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“Vaughn, your shirt is too big.”

“Yes, but it covers everything. Do you want one of your own? I was very much planning on moving to the couch after I fed you.”

That caught my attention. “To the couch? Why not the bed?”

Vaughn took my hand and smiled down at me. “Because I’ve not claimed you on the couch yet. Or the dining room chairs, for that matter. Would you prefer to see how that goes?”

My eyes widened. I wasn’t sure I was ready for more just yet. It had been a lot earlier. “Umm…”

Vaughn pulled my hand up and kissed it. “We don’t have to do anything, little mate. I was actually planning on cuddling you after we ate and maybe seeing if we could find a movie to watch. I know you said you didn’t usually watch anything, but maybe it is something we could do together. Perhaps you just needed a mate to cuddle with while watching it?”

I loved that idea so much. Maybe that was it. Maybe I just needed someone to watch shows and movies with. Then it wouldn’t feel so… I stopped and thought about that for a moment. The only word I could come up with was lonely. I’d been alone for so long, and yes, I’d become lonely. The fae alphas were nice enough, but they leaned toward bossy because they were alphas and I was an unmated omega, and I didn’t need that in my life.

Vaughn suddenly appeared in front of me as he bent down. “You are no longer unmated, and you will never be lonely again. As you already know, I have a brother who is mated and parents who retired to Europe, but I will always be here with you. We will eventually visit my family, but they aren’t overly social.”

I smiled at that. My stomach protested again before I could answer though, and Vaughn swung me up into his arms and started toward the stairs.

“We will eat, and then we’ll cuddle on the couch and discuss whatever it is that you like.”

I leaned my head against his bare shoulder. I tried to remember what Beau had said about the bond and how to turn every thought off. I thought hard enough about it, so hopefully, it worked. Vaughn moved enough to glance down at me, but then we were quickly descending the stairs without so much as a word from him.

“I’d like to meet your family someday. It’s not a must though. You’ll never get to meet my parents, unfortunately. Even if they were still alive, it’s not like we can go back and forth between here and there.” I thought about it a little more. “I guess if you really want to, we can hang out with Evan and Beau. But Beau is busy with Cooper and his mate, Roman. And they’re going to have another one soon, so I don’t know how much free time he’s going to have.” It hit me then, and I gasped. “I’m going to have to cover for him when he takes time off from the bakery after he has his baby.”

Vaughn kissed my nose. “You can if you wish. But I’ll say this. Most likely, you’re going to be taking time off soon for that as well. How long is the fae gestation again?”

Oh no. My eyes went wide. “Only four months. But I’ve not had a heat yet.”

“Little mate,” Vaughn said as he set me down on the kitchen island. I was thankful for the length of the shirt, but it was thin, and the stone surface was quite cool. “It’s most likely only a matter of days before that happens. When it does, I can guarantee that my gargoyle is going to do everything he can to make certain you come out of your heat carrying our child.” Vaughn kissed my forehead quickly, then stood up. “What would you like to eat?” he asked as he went over to the refrigerator and opened the door. It was massive, just like the one that was in the enforcer houses, as well as down in Beau’s. It wasn’t that I didn’t like food because I did. But I didn’t eat nearly as much as an alpha.

“Anything. I’m not picky,” I told him. “You don’t have to cook though. I can use magic.” I did just that and then was sitting there, holding a pizza box. “Is there something you would like specifically?” I asked.

Vaughn looked over at me, and after he stood up from where he’d been bent down to peer in the refrigerator, he shook his head. “I thought I smelled pizza.” He took the few steps needed to reach my side again and then leaned close. “What type of pizza is it? I think I smell pepperoni.”

“What do you like on your pizza?” I asked as I opened the box. It had pepperoni on it. But I had also added ham, because I’d discovered a love for the stuff. Vaughn made a noise, and it certainly wasn’t one of irritation. I laughed when he swept me up into his arms again and carried me and the pizza box out of the kitchen toward the back of the house. I had a feeling it was certainly going to be fun being mated to my gargoyle mate.

Chapter 11

Vaughn

Ididn’t know exactly what to expect when I discovered I’d been gifted a little fae for a mate, but Lewis surprised me every moment we were together. I was going to cook for him if food had been moved over from my other house, but apparently, I didn’t need to because Lewis had magic, and he didn’t have any issue with using it. That was going to take time to get used to. But as an alpha, I would never say no to a meal. Especially not one that my omega mate provided, even if he used his magic to do so.

I picked up Lewis and the pizza box he magically conjured and carried him to the back room. He was laughing when I set him down on the couch. “Be right back,” I told him. I hurried back to the kitchen to grab some paper towels and a pair of drinks from the refrigerator. I grabbed two cans of carbonated cola and went back to the couch. I found Lewis there with a pair of trays that I had never seen before, as well as plates, napkins, and drinks already there waiting.

“Oh. I can get rid of these,” he said.

“Nope,” I responded quickly. “We’ll drink both. Or I will.” I sat down beside him and pulled the second tray onto my lap. “These are yours?” I asked as I held the tray up.

“I did have one, yeah. But I used magic to get us two. I don’t like trying to balance a plate on my lap when eating, but I usually eat at the table. But really, either place can be lonely when it’s just you.”

I was going to do what I could to make certain that Lewis didn’t ever feel as if he was all alone anymore. I would have to go on assignments, but there were many other mates in the houses nearby, and I knew they all looked out for one another when their alphas were gone.

“Are pepperoni and ham okay?” Lewis asked. “Or do you want me to add something else? Take something away? Not wanting pizza?”

I reached out and touched Lewis’s arm to hopefully calm him. “This is wonderful. I like pizza any way I can get it. If you like pepperoni and ham, that is good for me.”

Lewis bit his lower lip. “Are you certain? It’s all right if you want something else.”

I shook my head. “It’s perfectly fine. I’m truly not a picky eater and will eat anything. Pizza is great, and there are still leftovers from earlier,” I told him. Not to mention all of the food that I had in the refrigerator was now here as well. There was plenty of food for us to eat.