STORY EXCERPT

Berk Surkov saw his mate the moment his gaze swept over the area near the author tables in the convention center and though he wanted to rush over and announce the human was his mate, he didn’t. He stepped off to the side out of the way of the crowds and watched, intrigued.

Berk found he really enjoyed watching his mate. Ignacio wasn’t graceful and light on his feet, and he laughed too loud some would think, but Berk liked these character traits of his mate.

He also noticed Iggy was very casually dressed compared to just about everyone here, the other authors who were signing and chatting to those lined up at their tables were wearing tuxedos, suits and evening gowns. Iggy’s style had Berk grinning. Socially, Ignacio moved to his very own drum. Berk really liked this about his mate and moved into Iggy’s line.

By the time he made it to the table half an hour had passed. He could have been impatient and stormed through to the front, but by waiting he was able to listen to his mate talk, and man, that southern drawl was a turn on!

Iggy was just taking a sip of water when the person in front of Berk took his signed autograph with a code to download a free copy of Iggy’s latest book. Berk stepped forward and Iggy’s light brown eyes, that matched his hair exactly, widened almost comically.

The glass jerked, and water spilt, Iggy swearing. Before the water could splash over the stack of postcards on the table and ruin them, Berk flicked his finger.

The water immediately stopped and reversed, smoothly sliding back into the glass.

“Man, that’s some trick!” Iggy stood and placed the glass on the table. He looked up at Berk and smiled, revealing a small, cute gap between his two front teeth and a crooked bottom tooth. The man was so real, so vibrant. He slowed Berk’s thinking and relaxed him. Except for the need to claim, that just revved up a few notches. “Or gift. Reversing? Returning?”

“Reversing is an apt term.” Berk smiled. “I am Berk Surkov. I would like an autograph, and a copy of your book, Ignacio.”

Iggy kept right on smiling and nodded. “I wondered when you’d make it over here. I didn’t notice you in line though, it was a fairly big crowd and I like to pay attention to the person right there in front of me, ya know?”

“You were waiting for me?” Berk sniffed closer to Iggy.

Gargoyles had heightened senses like all paranormals, well, nearly all, but their sense of smell was even stronger than most. He had scented human. Ignacio was human. There was a smidge of creature biology floating through the man’s veins, but that was very normal.

“Yep. You’re my mate, right?”

“What?” Berk stopped trying to identify the smidge of paranormal DNA in his mate and stared at the human, dumbfounded.

“You’re not? Well, damn, that’s disappointing. I was just getting used to the idea. Well, sorry about that, cher—"

“I am your mate,” Berk quickly interrupted. “But I had not told you. How did you know?”

He sniffed again, and this caused Iggy to sniff the sleeve of his cardigan.

“Nope, I smell like cactus still.”

Berk knew he was frowning but couldn’t help it. His mate did smell like some type of plant product, so it could be cactus.

“I—"

“She told me.” Iggy pointed to a tall wolf shifter. Then a group of creatures all watching them avidly. “And a few of them congratulated me. So, what happens now?”

Damn. Milson Valley was gossip central! Everything spread within a few seconds of being found out! Berk hadn’t even had time to tell his own mate they were mates!

“I did not want to spring us being mates on you,” Berk said. Now it sounded lame.

“I get that. I saw you watching. You were figuring things out. I like to watch, too, because I learn a lot that way.” He grimaced. “I like to watch, but not in a creepy sit-in-the-corner-jerking-off kinda way, ya know? Anyway, you want a copy of my book? Maybe you’re more into films or just action. Tris and Ran said you’re a pilot—man, it’d be awesome if I’m on my skateboard and you’re in that whirlybird in the sky, and you pull me along. I could get a lot of speed up.”

Berk envisaged doing that and agreed it would be a cool stunt. Then the rational side of his brain reminded this was his mate, not a buddy.

“Slow your roll, mate.” Berk made a rolling motion with his hand to catch his mate’s attention.

“Sure.”

“Yes, I am your mate. Yes, I like to observe, or watch, briefly on occasion and I understand you are not being creepy.” Berk was more a leap in and do kinda of gargoyle than the planning the next move type. He’d only watched tonight because he would like to have gotten to know Iggy before springing the mate situation on the man. Looked like Berk had a lot to learn about his mate. “Yes, I like action, as you say, but I also like to read.” Mostly manuals and reports, very occasionally a novel. “I am a pilot and no, I will definitely not be pulling you along while you are on your skateboard and I am in my whirlybird. Now.” Berk watched Iggy shrug and smile. “I would like to get you a drink and we can get to know each other.”

Iggy had been staring at Berk’s chest, but now his eyes flew up to Berk’s face. “We could do that. I have another ten minutes, then we could go to the bar and pull up a stool. Tristian did tell me they mostly only have imported beers, and I grew up with a taste for home still, ya know? I tried champagne once and was puking for three hours, and wine tastes like—"

Berk tuned out. Maybe if he grabbed the man and kissed him, that’d stop Ignacio’s constant stream of chatter, but Berk was beginning to doubt if anything would! And for a gargoyle who jumped out of helicopters without the use of his wings and no parachute, the amount of panic he suddenly experienced was more than reasonable, he felt, when faced with Ignacio Hebert, his mate.

ADULT EXCERPT

Iggy’s thoughts fled as Berk’s lips covered his. It was like earlier at the convention center. Their lips touched, they touched, and nothing around them was seen or heard for Iggy. This time he used his left hand to tug Berk down further while his right hand tried to find an opening in the clothes the gargoyle wore.

That appeared to be an impossibility, Iggy murmuring a curse word that interrupted their hot kiss.

“It is no wonder you are hot, Ignacio. You are wearing a thermal top and two sweaters.” Berk tugged one up and over Iggy’s head, forcing him to let go of his gargoyle.

“My heater isn’t working. But I don’t need it to anymore, you’re hotter than any heater ever would be.” Iggy’s hands roamed the solid chest and narrow waist in front of him. Again, he was frustrated. “Couillon! How does this top come off!”

Berk slipped his right hand to his left side and with a flick of his fingers the skin tight long sleeved top hung open. Later Iggy was going to figure the top out. It was pretty snazzy and probably used for protection in a fight. He could incorporate that into one of his stories.

Right now, though, he needed to put his hands all over his lover’s body.

Berk had his own plans and without any effort, not even a grunt and straining arms, he plucked Iggy up and carried him through the small living room to the even smaller bedroom. Between almost frantic kisses and touching, they managed to remove their clothes and move to the bed, their bodies hot and pressed together, cocks rubbing against each other and causing Iggy to leak profusely. He was hot and ached with desires and needs that were so strong he felt primal. Berk swept Iggy’s long, straight brown hair from his face and took his lips fiercely. There was no aggressive demand for submission or control, it was all about their mutual need of one another.

Iggy touched as much of Berk as he could reach as they lay on their sides facing each other, legs tangled together, groins moving against each other, their bodies completely in sync. He loved Berk’s well-toned and muscular stomach and hips, gliding his hands over skin that was warm and smooth, but had a texture that was more leathery than his own. He found every indent, every groove and pressed his tongue and lips over ridges and down to the large cock that looked delectable.

Iggy scrambled down further on the bed and took Berk’s cock into his mouth, sweeping hair back out of the way. Berk groaned and carefully grabbed a fistful of Iggy’s hair and slowly wrapped the long, thick mass around his wrist as Iggy took as much of his mate into his mouth as he could.

Berk mumbled in a language Iggy didn’t understand but sounded hot, encouraging him to suck firmer as he used his tongue to sweep up droplets of pre-cum and play with the sensitive nerves just under the mushroom head.

The cock in his mouth swelled, but instead of encouraging Iggy to bring him to completion, Berk gently used the hold he had on Iggy’s hair to stop him.

“I want to be inside you when I come this first time.” Berk growled. “Come up here, I want your lips.”

Oui, Iggy loved kissing his man. He released Berk’s cock and let his mate pull him up the bed and take his mouth.

Reaching out, Iggy retrieved the lube from beneath his pillow and flicked the lid with one hand. He was an expert at it. He knew how to take care of his own needs when he was with a partner, and by himself. Dribbling lube over his fingers, he reached behind himself and between his ass cheeks.

Berk grunted, their kisses becoming more heated, the gargoyle nipping at Iggy’s bottom lip then soothing with a glide of his tongue before his lips covered Iggy’s and tongue thrust inside.

At the same time, Berk’s fingers joined Iggy’s between his cheeks and shared the lube, spreading it over his hole and rubbing lightly. Iggy groaned, Berk latching onto his tongue and sucking as one long finger breached him and sunk inside. Iggy pressed closer and took over their kisses, heating up further, his body so close to the edge already.

Berk moved his finger in and out before wiggling another inside Iggy. Removing his own hand, he wiped his fingers on the sheet and had a brief thought to remember to wash his linens before wrapping a leg around Berk’s slim hips and opening himself more. Berk took that as the encouragement it was and stretched Iggy quickly.

He loved being stretched. He especially loved how Berk’s long slender fingers glided over every nerve and played them, how at the same time his other hand had a firm grip on both their cocks and was jacking them off. With another finger added to his channel, and then another, Iggy was groaning and thrusting.

“Now, now, Berk.”

With swift, very efficient moves, Berk’s fingers were gone from Iggy’s ass, the hand on his cock was removed and he was spun up and around by strong, sure hands. It was exhilarating. As his back was pressed tight against Berk’s front, Iggy tossed a leg over his mate’s thigh and got as close as possible.

“You are unlike anyone else, Ignacio, my mate,” Berk whispered as his cock slid inside Iggy.

“You haven’t met my nineteen brothers and sisters, cher.”

Berk stilled, a hand on Iggy’s chest holding him close, another on his hip and cock just inside his ass. Iggy chuckled and pressed back, gasping as he took more of the man’s very nice, long cock deeper.

“Nineteen? Sakra! That is more than mine and my cousins! More than Vicus’s mate Deakin’s sprite family—nigh, he has more.”

“Yeah, and I didn’t include my cousins, second cousins, aunts, uncles—"

“Talk later.” Berk grunted and thrust, his cock sliding in, hands tightening their grip on Iggy’s body but not hurting.