Grinning at his mate’s attempt to escape, Reif followed, intentionally keeping some distance between them to lull Brian into thinking he was safe. While, in the air, Reif’s sea dragon couldn’t fly as fast as a true dragon, it was a whole new game under water. As far as he knew, no shifter could beat him in a swimming race and that included his Nessie. Veering off, Reif dove deeper, out of his mate’s sight, then stopped, waiting to pinpoint where Brian was.
When his mate failed to ‘capture’ him, Brian grinned to himself, slowing down to give Reif time to catch up. Spinning around, he searched for his mate but was unable to spot him. After circling several times without finding Reif, Brian swam slowly back in the direction he’d come from, wondering just how slow his mate’s sea dragon was in the water.
Lurking below, Reif spotted the currents shifting as Brian swam away from him. Coming up behind his mate, still undetected, he waited until he was close enough, then raising most of his body out of the water, lunged, twisting and wrapping himself around Brian.
Coiling his body to fend off the unknown attacker, Brian was preparing to strike when his eyes saw the black tail of his mate. His fear gone, Brian allowed himself to be captured, rubbing his serpent skin against Reif’s beast before escaping, only to be seized again as they played. Enjoying the freedom and privacy of the remote loch, Brian swam on the surface without fear that someone might spot him, as they sometimes did in Loch Ness.
Their play finally turned into foreplay and as the sexual tension built up between them, Brian moved sinuously around Reif, wrapping around him as they danced under water, the lead changing in a thousand-year-old mating ritual. That was, until Brian, assuming the dominantposition, slid his cocks into the now docile sea dragon. Writhing together, Brian’s cocks jerked repeatedly inside Reif, joining their animals together, forever, as his seed filled the sea dragon.
Floating blissfully on the surface in the aftermath of their sexual encounter, Reif couldn’t remember a time he was happier. The love of his mate healed all the wounds caused by years of servitude to the men who controlled the fate of his people, filling him with determination to fight should they renege on their agreement to end the relationship.
As the moon rose higher in the sky, Brian nudged Reif’s sea dragon, then headed back to shore. Exhausted from the emotional day, he shifted and climbed out of the water, waiting for his mate to join him. Laughing at Reif’s expression as the cold, nighttime air engulfed him after he shifted, Brian grabbed his mate’s hand, leading him back to the warmth of the cottage.
~/~/~/~/~
Logan planned to do nothing other than spend time with Kieran after the last few tense days, starting with the brunch his mate planned in celebration of Brian finding his mate. The only problem was Kieran forgot to tell him brunch was with his brothers, their mates, Theo, Norm, and Fionn. But he did have to admit, he was having fun, listening to the teasing and joking that always filled the air when his brothers got together.
While everyone was laughing at a joke, Logan heard a knock at the door to their suite. Excusing himself, he went to answer it and found Groose standing holding a…What the fuck? A bird cage?
“A pet shop just delivered thisthingfor Kieran,” Groose said, holding the cage well away from his body.
“Kieran? Are you sure?” asked Logan, his eyes shifting from the bird in the cage to his head enforcer.
“Yes, sir. The driver was very clear about it; see it even has his name on the attached gift tag,” responded Groose, shoving the cage at Logan.
Gobsmacked, Logan automatically grabbed the cage, holding it the same way Groose had—almost at arm’s length. Unsure about what to do, he mumbled, “Thanks,” then shut the door. Standing there, he heard another burst of laughter coming from the dining room.My fucking brothers! If this is another one of their pranks…
“Macushla,” Kieran called, “you have to hear this joke.”
Looking at the bird, Logan wondered for a second if his mate had bought it without saying anything but discarded that possibility since it had a bow—a freakingpinkbow—and a gift tag.No, it has to be one of my brothers.Forcing himself to move, Logan entered the dining room still holding the cage as if it contained some volatile explosive. No one was paying him any attention until…
“Oh, my gods! You got me a pink bird,macushla! A talking pink bird!” Kieran shouted, eyes sparkling, jumping up from the table and taking the cage from his mate. “How did you know I always wanted a pet, I mean my spirit was my pet, sort of, but I couldn’t touch him or pat him like I could with a real pet.”
No, I didn’t buy it but, I know who did.Narrowing his eyes, Logan stared at his brothers. One of them had arranged it and when he found out who, there was going to be hell to pay.
“I gave it to you,” Theo said, joining Kieran. “I saw him in a pet shop and knew you’d love it. I never would’ve guessed there were pink parrots but there it was. It’s mythank-you gift for being such a good friend to me and pooh bear.”
“Squawk. Dudes taste better! Dudes taste better! Squawk.”
“What did it say?” asked Fionn.
“Fucking A, that’s hilarious,” Zane said. “What else can he say?”
“Squawk. Beat my meat! Beat my meat! Squawk.”
“Perfecto, Theo! You got me a pink talking bird who’s gay! Can I teach him to say other stuff?” asked Kieran.
“I guess so. The man at the pet store told me Queenie was his bird but the new place he moved to won’t let him have a pet,” Theo explained.
“Was the man gay, by chance?” Logan asked.
“His name is Queenie?” asked Dakota.
“That’s what the man called him,” Theo said.
“I love it! Hi Queenie…I’m Kieran.”
“Squawk. Suck me! Squawk.”
