By the Lake (Brave New World Book 3)

Chapter 10

I stared back at him for several seconds before I snickered.

Then I started laughing.

"Me? Your blessing from the Gods? Oh, aren't you sweet!" He growled at my laughter, so I turned it down a notch. "I'm amazing like that, yes. The Gods themselves created me for you, my tiger." More snickering.

The hold of his tail around my ankle tightened. "You and I are one soul, my Dei-dre. Split apart long ago, now together again by the Gods' blessing."

I shook my head, a broad smile on my face. "I'm half-human, tiger. Hate to bring it to you, but that means I can only be half of the other half of your soul."

"You joke," he spoke with a tone even more serious than before. "Fine. But you are mine, and I am yours. I am not letting you go."

So possessive after a single moss interaction... He was a she-elf's dream. My dream.

I patted his chest. "I have no problem with staying right here, tiger. But maybe you should open your wings so that we can actually keep watch, like we're supposed to?"

"My wings folded upon recognizing you as part of me. You must touch to open them."

I raised an eyebrow at him, still so very amused in addition to happy and completely pleased. "So that's how you gargoyles recognize your mates? Through a moss interaction? Ain't that convenient."

"I knew before we reached ecstasy together, Dei-dre. Your scent called to me from the start."

"Yeah?"

"When you took my scent in and approved of it, I knew without doubt."

"Huh."

"That is why I claimed you in the position pure gargoyles finish a mating. To see you and you, me as the mating bond came to be." A satisfied grunt left him. "It was exactly as I'd dreamed it would be. The only thing missing were your wings, to spread in ecstasy as I spread mine."

"That's quite romantic, tiger." I smiled, not being sarcastic at all, and pulled his face in for a kiss.

As idiotic as his beliefs were, I knew I couldn't convince him they were idiotic. So I didn't bother with that. I would enjoy the moment, and I would bask in the feeling of being treasured.

"Touch my wings, my Dei-dre," he said once we broke the kiss for air. "We're vulnerable like this."

I extended my arms and run my knuckles down the length of his wings, to protect the soft membranes from my claws. I smiled playfully when I felt him spring back to life inside me at that single touch.

As soon as his wings withdrew, we both took in our surroundings. No danger was heading our way.

Our gazes met.

We both moved simultaneously. Our lips collided, and he pushed me down onto my back. Or was it I who pulled him down until his body covered mine?

In either case, my hair made sure no dry pine needles would bother my skin. He bent over me, his wings partially spread behind him as if to shield us both.

If he took me again now, I would surely be sore tomorrow. So sweetly sore that I would be remembering this moment with every step I took.

I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him deeper inside me, and tugged him down for more kisses.

He rumbled from deep within his chest and once again his tail found my ankle.

"Go, tiger!"

He grunted in full approval and–