Starting a Ryot (The Hounds of Zeus MC Book 3)

by Faith Gibson

  Our mate, dickhead.

  Yeah, yeah. Ryker mentally gave his beast an eye roll.

  Ryker’s phone vibrated. Not his personal phone, but the one Quinn had given him. Several Hounds, along with most of his brothers, were gathered, waiting for their instructions.

  “Give me a minute,” Ryker said as he read the incoming contract. Hayden had already accepted a job, and the one Quinn sent was perfect for Kyllian.

  “Kayos, can I talk to you a second?”

  Kyllian stepped away from the group, and Ryker handed him the phone. Kyllian read over the contract. “This one mine?”

  “If you want it. If you’d rather follow us to Xavier’s, I’ll give it to someone else.”

  “No. I want it.”

  “Then it’s yours. I’ll send the email to Lucy’s printer.”

  “Thanks. I won’t let you down.”

  Ryker pulled his brother in for a quick hug. Kyllian hesitated briefly before hugging him back. Ryker wasn’t the most demonstrative one of their family. Okay, he was never one for showing affection, but something in him had loosened up over the last twenty-four hours.

  Ryker didn’t say anything else. Kyllian knew what to do. He released his brother and turned to the rest of his family. “Kayos is taking another job with Shepherd. Legend and Brick, I want you to remain here and watch over the house. Lucy has some important work to do, so she’s going to be preoccupied. Spyder, Hawk, I want the two of you to take the chip Rev removed from Rhi’s neck and head back toward New Roseville.”

  “You’re thinking there’s still a receiver out there?” Maveryck asked.

  “Yes. I think there’s more to the reason David had it put in than what James was aware of. If I’m right, David will be the one tracking it this time.”

  “What do you want us to do with him?” Spyder asked.

  “Hold him or anyone else who comes looking for Rhi. Once I drop her and Mac off, I’ll head that way. Regardless, I’ll meet you there so we can locate the compound. We need to do some recon and make a plan for taking Josiah down.”

  Ryker handed Spyder the chip, and he and Hawk left to hit the road. Legend and Brick headed outside to guard Lucy’s house. “Ace, you’re with me and the women. Mayhem, if you would, ride my bike. I’ll be taking it from Xavier’s on to New Roseville, then you can ride back with Ace. Sultan, you, War, and Ripper ride with Mayhem. The rest of you take the other vehicle. I don’t expect to need a decoy, but I’m not taking any chances. Any questions?” When no one spoke up, Ryker said, “Let’s ride.”

  Ryker handed Ace the keys, then he helped Rhi into the back seat. He slid in next to her while Mac got in the passenger seat.

  Mac turned the radio down. “I’ve never met a king before. I’ve never met a lot of people, but this is exciting.”

  “A king?” Rhi grabbed Ryker’s forearm. “Tamian’s father is a king?”

  “Yes. Gryphons aren’t the only shifters in the world. Tamian and his father are Gargoyles. Where Gryphons shift into animals, the Gargoyles retain their human visage, but they have wings, fangs, and claws. Their skin is virtually impenetrable. They also have Clans with a king. Xavier is King of the Italian Gargoyles. Tamian will one day take over, and Lucy will be their Queen. Here in the States, Rafael Stone is King. Tamian’s sister, Tessa, is mated to one of Rafael’s brothers. I had the pleasure of meeting Rafael and his Queen, Kaya, when we were searching for Lucy. They were both gracious and down-to-earth. I’m sure Xavier will be as well.”

  “If you say so,” Rhi muttered. “Do the Gryphons have kings and queens?”

  “No. We have strong alphas the others turn to if they have problems. Sutton is the alpha in the Northeast. One phone call from him can usually solve any problems that arise. Most Gryphons are peaceable and do what they were created to — protect humans. Just like with humans, though, there are bad Gryphons and Gargoyles. Several months ago, Rafael’s Clan had to battle with the Greek King. Alistair happened to be Rafael’s uncle, and the male was making life difficult for Rafael and his family. They took down the Greek, and some of his Clan have relocated to the States to carry on trying to take Rafael’s throne. That’s why Tamian returned to New Atlanta. He wanted to check on his sister and his great-uncle, Jonas Montague.”

  Rhi sucked in a breath. “I know that name. He’s the man who created the first clone. Josiah talked about him during some of his sermons. Said Jonas had caused the apocalypse by playing God. Tamian’s great-uncle is the same Jonas?”

  “He is, but he didn’t cause the apocalypse. That was all the Ministry’s doing. Men like Josiah were the ones playing God. To cause as much destruction at one time, they had to have been planning to take the world down for years. Worldwide chaos doesn’t happen on a whim. Yes, the apocalypse happened soon after Jonas created Tamian, but it wasn’t Jonas’s fault.”

  “Wait! Tamian was the clone?” Mac asked.

  “I thought you knew that.” Ryker felt sure Lucy would have shared that with Mac during their many talks.

  “Uh, no.” Mac sounded hurt.

  “I’m sure Lucy would have told you eventually. It’s not a secret within our family, but it isn’t common knowledge any more than Gryphons and Gargoyles are real. Until Lucy and Tamian met, the Gargoyles weren’t aware of Gryphons.”

  “Are there any other types of shifters?” Rhi asked.

  “Not that we’re aware of, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. The only reason Gryphons knew of Gargoyles was because many years ago, a Gryphon saw a Gargoyle flying. The Gryphon didn’t share the secret of our kind, but he did promise to keep the truth of Gargoyles from humans. He passed the knowledge to his son, who in turn passed it to his son and so on. The truth spread, but as far as I know, no one outed them to humans. It’s easier for Gryphons because we turn into lions or eagles. Rarely do we shift into our full Gryphon.”

  “You did. Or at least you tried,” Rhi reminded him.

  “That’s because you were in danger. My Gryphon took over trying to protect you.”

  Rhi smiled inwardly but decided not to ask Ryker the reason. Instead, she chose a different topic. “Bethany said the kids have a fifty-fifty shot at becoming a Gryphon. Mac, I take it you aren’t one?”

  “No, thank god. Not that I wouldn’t want to be one, but can you imagine shifting for the first time living at one of the compounds? Not only would I have freaked out, not knowing what was going on, but I’d have been shot on sight for heresy.” Mac rolled her eyes, but she shivered too. “So, who’s stronger? A Gargoyle or Gryphon?”

  “We don’t know. Tamian got into a fight with one of our Hounds who thought he was protecting Lucy, but she shifted and was protecting Tamian since they are fated mates. Remember I told you about Gryphon voice?” Rhi nodded. “Tamian has the same type of ability, and he commanded Monk to stand down before any of them got hurt.”

  “What’s a fated mate?” Rhi asked.

  “With the Gargoyles, the fates choose one perfect being for each Gargoyle. They can fall in love with someone else, but it isn’t as true a love as that of their fated mate. Once they find that one, there is no other for them. Ever. It’s only been in the last couple hundred years the Gargoyles have mated with humans. That was another reason the Greek King had such disdain for Rafael and his family. Once the bond is complete, the human stops aging, much like their Gargoyle. When you meet Tamian’s mother, you’ll see what I’m talking about. Elizabeth stopped aging as soon as she and Xavier completed their bond.”

  Rhi bit her lip, looking past Ryker out the window. “Does the same thing happen with Gryphon mates?”

  “Sadly, no. Gryphons stop aging around the forty-year mark, but our mates, if human, continue aging.” Ryker thought about Lucius’s journals. “However, Lucy’s father – adopted father – was researching this very subject. That’s what was in those journals we found. According to Lucy, he might have figured out a way to prolong human lives. Lucy mentioned reaching out to Jonas to see if he can help her deci
pher Lucius’s notes.”

  “Isn’t that also playing God?” Rhi asked.

  “I guess that’s one way of looking at it. Would you not want to live a longer life if given the opportunity?”

  Rhi stretched out her hand and ran her fingers through Ryker’s beard. “If it meant I got to live as long as you? Definitely.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Rhiannon

  Rhiannon was in a dreamworld filled with shifters, clones, and mad scientists. Shifters who lived hundreds and thousands of years. Scientists who could clone a human. Meeting that clone. Being taken to his parents’ home. The home of a king. Lucy becoming queen when Tamian was named king. How was this her life now? Not only that, but she’d gone from being forced to marry someone she couldn’t stand to having a man who was so much more than she could have ever dreamed of.

  They spent the rest of the drive asking each other questions, with Ace and Mac joining in the conversation. Mostly, she and Mac compared notes on their time at the compounds. More than once, she squeezed Ryker’s hand. Whenever they would mention something he didn’t like, Ryker would tense up, grind his teeth, or growl low in his chest. After hearing all of Mac’s story – about Elijah, the baby, being chased through the woods and attacked by a dog – Rhi thanked the goddess her ten years had been nothing nearly as traumatic. The worst thing that happened to Rhi was being kept inside. Even enduring time spent with James didn’t come close to what Josiah’s brother had done to McKenzie. That just went to prove that there was always someone worse off than you.

  When they reached their destination, Rhi couldn’t believe her eyes. If she thought Lucy’s house was grand, it had nothing on the Montagnon estate. Tall, stone walls surrounded the property. A secure, iron gate guarded the entrance. The house itself wasn’t as tall as Lucy’s, but it spread out in every direction. She wondered if they gave out maps. A couple so gorgeous they could have been models met them out front. The man was tall with dark hair and eyes, much like Ryker. He had on a pair of black dress pants with a white, button-up shirt. The woman was shorter with long, red hair. She had on a pair of well-worn jeans and a chunky sweater. Where he was serious with a hand on the woman’s shoulder, she was smiling and clasping her hands together. After the whole lot of them exited the vehicles and climbed off their bikes, the couple stepped forward.

  “Welcome to our home. I’m Xavier, and this is my mate, Elizabeth.”

  “Should we bow?” Rhi whispered to Ryker, and Xavier laughed, transforming his face into something exotic.

  “No need for formalities, Rhiannon. Here in the States, I’m just Elizabeth’s mate and Tessa and Tamian’s father.”

  “Xavier, it’s a pleasure. I’m Ryker Lazlo.” Ryker went around, making all the introductions on behalf of the Hounds. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you allowing Rhi and Mac to stay here. We’ll do our best to handle business with the cult as soon as possible.”

  “I know from experience the necessity to hide a mate.” Xavier gestured to the property. “It’s why I built this fortress. To keep Elizabeth safe from her husband. I know you want to get business handled as quickly as possible, but don’t rush on our account. Elizabeth misses having our children around, so Rhiannon and McKenzie will be in the best possible hands.”

  “If you’ll allow me,” an older gentleman said, stepping out of the house. “My name is Manny, and I will be happy to retrieve whatever luggage the young ladies have brought with them.”

  “I’ll help you,” Ace offered while Xavier and Elizabeth showed everyone else into their home.

  “Holy shit,” Mac whispered. “I mean… I’m sorry. That was rude.” She blushed and hid behind Maveryck.

  “It is quite a bit at first, but you’ll get used to it,” Elizabeth said. She led them into a large room with a sunken seating area. “As much as I love my home, this is my favorite room. Please, help yourself to the buffet. I told Myra you probably wouldn’t be hungry, but she insisted on creating a smorgasbord.”

  She wasn’t wrong. Along the far wall, a long table was filled with more food than Rhi had ever seen in her life.

  Maveryck was the first one to take her up on her offer. “Thank you. And Xavier, please don’t take offense, but your mate is just as beautiful as your daughter. I met Tessa when she and Tamian were helping us look for Lucy.”

  “No offense taken. I’m well aware of my mate’s beauty. I’m also happy that is where the similarity between her and Tessa, as you call our daughter, ends. Andrea’s penchant for trouble would cause a lesser male to have folded many years ago.”

  “She’s not that bad,” Elizabeth countered.

  Mav snorted, and Xavier nodded. “See? Even Maveryck knows how she is. The fates knew what they were doing when they deemed the warden of a penitentiary her mate. But enough about our daughter. Elizabeth, why don’t you show the ladies to their rooms so I can chat with Ryker?”

  “Girls, grab yourselves a plate and bring it with you. We’ve been kicked out of the badass club,” Elizabeth said with a wink.

  Rhi looked up at Ryker, and he leaned over and kissed her temple. “I’ll find you before we leave,” he whispered. She and Mac did as Elizabeth suggested and filled heavy plates with all sorts of food. Rhi had no idea if she liked any of it, but she wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to taste as much of it as she could.

  While they walked down a long hallway, Elizabeth chatted openly. “I’m so happy you both are here. Lucy told me a little bit about each of you, but I’m hoping you’ll do me the honor of telling me your story in your own words. I’ll also share with you how Xavier and I came to be mates. While you’re here, please think of this as your home. I miss Andrea something fierce, so it’s good to have you here with me. I know I’m no replacement for either of your mothers, but I’d like to at least be a friend. So, please, while you’re here, call me Beth.”

  “If her name’s Andrea, why does she call herself Tessa?” Rhi asked.

  “Her job within the family required her to use aliases. Tessa is one of many, but for some reason, it stuck. Tamian always called her Andi. Still does. Here we are. Thank you, Manny.”

  “You’re welcome, ma’am. And if either of you want the real scoop on Tessa, come find me.”

  “Manny!”

  “What? Miss Elizabeth, you know Tessa spends a lot of time with Lawrence and me.”

  Elizabeth sighed, but she was grinning. “I know my own daughter very well, thank you. Now, you ladies are welcome to check out your rooms and relax, or I can give you the nickel tour. Although, as big as our home is, it might be a quarter with inflation.”

  Rhi turned to Mac and raised her eyebrows. Mac might be younger, but she had been on the outside longer, thus she knew better how to interact with others. Mac inclined her head toward the door, and Rhi nodded. “We’ll take the tour. We can check out our rooms later.”

  “Excellent.” Elizabeth took them first to a patio just outside their rooms, giving them a chance to eat the food they had carried from the sunken room.

  Rhi moaned with each bite she took. “This is amazing. I haven’t had food this good in forever. Don’t get me wrong. Lucy’s a great cook, but this is stuff dreams are made of.”

  “Myra’s a wonderful cook, and she loves to teach, so if either of you are interested, feel free to spend as much time in the kitchen as you like. I’ve tried, but I just can’t get the hang of it.”

  “I might take you up on that, but I think Rhi here is going to want to spend all her time outside.”

  “You enjoy the outdoors?” Elizabeth asked Rhi.

  “It’s where I’m most comfortable. Nature grounds me.”

  “Then you’ll be quite grounded because we have lots of plants in both the solarium and the greenhouse out back. They thrive thanks to Manny’s husband, Lawrence. Maybe you and he can have a chat?”

  “I’d like that very much.”

  Once Rhi and Mac finished eating, Elizabeth showed them around the large structure, and
Rhi was surprised to see all the photos of Tamian and a girl who must have been Tessa. The redhead started out as a beautiful baby and became more stunning the older she got. Elizabeth regaled them with stories of her first husband and how he thought Tessa was his child. How the man, Gordon Flanagan, lost his mind when Xavier took Elizabeth and both babies, hiding them out. The horror of what the man had done, creating the Unholy – men who were turned from human to monsters in trying to create super soldiers – shocked Rhi. She admired a woman she’d never met and hoped one day to get the opportunity.

  “Uncle Maveryck was so smitten with Tessa when he first met her. If it wasn’t for the fact that she already had a mate, I think he would have followed her anywhere,” Mac said.

  “She has that effect on people. My Andrea is so full of life. I know she’s a grown woman, but I miss having her around. As soon as Tamian takes over the throne, I’m hoping to convince Xavier to buy us a place in New Atlanta so I can be closer to her, at least part of the time.”

  “I know if I had a mother like you, I’d want that,” Mac said.

  Elizabeth placed a hand on Mac’s scarred cheek. “Thank you. Now, let’s go see if the males are finished planning.”

  Rhi wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Ryker, but she knew he had a job to do. She wouldn’t be safe until he found Josiah and took the man down. Why Josiah was so focused on her didn’t make sense, though. She was no one special. It wasn’t like she could tell anyone where Haven was located, and as far as she knew, he wasn’t aware of her gift. Her father didn’t know what she was capable of either. When they got to the living room, it was empty except for Ryker and War. Ryker held out his hand, and she took it.

  “You okay?” Ryker brushed her hair back from her face.

  “Yes. Elizabeth is really nice, and this house is crazy huge. I’m sure by the time you get back, I still won’t have seen all of it. We’ll be fine here, won’t we, Mac?”