by Faith Gibson
Fourteen
Gregor walked into a fairly quiet manor. Priscilla was in the kitchen singing to herself as she iced a cake. The King liked his sweets, and Priscilla indulged him. It was a good thing Gargoyles had such high metabolisms or they would all be overweight.
“Gregor, you’re just in time for a piece.” She put the last dab of icing on and smiled at the finished product.
“I’d love a slice later. Right now, I need to talk to Rafe. I know this is his last night with Kaya, but he is going to want to hear what I have to say.” Gregor walked by the cake, swiped a finger through the icing, and stuck it in his mouth. His eyes nearly rolled back in his head, it was so good. She swatted at him like she would a small child.
“Priscilla, you have outdone yourself.” He gave the older woman a kiss on the cheek. She had been like a mother to him and his brothers for the last thirty years. His own mother was back in Italy. After their father was slain in an attempt on the throne, she left America. She said it was too painful to be around her sons.
“Did I hear my name uttered in vain?” Rafael was standing in the doorway, grinning at his brother. His beautiful woman was standing at his side, face flushed. Gregor could smell the sex on them both. He didn’t blame them for staying in bed until the absolute last moment. He would do the same if he were in his brother’s shoes.
“You did. Kaya, you’re looking well. I have some news that you both will want to hear. I also have some you probably won’t. Can we sit?”
Had it been just the men, Rafael would have led them to the patio. Gregor wasn’t surprised when he took them to the billiards room instead where it was warmer.
“Quite a lot has happened today. So here’s the condensed version: I found my mate. I was right, it’s Tessa. She snuck down to level one and talked to her brother, Tamian St. Claire. I followed her, and then she jumped off the roof. I phased and went after her. I took her to my office and called Isabelle, but before I could get to the bottom of anything, Isabelle began shifting. She is a half-blood. The half-bloods are children of human mothers and Gargoyle fathers. That is the good news.
“The bad news is that while Kaya has been taking some time off, there have been more murders. Dante got a call right before I left the morgue. I’m sure Jasper will have more information when he gets home, but the odd thing is that the victims are apparently clones. If Trevor is correct, this one will be as well. The really bad news is they all look just like Tessa.”
Both Rafael and Kaya were staring at Gregor like he needed an exorcist. “What do you mean she jumped off the roof?” Rafael asked at the same time Kaya asked, “How does Trevor know the victims are clones?”
“I know it’s a lot, so let me start with Tessa. Obviously, she is some type of adrenaline junkie. She came into the Pen prepared. She was wearing a flight jacket, so when I say she jumped off the roof, she pretty much flew. At the time, I didn’t know she was prepared. With no thought, I phased and went after her. I already knew she was my mate, but that sealed the deal. I now understand what you meant when you said you had no choice but to phase.” Rafael nodded. His wings had immediately wrapped around Kaya when she was shot at a third time.
“I took her to my office to figure out why she was sneaking below to talk to St. Claire. Only they weren’t talking. They were just standing there, staring at each other. I still haven’t figured that one out yet, but I have an idea. While I was questioning Tessa, Isabelle doubled over in pain. I drove both women to Isabelle’s home, and that’s when Tessa told me Isabelle was going through her transition. It seems that with the half-bloods, they don’t change until they meet their mate. So, somewhere along the way, Isabelle has had contact with hers. We just don’t know who it is yet.
“I wanted to get more information, but Tessa basically kicked me out. Oh, and she hates me. Anyway, I went back to make it clear to St. Claire that Tessa is mine, and he let me know just as quickly that he’s her brother. He didn’t want to elaborate on anything, saying it was Tessa’s place as my mate to tell me. He did confirm that human women can have Gargoyle babies and live to tell about it. Tamian has his own story, one I need to get out of him. He said Vincent Alexander can talk and has been doing quite a bit of it, some coherent, some not.
“Vincent also knows Isabelle somehow. He has mentioned Flanagan’s name as well as someone named Merrick. Tamian is going to continue listening in on the albino to see if he says anything useful. I wanted you to have some privacy on your last night together, but after I visited Dante, I needed to come see you. I have a theory. Rafe, the women in the morgue could be Tessa’s sisters. They all have red hair and green eyes and are approximately the same age.”
Jasper came into the room and confirmed Gregor’s prior suspicion. “I’m afraid the latest victim fits the same bill. We don’t have an identity yet, but I’m sure someone will call her in as missing soon. She had the same handprint around her throat as the other women.”
Rafael asked Gregor, “So what’s your theory?”
“I think Tessa is Flanagan’s daughter.”
Kaya asked, “What makes you say that?”
“Like I said, it’s just a theory, but think about it. Both Tessa and Isabelle know Montague, and Isabelle is his daughter which should make Tessa his niece. She is the right age. St. Claire is her brother. I’ve not read a lot about clones, but I have heard there is some sort of psychic connection. That could be why Tessa was just standing at his door. They were speaking to each other with just their minds.”
“That’s crazy,” Kaya said.
“Yes, and you didn’t believe in shapeshifters a couple of weeks ago either.” Rafael took her hand in his and squeezed.
“I am just theorizing here, but it adds up.” Gregor walked to the mini fridge and pulled out a beer. “Anyone else?”
Jasper held up his hand. “I’ll take one. What I don’t get is how does Flanagan know what Tessa looks like? Didn’t she disappear when she was a baby?”
“Yes, but her mother has red hair. Flanagan has red hair and believes he is the father. We know since she’s a shifter he can’t be the father unless he’s a Gargoyle, which I don’t believe he is. He is assuming she will look like Elizabeth did at her age.”
They all pondered Gregor’s theory until Kaya asked, “Jasper, how did it go at work today with Dane?” She would be returning tomorrow, so it only made sense she would want a heads up.
“I tried to get him to open up, but he pretty much avoided me all day. Kept himself holed up in your office with some redhead.”
“Redhead? Was it Tessa?” Gregor’s jealousy was rearing its green head.
“I didn’t get a good look at the woman. She was in his arms with her back to me.” Jasper took a drink of his beer.
“It could be that reporter. I think he likes her, Gregor.” Kaya was trying to spare his feelings, but it wasn’t working.
“Doesn’t matter. What does matter is we find out who’s killing these women and put a stop to it. I will get Dante to call you when he has examined the latest victim. I need to check on Isabelle. She is my employee after all.”
Rafael grinned, “Sure. It has nothing to do with the fact that Tessa is helping her.”
If Kaya hadn’t been in the room, Gregor would have told Rafe to go fuck himself. Having a Queen around was going to take some getting used to.
Rafael pulled Kaya onto his lap. “You said Tessa hates you. Any particular reason why?”
“I asked Tamian. He said it’s because I’m a full-blood. I need to find out why the prejudice. It’s not like we knew about the half-bloods. But if that was Tessa at the precinct today, she may have told Dane to keep tight-lipped around you, Jasper.”
“How do I handle Dane? Do I tell him I know the truth, or do I wait and let him approach me?” Kaya asked Rafael.
“Now that we have this latest information, it will probably make both your lives easier if you tell him you know. Trying to hide a secret as big as being a shifter is a tall order.” Ra
fael pushed Kaya’s hair over her shoulder as he spoke to her. Gregor wanted that with Tessa. Wanted the closeness, the intimacy.
“Do I tell him about you, the Clan? Since he’s one of you now, aren’t you his King, too?”
Rafael nuzzled Kaya’s neck. “Yes, I am his King, their King. For now, say as little to Dane about that as possible. We have to find out as much about the half-bloods as we can and why they have been hiding all these years. Gregor, I need you to get closer to the women. Surely you can get one of them to talk to you. If you went to Isabelle’s home, then you accomplished something Nikolas could not. He went back to the place where he had followed the women after their initial conversation, but the place was locked up tight. He would have needed to break in to get inside.”
Gregor asked, “Didn’t he say the house he went to was close to the University?” Rafael nodded. “The house I went to is on the south side of the city. It definitely wasn’t closed up; it was homey and lived in. Isabelle did ask why Tessa took her home instead of somewhere else, though. That is just another mystery to solve, but it will have to wait. Jasper, how close are you to finding your own place to live?” The manor was large enough that he wouldn’t be getting in the way, but Gregor could imagine Rafael didn’t want any distractions now that he had found his mate.
Jasper finished off his beer then answered, “Sixx called me earlier, something about a glitch in my accounts. As soon as he gets that figured out, and I have my new identity, I’ll be moving out. I found a place pretty close to yours. My property isn’t as heavily wooded, but it’s still private.”
“Did Sixx say what kind of glitch? Julian called earlier and was concerned about the missing data in your file. Jasper, I have to ask you, and I need you to answer honestly; did you mess with your records for some reason? When you transferred out here from the west coast, your employment had been tampered with.” Rafael wasn’t accusing Jasper, he just needed answers.
Jasper didn’t hesitate to respond, “Sixx didn’t say, and no, Sir. I’m not stupid, but I’m definitely not smart enough to hack into files. What about it was tampered with?”
“The dates you were a fireman. Those had been erased.”
“Oh, shit. Shit, shit, shit. Rafe, I might know who did it. Can Julian go back far enough into my computer and trace the dates and times?”
“I’m sure he can. What are you getting at?” Rafael set Kaya off his lap and stood up.
“I was, I had…” Jasper was nervous.
“Jasper, it’s okay. If this has anything to do with what you and I talked about already, you can speak freely in front of Kaya and Gregor. They both know.”
“They do?” Jasper was shocked. The look on his face made that apparent.
“Yes, we do. And we don’t care.” Gregor gripped his shoulder, showing his sincerity.
“I had a boyfriend, Craig. He was also a firefighter, but he was in the closet. He told everyone we were roommates, not lovers. He was super smart, and I caught him on my laptop more than once.”
“Call Julian and give him all the information you can. Hopefully this will tell us who hacked our system and why.” Rafael held his hand out to Kaya who took it and stood beside the King.
Jasper left the room to make the call, and Gregor’s cell phone rang.
“Stone. Hey, Brother. Where are you? Absolutely. I’ll be right there.”
Rafael had the look in his eye that Gregor knew all too well. When it came to the Unholy, all the Gargoyles lived for the fight. Knowing he’d overheard the conversation just now, he shook his head at his brother. “Oh, no. You are not going patrolling. You stay here with your woman.”
“I didn’t say a word.” Rafael grinned before practically dragging Kaya back to their bedroom.
Gregor went in search of Jasper. They needed as many Goyles fighting as they could get.
Fifteen
Isabelle practiced releasing and retracting her fangs without cutting her lip while Tessa was on the phone. Sophia had been relieved that Tessa was there to help her cousin through the change. Transitioning was something Sophia knew little about. Her parents were still missing, and Tessa told her to concentrate on them. Elizabeth had called earlier to let her know she couldn’t find Sam either, and she was going to take over the search herself. Tessa called the airline and changed her flight. Belle was phasing easily, so Tessa should be able to take off a day later than planned.
“Why did you bring me here instead of taking me to the house where you took Dane?”
“I didn’t think you would want to be around Caroline. Was I wrong?”
“No, you weren’t wrong. There’s something I don’t understand. Dane came to me with flu-like symptoms. It took him over 24 hours to begin his transition. Why did mine come on immediately?” Isabelle had been quiet for most of the day. She had dealt with the pain like a champion. At first, she wanted to take the pain pills she had prescribed for her brother, but Tessa told her it was something she needed to deal with. Unmedicated. After the pain from the initial phase subsided, Belle had stopped complaining. Tessa was proud of her cousin. Knowing first-hand how badly it hurt, she told her how well she had managed.
“Everyone’s is different. It could be that he had no direct contact with his mate. They could have been in close proximity, just enough to cause the initial reaction. He also could have truly been sick before he began his transition.” Tessa’s own transition came on like a bat out of hell as soon as she touched Gregor. “Where have you been other than work and home?”
Isabelle didn’t hesitate, “Nowhere. I have driven to the Pen and back home. That’s it.”
“Then your mate has to be someone you work with. Or, heaven forbid, an inmate. Have you been around any inmates at all?”
“No, I haven’t. I have been going over files and doing inventory…” She faded off.
“What? What are you thinking?” Tessa didn’t like the worried look on her face.
“How close do you have to get to someone for them to be your mate? Do you have to touch them?” Both her fangs and claws were showing now.
“Belle, calm down. What’s wrong? Have you been close to any of the inmates? Is that what has you worried?”
Her cousin was pacing the room now, blood trickling down her chin where her fangs were cutting into her bottom lip. Tessa stood and grabbed her by the arms. “Stop it. Right now, stop. Look at me. Breathe. You have to get yourself under control. There will be instances where you get upset in public, and you have to be able to keep your fangs and claws in check. Now, close your eyes and breathe.”
Isabelle’s eyes closed and tears rolled down her cheeks. “I don’t want my mate to be a murderer,” she whispered. Tessa wrapped her in a hug, something she had never done before. Tessa wasn’t the nurturing type, but her cousin needed the comfort.
“Shh, it’s okay. It’s probably one of the guards. I don’t think the fates would have someone like you mated to a criminal.”
Isabelle pulled back and wiped her face with her clawless hands. “Do you think it could be Gregor?” Tessa hated the hopeful look. She ran her hands down Belle’s arms then backed off.
“No, I know for a fact he isn’t your mate.”
“How do you know? Unless… Oh my god. He’s your mate, isn’t he? That’s how you know for sure.”
Tessa didn’t say anything. That was all the confirmation she needed. “Why didn’t you tell me? And why do you act like you hate the man if he’s your mate? You’re supposed to be living happily ever after, aren’t you?”
“It doesn’t always work that way, especially when there’s a Gargoyle involved. I don’t want to talk about him right now. Let’s concentrate on getting you rested. I still have a trip to take.” Tessa didn’t want to think about Gregor and living happily ever after. It just wasn’t in the cards for them.
Isabelle let it go. “Okay, I’m going to take a shower.”
Tessa waited until the water was running before she stepped out the backdoor onto the porch.
Breathing in deep, she allowed the cool air to seep into her lungs. What she really wanted was a double shot of tequila and a cigarette. She only smoked when she drank, but right now she needed to keep a clear head, so she didn’t allow herself either. She leaned against the porch railing and raised her face to the moon. It was waning, just like her heart.
The fight had not done as much good as Gregor wanted. He relished flying, fighting, feeling alive. It hadn’t been his night to patrol, but the Unholy had decided they needed to create chaos and a lot of it. As he and Jasper flew to meet up with the others, he couldn’t get Tessa off of his mind. He needed the wind under his wings, the cool air ripping through his lungs. When they arrived at the address Julian had given, Gregor was amazed at the sight below. The last time this many Unholy were out in the streets, they were fighting each other to cause a diversion. Kaya had been abducted by Vincent Alexander and the Gargoyles were busy fighting the monsters instead of protecting their future Queen.
Gregor didn’t hesitate. He dove right into the middle of the mayhem, claws out and slashing. The Unholy were an unpredictable lot. He couldn’t figure out why they remained hidden for months at a time and then all of a sudden they infiltrated the city streets fighting among themselves. The humans had smartened up over the last thirty years and stayed out of their way for the most part. The Pen still had plenty of room for those who were dumb enough to get caught by the Gargoyles.
Now, several hours and a shit ton of locked up Unholy later, Gregor attempted to relax. Never had his heart felt so conflicted. He had found his mate, yet she didn’t want him. Didn’t even like him. All because he was a Gargoyle. That in itself didn’t make sense. She was half Gargoyle. There was more to the story than just a prejudice, and he needed to find out what. If she could give him a good reason they shouldn’t be together, he would deal with it. What he would not deal with was a half-ass excuse.