by Faith Gibson
Malakai was glad to have something to focus on, even if it was taking a group of Gargoyles he didn’t know back to his home to protect it. Technically, the house and property still belonged to Sixx since the paperwork hadn’t been filed, but the intent was there. When Sixx first moved to California, he intended to keep the house in New Atlanta for when he and Desirae visited. Then Kai expressed interest in purchasing the house, and Sixx agreed. It was where Kai planned to build a life with Josie. Sure, they could build another house, but if he could keep this one from being destroyed, he would. Kai couldn’t imagine what Rafael was going through. His mate had nearly been killed, and they still didn’t know her condition. The manor was mostly a crumbled mess. Kai had spent a few Sundays there with the Clan. It didn’t matter who was related by blood, Rafael and Kaya welcomed everyone into their home. The house could be rebuilt, or they could move. Something they were contemplating anyway, according to Frey. If Kai were in Rafael’s shoes, he would probably want to move and start over somewhere else. Then again, the manor held more good memories than bad, unless Kaya didn’t make it.
Before he opened the gate, Malakai reached out with his senses but didn’t detect anything out of the ordinary. As he drove through, Dominic, the leader of the Clan in New Orleans, whistled. “Nice spread.”
Kai explained how it belonged to Sixx, but he and Josie were in the process of buying it.
“Then let’s make sure the Unholy bastards don’t take it from ya before it’s even yours.”
Kai would have grinned at the male who dressed like he stepped off a pirate romance cover. Malakai had never met a Gargoyle who didn’t bother changing with the times. Then again, Dominic might like the attention.
Since the property consisted of forty acres, Dominic brought eight of his males with him. Ten Gargoyles should be able to handle a handful of Unholy. From what Rafael had seen out his window, there had been less than twenty Unholy. He hadn’t had time to discern if any Goyles or Reborn had been with them. Now, as each of them guarded their homes, they weren’t taking chances. With Dominic’s crew flying in a private jet, they were able to bring their own swords. While the others did perimeter checks, Malakai retrieved his weapon. Before Urijah left for Norway, he had reworked Kai’s blade so it was infused with the poison that slowed down a Goyle. When the Clan went after Alistair in Greece, Malakai had remained behind to protect the city. His blade hadn’t needed the special coating. Until now. Kai had shown Josie where his sword was and warned her about the blade so she wouldn’t accidentally poison herself.
Malakai stopped off in the kitchen and made himself a sandwich. Gargoyles could go a while without eating, but he wanted to be full-strength if the Unholy showed. He had offered to cook for Dominic and his males, but they had eaten before they got the call from Rafael.
When Kai stepped outside, Dominic was on the phone. “Aye, Lass. Give the wee ones a rub from their papa.” Kai turned to go back into the house to give the male his privacy, but Dominic called out to him. “It’s all right, Malakai. Lilly was checking on Kaya.”
“You have kids?” Kai had heard the stories of how Lilly had helped both Jasper and Desi when they’d been poisoned, but he’d never met the witch. And he also hadn’t heard she and Dominic had children.
“Not yet. I have two wee lasses hiding out in their mommy’s tummy.”
“Who’s watching over them?”
Dominic’s easy-going façade changed instantly. “Four of my best mates, one being Sully. Not only is he my second, he’s also my brother. No one I trust more with their safety.”
A loud whistle rent the air, and Dominic pulled his sword from its sheath on his back. “Showtime, mate.” If the situation weren’t dire, Malakai would contemplate Dominic using the term mate for those other than Lilly. Kai gripped his own weapon and took off in the same direction Dominic had gone. Before he got more than ten steps, another whistle sounded.
Dominic said, “I’ll head this direction if you want to go that way.”
Malakai took off running, but he hadn’t gone more than twenty steps when his beast stopped him.
Head back to the house. Now.
Kai’s shifter had never led him astray in all the years they’d been together, so he trusted it then. Malakai didn’t see anything until he rounded the corner of the garage. An Unholy was placing an explosive on the side of the building farthest from the house. Kai charged the monster, slashing his sword through the air, cutting the male’s arm off. The Unholy screamed, but Kai cut the sound off with an arc parallel to the ground. Malakai loathed killing another being. It went against his nature, but this male had been sent to destroy his home. Kai ripped the bomb off the wall and threw it into the woods. He then searched the downed body for the detonator but didn’t find one.
There’s too many of them.
Kai turned, and his beast was right. “Dominic! A little help here!” Malakai ran at the Unholy closest to him, making quick work of taking him down. One by one, he removed the bombs from the house, sending them all in the same direction. When he caught sight of Dominic on the far side of the house, he told the pirate, “I haven’t found the detonator.”
“Probably someone waiting in the woods.” Dom whistled, and his crew was there in seconds. “Find the detonator. It’s either on one of the bastards we’ve taken down, or—
BOOM!
Kai, Dominic, and his crew were thrown from the blast, tossing them into trees and brush at the edge of the woods. The impact was closer than it should’ve been. Several males groaned and tried to stand while others remained unmoving. Kai moaned, his body aching and his face burning. Slowly, he pushed to his knees, searching the area for the cause of the explosion. What he saw made him want to throw up. Those Unholy he and Dominic had taken down were now in scattered pieces. Not only that, but everywhere one of the Unholy had been, the house had been hit as well. It was only a house. Kai was alive, and Josie was safe, but still… Kai didn’t feel as bad about killing the bastards now.
Dominic crawled next to him. “What the fuck, mate?”
“I got rid of the explosives, so I don’t understand.” Kai stood unsteadily and slowly made his way to the closest blast point. The charge had been set at ground level. Kai reached out with his senses, searching for anyone else on the property. He didn’t sense movement, so he crept toward the woods in the direction he’d tossed the bombs. He didn’t have to go far to see the destruction. Trees were unearthed, and the ground was singed. Kai’s beast shook inside, trying to break free.
Nothing you can do now. I need to warn the others.
He walked back to where Dominic was checking over his crew. They were all Gargoyles, so they would heal themselves, but it didn’t ease Kai’s conscience. He pulled out his phone and called Frey.
“Malakai?”
“My house…” Kai cleared his throat. “We’re all okay, but you need to warn the others. The Unholy are putting explosives at the base of the structure as well as higher up. Either one of their males got away, or someone detonated the charges remotely. I’m going to search those downed away from the house to see if I can find a device. I’ll call you back.” Kai disconnected. There was no time for platitudes. He walked back over to Dominic and his team, who had all come around. “We need to search for the detonator. If we can’t find one, that means someone is doing it remotely, and the others need to be aware.”
“Spread out. Search every inch of the property,” Dominic commanded. His males did as instructed. Dominic stared at Kai, but Kai shook his head and headed off to help search. There was no time for him to think about the house. He needed to warn his Clan if he could.
Hunter and Carter had just finished carrying in the last few pieces of electronics when Remy ran into the conference room where Lachlan was getting the computers hooked up. Lachlan had tried talking to his mate during the ride to the Pen, but Hector wasn’t interested, other than reminding Lachlan his name was not Hector but Hunter.
“Frey called. Several h
ouses were hit at the same time. So far, no one has found a detonator. He and Julian believe it’s being done remotely. Can you figure out if that’s the case?”
“I’m not an explosives expert, but I would imagine whoever is doing this is using drones. Call Frey and tell him I’m getting the equipment set up now. I’ll do everything I can from this end, but tell him to have the others watch and listen for drones hovering in the area.”
Lachlan instructed Hunter and his twin how to help him set the equipment up. If Drago was using drones, Lachlan should be able to find the frequency and shut them down. He worked quickly to get back online. He knew there was technology which had been created while he had been sitting in his cell, but he was confident he could figure it out.
Remy returned a few minutes later with a telephone, plugging the landline into the wall. Hunter and Carter stood quietly while Lachlan worked, but he explained every move he made. Months of having nothing to do other than think had given Lachlan time to figure out what he wanted. Being separated from Hunter should have weakened his beast, but like Lachlan, it was a stubborn bastard. This was his one and last opportunity to prove to Hunter they should be together. His mate had yet to say anything personal. When Hunter spoke, it was only to ask directions to the Pen or talk about the equipment. Lachlan could sense Hunter’s emotions, and what he found wasn’t good. He couldn’t worry about that now. He had more pressing matters like searching for drones.
Frey held a new respect for Rafael. With his cousin focused on Kaya and Sebastian, Frey had taken it upon himself to lead the Clan. Even if Sinclair had been in New Atlanta, Frey would have taken over. He had left Rafael at the hospital with several Goyles standing guard. Jonas had closed off a hallway near the operating room where Kaya was being tended to by Jonas and his team. Caroline had refused to go with the other mates, and Frey was thankful for it. Jonas’s mate was sitting with Priscilla, helping with Sebastian. The little guy was inconsolable. Like he knew something was wrong. Being Rafael’s child, he probably did.
Frey needed Julian to patch through a conference call to all the males whose houses were possibly being targeted, but Julian had his hands full with not only his own home but also the lab. So far, only Jasper’s, Nik’s, and Malakai’s homes had been hit, but Frey figured it was only a matter of time before the others were targeted. And how was Drago choosing who to hit? If it was only their immediate family, they could plan better, but it wasn’t. He couldn’t keep up with all the incoming calls and texts, but he wouldn’t stop answering a single one, even as he drove toward his home. He also wouldn’t stop praying to the gods for a little divine intervention.
Frey had called Remy to get a message to Lachlan since the male didn’t have his own phone. Remy had set up a landline in the conference room Lachlan was using as his office. Frey didn’t envy Remy. He had struggled with his decision on whether or not to send Rain with the others to Samoa, but Rain had a meltdown when Remy talked to his son about him going with Connor and Amelia. Even the prospect of spending time with Molly wasn’t enough to convince the child to leave his father. Rain was still having nightmares from his ordeal with Craven, and in the end, Remy took Rain to the Pen with him, where he set up a cot in the office. Rain was being guarded by Caleb and Aldredge whenever Remy had to leave his son’s side.
By the time he rolled up to his home, Frey had managed to call the others and warn them about the possibility of drones. So far, there had been no more sightings of Unholy, but they couldn’t let their guard down. Dane had his hands full with not only sending response teams to each location, but handling the media as well. They needed to explain why the Unholy were on the loose, targeting certain homes so the rest of the city didn’t panic, but could they truthfully ensure Drago wasn’t going to hit random houses? Frey had no idea what the Greek had planned. Were the four Stone Clan homes the end of it? Or was Drago regrouping for another attack?
Paxton met Frey as soon as he parked his truck. “SITREP?”
Frey gave the former soldier a situation report. Paxton listened intently while scanning the area. When Frey finished, Paxton called out, “Clan, keep your eyes open for drones. If you see one, take it down.”
The males surrounding Frey’s property responded with an affirmative.
Frey studied his home. He and his immediate family had been discussing the possibility of moving. Maybe this was a sign they should do just that. But they couldn’t leave New Atlanta unprotected. Not until Drago and all the Unholy were either in the Pen or dead. And now, Rafael and those whose homes had been destroyed needed somewhere to land until the fight was over. It was a good thing they all had large homes. Hosting their family wouldn’t be a hardship physically. It was the mental wounds he worried about.
Chapter Nineteen
Josie was Explaining what she and Kai endured when he thought she had rejected him when an excruciating pain hit her.
“Gah!” she yelled, grabbing her head.
“Josie? What’s wrong?” Tessa asked.
“It’s… Oh, god. Kai! Something’s wrong. He’s in trouble.” Josie shook with fear and…
Kai? Can you hear me?
“Josie, what’s happening?” Isabelle asked, squatting next to her. The doctor took Josie’s hand, pressing her fingertips to Josie’s wrist.
“Can you hear him?” Tessa asked.
“I’m trying,” she whimpered. The pain eased, bit by bit, until Josie was no longer trembling.
Kai? Please talk to me.
I’m here, Sunshine.
What just happened? I felt your pain.
The Unholy hit our house. I’m sorry, Sunshine.
I’m not worried about the house, Kai. Tell me you’re okay.
I’m fine. The blast threw us back, but we’ll recover quickly. Are you okay? I didn’t realize you’d feel what I do from that far away.
Oh, I felt it. But it’s also easing.
Good. I need to go now.
Please be safe.
I promise.
“Our home was hit. Kai was thrown in the blast, but he’s okay.”
“That’s amazing. Not that you were in pain or that your home was hit, but that you felt it. Your bond is stronger than most,” Isabelle said, still holding Josie’s hand.
“I’m not sure I like it,” Josie admitted.
“Is your house completely destroyed?” Trevor asked.
“He didn’t say, but if it’s anything like what happened to Rafael and Kaya’s, I’m going to assume so. At least we weren’t inside.”
“Looks like we all left just in time,” Sophia said.
“How do you feel?” Isabelle asked.
“Sad. Pissed off. Eager. It’s crazy how quickly the Gargoyles heal. Can any of you speak to your Gargoyle?”
“You mean with our mate or the beast?” Isabelle asked.
“The beast.”
“My shifter can talk to Nik’s,” Sophia answered. “I think we’re all different in how we can interact with our mates, depending on the male.”
“I don’t feel Dante’s emotions as clearly as the rest of you probably do your mates. With Dante, he can suppress his feelings and his pain. He can also push calm into others with his mind. Our mates are all different, and each couple has unique bonds.” Isabelle took the seat next to Josie. “Tessa, since you were the first of us to find your mate, why don’t you start? We’ll share our experiences with Josie.” Isabelle didn’t say to keep her mind off her no longer having a home. At least she still had an apartment.
For the next few hours, they all shared their stories of meeting their Gargoyles and what they endured afterward. Each one was tragic in one form or another, and it made Josie admire them more. What she found most interesting was not only Tessa being the baby who had been cloned, but that Trevor and Katherine were clones. They both seemed to have come to terms with it somewhat, but the underlying sadness was there. Tessa was included in almost every encounter. The redhead was truly a badass in her own right. She had told hers and
Gregor’s story first and had them all laughing when she spoke of shooting her mate in the ass. Josie couldn’t imagine pulling a gun on Kai, much less pulling the trigger even knowing a bullet wouldn’t penetrate his skin. Sophia and Trevor were as feisty as Tessa. Abbi, Willow, and Marley were more like Josie – laid-back and softer spoken.
Isabelle was the wild card. She was a brilliant doctor, working on the antiserum to change the Unholy into what they referred to as Reborn. Isabelle’s contribution to the Clan and Society was as impressive as it was daunting, but the half-blood was kind and humble. Josie often caught Isabelle frowning whenever Tessa or Sophia spoke of Jonas. Isabelle was his daughter, but it sounded like the other two women were closer to the male. Josie could understand that. Presley was closer to their father, but Josie couldn’t imagine why Jonas would favor Tessa or Sophia over Isabelle. It was a mystery she might never know the answer to.
It was late, and Josie’s eyes were getting heavy. She pulled the blanket over her and reclined the leather chair. Bryce had dimmed the lights in the cabin an hour earlier, so it was dark enough for Josie to relax. Tessa finally stopped pacing and took the seat across from Josie. The redhead didn’t recline the chair though. She stared out the window into the night. Josie knew they all were worried about their mates and Kaya. She was too. She didn’t like not being able to talk to Kai, then she remembered their connection and wondered if it worked from that far away.
Kai?
Why aren’t you asleep?
The mates were telling me their stories. Now everyone’s quiet. How are you holding up?
I’m fine. Just pissed the fuck off.
I’m sorry. I wish I was there with you.
I’m glad you’re not. Not that I don’t want to see you because I do, badly. But it’s not safe.
Were any other homes hit?
Yes. Jasper’s and Nik’s, but don’t tell their mates. It’s going to be a long night of keeping watch.
