Finding Their Flame [Stone Passions 2] Read online

  When Dante and Cael left, Dante stopped beside her as she stood by the front door to lock it. “Don’t pull back just because it’s strange to you. If you’ll give it a chance, you’ll feel everything we do.”

  “We don’t have any doubts.” Cael brushed his hand over her arm. “You’re meant to be at our side, in our arms, and in our bed. Our woman and we’ll always cherish you.”

  “Well, I’m not there yet. I’ll try to keep an open mind about it, but I’m going to have moments where my mind is screaming at me that this is way too strange.” She nodded. Better to be completely honest. “I’m not going to be perfect. There are going to be times that seem too weird to me.”

  “I don’t expect anything else, but we’ll work on it.” Dante pressed a kiss to her cheek. “We’ll see you soon.”

  Chapter Four

  Cael took a deep breath as he pulled his car to a stop. He flexed his hands on the steering wheel. Maybe he could get her to talk with him and see him, Thane, and Dante as people. Relatively normal people who lived a different lifestyle. Maybe alternative for humans, but still good.

  He pushed the car door open and got out. Just before closing time, so perhaps she’d talk with him. Moriah looked up and smiled when he entered the bakery. At least, she’d relaxed a little after their last conversation. A blue headband kept her hair pulled back, and a bright blue shirt stretched across her breasts. Gorgeous.

  He walked up to the counter and smiled. “Hi, Moriah, can I talk to you? I’ll help you close up if that is any encouragement.”

  “Sure, we can talk, and I’ll take any help closing up that I can get.” She smiled. “Did you want anything while you wait?”

  “Coffee would be good.” Cael leaned a hip on the counter.

  She filled a mug and handed it to him. He took it to a table and sat down until the bakery was empty. She strolled over to the door and locked it before turning back with a wide grin. Maybe that was a good sign.

  “Did you want to talk before or after?” She raised a brow and put a hand on hips encased in tight black jeans.

  “I’ll help you first.” He moved behind the counter.

  Together they did the work. When they were done, she put the box she’d prepared to drop at the food bank on the counter. She folded her arms across her chest and braced her feet apart, almost as if preparing for battle.

  “So what did you want?” She tilted her head.

  “I wondered if you’d go out to dinner with me.” He raised his brows. Dinner was a start, but hopefully, after a few dates, they’d earn her trust enough for more.

  She blinked and stiffened. “Just you? But I thought this was a group thing.”

  “The relationship will be as a group, but we’ll each have moments with you and each other.” Cael relaxed against the counter.

  “But what about jealousy? Won’t they be angry that you went out with me without them?” She frowned. “I don’t want to cause trouble between you.”

  “They won’t be jealous of me going to dinner with you. They know I planned to ask you, and they would understand even if we had sex. Not that I expect that, but they’d be all right with it. We won’t mate you until you’re ready or there’s an incident that puts you in danger.” He tilted his head. Questions were always good. “So will you go with me?”

  “Yes.” She nodded.

  “Where’s your cousin?” Cael looked toward the back of the bakery. “He can come with us. He’s a part of your life, and we want to know him, too.”

  “He’s studying with a friend tonight and won’t be back. They expect it to take until the small hours to finish. They waited until the very last minute to do it.” She rolled her eyes a little.

  “Well, did you want to ride with me or take your car?” He straightened.

  “I’ll go with you. We can come back after, and you can drop me off.” She picked up the box of food. “We’ll have to drop this off first though.”

  “Just tell me where to take it.” Cael exhaled slowly. That had been easier than expected. She hadn’t asked for any promises. He wouldn’t press her for anything more. Perhaps she trusted them a little.

  “All right, let’s go. Do you have a restaurant in mind?” She glanced over.

  “No, I didn’t know what you’d like. Are you hungry for anything?” He lifted a shoulder. She could have said no.

  “Italian or a steak sounds good.” She tilted her head. “Do you know a good place? There are a couple around this area that are excellent.”

  “Well, I know a place that I’d love to take you, but it’s probably a little early for that.” He chuckled. With her present view, she wouldn’t go to the community.

  “I’m not going to your house.” She clutched the box closer.

  She led the way out of the front door and stared at him with a raised brow. A little suspicious.

  “Not my house, but I’d love to take you there. There’s a restaurant within the Gargoyle community that’s fantastic.” He opened the car door for her before going around to the driver’s side.

  “Oh, yeah, not yet.” She bit her lip. “I know you wouldn’t keep me there. It’s just if I’m going to go, I’d kind of like to be with all of you and when I can believe we’ll make this crazy relationship work.”

  “I know it seems strange to you, but we can talk about that over dinner. Why don’t we go drop off the box and you can direct me to the restaurant?” He drew in a slow breath. Caution and uncertainty were normal. Frustrating, but an understandable reaction.

  Cael drove to the food bank and carried the box inside. They gave the box to a gray-haired man who chatted with Moriah for a few moments. Once back in the car, she directed him to a restaurant on an out-of-the-way street. Cars filled the parking lot.

  “Ugh, looks like its busy tonight. If you don’t want to wait, we should probably go somewhere else.” She grimaced.

  “Why don’t we go in and see how long the wait will be?” Cael cut the engine. She wanted to eat here. If it made her happy, they’d wait.

  “We can do that, but if it takes too long, there are other restaurants.” She glanced toward the building.

  After getting out of the car, they strolled to the entrance. She slid her palm into his. His breath caught and warmth surged through him. She’d taken his hand voluntarily. A small victory, but it was progress.

  Luckily, there was only a five-minute wait. They settled in to the chairs near the greeter’s station. Moriah turned to him.

  “Someone said that you work with Dante. What do you two do?” She folded her hands in her lap.

  “Dante owns Stone Security. For the most part, we provide security to businesses and organizations, both physical and technological. Occasionally, we do security work for private individuals.” Cael reached over and put his hand on hers. She was interested in his work. That was good. Maybe the draw was overcoming a few of her doubts.

  “Do you actually go out on jobs?” Her head cocked to the side, and she leaned forward.

  “Actually, yes, so does Dante at times. I think he gets restless in the office.” Cael grinned. “He’s never said that straight out. He does like to be hands-on though.”

  “I don’t think I could sit in an office and let others do everything.” She grimaced.

  “You must get up early to do the baking. What time do you usually start?” Cael squeezed her hand before letting go.

  “I’m usually there by four when I’m doing the morning baking. We’ll do the wipe down and then start preparing the baked goods. Though, I don’t think any of you have seen anyone other than maybe a cashier. I sent everyone home the second time you were there. And the first time, you’d arrived just after the staff in back left.” She exhaled. It made for a long day.

  “You don’t do the morning baking every day?” He frowned.

  “No, I have a staff I trust so I can do either morning or the day baking depending on what schedule I have. Lately, I’ve taken the closing shift because one of my bakers has childre
n and needs to leave before they get off. It’s good for me since Ford is getting so independent.” She lifted a shoulder. “Although the time does change occasionally. I don’t go in until ten thirty on Saturdays because we’re open until after seven thirty. And then there’s holiday season. Everyone’s hours stretch then.”

  “Mine do, too, around that time.” He nodded.

  The woman at the greeting station interrupted them. Their table was ready. A waiter led them to through the restaurant. Cael seated her before walking around to his seat.

  They took the menus as the waiter placed water goblets in front of them. He glanced down at the menu. The list of appetizers jumped out at him. How hungry was she? What would she like?

  “Do you want appetizers?” He lifted his head.

  “Yes, that sounds good.” She lowered the menu.

  “The clam and mussels with Italian peppers sounds good. Is there something you usually get?” Cael glanced across the table.

  “The breadsticks. I love those things. They’re garlicky and buttery with a hint of cheese. I haven’t yet managed to make anything exactly like them. Though I have tried.” She grinned.

  “Well, then we’ll get them both.” He nodded.

  They ordered the appetizers, and then he opened the menu to the entree selection. She nibbled on her lower lip. Damn, if only he was a little closer. He could ease that lip from between her teeth and kiss her.

  The waitress came back with their drinks, and they ordered their main course. Cael ordered a grilled steak with a pasta side. Moriah chose chicken rigatoni. Cael turned back to Moriah after the waitress left.

  “Tell me about the problems you’ve had.” She leaned forward.

  “What problems?” Cael frowned. Did she mean with the business or something else?

  “Well, your Cim said that there had been a few incidents. And you and Dante came to make sure that Ford and I were all right and hadn’t been targeted.” She frowned at him.

  Cael exhaled and glanced around. No one was paying them any attention. She should know more about that. “There have been some attacks, and a few people have been specifically targeted. If they knew about Ford and that he was living unprotected outside of the community, they’d keep coming after him.”

  “So, if they discover that he’s one of you, he’ll be in constant danger. But you came to check on me. Would they come after me, as well?” She clenched her hands together.

  “You’d be in danger. You’re a much easier target, and they’d take the opportunity to cause trouble or simply do some damage.” He clenched his fist. They wouldn’t ignore her. Even if they believed that she was human, the Gobel would take advantage of the perceived weakness.

  “So you’re afraid that I might be hurt if they somehow find out we’re here alone. That’s why you came at even the hint of a problem.” She frowned. “I don’t know what those…um, people can do, but I’m not helpless.”

  “I know you’re not, but they won’t be unarmed.” He reached over and picked up her hand. “These wouldn’t do any damage to them.”

  He turned his head. None of the other patrons looked at them. He couldn’t very well tell her that their claws would rip her apart. Not with even a possible audience. This was a public place, and the possibility of someone overhearing them was too great to get into details. They couldn’t have some crazy human chasing after the “monsters.” It happened occasionally, but they tried to avoid it.

  “So how would they find me? Well, us?” She tilted her head.

  “They’d probably follow you to work or home. I was happy that it was just a chance encounter, but it also worries me because they are in the area.” Cael grimaced. His stomach clenched. Hopefully, this was the last time she saw one of them. “They’re after something here, but we don’t know what.”

  The only thing they knew was from the attack on Neal. That Gobel threatened to continue the attacks until they left. That wasn’t happening and getting them to leave might be an aim, but probably not the true reason. The rest of the explanation would have to wait until later.

  “Talk to me about the joinings you told me about. How do other people deal with it?” She bit her lip and slanted a look to the right and left as if concerned about an audience.

  Cael smiled. It was good that she paid attention to those around them. The people nearby seemed too involved in their own conversations to eavesdrop. Their conversation stopped when their appetizers and drinks came.

  “For those who aren’t part of it, it can take some adjustment. It’s like anything else though. If you want it bad enough, you’re willing to work for it.” Cael shrugged.

  “That’s not very descriptive. What kind of problems and adjustments? What are their feelings? How do they get over it and work through it?” She tapped her nail on the table top.

  “I don’t know what they feel. That’s not something that I’ve heard about. I know that some of them have problems desiring something a little different than the norm. One thought something was wrong with her, because that wasn’t normal.” Cael exhaled. How to explain it? In spite of her Branal lineage, she didn’t have the upbringing of a Branal to give her anything other than normal human life to go on.

  “Well, it isn’t exactly an everyday thing.” She sighed.

  “We aren’t normal, and neither are you.” Cael raised an eyebrow. In spite of the fact that she’d lived primarily as a human, she had powers that humans didn’t. She was different.

  “No, but I hadn’t ever stepped outside of what was usual. Tell me more.” She picked up one of the breadsticks and took a bite.

  “The fear and caution is normal. It takes some time to realize that it’s a long-term relationship.” He took one of those breadsticks and bit into it. The taste of cheese and garlic burst on his tongue.

  “Do you know what doubts they might have? Because I have plenty, and it’s not all because this is so strange. I can’t understand how you three could all want the same, you know.” Her voice lowered, and she glanced around. She picked up her wine glass and took a sip of the dark red. “I’ve had enough male friends to know that getting them to even agree on the same damn type of pizza is difficult, much less a life with one other. And how long is long-term for you? Is it just a few years?”

  He clenched his teeth together. Their mating was in no way temporary. “It’s not for a few years. When I say long-term, I mean for life. And we want the same woman, because you are our mate.”

  She glared at him. “But how can you be sure? I know that I have this reaction. I don’t know anything about the rest.”

  “It’s a feeling as if you’ve found a part of yourself, a recognition that you’ve found some missing part of you. There is also the scent. It’s something that I’d know and be able to find in a crowded room blindfolded. I felt the same when I met Dante and Thane. We’ll talk about them on another date.” He lifted her hand and brought it to his lips, placing a light kiss on the skin. Rich, buttery caramel hit first followed by the tang of lemon. She was definitely the woman for him.

  “You said that the some of the more normal could be taken to the community immediately. Do a lot of them go with their men immediately?” She raised a brow.

  “It depends. If they’re in danger, yes, those are taken to safety immediately, but some are courted for a little while.” He lifted a shoulder. Especially since humans tended to have people who would look for them and didn’t understand the rules.

  “And with others like me?” She reached for a mussel.

  He frowned. Did she mean those who were only half, or was it simply Branal in general? Probably Branal. “That’s usually a different matter. We don’t meet them every day. Occasionally, those who have normal jobs will encounter them at conferences. That’s how the Cim met Calista.”

  “So danger is the reason that you’d take them home with you and a semi-normal dating relationship. That’s nice.” She relaxed back in the seat.

  Cael grimaced. Somehow, she’d gotten the wrong
impression of how a relationship with a Branal progressed. Even though very few Branal mates had been found until recently, those taken in the past had always been captured and brought back because they’d been found outside of Branal territory.

  He closed his eyes. It would be wrong to leave her with the impression that the Branal came to them willingly on all occasions. Hopefully, it didn’t make her pull back. If he waited, she might think he lied to her. That definitely wasn’t happening.

  “Um, it’s not usually like that. We told you about the rules.” Cael swirled the wine in his glass. Something a little harder would be good. Then again, he’d have to drink a lot of it to have any effect.

  “What do you mean?” She frowned and leaned forward.

  “Well, let me give you an example. There’s a woman with us now who’s like you. Her name is Naomi. She met Neal and Isaac on our side. Naomi knew the boundary lines and crossed them anyway.” Cael took a bite of breadstick. Better to give her a little processing time. Maybe she and Naomi would hit it off. Naomi would know some of what Moriah felt.

  “What happened when they found her? Why did she go to that place if she knew it was dangerous for her?” Moriah tilted her head.

  He’d caught her interest. Good, but the rest of the story might put her off. There hadn’t been a sweet courting for Naomi.

  “They were escorting some others to the theater and realized someone different was there. That concerned them. They didn’t even realize this was a she. When they managed to get Naomi alone, they realized she was theirs. She knew the risks when she crossed the line.” Cael clenched his hand. How was she going to take that?

  “They took her. I thought those references to you wanting to take me home with you was a way of saying that you wanted me. Well, aside from the danger thing you mentioned.” Her voice lowered, and she glanced around.

  No one was looking at them. She didn’t need to worry.