A tear slipped down my cheek, and I ran my thumb across his stubble. “Mate.”
“Your beast has chosen. Shall we…consummate the pairing?”
“Is that how it goes?”
“I honestly have no idea. That’s not something I ever wanted to ask my brother.”
I laughed as he walked me back to the bed, and then that thing down deep—my gargoyle—growled for him. I craved him like I hadn’t craved anyone ever in my life.
“Austin—”
I didn’t need to say anything more. He settled between my legs and found my center, entering me slowly but quickly speeding up. I clutched his back, swiveling my hips up to meet him. Our bodies clashed together again and again, the bed rocking beneath us. Our fevered breathing filling the room. Magic flowered and rolled around us, vibrated between us, sank down deep.
I groaned, pushed higher. Striving harder. Filled over and over, not able to get enough but almost too much. Too hard. Too good. Too—
I cried out with the release, shaking beneath him. He quaked above me, digging his face into my neck, nipping me softly.
“Why didn’t you fight earlier?” he asked as he slowly plunged into me, starting up again. “Why didn’t you do any magic?”
“I realized who he was, and since I can only really do defensive spells or kill shots without my hands—nothing with finesse—I figured I’d wait for you. He wasn’t planning to kill me. I knew you’d reach me before anything happened.”
He swore softly and rammed into me, making me squeak in surprise and then moan in utter delight.
“There is a deep and primal…satisfaction in hearing that your mate knew you’d come for her. That she had no fear because she believed in your abilities. It’s…” He drew back and rammed into me again. “This is damned bad timing for the bond to click into place.” I groaned, tightening around him. “Focus is going to be hard to come by.”
“Hmm.” My eyes fluttered shut, my body on fire, his ministrations sending me to the next level.
He chuckled darkly and worked faster. I held on for dear life.
“My mate,” he said softly, and I shattered.
This time around, I knew I was doing it right. I loved myself, and I loved him, and I loved us together. We were two individuals who were more together than the sum of our parts. It was the kind of love I’d always wanted. He wasn’t a perfect man, but he was perfect for me.
The journey leading here had been long, but I’d learned so much from it, and from the mistakes I’d made along the way. I’d found myself. And now I could share myself with another, and delight in him sharing himself with me.
Mr. Tom felt goosebumps as a pulse of power lightly concussed the air. Nathanial shifted in his seat. Ulric uncrossed his left ankle from his knee and shifted to the opposite configuration, right over left. Jasper paced in the back by the kitchen. Edgar sat in the corner, doggedly working on the latest monstrosity of a doily.
“Why are ye all so jumpy?” Niamh asked, flicking through a magazine on the couch. “Ye got fleas?”
“The female gargoyle has found her mate,” Mr. Tom said, turning a page in the book he was looking at but not necessarily reading. Those pulses from the miss were messing with his focus. “Would’ve been nice if she’d chosen an alpha gargoyle, or even looked around a little more before settling on someone, but alas, we’ll take what we can get.”
“Why is that making yis so jumpy?” Niamh stopped flicking pages. “Ye knew she was going to settle on him. It’s the best thing she could’ve done, really. Ivy House agrees that he’s the best bet for her protection, or didn’t ye notice that he was given the number one spot?” She turned a page. “Ye can see the number one spot, can’t ye? From all the way over at number nine?”
“Big words from someone who keeps sliding down in the order of importance,” he replied.
“Don’t ye worry.” She flicked a page, not looking down at it. “Ye’ll act as a doorstop.”
“What’s happening doesn’t really translate to modern times,” Ulric said, clasping his fingers.
Kace walked out of the archway leading to the rooms. Everyone else was holed up in their little cells, taking a break after their impromptu battle and the flash burning party that had followed it. Cyra had tried to make the massacre look like an accident, only her pyrotechnics had made it look like arson. They’d decided to give up and flee, especially since they weren’t sure they’d found all the pieces of Chambers after Broken Sue was done with him. It hadn’t been a pretty scene.
“You all talking about them mating?” Kace asked, heading straight for the fridge. The shifters all ate like they had holes in their stomachs. “This isn’t a great place to do it—not that they had much choice.”