“Can I have one more, Mommy?” Grayson asked.
“Grayson, you have to leave some for the others,” Georgina said.
Catherine laughed. “Don’t worry, there’s plenty of pie. I think Nathan and Violet bought out Rosie’s supplies for the day.”
“Please, Mommy? I’m still hungry!”
A pain pricked at her heart. Grayson barely had an appetite while they were in the lab. Though Dr. Mendle hadn’t put him through any of the sick experiments he conducted on the other shifters, he often threatened the boy to control her. To keep her in line and punish her. It was, of course, on the orders of The Chief. Just saying that name in her mind made her skin crawl.
“Well, if you’re hungry, go ahead and grab another slice from the table.” He stood up, but before he could run off, she stopped him. “Just one, okay? And you will eat all your veggies tonight, young man.”
He nodded. “I promise, Mommy.”
“Okay, go and get your pie.”
“Oh boy!” Grayson zoomed off to the table, his eyes growing large as Rosie set another tray of fresh pies down.
“He’s precious,” Catherine said, the look on her face wistful. Georgina didn’t fail to notice that look; the other woman often had it when she was around Grayson.
“Don’t worry,” Christina said, obviously knowing what her twin was thinking. “It’ll happen for you guys.”
“We’ve been trying for months,” she said. “I just … I don’t know ….”
“It’s harder for dragon shifters,” Christina said.
“They aren’t as fertile as bears or wolves,” Georgina added. “That’s why you don’t see many of them just flying around.”
Christina’s gaze flickered at Georgina, her eyes narrowing.
“That’s what I heard, anyway,” she added quickly.
Catherine sighed. “Riva did mention that. It took months before she got pregnant with Jason and Matthew. And years before they even had Sybil. And they wanted more, but just couldn’t.”
“So tell me, Georgina,” Christina began. “Grayson’s what, four or five years old?”
“Just turned five,” she said.
“So you were pretty young when you had him?”
She nodded and gave a nervous laugh. “Yeah. Nineteen. Too young to know any better, I’m afraid. He was a surprise but not unwanted.” Oh no. She loved Grayson fiercely, from the moment she knew he existed. That was the same moment her entire world changed.
“Did they perform any experiments on him? Was there a reason Dr. Mendle wanted a bear cub when he mostly kidnapped adult shifters?”
“Christina!” Catherine exclaimed. “This is not the time.”
“I—Sorry, Georgina.” Christina let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m just curious.”
Georgina felt the blood drain from her face, and she stood up. “It’s getting really stuffy in here. If you’ll excuse me, I need air.” She pushed her chair back, stood up, and headed to the exit, leaving the sounds of laughter and merriment behind her as she walked out the door.
Surely Christina didn’t suspect anything. Why would she? She wasn’t from the local police or the feds. Or maybe … Georgina swallowed the lump in her throat. They were judging her. Thinking it was her fault they'd been kidnapped. And well, they were right. But better for them to think she was a bad mother than to find out the whole truth.
The tinkling of the bells that signified the door to the cafe had opened made her whip her head around. Catherine emerged and when she spotted Georgina, walked up to her.
“Georgina,” Catherine said. “Sorry about that. Christina tends to rub some people the wrong way.”
“No worries.”
“It’s still too soon for you, I told her.”
Georgina’s brows furrowed. “Too soon for what?”
“Huh? Um, nothing.” She grabbed Georgina’s arm. “We should head back inside. The party’s winding down and Nathan and Violet will be leaving soon.”
“All right.”
She followed Catherine inside, her eyes instinctively scanning the room for Grayson. She saw him seated at their table, Christina beside him as he ate his pie. Perhaps she was being paranoid, but she couldn’t afford to let her guard down, even for a second. She had been careful back in Wyoming, and yet, The Chief managed to track her down and have them kidnapped as she was picking Grayson up from his babysitter.
“Attention, attention!” Nathan whistled, and the room quieted down. He was standing in the middle of the room with Violet right beside him. “So, first of all, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who showed up. Wow, I thought a couple of people would celebrate me getting out of town, but not all of you.” Everyone laughed. “Seriously though, I never thought I would want to leave Blackstone. Ma and Pop made the right decision coming here, that’s for sure. We were welcomed with open arms, even when the rest of the world shunned us.” A hush fell over the room. “This was the place I grew up and where my family is. Kate,” he turned to the young woman to his left, “you take care of yourself, okay?”
Kate tossed her dark blonde and pink locks. “Like I couldn’t do that. You’re still leaving me the Mustang, right?”
Nathan laughed. “Yes. Now, Matthew, Jason, Ben, we may not be related, but you’re like my brothers. I mean, you are my brothers.” He smiled fondly at the three men who were standing together off to the side. “Even Luke, that bastard.” He chuckled. “He knocked on my door last night to say goodbye.”
“Very late last night,” Violet said with an annoyed snort and a roll of her eyes.
He pulled Violet closer to his side. “I can't say it enough, but thank you for everything. I can’t call what we have friendship, because it goes much deeper than that. And thank you for your understanding. I want you to know that even though I’m leaving, you guys call if you need me and I’ll be there. My heart belongs to my mate, but Blackstone will always have a special place in it.”
Violet smiled warmly at Nathan. “It’s special to both of us, love.”
Matthew stepped forward. “We’re sad to see your ugly mug go, man, but you know you're always welcome to come back anytime.”
“I know,” he said, giving him a grateful smile. “Well, it’s almost that time.”
More well-wishers and guests came forward to give their goodbyes to the happy couple. Georgina sat in the corner with Grayson, trying to stay out of everyone’s way as they crowded around the happy couple. However, right before they left, Violet and Nathan came over to her and Grayson to say goodbye.
“What are you going to do now?” Violet asked.
Good question. “I’m not really sure.”
“You should stay in Blackstone,” Nathan said. “This place is special. Grayson can go to school, find some friends like him. I think he’d be really happy here.”
“I’ll have to think about it.” Did she want Grayson to grow up around caring, loving people? Around his own kind? Of course she did. She cast an envious glance at Violet and Nathan, and all the happy couples around her. Living in Blackstone seemed like a fairy tale. But she was no princess in this story.
Perhaps cementing the fact that this place was even more fairy-tale like was the magnificent Blackstone Castle. It was the home of the Lennox dragons, or in this case, just one—Matthew Lennox—and his wife and mate, Catherine.
After Georgina and Grayson had been rescued and checked out at the hospital, Jason had taken them to the castle. To say she was impressed was an understatement. Blackstone Castle was huge and intimidating, with its tall spires, towers, and imposing presence. Even Grayson, who had been exhausted by the entire ordeal, suddenly woke up and got excited when he saw the place.
“This is the safest place in Blackstone,” Jason had explained. “And Matthew and Catherine would be happy to have you stay.”
So they’d been staying here as guests for the past few days. Catherine and Matthew had welcomed them warmly and gave them a huge bedroom for their own use. That first night
, Georgina could hardly keep from tearing up as it was the first time she’d held Grayson in weeks, since he spent all his time locked in that cage. He clung to her so tight, she could hardly breathe, but she didn’t dare pull away. It was as if she were afraid it would all be a dream and she’d wake up to another nightmarish day.
“It’s still early for supper,” Catherine said as they entered the castle. After Nathan and Violet left, they all piled into Matthew’s car and headed back home. “Why don’t we go exploring first?”
“Oh, can we?” Grayson asked, his big brown eyes lighting up.
“Well, I suppose—”
“Yay!”
Matthew leaned down and kissed his wife’s cheek. “I have work to do in my office. I’ll see you all at dinner.” He headed toward his private office, and Georgina, Catherine, and Grayson walked the opposite direction, to the eastern part of the castle.
“As I’ve mentioned before,” Catherine began. “On the second floor of the west wing are Riva and Hank’s private apartments. They had the castle re-done so that the entire east wing belongs to the kids. They each have their separate apartments with the connecting common rooms, plus there’s the guest bedroom where you guys are staying.”
“It's bigger than I originally thought,” Georgina said. “Is it very old?”
“Hmmm … let me see if I remember what Christopher told me the first time I came here,” she said, mentioning the Lennox’s butler. “It was built by Lucas Lennox, that’s Matthew’s great-great-great-great-grandfather and the first Blackstone dragon. He won the mountains in a card game and decided to come here. He discovered the blackstone deposits, built the mines, and became one of the richest men in America.”
“Cool!” Grayson said. “So he used all that money to build a castle?”
“Not at first,” Catherine said. “He built the town first, envisioning it as a place where all shifters could live together in peace. Most shifters live in groups, for safety reasons. If you noticed, there’s no real pack, den, or clan here, but rather, they all kind of live under the protection of the Blackstone dragons. They welcome all kinds of shifters.”
“So Matthew’s kind of the Alpha around here?” Georgina asked.
“Unofficially, I guess,” she said with a laugh. “More like a protector. I mean, Hank is still alive, and he’s technically the more senior dragon, and then there’s Jason and Sybil. Anyway, so apparently, Lucas Lennox fell in love with a beautiful Swedish countess while he was in Europe. He wanted to marry her and take her back to America, but she said she’d only do it if he built her a castle. And so he did.”
“Eww!” Grayson stuck his tongue out. “He made this cool castle … for a girl?”
Catherine chuckled. “I guess he’s at that age where he thinks all girls are gross.”
“They are! Except Mommy,” Grayson clarified. “And you too, Miss Catherine.”
“Thank you, Grayson,” she said as she patted Grayson on the head and then led them into one of the rooms. “This is the family room,” Catherine explained. “It’s one of the more modern parts of the castle. Riva had everything refurbished sometime after she married Hank. Most of the public areas and the outside grounds have been preserved, but she wanted everyone to feel comfortable in the private rooms.”
The family room did indeed look cozy. There was a large, leather sectional sofa in the middle with a lot of pillows and warm throws, a huge flat screen TV that took up an entire wall, and a fireplace in the corner.
“Woohoo!” Grayson dashed for the sofa and immediately started jumping on it.
“Gray—”
Catherine placed a reassuring hand on her arm before she could continue. “Don’t worry about it,” she said with a laugh. “That’s what it’s there for. That sofa was strong enough to withstand four shifter kids growing up here. I’m sure Grayson won’t even scratch it.”
Four? Georgina thought maybe she heard wrong.
“Mommy! Mommy! Look at me!” Grayson leapt forward to dive into the cushions, but he somehow lost control and knocked over a large picture frame that was on the console table behind the couch.
“Grayson!” Georgina rushed to her son. “Be careful!”
“I’m sorry, Mommy!” Grayson’s lower lip trembled.
“Shhh … it’s okay,” Catherine said, planting herself beside the little boy. She picked up the frame. “Nothing here is breakable.” She tapped the photo. “Plastic and wood.”
“Let me put that back,” Georgina said with a sigh as she took the frame from Catherine. As she put it back on the table, she froze and stared at the picture inside.
She recognized three of the young teens in the photo—the identical smiles of Matthew and Jason, plus the only girl in the picture, Sybil, the youngest of the Lennoxes. All of them shared the same dark hair and silvery gray eyes. However, the fourth person in the photo didn’t resemble any of them. Even though he was probably no older than fifteen, he was half a foot taller than the twins. His long blond hair went down to his shoulders and his serious expression wasn’t similar at all to any of the three.
“Who’s that?” It sounded rude, but she couldn’t help herself.
“Who?” Catherine asked, then scrunched her eyes at the photo. “Oh. You mean Luke?”
“Is that his name? Who is he?”
“You don’t know him?” Catherine’s brows were drawn together in confusion. “He was there at the canning factory. When you guys were rescued.”
“There wasn’t any—” A gasp escaped her mouth. The lion. The one that killed Dr. Mendle. “I thought I was hallucinating. I saw him … but ….”
The memory was blurry, like a fuzzy dream. But suddenly it became clear as day: the tawny gold eyes of the lion. And the fierceness of the animal as it devoured Dr. Mendle. Georgina stared back at the photo. Those were definitely the same eyes. “That’s him. Is he a family friend or something?”
“He’s adopted,” Catherine began. “According to Matthew, they found Luke as a cub, when he had wandered into the castle grounds. He was in bad shape and barely conscious. When he woke up, he couldn’t remember anything—where he was from, who his parents or pride were, or even his name or what happened to him. Riva and Hank eventually adopted him and raised him along with their kids.”
“Huh.” She brushed a finger on the photo. “Does he live here? How come I’ve never seen him?”
“Umm,” Catherine cleared her throat, “Luke prefers to be alone. He’s not really close to his family.”
“Why?” Everyone in Blackstone was so nice, plus the Lennox children all seemed so warm and welcoming.
“It’s not really my place to tell you,” Catherine said. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. I just ….” She glanced over to the other photos on the table. There were a couple more of the kids, all arranged in chronological order it seemed—baby photos, family vacations all over the world, portraits as they reached grade school age, sports photos as they were in their teens, high school and college graduation photos, and some of them as adults at various functions. Georgina noticed that Luke didn’t make an appearance in the later pictures. The last one of him was the photo Grayson had knocked down.
“He’s been estranged from them for a while,” Catherine explained, as if reading her mind.
“You don’t have to say any more.” Those golden eyes stared back at her, as if boring into her soul. She rubbed her arms, feeling the gooseflesh that appeared over her skin.
She didn’t want to think about it anymore, even though there was an ache in her heart that seemingly appeared from nowhere. There was no use feeling anything from a man she had never met and probably never would.
“Grayson, sweetheart, I think I see some books over there.” She pointed to the shelf in the far corner. “Maybe Miss Catherine will let us borrow one for bedtime tonight?”
“Go ahead,” Catherine said. “Pick as many as you want.”
“Thank you!” Grayson said, already halfway to the shel
f.
“Catherine,” Georgina said in a low voice. Hopefully Grayson would be distracted enough he wouldn’t try to listen in. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“What is it?”
“Yes, well, er,” Georgina took a deep breath, “I want to thank you, for your generosity. You didn’t even know us and you welcomed us. Gave us food and clothes and—”
“Shush.” Catherine squeezed her shoulder. “It’s nothing at all. You know, I was in a similar situation once.”
“Really?”
Catherine nodded. “Yeah. I kind of ran away from home. It’s a long story, but in the past, people have shown me a lot of kindness, too. Especially here in Blackstone. So this is a chance for me to pay it forward.”
“That’s very nice of you,” she said. “But my point is, we can’t stay here forever, sponging off you and Matthew.”
“Oh, it’s not—”
“I know you guys are, like, rich as Midas,” Georgina chuckled, “but still. I’m an adult and a mom. I need to provide for my son and be a good example.”
“Oh.” Catherine fidgeted in her seat. “What would you do, though? Go back to Wyoming?”
Georgina bit her lip. It wouldn’t be safe. Surely, The Chief would be keeping a watch at her old work and apartment. Besides, there was nothing to go back to. She had no home, no savings, not even a car to take them away. Was there a word that meant worse than dire? Because whatever it was, that’s what she was in now. But she would find a way.
“I suppose I could get a job. I was a receptionist at a vet’s clinic for four years. Before we were, uh, taken.”
Catherine’s eyes lit up. “That’s it! Matthew and Jason don’t have an assistant.”
“They don’t?”
“No. Their mom and dad, who were CEO of Lennox Corp. and president of the Lennox Foundation, shared an assistant, Martha Caldwell. That’s Nathan and Kate’s mom. She retired along with Riva and Hank and all their friends. I could ask Matthew if he’d be willing to take you on.”
“Really?” Her heart soared, but she kept a hold on her emotions. “I mean, only if he thinks I’m qualified.”
The Blackstone Lion: Blackstone Mountain Book 5 Page 2