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The waitress returns with our beers and has an extra one for the werewolf.

“Sorry about that,” I say, cringing with embarrassment. “Please put it on my tab.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” she says with a friendly smile. “Rufus should have warned you about the heat. Most humans react that way the first time.”

“I see,” I grumble as I look at Rufus across the room. He grins at me.

I guess he’s still a little salty about his cousin after all. Hopefully, this makes us even.

Tharion orders an insane amount of food and wolfs it down at a rate that has me staring in awe.

“Do you always eat this much?” I ask as I watch him polish a second rack of ribs.

“No,” he says, looking embarrassed. “Only when I wake from a rocky slumber.”

We talk the whole time—well, it’s mostly me rambling on about my life as he eats and listens with interest.

“And which is your favorite of the books?” he asks when I start going off on my voracious reading habit.

“I like the impossible love stories,” I say, getting that dreamy feeling inside. “I love it when two people get together against all odds.”

“Like us,” he says with a soft, loving smile.

My chest gets a warm cozy feeling as I watch him. “Yeah. I guess like us.”

I reach across the table and put my hand on his. Our sizes are so different. He’s massive and could crush me if he rolled over in his sleep. But somehow, I know that won’t stop me from slipping into his bed.

Although, I might have the bed to myself if he’s hanging from the ceiling all night.

“What else do I have to know about gargoyles?” I ask as I sip on my drink. I finished my meal a long time ago. “I’ve never met one before.”

I realize there’s a lot to know. Like, I’ve never had a tail wrap around my leg under the table while eating before, but that’s exactly what’s happening now. Tharion’s tail is wrapped around my calf like he’s anchoring himself to me. I’m kinda liking it.

“What about your wings?” I ask when he doesn’t answer.

His gray wings ripple at the mention of them.

“What about my wings?”

“What does it feel like to have them? Are they sensitive? Does it hurt to sit on them?”

“No,” he says with a smile. “They are quite durable. It just feels like having another limb. And they are quite warm for our mates during the winter.”

“Explain,” I say, looking at him curiously.

“Well,” he says as he swallows a bite of his meat pie. “Gargoyles like to sleep hanging upside down as I mentioned, but once mated, we like to sleep lying down with our wings wrapped around our mate.”

“Oh,” I say, sitting up a little straighter now knowing that my future bedtime will involve me snuggling against that big warm chest with those sexy arms and those giant wings wrapped around me. I’ll never go to bed late again.

“Is that not to your liking?” he asks before taking a long sip of his beer.

“Um,” I say, feeling my cheeks getting hot. “No, I think it will be okay.”

It will be more than okay. It will be hot and romantic as hell. My own little hottie gargoyle cocoon, I can’t wait.

My eyes are locked on this sexy creature as we finish up and leave the tavern. I try to pay the bill, but Tharion insists on being the one to pay even though he has no money. Rufus the orc turns out to be a total sweetheart and lets us leave, trusting that Tharion will come back with the money. He says he’s never met a dishonourable gargoyle yet.

“Where are we going now?” I ask as we step outside, holding hands. “The Old Bridge is quite romantic, maybe we can⁠—”

My heart stops when I see Korrick and a bunch of angry men from the Forge District waiting outside. Standing at the head of them is my father.

“No,” I gasp when I see him.

He’s pointing a crossbow at Tharion’s stomach.