A crumbling castle was the last place Max expected to find his mate.
Maximus, the Huzza of the Cuchulian gargoyle tribe, walked into a trap. He’d planned to get information from a demon, instead, he was attacked, poisoned, and beaten. A clan-mate, arriving late to the supposed meeting, steps in and gives Max the opportunity to flee. Disoriented and only semi-conscious, he loses his way and collapses in a desolate courtyard of a ruined castle. Upon waking, Max discovers the incident may have been the best thing to ever happen to him, because hiding deep within the collapsing building, away from the prying eyes of society, he finds his mate. Now Max just needs to figure out how to claim a chimera snake shifter who’s lost all hope in others.
She placed a plate of sandwiches on the table along with several glasses and a pitcher of orange juice. The door opened and Max strode into the room, a towel wrapped low around his hips. He’d removed the cloth binding his ribs, showing off a hairless chest and impressive six-pack. Narcissus’s urge to trail her fingers over the man’s ridges, discover all his muscle’s dips and valleys, returned in full force. Looking away from the glistening skin and its temptation, she pointed at a chair and took one opposite.
“I hope you don’t mind venison sandwiches.” Max focused his grin on her, making her knees weak. Good thing she was already sitting down!
“Anything is just fine. It’s been over twenty-four hours since I’ve eaten.”
Narcissus took a bite of her sandwich, trying to decide how to pry information out of him. To her surprise, she didn’t have to. After swallowing, Max said, “I told you I was ambushed. I received a message from a demon. Well, I thought it was from a demon. He said he had information about members of a dispersed tribe me and my clan are trying to find. I wasn’t paying enough attention to my surroundings and was ambushed.”
Max shook his head, “God, what a juvenile mistake.” After several silent seconds berating himself and another bite of his sandwich, he continued. “Another member of my clan, Tyron, he’s our doctor, arrived a few minutes later. If not for him, I may be dead,” he mused. “I owe him a life debt. He gave me the opportunity to fly away before passing out from my injuries.”
“Fly? Clan?” Narcissus couldn’t help latching onto the words. “What do you mean?”
Max beamed another grin at her and reached across the table. He clasped her hand, drawing lazy circles across her knuckles with his thumb. “I’m a gargoyle, beautiful. I even have the wings to prove it.” He winked, seeing her disbelieving look.
“But you look like a human!” Narcissus felt her cheeks heat. The lazy circles he drew on her hand made it hard to think. Her pulse sped up and tingles of awareness traveled from where Max caressed, up her arm, to her breasts. She felt her nipples harden and her womb clench.
Max gave her a knowing look, as if he knew what his touch did to her. “You’re thinking of a gargoyle’s battle mode.” He rose from his chair and moved around the table toward her, never releasing her hand. “Leather skin, talons, claws, horns, wings.” Using the hand he held, Max pulled Narcissus to her feet and into his arms. “Although we can unfurl our wings whenever we want.”
Narcissus stared up at Max in shock. Her body burned everywhere he touched her. She could feel her pussy clench, juice soaking into her underwear, readying itself for Max’s cock. Her breathing hitched, not understanding why she reacted this way to him.
“What are you doing?” Narcissus barely recognized her voice for the breathy quality.
“Seducing you,” Max whispered right before his lips found hers.
