Page 45 of Nugget

“Did you? Think? Figure anything out?”

Stryker grinned. “You really want to have this conversation while you’re naked?”

“I had to leave my clothes behind when I shifted.”

“The bird!”

“Thunderbird,” Gavin said.

“You were beautiful!” Stryker was so excited. “Can I go flying with you?”

“Would you like that?” Gavin asked.

“I would love that. It has to be like flying down the interstate on my bike!”

“Just how fast do you drive that bike?” Gavin questioned.

“Fast?” Stryker stalled. “I wouldn’t speed.”

“Little liar,” Gavin said amused. He held out his hand to Stryker.

Stryker let Gavin pull him in close.

“Seriously, did you have time to think?” Gavin asked.

“I did.”

“And?”

Stryker sighed. “I don’t have all the answers. Not yet.”

“Can you answer me just one thing?”

“Sure.” Stryker hoped he could.

“Will you stick around long enough to give us a chance?” Gavin asked.

“You mean not run away,” Stryker corrected.

“Exactly. We don’t have to decide anything right away. There’s time to get to know each other better,” Gavin said.

“We’re mates,” Stryker reminded him.

Gavin chuckled. “I’m aware of that.”

“Isn’t the whole purpose of finding your special person to mate with them?” Stryker asked.

“The purpose is finding that special person.” Gavin drew Stryker back into the cave. “Just finding them.” He sat, pulling Stryker into his lap.

This was not a position that Stryker ever complained about being in. “Noah filled me in on the curse that kept the paranormal from finding their mates.”

Gavin nodded. “It wasn’t always like that. My parents were fated mates.”

“Your parents? Like your real family?”

“Yeah, my birth family. My parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. I even had a brother.”

“You said had?”

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