by Faith Gibson
Take care of Katherine, and if you ever need me, follow the encryption I have left for you, and I will come to your aid as long as my head is still attached to my shoulders.
On My Honor,
Landon
Katherine placed her hands on Julian’s shoulders. The touch was comforting until he realized she was reading the letter. “What did he find out about my convoluted past?” she asked.
Julian placed his hands on top of hers and looked up at her. “You already know the ‘what’ part. He is referring to you being a clone. The other part…” Julian turned and pulled Katherine into his lap. “The other part is about your parents. Sweetheart, the dreams you are having are not merely dreams but memories. I am not a therapist, but I believe whatever Agent Rayaz did or said to you while you were under hypnosis has stirred those memories loose.”
“That doesn’t make sense. I am dreaming of two sets of parents and the man in the drawing.”
Julian tightened his grip on Katherine while trying to figure out the best way to tell her what Landon found.
“Julian, just tell me. I’ve been through hell already. There’s nothing you can say that is worse than the physical torture I endured.”
At the mention of her torture, Julian pressed his forehead to Kat’s neck. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I should have gotten to you sooner.”
Kat’s hand cradled the back of his head as she kissed his temple. “Oh, Honey, please don’t do this. We’ve already discerned this is someone else’s fault.” That was the second time Katherine had referred to him with a term of endearment. Julian never thought he’d want to be referred to as ‘honey’, but coming from his mate, it sounded lovely. “Look at me,” she urged.
Julian did as she asked and was rewarded with her sweet lips touching his. Normally, he would get aroused at being close to her, but her kiss was meant to assure him she meant what she said. Julian smiled at his mate when she pulled back. “I was wrong,” he admitted.
“About what?”
“About who is responsible for framing you. It wasn’t Alistair, but someone from your past. Or rather, your father’s past. I think we should wait until we are home until I share this information with you.”
“Is it that bad?” Kat’s heartrate was kicking up a notch, and Julian knew he was right. He should wait. He wished she hadn’t seen Landon’s letter, but what she had seen couldn’t be unseen.
“As Landon stated, it’s that convoluted. Speaking of Landon, he isn’t coming back, and that means I will have to return to work sooner than I anticipated. I had planned on finding someone to replace me permanently so you and I could have time to get to know one another, but with the Clan going to war, I will be needed here more than ever. The good news in all this is he found out who framed you and has set things in motion to clear your name. You won’t have to disguise yourself much longer.”
“That’s great news about getting my name cleared.”
“But?”
“With you going back to work, I’m going to need to find something to do all day.”
“You don’t wish to return to your previous position?”
Kat sighed and closed her eyes. He didn’t press her for an answer. Julian didn’t want Kat to return to being a reporter, especially working with the cameraman she had been involved with. It wasn’t that Julian didn’t trust his mate, but he had no idea how deep her feelings ran for David Sells. He didn’t want to know.
“I don’t think I do. I studied journalism as a way to research my past. Since you have that information in front of you as well as the super computer here, it’s kind of a moot point. Besides, all those crime scenes were hell on my heels.”
Julian laughed at Kat’s ability to make light of most situations. “Now that we are mates, you have all the time in the world to figure out what it is you want to do. If you wish to have a career, I will back you completely. If you wish to sit here with me and learn all about computers, I will gladly teach you. If you wish to volunteer or stay at home raising our children, I will support whatever it is you decide to do.”
“How many kids do you want?”
“As many as you will give me. Our home has five spare bedrooms. If that isn’t enough, I will build you a larger home.”
Kat looked down at her stomach and placed her hand there. “Do you think this body can handle five kids?”
“Not all at once, no. It can definitely handle one. We will start there and see what happens. The gods might only see fit to allow us one. Then again, we might have enough for our own baseball team.”
“What?” Katherine choked. “I would have to drive a bus with that many kids. I am not a bus-driving kind of woman, Julian Stone.” The smile on his mate’s face told him everything he needed to know. If he wanted nine children, she would give him nine.
“Of course you aren’t, Sweetheart. I will hire a bus driver.”
Kat smacked him on the arm before leaning her head against his shoulder. Julian wrapped her in his arms and held her while imagining her belly swelled with his child. However many they had, he would thank the gods every day for them and their mother. The more Julian was around his mate, the deeper his feelings grew. He wanted to give her the world, but first, he was going to have to give her the truth. Using one hand, he pressed some keys on the keyboard so the information Landon had for him was no longer visible to anyone but Julian. He trusted the other Gargoyles, but this was Katherine’s personal history, and he didn’t wish for it to be common knowledge.
Julian continued to hold Katherine while he ran several programs one-handed. He would work this way every day if she were to decide she wanted to come with him to the lab. Now that Landon was gone, Julian would have to return full time. He was thankful he had installed the bedroom. He had a feeling it was going to be used now more than it ever had in the past.
Lorenzo returned quicker than expected. When he entered the room, Kat lifted her head but didn’t get out of his lap. “Urijah was at the gym, so I got in a little workout there. Thanks for watching things, Jules.”
“I should be thanking you. There is something you need to know. Landon won’t be returning. He remained until I had Katherine home safely, but now he is going after his own mate.” Julian urged Kat to her feet, and he stood with her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. He wasn’t marking his territory; he just wanted to have the contact with her.
“I didn’t know he had a mate. Who is she? Anyone we know?”
“She is a he, and Landon didn’t give me a name. By the way he spoke about the male, they have a past together. I wish him nothing but the best. Are you okay with remaining here until morning? If not, I will call Nik.”
“I’m good. You two go on home or wherever it is you are headed. I have this.”
“Thank you, Brother.”
“My pleasure. Katherine, again, it’s good to have you as part of our family.” Lor bowed his head and took the seat Julian and Kat had vacated.
“It was nice to meet you, Lorenzo.”
Julian entwined their fingers as they walked out of the lab and down the hallway to the door. Once they were in the Vette, Julian turned to her. “Would you like to go out for supper?”
“If you didn’t have something to tell me, I would say yes, but I would rather go home. The suspense is eating away at me.”
Julian lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the inside of her wrist. He honestly preferred to go home as well so she could get out of her disguise, and hopefully later, out of her clothes. If she took the truth of her past well, that was a possibility. If she didn’t, he would hold her and help her with the truth as much as he could.
“Home it is.” Julian flipped on the radio to one of the rock stations Kat had listened to on the drive to the lab, but his mate didn’t sing along, and she didn’t change the channels back and forth. She held his hand tightly while looking out the side window. He should have told her the truth already, but he didn’t want there to be any interruptions when he did. If
Kat was going to have a meltdown, he preferred she do it at home.
“Nik, come take a look at this,” Sophia called out from the archive room. It had to be important or she wouldn’t have interrupted. He climbed down from the ladder where he was painting the nursery. Connor had asked to paint a mural for Lydia, so Nik was putting down the solid background color for the boy. When he reached his mate, she was staring intently at a large tome. It was an older book he didn’t recognize immediately.
“Gorgeous, I think I found something. Look here,” she said, pointing to an entry.
Nik asked, “Is that Gaelic?” When Sophia nodded, it dawned on him what she was reading. The Scottish Clan of Gargoyles had been small compared to other Clans in Europe. So small, in fact, they had joined with the Irish to form a larger group. It had been a long time since Nik had read Gaelic, but it didn’t take him long to figure out what Sophia had found. “I’ll be damned.”
His mate looked up at him, but instead of crinkling her nose as she usually did when she was right about something, she was frowning. “I don’t like this.”
“Not all of our Clan are Italian. We have Goyles from all over the world, Soph.”
“I know that, Gorgeous, but why hide who he is and where he’s from? If this information was in the archives along with his new identities over the years, I wouldn’t have a problem with him.”
“It’s possible his family wasn’t honorable, and he wanted to break away from them.”
“True, but it’s also possible he didn’t want us to find out who he is because he’s been spying from the inside. I don’t like this. I think you should call Julian.”
“And tell him what? Landon is from an original Scottish Clan, but that’s all we know?”
“Yes. At least he can keep a closer eye on the Goyle.”
“Okay, my love. I can tell you aren’t going to let this go, so I will call my brother, after I finish this coat of paint.”
“Thanks, Gorgeous.”
Nik kissed his mate on her cute nose and returned to the nursery. He had a feeling Sophia was right about there being more to Landon than met the eye, but he wanted to give Julian and Katherine as much alone time as possible. When he and Sophia first got together he rued anyone coming around and interrupting. Jules had said he and Katherine were sealing the mate bond soon. If that was the case, he doubted they would get out of bed for days. Then again, it was Julian. His brother was dedicated to the Clan and his job as their information specialist. If Landon was a spy, Julian would more than likely already know it.
As soon as they arrived home, Katherine went upstairs to remove the prosthetic and wig while Julian started supper. She also wanted a moment to herself before he told her about her past. Changing out of her dress into shorts and a T-shirt, she thought about the memories and what they meant. Kat knew whatever it was Landon had found out was going to rock her world. She also knew it wasn’t going to change anything considering her parents were dead, even if she had more than one set of parents. She gave herself a mental pep talk while she brushed her hair. She didn’t bother with make-up. Julian had seen her at her worst, and he still wanted her for a mate. I’m mated to a Gargoyle. If anything should rock her world that was it.
No, whatever he told her, she was going to accept as another part of her past the same as she was trying to come to terms with the fact she was a clone. Kat wanted to speak with Trevor and find out as much as she could about his life and how he handled the news. Again, she couldn’t change that fact about herself any more than she could who her parents had been. Neither changed who she was now – Katherine Stone. For all intents and purposes, she was Julian’s wife. In such a short time, her life had changed drastically. He told her she could do anything she wanted, and she needed to figure out what that was. She already knew she wasn’t going back to her old life as a reporter.
“Kat? Is everything okay?” Julian called up the stairs. That surprised her. He was so formal in most ways, so him hollering out took her by surprise.
“Coming,” she called back. Smiling to herself, Kat thought about their children yelling up and down the stairs at each other. Nine kids? She hoped he had been kidding. Four or five, yes. But nine? She would need a nanny to help with that many, and she didn’t want that. Kat wanted to be the mother she never had. The one who drove her kids to school and helped in their classes. She wanted them to have their friends visit for sleepovers. Wanted them to be able to crawl in the bed with her and their father if they were scared during a storm instead of hiding under the covers. She wanted–
“Sweetheart?” Julian said softly from the doorway.
“Sorry. I got lost in thought,” she assured him. When he cocked his head to the side, she asked, “What? I told you I was lost in thought.”
“You did, but I wanted to make sure for myself. I apologize, but you are my mate, and I am always going to gauge your moods and well-being. It is something you might as well get used to.”
“That’s right. You can tell when I’m stressed or happy or lying.”
“Maybe not lying, but when you are less than truthful.”
“Same difference. I told you, though, I’m fine. I was trying to come up with nine names that don’t suck.”
Julian stepped into the room behind her and circled his arms around her waist, settling his hands on her flat stomach. “I cannot wait to see your belly growing with my child. Hear his or her heartbeat for the first time. See the glow on your face with impending motherhood. You are going to be even more beautiful than you already are,” he whispered against her ear. Even though he was being sweet, his closeness was making her horny. Hornier. Kat doubted there would ever come a time when she didn’t want to strip down and make love at his touch. If that feeling never subsided, nine babies was a possibility.
“I would love nothing more than to take you to bed and begin working on our first baseman, but there is food on the stove, and I don’t want to burn the house down.” Julian kissed her on the cheek and pulled her out of the bathroom, bypassing the bedroom. When he reached the stairs, Kat had a wild hair and jumped on his back. Julian’s steps never faltered. He hiked her farther up onto his back and slid his hands under her butt cheeks.
“Hang on tight,” he warned her. She wrapped both arms around his neck, and instead of walking down the stairs like a normal person, he jumped. Kat screamed, and Julian laughed as he landed gracefully on the floor.
Sliding off his back, Kat slapped him on the ass, grinning. Julian was going to make a great father.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Landon’s laptop alerted him the second Julian opened the files. He felt bad for lying to the Goyle about certain things, but hopefully getting Katherine’s name cleared would ease some of his guilt. Then again, probably not. He had committed too many sins against the Clan to ever be forgiven. Landon never intended to become so entrenched in their lives once he arrived in the States. He merely wanted to observe the Clan. To see how different they were from those he had been raised with. He now had more respect for Rafael Stone than ever before. The male was an honorable King, and Landon would have been proud to serve under him if things were different.
He hadn’t been lying when he told Julian he was going after his mate. He would do whatever it took to have a life with the male, even if it meant continuing to lie and deceive those around him for the rest of his life. He was tired. Tired of being alone. Tired of being used. Tired of traveling the world without his mate by his side. All he had to do was convince his male to make the right decision this time.
Landon shut down his computer and stored it in the carrying case. He slung the duffle bag containing his clothes over his shoulder, picked up the case, and headed out the door of the small apartment he’d been living in the past six weeks without sparing it a second glance. It wasn’t that he minded the small space. He was used to living in smaller, but it wasn’t home.
He is our home.
Yes he is, and we are going after him.
&nbs
p; Katherine set the table while Julian finished supper. Instead of asking him to tell her what Landon found, she first asked him why some of the Gargoyles bowed their heads and touched a fist to their chest. He explained that was their way of honoring the mates and children of their fellow Clansmen. She then asked him about his past, so he told her about his family and growing up in Italy. Kat was amazed at everything he had seen over the years. The changes in the world and the people. One thing that hadn’t changed was his love for his family. Julian the computer genius was a completely different male than Julian the younger brother. While he had great admiration for Frey, Julian was almost like a kid talking about Nikolas. Earlier when he mentioned relocating, he had said he would not move without discussing it with her and Nik first. Now she understood why. He and his brother had been practically inseparable over the years.
As badly as Kat had wanted siblings or cousins even, she couldn’t be jealous over Julian’s large family. They were now her family as well, and she wanted to get to know them all, especially the women. Kat wanted the closeness she saw with Isabelle and Sophia. Tessa had already welcomed her with open arms, and Kat wanted that with everyone – Kaya included. Since neither woman was going to be together in a work capacity, she hoped they could put their past behind them and start anew. Katherine wasn’t the same person she was before. Out in the field, she had to be tenacious. Now, she could be relaxed, and that should go a long way in easing things with Kaya.
It was going to take a while to get used to the whole King and Clan deal, but she was ready for it. Kat had gone from being an orphan turned foster child with little family to a mate with a multitude of family to call her own. Julian continued giving her everything she had ever wanted.
When they were finished eating, they took their wine glasses into the living room and sat on the sofa. Instead of sitting next to him like she wanted, Kat left some space between them so she could turn and face Julian. It would probably be better if she was holding his hand so he could keep her calm, but she wanted to see his face when he told her the truth of her past. Not that she thought he would lie to her, but if he was touching her, he could feel her emotions. He would stop telling her what she wanted to know if he thought she was in distress, and she needed to know everything.