by Faith Gibson
“Wow. I bet you’re all going to hate me. I had a flat tire, Kai and I got together, end of story.”
“Josie, nobody is going to hate you, but don’t forget Kai almost died, and you suffered greatly as well,” Abbi said. “None of us tries to outdo the others with the severity of our trauma. Instead, we embrace one another when the memories slip back in.”
Amelia burst out the back door. “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy! Come quick. Connor’s doing it again.” Frey and Abbi jumped up, following their daughter.
“Should we go with them?” Josie asked.
“Yes. You need to see for yourself how special Connor is.”
Several silent moments later, Josie experienced the boy’s gift. She really wished she hadn’t.
Chapter Fifteen
Malakai had seen some of Connor’s drawings, but he’d never witnessed the boy having one of his visions. Frey knelt beside his cousin’s son while the boy drew what would become a foreshadowing. It wasn’t until Connor handed the picture to Josie that he wished they had stayed home. No, that wasn’t true. At least this way, Kai was aware of the threat and could do something about it.
“I don’t understand,” Josie muttered. “I don’t know this man.”
Frey looked at the picture over Josie’s shoulder then asked, “Connor, do you know who the man is?”
“No, Sir. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize, Buddy. We know how your ability works, and like every time before, you have given us a gift. Thank you. Now, why don’t you and Amelia take Molly outside to play?” It wasn’t until the kids did as Frey suggested that he noticed the black Lab. Molly trotted behind the kids without being coaxed.
“Let’s go back downstairs,” Frey suggested and led them to the kitchen where they could see the kids playing with the dog. “We need to find out who this is. I’m going to send the photo to Deacon so he can ask Arden if this is Drago.”
“I don’t understand,” Josie said. “Why would I be— Oh.”
“Don’t worry, Sunshine. Connor’s visions give us the heads-up we need to be extra vigilant in keeping you protected. The whole Clan is on high alert and will remain so until Drago is taken out.”
Josie’s fear hit Malakai hard. He wanted to promise nothing would happen to her, but he would never lie. All he could do was his best to keep her safe. Dante and Isabelle came through the back door, but instead of saying hello, Dante strode out into the yard to where Connor was watching Amelia and Molly. Dante knelt in front of his son and pressed their foreheads together. No words were exchanged aloud, but Kai knew they were having a conversation. Kai didn’t understand how this child was able to do what he did, but he didn’t need to. Proof was in the drawings. It was in the manner he spoke like an adult on most occasions. Kai didn’t envy Dante or Isabelle. They did their best to ensure Connor had as normal a childhood as possible. With Connor being a genius with gifts, that had to be nearly impossible. Kai wanted kids. Lots of them, but he prayed to the gods they were only special in that they came from his and Josie’s love.
“What happened?” Isabelle asked, her eyes never leaving her two males.
Abbi stood and gave Isabelle a hug. “Connor had a vision.”
“About?”
“Josie and a man none of us can identify,” Frey answered.
Isabelle turned then, her eyes zeroing in on Josie. She closed the distance and held out her hand. “Josie, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Isabelle.”
“It’s nice to meet you. Your son is amazing.” Josie shook Isabelle’s hand, smiling in sincerity.
“He is, but his gift can be overwhelming for some.” Isabelle returned her attention to Connor.
“His gift is extraordinary. How does he cope with what he sees?” Josie wrapped her arms around her waist, and Kai couldn’t stand the pain his mate was feeling. He went to her and took her in his arms.
“Dante and I do our best to reassure him he’s perfect just the way he is. More often than not, his visions help diffuse a dire situation. In your case, we do our best to figure out who the man is and keep whatever it is Connor saw from happening. May I see the drawing?”
It was Frey who handed the picture to Isabelle. “The man is Drago. I texted Deacon so he could ask Arden if he recognized him, and he confirmed it just now. Several of our security boxes on our gates have been compromised. Jules is testing each one to figure out how they were tampered with. Either Drago found a new computer expert, or Hagen Rossum is smarter than we realized.”
Dante ruffled Connor’s hair before leaving his son to play. Where the boy had been sullen before his father arrived, now he was smiling and running with Amelia as Molly chased after them.
“Josie, it’s good to see you again.” Dante fisted his heart and bowed his head. “On my honor,” he said to Kai’s mate before gathering his own in his arms. The three couples mirrored each other, but no one would think it strange. “I’m going to call Rafe. If Drago is behind the situation with the security breach, he’s either getting braver or desperate. The good news is Isabelle has perfected the antiserum. Tomorrow, we begin the process of making it in mass quantities. We need to have a Clan meeting to decide next steps. With extra security around the mates and children, we are going to require outside assistance. We can’t leave the Pen vulnerable by pulling the guards away to help.”
Frey pressed a kiss to Abbi’s hair before calling out for the kids to come inside. “The manor is the most secure of all our homes. Let’s load up and head on over. While you call Rafe, I’ll call Julian and Nikolas and have them meet us there. Let Rafael decide who else he wants to be in on the meeting. Abbi and I will pack up the food and take it with us.”
“What can we do to help?” Josie asked.
“If you and Kai could load the coolers in the truck, that would be appreciated.”
Everyone got busy, and soon they were on their way to the manor. Malakai should’ve known he and Josie wouldn’t have it any easier than the other couples did upon first getting together. The fates weren’t making it as simple as finding their mates and sealing the bond. At least they were mated, and their connection made them stronger. As much as he wanted to put Josie on a plane and take her to his island home, he wouldn’t abandon his new family. Being included in the planning session with Rafael was new. He was interested to see if Rafael made the decisions on his own or if his brothers and cousins acted as advisors.
“Are you sure you want to be mated to me?” Kai asked. He had never felt so vulnerable. If it were just him, he’d be the first one out the door going after Drago.
“For better or worse. Isn’t that what is declared in wedding vows? I know we aren’t married, but we might as well be.” Josie played with Kai’s hair, settling his fears. “It won’t always be like this.”
“How can you be sure? You’ve only been part of our world a few days.”
“I don’t think any of you would bring children into your world if you didn’t believe there were good days ahead or if you thought you couldn’t ensure their safety. War has been going on since the beginning of time, and if children had been left out of the equation due to danger, the population wouldn’t have grown to be what it is today. If parents are worried about bringing kids into a less-than-perfect existence, there’s no one else to carry on the fight.”
“Have I told you lately how perfect you are?”
Josie caressed his neck. “Yes, but I’ll never get tired of hearing it. Maybe one day I’ll even believe it.” He would make sure she did.
Julian was inspecting the security box when they arrived. If Rafael’s home was compromised, that didn’t bode well for the rest of the Clan. Kai parked next to Gregor’s and Tessa’s bikes. The couple was there to help unload the vehicles, and Tessa whistled when she saw Josie’s dress.
“Now that’s a sexy dress. I might have to get me one of those,” she said, eying Josie up and down. “What do you think, Stone?” she asked Gregor.
“I think you’d cause a wreck if y
ou wore that while riding, Red.”
“I would, wouldn’t I?” Tessa flipped her long braid over her shoulder.
Josie grinned at the redhead. “I’ll make a deal with you. If you teach me how to braid my hair, I’ll let you borrow my dresses anytime you like.”
“Dresses? As in more than one?”
“I have many. This one is fairly conservative, so if you want something a little spicier, I can hook you up.”
“You got yourself a deal.” Tessa looped her arm through Josie’s and led her away from the males. Kai smiled and shook his head, but he was happy Tessa had taken a liking to his mate. He and Gregor followed their females into the house. Tessa was introducing Josie to Priscilla who was gushing over how pretty Josie was.
Rafael and Kaya were there, welcoming Josie both to their home as well as to the Clan. When Josie asked to hold Sebastian, Kaya handed her son over without hesitation. Something in Kai settled seeing his mate holding a baby. It was a natural look for Josie, and Kai couldn’t wait for the day they were blessed with their own child.
Tessa rubbed her hands together. “Okay, you badasses go have your meeting, and we’ll get everything ready to grill when you’re finished.”
“I would like the mates to join us this time,” Rafael countered. “This concerns all of us, and I would like your input. Let’s go to the game room. Priscilla, if you would please watch over Sebastian?”
Priscilla beamed with pride. “Come, my darling Prince. Let’s go read you a story.” Josie placed a kiss on Sebastian’s head before transferring the infant to Pricilla’s waiting arms.
Rafael offered everyone a drink while they waited on the others. Tessa sauntered up to Josie and clanked their beer bottles together. The two females couldn’t look more different, but they had formed a fast friendship. Gregor stood next to Kai. “Is it my imagination, or do we have trouble on our hands with these two?”
“All I’m going to say is if you ever run out of money, send them into a pool hall, and they’ll come out loaded because as good as Tessa is? Mine’s a hustler.”
Julian ran into the room with Nikolas and their mates right behind them. “We have trouble. I don’t know how he did it without my alerts going off, but somehow Hagen managed to bypass the voice activation on all our gates. Not only that, but he managed to install a tracker that allows him to copy the numeric codes. I need to get back to the lab.”
“How do you know who it is?” Rafael asked.
“I caught him on your security feed. He’s doing this shit in broad daylight too. We need to get to the armory, and Rafe, I know you’re King, but might I suggest you put the mates and children on the jet and get them the hell out of New Atlanta?”
Rafael ran a hand through his long, black hair. “You think Drago’s that close to coming after us?”
“I do. And look around this room. The only one in our family missing is Sinclair.” Julian’s fangs and claws were showing. Kai grabbed Josie and pulled her a few steps back.
It was Dante who got in his cousin’s face. “Jules, settle. This isn’t your fault.”
“How the fuck did that little shit bypass my systems? He’s not that good!”
Isabelle ran out of the room toward the back door. Kai hadn’t thought about Connor and Amelia until then. “Connor!” Isabelle yelled. Dante ran after his mate and child, with Frey and Abbi on his heels. The kids and Molly had remained outside to play.
Rafael turned to Kaya. “Go pack a bag and get Sebastian ready.”
“I’m not leaving you,” Kaya cried.
“Do as I say, Love. I’d rather spend a few days away from you than lose you altogether. Have Priscilla pack as well. Nikolas, you and Julian take your mates home to pack. I’ll call you when the plane is ready.”
Willow walked up to Kaya. “Would you like some help?”
Kaya nodded at the young woman. “Yes, please.”
Malakai was overwhelmed by Kaya’s mixture of emotions. Rafael must be experiencing them ten times over. Kai didn’t want to be away from Josie so soon after having completed the bond. Hell, he didn’t want to be away from her ever, but he would do it to keep her safe.
“Rafe, I need to fix this,” Julian said.
“We can take Katherine,” Tessa offered.
Rafael opened his mouth to respond to Tessa, but Gregor held up his hand. “Don’t go there, Brother. I’ll deal with Red.”
“Deal with me? You think I’m letting you stay here and fight without me?” Tessa got in Gregor’s face. “I will shoot you, Stone.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time. But listen to me; I need you to help keep the other mates safe. Can you do that for me, Red?”
Tessa’s face softened, and her whole body relaxed. “Yeah, I can do that.”
“Where are you sending the mates?” Kai asked.
“I’m not sure. I can’t send them to the West Coast; Drago will expect that.”
“Send them to my home,” Kai suggested.
“Remind me where home is for you,” Rafael said, but his eyes were on the door his mate walked out of.
“Samoa. A small island called Manono. My parents as well as most of my brothers and their mates are there. Nobody gets on the island they don’t know about. It’s mostly Gargoyles, but the humans who live there are like Priscilla.”
“And you’re sure they won’t mind?”
“Not at all. Especially when I tell them Josie will be among them.” Kai had yet to tell his parents he and Josie had completed the bond, but they would be ecstatic. He only wished he would be introducing Josie in person, not sending her off to meet them for the first time without him. But he would do what his King thought best.
Rafael took a deep breath. He called on his Gargoyle to center him while he decided what was best for everyone. Was he being hasty in sending the mates away? How was he going to live without Kaya and Sebastian? Having most of his family gathered together was risky, but there was strength in numbers. If he sent everyone home, the males could keep their females safe unless Drago decided to hit their homes individually. Isabelle had the antiserum ready, but she needed to stay in New Atlanta to make large quantities.
We need to take Drago out. Find him and his hacker, and either kill them both, or put them in the Pen.
Then the Unholy will run through the city unchecked.
Send a team out on patrol and have them follow the Unholy back to wherever it is they stay. We have left them alive too long.
We can’t murder them all. That’s not who we are.
We were put here to protect humans. This is us doing just that.
The Unholy are human underneath the monster. We don’t know which ones had no choice but to agree to be turned.
They all made the choice.
We don’t know that.
Dante and the others returned with the kids and Molly. Rafael scrubbed a hand down his face. “Isabelle, you and the other females please take the kids into the kitchen.” When Tessa didn’t move, it was Josie who coaxed her away from the room. He knew Tessa only went because she would still be able to hear the conversation.
“Am I doing the right thing in sending the mates away?” he asked.
Dante answered first. “I don’t know. If Isabelle goes, I can work on the antiserum, but is that most important now? I think it’s time we let Lachlan help Julian. He has vowed to atone for his sins against the Clan. Then call Hunter and have him come watch over his mate.”
Rafael turned to his cousin. “Jules, what are your thoughts?”
“At this point, I’m willing to admit he’s better than me and ask for his help. The mates’ and children’s safety is more important than my pride. I say we use him to find Drago and end the Greek before he has a chance to come after us. We’ve spent the last year on the defensive. I think it’s time to end this once and for all.”
“And the Unholy?”
“We round them up and use the antiserum like we planned. We don’t know if Drago is in touch with Craven. The ma
le could be hiding out making more Unholy for all we know.”
“I’m ready for this to be over.” Frey fisted his hands then relaxed them, crossing his arms over his massive chest. “We have more kids coming into the world soon, and I’d rather not be looking over my shoulder at every turn to protect mine. I don’t want Abbi out of my sight any more than she already is, but I’ll send her and Amelia away if it means we have a plan in place where they can come home to a safer environment. I’m in agreement with Julian. Ask for Lachlan’s help. Call in Goyles like Dominic from other areas where there are no Unholy threats. Have the Lopez Clan keep an eye on things in Florida. We don’t want to leave cities vulnerable. Dante can work on the antiserum. Hell, if he needs another set of hands, Jonas can assist. Sabrina is as good as chief of staff anyway.”
“Won’t she be with the other mates?” Nikolas asked. “And what about Marley and Caroline? It’s not just our females we need to worry about.”
“I can handle the antiserum by myself, but Sabrina has patients she might refuse to leave,” Dante noted.
Kaya walked past the door holding Sebastian and stopped. “Don’t forget Trevor. If you’re busy in the lab, someone will need to run the morgue. Plus, he has classes he might not be able to miss.” She didn’t linger after tossing out her reminder. She also didn’t look Rafael’s way as she and Willow went toward the kitchen to join the others.
“I can’t speak for Jasper or Deacon, but I think we send the mates and kids to Kai’s family. Gregor, you call Deacon. Dante, please call Jasper. I’ll have Kaya call Dane. We’ll explain the situation, and they can decide for their mates. I’ll reach out to Hunter and see if he’s available to help with Lachlan. I’ll also contact Sin and tell him what’s going on just so he’s aware.”
Julian, who had calmed down a fraction, said, “Let’s set up a video conference with everyone. It’ll be quicker, plus they will know the rest of us are on board with the plan. Not that they would say no since you’re King, but this is more serious than when we went after Alistair.”
