Maelgwn followed. “They’d better,” he snarled. “If he comes near my mate, I will kill him.”
“Mal?”
Maelgwn turned and spotted a pale-faced Bobby in the rec room they were passing. He didn’t like the lines of worry bracketing his lover’s mouth and he really didn’t like the fear he scented.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Tobias murmured, then turned and walked away.
Maelgwn headed toward Bobby, catching a nod from Sapian out of the corner of his eye before the other man disappeared from the room. Wrapping his arms around Bobby, Maelgwn pulled him close. Bobby instantly sank into his embrace, wrapping his own arms around Maelgwn’s waist and resting his cheek on his chest.
“You remember the unrest I told you about?” Maelgwn whispered.
Bobby nodded.
“It seems Damune is under the impression that he’s next in line. He’s threatened my clutch, and you by extension,” he admitted, refusing to sugar coat anything. His mate needed knowledge so he could be aware of possible danger.
When Bobby didn’t respond, Maelgwn cupped his jaw and angled his head back so he could look him in the eyes. “You okay?”
Shrugging, Bobby murmured, “Sure. I’m just not sure what to say to that, ya know?”
Maelgwn could understand that. “You’ve been through a lot today. You ready to relax? We could enjoy the champagne and strawberries upstairs.”
That made Bobby smile, which eased a knot of tension that had formed in Maelgwn’s chest. He’d keep his mate safe and happy, even if he had to kill every vampire in Damune’s coven, he silently vowed.
Knowing he couldn’t do anything about it right then, Maelgwn put the matter out of his mind. He planned to concentrate on his mate this evening. “Enough talk of that,” he murmured, leading Bobby through the house and upstairs to their suite of rooms. “Let’s relax, hmm?”
“Sounds good to me,” Bobby replied, giving him a smile.
Maelgwn led him into the bedroom, and immediately spotted Bobby’s bags in the corner. “Did you get a chance to unpack at all?”
Bobby shook his head. “I wasn’t sure where I should put my stuff,” he admitted.
“Ah. You’re welcome to make yourself at home, little one. I have a couple trench coats and hats for if I have to go out amongst humans at night, but that’s about it,” he said. “I guess I’ll have to get real clothes now that I can become human when I wish,” he mused.
He led Bobby to the pile of blankets and pillows. While his mate made himself comfortable, Maelgwn opened the champagne and poured them both a glass. Settling next to Bobby, he handed one to him and said, “To us and new beginnings.”
Bobby hesitated only a second before saying, “To equals in partnership.”
Maelgwn grinned. “I like that.”
After taking a sip of the bubbly liquid, Mealgwn reached behind him and grabbed the plate of chocolate covered strawberries. “I hope you like these. I couldn’t remember.”
Grinning, Bobby grabbed one as he said, “Who doesn’t like chocolate covered strawberries?”
He laughed as he watched Bobby take a bite and hum happily. The sound went straight to his dick, reminding him it’d been nearly twenty-four hours since he’d made love to his mate.
Before he could reach for Bobby, his lover commented, “I noticed only a few women in your clutch, and since all of them looked human, I made a comment to Sapian about it.” Bobby cocked his head as his brows drew together. “Why are all gargoyles male?”
Maelgwn’s brow ridges shot up. “I’ve no idea why. Maybe the gargoyle gene is linked to the Y chromosome in some way. We’ve never really tried to find out,” he admitted. Why wonder about what was and couldn’t be changed?
“So, do men ever give birth to girls? Or is it always an egg?” Bobby asked, grabbing another strawberry.
Maelgwn picked a berry of his own. “I’ve never heard of a male giving birth to anything other than an egg.” He realized that even though he’d explained that pregnancy was a possibility for his mate, he hadn’t really gone in depth about it.
“The appendix is converted by your bond with me into a womb of sorts, and that’s where the egg forms,” he said, then bit into the strawberry, enjoying the sweetness mixed with bitter chocolate. Bobby sipped his champagne, watching him. He smiled and continued. “Once the egg is ready, you will lay it.”
“Lay it? Like a chicken with an egg?” Bobby murmured. “How the hell would a guy…oh!”
He grimaced at the look of shock on Bobby’s face. “Yeah, not a real comfortable thought,” he acknowledged. “You pass it through the rectum.”
“Ouch, and Gus went through that?”
Maelgwn nodded. “Some men decide it’s worth it to have children with their mates.” The corner of his lip curved and he said, “If I could be the one to carry a child, I would, but since you’re human, you can’t very well impregnate me.”
“So you do want kids someday,” Bobby said, understanding Maelgwn’s implication.
“Yeah,” Maelgwn admitted. “Yeah, I do.” He took Bobby’s hand and squeezed. “Don’t think I’ll rush you into a decision or anything, though,” he reassured. “But if someday you want a child, too, I’d be honored to have one with you.”
Bobby set his empty champagne glass on the floor and climbed onto his lap, facing him. Maelgwn grunted when Bobby’s dick bumped against his own. His lover rocked them together.
“It’s an interesting prospect,” Bobby murmured, grinding against him. “I promise I’ll give it some thought, but…can I have a couple years just with you? Does that make me selfish?”
Maelgwn moaned, his foreskin sliding over his glans as pre-cum leaked from his throbbing cock. “Take all the time you want,” he gasped. “You’re all I need to be happy. A child would just be a bonus.”
“Mmm,” Bobby hummed. “Good.”
Deciding they’d done enough talking for the evening, Maelgwn rolled his mate under him and proceeded to show him exactly how happy he was that Bobby had arrived.
Chapter Eleven
Bobby walked out of the office building feeling pleased with how the interview had gone. It had taken three weeks to finally start to feel settled at the gargoyle estate, and finding a job was the final piece. He loved that his mate was so attentive and wanted him happy, and even though Bobby knew Maelgwn would prefer him safe at home, his gargoyle had encouraged him to go after what he wanted.
The fact that it had taken several weeks to finally make it to an interview had more to do with wanting to find the right local position rather than anything his lover had said or done. Bobby didn’t mind being patient. It gave him time to learn about Maelgwn, his clutch, and Bobby’s place in it— which he found a pleasant experience. Everyone was friendly, open, and welcoming. Once he understood the mechanics of paranormal politics, he’d even be included in decision making. That thought scared him a bit, and right now, he was happy to just sit, watch, and listen.
The added time also gave Maelgwn peace of mind regarding the threats of a certain vampire. They hadn’t seen or heard from Damune since the day Bobby had arrived, but Bobby knew his safety was never far from his mate’s mind.
Gus, Tible, and Sapian were waiting outside, just where Bobby had left them. “How about some supper before we head home?” Bobby asked, his stomach growling.
“Won’t Maelgwn be waiting?” Tible teased, giving him a wink. Bobby laughed. He had to admit he and his mate had been living in each other’s back pockets for the last several weeks. “I’ll shoot him a text,” Bobby said, heading across the street to the Pub and Grub. “He’s supposed to be in a meeting with a vampire from another coven right now anyway,” he said quietly. He grinned slyly and added, “That’s why I set up the interview for around this time.”
The other men chuckled, which had been Bobby’s goal. They settled at a table in the diner and seconds later, a gum smacking young woman, who couldn’t have been more than seventeen in Bobby’s estima
te, appeared with menus.
“Watcha all want to drink?” she asked, pen poised over a pad of paper.
Bobby requested an iced tea, Gus and Tible both ordered lemonade, though Gus had peach flavoring added to his, and Sapian requested coffee.
Bobby knew there were only a handful of gargoyles that could work as day guards for him, so appreciated that he got along so well with the mated gargoyle. Sapian stood six foot six in gargoyle form and six foot two in human form. His dark gold gargoyle hide lightened to a nice tanned tone. In either form, Sapian had shoulder length light brown hair that he normally pulled into a ponytail. Bobby thought the best thing about the guy was his sense of humor, and he had no trouble giving him crap.
After the waitress left, Bobby grimaced at Sapian. “I don’t know how you drink that stuff all the time. I’d be bouncing off the walls if I tried that. And the way you doctor it up with so much milk and sugar? What’s the point?”
Sapian chuckled, taking his ribbing good-naturedly. “I don’t mind the taste of coffee, but I like the combination of flavors better. All those awesome creamers give me the opportunity to sample different tastes.” He shrugged. “Variety is the spice of life and all that.”
Gus punched him in the shoulder, probably with carefully controlled force, knowing how cautious the rhino shifter normally was. “Don’t let Missy here you say that,” he said, referring to Sapian’s human wife.
Snorting, Sapian shoved Gus back. “Yeah, like anything could be better than the love of a mate.” He looked pointedly at Tible.
Following his gaze, Gus stared at his own mate. Almost immediately, his smile turned sappy, the love shining clearly from his gaze. “Yeah.”
Bobby snickered quietly. After several weeks with Maelgwn, he knew exactly how Gus and Tible felt. Bobby had fallen in love with his big gargoyle mate. Not that he’d told the man, yet. He was waiting for the right moment, and even with all the hours spent together, the time just never seemed to be right.
The waitress returned with their drinks, and they placed orders for double cheeseburgers and fries, with the exception of Bobby, who decided on a club sandwich. One thing he’d learned over the last month was these paranormals loved meat, potatoes, and had the metabolism to handle them in huge amounts. Bobby would be jealous, except he’d actually done the vegetarian thing for months at a time and not felt like he was missing out. The look on Maelgwn’s face when he’d learned that had been priceless.
They’d been eating sausage and pancakes for, well, Bobby had considered it dinner. Maelgwn had tried to load Bobby’s plate with eight sausage links, and Bobby had kept pushing them over to Maelgwn’s plate. Finally, Maelgwn growled and snapped, “You need more protein.”
Bobby had rolled his eyes and held up his glass of milk. “Eight grams of protein per cup, boyo. I’m getting plenty.” At Maelgwn’s dubious look, Bobby snickered. “Relax, I know how to get protein without eating tons of meat. I’m not much of a beef and pork fan. When the mood strikes I can go vegetarian for months at a time. Milk, eggs, and soy are perfectly acceptable alternatives and very healthy.” He paused to chew a bite of pancake, then added, “Gotta keep my boyish figure.”
Finally Bobby had looked at Maelgwn and winked while taking a sip of his drink. Maelgwn’s gaping mouth, pale face, and abject horror filling his dark eyes caused Bobby to laugh.
“Vegetarian?” Maelgwn had whispered, clearly stricken.
That one whispered word made Bobby laugh even harder, and eventually, the milk he’d been trying to swallow had dribbled from his nose. Grabbing a napkin, Bobby had cleaned up, still snickering despite his stinging sinuses.
“It’s not that bad,” he said once he finally gained enough control to speak.
“No meat,” Maelgwn had grumbled. “Blasphemy.”
Thinking about his mate, combined with watching the interaction between Tible and Gus, made a pang of loneliness hit Bobby. Maybe he shouldn’t have suggested going out to eat.
Evidently reading his expression, Sapian reached over and squeezed his shoulder. “You get used to being separated, but it’s never real comfortable,” he admitted.
Bobby nodded, struggling with the odd ache in his chest. Wanting to hear his lover’s voice, at least, he rose from the table. “I’m gonna take a leak and give Mal a ring while we wait for the food.”
Sapian glanced toward the hall where the bathrooms were, then glanced around at the other patrons. Bobby knew that look. His friend had turned into bodyguard mode and was assessing his need to go with him.
“Relax,” he said, rising from his chair. “I won’t be more than ten minutes,” he promised.
Nodding, Sapian told him, “You better not be or I’m coming after you.”
Laughing, Bobby nodded. There was no doubt in his mind that Sapian would do just that. His hands already working open his belt, Bobby bumped the men’s room door open with his shoulder. He stood in front of a urinal and took care of business for a moment, then after he washed his hands, Bobby pulled out his phone and hit one on speed dial.
“Hey, sweet,” Maelgwn crooned, answering on the first ring. “You on your way home to me?”
Bobby grinned, warmth flooding him as the deep strands of his lover’s voice wrapped around him. “We stopped for a bite to eat at Pub and Grub. It’s across the street from the building I interviewed in. I was hungry and figured you’d need a little more time with that vam—um, Adalric,” he finished, catching himself at the last minute.
“Ah, and yet you called me anyway. I miss you, too, Bobby,” Maelgwn said, easily reading the reason behind the call.
“Yeah, I—”
“It’s about fucking time you left that damn estate,” a man behind him said angrily. “Hang up the phone, Bobby.”
Bobby spun around at the vaguely familiar voice. “Forest?” He took a step back, but ran into the wall. “What are you doing here?”
“I said hang up the fucking phone,” Forest ordered, grabbing the device from Bobby’s fist. Forest lifted it to his own mouth and taunted, “Not here to help your boy toy now.” He then chucked it into a sink and grabbed Bobby’s arm.
He heard his lover’s roar through the line, the noise silenced by the door closing behind him as Forest dragged him out of the men’s room and down the hall toward the back door. Bobby twisted his arm, trying to dislodge Forest’s hold, but the man’s around his forearm. bruises…if he managed to get away.
The back door slammed shut behind them. A glance over his shoulder told Bobby the door didn’t have a handle on this side, so even if he managed to get away now, he’d have to run all the way around the building to get back to Sapian. How much time had passed since he’d left the table? Five minutes? Seven? Why the hell couldn’t he get his vocal cords to work? Screaming would have been a fantastic idea, even if it did make him seem like a girl. Forest was bigger, stronger, and meaner than Bobby.
Seeing the two men building finally got his squeaked. Grant was behind the wheel of the idling vehicle. Mark pulled the back door open and watched Forest drag Bobby toward the car.
“Seth won’t talk to us anymore,” Forest muttered darkly. “So you’re going to go fix it.”
Bobby finally got his body to function and balked with all his might. No way did he want to get into that car. “Just how the hell do you expect me to do that?” he asked, trying to buy time.
“Tell him you were wrong. That we weren’t the reason you left,” Forest said. “Tell him you’re a cheating whore who doesn’t deserve him. Tell him whatever the fuck you want. Now get in the car,” Forest ordered harshly, trying to drag him forward again.
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Bobby snapped. With a grunt, Bobby twisted violently. This time he managed to pull his arm free. Unfortunately, Mark had caught onto his friend’s trouble, and now blocked his escape grip remained clamped like a vice He just knew he’d end up with
waiting with a car behind the voice to work. “Oh, shit,” he down the alley toward the stree
t. Bobby looked left and right, frantically searching for escape.
“Then we’ll beat you bloody as payment for losing us a friend,” Grant snarled, getting out of the car.
The three converged on him, forcing Bobby back several steps. His back hit the wall, the rough stone scratching his palms and elbows. He shivered as the cold finally registered. It was probably asinine to think of it now, but Bobby really wanted his coat.
“Now, now, humans,” said a man who stepped from the shadows to Bobby’s left. “As fun as watching you beat the shit out of Maelgwn’s mate would be, I need him whole and healthy. At least, for now.”
“Who the hell are you?” Grant asked, glaring at the interloper.
The man eased from the shadows, a cold smile on his hard features. “I’m Damune,” he replied, twisting his lips into a cruel curve as he eyed Bobby.
“Double shit,” Bobby muttered. Damune might say he wanted him alive, but Bobby just knew alive with Damune would be worse than alive and beaten by Seth’s friends.
Damune chuckled coldly. “So you’ve heard of me,” he said, fixing his gaze on Bobby. “I’m flattered.”
Forest, the hotheaded idiot that he was, stepped forward, his posture cocky. “Just get the hell out of here, buddy. Your interference isn’t wanted.”
Bobby noted the brass knuckles Forest had donned. “Forest, don’t,” Bobby warned, not that Forest listened.
He watched with dread as Forest strode in a way he probably thought was menacing toward Damune but looked more young punk. The dark haired vampire grinned, his eyes lighting with pleasure. Perhaps at the thought of a fight? Damune’s dark eyes began to glow red, and Bobby realized he wasn’t the only one who gasped.
“Freak,” Forest snapped right before he swung his metal knuckles at Damune.
With inhuman speed, Damune stepped left and avoided the swing. He grabbed Forest’s wrist in one arm and with the other, executed an uppercut to the extended limb. Forest’s bone snapped sickeningly and he screamed as his arm bent the wrong way. Damune gripped Forest’s upper arm and snapped his head forward. Blood flowed from Forest’s neck as Damune drank messily, tearing flesh more than drinking. Forest’s screams increased in pitch.
Trill to Me Sweetly Paranormal love 1 Page 9