Rookery Cove (Box Set)

By Multi Author

Rookery Cove Aphrodisiacs: Here to satisfy the intimate needs of every paranormal.

Kira Stone -- Breakwater: A bird and a fish may fall in love, but where will they build a home?
Emma Ray Garrett -- The Keythong’s Blaze: Can Branimir and Viktor prove to Okibi that they’re interested in an equal relationship?
Stephanie Burke -- The Darkness: Manx finds his soul’s ease in Mayleen, but will the Darkness bring madness or refuge?
Kira Stone -- Monster Mash: When an entire batch of Mash is ruined, only one act will pacify the Dark Elf’s ire.
Jade Buchanan -- Faun of a Time: Some secrets are meant to be uncovered.
Lacey Savage -- Pixie’s Prisoner: Nathan vowed to never again be experimented upon. Not even in delicious, erotic ways… well, maybe.
Tuesday Morrigan -- Kidnapping Karisma: Watch Kitty go wild with four very hungry men willing to appease her every wicked desire.
Kira Stone -- Satisfaction Guaranteed: Curiosity about a seemingly defective tube of lube compels Thomas to call Rookery Cove Aphrodisiacs’…
Rookery Cove Aphrodisiacs guarantees pleasure from all our paranormal products -- one way or another.

Publisher’s Note: Rookery Cove contains the previously published novellas Breakwater, The Keythong’s Blaze, The Darkness, Monster Mash, Faun of a Time, Pixie’s Prisoner, Kidnapping Karisma, and Satisfaction Guaranteed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Changeling Press
• Release date: Oct 10, 2020

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Rookery Cove

Kira Stone, Emma Ray Garrett, Stephanie Burke, Jade Buchanan, Lacey Savage, Tuesday Morrigan

All rights reserved.

Copyright ©2020

Breakwater © Kira Stone

The Keythong’s Blaze © Emma Ray Garrett

The Darkness © Stephanie Burke

Monster Mash © Kira Stone

Faun of a Time © Jade Buchanan

Pixie’s Prisoner © Lacey Savage

Kidnapping Karisma © Tuesday Morrigan

Satisfaction Guaranteed © Kira Stone

BIN: 009550-03095

Formats Available:

Adobe PDF, Epub

Mobi/PRC

Publisher:

Changeling Press LLC

315 N. Centre St.

Martinsburg, WV 25404

www.ChangelingPress.com

Anthology Editor: Margaret Riley

Cover Artist: Bryan Keller

Adult Sexual Content

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Table of Contents

Rookery Cove

Breakwater

Inter-Office Communication I

Chapter 1 -- Arousing Curiosity

Chapter 2 -- Wounds Old And New

Chapter 3 -- Tango a Trois

Inter-Office Communication II

Chapter 4 -- Compromise

Chapter 5 -- Striking a Balance

Inter-Office Communication III

Kira Stone

The Keythong’s Blaze

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Emma Ray Garrett

The Darkness

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Epilogue

Stephanie Burke

Monster Mash

Chapter 1 -- Tell Me More

Chapter 2 -- Mash Turns to Mush

Chapter 3 -- Damage Control

Chapter 4 -- Righting Wrongs

Chapter 5 -- Going to the Dark Side

Chapter 6 -- Curing What Ails Him

Interdepartmental Communication

Chapter 7 -- Illumination

Chapter 8 -- Spreading the Knowledge

Epilogue -- An Orgy in Every Bottle

Kira Stone

Faun of a Time

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Interdepartmental Communication

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Jade Buchanan

Pixie’s Prisoner

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Lacey Savage

Kidnapping Karisma

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Tuesday Morrigan

Satisfaction Guaranteed

Chapter 1 -- Customer Service

Chapter 2 -- Customer Support

Chapter 3 -- Customer Satisfaction

Chapter 4 -- Satisfaction Guaranteed

Kira Stone

Rookery Cove

Kira Stone, Emma Ray Garrett, Stephanie Burke, Jade Buchanan, Lacey Savage, Tuesday Morrigan

Rookery Cove Aphrodisiacs: Here to satisfy the intimate needs of every paranormal.

Kira Stone -- Breakwater: A bird and a fish may fall in love, but where will they build a home?

Emma Ray Garrett -- The Keythong’s Blaze: Can Branimir and Viktor prove to Okibi that they’re interested in an equal relationship?

Stephanie Burke -- The Darkness: Manx finds his soul’s ease in Mayleen, but will the Darkness bring madness or refuge?

Kira Stone -- Monster Mash: When an entire batch of Mash is ruined, only one act will pacify the Dark Elf’s ire.

Jade Buchanan -- Faun of a Time: Some secrets are meant to be uncovered.

Lacey Savage -- Pixie’s Prisoner: Nathan vowed to never again be experimented upon. Not even in delicious, erotic ways… well, maybe.

Tuesday Morrigan -- Kidnapping Karisma: Watch Kitty go wild with four very hungry men willing to appease her every wicked desire.

Kira Stone -- Satisfaction Guaranteed: Curiosity about a seemingly defective tube of lube compels Thomas to call Rookery Cove Aphrodisiacs’…

Rookery Cove Aphrodisiacs guarantees pleasure from all our paranormal products -- one way or another.

Breakwater

Kira Stone

Question: A bird and a fish may fall in love, but where will they build a home?

Something is harming Rookery Cove’s coastline, damaging the delicate ecosystem that provides many of their natural ingredients. Baen, a water elemental, finds the slow destruction intolerable and demands that Rookery Cove Aphrodisiacs look to the skies above the island for answers.

Airk makes his home in the skies over Rookery Cove. He notices the same kind of habitat degradation as Baen has. He suspects something foul is going on at the fisheries that produce the fish oil for RC Aphrodisiacs’ signature lube and demands that management investigate.

Into the clash between these disgruntled workers comes Gavin, an environmentalist hired by RC Aphrodisiacs to find the source of the contamination and provide a solution. He knows his chemistry, but no one told him he needed to bone up on his biology before taking this assignment.

Answer: In the breakwater, with the man who loves them both…

Inter-Office Communication I

To: John Stubbs, Operations Manager, RC Aphrodisiacs Home Office

From: Baen, Manager, Fishery Division

Date: August 1, 2006, 10:01 AM

Subject: Habitat Contamination

It saddens me to inform you of a serious situation occurring in my department. I’ve found evidence of toxic contamination, and fish egg harvesting is down by 34%. I’m at a loss to account for this disastrous environmental problem. Please advise.

* * *

To: Baen, Manager, Fishery Division

From: John Stubbs, Operations Manager, RC Aphrodisiacs Home Office

CC: Airk, Environmental Engineer

Date: August 1, 2006, 10:21 AM

Subject: Re: Habitat Contamination

Discuss contamination with Airk and get back to me with his assessment.

* * *

To: John Stubbs, Operations Manager, RC Aphrodisiacs Home Office

From: Airk, Environmental Engineer

CC: Baen, Manager, Fishery Division

Date: August 2, 2006, 10:29 AM

Subject: Re: Habitat Contamination

As I previously told Baen, the problem appears to originate inside his territory and is spreading inland. I’ve asked for permission to conduct inspections within the affected area but have been denied access. I can only assume that the problem comes from his domain as I’ve not been able to locate another potential source. Consequently, Baen received a formal written request to submit a clean-up proposal by August 5, 2006, or face disciplinary action. A copy of that letter is in the next post to the Home Office.

* * *

To: John Stubbs, Operations Manager, RC Aphrodisiacs Home Office

From: Baen, Manager, Fishery Division

Date: August 2, 2006, 10:37 AM

Subject: Re: Habitat Contamination

Airk’s last email should prove to you how useless it is to try to talk to that birdbrain. He wouldn’t know toxic contamination if it came from his own arse. He’s convinced the problem is mine and won’t consider the possibility that his precious wildlife rehab center is to blame. Of course, he set up the refuge on private land so it’s not subject to RC Aphrodisiacs’ environmental regulations. In the mean time, production rates continue to fall. Please advise.

* * *

To: Baen, Manager, Fishery Division; Airk, Environmental Engineer

From: John Stubbs, Operations Manager, RC Aphrodisiacs Home Office

Date: August 3, 2006, 1:52 PM

Subject: Re: Habitat Contamination

It would appear that an objective observer is needed here. Gavin McNye, a wetlands specialist, has been contracted to address this issue. He’ll arrive on Rookery Cove Island no later than August 15th. I expect both of you to give him your full cooperation. He’ll report to me daily about his progress. The Home Office wants this matter resolved in short order.

P.S. -- G.M. is human. Our confidentiality clause will prevent him from disclosing company secrets to unauthorized personnel, but do try not to blow his mind. Our corporate fees for taking care of the mentally maladjusted are becoming obscene.

Chapter 1 -- Arousing Curiosity

Rookery Cove Island, August 15, 2006, daybreak

Dew cast a wet blanket over Gavin McNye’s campsite on the coast of Rookery Cove Island. Climbing out of his small tent, his first priority was to find a place to relieve himself. Brambles snatched at his bare legs as he navigated through the low scrub. He zipped up the windbreaker jacket he wore in lieu of a shirt to keep the bitter north wind from stealing his body heat. Still, he shivered. For summer, it was damn cold.

He’d been given permission to camp on Rookery Cove Aphrodisiacs’ land where it butted against the small private sector at the northern tip. It afforded him the quiet mornings he loved without losing touch with the environmental problem he was here to investigate. However, camping meant he had to take a long hike to reach modern conveniences, such as a restroom, or deal with what he could find nearby.

A small thicket of pine trees served as nature’s bathroom. Gavin then returned to camp to start coffee brewing on the two-burner Coleman stove he’d set up under a blue tarp the previous day. Being so near the ocean, literally a stone’s throw away, everything would soon be caked with a sheen of salt, including him. That suited him just fine. Far preferable to waking up with sand in every orifice, or spiders.

At least the salt didn’t bite.

He’d have to be careful with his laptop and scientific equipment though. Again, that just came with the territory.

This time, his territory happened to be the breakwater and surrounding environs owned by a highly successful adult toy and aphrodisiac company. Off the coast of Nova Scotia, Rookery Cove Island looked much the same as its larger neighbor. Lots of rocky coastline, pine trees, and wildlife. Wild blueberries dripped from big, healthy plants scattered over the low hills. Raspberries too, if you could get to them before the gulls and other island birds did.

Gavin poured himself a mug of black coffee, taking it straight since that was easier than hauling extra sugar and powdered cream to the remote places he often traveled. He carried it down to the shore where a heavy morning mist rose from the water. He sipped the bitter liquid as he thought back to what he’d learned about Rookery Cove Aphrodisiacs yesterday.

Gavin knew of several successful companies who were panicked about the possibility of corporate espionage, but RC Aphrodisiacs seemed to take paranoia to a whole new level. First of all, they were better guarded than a virgin at a nymphomaniac rally. Not only did he have to surrender his GPS unit so he couldn’t dial in on the exact coordinates of the island, they’d made him stay below deck for the trip out on the company owned supply boat. He was pretty sure they’d driven around in circles before reaching their destination to distort his sense of how much time the trip actually took.

Things only got stranger once he’d arrived on this large hunk of rock. As an outsider, he expected to be greeted with some suspicion. He was there to look for the source of their trouble, and there was at least one person on the island who wouldn’t want him to find it. That didn’t account for the way he felt as though he were being watched by a thousand hidden eyes. He’d been warned by John Stubbs, the company’s operations manager on the mainland, to expect circumstances that defied explanation. He thought John had been referring to secret ingredients for their exclusive products, or some weird production process.

Now Gavin was convinced he’d meant the employees. There was nothing he could put his finger on yet. Just a sense that something was off, and not only in the water surrounding Rookery Cove.

He took another sip of liquid caffeine, and watched the fog eddy and curl over the rocks dividing the breakwater from the more tumultuous ocean current. It almost seemed to defy nature, struggling to forge its own path in the cold morning air. Any number of natural phenomena could account for that, but his brain wasn’t yet wired enough to wrestle with the possibilities. He’d check it out later.

Right now there was another part of his body that needed a physical release. His morning woody wouldn’t stand down. In truth, he’d been horny ever since he stepped on the island, not surprising after the night he’d spent reviewing the aphrodisiacs and other adult products they offered on their website. So now, before he met the two managers whose flurry of emails to the Home Office prompted his involvement, he’d shower Mother Nature with a token of his esteem…

Riiiiiight.

What he really wanted was to get off with a friend or two. Unfortunately, that opportunity came along less often than a blue moon when his job kept him on the back end of civilization. The male creatures he’d met there weren’t exactly his type. At least, not of the species he was willing to swap spit with. Rookery Cove was shaping up to be the same kind of place… remote, friendless and lonely.

So, unless a compatible mate fell out of the sky or washed up on the rocky shore, a quick wank would have to do. Again.

Gavin finished off the last gulp from his mug and set it on the rocky outcropping he’d climbed over to reach the water’s edge, leaving the safety of the calm breakwater behind him to stand in front of the untamed ocean waves. He found a comfortable niche in which to rest his back and spread his legs wide. The water lapped at his feet. His hiking boots would get a little damp, but that was bound to happen anyway.

His fingers slipped the button at the top of his shorts. The zipper followed slowly, as if he were performing a striptease for whoever might be behind those hidden eyes that seemed to follow him everywhere. He let go of the tab halfway down, stroked the dart of red hair that bisected his belly, and could almost imagine a lover’s groan of impatience.

Want this, do you? Gavin said out loud as his hand continued under the zipper to stroke his still-restrained cock.

Yes, a whisper of wind carried back to his ears.

Mind games, he concluded. Another way of playing with himself. It hurt no one, so why not dress up his fantasy a little? Being on an island that created products designed to enhance one’s sexual experience practically cried out for something different. Something a little more… imaginative than a hard, fast solo ride.

The thin jacket he wore hung open. He pushed the sides back to reveal his nipple ring. Only on the left. It’d hurt so damn bad that he hadn’t been able to stand getting the other one done that day, and then he’d moved on to a new patch of swamp. So now he was left half and half. Fitting, as so many things about him were polar opposites. Perhaps he’d convince a boyfriend to split a matched pair. Some day. Until then, he had one of his very own to play with.

He twisted it between his fingers. The pleasure/pain sent a jolt of lust to his cock. The crown of his shaft now peeked out above the half-lowered zipper. It throbbed in time with his beating heart, breaking out of its cloth prison on its own.

Sexy, the wind whispered to him. Or was it coming from the waves? Gavin didn’t much care either way. It made him feel natural, wild, uninhibited. And for some reason, he wasn’t disturbed by the thought that someone might be watching him.

Spray whipped up by the wind lashed against his exposed skin, like a lover’s playful slap. It provided enough wetness to make his strokes an easy glide. Long, gentle caresses with a little twist of his fingers at the end to rub the ultra-sensitive head. Yeah, baby, just like that.

The screeching of a gull momentarily startled him into opening his eyes. Some winged avian, something large and gray, soared in circles high above him. Later he’d get his binoculars and find out what could possibly be that big, living out here. Now he had more urgent matters to attend to…

Just as his lids started to slowly close, returning him to his inner erotic vision, a particularly large wave came rolling into view. He tried to reclaim his previous groove, but something about the water’s behavior nagged at him. Another glance told him he was right to be nervous. The oversized wave was now racing toward him. In several seconds the mini-tsunami would crush him against the rocks, grinding him into shark bait.

Gavin braced himself to take the massive hit, curving his body and placing his hands over his crotch to shield his dangly bits as much as he could from the water’s knockout punch. When his body failed to be pulverized, he cautiously peeled open one eye. The second soon followed. Then he outright gaped.

A column of water, about six feet high and perhaps a third as wide stood -- actually stood -- before him. From somewhere near the region where a mouth would be on a human, sound issued forth in an upbeat, somewhat gargled fashion. Want help with that?

Gavin had seen some weird shit in his professional life, but he’d never seen water talk. Or stop as though it’d been caught at a red light, for that matter. Errrr… no, I’m finished. Thanks.

The way he had to manhandle his steel erection to get it back into his pants belied his claim. He was going to be horny all day now. And why? Because he was tripping. Perhaps bad mushrooms he’d harvested before hopping on the plane to Halifax, or something that the curious crew on the company boat fed him to further confuse his assessment of where he was or how he’d gotten here. Didn’t matter what caused this trip to fantasy land, but Gavin had no doubt he’d been drugged. Water just didn’t rise up like Lazarus and start a conversation.

You sure? Water streamed down the column, like rapidly melting ice. I’ve been asked to help you in every way I can.

No, I’m good. Thanks. Just going to head back to my tent now and take a nap. Maybe then whatever drug that was responsible for this hallucination would leave his system faster.

The figure shed more water. Head and shoulders appeared. The body, if it could be called that, was almost translucent. Through the faintly blue outline defining the imaginary creature’s shape, Gavin could see other waves rolling in, but none as big -- or as stationary -- as the one in front of him.

Your offer wasn’t meant for me? He sounded disappointed.

At least Gavin assumed it was a he. It was kinda hard to tell under all that water. Sorry, no. I didn’t even realize you were out there.

No doubt the lust in his system was having an impact on his hallucinations. He desired a sex partner, so his chemically enhanced libido had provided one. Too bad the guy was no more real than any of Gavin’s other fantasy fuck material.

Then why did you come to this part of the shore? the semi-blue, semi-transparent man asked.

Gavin shrugged as he struggled to zip up his jacket. The spray from where the well-behaved waves struck the rocky shore made the simple task more difficult. I like the ocean.

The water creature tilted his head, a puzzled expression on his totally bald head. Are all humans so… strange?

The bird Gavin had noticed earlier now circled directly above them. It appeared to be doing a kind of aerial pole dance with a column of rising fog. With impeccable timing, it screeched again, almost as if it were trying to answer the question.

Listen to him, as if he’d know. The water man -- for now Gavin could see the outline of a very masculine set of shoulders -- peered up into the sky. The black and gray avian circled lower.

Are you talking to that bird?

He has the hearing of a cat and the eyesight of a hawk, that one does, his watery visitor said with grudging admiration. But we’re not on friendly terms, if that’s what you mean.

Gavin wasn’t sure what he’d meant, if anything. It was all too surreal to be believed. Deciding to go with the flow for now, since it seemed he had little choice, he relaxed against the rock at his back and chose to answer the only question he could. Humans are a strange lot, yes. Some may tell you I’m stranger than most.

The bluish face that was slowly gaining solidity broke into a smile. Then you should fit in just fine around here.

The bird was enormous, Gavin noted as it spiraled closer. He imagined he could make out the face of a man and a pair of arms folded over a heavily muscled chest instead of the typical bird contours. His mind was on some seriously weird shit.

Turning back to Mr. Water, who was now thoroughly male, at least to his waist, Gavin asked, So, why did you think I’d come to the shore to meet you?

John said you would.

John? You mean John Stubbs, Operations Manager for Rookery Cove Aphrodisiacs?

That would be the one, the watery creature happily agreed.

Gavin mulled that over a bit. I did tell John I’d be ready to start this morning. He said he’d arrange for me to meet RC’s environmental guy and the manager in charge of the fisheries.

There you go. I’m in charge of the fish.

The bird overhead let out another heart-breaking cry. Gavin found he could now make out features, like breathtakingly beautiful eyes the same shade of gray as the soft under-feathers of his wings. A tool belt made of leather spanned his narrow hips, over what seemed to be a kind of leather kilt. His legs, almost hidden in his tail feathers, were long and lean. Gavin wondered how they could hold up such a burly torso, but avian physiology wasn’t part of his college studies.

Suddenly, what the water creature had said sunk into Gavin’s twisted perception of reality. "You’re Baen, the one having trouble with fish egg production?"

"Producing eggs? No. No problems there, my friend. My girls are working hard for me. The trouble is with keeping their eggs healthy until they can be harvested. The water is getting polluted by someone’s foul bird droppings." He twisted his blue head skyward.

Gavin gazed up at the big bird man. And that someone would be…

A flutter of wings brought the winged man within a conversational distance above the large boulder Gavin had taken shelter against. Airk, Environmental Engineer for Rookery Cove, at your service. He kept fanning his wings in a light movement, hovering inches above rather than resting upon the gritty surface. Oddly, his hair was a light brown that matched his skin far better than his fine feathers.

A bird and a fish. Oh boy.

He nodded his head in acknowledgement of the introduction since it was impossible to shake hands with a figment of his imagination. I’m Gavin McNye, Wetlands Specialist and Temporary Nut Job.

Nut Job? Baen and Airk exchanged confused glances.

Means I’m insane. Crazy. The temporary bit is wishful hoping on my part. It may be that they’ll keep me drugged the entire time I’m on this huge chunk of rock, somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic. A sudden frightening thought occurred to him, and he nearly panicked. He grabbed onto the watery arm in front of him, noting that it felt like muscle wrapped inside a very wet sponge. "I am still in the Atlantic, right?"

Slowly, Baen nodded.

Okay, good. He closed his eyes for a minute, trying to get his heart rate back to something approaching normal. I can’t say that I’ll be much use to anyone in this state though. Wasn’t signing the confidentiality waiver enough?

Airk gazed down at Gavin, and Gavin found it hard not to preen under the attention. The winged man exuded a smell like none Gavin had encountered before. It was… heavenly. Olfactory ambrosia. And the slight wind Airk created by fanning his wings ensured that he continued to get heady lungfuls of it.

For the love of all things aquatic, would you please stand downwind? Baen sneezed, spraying large water droplets everywhere. You smell like Okibi.

Okibi. Didn’t sound like any plant or animal Gavin was familiar with. Not surprising, though. He was beginning to understand that RC Island was full of surprises.

Or his drug-induced version of it was, at any rate.

What is Okibi? Gavin asked them.

Okibi is a who, not what. She’s a phoenix, and our chief security specialist, Airk explained. The way he said her name, a mixture of affection and frustration, made it clear that their relationship went beyond strictly business.

Figures, Gavin thought. He would have a girlfriend. Even in his dreams he couldn’t meet a single, attractive gay man. Creature. Whatever.

What he did find interesting was that a feminine perfume -- one worn by a mythological creature that by all rights should smell like burnt feathers, a smell Gavin detested -- would arouse him so much. He’d never had sex with a woman, never been inclined to. So why was he getting all hot and bothered just from her scent?

She also manufactures one of Aphrodisiacs’ hottest selling products, a perfume based on her pheromones. Kind of like a love potion, except the only magic involved is done in her lab. Bird brain here smells like he must have taken a bath in the stuff.

It was an accident, Airk muttered. She was… annoyed, and I didn’t get out of her way fast enough. I’ll never get the hang of women.

Then it’s a good thing for them that you prefer boys. Going to be torture for us though, since we have to put up with your stinky ass all day.

Like you’re never a walking erection anyway.

Though Gavin was amused by the by-play, their conversation did answer one important question. Then you did drug me!

Rookery Cove Aphrodisiacs doesn’t drug their guests, Airk told him.

Sorry, but you’ve got a few too many feathers to be entirely human, and Mr. Wet Sponge over there moves in ways that would mystify Einstein. Since those two things aren’t possible in the real world, I’ve deduced that I’m hallucinating. Unintentionally, of course. The drug was a good one though. Gavin felt mostly like himself, except for the way his vision continued to play tricks on him. And his morning woody which was currently imitating a giant redwood. That he couldn’t attribute entirely to the drug or the perfume.

You mean you didn’t know that RC Island is a haven for beings the rest of the world considers mythical or magical? Baen laughed, his whole body vibrating with mirth.

He’s human, a mainlander. Course the Home Office wouldn’t tell him anything about us.

No wonder you gaped at me like a stunned sunfish when I first appeared.

I caught that bit of drama, Airk growled. It’s a wonder the man didn’t turn right around and head back to where he came from.

Oh, and your fancy bit of flying had nothing to do with showing off, Baen countered.

Doesn’t matter, Gavin interjected loudly, speaking over them. We’re all here now, in body if not fully in mind. The question is where to go from here.

Chapter 2 -- Wounds Old And New

I’m not letting that bird brain bring his diseased feathers anywhere near my fishery! Baen shouted immediately.

Like your water spout is free of contaminants, Airk countered.

That’s enough, guys. You’re both going with me. There was no way to avoid it. Each would continue to suspect the other of some misdeed until the truth came out. They would all see the evidence with their own eyes so there could be no question of foul play on his part. The question is where to go first.

The aviary, Baen said quickly. One stop is all it’ll take to see the truth.

I’ve nothing to hide, Airk shot back. You must, though, if you’re so anxious to keep him out of your seaweed beds.

He can get in my beds any time he wants! Baen slung an arm around Gavin’s shoulders.

Airk flew over to face them and leaned in, that tantalizing scent hitting Gavin’s libido with enough force to make him come on the spot. Only a supreme effort on his part kept him from creaming his shorts. He’s not here to be your sexy toy, Baen. He’s got better things to do with his time.

Oh, and I suppose you haven’t imagined him nesting down with you, eh?

The thought was dizzying. And arousing. Gavin could easily imagine his legs wrapped around Airk’s trim waist. Now that he could see the water man’s full figure, he wasn’t so bad either. For a non-human.

Non-human. Oh, man. Was he really considering having sex with these creatures? Perhaps the drugs had affected more than just his visual receptors…

Guys? I think the first issue we face is whether or not I’m in any condition to help. There’s no point in going through the inspections if I’m mentally impaired.

Baen cocked his head. Why? Did you hit your head or something?

At the same time, Airk suggested, Maybe we better take you to Health Services for a checkup. I’m not sure what effects prolonged exposure to Okibi’s scent will do to you.

Aside from a few bumps and bruises which were unavoidable in his job, Gavin felt fine. And horny. Very, very horny. I’m not worried about my head so much as the gray matter inside it. This is an impossible conversation that shouldn’t be happening. You can’t be a talking sponge, he said, pointing to Baen. Then he turned to Airk and added, And human males I’ve known don’t generally carry around their own set of wings.

Baen gave him a quick, reassuring squeeze. All that means is that you haven’t been traveling in the right circles. We’re as real as you are.

A cold wind blew down from the north. Airk turned to catch the current in a way that wouldn’t blow him out to sea. Gavin shivered, feeling cold and wet and hungry. Very, very hungry. And not just for food.

How much longer are you going to stink like the spitfire? Baen demanded of Airk.

Gavin thought the birdman actually blushed as he answered, Damned if I know. This stuff has more staying power than skunk spunk.

It’s powerful, all right. Look at what you’re doing to our guest!

Gavin followed Baen’s gaze to his crotch where his thick erection was now tightly outlined against the wet fabric.

Forgive his bad manners, Airk said, even though he was staring just as hard. He doesn’t get out much.

Oh, and you’re the party king? Baen retorted.

At least I don’t go around drawing attention to a guy’s dick without permission.

Baen’s own penis started to fill -- with what, Gavin couldn’t say. He had a thoughtful look on his marble smooth skin. Does our interest in your body make you uncomfortable?

Uh… What was he supposed to say? Yes, he liked having their attention on him even though his brain insisted on feeding him data that his mind couldn’t process into something normal. They were intelligent and friendly creatures, if not quite human. He’d lived most of his adult life in the untamed places so he didn’t mind frank sexual discussion either. It was a refreshing change from the carefully couched predatory phrases one found in the cities. But did he actually want to encourage them?

Why do you assume every guy you meet will find you irresistible? Airk asked, glowering like a seriously pissed off wind sprite.

Same reason you landed on the one spot where Gavin could get a good look up your leather skirt if he had the inclination. Eternal hope.

This time Gavin was blushing. He’d tried hard not to go there, but as Baen mentioned it, his eyes slid up Airk’s slim legs to the juncture of his thighs. His balls were low, covered by a dusting of golden down. His cock hung low too, fully erect but angling south rather than north. Lord, did everyone here have a constant woody?

Damn the phoenix anyway, Airk muttered. He didn’t move or try to cover himself.

Gavin didn’t think he was supposed to hear the comment, but apparently his hearing wasn’t a bit impaired. He decided it was time to put things back on a more business-like ground before he attempted to do something that was anatomically impossible with imaginary hunks. Why don’t we go back to my camp, have breakfast, and decide where to go next?

Without waiting for a response, Gavin started walking. Airk hovered over him, his wings continuing to beat against the air, sending that mind numbing, body hardening odor his way. It made his head spin, and he stumbled against the jagged edge of the shoreline boulders, cutting a large gash in his thigh just above the knee.

Immediately, Airk was on him. Are you okay? Let me see.

Large hands roughened by years of hard, physical labor gently stroked his leg. The bird man made a sound in the back of his throat that mimicked a morning dove’s reassuring coo.

How bad is it? Baen shouted from the water’s edge. Want me to summon help?

Just a cut. A deep one -- may need stitches -- but no broken bones. I can handle it. Airk’s voice softened and he turned his probing gaze toward Gavin. If you trust me.

It stung like a bitch. Spraying saltwater on an open wound was not his idea of a good time. However, he knew the injury wasn’t life threatening. Once we get back to my camp, I’ll slap some duct tape on it. It’ll be just fine.

Duct tape?

You know, the silver stuff that’s a handyman’s best friend. How could anyone live in the twenty-first century and not know about duct tape?

Airk’s brow wrinkled in concern. I think what I have in mind will work better. First, we need to get you away from the water. Are you afraid of heights?

You can’t take him to the preserve. Who knows what diseases he might catch there, Baen protested.

Gavin could see Airk’s chest expand with a double lungful of air to retort, so he stepped in to cut off another heated exchange. Take me back to my camp, please. Or would that leave Baen behind as well?

I’ll get there, my friend. Don’t worry. Just don’t let him carry you off to the dung heap he calls a cottage.

Do you know where my camp is? Gavin asked Baen, even though Airk was doing a good job of distracting him by rearranging pouches on his leather belt. The way that man’s chest rippled was pure poetry in motion.

Yeah. I swam up the little tributary this morning to speak with a friend and caught sight of you with your pecker out. You do seem to love to show that thing off. And with a teasing grin, Baen melted into the waves around him, disappearing from sight.

Damn. I’m one behind. I don’t suppose you’d care to even up the score, Airk teased, his sky gray eyes alight with warm amusement.

Maybe later. It was becoming more and more of a certainty. He was going to have to do something about his raging hard-on. Even the pain of the cut hadn’t doused his lust. Why do it alone if he didn’t have to? Let’s get my leg fixed up first though, okay?

Right. Sorry. I got distracted. He bent over Gavin again. One arm went around his back, the other went under his knees. Put your arms around my neck. You don’t have to hold on too tight. I won’t let you go.

The tender note in Airk’s voice brought a lump to Gavin’s throat. He couldn’t reply, even if he knew what to say. He merely looped his arms over Airk’s bulky shoulders and hung on.

Bad idea. Bad, bad idea, Gavin realized as he breathed in that crazy scent undiluted by distance or fresh ocean air. But he had no time to adjust his position, nor did he really want to, as Airk launched them into the air with a huge flap of his wings.

The ground sped away at a dizzying rate, so Gavin didn’t watch for long before burying his face in Airk’s neck. He closed his eyes and enjoyed being carried by the strong man who cradled him with a great deal of consideration. Muscles rippled across his torso with each beat of his enormous wings. Wind rushed over them, but Gavin hardly noticed. His brain simply couldn’t keep up with all the things flying -- flying -- in the arms of this man forced him to believe. So he gave up trying to make sense of it all, and let the pain, lust and wonder he was feeling swim freely through his system.

In no time at all, they were back on the ground. They didn’t so much land as drift down, until Airk could lay Gavin upon the vibrant green grass next to his campsite. Warm hands ran reassuringly over his back. You can let go now. If you want, Airk said in a low, husky voice.

With a guilty jolt, Gavin let go of Airk’s neck, and reclined on the gentle slope. He knew he should get up and dig the duct tape out of his pack. It was gonna hurt like hell though, so he remained still for a few more seconds to work up the internal fortitude necessary for the trip.

Airk dropped down on his stomach beside him, and used one elegant wing to keep the sun off Gavin’s face. As soon as that lazy water slug shows up, I’ll fly over to my rehab center. The stuff I use on the animals should work for you. He spoke softly, looking at the ground inches in front of his face rather than turning to look at Gavin.

Is that how you think of me? As an animal?

Airk’s head jerked up. Isn’t that how you see us?

Thoughtfully, Gavin stroked the outer curve of the wing above him, running his fingers over the area where gray blended to black. Yes. But then, that’s how I think of humans too. You’ve just adapted to your environment in different ways. Non-human ways. Impossible ways. But it didn’t seem polite to point the rest of that out.

You’re a strange one, Gavin McNye.

The silence stretched between them, but Gavin couldn’t look away. How would those thin lips feel against his? Strong and gentle, just like a man? Time to find out…

Gavin rolled to his side. His hand trailed toward Airk’s neck, sliding up the corded muscle to cup the back of his head. His light brown hair felt like corn silk. He spent a few more heart-pounding seconds letting the strands sift through his fingers. Watching Airk’s eyes widen with wonder and then narrow with lust. Watching the tip of his pink tongue wet his lips.

Finally, Gavin asked, Kiss me?

It’s just Okibi’s hormones, Airk protested. You wouldn’t ask otherwise.

It’s not just the hormones, Gavin assured him, then waited with heart-pounding anticipation to see what he’d do.

With a low groan, Airk met him halfway and Gavin got his first taste of Rookery Cove lovin’. Salty, of course. And incredibly sweet. Hot breath fanned over his face before those wonderful lips pressed against his again, the velvet caress of Airk’s tongue petitioning for entrance. Gavin opened his mouth and let him in.

This was the part Gavin loved best. Deep, oral contact. He loved the simple intimacy of it. Kissing was his way of reaching the decision point. No or go. If the kiss held enough promise, he’d go all the way. If it lacked whatever he was looking for, the moment would go no further.

Airk’s kiss was green lights all the way, baby! Unfortunately, his partner’s sexual traffic light seemed to be glowing amber.

Airk pulled back slightly. The sea slug approaches.

Why do you keep calling him that?

We tried dating once. Well, not so much dating as…

Fucking each other’s brains out? Gavin supplied. Made sense they would have tried it at some point, since gays had to be in the minority on this island as they were in every other corner of nature.

Yeah.

He grew quiet. Gavin realized that meant he should drop the subject, but it occurred to him that he might have been brought to Rookery Cove for no good reason. If this contamination turned out to be revenge due to a lover’s spat, he was going to be pissed. So things didn’t work out?

Airk frowned. He calls me bird brain because he said I had my injured birds on my mind more than him.

And sea slug came from…?

He can’t hold his water, not completely. Airk fluttered his raised wing a bit which Gavin took as a sign of irritation. Everywhere he went there was a trail of slime behind him. You know, like a slug.

Gavin wanted to ask more questions, but Baen was now within hearing distance. He looked a little smaller than before. Gavin put that down to the change in perspective. Or maybe it had something to do with the blue shorts he was wearing.

Well, you two look mighty cozy, Baen drawled as he reached them.

Airk nipped Gavin’s jaw, then pushed himself up with his arms and his wings at the same time. Took you long enough, he said as he rose into the air. Take good care of him until I get back.

Gavin watched Airk spiral away. Baen thrust a digit at the sky in a sign of displeasure, then turned to Gavin again. Sorry about the delay. Although from the looks of things, maybe I should have taken longer.

What kept you? Baen dropped something into the grass beside him. Gavin picked it up, inspected it. You went back for my coffee mug?

Didn’t want you to get fined for littering.

Gavin didn’t think that was the real motivation, but he appreciated the gesture. That coffee mug had been with him a long time. He would have been sorry to lose it. Speaking of losing things… Gavin sat up to inspect his leg. It throbbed, but the bleeding seemed to have stopped. It really didn’t need much TLC at all.

Baen squatted down beside him. Does it hurt much?

It’ll be fine, Gavin assured him. In fact, if you help me over to my tent, I think I have something that’ll take care of the problem right away.

Your ‘duck tape,’ I suppose. How does one make tape from water fowl anyway? Immediately he held up his hands. No, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.

Gavin chuckled. It has nothing to do with that kind of duck.

He placed his cool, damp hand on Gavin’s leg, near the tear in his flesh. As much as I hate to admit it, I think we’d better wait for Airk. He has a gift for tending to the injured. He flashed a wicked, sexy grin. I’d be willing to kiss it and make it better though.

Why don’t you try kissing my lips instead? After the words were spoken, Gavin held his breath. He didn’t know what made them slip out like that, but he wasn’t willing to take them back. He really did want to find out what it would be like to kiss the blue-skinned creature.

I thought you and Airk…

Gavin nodded. Is that a problem?

Not for me, but it may be for him. He’s the monogamous sort.

So am I. But we haven’t made any promises to each other. I’m just… He didn’t know what he was doing. Winging it, he supposed. For whatever reason, it had become equally important to him to learn about Baen as he had Airk. I’d just like to kiss you. But if you aren’t interested, I understand.

Baen literally lunged at him, knocking Gavin onto his back once more. He scarcely had time to suck in a surprised breath before Baen was on him. This was no sweet surrender, but a full frontal assault. Baen didn’t ask for permission to cross beyond the barrier of his lips. He attacked with teeth and tongue and lips, seducing his way inside. Gavin held onto him, intrigued by the wet yet solid feel of his body, as he tried to match the water man kiss for savage kiss.

Want you, Baen panted out. Want you bad.

Gavin could relate. His cock hadn’t deflated for well over an hour. It was amazing he hadn’t come from sheer sexual frustration. However, he wasn’t willing to go further until the three of them worked out the ground rules of physical engagement. Ditto. But, Airk will be back soon. I don’t want him to feel left out.

Baen broke away with one last stinging bite. He didn’t go far though. What do you say we get ready for him?

What do you mean?

You need to get out of these clothes.

An aggravated screech ripped through the pale blue sky. Gavin looked up to see Airk circling lower, as if looking for a place to land.

Uh-oh. Someone has their beak out of joint.

Airk did look rather like a thundercloud this time. He slashed through the air rather than drifting on it. When he zeroed in on an area, he practically hurled himself to the ground. He landed with a thump by Gavin’s side, the full pouches at his waist jingling from the force. Almost immediately he sat, as if his legs had collapsed under him.

Gavin