by Faith Gibson
“After that little bombshell you dropped on me earlier, I don’t think you need protecting. What else aren’t you telling me, little brother?”
“Go pack. I’m going to call Julian and tell him what’s going on.” Tamian wasn’t ready to spill all his secrets. Not even to his sister.
Tessa rose from her seat and wrapped her arms around Tamian from behind. “I always knew you were special. If you want to keep your secrets, I understand. Pick me up tomorrow on your way to the airport. I’ll be ready to go.” Tessa kissed his temple before walking away. Tamian waited for the small ache to hit when he was alone, but surprisingly, it didn’t rear its ugly head. Turning his attention back to the monitors, he attributed his good mood to one secret agent.
Drago begrudgingly handed the scientist a wad of cash for his latest experiment. The money Kallisto sent him was dwindling, but this had been a good investment. Dr. Craven was able to synthesize a formula that lessened the severity of the Unholy’s mania. Before, the men were nothing more than zombie mutant warriors. Now, they were able to utilize parts of their brains formerly shut off. He could control them as well as give them orders to perform functions such as driving and operating phones. He didn’t spend all his money on the formula; instead, he only needed a small batch to use on a handful of Unholy. The rest he left in their current state.
Putting humans on the payroll was a necessary evil as well as a costly one, but there were certain jobs he needed handled he couldn’t count on his fellow Gargoyles to carry out. Burk and Kavin had proven to be loyal and capable; therefore, he’d sent the two of them to the West Coast to build their army there. Two other Goyles, Renneck and Trexon, had found their way from Greece after their King had been overthrown. They were good at following orders, and neither one of them wanted to fight him for the leadership role. Not that either one could best him. As with all other lifeforms, there was a hierarchy, and Drago was now at the top of theirs. He’d never considered being King while living in Greece, but now that he was no longer under Alistair’s thumb, the thought was enticing. If he could continue to build the army of Unholy, he could eventually challenge Rafael Stone.
Renneck raised his eyebrows while inclining his head toward the door the scientist exited. “No,” Drago answered the unspoken question. “We may have need for his services in the future.” Those humans who served a single purpose were let go, and then Renneck and Trexon followed and took them out of commission, retrieving the money they’d been paid. Ones like Craven were kept alive as long as they proved useful.
Drago was able to share his endgame with those Unholy who had some of their humanity returned. It was a two-part plan that would not only have him ruling over New Atlanta once he took the head of Rafael Stone, but he would also get Kallisto out of prison. He wouldn’t be where he was without her help, and there was no way he was leaving the female to rot in the Pen, even if she was human. Drago had worked for Kallisto for many years, and she had always been fair. It didn’t hurt that she was stunning. Maybe she would appreciate him enough to consider being his Queen once he sprung her from her prison cell.
The warehouse he was using as their base of operations was hidden on the outskirts of town. It was one of the few buildings not owned by Stone, Incorporated. Drago had lucked out when he found it. It was close enough the Unholy could spread out and create havoc but far enough away to be off the grid. As he sat behind his desk in the large room he’d made into an office, Drago lit a cigar, blowing smoke rings toward the ceiling. They’d lost the little waitress when they kidnapped her, but he wasn’t going to be deterred. Drago had already chosen their next victim, and before long, the Stone Society would know who was in charge of New Atlanta.
Lucy grabbed the bottle of wine and took it out onto the patio. She was jetlagged from the almost nonstop flying she’d done over the past week, and the four-hour nap had done little to ease the fatigue. As she relaxed back in a cushioned chair, she gazed out over the lawn as the moon shined its light over the expanse. One of her uncles, Hayden, had taken over care of the property while Lucy traveled. When she first met her father’s family, it was odd to Lucy how they immediately accepted her. Treated her like she’d never been away from them. They knew almost everything there was to know about her, and it wasn’t until about a year after meeting them all she learned they’d kept tabs on her while she was growing up. They had wanted her even if Warryck hadn’t.
As she sipped the Merlot, she thought back to the last few days. Her trip to Africa had been odd, to say the least. The information her boss sought could have just as easily been gained from her desk in the States. It was another in a long line of red flags Lucy was pinning to the wall to see if they formed a pattern. Something was off. Something had happened in the last six months to put her on high alert, and she intended to find out what it was. Lucy hated to think her employer was corrupt, so she had been trying to narrow the playing field down to those who had something to gain in crossing over to the dark side. She refused to believe she was gathering intel on the Ministry only to have the information help them somehow.
Any and all information she did gather, Lucy handed over to her grandfather. Sutton Lazlo had been an officer in the army before becoming a police officer in Texas. When he moved the family to Upstate New York, he formed a motorcycle club. Having a club whose members were all shifters meant they were an eclectic group. Many humans had tried to patch in, but that never happened. If someone had told Lucy five years ago she’d be riding on the back of a Harley with her hair flying in the wind, she’d have laughed her ass off. Lucy Ball was a prim and proper young lady.
Yeah, right.
All it took was one ride on the back of Mav’s bike to change her attitude as well as her lifestyle. Sure, she still had the money and the big, empty, lonely house. But now, she had a wardrobe of jeans, leather jackets, and eleven pairs of black moto boots. Lucy had even developed a taste for beer. That was thanks to Hayden. Lucy kept the fridge stocked for her uncle when he came over to do the landscaping. The first time he asked her to join him down on the dock overlooking the lake, they’d sat side by side with a cooler of beer while Hayden told her stories of the family.
Each brother had a different take on what the Hounds were about. Sutton had formed the club for the shifters to have a brotherhood. A safe haven where they could come together with other Gryphons and not have to hide their true nature. Being in law enforcement, Sutton had ruled the club the same way he’d led his police department – always looking out for the innocent and helpless. When the Ministry tore the world apart some thirty years ago, Sutton took it upon himself to gather as many Hounds as possible to find these cults and put them to ground. At first, Lucy wasn’t sure how she felt about her newfound family being mercenaries – something she’d found out by mistake – but after Rory explained they didn’t just go off and randomly kill people, she eventually came around to the idea of taking out the trash, as her grandmother put it.
The Unholy came to be not long after the near apocalypse, but the family became aware of another group of shifters who did their part to keep the monsters in check. As far as the family knew, the Gargoyles weren’t aware of the Gryphons. They thought it best to keep it that way. If the Gargoyles could handle the Unholy, the Hounds would look after the Ministry. After hearing her family’s legacy and their part in keeping humanity safe, Lucy jumped at the chance to be part of it. Too bad the government got hold of her before she could do a whole lot of good.
Movement in the trees caught Lucy’s eye. Using her eagle vision, she zoomed in on the area and gasped when she saw a man hiding among the trees. Not on the ground, but in the trees among the branches. Holding still, she didn’t want to alert him she was aware of his presence. What was he doing? And how did he get past the security system? Keeping an eye on him, Lucy picked up her phone and opened the security feed app. Cameras were located around the perimeter, so no matter which way he entered the property, the cameras would’ve picked him up. It wasn’t until she rewound th
e feed to more than four hours back that she found what she was looking for.
The man stopped at the edge of the lake after swimming the breadth of it. He took a look around, and after a few seconds, he launched himself out of the water using large, grey wings. The man landed among the thick branches of the trees and settled onto the one he was currently using as his perch, except this was no man. He was a Gargoyle. When Lucy rewound to the point where he was waiting in the water, she zoomed in on his face. Even though it was getting dark outside when he broke the surface, there was enough light for her to see him clearly.
That wasn’t just any Gargoyle.
That was Tamian St. Claire.
Chapter Four
Tamian opened his senses to Harlow, but he still couldn’t get into her mind. It had taken every bit of strength he could muster to remain in the tree where he was hiding out and not go to her in her bedroom. The female had been easy to follow from the airport. From as far away as he’d been, Tamian could feel the weariness she experienced. After she disappeared through the large, iron gate protecting what he assumed was her home, Tessa and he drove around looking for a way in. After a half hour of recon, Tamian decided his best course of infiltration would be to swim across the lake and watch her from the woods surrounding her home.
There were security cameras located around the perimeter, but he counted on hiding well enough Harlow wouldn’t detect his presence. Tessa dropped him off before going to find a hotel where she could set up the computer equipment Julian had sent with them. Once they had an address, it had only taken Julian less than a minute to garner Harlow’s true identity – Lucia Harlow Ball. At least he’d been calling her by her real name.
Movement in the tree caused Tamian to twist around. A squirrel perched on the branch above the one he was using and chattered at him. Tamian whispered to the little rodent, “Hello, little fella.” The squirrel responded with something Tamian smiled at before it scampered off to a different tree. After turning his attention back to Harlow, he remained unmoving. Her hand paused as she raised her wine glass to her mouth, looking in his direction. Her eyes locked onto his. But how? Shit. After a few seconds, Harlow took a sip of wine, but instead of remaining where she was, she rose and went into the house, taking the wine bottle with her.
Godsdamnit. He didn’t know how, but she spotted him. She might not have known it was him, but he had no doubt she saw movement when he had spoken to the tree rat. He couldn’t risk staying where he was, so he climbed higher into the tree before crossing over several branches that leaned over the water. When he felt he was out of sight from the house, Tamian shimmied down the backside of the tree and crawled across the ground until he reached the water’s edge where he dove into the lake and swam the distance across underwater.
The water was murky at best during the day, but with it being night, it was all but pitch. His shifter vision allowed him to see enough to navigate to the other side. When he reached the opposite shore, Tamian turned on his back and stuck his mouth out long enough to drag in a breath. With his lungs filled with oxygen, he turned over and propelled himself underwater, swimming along the bank until he had passed the bend in the shoreline. Only then did he dare to stick his head above the water. Tamian didn’t understand how Harlow could’ve spotted him. She wasn’t a Gargoyle that any of the Clan knew of. Nikolas had checked the archives. He said it was possible a half-blood had slipped through the cracks considering the Clan had only known of their existence for about a year.
Tamian asked Tessa on the flight if she was aware of any undocumented half-bloods, but she said all her family was now accounted for. That didn’t mean other Gargoyles across the globe hadn’t mated with humans. If his mate was part shifter, she would know he had been the one watching her house. Or maybe you’re just paranoid. Either way, Tamian made his way back through the woods on the opposite side of the lake from Harlow’s home. When he got close to the spot where Tessa dropped him off, he reached out to her. “Tessa?”
“I’m here.”
“You can pick me up now.”
“Already?”
“Yes. I think she saw me.”
“How is that possible?”
“No idea. Well, I have an idea, but until I get closer to her, I won’t know for sure.”
“I’ll be there in ten.”
When Tessa arrived, she tossed a towel and a T-shirt to her brother. “Thanks,” he said, drying off.
“So, spill. What happened?”
“I turned to talk to a squirrel, and I think she tracked my movement.”
“What did the two of you talk about? Your nuts?”
“Very funny. I think Harlow might be a Gargoyle. There’s no other way she would have picked up my movement from that far away.”
“That wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. As a matter of fact, it would be better if she were. That way you wouldn’t have to explain what you are.”
“Then why can’t I sense her like I can other Gargoyles? That’s the part that I can’t figure out. Whenever I’m close to her, I feel the need to claim her, but it’s the other part that’s missing.”
“You mean being able to detect her emotions?”
No. “Yes. It’s like she has an invisible barrier shielding her from me.” Tamian could feel the female’s emotions, so lying to Tessa felt all kinds of wrong. It was Harlow’s thoughts he still couldn’t get a lock on.
“Are you certain she saw you?”
“Yes. She looked right at me. Fuck!”
“Hey, cool your jets. It’s going to be okay.”
Tamian sighed. “How do you know that?”
“If Stone and I can be mates without killing each other, you should have nothing to worry about. Instead of lurking in the trees playing squirrel whisperer, why don’t you go up to the door and introduce yourself.”
“And say what? ‘Hello, Harlow. I’m Tamian St. Claire, and you are my mate’?”
“You might leave out that last part, but yeah, why not?”
“Is that what you did? Walk up to Gregor and introduce yourself?” Tamian had never heard Tessa mention exactly how she and Gregor met initially.
“Nah, we ran into each other in a gas station. Literally. I hid from him for three years because Jonas was hell-bent on us staying away from the full-bloods.”
“Wow, that’s—”
“Pathetic. I know, but that’s in the past. Now that we know whoever the fates put us with is meant to be our true mate, I don’t think you’ll have anything to worry about, especially if you feel the pull to her.”
“But what if it’s a fluke? I mean, I’m not exactly the poster boy for normal when it comes to being a Gargoyle.”
“Nope. You’re the poster boy for being a special Gargoyle. Since that’s true, I can’t wait to meet this chick.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because she has to be extraordinary to be paired with you. Just wait; Harlow Ball’s gonna knock your socks off.”
“I’m not wearing socks,” Tamian deadpanned, but he hoped what his sister was saying was the truth. And maybe it was that simple. Maybe he should just knock on the door and ask her out on a date. Hello. I’ve been stalking you, and I’m here to take you out.
“You can be such a goober,” Tessa said with a grin. “Don’t tell her you’ve been stalking her or you’re fated mates.”
“You heard that?” Tamian frowned.
“Yeah, you were thinking pretty loud over there. Seriously, just be yourself and let everything fall into place after the introduction. Tell her you saw her in Norway and thought she was the most beautiful woman you’d ever seen, and you felt a deep connection. You had to find out if she felt it as well.”
“I’ll think about it.” Tamian wasn’t necessarily shy, but he wasn’t nearly as outgoing as his sister. Tessa would talk to the devil himself if she believed he was real. Then again, Satan would hide from Tessa, afraid she’d want to take over Hell. Sometimes she was like a whirlwind. Most of the time.
Okay, all the time.
It was too late to go back to Harlow’s home, so they headed to the hotel where Tamian attempted to get some sleep. After tossing and turning for a couple hours, he got out of bed and went downstairs to the swimming pool. It was the middle of the night, so he had the area to himself. Technically, he wasn’t supposed to use the pool that late, but he took a chance no one from the hotel would see him. If they did, he’d get out and go for a run. He lost count of the number of laps he swam. It wasn’t until Tessa called out in his head that he stopped.
“Where’d you run off to?”
“I’m in the pool. I’ll be back up in a few minutes.”
Tamian climbed from the water and dried off with one of the complimentary towels the hotel stacked on shelves for their guests. He wrapped it around his waist while tossing another about his shoulders so he wouldn’t be nearly naked while making his way back upstairs. When he got to the suite he and Tessa were sharing, she was already dressed.
“I ordered room service.” Tessa never skimped when it came to eating. Her shifter metabolism allowed her to eat anything and everything she wanted, and she didn’t hold back. Stacks of pancakes, mounds of bacon, and fruit filled the table along with a pot of coffee and a pitcher of juice. She shoved a bite of syrup-smothered pancakes in her mouth while he filled his own plate. “Did all that swimming give you any answers?”
“Not really, but I am going to take a chance and go see her. If Harlow is my mate, I need to know.”
“What the hell?” It took Lucy a few seconds to realize what woke her. Someone was shooting pool. Closing her eyes, Lucy groaned into the pillow. She was worn out from both her long flight as well as lack of sleep. After she identified Tamian St. Claire, she snuck through the woods hoping to... She still didn’t know what she hoped to accomplish when they came face to face. This cat and mouse game St. Claire was playing had her on edge. Why would a Gargoyle be sneaking around following her? First Norway, now home in New York. Lucy called her grandmother, asking her to come over later that morning. When she looked out the window, she realized it was later.