Chapter 10

Beck was glad he hadn't taken a swallow of beer, or he'd probably have choked. Setting the bottle down on the end table, he gave Lydia his full attention. "Was it self-defense?"

"Not exactly."

"Okay. Start at the beginning and tell me everything." Beck relaxed into the sofa, doing his best to keep his face passive as she launched into how Sebastian had found his mate while looking for property in West Virginia. The Alpha of Dakota's pack wanted her for his mate, which caused a war between the male and Sebastian. When Lydia got to the battle between the wolves and Sebastian's followers, she set her bottle down and shook out her hands. Beck wanted to go to her, but she ended up pacing the small room, and he let her be.

"We were raised as fighters. Protectors. My job was to protect my new Queen." Lydia relayed how Gargoyles, Gryphons, and wolf shifters faced down Dakota's old pack. Her details were so vivid, Beck could see it in his mind. "Sebastian and Kingston were fighting, and most everyone had stopped to watch. Anthony yelled for Dakota to watch out. Tessa and I were guarding Dakota. I turned at Anthony's warning, and one of the females from the Bridgewater pack had shifted and was in mid-air as I spun. She…" Lydia twisted the bracelets on her wrist.

"She?" Beck urged after several seconds of silence.

Lydia's eyes filled with tears. "Tinsley landed on my sword. I didn't mean to kill her."

Beck couldn't stand it any longer. He rose and pulled his female into his arms. "I'm sure you didn't, but it was your job to protect Dakota, and that's what you did. What you had trained your whole life to do. They say first kills are the hardest, but I would say any kill for you would be difficult." Beck brushed her hair off her face, then kissed Lydia's forehead. "My soft-hearted warrior."

"You don't… Aren't you… disgusted?"

"No, Sugar. I have no negative thoughts where you're concerned. Do I hate that this hurts your heart? Yes. I've seen one-ton polar bear shifters break down after their first kill. In my pack, killing not only means power, but it's also necessary for survival. I hope you never have to end another life, but now that you have? It means you have what it takes to protect those important to you. But just so you know? As soon as we take care of shit with my family, you and I are going to West Virginia, and I'm going to teach this Sloane fucker a lesson."

Lydia patted Beck's chest. "Too late. My dad ripped his heart out. Literally."

Beck grinned. "Fucking fierce, the lot of ya. And I will be proud to stand alongside you in any future battles. No, strike that. You can stand on the sidelines looking pretty while I rip our enemies to shreds."

"Pretty, huh?"

"Did I say pretty? I meant stunning. And if you have no more confessions, I'd be honored if you would claim me as your mate."

"Really? Are you sure? We haven't known each other long, and this isn't like in your pack, Beck. This is a several centuries commit—" Beck kissed Lydia, not giving her a chance to finish questioning his intentions. He angled his head and used lots of tongue. His female's mouth was everything he'd never had in a kiss. Now he knew why. Every female before Lydia had been nothing more than a placeholder. Someone to slake a basic need with. Even Heather. Beck snaked his hands around her back, slid them down to her fine ass, and lifted. Lydia wrapped her long legs around his waist, and Beck stumbled toward the bedroom. Not because she was heavy, but because he was eager to get her naked.

Thankful he wasn't a slob, Beck lowered Lydia to her feet when they were inside his small room. He reached behind his head and tugged his henley off, dropping it to the floor. Lydia stepped closer and placed her palms over his pecs, her thumbs rubbing through the sparse, blond hair. He held still, allowing her to take the lead.

"I have another confession." Lydia licked her lips, her eyes trained on her hands.

Beck pushed her hair off her shoulder, then cupped her nape. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

"I don't have a lot of experience. I'm not saying I've never… Gods, this is hard. Some Gargoyles don't find their mates for hundreds of years. I—"

Beck placed his fingers against her lips. "I don't care, Sugar. Whether you're a virgin or if you've had several partners, that doesn't matter. This is about you and me. What's in the past is just that, yeah?"

"Yeah, okay. Sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for. I said I was ready for us to claim one another, but I didn't ask if you are. We can slow things down if you need more time."

Lydia's fingertips swirled designs across his chest. Goosebumps pebbled his skin, and his dick thickened in his jeans. The feather soft touch was nearly as potent as if she'd palmed his erection.

"I don't need more time if you don't. I want you, but I want to know you're certain about us being mates."

"Why would I hesitate? What you're offering is something I've dreamed about. Knowing the fates chose me for you is hard to wrap my head around because I've never thought of myself as anything special. But I must have some redeeming qualities, right?"

Lydia moved her palms to his cheeks. "Whatever the reason the fates chose you, I'm grateful." She pulled his head down for another kiss. Beck slid his hands beneath her shirt and splayed his fingers across her back. He unfastened her bra, and Lydia hummed against his lips. He took that as permission to explore further. Beck gripped the hem of her shirt and lifted it. They had to break the kiss to get the garment off. He tossed it in the vicinity of his own shirt, then slid the straps of her bra down her arms. Beck palmed both breasts, rolling her nipples.

"Beck," she husked.

"Tell me what you want."

Lydia unbuttoned his jeans, but before she lowered the zipper, she paused. "We probably want to take our boots off before this becomes a comedy sketch."

Beck laughed. He had never found humor when getting ready to have sex. Hell, he rarely found humor in anything lately. They stepped apart and removed their boots, and Lydia undid her jeans and took them off, leaving a pair of silk panties covering the part of her he desperately wanted to see. Not just see. No, Beck wanted to smell and taste. He wanted to slide his aching cock there.

"Beck?" Lydia crossed her arms over her chest.

"Sorry. I was admiring the view." He made quick work of his own jeans, taking his briefs down with them. He yanked off his socks, and once he was standing naked in front of her, Beck kept his arms at his sides, allowing her to look her fill. "This is me." He wasn't ashamed of his body even though he wasn't cut. He enjoyed food and beer, so his stomach wasn't flat. Beck turned so she could see all of him.

Lydia ran her fingers over his back, touching the one scar that shifting hadn't healed. "I want to know what happened here, but that can wait." She pressed a kiss between his shoulder blades, then urged him to turn back around. She touched both of his tattoos but didn't ask the meaning. She had her own ink – two crossed swords with three stars – above her heart, plus a daisy on her middle finger. Lydia slid her thumbs into the band of her panties, but he halted the movement. "Leave them."

Beck dropped to his knees. With his hands on her hips, he dipped his head to her mound and inhaled. Nirvana. His bear rumbled in his chest as he slid his fingers lower, the fabric damp. "Are you fond of these panties?"

"What?"

"Are you going to be upset if I do this?" Beck gripped the thin fabric and ripped it down the front, exposing her curls. "I'll buy you another pair." He removed the ruined underwear, then placed his hands on her thighs, sliding higher until he got to her pussy. He used his thumbs to pull her lips apart. Beck licked her folds up to her clit. The wetness coated his tongue, and he wanted more of it. "Sit on the bed." When she did as instructed, Beck urged Lydia to lie back, and he eased her thighs apart. Beck considered himself a generous lover. He made sure his partner got off before he chased his own orgasm. He slid his finger inside as he made love to her clit with his mouth. It would take more than one night, or afternoon in this case, to learn how to drive her wild, but he used what he'd learned from past trysts to bring his mate pleasure. It didn't take long before she was writhing against his mouth with her hands tugging his hair. Her release flowed against his tongue, and Beck didn't waste a drop of her tangy liquid. Never had anything tasted so divine. He didn't bother wiping his mouth. Beck stood and helped Lydia scoot up on the bed. He admired her naked form a few seconds before climbing between her legs.

"You sure about this?" he asked.

Lydia's eyes had that half-closed sated gaze when she nodded. "More than." She pulled her knees back, and when Beck lined himself up with her damp opening, she wrapped her feet around his butt and pulled. Message received.

Beck's cock wasn't that long, but it had plenty of girth, so he took it slow. She was tight around him, and as soon as he was seated all the way, he paused, giving her a chance to get used to being full. She latched onto his thighs, her bangles tinkling when they slid down her arms. Her nails scraped his skin as she squeezed her inner walls. Beck groaned as he pulled out to the tip and eased back in. It felt too good, and it was then he realized why.

"I forgot to grab a condom."

Lydia dug her nails in. "I'm on birth control, so please don't stop. We have the rest of our lives for slow and gentle, but this time, I need you to claim me, Beck. Please."

"As you wish." Beck placed his arms beneath her knees, lifting her ass in the process. He drove into his mate, and her breathy moans were all he needed to know he wasn't hurting her. Beck set up a quick pace, and Lydia slid one hand to her clit and the other to one of her nipples. Goddess, she was sexy, getting herself off as he thrust into her core. "Tell me when you're close." He wanted her on the verge of climax when he claimed her.

"Let me have my legs." Beck lowered them, and Lydia planted her feet against the bed and shoved against him with each thrust. She moved her hair to one side, giving him clear access to her neck. Her fangs descended, and Beck almost came at the sight. He allowed his to elongate enough to claim her.

"I'm right there. Bite me, Beck. Claim me."

"At the same time, yeah?"

Lydia smiled around her sharp teeth. "Yeah."

If Beck lived to be a thousand, he would never again feel as alive as he did when Lydia struck. He couldn't have stopped his orgasm if he tried. Nor could he hold back the growl from his bear as he sank his fangs into her neck. Lydia's blood tasted as sweet as the honey between her legs. Her body tightened around his cock as she found her release for a second time. His neck tingled with the toxin from her Gargoyle that tied them together. He licked her neck, closing the punctures, then he pressed a kiss to that sacred spot she would carry with her, marking her as his mate. Her legs wrapped around his thighs, and her fingers carded his damp hair. When she sighed heavily, he raised his head, worried he had hurt her.

Her smile told him otherwise. "Hello, Mate," she said in a cheesy Australian accent.

Beck burst out laughing, and Lydia joined in. He kissed her smile. Then he kissed her nose, her cheeks, her eyelids, and finally, her forehead. "Goddess, you're something else. And now, you're all mine."

"Yes, I am. That was…" Lydia's eyes misted over, but she was smiling.

"Yeah, it was." Beck stared at her beautiful face. The same face he would get to wake up to every day for the rest of his life. His bear and his cock were ready for round two. "Now that we've completed the bond, how about we try slow and gentle?"

"I'd like that."

For the first time in his life, Beck made love to a female. His female. They locked eyes, which was another thing he'd never done while having sex. But this wasn't merely sex; this was being connected, body and soul, to another being. His bear was content even as it rumbled. It was as though his spirit was connecting with hers. Maybe their beasts were becoming as entwined as he and Lydia were. No words were needed as they touched and teased, moved as one unit. His orgasm was intense but nowhere near how it exploded when she bit him. Maybe he would ask her to use her fangs again.

Beck rolled off his mate to his back, bringing her to his side. He had slept with Heather, but they never cuddled. Hell, they'd never made love. Sex had been just that. Now he knew why. When Lydia snuggled into him, he wrapped his arm around her waist and trailed his fingers down her silky skin. All females were soft, but Lydia's skin seemed smoother. Maybe it was a Gargoyle thing. Whatever the reason, Beck enjoyed it.

Beck's phone rang, but he ignored it. If it was important, whoever it was would call back.

"Do you need to get that?"

Beck nuzzled Lydia's hair. "Nope. There is nothing more important than you and me right now."

"Not even your mother?"

Beck hesitated to tell Lydia the truth, but they were mates. He should be able to be honest. "I love Amara, but our relationship isn't like what you have with your parents. Even if she weren't my Queen, it would be the same. Because I'm a male, I'm disposable. When I move to Atlanta, or wherever we end up, she won't miss me."

Lydia raised her head. "You'd move to the South?"

"I would with no hesitation. My bear won't care for the heat, but it's not like there isn't winter there. Besides, you said your mission is to find other shifters, so I figured we'd be traveling a bit, and maybe during our travels we'll visit some colder climates."

"Gods, you really are perfect."

"Nah. Far from it, but maybe I'm perfect for you."

"That you are, or the fates wouldn't have put us together."

Beck's phone rang again. Lydia scooted off the bed and retrieved it from his jeans. "You check this while I pee."

Beck took the phone, but instead of answering, he admired his mate's body while she strolled to the bathroom. Lydia didn't close the door, but Beck rolled to his back, offering her a bit of privacy. The number was unlisted, and whoever it was didn't leave a voicemail, so he turned the ringer off and placed it on the nightstand. When his mate returned, she straddled his waist, placing her hands on his chest. The ever-present bracelets jangled against her skin.

Beck touched the ones on her right wrist. "Do you ever take these off?"

"I can if they bother you, but I'd rather not."

"Were they a gift or something?"

Lydia bit her bottom lip, staring into his eyes. "Or something." She leaned back, held out her arm, and after muttering something under her breath, a dagger appeared in her hand.

"Holy shit." Beck blinked, not believing his eyes. "How did you do that?"

"Magic." She whispered again, and the dagger was no longer there, but the bracelets were back. "Luna and Solara, those witches I know? Their mother, Lilly, hid her wand as a bracelet, and she taught the twins how to do the same. Luna took it a step further since we can't very well walk around with swords strapped to our backs without someone questioning us. I mentioned the male Gargoyles having impenetrable skin. The only way to kill them is decapitation or some rare poisons. We grew up around swords and trained with them from a young age. While I can wield a sword, I prefer smaller, less cumbersome weapons." She whispered a strange word, and she held a sai. Lydia twirled it around her fingers, flipped it in the air, and caught it without looking. In the next instant, it was gone.

Beck surged forward and twisted, pinning Lydia beneath him. He feathered a kiss against her lips. "You're amazing." And for the third time, he showed her exactly how amazing he found her.