by Faith Gibson
“I have to tell you something,” Lucy said, not meeting his eyes. He took her hands in his and urged her to continue. “When we were in the car with her and Vitto, I could hear your conversation.”
“I thought that might be the case. Either that, or you could sense my unease. You and I are a special couple, Sweetheart. As far as I know, we’re the first of our kind – two different shifter species coming together. I have a feeling there will be more surprises in our future, and I happen to like surprises. Now, let me show you the rest of the house, and then we’ll see what Mirabella left in the refrigerator. She’s an excellent cook.”
Tamian didn’t mind Lucy’s questions, and he didn’t hesitate to give her the truthful answers, but he was ready to settle down and relax for a bit. The chalet was fashioned after a lodge, for lack of a better comparison. The second floor housed all the bedrooms, while the main floor held all the other rooms. Both the front and rear had a deck stretching the width of the house. There were two master suites, one Xavier and Elizabeth used, and one Tamian had claimed for himself.
Lucy paused at the foot of the massive bed, running her hand over the soft duvet. When she turned to look at him, he didn’t have to be empathic to know what she was thinking. The lust shone through as her eyes changed from human to those of her animals. Gold replaced blue, and they were breathtaking. Or maybe that was his own body reacting to finally having his mate alone. If he allowed it, he could strip her down and make her his then and there. Lucy had already shed the jacket she’d been wearing, and her fingers slid the buttons of her blouse through the holes, and all thoughts of food were forgotten.
Tamian stood mesmerized as his mate bared herself for him. He’d always wondered what that moment would be like. The few humans he’d dated had never held sway over his body. Only a couple had him turned on enough to take them to bed. He’d watched porn when he was younger and his dick demanded release, but he’d always feared he wouldn’t know how to properly please his mate since the earlier times had been lacking. All those fears slipped away as his beast pushed him, filling his head with the knowledge of how to take care of Lucy. When she took a step toward him, he asked, “Are you sure this is what you want? Because once I have you in bed, I won’t be able to stop. My beast is too close to the surface as it is.”
“I’m sure. I want this with you. I want everything with you.”
Tamian ripped his clothes from his body, and within seconds, he stood before Lucy as naked as she was. With no doubts clouding his mind, Tamian reached for his mate and picked her up, laying her in the middle of the bed before climbing on top of her. His cock leaked as he inhaled her arousal. He didn’t want to rush their first time, so he pushed back against the beast as it demanded he take her and fuck her hard. He would get to that, but first, he was going to cherish her body and ensure she had no regrets.
Lucy didn’t have time to fully take in Tamian's bedroom. She was too busy admiring the main attraction. Was she crazy? Lucy had known Tamian less than a week, and here she was, agreeing to be bound to him for all time. Did she want to live hundreds, if not thousands, of years barring any unforeseen illness? At thirty-three, Tamian was a baby in Gargoyle years, but he had no problem with living such a long life, or so he’d said. As a Gryphon, longevity was part of the genetic makeup, but it was nothing compared to the Gargoyles’. Talking and getting to know him had been easy. Learning about their species had been interesting, and she trusted her instincts he’d been telling the truth. They had a connection beyond anything she could have ever imagined, and her body was in tune with his.
Lucy wasn’t a virgin, but seeing Tamian stripped down had her hesitant. He was perfection. There was no softness around his stomach. It was flat beneath his defined abs. The tone of his skin hinted at his Italian heritage, but it was at odds with his reddish-brown hair and light green eyes. Heated eyes that were raking over every inch of her skin. And his penis? Holy Zeus! She’d never given a blowjob, but the way it stretched toward his abs, hard and leaking, had her mouth watering, and Lucy wanted to know what he tasted like. Wanted to lick the precum off the tip. She wanted to know if her gag reflex would hinder her from taking him all the way down.
In college, after having nothing but plain, vanilla sex with partners who hadn’t seen to her release, she’d watched porn to see what the fuss was all about. Between the supposedly taboo videos and the few romance novels she’d read, sex had fallen short for her. Maybe that was because she was a Gryphon and the animal inside needed more than what an ordinary human could give, because what she’d experienced hadn’t equated with what Lucy had seen or read. Until now.
When Tamian crawled onto the bed, covering her body with his, heat flared between her legs as Tamian’s erection slid across her mound, close to her clit, but not close enough. Lucy wanted to flip Tamian over and rub her clit against him until he slid home. The need for him to take her, and take her hard, overrode all rational thoughts of whether or not she was ready for a lifetime with this male. If she didn’t stop him now, they would be bound together as long as she lived. Would that really be a hardship? Waking up to this every morning and falling asleep in his strong arms every night? Having a strong shifter at her side to face everything life threw her way?
“Sweetheart,” Tamian groaned against her ear. He was stretched out over her, skin to skin, keeping most of his weight off her. His erection was trapped between them, and she could hear the strain in his voice as he waited. With him nestled against her spread thighs, it was a perfect fit. Lucy traced Tamian’s back with her hands, memorizing the hard muscle under his smooth skin.
“Kiss me,” she requested, and Tamian did. He kissed behind her ear, nipping at her neck, her jaw, her chin, until his lips slotted against hers. Lucy opened for him, wanting to taste him on her tongue. Breathe in his oxygen, taking it as her own. Wrong or right, Lucy couldn’t deny she wanted Tamian. She had to trust the fates knew what they were doing putting them together, and she was no longer willing to debate whether or not she should give in to him. The need to become one was too great. Lucy lowered her hands to the taut globes of his perfect ass, encouraging him to take her.
Recognizing her silent signal, Tamian kept their mouths fused as he pushed up on one elbow and used his other hand to guide his long, veiny cock to her opening. Tamian rubbed the engorged head back and forth through the slickness Lucy’s body had produced, sliding up until he teased her clit. Electric sparks shot through Lucy, and her body arched of its own will. When Lucy moaned into Tamian’s mouth, he teased her again, and her body jolted, her orgasm already close to the surface. She would ask how that was possible, but she already knew sex with Tamian was going to be anything but vanilla, and he would see to it she enjoyed it.
“Please, Tam, please...” she begged, her words trailing off against his lips.
He didn’t make her wait any longer. With one torturing, slow move, he pushed inside, filling her completely. Lucy had expected it to hurt with as large as he was, but there was no pain. Only completeness. Wrapping her long legs around his, she dug her heels into his thighs, urging him to move.
Tamian lifted his head from hers, looking into her eyes. The adoration there matched the truth she felt. Gone was any doubt they belonged together. Tamian pressed a chaste kiss to her lips, then asked, “Are you ready for me, Sweetheart?”
“Yes, please. And don’t hold back.”
Adoration morphed into lust as he did as she asked. The first few strokes were slow and smooth, and the strain was back in the furrow of his brow and the veins pressing against his neck. Lucy scraped her nails down his back, knowing she couldn’t hurt him, but still hoping he felt the pressure enough to know he had her attention. All of it. A low growl emanated from his throat, and her own animal pushed against Lucy, ready to heed the call. She didn’t have to reach far for her lion, letting her sharp teeth form in her gums. It wasn’t often Lucy called on individual parts of her Gryphon, but completely shifting during sex was out of the question.<
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When Tamian caught a glimpse of her teeth, he let his fangs drop. They were sharper than hers, but she was ready to feel them impale her skin. She needed him to bite her and make her his in a way that could never be undone. “Lucy,” he husked, closing his eyes as he thrust deeper. Faster. Harder. Other than the deep groans and her name uttered like a prayer, Tamian didn’t give her the dirty words she would have expected with such an intense mating, but he was no less demanding. Tamian let his body talk for him. In that moment, Lucy wanted to drop to her knees and bow down to this amazing creature, offering her allegiance and loyalty for as long as they had.
Tamian used the stamina of his Gargoyle to take Lucy to heights she’d never reached. Not as an eagle and not as a fully-shifted Gryphon. She’d read about edging, but Tamian didn’t torment her by backing off only to take her to the edge once again. He kept her teetering on the brink as he filled her core over and over. Every few passes, he would change the angle so he was hitting her clit. If he had been any other lover, she’d have reached between them and helped things along, but her mate needed no help in making sure she would find the same release he would. His eyes darkened as his cock drilled her even harder. Tessa had been wrong. Months of having Tamian to herself wouldn’t cut it. Forever wouldn’t be long enough.
“Let me see you, Tamian. All of you.” At her behest, Tamian’s wings spread out behind him. When he opened his eyes, Lucy saw the beast pushing through. There was no other way to describe the dark intensity. Instead of being frightened, it thrilled her to know he could match her in every way. Lucy couldn’t stop her fingers from tracing the outline of one of his leathery wings. As soon as she made contact, Tamian dropped all his weight on top of Lucy, and an intoxicating pain ripped through her skin as her orgasm exploded, pulsing with every beat of her heart.
Her own shifter took over, and Lucy sank her sharp teeth into the spot where his neck and shoulder met. Tamian’s cock pulsed deep inside her, spilling his seed as he chased his own release. Lucy lapped at his skin where she’d bit him, and as his lower body slowed until he was resting inside. Tamian withdrew his fangs, letting his tongue remove any trace of blood while his chest heaved.
Tamian’s harsh breaths calmed the longer he remained pressed to her front. As she held him close, Lucy couldn’t help noticing his wings had changed from gray to an iridescent white. She’d found them sexy before when they radiated strength. Now... To Lucy, the white represented passion and something more personal. “They’re beautiful,” she whispered as she once again ran a fingertip along the edge.
Tamian jerked, and his softening cock hardened, filling her once again. “Do they always change color when you have sex?” she asked.
“What?”
“Your wings are white.”
Tamian looked over his shoulder, and replied, “Huh. I, uh...” Tamian retracted his wings and buried his face in her neck. Instead of responding further, he distracted her with his hands and lips. He kissed every part of her he could reach while his cock teased her insides. Pulling out, Tamian slid down until he could take her nipple in his mouth. He alternated between sucking and biting, not quite hard enough to be painful, but with enough pressure it connected with her core. Lucy grabbed his head and pulled him to her other breast. When he obliged, Tamian flicked the tip with his tongue. The warmth of his mouth was replaced with cool air as he blew across her nipple.
“Please,” she begged, arching up. She’d just had the single best experience of her life, but it wasn’t enough. She needed more. Lucy needed everything from him and with him. There were no words strong enough to describe the intensity of the moment. Tamian kissed his way down her stomach until his mouth reached her clit. Her body was being worshiped, and her heart was bursting with what she knew was love, although it was too soon to admit it to her mate.
Her mate.
Lucy now had a partner for life. Someone who would look at her the way Sutton did Rory. Someone who would have her back no matter the fight. A mate who would put himself between her and the biggest threat, Gryphon or otherwise, whether she needed him to or not. And she would do the same for him. No matter what life threw their way, they would face it together. When Tamian sucked her clit into his mouth, she rocked her head back and forth, temporarily forgetting about the future.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Tamian pressed his face to Lucy’s neck, inhaling deeply. He fisted his hand in her hair as she arched into him with an aftershock. As his cock lengthened inside, Tamian used their combined release to ease in and out. He’d given over to the beast, taking Lucy hard and relentlessly. She’d urged him on with her moans and her heels digging into his legs. Her nails scraping at his back. It had been perfect. They were mated, and nothing would ever tear them apart. He would make the spoken vow later, but it was time to show her how he could be gentle and loving.
As he rocked their bodies together, Tamian thought of all the things he wanted to do with Lucy. He needed to taste the sweetness between her legs as her body encouraged her to take him. He wanted to kiss her smooth skin and find the spots that made her shiver the most. Hold her close as their bodies came down from the high. Let her take control and show him what she wanted. Most of all, he never wanted to let go. She was his, and he finally understood what all the fuss was about. Already, she was the most precious thing in the world to him. Even more than Tessa. It wasn’t a contest, but if it were, Lucy would win, hands down.
Lucy’s lips found his, and he made love to her mouth, her body, and her mind. Already she was entrenched so deep in his heart, he thought it would burst right out of his chest. Moving with him, Lucy was so responsive. When he allowed the beast to take over their mating, he felt her own shifter push to the front. Now, it was just them, loving each other without words. When he’d been pushing her higher and higher, it had still been making love.
He considered fucking to be what beings did just to get off. Their sex would always be so much more than that. It was caring, loving, learning, making babies. The thought of Lucy’s belly swollen with their child caused his breath to catch, and he lost his rhythm. Lucy’s mouth on his neck brought him back to the present. There would be time for children later.
Tamian slid his cock from Lucy’s body, kissing her jaw, her shoulder. He couldn’t wait to taste her, so he eased down between her legs, stopping at her breasts to take each one into his mouth, sucking and teasing her nipples until they were hard peaks. Lucy groaned, thrashing her head back and forth against the pillow. He continued exploring her stomach, swirling his tongue into her belly button and trailing open-mouthed kisses farther south until he could set his mouth to her core. He had been wrong; the best sound in the world wasn’t her laughter. No, Lucy’s breathy moans and cries of pleasure were.
His release mixed with hers was a heady experience, and he lapped at her folds, licking up every bit he could find before concentrating on getting her off. As soon as his tongue touched her clit, Lucy grabbed two fistfuls of his hair and pushed against his mouth. He didn’t stop sucking and teasing until she was coming apart again. With her body still spasming, Tamian crawled between her legs and pushed inside. A couple thrusts was all it took for his balls to tighten, ready to take him over the edge of the precipice. He dove headfirst, loving her slowly. With his beast sated, Tamian was able to take his time, stroking Lucy’s pulsing core, urging her to come again while he shot deep, his head thrown back as he groaned through his orgasm.
Those three little words were on his tongue. It was too soon, but he knew his heart. When he looked at her to tell her, she frowned, and he refrained from baring his soul. “What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?” Something about her was different. Her eyes—
“Your eyes,” she whispered, touching the side of them with her fingertips. “They’re blue.”
“And yours are green.”
“What’s going on?”
Tamian eased his softening cock out of her heat, their release following and running down between her thighs. He’d tak
e her to the shower to clean up soon. First, they had a more pressing matter to tend to. He moved up the bed so he was seated with his back to the headboard and pulled her into his lap. He’d been surprised when Lucy pointed out his wings had changed color, but he considered it to be part of coming together with his mate. Now that his eyes had changed to her color, it might have more to do with who his mate was – or rather what she was – than him being special.
“I’ve heard of this happening once before, but nobody could explain it. You told me you like rock music. Do you listen to the band Cyanide Sweetness?”
“Yes, I love their music.”
“Desmond Rothchild, the lead singer, is a half-blood. When he and his female mated, their eyes did the same thing, but as far as I know, Simone is human.”
“How old is she?”
“I’d say mid-twenties. Why?”
“It’s possible she’s part Gryphon and doesn’t know it. When a Gryphon mates with a human and has a child, that child doesn’t always get the Gryphon gene. It happens most often with females. Do you know anything about her parents?”
“No, but all we have to do is call Desi and ask.”
“Can I gush over the fact that you know a rock star?” Lucy grinned.
“No. You can wait until you meet him yourself at a concert and fangirl ’til your heart’s content.”
“Seriously?” Lucy looked more like a teenager in that moment than the badass GIA agent she was.
Tamian laughed and pulled her back against his chest. “As soon as we’re no longer on the run from your boss, you’ll meet more Clan than you can shake a stick at. The Stone Society has already claimed you as one of their own. I’m just giving you a heads-up, because the mates will take you in, and you’ll be smothered with love as well as information overload.”
“I’m used to being smothered by my own family. If the rest of the mates are anything like Tessa, I’m looking forward to meeting them all.” Tamian was glad to hear it. He had been happy she and Tessa had hit it off, and he wanted Lucy to know all the love in the world, not only what he would give her. Lucy’s fingers traced designs across Tamian’s chest, and he rubbed his hand down her bare thigh. For a while, their touching wasn’t sexual, only soothing.