Bobby lifted his head and smiled at him. “Does that make you mine?”
Although mirth lifted the corners of Bobby’s lips, it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Maelgwn lifted his head and licked the sweat off his mate’s jaw before placing light sucking kisses along the tendons of his neck. The bitter tang of worry and fear hit his sensitive tongue.
He wrapped his arms around Bobby, then his wings, the movement pulling his mate’s softened prick from his chute. Ignoring the slight discomfort, Maelgwn nuzzled his mate to his chest and rubbed his jaw against Bobby’s. He loved the way their scents combined.
“Oh, yes, Bobby. I am yours. Never will I want another in my arms, in my life, or in my bed. You’re it for me, little one. Your happiness means everything to me.” He cupped Bobby’s jaw and lifted the man’s head, so their eyes could meet. Unshed tears made his mate’s beautiful green eyes glisten, but this time he could easily scent the happiness causing them. “You’re stuck with me, mate, and I’ll do everything in my power to make it worth your while,” he vowed.
He knew what a big step accepting a paranormal’s love could be. Bobby had yet to learn about all the creatures out there, and he’d be right by his side to help him along the way. As chieftain of his clutch, Maelgwn’s mate would hold certain responsibilities. He prayed the strong backbone his mate’s actions occasionally hinted at would continue to develop during the changes ahead.
“Okay,” Bobby whispered.
Maelgwn smiled. “Okay.” He pressed a soft kiss to Bobby’s lips, then said, “Let’s get some sleep. We’ve only a few hours left until dawn, then there will be much to do.”
Bobby didn’t comment, and as Maelgwn listened, he realized exhaustion had claimed his little mate. Arms and wings securely around Bobby, Maelgwn dozed, content in the knowledge he held his future in his arms.
A spike of pain shooting from the nape of his neck down his spine jerked Maelgwn from sleep, pulling a gasp from his throat. His back bowed, jostling Bobby. He ground his teeth together to keep from crying out. Maelgwn knew what was happening, had even been told about the pain of it. That didn’t make it any easier to control his reaction to the fire coursing through his veins.
Bobby blinked open his eyes and stared at him blearily for a second. Then his eyes widened, perhaps because he saw the strain on Maelgwn’s features. He rested a hand on Maelgwn’s chest and—oddly enough—his mate’s touch soothed the fire burning through him slightly.
“Are you okay?” Bobby asked, worry in his tone and eyes. Maelgwn forced his head to nod. Taking hope from his mate’s contact, he wrapped his arms around Bobby and pulled, causing his human to sprawl across his chest and groin. Blessed relief! His body still tingled strangely, but at least it didn’t hurt so much. How come no one told me that a mate’s touch soothes?
He tucked his face against Bobby’s neck and sighed, not bothering to fight the shivers racking his body. He knew the feeling would pass. “I’m going through molt,” he whispered hoarsely. “It’ll pass.”
“Molt?” Bobby muttered. To Maelgwn’s gratefulness, his mate didn’t try to move. “It’s what we call it when a gargoyle’s body changes into human form for the first time. It only happens once the mating process is complete.”
“Oh, right,” Bobby replied. After a couple seconds, he nuzzled Maelgwn’s neck and asked, “Does it take long?”
The spiking jolt to his shoulder blades caused Maelgwn to hiss, “Shit.” He could feel the slide of his leather wings along the fabric of the sheets as they retracted into his back. Goose bumps pimpled his skin when it changed from leathery hide to regular skin. Last to feel the sting of conversion was his face, hands, and feet. It felt like someone trying to rip his nails from their beds while breaking his jawbone, and tears squeezed from the corners of his eyes.
“Arg!” Maelgwn collapsed onto the bed, breathing heavily.
“Mal? Mal?” Bobby cried.
Exhausted, he whispered, “I’m fine.” He cracked open an eyelid and managed a slight smile. “Just gotta catch my breath.”
“Wow!”
Bobby’s whispered word and wide eyes concerned Maelgwn. “I look that bad?” he teased, trying to make light of the situation. He probably should have done a better job warning his mate.
“No, no, you…my god! You look totally, well, fucking hot,” Bobby finished rather lamely, his gaze sweeping down Maelgwn’s still-broad chest. “I mean, not that you didn’t look good before, but…damn!”
His lover stared with obvious appreciation as he sat up and straddled Maelgwn’s chest. He liked it very much how Bobby slid his hands over his firm peck muscles. His nipples beaded to hard points and his shaft began to throb, banishing any remaining tingles of pain and replacing it with warm shivers of lust.
Grabbing his lover, Maelgwn rolled them. He settled between Bobby’s legs, grabbed both their shafts in one hand and rubbed. Feeling how hard Bobby already was stoked Maelgwn’s ego like nothing ever could. It pleased him knowing how much his mate wanted him.
“Dock me,” Bobby muttered, his hands clutching Maelgwn’s shoulders. “Please, dock me. Never felt anything like that and wanna feel it again.”
Maelgwn grinned, inordinately happy that he’d given his mate something no one else ever had. Lifting his hips slightly, he shifted his cock so he could stretch his foreskin over both their heads. His grunt of pleasure matched Bobby’s sensual moan as their glans bumped. The soft folds caught their pre-cum, combining their fluids, accentuating the slide of cock head on cock head.
“Bobby,” he growled, hot spikes of awareness shooting through his system. “Gonna come for me, mate?” He pumped their shafts, knowing how dangerously close he was to losing his own seed.
“So close,” Bobby murmured, his hips bucking.
“Yeah,” Maelgwn grunted. He leaned down and wrapped his teeth around his mate’s shoulder. With blunt human teeth, he bit down, hard. Bobby shuddered beneath him, cried out, and came, oozing warm cum over his sensitized glans.
Seeing no need to wait, Maelgwn gave in to his own body’s need. Tensing, his seed pulsed from his balls, up his stalk, and flooded the space between them. His whole body shivered at the sensation of combined cum against his glans and stalk.
“Awe, fucking hell,” he grunted.
Nothing felt better than his mate coming all over him.
It was a good two minutes before Maelgwn managed to control himself enough to lever up and flop to the side of the bed. “Fuck, you make me feel good,” he muttered.
Bobby snickered. “Ditto.”
Maelgwn turned his head and smiled at Bobby. “We should really get going. The sooner we pack up your stuff, the sooner we can get you moved. I’ve been away from my clutch for longer than I’d planned.”
“What were you doing out here?” Bobby asked softly, reaching for the box of tissues on the nightstand.
Taking it from him, Maelgwn cleaned them up as he answered. “I came out a couple weeks ago to help Gus deliver his baby,” he said. “I scented you in the hospital.” He frowned remembering why Bobby had been there. Inspecting his lover’s face, he was pleased to find that the black eyes had all but disappeared. He touched the nearly perfect flesh around one eye. “A benefit of bonding with a paranormal is accelerated healing,” he murmured. “Not as fast as mine, but still pretty quick.” Leaning over, he kissed the skin he’d just touched. “So pretty.”
“Men don’t generally appreciate being called pretty,” Bobby said dryly.
Smirking, Maelgwn quirked an eyebrow. “And how do you feel about it?”
After a second’s hesitation, he said, “Only from you.”
“Good.” Maelgwn pecked a kiss to Bobby’s lips. “So, I want to find a mirror. I don’t consider myself vain, but I am curious,” he admitted.
Bobby laughed. “Oh, you’ll still attract attention,” he said. “But in a good way.”
Chuckling, Maelgwn got to his feet then pulled his mate up after him. He bent at the waist and cap
tured Bobby’s lips in a deep kiss. He savored his mate’s masculine flavor, pulling his tongue into his mouth and sucking lightly. When Bobby sagged against him, clinging oh-so-nicely, Maelgwn gently ended the kiss. “Your attention is the only thing I care about.”
“You got it,” Bobby gasped.
“Good.” He wrapped his loincloth around his waist, taking stock of his body as he did. Dark bronze skin covered him, and the hair falling over his shoulder was still black. It was definitely odd not to feel his wings warming his shoulders, but figured he’d get used to it. Standing in front of the small mirror behind the door, Maelgwn ran a finger over his black eyebrows, then bared his teeth to look at the blunt bones.
“Huh, not bad,” he stated. He’d be the first to admit that he didn’t really understand human’s idea of aesthetically pleasing features. For gargoyles, attraction was based on scent, not looks.
Bobby wrapped his arms around Maelgwn’s waist and pressed his cheek to his back, at about shoulder blade level. Even in human form, Maelgwn still stood six and a half feet tall. “I think you’re amazing,” he murmured.
Maelgwn smiled, turned in his mate’s arms, and wrapped him up. “I hope you feel that way after living with me for a while,” he said ruefully.
“You a bit set in your ways?” he asked, grinning.
“After almost five hundred years, you would be, too,” he warned.
Bobby snorted. “I’ll try to keep that in mind.”
Maelgwn led the way out of the room, the linoleum cold under his bare feet, reminding him that he’d have to ask Declan for clothes. He’d freeze his ass off as a human in Colorado’s winter.
He inhaled deeply and flicked out his tongue, his stomach reminding him that eating dinner had been skipped in lew of calming his mate, then claiming him. The scents of bacon, eggs, and hash brown casserole with cheese and ham tantalized his senses.
“That smells fantastic,” Maelgwn complimented, leading the way into the dining room.
Over the bar separating the room from the kitchen, Lark grinned at him from where he placed bacon on a paper towel covered plate to cool. “I remember feeding Gus and Tible for a while. You all eat a lot!” He pointed his fork at Bobby and winked. “Better remember that.”
Bobby nodded, his expression amused. “Good tip.”
After breakfast, Declan scrounged up a pair of jeans, tshirt, sweatshirt, socks, and boots in Maelgwn’s size. “It’s a good thing me wolves come in so many different sizes,” Declan said, handing him the bundle of clothes and Bobby the boots.
“Thanks,” Maelgwn said. “Need ‘em back?”
“Nay,” Declan replied with a wave of his hand. Maelgwn dressed and, after dropping his daughter, Sara,
at school, Declan drove them to Gus’s so they could pick up Bobby’s car. Before they were even out of the car, both Tible and Gus came out of the house and waved. When Maelgwn opened the SUV’s door and slid out, Gus called, “Can you all come in for a cup of coffee? We’d like to speak with you.”
Declan turned off the engine and followed the group into the small studio cottage, practically filling the living room to capacity. Tible grinned at him. “Good look, Maelgwn,” he said.
“Thank you,” he responded, taking a seat and the offered cup of coffee. He held out an arm and wrapped it around Bobby when he sat next to him, pressing him against his side. He glanced between Tible and Gus. “What’s up, guys?”
Gus sat on the edge of the couch, his hands folded together between his knees. The big rhino shifter looked from Declan to his mate. Tible smiled encouragingly at Gus, then turned toward the wolf alpha and said, “You’ve been so very kind to us both, and we’re honored to be allowed to live in your territory.”
“Ye’re good men,” Declan said. He smiled as if understanding something. “Ye’re always welcome in me territory.”
Gus seemed to release the breath he’d been holding, and said, “Thank you, Alpha. I wouldn’t have survived without you and Lark’s help.”
Declan nodded.
“Tible and I, we’d like permission to join your clutch, Maelgwn,” Gus said, focusing on Maelgwn. “As we grow nearer to when our egg hatches, we want little Vaclar to grow up in an environment among his own kind. Where he’ll feel welcome and…”
When Gus hesitated and glanced at Tible, his mate finished the thought. “Not different. My parents were great, don’t get me wrong, but they didn’t know anything about gargoyles.”
Maelgwn nodded. Although he was surprised by their request, since they’d never even hinted at these desires before, he was more than happy to grant their request. He looked at Declan. “I have no desire to cause ill will between your pack and my clutch by absconding with two of your members,” he said, smiling. “If you don’t have a problem with it, I’m more than happy to welcome them.”
Declan chuckled. “I have no complaints. Both Tible and Gus are fine men. I feel honored to have had the opportunity to know ye both,” he said, directing the comment at the pair. “I wish ye all the best with parenthood and expect ye to visit so I can meet the little tyke.”
Gus grinned, the stress lines that had bracketed his eyes disappearing. “Thank you. Both of you.”
Declan nodded, drained his cup of coffee, and stood. “I should be off. Let me know if ye want me to round up a dozen guys to help move furniture.”
“Thank you, Alpha,” Gus immediately replied. “We’d appreciate that.”
“It will be done,” Declan promised. He paused at the door and said over his shoulder, “I’m sure there will be plenty of guys wishin’ to give ye a grand send off.”
After Declan left, Maelgwn and Bobby quickly followed. “Thanks for watching my car,” Bobby said, heading toward it.
Tible laid a hand on his shoulder, stopping his progress. “You holding up okay?”
“You know, I’m really good,” Bobby replied, smiling. “It’s a lot to take in, but…” He shrugged. “I mean, Mal’s dedicated, kind, devoted, and I’ll never have to worry about abuse or cheating.” A bubbly laugh escaped him. “Who gives a shit that he’s another species. He’s exactly what I wanted in a man.”
Chuckling, Tible nodded. “I’m really glad you figured that out. Fate knows what she’s doing. We just have to give her choice a chance.”
Chapter Nine
“
How’d you learn to drive a car?” Bobby asked.
Maelgwn chuckled. “I’ve been alive for centuries, little one. I’ve watched technology change from horses to steam engines to motor cars. We manage to stay in the background because we use that technology to our advantage. You’d be surprised at what Raymond, our resident computer hacker, can do.”
“Impressive,” Bobby said, completely truthful. He knew his way around a computer just enough to use email, the internet, and the programs required to do his job. “Oh, shit,” he muttered, the thought of his job alarming him.
“What’s wrong?”
“I forgot to call in this morning,” Bobby said. Then another thought struck him. “I guess that doesn’t matter, huh? Since I’m quitting?” He frowned. “Will I be able to work in Durango? I don’t like the idea of sitting around doing nothing,” he declared.
Maelgwn glanced toward him, a brow lifted in question. “You’re welcome to find work, Bobby. You’re my mate, not a prisoner.”
Bobby was just starting to feel relieved when Maelgwn continued.
“I will have to assign bodyguards if you find something that requires you to leave our estate, but don’t worry, they’ll be discreet.”
The hairs on the back of his neck tingled with discomfort. “Bodyguards? Why?”
His tone must have conveyed his concern, because Maelgwn didn’t answer until he was stopped at a red light. He turned to Bobby and gently cupped his jaw, forcing him to meet his gaze. “I strive to keep our people at peace, and right now we are. But there is a vampire coven south of us in New Mexico that is experiencing some inner-coven turmoil. The bodyguards are for
your safety, not to control you. You’re everything to me. Keeping you safe is my number one priority.”
As Bobby listened to Maelgwn’s reasons, understanding dawned. The paranormal world wasn’t any safer than the human one, but at least now, he had someone who’d always watch his back. He turned his head and pressed a kiss to Maelgwn’s palm. “Okay. Thank you for explaining.”
Maelgwn nodded. “All you ever need to do is ask.”
The honk of a car horn brought them out of their private moment. Maelgwn grinned, took the time to butterfly kiss Bobby’s lips, then pulled away and got the car moving again. Bobby pointed out where to park and they headed toward the building lobby.
Stepping inside, Bobby paused. Seth stood in front of the elevator, his arms crossed over his chest. Maelgwn wrapped an arm around Bobby’s shoulders. Leaning down a bit, he whispered, “Relax, Bobby. He can’t bother you anymore.”
Bobby felt kind of bad. Seth, when they were alone, hadn’t been a bad guy. He’d been sweet, kind, attentive, and even the sex had been enjoyable—nothing compared to making love with Maelgwn—but still good. It was when Seth was with his friends, trying to impress those bastards, that things went downhill fast.
Too bad Seth’s buddy, Forest, strode out of an elevator. “His apartment’s empty,” Forest said to Seth.
Bobby’s temper flared and he stalked toward the pair. Maelgwn at his back gave him the strength to confront them. “You were in my apartment?” he snapped, catching both men’s attention. He lifted a hand and pointed at the two of them. “Neither of you have a key. What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Forest actually rolled his eyes, but at least Seth looked acceptably sheepish. “We didn’t break in,” Seth muttered. “He just knocked. I stayed down here so you wouldn’t know I was here. You won’t return my calls.”
Bobby placed his hands on his hips and shook his head. He actually felt a small measure of compassion for the man. “I’m not returning your calls because we’re not dating anymore,” he said.
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