STORY EXCERPT

Bruno headed in the direction of barbeque. He was starved, having been in the courtroom for hours, and wanted something big and juicy he could sink his fangs into. Gargoyles had big appetites, for everything. He smiled at a long-legged snake shifter, the creature grinning back with a blatant invitation Bruno would normally take up, but right at that moment he caught a whiff of something even more appetising than the smell of barbeque.

Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk he sniffed deeply, looking around at the same time. He was suddenly tense, his body strung tight. His blood pumped and heated, nerves electrified. It meant one thing. Mate. He may never have experienced the mate reaction before, but he damn well knew what it was he was feeling. And fuck he was excited. He’d waited a long time for a mate, and he couldn’t wait to get his hands on the creature.

Whipping around he studied buildings, cars going past, creatures and humans. His security detail said nothing. They were ready to fight and protect, no questions asked.

Not spotting his quarry, he followed the smell of peaches and cream. Creatures and humans moved out of his way, eying him warily. Bruno didn’t blame them. He knew he had a look that put the fear in others, and right now he was focused. Ten meters further up he spotted two creatures. Both wizards, one a redhead, the other brunet. He sniffed deeply and fixed his attention on the redhead. He’d always had a thing for redheads, and this one’s hair was like a flame under the late afternoon sun.

“It’s been a week, Corey,” the redhead snapped.

“Yeah, Seb said that sucks.”

“Sucks? How does that help me?” The redhead’s arms flew around, narrowly missing a hippo shifter.

“Hey, chill down, dude. Seb said that Tacito has been ducking his calls, which immediately puts him in the penalty box—”

“What on earth is a penalty box?” The redhead tossed his hands in the air, stopped in the middle of the footpath, and glared at the other wizard.

Bruno stopped very close to the pair and watched with interest. Instinct said to grab and declare himself, but he wanted to know what had his little wizard wound so tight.

“Haven’t you ever watched hockey?” the brunet asked.

“I’m from England.”

“So?”

“Agh! Let’s move on,” The redhead took a few calming breaths. “What has Sebastian said?”

“Well, you can file a request to have the mateship board formally insist Tacito return—don’t interrupt me.” Corey held up a hand when Bruno’s redhead opened his mouth to do just that. “Since your mate isn’t returning calls and has missed the arranged dates, that means he can be monitored and the mateship rules enforced. If I were you, I’d go with that. I mean, who can’t pick up a phone and send a text? Or shoot off an email? He’s deliberately evading all this, and why did he go to Houston in the first place? And right after you two had your first date?”

Bruno was just about to swoop in and announce himself but pulled up short. Mate? The redhead’s mate? Did that mean Bruno had another mate besides this cute little wizard?

“I don’t know.” The wizard sighed. “I thought we had a real connection. We had a great time at the restaurant and back at my place—Corey, the man is amazing in bed!”

Bruno blinked and growled a little.

“Hey! Eavesdropping is rude, man,” Corey exclaimed, looking up at Bruno. “Wowa! You’re a really big brute. You’re a gargoyle, right? I’ve seen a couple of your kind around the city. You guys really stand out. You don’t blend, you know? What with the multi-colored hair, those wicked nasty retractable claws and—”

“Corey, stop,” the wizard interrupted and smiled politely up at Bruno. “Please excuse my friend. Corey is exuberant and sometimes gets carried away.”

“That’s a fair point.” Corey shrugged, unconcerned.

Bruno reached out and gently—wizards were smallish creatures and seemed so fragile to him—clamped a hand on his mate’s nape.

“Hello, mate. I am Bruno Surkov.”

“You’re…mate.” The wizard flushed, his peaches-and-cream complexion going blotchy red. “I…”

Bruno rumbled happily, stroking his thumb over the man’s throat. “Let us get off the street, wizard.”

“Jay, his name is Jay Carson. I’m Corey Hart.” Corey grinned. “This is fucking great. Oh, you’ve got another mate, but he’s not here. He took off to Houston right after he and Jay got it on, you know what I mean?”

“Shut. Up. Corey.” Jay poked a finger at the other wizard, then quickly grabbed his own hand and smiled weakly up at Bruno. “Hi. I…wasn’t expecting this.”

“Nor I, my wizard. Have the car brought here, Lenny,” Bruno instructed one of the security detail.

“Surkov.” Corey looked even more excited than before. It was disconcerting, for wizards and witches were not usually happily excited creatures. They were more studious and reserved, though they did have a good sense of humor when doing their magic. “Are you one of the actual Surkovs? As in, a royal? OMG!”

Jay choked a little. Bruno removed his hand from his mate’s nape to the top of his back and rubbed lightly. Reaching out with his other hand, he caught hold of Corey Hart and stopped the wizard from excitedly jumping around and bumping humans and creatures on the footpath.

“Yes, I am. Here is my car. Will you join me, mate?”

“This is…you know, I think I feel a little like Tacito must have felt when I told him we were mates. He took it fairly well considering how shocked he must have been.” Jay flushed, his skin going blotchier. “Tacito is our other mate.”

“I would like to hear all about him. Here is the car. Will you join me?”

ADULT EXCERPT

The moment they made it to Jay’s apartment, Bruno drew his wizard close, lifting the creature off his feet and holding him against his chest as he encouraged Jay to wrap his legs around his waist.

“Bedroom.”

“To the right! To the right!” Jay pointed and bounced then went back to kissing Bruno.

Chuckling at his mate’s enthusiasm, Bruno steered them toward the bedroom, ready to rip their clothes off, fuck, and claim.

Stumbling through the very crowded living room, he tripped over a footstool, bumped into a wall, and banged his shoulder on a bookshelf, but they kept right on kissing and fell on the bed in a tangle. Bruno didn’t waste any more time. He wanted his mate, and it was mutual and damn! His mate was a fireball!

Clothes were torn and pushed aside, mouths fused and only parting to catch a breath, and Bruno used his hands to strip and caress every damn inch of his peaches-and-cream mate. He snagged the lube from the drawer of the right bedside table.

The wizard kissed him and pulled Bruno down on top of him. Need and lust slammed into Bruno. Gargoyles were very sexual creatures. They had a high sex drive and a lot of energy, and with a mate, their sex drive increased. Some theorized it was a bond or connection pull that their needs increased even more, while others said that mates were so much more attractive to them than any others and skyrocketed an already high sex drive.

Bruno really didn’t give a shit. He wanted, he needed, and was consumed with touching and mapping every inch of this delectable little powerful creature that was his. Easily he stripped off any remaining clothes from both of them and took his mate’s peach-colored lips fiercely as he spread Jay’s legs wide so Bruno could get between them. Jay responded with the same level of passion, his moans loud and demands explicit. With their mouths fused together and Jay’s hands holding Bruno’s short hair, clutching, he flicked the lid of the lube and made sure he used very liberal amounts on his fingers and between Jay’s ass cheeks.

His little fireball tossed his head back and moaned loudly the moment Bruno gripped his cock and squeezed, his legs rising to rest his ankles on Bruno’s waist and opening himself for more.

Rubbing the tight muscle of his mate’s hole, Bruno removed his other hand from Jay’s cock and licked and kissed his man’s throat and chest, nipping and sucking his little peach-colored nipples as he pressed inside and wiggled his finger.

The smell of seed filled the air. Bruno smiled, pleased, and moved down his mate’s lovely slender body and took his mate into his mouth, savouring the taste of sweet come.

“Oh Lord, more, so much more.” Jay panted.

“Da, lots more, my delectable wizard.”

Bruno set about showing just how much more pleasure Jay could have. He licked the man’s cock and balls, nibbled his thighs, and expertly played his hole as he stretched. By the time Jay was overstimulated and hoarse from crying out, Bruno was removing four fingers and swiftly turned Jay onto his stomach and lifted his hips. Jay complied, his head resting on the bed, hands gripping the bedsheets.

There had been enough playing. Now he was taking and bringing them both more pleasure. He sunk into his mate’s hole, Jay’s channel gripping so tightly Bruno snarled, holding back from exploding when only just a few inches inside. Growling, he thrust forward, driving himself deep, then withdrawing and snapping his hips and diving back in to the hilt. His fangs were down. The need to claim and mark was riding him, but he didn’t give in, thrusting deeper, faster, snapping in and out, gripping one slender hip, and grabbing the back of Jay’s neck and holding him still for the taking.

“Oh fuck, yes! Give me everything, make me yours—ahh, damn…yes, yes, please, please, I beg you, my gargoyle.”

Pleased, he covered his mate with his body and took his ass with all the needs and desires that burned through him. It was too quick, his mate’s tight ass convulsing around Bruno’s cock as the wizard came, his satiny skin flushed and sweaty, hands gripping the bed so tight the knuckles were white. Then the wizard was claiming and bonding them together, merging as Jay’s kind termed it. Magic and their spirits, their essences, surrounded them like a halo, glittering and dancing before sinking into them and merging their souls together. The feeling evoked and enhanced their emotions and triggered Bruno’s own orgasm. He let it rush through him, his body jerking as his cock spurted and balls rolled and emptied, and sexual bliss tingled and crashed through his body. As the last wave flowed he leant down and turned Jay’s head to the side as he sunk his fangs into his little fireball’s neck and claimed him.