidently.”
Noah gives a throaty laugh. “Sorry about the rug, by the way.”
Nasser shrugs. “Dinnae worry about it. Elryk’s going to buy me an even nicer and more expensive one.”
I scowl at him, but he just grins unrepentantly.
“We need to get going,” I tell Noah. “Time’s running out, and now that you know how to tap a ley line node, we need you totry and do it back at the castle so that I can start working on reinforcing the barrier before the Sluagh appear.”
“You’re right. We’ve got to be ready and keep everyone safe,” Noah says.
Because I’d hung his wet clothes by the woodstove before we went to sleep, they’re all warm and dry now, so I hustle him off to the tiny bathroom to get dressed, at the same time shielding his naked body from Nasser’s view—much to both men’s amusement.
In short order, we’re ready to leave, and I get out the harness again.
Noah groans. “Not the BDSM Baby Bjorn again! And in broad daylight where anyone can see me.”
“It’s the fastest way back to the castle, my love.”
He lets out a long, put-upon sigh. “Fine, but you owe me for this.”
“You name it, sweetheart.”
“Hmm. I like the sound of that. Let me think on it and I’ll get back to you.”
He strides over and gives a very surprised Nasser a quick hug and a high five. “I’m glad we’re tentacle bros now. Thank you so much for all your help. When all this shit with the Sluagh is over, we’ll come back for a visit. Or maybe you can come to DarkWing Castle?”
Nasser smiles indulgently at my mate. “I’d like that very much.”
We say our goodbyes and when we’re outside, I get Noah strapped into the harness. Once he’s secure, we quickly take off.
We’re running on only a few hours of sleep, but I feel somehow more settled in my relationship with Noah after everything that happened last night.
Already, we’re making plans for the future, and he’s prepared to commit to staying at DarkWing Castle with me.
I can only hope that our confrontation with the Sluagh goes in our favor.
Surely the Goddess wouldn’t bring us together and show us the promise of a future full of mutual love and happiness only to tear it all away…
Right?
Chapter seventeen
Noah
Mama Delilah’s Daily Horoscope Reading
