His hand slid from her hips to cup her ass, lifting her, angling her to take him even deeper. His mouth found hers and they kissed in desperate pants.
“I’m going to plant my seed so deep inside you,” he purred between kisses, his thrusts breathless and brutal. “I’m going to watch your belly swell with my child. I’m going to put another baby in you right here in the sky, so all of Tael-Nost knows you are mine.”
The filthy, raw promise was the final key. Her climax sailed over her like a storm, fast and electric. It locked her muscles and tore a ragged scream from her throat. She convulsed around him, and the sensation triggered his release. With a roar that got lost in the stars, he buried himself to the root.
And then she felt it. Her favorite part. The thick, sudden swell at the base of his cock as his knot expanded inside her, locking them together. A hot, pulsing flood filled her, wave after wave of his seed, branding her from the inside out. At the same time, she felt the hot sweep of his pleasure through the bond like a thousand more sparkling stars dusted across her mind.
They rested there in the silent sky, knotted together, his warmth spilling into her, his wings outstretched, catching the air currents to hold them aloft. His forehead rested against hers, their harsh breaths mingling as the night wind carried them into a chilly bank of clouds.
Idabel snuggled closer, her body humming with the afterglow, hoping to borrow a little more of his warmth for herself.
“Are you cold?” His deep voice warmed her from the inside, though his arms already pulled her closer. “We have one more place to go.”
“You keep me warm enough,” she murmured, pressing a kiss to the underside of his jaw. “Though I am curious where you’re taking me. You’ve been terribly mysterious tonight.”
His wings angled, a few strong beats sending them into a dive toward the clifftop. Over the roar of the wind in her ears, she could hear his laugh. “Always in a hurry, my little rabbit.”
She smiled at the familiar endearment, remembering when he’d first called her that, back when she was a trembling maiden in his arms, desperate for a gargoyle’s bite. How far they’d come since then. How much they’d survived.
“Close your eyes,” he urged as they swooped low over the clifftops. “Trust me.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and braced for the landing. She needn’t have. He lit with his usual grace, easing her down until her bare feet brushed smooth stone.
“Can I open them?”
“Not yet.” He took her hands and guided her forward, his tail curling possessively around her waist as they walked. The scents hit her first. Lavender. Rosemary. The honey-sweet perfume of night-blooming jasmine.
“Now,” he whispered.
She opened her eyes and gasped.
They were in the ruin of a temple, its broken columns casting long shadows in the moonlight. This place must have been where the gods were worshiped before they fell and their magic seeped into the earth. Now velveted with moss and missing its roof, it still held an otherworldly feel.
But that’s not what took her breath away. The temple’s inner courtyard had been transformed into a lush garden. A paradise of herbs and flowers that cascaded over broken benches and spilled from stone altars. Moonflowers opened their ghostly petals to the night, while silver sage released its cleansing breath into the air. Creeping thyme created soft carpets between flagstones underfoot, and there in the center grew a magnificent red-leafed plum tree, its branches heavy with fruit. And there were many open beds with rich, black earth waiting to beplanted, all sheltered from the winds by the crumbling, ancient walls.
“Do you like it?” His voice carried an unusual note of uncertainty as he searched her face. “I know it cannot replace all the gardens that have been taken from you. Your family’s farm, the one I ruined, the rooftop at the apothecary, your balcony seedlings we left behind. But I thought perhaps you would enjoy one that is only yours. One that can’t be taken away from you.”
She silenced him with a kiss, pouring every ounce of love and gratitude into the connection. When they finally pulled back, both were breathless.
“Oh, Brandt. It’s perfect. Better than anything I could dream.” Tears pricked her eyes as she turned in a slow circle, taking in every carefully tended plant, every thoughtfully swept pathway. “How did you do all this?Whendid you do this?”
“The plum tree was already here, and so were some of the creeping vines. I planted the seeds for the rest moons ago.” His clawed hand cupped her cheek. “Just before the equinox. Every night after you fell asleep, I would fly here and tend them. I can’t say I am a born gardener, though. The temple stones still hold traces of tael, enough to help things flourish despite my lack of skill.”
She leaned into his touch, her heart so full it might burst. “You’ve kept this secret formoons?”
“It’s been torture,” he admitted, his thumb stroking over her cheekbone. “But I wanted it to be perfect for you. And I’ve found a surprising amount of comfort in it. I’ve always used my strength to protect others. I’ve destroyed things to keep the ones I guard safe. But seedlings don’t need any more violence than pulling a weed here and there. They need a shield from the sun and wind. They need water. They needed care and attention from me, not destruction. It has healed part of my guardian heart to create life rather than crush it.”
“Speaking of creating things...” Idabel caught his hand and slowly guided it to her belly, pressing his palm against the soft curve there. “You planted more than one kind of seed this spring, my love.”
He went perfectly still, not even breathing. His granite gaze dropped to where his hand rested against her, and she watched a dozen emotions flicker across his stone features—confusion, realization, wonder, and finally, pure joy.
“You’re certain?” His voice came out rougher than usual, thick with emotion.
“Three moons certain. Mahault confirmed it last week.” She covered his hand with both of hers, holding him against her. “I wanted to wait for the right moment to tell you, and when you brought me here tonight and gave me this beautiful gift you’ve been nurturing in secret, I could think of no better time.”
He dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead to her belly with a reverence that made her tears overflow. “Another hatchling. Another perfect little son.”
“Or perhaps a daughter this time,” Idabel suggested, running her hands over his horns in the way that always soothed him. “A little sister to keep Loïc busy.”
