Chapter Ten

Dante inspected his nude reflection in the full-length Cheval mirror in his and Amir's room. According to Amir, it was a valuable antique, and the Rosewood figural carvings were the best he'd ever seen. His mate was fascinated with the artwork and antiquities in the lair - which made sense given his background. Dante had to admit he'd always taken the objects for granted, but Amir's interest had now stoked his own. He planned to fill their new home with as many treasures as he could find, each one a token of his devotion to Amir.

A week had passed since the Rogues had breached the entrance to the lair, and he was completely recovered. At least he was in top shape physically. However, he found himself plagued by nightmares where he didn't arrive in time to save Amir. He'd never heard of a gargoyle having nightmares, but there they were, spilling into his dreams each night with vivid, terrifying clarity.

He frowned at his image, pushing the pesky thoughts of nightmares aside. The lair had been repaired from the attack—a true symbol of their resilience. In addition, several long-time, devoted Slayers were being transferred to the San Gabriel location. By the time the baby arrived, his services would no longer be required. Then, he and Amir could begin their new life together, a future filled with love and happiness.

The idea that he might've passed up the gift of his Fated One seemed ludicrous now that he'd bonded with Amir. He never wanted to return to his barren, lonely existence again.

Dante snatched the red, embroidered silk robe draped over the throne chair and wrapped it around himself. Tomorrow, he would take Amir to inspect their new wilderness home in Washington State. Dante planned to add several bells and whistles before he brought his family to live there permanently, but Amir was so excited he couldn't wait until then. Neither could Dante. Being stuck in the lair while he healed had been maddening, and poor Amir had been stuck underground for even longer.

The door swung open, and there was his sweet angel, strolling in with a happy smile and swollen belly. In one hand, he held a small plate of cheeses and grapes, his favorite goodies for the past few days. Before that, it was pretzels and peanut butter, which Amir had now declared were disgusting. Dante was having a hard time keeping up.

"Hello, gorgeous."

He leaned down to give Amir a quick kiss on the lips while Amir simultaneously chomped away. Amir hastily set the plate down on the nightstand then took a drink from the bottle of water he kept there.

"Sorry. I was so hungry."

Amir climbed on his tippy-toes and offered his mouth again. Dante chuckled, his heart swelling with affection for the man before him. He wrapped his arms around Amir"s waist, allowing their foreheads to touch.

"Don"t apologize, sweetheart. I"m glad you"re eating well."

He captured Amir's lips with his own, the kiss soft and lingering, their mouths a perfect harmony of give and take. Amir slipped his hand between the edges of where his robe split and slid his palm along Dante's chest. He deepened the kiss, savoring the taste of Amir. Whenever they shared moments like these, he would allow himself to become so engulfed in the sweetness of their love that the rest of the world would slip away.

Dante shivered from Amir's gentle touch, his caresses igniting a flame from within, a need so powerful that could only be satisfied by his beautiful mate. Their kisses became desperate, a promise of more. Amir climbed onto his lap, the signal he'd use to say what he wanted.

Amir wrapped his arms around Dante's neck before breaking their kiss. "Um, I was wondering…"

Dante caressed Amir's back then cupped his cute little butt as he waited for him to continue. Instead, his cheeks flushed scarlet.

"You were wondering?" Dante lifted his eyebrows.

"Have you ever, you know, done it in your gargoyle form?"

He'd wondered when that question might come up. The desire to take Amir while he was his true self had burned within him since the first time he'd had his sweet angel. But the fear that doing so would frighten his mate had kept him from suggesting they give it a try.

"Yes, whenever I've played around with a fellow Slayer. Humans tend to shy away from making it with an otherwordly beast, so I've refrained. However, with my mate…" He winked. "I could be persuaded. Is that something you want?"

Amir swallowed hard. "No claws, though."

He squirmed in Dante's lap, which made him groan. Amir's suggestion had him so hard he was sure his dick could cut diamonds.

"No claws, no real biting. Your thin skin couldn't withstand it." Sweat broke out on Dante's brow. "But there's something else that has always made gargoyle sex extra enticing. And now that your angel side is strengthening, I'm confident you can handle some enhanced love play."

Amir licked his lips, his hold tightening around Dante's neck. "What do you mean, enhanced?"

Dante favored him with a crooked smile. "Gargoyles do have tails, you know."

"Tails?" Amit tilted his head. "Why would…" His jaw dropped. "Oh my." He squirmed again.

Dante raked his fingers through Amir's curls then gripped them in his fist. "Think of it, my angel. My tail fucking you in place of my cock, stretching you wide. Is that what you want?"

Amir's lips parted, his eyes glazing over. "Yesss…" He blinked repeatedly. "Wait. There's the knob." His eyes went wide. "The spikes I've seen you use while fighting."

Dante wanted to kick his own ass. He was so drunk with his lust for Amir that he hadn't taken into consideration how little his mate knew of the gargoyle anatomy and how everything worked.

Dante cupped Amir's cheek. "Heavens, no. I'd never do anything that might hurt you."

Amir's shoulders eased. "I'm sorry, I'm not suggesting you would. It's just that I've seen what that tail can do in battle, and yikes."

"No, I'm sorry." He chuckled. "I wasn't thinking with the right head. Let me ask you, have you ever noticed my cock swinging free while fighting, my balls exposed to be shredded by my opponent?"

"Ow, stop." Amir winced. "I wasn't checking out your package while the threat of a gruesome death was hanging over me."

"Point taken. In the gargoyle, that part of our anatomy contracts and is safely tucked inside a cavity within our bodies. On the other hand, we have the ability to expand the knob, exposing the spikes."

"And that's controllable, right?"

"Absolutely." Dante caressed his cheek. "But I don't need to use my tail to enjoy making love with you. Everything about you turns me on."

"You turn me on so much, too." Amir gave him a hug, whispering in his ear. "Do you think the knob would fit inside me?"

Amir was going to kill him. He hadn't fucked as a gargoyle in over eighty years, not when he'd been avoiding fellow Slayers like the plague. But all this talk of using his tail was making him crazy.

"We…we can go slow, sweetheart. See how you're doing and stop if it's too much or you're repulsed by my gargoyle."

Amir gasped as he pulled back, his gaze boring into Dante. "I could never be repulsed by you. Ever."

Dante placed a quick kiss on the tip of Amir's nose. "That's very sweet of you. But my tail isn't the only part that's different. My skin won't be the same—it'll be rough, bumpy. Like hardened, pebbled leather. And the same way my eyes glow when I'm fighting, they'll blaze when I'm aroused." He cleared his throat. "Considering how hot you're making me right now, be prepared for insta glow."

"I already know all that. Not that I've touched you, but I know what you look like." He poked out his bottom lip. "Sort of."

"I don't understand." Dante tilted his head.

"Well, you know. The whole fear of death, my brain sort of shorting out." His eyes glistened. "And after you were hurt, all I could see was the blood, the wounds. I wasn't paying attention to anything else."

Dante rubbed small circles on Amir's back, his heart hurting over what his mate had suffered through. From the loss of his uncle, to being chased by an unknown evil, to fearing that the father of his child would be killed in front of him—he couldn't imagine any scenario where Amir would've been viewing his gargoyle through an amorous lens.

"My poor baby. That makes complete sense. Forgive me for being so clueless half the time? I'm still learning."

Amir stretched his neck and gave him a quick peck. "You're forgiven. Then you'll do it? You'll transform?" Amir smiled, his expression showing no fear or hesitation.

Dante pressed his lips together. "We can stop at any time."

Amir bounced, eliciting an even stronger groan from Dante than before. "Okay." He wiggled out of Dante's embrace and scrambled off his lap. "Let me grab the lube. Use lots of it so the knob will slide right in."

Dante rubbed his forehead, startled by how quickly Amir had embraced the idea. At the same time, he'd also noticed what a voracious appetite he'd had for sex over the past several days. Dante's original concern that he might be pawing at Amir too much was unnecessary.

Amir had already torn off his clothing, placed the lube by a pillow, and was in the process of yanking the covers down. He paused when he reached Dante.

"Could you stand up a sec? I need to get these out of the way."

He did as his mate asked, amused by how much Amir had shed his inhibitions. Amir next worked on happily stripping away Dante"s clothes, and he didn't have the heart to tell him it wasn't necessary, that they would disappear on their own. He found himself mesmerized by the man he"d fallen in love with—the Nephilim who was made only for him.

Once they were both nude, Amir took a step back and grinned. "Okay... I"m ready."

His voice held an excitement that eased Dante"s worry. He brushed the back of his hand across Amir's cheek then took a step back, giving himself room to complete the transformation.

Dante nodded, inhaling deeply. A tingling built at the base of his spine then moved fluidly through him like a ripple in water. His muscles stretched and bulged, his skin taking on a hard, pebbly texture. The shift took hold, enveloping him down to his bones. Dante's spine elongated, and his thick, muscular tail emerged. His fingers curled into talons while his teeth sharpened, and his wings sprouted from his back with a snap.

During the transformation, Dante kept his gaze locked with Amir, who watched the process unfold with wide and fascinated eyes. The undertones of fear Dante had half expected to see were absent, replaced instead by intense curiosity. Dante stood before his mate in his full gargoyle form then folded his wings against his back. However, his tail swished from side to side, his cock extending in eager anticipation

Amir stood still, staring up at him in awe. "You"re breathtaking," he breathed out in a soft whisper.

Dante's chest tightened, Amir's words easing the anxiety that his mate would forever see him as an abhorrent monster, an unholy thing that he'd reject, would run from.

"You're the one who's breathtaking, my angel," he said with a throaty growl.

Amir seemed startled by the sound, but he took a tentative step forward. Dante retracted his claws, extending a hand to Amir, who accepted the gesture. Amir's fingers were so small and delicate compared to his own massive hand.

"Your skin," Amir whispered, tracing a finger along Dante"s hardened forearm. "It"s so different, and yet... I find it amazing."

Warmth surged through Dante, his heart melting. His mate's acceptance of him—all of him—filled him with joy. He might have a tough exterior, but it hid a soft core he wasn't aware existed until Amir became a part of his life.

Amir tipped back his head, peering up at him through lust-addled eyes. "Touch me, Dante. I want to feel your hands all over my body, feel you everywhere."

He bent his head and kissed Amir"s exposed throat before dragging his rough tongue along the velvety, soft skin. Dante's senses were heightened, Amir's flesh tasting like the sweetest candy, his aura pulsing around him in shades of orange and red. He growled as Amir's heat imprinted against his own cool skin, and his tail flicked in anticipation.

Amir's pliant body shivered beneath his seeking touch, and Dante scooped him up in his arms, kissing him thoroughly before laying him on the bed. He grabbed the lube and popped open the cap.

"On your side." With Amir's more advanced pregnancy, lying on his belly would be too uncomfortable. Amir nodded shakily then did as Dante asked. "Now bend your top leg. That's it, baby."

He ran a calloused palm along Amir's thigh and over the curve of a tempting ass cheek. A low growl resounded in his chest. Too tempting. He clasped his hand around Amir's slim hip, holding him in place so he could feast on his hole. Oh, he'd use his tail too, would give Amir everything he'd requested, but he couldn't resist having a taste first.

Dante teased the rim, flicking his forked tongue over the wrinkled opening, utilizing both fleshy points to work him over. Amir gasped and struggled beneath Dante's grip, moans and whimpers falling from his lips. The ache in his core expanded, filling every part of him with a primal need.

He breached Amir's hole with one side of his tongue, fucking him with it while still taunting his rim with the other. Amir clutched the pillow, his fingers digging into the fabric, his cries increasing. He'd never tire of tasting Amir, touching, fucking, hearing his desperate pleas for more, smelling his arousal, and giving his beautiful mate the release he craved.

His tail slithered madly, curling around his body, seeking Amir as if it had a mind of its own. He kept tongue-fucking Amir while the end of his tail slowly caressed Amir's leg, the bulbous knob leading the way. With the spikes safely hidden away, the club-like feature was as pebbled and hard as the rest of Dante's skin. Every bumpy part of his tail would stimulate and torment Amir's ass.

But he had other plans first. Dante slipped his tail between Amir's thighs, undulating the thick appendage around his cock and gently squeezing.

Amir gasped. "Dante!"

Dante removed his tongue from Amir's ass then purred in his ear, "Too much?"

"N-no," Amir's breathing hitched. "Don't stop."

"Who am I to deny my angel?"

While his tail worked its magic on Amir's hard length, Dante reached for the lube. When he penetrated Amir's ass, he wanted him nice and slick. His hope was that Amir could handle the knob plugging him so Dante could bring them both to a climax with his tail seated in his passage.

Dante breached Amir's ass with a thick, rough finger, working the slick in his hole and getting him ready to accept the large, bumpy end of his tail. He added two more, stretching and probing while Amir impaled himself on Dante's fingers.

Once he was satisfied that he wouldn't hurt his mate, he removed his fingers from Amir's ass and stopped stroking his cock. Amir started to protest, but Dante quickly silenced him by crushing their mouths together. He swiped his forked tongue through Amir's mouth, tickling the roof with one side while wrapping the other around Amir's tongue.

As he took Amir's mouth over and over, he easily manipulated his mate's small body until they faced each other. They both kneeled, resting on their heels, Dante keeping Amir secure with his arm around Amir's waist, the disparity between Amir's slender frame and Dante's massive one more pronounced in gargoyle form.

Dante fisted both of their heated lengths with his still-slippery hand, stroking them slowly together. His tail slithered around Amir's body, caressing his back in time with Dante's tugs. He lifted Amir with the arm embracing him, his tail snaking its way into his crease, nudging his hole.

Amir tensed, and Dante broke the kiss. "I can still stop."

He shook his head. "No, I was just surprised. His face was flushed, his eyes hooded. "Please, I need this."

Dante nibbled the side of Amir's neck and continued stroking their cocks together. The knob of his tail circled Amir's opening, teasing, then pressed against the rim. Instead of recoiling as Dante had feared, Amir pushed back against the appendage, rocking against it, his tight hole stretching around Dante's knob.

With a rush, the knob slid inside Amir, Dante gasping at the sensation. The end of his tail wasn't as sensitive as his cockhead, but was still a major erogenous zone that heightened his pleasure. Dante gently moved his tail inside Amir, testing his reaction. Clearly, Amir was ready to take it all, throwing back his head, moaning and writhing as he rode the bumpy knob.

Dante let out a feral growl as his sac tightened, his fingers flying over their cocks, his tail fucking Amir deep and hard. His knob pulsed, and his body froze, every muscle locking as he roared out his release, warm cum erupting over his fingers. Amir made a strangled gasp, grabbing Dante's shoulders as he shot his seed, the sticky dew mixing in with Dante's.

Amir went limp, Dante supporting his sweaty body with both arms now. Their labored breathing gradually slowed, and Dante started to gently ease his tail from Amir's ass, but his mate clenched.

"No, not yet," Amir whispered against Dante's neck, his head resting on his shoulder. "It's like the knot, only better."

Dante chuckled. "Better?" He wasn't sure whether to take that as a compliment or a dig.

"Yeah. I like all those bumpy parts."

Dante smiled. His mate never ceased to amaze him.

"Should I assume you're interested in a repeat?"

Amir worked his ass around the knob, ripping a startled groan from Dante.

"Oh yeah," cooed Amir. "Many, many repeats."