by Faith Gibson
Dante said, “Stay here,” but Trevor bolted from the car as soon as he saw Jasper. He couldn’t stay in the vehicle if his life depended on it. He didn’t know why, but there was an inexplicable pull, drawing him toward the gorgeous man. Dane was standing behind the open door of his cruiser, his service weapon still holstered. Jasper and Matthew were standing in the middle of the bridge, and a man was several feet away, aiming a gun at them. “Gun!” Trevor shouted. Shots rang out, and Jasper unfurled a set of wings, wrapping them around Matthew.
“Do something!” Trevor yelled. When Dane continued to stand there watching, Trevor twisted the pistol from Dane’s holster, flipped off the safety, and fired one shot. The man went down, and Trevor handed the gun back to a shocked Dane. Trevor ran to where Jasper was still protecting the teen. Like a moth to a flame, Trevor reached out to touch one of Jasper’s wings. Before his fingers made contact, the wings disappeared behind Jasper’s back. I guess those are off limits to me. Still, Trevor knelt down and wrapped both Jasper and Matthew in his arms.
“Trev…” Jasper pleaded.
“We’ll talk later. Right now Matt needs us.” Trevor leaned his head against the teen’s and closed his eyes.
Chapter Three
The swords and pikes were no match for the pistols, and cannons. Phelam saw the Englishman take aim at the O’Donnell. “No!” he roared as he used his shifter speed to place himself between his father and the shooter, wrapping him in his wings.
When Seamus saw Phelam’s wings, he screamed, “You’re no son of mine, Phelam O’Donnell. You’re a monster. Be off with ya.”
“No, Athair! I saved you.” Phelam dropped to his knees, begging the only one who ever loved him to not turn him away. He lowered his head to his chest only now realizing he was naked with the exception of the knotted ropes twisting around his torso.
“I said be off with ya!” Seamus raised his sword, ready to take Phelam’s head.
“No!” Jasper yelled, thrashing around his king-size bed. He sat up, panting heavily. Once he got his breathing under control, Jasper disentangled the sheets from around his waist. He ran a shaking hand through his bed-tousled hair and let out a long sigh. The dreams were getting worse. Ever since Theron had made an appearance at Dante’s, every bad thing that ever happened in Jasper’s past was haunting his sleep. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and rolled his shoulders.
He didn’t have to look at the clock to know the time. One glance out the window and the position of the moon told Jasper it was a little after three in the morning. He rose from the bed and opened the double doors leading to the balcony off his second-floor master suite. Instead of having Rafael design him a home, Jasper bought this one when Finley left for the West Coast. In honesty, Jasper couldn’t have designed one more fitting. The log and stone structure was perfect, situated in the middle of fifty acres of Georgia pine trees. Hardwoods were strewn in the mix, as were a few pink and white dogwoods. Jasper couldn’t wait until spring when the blooms would be offering color against all the green and brown.
Jasper lived on a secluded road close to both Dante and Gregor. The Stone Society had recently purchased all the other land around their homes, giving them the privacy of thousands of acres. With the Gargoyles finding their mates, security was even more important now than ever. Thinking of his own mate caused Jasper’s heart to hurt. It had been almost two weeks since he had seen Trevor. Thirteen days since they had spoken to one another. Jasper had sent texts. He had even handwritten a note and mailed it to Trevor. He finally broke down and sent a bouquet of roses to the man. He didn’t know if Trevor even liked roses, but they were the universal flower for love. Not that he loved Trevor, he barely knew him. But he couldn’t get to know him if he kept avoiding Jasper.
Jasper kept an eye on his mate from a distance, taking turns with other Gargoyles to make sure Theron didn’t get to him. Dante assured him Trevor was okay, but Jasper wanted to see for himself. Dante had worked most of the crime scenes Jasper had been to. The one Trevor had overseen had been assigned to the new detective, Ramsey Harris.
Being Trevor’s boss and friend, Dante was very protective of him, but he was Jasper’s mate, even if they hadn’t made it official. After the recent clusterfuck brought on by both Theron Gianopoulos and Troy Quinn, Jasper wasn’t sure they would ever make it official. Theron he could handle. Jasper would take a sword to the Gargoyle bastard’s neck and be done with him. Granted, he would probably start a clan war if he did. When Rafael called and told him of Connor’s vision, Jasper came really close to kidnapping Trevor and leaving town with him. He still wasn’t opposed to the idea, but they both had responsibilities. Trevor had already left the morgue to Dante once. It wouldn’t be fair if he abandoned his boss again so soon, even if it was against his will.
Jasper wasn’t as worried about Theron as he was Quinn. He would protect his mate from the Gargoyle. But Troy Quinn? He couldn’t protect Trevor from the memory of killing the man. Taking a life, no matter the reason, was not something that went away quickly. Jasper knew from experience that it stayed with you for many years. Being on the battlefield, striking down more than his share of the enemy, still haunted Jasper over four hundred years later.
Between Dante, Frey, and Dane, Trevor had plenty of eyes on him. Plenty of security. When Trevor was home in his apartment, Dane would check on him since he lived down the hall. Dante watched over him at work, and Frey kept tabs on him when he visited Matthew. The two had bonded ever since Trevor shot and killed Matthew’s brother-in-law. Still, it wasn’t good enough. Jasper was tired of waiting. He needed to see him with his own eyes. He walked back inside and pulled on a pair of jeans along with his black motorcycle boots. He grabbed a shirt and tied it around his waist. Jasper strode out the double doors, releasing his wings as soon as he hit the cool December air. He launched himself into the night, heading toward his mate.
Being early Saturday morning, the first place Jasper looked was Frey’s. He missed being around the fierce Gargoyle and his new family, but Trevor and Matthew needed each other. Both young men had received shocks to their system in finding out about Gargoyles. Jasper had wanted to be the one to tell Trevor, but circumstances didn’t allow it. When he reached the edge of Frey’s land, he opened his senses to his mate. Trevor wasn’t there, so he shifted direction and headed back home. The sky was too bright under the light of the moon for him to fly into the city.
Jasper put his shirt on, and grabbed his key and helmet. His sleek motorcycle was waiting for him in the garage. Jasper rode his first motorbike in the early nineteen hundreds, after World War One. It wasn’t as exhilarating as flying, but he found it to be fun. The motorcycles had improved vastly, and the chrome and metal machine he now rode was a powerhouse. Knowing he couldn’t be killed if he lost control tempted Jasper to let loose on the machine.
Only when he reached the exit that led to the hospital did he slow down. He passed through the parking lot not seeing Trevor’s car. Still, he turned off the engine and reached out to listen. If Trevor was in the morgue, music would be blaring from the speakers. Sure enough, Jasper heard the sounds of their favorite band floating through the air. Jasper dropped the kickstand and headed toward the door.
Using the key Dante had given him, Jasper let himself into the employee only entrance. His heart raced at the thought of seeing Trevor. When he reached the door, he cracked it so he could observe his mate without him knowing. Trevor probably wouldn’t appreciate being watched, but Jasper had to make sure his mate was okay. The low volume of the music surprised Jasper. Both he and Trevor listened at levels way above normal. When he caught sight of his mate, Jasper’s heart all but stopped. Trevor was leaning against the wall, arms wrapped around his waist. He was rocking back and forth, mumbling.
Jasper didn’t hesitate to go to Trevor. His mate was hurting, and he intended to ease his pain. “Trev,” he said softly so he wouldn’t startle him. Trevor opened his eyes but continued his rocking motion. When Jasper pull
ed him into his arms, Trevor leaned in, accepting the comfort Jasper offered. Jasper kept quiet, not knowing what to say. When Trevor’s heartbeat finally slowed to normal, Jasper kissed him on the temple and leaned back far enough to see his face. Trevor wouldn’t look at him, so Jasper used his index finger to raise Trevor’s chin. Trevor closed his eyes instead of meeting Jasper’s. Taking a chance, Jasper placed his hands on either side of his mate’s face and pressed soft kisses on those closed eyelids. His lips found Trevor’s forehead, his cheeks, his chin, and finally his lips. There was no urgency in his kiss, just a slight bit of pressure letting Trevor know he wasn’t alone.
Trevor pulled away, retreating to the sink to wash his hands.
“Trev, Ba… Buddy, what’s wrong?” Jasper stopped short of calling him baby. He didn’t need extra stress right now.
“Besides the fact I killed a man?” he muttered as he cleaned his hands with a brush. When Jasper saw the intensity with which Trevor was scrubbing, he took the brush away. “I wasn’t done with that,” Trevor snapped.
“Your hands are clean. Let’s talk about what happened, okay?”
“What’s there to talk about? I shot and killed a man when I didn’t need to. He wasn’t hurting you. He couldn’t hurt you.”
“But he could have hurt you. If you hadn’t stopped him, he could have shot you.”
“That might not be so bad,” Trevor whispered.
Jasper grabbed his mate by the arms and turned him from the sink. “Don’t you ever say that again, Trevor McKenzie. That would be the worst thing in the world that could happen.”
Trevor scowled at him. “You only say that because you have to. That whole fucked up mate thing Dante told me about. You never would have paid attention to me if it wasn’t for that. I’m sorry you got the short end of the stick. We both know I’m not the type of man you normally go for. I’ve seen your past lovers, and they are not me. You’re a god, and I’m… I’m nothing.”
“You are not nothing. I wanted to hang out with you before I knew we were mates. When I asked you to the concert, I didn’t know you were mine. When I asked you over to play video games, I had no idea. At the time, I didn’t know you were gay. I wanted to get to know you as a friend, someone to hang out with. Then when you came over that first night, I knew I would have to tread lightly because you turned me on. I didn’t act on my feelings because I thought you were straight. I’d rather have you as a friend than nothing at all. You’re funny, you’re smart, you’re sexy as hell, and whether you like it or not, you are mine.
“I’m not going to pressure you into being with me physically, but I am going to bug the piss out of you until you let me back into your life as friends. If that’s all we have, I’ll take it. Because let me tell you something, your friendship means more to me than a roll in the sack. Now, putting that aside for a minute, have you talked to someone about the shooting?”
Trevor turned his back on Jasper and found the stool behind the slab he normally worked at. “And tell them what? I can’t confess to shooting Quinn; Dane took the blame since it was his gun. I can’t tell them I’m fated to be with a Gargoyle; nobody knows about your kind. I could tell them I’m a clone and only here because my brother might have needed a heart. Isn’t that why most clones are made? Just in case their sibling needs spare parts? It sure as hell wasn’t because my parents wanted me. We’ve already discussed that, though. I could tell them the man I was falling for is into some seriously fucked up kink, and I’m as vanilla as they come. Seriously Jasper, what the fuck am I supposed to tell them?”
Jasper didn’t miss Trevor saying he was falling for him. Was being the operative word. He let it go for the time being. “I’ll talk to Nikolas. In a clan as large as the Stone Society, there has to be a psychologist in the mix. Even if we have to travel to find one, we will find someone you can talk to. You can tell them everything you just said.”
“You don’t deny being into the ropes and bondage?”
“Would you believe me if I said I wasn’t? You haven’t given me a chance to explain things to you. The photos, the past, nothing is what it seems, Trevor. If you would give me the opportunity to share my past with you, you might find I’m not so different from you.”
Trevor shook his head. “Somehow I seriously doubt that. You’re a member of the badass club.”
“I haven’t always been a badass. Most of my life I was anything but. You’re not the only one with parental issues. I was banished from my Clan when the King found out I was gay. Only he didn’t send me on my merry way; he called for my head. My father, being the greedy bastard he was, didn’t want to lose the money I would make him working the land. Instead of following the King’s orders and killing me, he took me away and sold me to an Irish Chieftain instead.”
Trevor cocked an eyebrow. “Chieftain? How old are you?”
“Four hundred eighty-seven.”
“Why wouldn’t you let me touch your wings?”
Jasper would never forget the hurt look on Trevor’s face when he reached out to touch his unfurled wings. “Because even though they’re impenetrable, they’re highly sensitive to one’s mate.”
Trevor considered that for a moment before asking, “Can I see your fangs?”
Jasper closed the distance but stood on the opposite side of the slab. He dropped his fangs at his mate’s request. Trevor reached across the table, but Jasper grabbed his hand. “Be careful. Those are razor sharp.” He released him and waited for Trevor to inspect his long canines. Trevor glanced at Jasper’s hands as he released his claws, keeping them on his side of the table. When Trevor seemed satisfied with show and tell, Jasper returned himself to normal. “I don’t know what all Dante told you, but I’m an open book. You can ask me anything.”
Trevor folded his arms over his chest. “Who is this Theron, and what does he mean to you?”
Chapter Four
Trevor’s head was spinning. Being this close to Jasper was causing all kinds of crazy shit inside his brain, not to mention his dick was pulsing like an arm banded in a tourniquet for bloodletting. Pretty soon he’d have no feeling left. He sat behind the stainless table so Jasper wouldn’t see the effect he was having. He wasn’t ready to talk to Jasper, but the man was here, in the middle of the night, clearly concerned for his mental state. Of course Jasper had to walk in during one of Trevor’s meltdowns.
The past two weeks had been hell. Receiving the photos of Jasper and his ex-lover, make that his dead ex-lover, had started the downward spiral. Being followed by Theron, then Dante telling him the truth about Gargoyles, and finally, Trevor shooting and killing Troy Quinn, all of these events had Trevor ready to jump off the deep end. With no water in the pool. His mind was constantly reeling with this new knowledge. He had worked for Dante several years and knew the man and his family were badasses. Now he understood why. They were primordial beings who appeared to be human, only they weren’t.
He still had much to learn about the Gargoyles and the half-bloods, but one thing he didn’t need any more coaching on was the mate bond. Even though Dante explained how the fates chose the Gargoyle’s life partner, he witnessed firsthand how that bond worked with not only Dante but Frey as well. They both told him their story and how they met their mates. Dante flew to Greece to save his female, and Frey rescued Abbi from death when he caught her seconds before she hit the ground after her husband threw her over the bridge. Her husband who Trevor had killed. Watching the couples together left no doubt they were meant for each other. It didn’t mean he was ready to accept that he was Jasper’s mate.
Like he told Jasper, the man – make that Gargoyle – was a god. He needed someone of godlike status to be his mate, whether the fates thought so or not. Trevor had nothing to offer someone like Jasper. Someone who had lived over four hundred years. Someone who’d known probably countless lovers over those years. Trevor wanted to be friends with Jasper, because he didn’t have many. He wanted to be close to the gorgeous redhead, but he would not mate with h
im. Jasper deserved so much more than Trevor. If he never mated with the detective, Jasper would always have the opportunity to choose someone else.
“I’m surprised Dante didn’t fill you in on who Theron is, or more importantly who his father is.”
“I might not have given him the opportunity to fill me in on a whole lot after he explained the mate bond,” Trevor said honestly. “He did tell me about Alistair, but he did not elaborate on Theron other than he’s Alistair’s son.”
Jasper ran his hand through his hair. His chin was now covered in whiskers that hadn’t been there two weeks ago. Trevor wanted to touch his face and find out if the beard was as soft as it looked. Now more than ever he wished he wasn’t colorblind so he could see the blue of Jasper’s eyes. He only knew they were blue because he’d asked him.
“I will tell you everything, I promise. But I’d rather do it somewhere besides the morgue. Will you come by my place later today?”
Trevor didn’t want the temptation of being alone in Jasper’s home, but he wanted the truth, so he agreed. “Yeah, I guess I can do that. I’m almost done here anyway. What time were you thinking?”
“How about nine? That’ll give me time to get some things done, and I’ll cook you breakfast.”
Trevor was all about Jasper cooking for him. The man was not only a god; he was a master chef in the kitchen. “That works for me.”
“Have you seen anyone following you?” Jasper asked as he shoved his hands in his pockets. Trevor knew he was itching to reach out and touch him. Trevor wanted the same thing.
“If there is, I haven’t seen them. I think Dante has one of the badass club following me everywhere I go.” Trevor had noticed some of the Gargoyles he met at Dante’s home hanging out in the parking lots when they had no good reason being where Trevor was otherwise.
Jasper pulled a key out of his pocket. “Okay, good. Well, I guess I’ll see you later.”