Page 18 of The Tech Guru's Heart

“Tucker’s human,” Link cut in before Ezra could start off on another tangent.“Amelia is, too, but she knows about our kind.Her baby will be one.”Seeing the way Ezra’s eyes managed to open even further, Link added, “It’s one of the reasons Amelia’s moving in with Tucker and Rigel...so they can help her with the babe.”

“Holy shit.”

From the sound of Ezra’s hoarsely whispered words coupled with the myriad of ever-changing scents wafting from him—disbelief, shock, fear, amazement, and everything in between—Link knew he’d completely overwhelmed his mate.His human would need time to mentally process.Link even knew exactly how to help him do that, too.

“Look, I know this is a lot to take in,” Link rumbled, purposefully lowering his tone to a soft croon.In the past, he’d used the tone to soothe his niece and nephew when they’d gotten hurt.Link sure hoped it had the same calming effect on his mate as he claimed, “This is always a lot for a human to take in.It’s understandable.Very few actually hear the news and shout with excitement about the discovery.”

Creatures of myth and legend just weren’t believed in very much anymore.Just as religions, politics, and governments changed over the millennia, so too did cultures.These days, science seemed to be reigning supreme, and if something couldn’t be easily referenced, cataloged, or quantified, it didn’t exist.

Boy are those guys wrong.

Magick and the paranormal were alive and well across the globe over...and into dimensions beyond.

Link just had to give Ezra’s brain time to accept the facts.To do that, as much as it sucked, he needed to take a step back and give his mate time.It wasn’t as if Ezra could go far.

And that was the whole point of following him out here.

“I know you need time to process this, Ezra,” Link crooned, rubbing over his side, taking a moment to slide his fingertips under the hem of his shirt and caress his smooth flesh.It was just too inviting.“And while I want to get to know you, I didn’t come out here to ruin your vacation.”

To Link’s relief, the tension slowly began to bleed out of Ezra’s body.“You need time to process.I get that.”With a smile, he eased to a sitting position.“How about I let you get back to your vacation?Hiking is your happy place.It’ll help you decompress.”

Ezra slowly followed his lead and moved to a sitting position.“Uh, okay?”

Link lowered his hand to Ezra’s thigh and squeezed lightly, enjoying the feel of the firm muscle and the soft thigh hair.“I’ll shift back into my musk ox form so you can see I’m telling you the truth.”When the tension instantly returned to Ezra, Link realized he’d forgotten something vital.“I’m completely cognizant while in my animal form,” he assured, rubbing over Ezra’s thigh once more.“I know exactly who you are, and I would never ever hurt you.”Still scenting his mate’s disbelief, Link added, “I would even defend you to my dying breath, sweetheart.I would never let anything or anyone hurt you.”

After a deep swallow, Ezra nodded.“Right.Uh, you certainly didn’t before, so...I can see that.”

Grinning, Link leaned forward and pecked a kiss to Ezra’s lips.“I’ll let you get back to your vacation, my mate, but I’ll be around.”Knowing he had to make his intentions clear, Link told him, “And I’ll join you when you make camp this evening.Then you can ask any questions you’ve come up with.I’ll answer anything.Everything.”Link didn’t mind repeating himself because he knew just how important this was.“I’ll always do my best to tell you the truth.”

Still looking a little dazed, Ezra nodded again.“Okay.”

“I do have just one request,” Link stated, skimming his fingertips along Ezra’s thigh muscle once more.When Ezra peered up at him, Link couldn’t help but think that he still appeared a bit stunned, but he ventured ahead, saying, “You can’t say anything about shifters to anyone.No one you pass on the trail, and no one you may call on your satellite phone.Secrecy is key for our kinds’ safety.”

“Right, yeah, yeah,” Ezra immediately replied, nodding.“Of course.”

Link smiled and nodded back.“Okay.”Then he began easing forward, intending to rise to his feet.

Suddenly, Ezra snapped, “No.”He grabbed Link’s wrist in one hand and grumbled, “Oh, hell, no.”

Confused, thinking they’d been on the same page, Link froze.“What?”

What did that mean?

“You’re not leaving me to go hiking with a hard-on,” Ezra snapped, clearly annoyed.He scowled up at him while waving his free hand toward his groin.“What happened to wanting to please me and make me happy?”

“Uhhhh...”

Oh, real eloquent, Link.

His mental fumbling didn’t stop Link from allowing his attention to stray where Ezra had indicated.Spotting the blatant, tell-tale bulge behind his mate’s fly, he sucked in a sharp breath.That filled his lungs with the heady goodness of his human’s arousal—masculine, slightly musky, and oh-so-delicious.

“Oh,” Link whispered.

Yeah, still real eloquent.

“You said Fate helps us push through inhibitions we might otherwise have, right?”

Link could just nod at Ezra’s question, his gaze riveted to the visual proof of his mate’s desire.He licked his lips, praying to whatever gods cared to listen that his human was about to ask him for what he hoped.His mouth watered with his desire to taste, and his own prick jerked behind the thin fabric of his jogging shorts.

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