Page 21 of Stolen By the Gargoyle
I tore a black satin case from a pillow and then walked over to my queen’s table that held all of her things. I did not want to do this, and I hoped she would forgive me, but my mate had needs. She needed things, and if I could provide them and prove my worth, then I would.
I grabbed fistfuls of shiny jewels that I knew would offset the color of her rich brown skin, shoving them into the sack. Then I rummaged through drawers, pulling out scraps of garments and undergarments, and when I reached a drawer that held several of those hair coverings like my queen had used…
I paused.
My queen had taken great care with each strand of her hair. Primping and coiling, spraying and adding creams in a long process before wrapping them.
Was that what my mate was missing?
Their hair, after all, held the very same texture.
I grabbed handfuls of those hair coverings and proceeded to snatch up the creams, oils, and sprays. I even took a device that looked similar to a weapon attached to a long black cord.
When I believed I had grabbed enough items she might need, I hurried towards the window, just as footsteps sounded outside of the room.
Breath caught in my throat, I pushed myself out of the window and fell down the castle, expanding my wings against the wind and storm, and I made my way back to my den, and my wife, with my loot in hand.
It was the tugon my hair that woke me from a deep sleep. A repetitive, gentle pull, snagging at the strands… over and over and over. The movements were soft and careful, lifting each coil piece by piece. It lulled me into a sense of security and made me sigh deeply and comfortably. I could feel myself melting into the blankets that wrapped around me, and though I didn’t want to, I opened my eyes to find Nazzar staring intently at my hair. He was playing with it, untangling each section in the most gentle manner possible.
I’d known he was capable of such care. After all, he’d displayed it towards me over and over again since he’d brought me here, but it still somehow felt like a shock. To see such a big creature show such gentleness towards me made a little bit of that coldness in my chest melt.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
He stilled, those black orbs catching on me. He’d known I was awake, but he still seemed almost bashful, the purple tint of his skin almost rising like a blush to those chiseled cheekbones.
“Your hair,” he said, by way of explanation. I waited as he seemed to struggle to find his words. I didn’t push or prod, just waited patiently. As I did, that purple color seemed to stain his cheeks even more.
“I have mistreated it,” he said finally. “It needs care and I did not realize.”
I winced. There were no mirrors in his den, but I could only imagine the sorry picture I made. My hair had probably tangled together, and without product or a bonnet, I knew it probably looked dry and maybe even a bit matted.
That sudden urge to cry gripped me again.
But then Nazzar was pulling me up into a seated position.
“I have something for you,” he said softly. “Gifts.”
My brows rose. “Gifts?”
He reached into a black satin pillowcase and began pulling things out, placing them upon my lap like they were treasures. And shit, I supposed some of the things were. There were diamond necklaces and collars studded with black jewels, rings with fat rubies and mismatching earrings. Then there were the lacey underthings that I held up. They were meant for a body thicker than mine, and probably wouldn’t have fit, but he was staring at me with hope in his eyes, I couldn’t bear to say anything about it.
Then there were hair care products. Expensive ones that had obviously been used, given the fact that they were open and half empty, but the sight of them was enough to bring a smile to my face as if I’d won the lottery.
Pretty sad, if you thought about it.
“My hair desperately needs these.” I pulled them into my arms. “Thank you.” My brows creased as I was met with another sight. “Is that a hair dryer?”
It was.
I wasn’t sure why he’d even bothered with that one, considering there was no electricity in his cave, and nowhere I could even plug the damn thing in.
“Are you pleased with them?”
“Yes.” It wasn’t a lie. Though I missed my own stuff, having something besides just these blankets he had provided made me feel strangely better. Not completely, but it was a start.
Nazzar’s hand cradled my face. His thick, black claws gentle against my hair. His entire palm encompassed my whole face, that’s how big he was. I didn’t want to imagine how big the rest of him was.
Don’t think about that.
