Trill to Me Sweetly Paranormal love 1

by Charlie Richards

  A rumble that sounded suspiciously like a purr vibrated through Maelgwn’s chest. A rough palm cupped Bobby’s jaw and tilted his head. Firm lips pressed against his own, and Bobby quickly opened to the man’s questing tongue.

  He welcomed the appendage—one more long and slender than he’d think for a guy this size—into his mouth and sucked gently on it before tangling it with his own. When he delved his tongue into Maelgwn’s mouth, eager to taste the other man, for just a second, he thought he felt long, sharp canines.

  Then Maelgwn growled and ravished his mouth, taking control of the kiss. The lip-lock turned dominating, possessive, almost frenzied. With a groan, Maelgwn broke the kiss and turned Bobby’s head to face forward again. He tucked his face against Bobby’s neck and nibbled the damp skin where Bobby’s neck met shoulder.

  He let out a sigh and tilted his head, giving his new lover more access. Lifting a hand, Bobby threaded his fingers through Maelgwn’s thick hair and stroked his scalp softly. He didn’t find the end, so figured the man’s hair had to be at least beyond his shoulders.

  “Can I see you again?”

  Bobby smiled at Maelgwn’s whispered question, exceedingly pleased the sexy sounding and tasting man wanted to see him again. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

  “You work as an electrician, right? Are you available for dinner tomorrow?”

  Nodding, Bobby replied, “Yes. Where would you like to meet?”

  For just a second, Maelgwn hesitated. “Here again?” he finally asked.

  “Will I get to see you?”

  Again, Maelgwn paused before answering. “Is what I look like so important to you?”

  Bobby opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. Am I really that superficial? He wanted to cringe when he realized that he could definitely be labeled as shallow. All his past exes were good looking men. Maybe that was why they were selfcentered assholes.

  “No,” Bobby quickly answered when he felt the tension in the cords of Maelgwn’s neck increase. “If you’re selfconscious, I can wait until you’re ready.”

  The man’s voice was liquid sex, his hands were rough yet gentle, and he kissed like a fucking dream. If the guy was really as nice as he seemed, Maelgwn could be as plain as the day was long and Bobby wouldn’t care.

  “I’d just like you to get to know me first,” Maelgwn murmured.

  Bobby nodded. His date had said that before. Smiling, his eyes still closed, Bobby tilted his head toward Maelgwn and, grinning, tugged the thick lock he still fingered. “How long is your hair and what color is it?”

  At that Maelgwn actually chuckled. “It’s black and almost reaches my ass.”

  Humming his approval, Bobby murmured, “I can’t wait to see that. So sexy.”

  “I’m glad you think so,” Maelgwn replied. He kissed Bobby’s lips lightly one more time, then slowly drew away. “You’d better head home, sweet Bobby. The fire’s dying and it’s getting cold.”

  Bobby nodded, already missing the warmth generated by Maelgwn’s body. “You’re probably right. Tomorrow?”

  “Same place and time,” Maelgwn promised.

  An odd whooshing sound reached Bobby’s ears and he couldn’t help frowning as he tried to discern what it was.

  “Off you go, Bobby,” Maelgwn said, his voice once more coming from the rafters. “Before I change my mind, carry you deep into the forest, and ravish you all night long.”

  Bobby snickered, surprised when his dick tried to rise to the occasion at the mental imagery. He had to blink several times before his eyes focused. A glance up showed shadows and darkness and Maelgwn’s large form perched on a beam. How the big guy scrambled up so fast was beyond Bobby. He wondered if Maelgwn was a gymnast when he was younger or something. As he rose, Bobby remembered how he’d taken out those muggers and decided maybe Maelgwn was a ninja. He had to hide a smirk at that thought.

  Lifting his head toward his lover’s dark form, he blew a kiss at him. Maelgwn’s deep chuckle reached his ears. Bobby turned, pulled his coat closed around him, and headed toward his car. His lips curved into what he knew was a goofy grin and he didn’t care in the least.

  Bobby’s happiness stayed with him all the way home…until he neared his apartment building and spotted Seth standing on the front steps. It didn’t take a genius to figure out why the man was there. Seth hadn’t been happy when Bobby had called him yesterday, cancelled their date, and told him they were through.

  In fact, Seth had been enraged. He’d yelled through the phone line about how Bobby was his, and Seth wasn’t letting him go, and how Bobby would never find someone better. Bobby had ended up having to hang up on him. Then, after Seth’s fifth return call, Bobby had shut off his phone for the night.

  Not wanting to deal with his ex’s shenanigans, Bobby kept driving. He toyed with the idea of stopping at a coffee shop, then decided he’d swing by Gus and Tible’s home. A glance at his dash told him it wasn’t too late, especially since Tible was a night owl.

  His mind made up, Bobby drove the forty-five minutes to the outskirts of Stone Ridge and his friend’s home. Bobby parked his car and hustled up the walk, hunching his shoulders in his coat. He really should have worn his heavier winter coat, but he’d liked the way the jacket matched with his slacks. Stupid, really.

  Shaking his head at himself, Bobby knocked on the door. A moment later, he heard Tible’s melodious tenor call out, “It’s open. Come on in!” Bobby grinned, gripped the knob, and turned it. Pushing the door open, Bobby swept his gaze over the studio-style cottage as he strode into the place. He opened his mouth, all prepared to give his friend crap for not checking who was at least at the door before calling out.

  His words died in his throat, and all that came out was a strangled cry of alarm. Standing in the kitchen was…something. It looked vaguely humanoid, with leathery gray skin, black wings, and long white hair. When the creature looked up, drawn by the noise Bobby made, its mouth opened, looking just as surprised to see him as Bobby was to see it.

  The move also revealed a square jaw and— Oh, god!—a mouthful of pointed teeth and long, white canines. Bobby’s hand tightened on the doorknob. His brain screamed at him to run, but he couldn’t get his feet to move.

  Another squeak managed to escape his throat. “Oh, Bobby. Please breathe. I wasn’t expecting you. I thought it’d be Cornelius.”

  It took a good fifteen seconds for Bobby’s brain to process the fact that the creature at the counter was speaking. And breathing really did sound like a good idea, but then the…thing…stepped out from behind the counter and started toward him, its hands lifting toward him.

  A cry of dismay finally escaped Bobby as he took in the black claws instead of fingernails, the long sinewy tail, the loincloth, and below that, legs that ended in talons. Those long, deadly looking claws clicked on the hardwood floor.

  Black spots appeared across Bobby’s vision. His hand finally released the doorknob, but it was only so it could fall uselessly to his side. Bobby felt his eyes roll into the back of his head as his vision went dark. He felt his body crumple, but could do nothing to stop it as darkness swamped him, and he just knew he was going to die.

  Chapter Four

  Maelgwn hummed happily. The night couldn’t have gone better, as far as he was concerned. Bobby had enjoyed the meal and his company. The realization that just his voice turned Bobby on came as a welcome shock. And finally getting to touch his mate, to pleasure him, Maelgwn felt ecstatic. Even the hard ache in his dick, which he’d pointedly ignored while pleasing Bobby, couldn’t diminish how great he felt.

  He put out the fire and packed everything back into the two baskets he’d used to bring it. His mind was logging through possible food choices for tomorrow night when his cell phone rang.

  He pulled it from a holder clipped to one of the leather straps crisscrossing his chest, smiling when he saw it was Tible. The young gargoyle was such a gossip and probably wanted the scoop on how his date with Bobby went.

  Grinn
ing, instead of a traditional greeting, Maelgwn told Tible, “I couldn’t have asked for it to go any better. Bobby enjoyed the food and definitely feels the mate-pull. And that’s all you’re getting out of me.”

  “Oh, Maelgwn, I hope I didn’t ruin everything,” Tible said, clearly distraught. “I was making dinner and Gus was in the shower. How was I to know it wasn’t Cornelius? I didn’t mean for him to see me in gargoyle form…”

  “Whoa, whoa, Tible. Slow down,” Maelgwn hollered into the phone, trying to get the upset man’s attention. “You’re not making any sense. Who saw you in gargoyle form?”

  “Bobby!” Tible nearly screamed. “What? How?” Maelgwn shook his head. That wasn’t important. “Where is he now? Did he run away?”

  “He passed out. We laid him on the bed,” Tible told him.

  That gave Maelgwn some measure of relief. At least, Bobby wasn’t running around in a panic somewhere. “I’m on my way,” he told Tible.

  Before he could disconnect the line, he heard Tible ask, “Are you sure that’s wise? Maybe I can play this off?”

  “No,” Maelgwn stated. “It’s time.” He’d already connected with Bobby, knew his mate felt the pull, and Bobby had said it didn’t matter what Maelgwn looked like. He had to believe that.

  Tucking his phone back into its case, Maelgwn grabbed his bags and leaped into the air. His mind whirled with possible outcomes, from Bobby happily accepting Maelgwn to Bobby running away to Bobby rejecting him. Unable to predict the future, he focused on the outcome he wanted, the one where he and his mate lived happily ever after. Wasn’t that what every mated couple wanted?

  He dropped to the ground outside Gus’s back door. The shifter was waiting and immediately opened the door. “Sorry about this,” Gus muttered, lines of worry creasing his forehead.

  “It’ll work out,” Maelgwn stated quietly, hoping his words were true with all his heart.

  Maelgwn crossed to the bed, hiding the irked feeling at seeing his mate sleeping in another’s bed, even if it was a mated pair that had no interest in him. Leaning over Bobby, Maelgwn reached down and touched his throat, feeling the pulse beating strongly. Tension in his chest eased that his mate just slept. It wasn’t that he hadn’t believed his friends, but there was something to be said for seeing is believing.

  “Ah, my sweet mate,” Maelgwn murmured, brushing the backs of his fingers over his lover’s cheek. “You have so much to learn. I hope you have as open a mind as you claim.” Leaning down, he pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.

  Bobby moaned in his sleep, shifting restlessly. His eyelids fluttered. Maelgwn stepped away, realizing his mate was waking. Seeing his foreign visage upon waking wasn’t what Bobby needed. He needed words, an explanation, so he’d get it.

  Moving away from his mate, he looked from a now human Tible to a pensive Gus, then noticed a concerned looking Cornelius standing behind the kitchen counter. He remembered Tible saying he’d thought it was the small rhino shifter at the door, which is why he hadn’t checked before letting Bobby in.

  “Tea?” Cornelius offered, holding up a mug.

  With a sigh, Maelgwn nodded. Crossing to the counter, he took the mug. “You’ll need to start the explanations, Tible,” he said, holding onto his calm by a bare thread. Maelgwn desperately needed everything to work out, for Bobby to accept the truth of the world—that humans were not alone.

  He heard Bobby whimper and fought the urge to go to him, knowing that could very well make it worse. However, he did remember how much Bobby liked his voice. Settling on the couch, the back of the furniture almost hiding him from Bobby’s view should he wake, Maelgwn ignored the others in the room. After taking a deep breath and a fortifying sip of the bitter tea, which he noticed was laced with whiskey, he started talking.

  “I need you to wake up now, Bobby,” he murmured. “There are so many things I have to tell you, things you need to know. You asked why I wouldn’t let you see my face. I’m ready to trust you now, Bobby. I have faith that we can get through this.”

  “Gods above, your voice is giving me a boner,” Cornelius muttered.

  The rhino shifter’s statement cut into Maelgwn’s soft rambling. He wasn’t sure how to respond to that, making him pause on his next thought. Turning his head, Maelgwn glanced over his shoulder at the shifter, who shrugged unabashedly and adjusted himself.

  “Maelgwn?” Bobby murmured, his voice rough.

  “I’m here,” Maelgwn answered, bowing his head, praying to whatever gods cared to listen that his idea wasn’t about to bite him in the ass.

  “What happened? Where are you?” Bobby asked.

  “You passed out, little one,” he replied. “Do you remember that?”

  He heard cloth rustle, and Maelgwn assumed Bobby was rising. He clenched his clawed fingers into fists, wishing it could be him who helped his mate into a sitting position. Soon.

  “I remember walking into Tible’s house, but he wasn’t there. I saw a creature of some sort,” Bobby murmured, “I…Oh, shit. I’ve seen that before. Your Halloween costume. You dressed up as that, um, whatever, for Halloween, didn’t you? Why were you wearing it now? You scared the shit out of me!” Each word Bobby spoke rose in volume until he practically yelled, clearly pissed at Tible.

  “Gargoyle,” Maelgwn said. “What you saw is a gargoyle.”

  “What?” Bobby asked. “What are you doing over there?”

  Maelgwn turned his head just a smidge, wanting to see Bobby’s expression. “Don’t sweep it under the carpet, Tible,” he ordered gruffly.

  “Mal, your skin. It looks blue,” Bobby whispered.

  Maelgwn resisted the urge to turn away, instead, keeping his profile visible to his mate. “I told you I’m not like others, Bobby,” he murmured.

  Bobby licked his lips, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the other men in the room. “What the hell is going on?” The way Bobby whispered the question, his voice full of trepidation, didn’t really reassure Maelgwn.

  Deciding to rip it off like a band aid, Maelgwn cut to the chase, “Bobby, I am a gargoyle. So is Tible. We are real. We keep our existence a secret because most humans don’t want to believe in us and wouldn’t understand that we mean them no harm.” He kept his tone soft, gentle, fighting the urge to pace.

  Suddenly, Bobby grinned. “You guys are just pulling my leg. Are you getting ready for a comic con or something? Is that why you’re preparing costumes?”

  Tible caught Maelgwn’s gaze. He nodded when the smaller gargoyle lifted a brow in question. “This could really freak him out,” Tible warned, taking a few steps away from the bed.

  “We’ll all be here for him,” Gus reminded.

  Cornelius nodded.

  “What are you guys talking about?” Bobby asked, frustration filling his tone.

  “Just watch Tible,” Maelgwn urged.

  Bobby gave Maelgwn a confused glance, then looked toward Tible. Wasting no time, Tible initiated his change. His skin darkened, thickening to form a leathery gray hide. His jaw squared, canines extended, and ears became pointed. Claws sprouted from his fingers and his legs thinned at the bottom as his feet changed into talons.

  “How-how-how…” Bobby seemed to be stuck on that one word as he scrambled backward on the bed. His beautiful green eyes appeared huge in his pale face. He eventually hit the headboard and could go no further. “M-m-maelgwn?”

  The fact that Bobby called for him in his fear filled Maelgwn with a fresh surge of hope. Slowly, he rose, keeping his wings tucked close over his shoulders. “Bobby, none of us would ever hurt you. These are your friends. You know that.” Finally, he turned just his head so Bobby could see him fully.

  “Oh my god!” Bobby squeaked.

  Maelgwn didn’t think his lover’s eyes could get any larger. Then he realized Bobby’s chest was rising and falling incredibly fast. “Bobby, slow your breathing down. Take deep breaths,” he ordered soothingly.

  To his surprise, Bobby responded. He blinked a few times, then h
is eyes riveted to Maelgwn’s as he visually inhaled through his nose, his chest expanding, Bobby licked his lips, catching Maelgwn’s attention. He really wanted to feel those lips under his again.

  Taking a chance, Maelgwn started around the sofa. With his gaze fixed on Bobby’s, he murmured, “Do you remember in the park when we spoke? When you wanted me to join you for supper? You said you didn’t care what I looked like.” He moved slowly toward his mate, praying he could keep his sweet human calm.

  “Maelgwn,” Bobby whispered, his gaze finally flickering across his face. “How is this possible? How is any of this possible?”

  “It just is, my mate,” Maelgwn murmured, heartened when Bobby actually lifted a hand toward his face. He carefully positioned his wings against his back, allowing him to ease onto the bed. Leaning closer, Maelgwn pressed his cheek against Bobby’s lifted palm. He sighed as pleasure mixed with need coursed through his body at the first touch of his mate, however innocent.

  He fought back a shiver, but wasn’t completely successful. Having Bobby touch him felt too good. My mate is touching me!

  “Maelgwn?”

  The way Bobby whispered his name broke Maelgwn out of his awed state. He turned his head, careful not to break contact, and murmured, “Yes, Bobby?”

  “Your skin, it feels…thick?”

  Maelgwn found Bobby’s gaze was fixed at where his hand gently caressed his cheek, an expression of wonder etched on his face. “Bobby, my sweet, I’m a gargoyle. My hide is thicker than a human’s, tougher, but still just as sensitive to the touch of a lover,” he murmured.

  “A lo—”

  To Maelgwn’s disappointment, Bobby jerked his hand back.

  “You’re taken?” Bobby frowned, his gaze sliding to his lap as he shook his head. “Of course, you’re taken. You’re big, and sexy, and kind. You save strangers from muggers and your voice is…”