by Faith Gibson
“Once we were certain they were our mates, we confided in them of what we are. Both Rayna, Lucian’s wife, and Imari, my husband, took the news well, and we began our lives together. For whatever reason, we only had one child each. I have a son, Taavi, and Luc has a daughter, Rada. They both transitioned in their twenties, were able to find their mates, and they have many children between them. The cycle has continued over the years. Between Luc and me, we have over fifty grandchildren. So to say we’ve been busy is an understatement.”
Jonas didn’t know what to say. He had been certain his children would have to live without mates as some of the younger siblings had. “What about the others? Were they able to find their mates as well? You contacted me and told me you wanted out of the Watcher business.”
Lucian glared at Jonas, so he prepared for the worst. “We didn’t know until many years later that finding one’s mate was the cause of the initial transition. Most of the children you sired have gone their lives with no mate or child of their own. I passed the job off to Taavi, and he passed it off to a few of his children. We will continue watching over our family.”
“I… we didn’t know…” Jonas stammered.
“Well, now you do.” Lucian’s tone was cold. It was obvious he didn’t want to be in the same room with Jonas and Caroline.
“I would love for you to meet our children,” Tessa interrupted. “Come with me, please.” She ushered her cousins away from Jonas and led them upstairs with the other adults following along.
Isabelle remained with her parents. “I’m sorry Lucian isn’t as open to a reunion as Marcella is. I’m hoping with time he’ll come around.”
“I don’t understand. If they can have children, why was Marcella sad when she noticed Sophia’s belly?”
“Probably because she’s sick and feels like she won’t get the chance to see any more babies in her life. I know you already caught onto that, but she has come to us for help. She has cancer and–”
“You know my formula doesn’t work every time. I can’t risk it,” Jonas said adamantly.
“No, your formula doesn’t. But Connor and I have been working on it over the past few months, and the success rate has been one hundred percent. Dad, we’ve found the cure for cancer.”
Chapter Five
Jonas
“You and Connor? Isabelle, Connor’s smart, but this is your sister we’re talking about. You can’t give her some experimental cure that might only make her worse,” Caroline said, shaking her head.
“Don’t sound so surprised, Mother.” Isabelle narrowed her eyes. She still got defensive whenever her parents questioned her abilities.
“I’m not surprised at you, darling, but Connor is so young,” Caroline rushed to say, back-peddling.
“And he’s brilliant. He’s the one who found the problem with Dad’s formula. Once he reworked it using Tamian’s cells, the formula worked every single time.”
“Tamian? How did you get his cells?” Jonas asked.
“He… he and Connor hang out quite a bit,” Isabelle admitted.
Jonas knew better than to dig. His nephew was a private male. Ever since Tessa had mated with Gregor, her brother had stayed hidden from the family, only coming around when he was absolutely needed. Once the crisis was averted, Tamian went back into hiding. At least as far as Jonas knew. Tessa rarely mentioned her brother, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t around. Obviously.
“When Marcella confided in me her cancer was back, I flew to Cairo to talk to her about what Connor and I had found. She’s willing to be our first human – well, half-human – test subject. If it works, I will have saved my sister.”
“And if it doesn’t?” Jonas asked. He glanced over at Gabriel, who was rocking Christina, both with their eyes closed. While this was nothing like what was done with Gabriel’s blood, Jonas had to make sure his daughter was proof positive their formula would work.
“If it doesn’t, then she’s no worse off than she is now. It’s a risk she’s willing to take.”
“How do you think you will get the formula approved if it does work? We cannot very well tell the world you used Tamian’s cells.”
“Connor’s found a work-around for that as well. Somehow he synthesized a compound that mirrors the cells found in Tamian’s blood. You’ll have to ask my son how he did it, because I still don’t understand. That kid is freaky smart.”
“I still don’t think you should use your sister as the first test subject. Just because a few mice were cured –”
“We didn’t use mice. Well, we did at first, but we also tested it on human cancer cells,” Isabelle explained.
“Where did you get human cells?” Jonas asked.
“Sabrina. Sadly, she was able to get us cells from several different patients.”
“If this has been successful, why haven’t you mentioned it to me before now?” Jonas asked.
“Because we’ve only been successful in the lab. I won’t turn this over to the FDA until we’ve tried it on someone.”
“And you want that someone to be your sister?” Caroline asked sharply.
The sound of laughter interrupted their conversation as the others returned from upstairs. The children were following their parents, so Jonas knew the party would be winding down soon. It was Christmas Eve, and they had to get the kids home and in bed. He knew it was too soon to invite Lucian and Marcella to their home, but Jonas wasn’t ready to let them go. He had so many questions, ones he doubted they would be willing to answer.
Isabelle pulled him aside and said, “For now, take Mom home. Lucian and Marcella are staying with us, but they’ll both be here a while. Marcella is open to visiting with you, and she and I will work on Lucian.”
Jonas had no choice but to abide by his daughter’s wishes if he didn’t want to push his oldest son further away. “Okay. But you and I are going to talk more about this cure. I want to see the formula for myself, and I want to talk with Connor.”
“Fine, but give us a couple of days.”
Everyone had gathered in the family room to say goodbye. As Jonas was helping Caroline on with her coat, Connor approached. “Here you go. I know you want this sooner rather than later.” He held out a notebook, and once Jonas had taken it, Connor kissed Caroline on the cheek. “It’s going to be okay,” he whispered to her before walking off. The boy had never steered them wrong with his premonitions, but this time, Jonas wasn’t as accepting.
While Lucian remained on the far side of the room, Marcella walked over to where they were. “We will be seeing you very soon.” She held her hand out for them to shake. It wasn’t the warm embrace Jonas hoped for, but it was a gesture of peace, nonetheless. Caroline did place her hand on their daughter’s cheek before letting her go. The ride to their home was made in silence. They both had their own ideas of how to handle things, and often they weren’t in agreement. Over the years, Caroline had developed a backbone as well as an opinion. Jonas had been called a lot of things over the many years he’d been on the earth, and compromising wasn’t one of them. Now, he regretted his stubbornness more than ever.
Caroline removed her coat, and Jonas helped her off with it. He hung it in the hall closet for her, and she walked toward the staircase that led to their upstairs bedroom without saying a word. Her mood was swinging from angry to sad to happy. Jonas couldn’t change the past, but he could do something to get his mate’s mind off their children. He followed her upstairs, and as soon as he crossed the threshold, he was on her before she could do more than kick her shoes off. Grabbing her from behind, Jonas pulled Caroline tight against his chest and circled her throat in his hand. Caroline inhaled as deeply as she could with her throat being constricted and leaned her head back against his shoulder. The pulse in her carotid quickened beneath his fingertips.
Jonas scraped the shell of her ear with his fangs, inciting a shiver from his mate. The dress she wore allowed for easy access. He ran his free hand down her thigh until he reached the hem, tugging it
up and skimming his fingertips up her thigh-high stockings until he found bare flesh. Caroline arched her back, pressing her ass into his erection, which was growing harder with each second that passed. No words were needed. Not after this long being together. Every hitch in her breath was a silent cue to what she wanted. Every touch of his hands indicated he understood. Tonight, she needed it just as rough as he did.
Both Jonas and Caroline needed to forget about anyone but the two of them. When his hand reached the apex between her legs, he slid his fingers under the silky material that covered her mound. He desired to taste her essence and feel the way she was wet for him already. Jonas dipped his fingers between her folds and inserted them inside, pulling out to rub her clit. Caroline ground her body into his dick before pushing forward into his hand. She was torn, as she often was, between pleasing him and herself. He had told her many times over that pleasing her did please him, but she wouldn’t believe him.
Squeezing tighter on her neck, Jonas alternated between sliding inside and tormenting her nub. As he increased the friction over her clit, his mate came apart on his fingers. When the last tremor subsided, he pulled his hand from her panties and sucked her juices from his fingers. Caroline turned in his arms and dropped to her knees in front of him. His mate never hesitated to reciprocate the pleasure, but tonight, he needed to put his cock where his fingers had been. She had perfected her oral skills over the years, and he enjoyed when she sucked him off. Right now, he needed more. He pulled her to her feet, released his claws, and ripped her dress from her body. Caroline’s eyes flashed with need, and she tore his shirt open, buttons scattering across the hardwood floor.
While Jonas made quick work of the rest of his clothes, Caroline removed the now ruined dress as well as her soaked panties. Her bra was a sheer number that offered no support, but it was his favorite. He loved the feel of it on his tongue as he licked her hard nipples. Caroline turned the covers down and settled onto the middle of the bed. Propped up on her elbows, her eyes focused on his hand stroking his erection. Jonas ran his thumb over the leaking tip, and Caroline licked her lips. Her tongue was a weapon when it got near his cock; one she wielded expertly. Instead of giving her the dick she wanted in her mouth, he lowered his body to hers and gave her his mouth instead. Caroline ravaged the inside with a hunger that never ceased to amaze him.
When she pulled back from the kiss to take a breath, Jonas dipped his head down to tease a nipple through the thin fabric. His mate arched her back, pushing toward him. “Please,” she begged. Jonas bit the hardened tip with just enough sting to feel good. “Jonas, darling…” she husked. Holding himself up on one hand, Jonas grabbed his cock and rubbed it through the dampness of her folds, slicking his erection with her essence. With no warning, he pushed in all the way, fully seated. His beast, which was normally content to hold back, was begging to be turned loose. Jonas didn’t bother resisting. He gave control over, and his wings unfurled.
Caroline gasped then grabbed hold of Jonas’s biceps, holding on for the fucking she was about to receive. She spread her legs farther apart, giving Jonas ample room to plant his knees for the best possible traction. The last time he’d turned the beast loose Caroline had ended up pregnant with Isabelle. He wouldn’t complain if this coupling resulted in another child. Jonas placed his hands on either side of Caroline’s neck and rolled his hips, moving in a solid tempo that had Caroline grabbing on tighter, her fingernails trying to dig into his shifter skin. Even though she didn’t break through, the pressure of her nails was enough to have the beast roaring inside.
Jonas lost himself in his mate’s body, and the intensity built. The electrical current of his impending orgasm began in his lower back, rolling up his spine, down through his core, and into his balls. Caroline’s eyes were darker than pitch, her breath hitching with each thrust of his cock into her heat. “Jonas… I can’t…” Caroline turned loose of one bicep and ran a fingertip along the edge of one wing. Jonas let the roar flow from his chest, through his throat, and into the quiet of the bedroom. Slamming into his mate with a fervor he knew would leave her aching, he spilled his seed into her body at the same time her core clamped down on his cock. Jonas fell on top of his mate and sank his fangs into her neck. He tremored. She gasped. He pulsed. She squeezed. Retracting his wings, Jonas continued rocking his hips until there was nothing left to give.
Several hours later, with the unease of the previous evening’s events continuously tumbling through his brain, Jonas slid from beneath Caroline’s arm. He brushed her dark hair away from her face and placed a gentle kiss to her temple. As he watched his mate sleep, he realized he’d never once felt true remorse for adopting out their children. It never dawned on him to take any blame for the world falling apart. As he gazed upon the face of the female who had blindly followed him for the last two centuries, Jonas vowed to never again take her for granted. He promised her silently to be a better Gargoyle and less of a selfish bastard. He would make her proud to be his mate.
Padding quietly out of the bedroom and downstairs, Jonas started a pot of coffee instead of using the one-pod machine. While he waited on the liquid to brew, he sat down at the island, hooked his bare feet around the bottom rung of the stool, and opened the notebook Connor had given him the night before. At first, he skimmed through the notes he knew by heart. His grandson had copied Jonas’s work verbatim for the first few pages. On about the sixth page was where he sat up and paid attention. Jonas allowed his brain to skip over the fact he was seeing the work of a fifteen-year-old and studied the information the boy had written down. Jonas wasn’t quick to dismiss Isabelle’s hand in what he was seeing. He had worked alongside his daughter enough to know she had a brilliant mind.
Between the two of them, they had managed to do what he had not in over seventy-five years. Granted, he hadn’t tried the formula using Tamian’s cells. That in itself was pure genius considering his great-nephew was the most powerful creature on earth. When Jonas cloned Tessa, he had no idea what he was creating other than a half-blood clone. Gargoyles were powerful in their own right, and Tamian shouldn’t have been any more special than a full-blooded shifter. But something about the way his molecules formed had been an anomaly. One Jonas couldn’t replicate. Then again, he’d not used the same blood he had when he cloned Tessa several times after. Between him and his great-niece, one or both of them had received something unique in their DNA. Since Tessa was of the same blood Jonas was with the exception of their mothers, Jonas had yet to figure out what it was. Elizabeth was human, and Jonas’s own mother was merely a female shifter.
When Jonas had seen what Tamian was capable of, he’d pulled out his old notes ready to create another version, but a voice inside, maybe that of his shifter or maybe the gods, stopped him. Tamian was already a target of some of the Clans, and Jonas didn’t wish that on anyone, especially his great-nephew. Jonas endured the harsh reality of hiding from the world. He’d done it ever since the world was nearly destroyed because Alistair had found Jonas after all those years. At least when Jonas was underground, he’d had Caroline by his side. As far as he knew, Tamian had no one.
When the coffee sputtered with the last of its percolating, Jonas poured a cup and returned to the notebook. By the time the pot was empty Jonas had read and re-read Connor’s notes until he was convinced the formula would work. If it wasn’t four o’clock in the morning, he would call Isabelle and have her meet him in his lab. It would be hard enough to get through Christmas day without demanding she and Connor show him proof of their findings. If it wasn’t for the fact Marcella was willing to test the so-called cure, he wouldn’t feel as compelled to see the test in action immediately. Yeah, right. Finding the cure for cancer was bigger than cloning a human, at least in Jonas’s eyes. He hadn’t been the only one to clone humans. Sure, it had been his findings that allowed others to follow in his footsteps, but if humans were able to copy his incomplete notes and figure out the missing puzzle pieces, Jonas didn’t see where it was that spect
acular. Not that he thought humans weren’t smart. He’d met some intelligent people over the years. He just held himself in high regards. He didn’t consider himself conceited, only confident.
Jonas held no sway over his oldest daughter and probably not much more with his youngest. They would go through with this whether Jonas agreed or not, and he wanted to be in on everything. He still held sway at the hospital considering the Chief of Staff was mated to a Gargoyle, and Sabrina had helped out with more than one mate over the years.
Shoving back from the island, Jonas closed the notebook and took his cup to the sink. His mind wouldn’t allow him to sleep, but he wanted to crawl back into bed and at least hold his mate until the sun came up. He would give Isabelle a couple of days. After that, he would request she prove to him what she claimed Connor had done.
Chapter Six
Tabitha
“Tabby, come on,” Nio whispered loudly as he climbed on my bed. I was already awake, but I always waited on him to make the first move on Christmas morning. We had separate bedrooms, but we usually ended up sleeping in each other’s room together. It wasn’t that we were scared; we just really liked being together. I sat up and yawned, stretching my arms overhead. Nio waited until I put my slipper socks on before grabbing my hand and dragging me downstairs. It was a good thing my socks had those rubber grippy things on them the way he pulled me across the hardwood floor. If not, I’d have been sliding on my butt for sure. It was probably why Momma bought ‘em for me, to keep me from getting all bruised up. Maybe I needed to wear them on my arms, too.
Nio released my hand and went to his side of the already lit tree. Momma and Daddy always separated our stuff the night before so we didn’t have to take the time to search for our name. We knew there was no such thing as Santa, so our parents didn’t bother trying to fool us. Instead, they wrapped everything and that way we at least had more of a surprise tearing off the paper. Nio didn’t waste any time tearing through every present he had. Paper was flying like a hurricane through the den. I liked to take my time and admire each present before going to the next one.