by Faith Gibson
MALAKAI
Stone Society Book 13
By Faith Gibson
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
The author acknowledges the copyrighted or trademarked status and trademark owners of the wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction.
Copyright © 2020 by Faith Gibson
Published by: Bramblerose Press LLC
Editor: Jagged Rose Wordsmithing, Candice Royer
First edition: June, 2020
Cover design: Jay Aheer, ©Simply Defined Art
Cover photography: Adobe Stock
Dedication
For Lita. You’ve been with me throughout this journey. Thank you for your friendship.
Acknowledgements
To my tribe, Candy, Chris, Jen, Kendall, Kerstin, Nikki, and Riley – thanks for the encouragement even though you’re all dealing with your own struggles.
I want to thank each member of my reader group, Faith Gibson’s Front Porch. Having readers who love what you write makes it all worth it. With this book, I asked my readers to offer suggestions as to who Josie would be. I took a little bit from both Gillian’s and Kerstin’s suggestions, and voila. I also borrowed her name from two of my readers, Josie Kerr and Dana Pierson, so thank you to everyone who contributed.
My wonderful cover designer, Jay Aheer, has so much going on in her own life, but she never fails to come up with the perfect cover for me. I adore you.
Thank you to Lani for the Samoan translations.
As always, I have to give a shoutout to the man. Mostly because he looks to see if I do or not. ??
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Epilogue
A Note from The Author
Coming Soon
About the Author
Other Works by Faith Gibson
Samoan Words
kiko’o – a type of surfboard
tamu - father
le masina – the moon
le la – the sun
uso – brother
fiafia – celebration comparable to a luau
paifala – pineapple filled half-moon pie
Mālō - hello
Laʻu tama teine – daughter-in-law
Palusami – fish or corned beef and coconut wrapped in taro leaves
Haka – synchronized war dance
Lavalava – colorful sarong
tanoa fai’ava – kava drinking bowl
la Manuia – be happy
Malo le soifua – good health
keke fa’i – banana cake
Auspice of Sevens – Prophetic marking of the chosen
Prologue
Manono, Samoa
1635
Manaia straddled his kiko’o, waiting for the sun to share its glow with the world as he did every morning. His brothers, Keemo and Taine, were with him on their own wave riders, silent in their contemplation. Being the youngest of seven, Manaia admired all his brothers, but he was closest to these two. Probably since they were nearer to his age. They didn’t worry about the curse the way Manaia did. They treated him as though he were a normal Gargoyle. They assured him he would grow to be a strong male like their father, who also bore the seven birthmark. The Auspice of Sevens was something he’d always known about. His father had told him the meaning of the special mark they shared for as long as he could remember.
Their parents didn’t treat Manaia any differently because of it. Some of their Clan would mutter about fire when they saw him, but it was always with reverence, not fear. When he asked his father about it, his tamu would only say it was because Manaia had a special fire inside that burned brighter than it did in anyone else. Maybe it was the reason he was more drawn to the sun than the moon. Where others felt the call to le masina each time she glowed in the darkness, Manaia felt restless when le la shared her brightness after long hours of sleeping.
With the first tendril of daylight, Manaia’s breath caught in his chest. He was fifteen years upon the earth, and never had the sunrise been anything other than peaceful. This morning, something was different. Wrong. Manaia rubbed at the birthmark, which burned from the inside out. He must have made a noise because his brothers were paddling toward him, disturbing the water. He tried to wave them off, but he couldn’t find his voice.
“We need to get you home, Uso.” Keemo slid off his board, treading water next to Manaia’s knee. Taine had phased, his wings spread out behind him. Manaia didn’t understand what was happening until Keemo explained, “Your transition is upon you. We need to get you out of the water. I will carry you, but we must go quickly.” Keemo phased in the water, and using his powerful wings, surged from the ocean, plucking Manaia off his board at the same time. The pain was excruciating, yet Manaia couldn’t take his gaze off le la. His eyes burned as he stared into the orb, and when Keemo angled his body in such a way Manaia could no longer look, Manaia cried out. He needed the fire like he needed his next breath. The fire was his breath. Without it, he would suffocate.
“Tamu!” Taine called out to their father. “Manaia, it’s his time!”
He was cold. So cold. Where was his blessed sun? Where was the heat? Muttered words by too many voices filled his mind. Voices he didn’t know but recognized all the same. One voice was strong amongst them – his father’s. The words shouldn’t make sense, but Manaia was soothed with the chant of the Sevens. All those who had come before him. The seventh sons of seventh sons. Every one of them had gathered for this day. Had come together in his mind to see him through his pain.
The voices blended until they became one voice – that of his beast.
I’m with you now.
The torment gave way with his shifter’s words, and Manaia embraced the strength to transition. When he opened his eyes, Manaia found himself on the shoreline. Wings unfurled. Fangs digging into his bottom lip as claws reached toward the glorious sunlight shining down upon him. With a thought, his fangs retreated into his gums, and he licked the blood from his lip. It tasted of fire. Of strength. Of rightness. This was who he was – Manaia Palamo – seventh in a long line of sevens. He was Manaia Palamo – fire Gargoyle.
Chapter One
Malakai crossed his wings over his head to shelter him from the downpour. He knelt atop a four-story building, peering in a window across the street. From this vantage point, he had the perfect view ins
ide Presley Pierson’s living room. From what he could tell, the woman lived alone. This was the fourth night in a row he had followed her home and invaded her privacy. From the moment she walked into Hartley’s, he had scented his mate on her, but it was faint. Since it didn’t appear she lived with someone, that meant his mate was likely a coworker or possibly a family member.
He didn’t want to bother Julian by asking him for information on Presley, but he was getting desperate. Unless he waited until morning and followed her, he didn’t have much choice. While sitting in the dark wasn’t risky, being there when the sun came up was. Presley turned off the lamp and retreated to her bedroom. That was his cue to leave. Spying on her as she watched TV was one thing. Continuing to watch her as she slept was crossing a line, so Kai unfurled his wings and launched himself into the dark sky.
When he got home, Kai toed off his boots and stripped in the mud room before padding naked to the shower. He was living in Sixx’s house for the time being. Kai planned on staying in New Atlanta, but he was hoping to find his mate before he bought his own place. He wanted his female’s opinion on where they lived and the type of house he bought. He had to admit, Sixx’s place was perfect for him, but he wouldn’t purchase it without his mate’s input. If only he could find her.
He had to locate her because his beast was getting restless. Kai refused to get himself off. Not knowing who his mate was or what she looked like had him picturing Presley after scenting her the first time. He felt it was disrespectful to his intended to think of another female while stroking one out. He could deal with blue balls a while longer; his beast be damned.
Watching the other Gargoyles find their mates had been both a blessing and a hardship. Kai came from a large family, and he was ready to settle down and have a brood of his own. He had been praying to the gods for a long time to send his mate to him. His mom was from Aunu’u, and his father from the island called Manono, both in the South Pacific, where most of his family lived. None of the Samoan Islands had been touched when the world fell at the hands of the Ministry, a religious cult responsible for bringing the world to its knees over thirty years ago. Manono was mostly inhabited by shifters. The few humans who lived there were families who had been entrusted with the secret surrounding Gargoyles for many generations, and they worked for Kai’s family over the years, thus becoming family themselves. Malakai was one of the few who hadn’t met his mate, and one of the fewer who had moved off the island.
He first stopped in California about fifty years ago, and as he never aged, he had needed to move again. New Atlanta had been an easy choice since it’s where his King lived. Kai felt at home in the Georgia city. The Clan who lived there was one big family, and they had welcomed Kai with open arms and wings. Hartley’s Gym was where he spent most of his time since he lived and breathed martial arts. Being a shifter gave him an advantage over humans, so he had never entered the sport on a professional level as a fighter. He enjoyed the few classes he taught at Frey’s facility, but Kai wanted more.
“Hey, Brother.” Frey strode into the gym looking weary.
“Morning, Boss. Everything okay?”
Frey ran a large hand through his short hair. “No, but hopefully it will be.” Frey glanced around the gym as he stepped behind the counter.
“Is it Matthew?” Frey’s son had recently mated with Slade, but things seemed to be going well for the young man and his Gargoyle.
Frey actually smiled. “No. He and Slade are perfect together. It does my heart good to see that kid smiling after all the shit he’s been through. It’s… I’m worried about Abbi. She refuses to stop teaching, and I think she’s doing too much.” Frey’s mate was four months pregnant.
“What does the doctor say?”
Frey rubbed the back of his neck. “That she’s perfectly healthy. The baby is too. She says Abbi can continue teaching until it’s time for her to deliver. Fuck, Kai. I know I’m being unreasonable, but…”
“But this is your first biological child, and you’re experiencing ‘new papa’ fears. I’ve been through this with all my brothers. It’s understandable and expected. You saw how Rafael was with Kaya.”
Frey blanched. “I’m not that bad, am I?” Kai grinned, and Frey held up his hands. “Yeah, okay. But I’ll remember this when it’s your turn.”
“You’ll have to put me in a Goyle-strength straitjacket if I ever have a pregnant mate.”
“Speaking of which, have you figured out what you’re going to do?”
Kai leaned against the counter. “I’m going to follow Presley and see if I can figure out where she works. I’ve sat on her condo the last four nights, and so far, there’s been nobody there but her.”
“Why don’t you call Julian and have him do a little digging? I’m pretty sure she’s an attorney, but he’ll be able to tell you for sure.”
“I don’t want to take him away from important Clan business.”
“Nothing is more important than finding our mate.”
“Except finding Craven. Getting the Unholy off the streets. Taking down Drago.”
Frey clapped Kai on the shoulder and squeezed. “Not even that. Isabelle is close to replicating the anti-serum, so we don’t really need to find Craven other than to stop him from working with Drago. As for the Greek, we are all taking extra precautions with our families, but we’ve been through worse. The Unholy aren’t causing as much chaos as before. They haven’t been on the streets in a couple of weeks. With Craven missing and Arden in our custody, it seems like Drago’s army is dwindling instead of growing. Now, let’s talk about a building I found for sale.”
“A building?”
“You mentioned ramping up the martial arts classes, and I got to thinking. I don’t want to change the class structure here, so why not open a place dedicated to MMA?”
Kai couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Can you read minds?” he muttered.
Frey chuckled. “No. But I’ve seen the look you get when you’re teaching those classes. Plus, I’ve sparred with you enough times to know the level of your talent. We can’t fight because of our shifter advantage, so training others is the next best thing.”
“But if I open my own place, that’ll take business away from you.”
This is what you want, so why are you pointing out the negative?
Kai’s beast had a point. But Kai was honorable if he was anything.
“It will, but not much. You know I don’t need the money. And giving up a few classes here means adding them to your new location. Or I can keep the beginner classes, and you can focus on training those who are serious about getting into the sport. Your call. The building is in a great location, and it just so happens I know the owner.” Frey had a grin on his face, and Kai couldn’t help but smile back.
The door opened, and Kai welcomed the members. Since they were regulars, he didn’t need to look at the monitor to make sure their fob matched the person using it. Once they were out of earshot, he turned back to Frey. “What’s your opinion on keeping beginner classes here?”
“I’m good with that. It will allow you to focus on those who are serious about training and not doing it on a whim.”
“That would be ideal.” Malakai was ready to go see the building. “Who are you going to get to take my place here?”
“Lorenzo has been talking about getting away from the quarry. He has been in that line of work for a long time, and he’s ready for something different. Lex has been doing a good job there, so Lor has no problem turning the reins over to him. I already talked to him about taking your place. Plus, Law is willing to help on the day shift when needed.” Lawton Gaines was new to the area. The Gargoyle had spent the last sixty years in Louisiana, and he took the overnight shift at the gym.
“Already looking to replace me?” Kai joked.
“I knew when the building became available, it wouldn’t take long for you to say yes.”
“Who’s going to take over the gym when you move?” When Frey narrowed his
eyes, Kai held up his hands. “I wasn’t eavesdropping, Brother. Shifter hearing.”
Frey ran a hand through his hair again. “Nothing’s concrete, but my brothers, cousins, and I have been in New Atlanta a long time. Too long. It’s either move or use some of Jonas’s prosthetics and change our identities. None of us really want to move, but those of us in the public eye don’t want to wear a mask every day. I don’t know how Jonas has done it for so long.”
“Where would you go?”
“Rafael has been talking to Sinclair about switching places, but Sin isn’t ready to leave California. Said he’d miss the water too much.”
“I know how he feels.” Kai missed surfing more than he wanted to admit.
“Maybe you should look for a building somewhere else. There are fighters everywhere.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I like this city, but I don’t want to lose what I’ve found with you and the others. If you all decide to move, it’ll be like losing my family all over again.”
Frey grabbed the back of Kai’s neck, giving it a squeeze. “It won’t happen for a while. Not until this shit with Drago has been resolved. But if you don’t think you want to stay here when my family moves, then hold off on starting your gym. You can open one wherever we land. Or start one here and then find someone else to run it later. You don’t have to decide anything yet.”
Kai didn’t understand why he was getting sentimental. Yeah, he did. He was family-oriented. Maybe when he found his mate he wouldn’t want to leave. “I really want to start a gym. And when you all move, I can always come visit. Plus, I’m determined to locate my mate. If she has family here…” He shrugged.
Frey squeezed again, then stepped back. “I can promise your mate will put everything into perspective. Now, let’s make this happen.” Frey pulled out his phone and called someone. “Hey, Little Brother. I need a favor.” Frey rattled off Presley’s information, and Kai bit back a smile. “Send the info to Kai’s phone. Thanks, Jules.”
