Page 27 of Dance in the Stones

Redford’s gargoyle surged forward, eager to accept the invitation. He let his own shift take him, feeling leathery skin replace soft flesh as he grew to his full eight feet. His wings unfurled, stretching wide after too long confined – the best possible feeling. But Redford didn’t have long to appreciate it as his mate circled him once, sniffed at him, and then took off running toward the hills.

Launching himself skyward, Redford’s wings caught the air currents easily. Below him, Damon raced across the heather-covered ground, and through their bond, Redford could feel the joy from the hound that came from the freedom of moving in his shifted form.

They played tag through the darkening Highlands, Redford swooping low while Damon dodged him, always staying one step ahead. Any thoughts of tiredness were gone, and frustration was a thing of the past. With his hound below him and the wind under his wings, Redford let himself enjoy what it meant to be a gargoyle for the first time in years.

Show-off, Damon sent through their bond as Redford executed a barrel roll.

Says the hellhound doing backflips.

Those were evasive maneuvers.

Uh-huh.

Redford dive-bombed his mate playfully, and the hound leaped to meet him, massive jaws snapping harmlessly at air as Redford pulled up at the last second. They tumbled together in a controlled fall, Redford’s wings buffering their descent until they landed in a tangle of fur and leather.

The hound pinned him, all pleased smugness through their bond.

I let you win, Redford sent.

Sure you did.

They shifted back eventually, lying in the heather catching their breath despite not truly needing to. Stars emerged overhead, beautiful in the clear Highland air.

“That felt good,” Redford said.

“Flying?”

“All of it. Delegating, flying, just lying here with you.” He gestured vaguely at the two of them, tangled together in the grass. “Being able to just...be.”

Damon rolled onto his side, propping himself on one elbow to look down at Redford. “You’re allowed to enjoy things, you know that, right?”

“Intellectually, I know that, yes.”

“But actually believing it is harder.”

“Something like that.” Redford reached up to trace the line of Damon’s jaw. “I spent centuries being self-sufficient and for the longest time, I depended on myself because there wasn’t anyone else.”

“You realize you don’t have to do that now, though, right?”

“Now I have you, and I’m learning that maybe I don’t have to carry everything alone.”

Damon caught his hand, and pressed a kiss to his palm. “You definitely don’t have to. That’s the whole point of having a mate. I’m a bit the same, you know.”

“You?” Redford was surprised. “You have a whole pack you’re linked with.”

“You’re part of that pack now, too,” Damon said, nodding. “But that was one of the rules we had when the Fates decided we could live on Earth. My packmates and I can’t live together. It’s because we’re more powerful than other shifters, and most paranormals, when you think about it. We would be seen as a threat by others if we lived as a pack, so we had to learn to forge our lives alone.”

Redford could feel lingering sadness at the idea and wondered what that might be like, especially when Damon had been in a pack since he was formed.

But before he could say anything, Damon shrugged and grinned. “If there’s an issue, we are all there in an instant, and aside from that we still visit each other. Be prepared for trips to Greece, or London, or invites to a barbecue in Australia.

“Translocation has to be useful for something, and I can’t wait to show you off to my pack and their mates. I’m not even the first to have a gargoyle mate. My packmate Kolton has one, too. I don’t know if you know him, but he’s known as Simon and was a doctor in Las Vegas before he met Kolton.”

Redford didn’t know the name, but gargoyles were solitary too, so that wasn’t surprising. Pulling his mate down, Redford took the kiss he’d wanted for most of the afternoon. “Whatever we do, we do together, although Australia will be a first for me.”

“Farron and Patrick love to have visitors, and it always seems to be warm there. Speaking of which, we should probably head back,” Damon said, though he made no move to actually get up. “It’s getting cold.”

“You literally radiate heat.”