by Faith Gibson
He was good, Jasper would give him that. But he wasn’t nearly as good as Urijah. Jasper went on the offensive, driving the larger Goyle back. With both of them being shifters, he wouldn’t be able to wear his opponent out. Their stamina would allow them to last all night. Jasper would have to be patient and study Theron’s moves, looking for weaknesses.
The twilight had faded into the night, and the full moon was now shining down brightly. He had fought plenty of battles having only the moon lighting his way. Jasper continued his assault with Theron parrying the strikes. After what seemed like an hour, Theron surprised Jasper by rushing him, their swords caught between their bodies. Jasper was being pushed back, and he needed to regain control. Faster than Theron realized, Jasper twirled away clockwise, bringing his sword around to meet Theron’s back. The tip of the blade sliced into Theron’s skin. The wound immediately began to heal, but the damage had been done. The special coating of the blade would seep into Theron’s blood.
When the blade sliced through his skin, Theron roared and brought his sword around swiftly, catching Jasper on the chest. Jasper didn’t flinch. If Theron’s blade was also coated, Jasper needed to end this as soon as possible. Once again, they were meeting each other strike for strike. He had no idea how much time had passed. The moon was still high overhead, so it must not have been as long as it felt like.
“Is that the best you have, Phelam? I remember the last time you tried to kill me. I should have ended you then, Lover. But I always thought you’d come back to me for more of what only I could give you.” Theron was circling Jasper again, taunting with his words. “I see from the picture of Kallisto you are still into Kinbaku. Tell me, Phelam, who ties you up now? Who ravages your body? Makes you feel alive?”
Jasper didn’t feel any effects from the cut to his chest, but Theron’s movements were slowing down, if minimally. “My mate doesn’t need to tie me up. I freely offer myself to him.” Anger flashed in Theron’s eyes as he swung for Jasper’s throat. Jasper was able to roll out of the way, coming up behind the other Goyle. He swung his claymore, slicing through Theron’s jeans at the back of his knees. There was enough force in the blow to knock Theron to the ground. Before he could stand, Jasper swung his sword at Theron’s neck, but not close enough to make the fatal blow. He sliced open the jugular before coming around to face his enemy.
When Theron touched his empty hand to his neck, it came away soaked with blood. Gargoyles couldn’t die from blood loss, but he was at a great disadvantage on his knees. Jasper didn’t give Theron time to recover. He plunged his sword into Theron’s chest and twisted. “That is for Travis,” he growled. He pulled the sword from Theron’s body and said, “This is for my mate.” Holding his sword in both hands, Jasper swung it at Theron’s neck like a boy of summer swinging for the fences.
Right before it made contact, Theron said, “Phelam…”
Jasper was vaguely aware of his Clan surrounding them. He needed to get away and calm his beast. There were no cheers of victory. It was serious business to take a life, especially one of a Goyle from an opposing clan. He knew Trevor had been watching, and even though Trevor dealt with death on a daily basis, Jasper wished his mate hadn’t seen him take Theron’s head. He handed his sword off to Uri who was now standing next to him. Trevor called his name, but he needed to get his beast under control before he talked to him. Jasper unfurled his wings and took to the sky.
He wouldn’t go far, just far enough to get away from the body of his former lover and the serious eyes of his new lover. Jasper flew to Frey’s, retracting his wings as he dove into the lake. He wanted to wash the blood off of his body. He didn’t want to touch Trevor with bloody hands, especially the tainted blood of Theron. Jasper swam underwater from one end of the lake to the other. He stopped in the shallow waters and wiped his arms, face, and chest the best he could. When he felt as clean as he would get without a shower, he launched himself into the air and headed back home to face his mate.
Jasper circled over his property, taking in the scene below. Theron’s body was already in a black bag and being loaded into the back of Uri’s SUV. He would take it to the morgue where Dante would get it ready for transport. Even though this was war, Rafael had thought it best to send Theron’s body home to Greece for a proper burial. They knew that was more than Alistair would offer, but they weren’t Alistair.
Jasper fully expected Trevor to have gone in the house when he took off without a word, but his mate was standing where he left him, watching him as he flew circles just above the trees. Trevor was grinning at him and shaking his head. His mate was grinning. Trevor clamped his hand over Travis’s eyes and said, “Did you forget you’re wearing a kilt?”
The Gargoyles glanced up at Jasper and started laughing. He looked down and realized his junk was on display for all the world to see. He smoothed the plaid down over his legs and held it there as he came to land beside his mate. Trevor uncovered his brother’s eyes and launched himself into Jasper’s arms, kissing him for all he was worth. When they broke apart, Trevor said, “You’re wet. Why are you wet?”
“I might have gone for a quick swim in Frey’s lake.” Jasper shook the water out of his hair, splattering his mate in the process.
Trevor slapped him on the chest as he said, “Of course you did.” Trevor turned serious, inspecting Jasper’s chest where the cut had already healed. Jasper stopped his hands and flattened them against his chest.
“I’m fine, Baby. I promise.”
“I know you are, but I needed to see for myself. Come on. There’s a houseful of badasses who want to congratulate you. Once they’re gone, I’m going to congratulate you right out of that kilt.”
Once inside, Jasper grabbed several bottles of Jameson out of the cabinet. He didn’t bother with glasses. The Gargoyles, along with Trevor and Travis, passed the whiskey around. He might have incited a Clan war, but Jasper felt like celebrating. His mate was safe, and Jasper could now bury the past. Literally.
Before the last vehicle had reached the gate, Trevor was on his knees with Jasper’s kilt pushed up over his hips. After a mind-blowing hummer, Jasper took Trevor upstairs where he wrapped his mate in the plaid as they took turns making love.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Rafael called a mandatory meeting at the manor. The snow had melted, and true to the unpredictability of Georgia weather, it was sunshiny and sixty-four degrees outside. Jasper decided to get the Harley out since the weather was warm. He had taken Trevor to get fitted for a helmet, and he never wanted to drive the Jeep again. Riding with his mate seated close, his arms banding Jasper’s stomach, was heaven on two wheels.
When they arrived, Jasper knew right away this was no ordinary meeting. Rows of chairs were set up at the back of the house. They climbed off the bike and removed their helmets. “I do believe we are about to finally witness our King and Queen getting married,” he said against Trevor’s ear. They walked arm in arm to where others were already gathering.
Amelia was twirling in circles, her pink tutu sparkling in the sunlight. When she stopped, she stumbled like a drunk and fell to the ground laughing. The adults were laughing with her. When she picked herself up, she ran to Jasper, and he caught her as she jumped into his arms. “Uncle Jas, look. Trevor’s hair’s purple. I want my hair purple.” She wiggled out of his arms and took off running toward Frey. “Daddy, can I have my hair purple?”
Jasper touched the colored strand in his mate’s hair. A couple of days after the fight, Trevor had surprised Jasper by getting the streak put back in his hair. Jasper had a feeling Rafael had something to do with it, but he didn’t ask. Travis waved them over to where he was saving seats. He had gone back to Athens for Molly, and they were getting settled into their new home. Trevor was including him in his life as much as possible. They dragged him along on their date to Stone Mountain where the brothers ganged up on Jasper with snowballs.
Both Trevor and Travis had agreed to see a counselor about their recent experiences
. Nikolas had been able to recommend a Gargoyle in the area who worked as a psychiatrist. Travis was also getting settled into working for Rafael.
Speaking of the King, he got everyone’s attention and asked them to take their seats. The chairs were facing the garden where an Arbor had been placed at the entrance. Rafe took his place under the flower-covered structure alongside Victoria, Priscilla and Jonathon’s niece. She was the Clan’s attorney and had recently become ordained so she could perform Frey and Abbi’s wedding. Now, she was standing with Rafael as they waited on Kaya. Jasper was thrilled for his former boss. He was also thrilled for himself. When Frey and Abbi tied the knot, Jasper had been lost, not knowing if Trevor would ever come around. Now, he was mated to his best friend and lover, and they were planning their own wedding a few months down the road.
Soft music floated over the air coming out of speakers Julian had set up around the grounds. He was manning the makeshift stereo as Amelia walked down the pathway, dropping white rose petals from the basket she was carrying. Once she was seated next to Frey, it was Kaya’s turn to make her way to where Rafael was waiting. True to the woman and Queen he had come to know and love, Kaya was not wearing the usual long white wedding gown. Instead, she was clad in a simple light blue dress that billowed from the waist, stopping right above her knees. Her belly was just beginning to show the baby she was carrying. True to the Gargoyle and King Jasper had grown to admire, Rafael grabbed Kaya and kissed her passionately as soon as she reached the arbor.
“Uncle Rafe, you’re supposed to kiss her after the wedding,” Amelia chastised. Everyone laughed, including Rafael and Kaya. The ceremony was short and to the point with both Kaya and Rafael saying a few words to each other. When Victoria pronounced them husband and wife, Rafael kissed her again, and the group headed inside for the reception.
Priscilla had outdone herself as usual. There was more food than she’d cooked at Christmas, plus there was a beautiful four-tier wedding cake. After everyone had eaten and it was time to cut the cake, Rafael gathered everyone around again. “Now that Kaya and I have been able to have our wedding, we are going to take a trip to California to visit Sinclair and the Clan on the West Coast. Once word makes it back to Greece on recent events, we will either be fully at peace or fully at war. Let us all pray it is the former.”
After much discussion, it was agreed that Sergei would deliver Theron’s body back to Greece while Kallisto remained a guest at the Pen. Should Alistair agree to call a truce, his daughter would be released. If he refused, she would become Vincent Alexander’s permanent neighbor.
The happy couple cut the cake, and champagne was passed around. Sixx handed a glass to both Jasper and Trevor before saying, “I’m headed out to California next week when Rafe and Kaya go.”
“Have you spoken to Desirae?” Jasper asked.
“No. I’m afraid if I tell her I’m coming she’ll run. It’s going to take me the whole trip to gather my courage to actually knock on her door.”
“Good luck with that. Keep us posted on how it’s going,” Trevor added just as Mason ran into him.
“Oh, sorry, Trevor. I’ve…” Mason looked like he was going to throw up. “I’ve gotta get some air,” he said and ran out the back door.
Jasper looked around the room and spotted the reason for Mason’s unease. Willow, Rafael’s assistant, was talking with Rafael and Kaya. Mason had recently figured out she was his mate, but being so young, he had no clue what to do with a girl. At least Jasper had met his mate long after he’d matured. Mason, even though he looked twenty-something, was actually only sixteen. He was still maturing as a Gargoyle, but it was going to be necessary for Rafael to tell Willow about the Gargoyles soon.
The reception eventually wound down and most everyone headed to their respective homes to let the King and Queen have some private time as husband and wife. Jasper and Trevor were going to retrieve Theron’s body from the morgue while Urijah released Sergei from the Pen. Dante had given the other morgue employees time off while Theron’s body was stored in one of the refrigerated drawers. It wouldn’t do for anyone else to discover a headless Gargoyle.
At first, Jasper had balked at the idea of Trevor being the one to handle the transfer, but he assured Jasper he was more than willing to help dispose of Theron. In fact, it was something he was looking forward to. He wanted to help Jasper send off the Goyle who had made his past miserable, so together they could look to their future. Once the body was securely in the back of the bus, Trevor drove to the airport where the Viking was meeting them with Kallisto’s sidekick.
Rafael had instructed Jasper to deal with Sergei since it was him and his mate Theron had tried to take out. Jasper had no problem with that. When Uri pulled Sergei from the backseat of his SUV, the man’s eyes practically bugged out at seeing Jasper standing there alive.
“Surprise. Guess you didn’t expect to see us, did you?”
“Where’s Kallisto? You cannot hold her. The King will demand you release her.”
“We have a message for the King, and you’re going to deliver it. Let’s take a walk.” Jasper pointed to the Gianopoulos jet that was fueled and waiting for Sergei’s return trip. Using Sergei’s phone, Julian had sent a text to the pilot instructing him to get the plane ready. He also instructed him of the day and time to return to the hangar to make the trip back to Greece. They had enough time to load Theron’s body in the bedroom and secure Sergei before the pilot would arrive.
Once they were onboard the plane, Sergei asked, “So what’s the message?”
Uri pointed to the bedroom. “It’s in there.”
The three of them had a seat and waited while the man went into the bedroom and unzipped the body bag. Gagging and retching soon came from the bathroom. The sink turned on and Sergei splashed water on his face. When he returned to the cabin area, his damp face was paler than the white leather seats. “You killed Theron?”
“He tried to kill me first. Twice,” Jasper said as he stood. “Don’t act like we murdered the heir to the throne without just cause. He murdered five innocent men. He poisoned me and left me for dead. Between you, Kallisto, and Theron, you’ve tormented our Clan for the last few months. You’ve murdered family members, and we are done sitting idly by watching you and Alistair target our families. You take Theron back to Alistair and tell him this – Rafael demands a cease and desist. If Alistair agrees to a truce, we will release his daughter. If he declines, she dies the same way Theron did. Simple as that.”
“No, you can’t kill her, she’s…”
“She’s an evil bitch who does her father’s bidding. If you don’t want her harmed, I suggest you convince Alistair to let this vendetta die along with his son,” Jasper seethed.
Sergei nodded and sat down in an empty seat. Jasper pulled Trevor to his feet, and Urijah stood, tossing Sergei’s phone to him. “The pilot will be here within the hour. I suggest you take the opportunity to look through your phone if you need further convincing that we’re serious about your girlfriend.”
The three of them walked down the steps of the plane. Before they’d made it too far, Sergei howled. “I guess he saw the pictures,” Uri said. When they got to their vehicles, Uri stopped and told them, “I’ve decided to head to California for a visit. Since Rafael, Kaya, and now Sixx are taking the Clan jet, I thought I’d hop a ride with them. Stay with Finley for a little while. Jasper, here are the keys to the armory. I’d appreciate it if you’d keep an eye on things while I’m gone.”
“Of course, Brother. I hope you find what you’re looking for out there.”
Uri cocked his head to the side and studied Jasper. Jasper had a feeling he knew who Uri was looking for as well as what, but it wasn’t really his business. He held out his hand and they clasped arms. Uri fisted his heart and bowed his head to Trevor. With that, the Viking was gone.
“Let’s get the bus back to the hospital so we can get home and do a little more celebrating,” Trevor said.
“Yeah? What are w
e celebrating?” Jasper asked.
“For now, we have no one gunning for us or our family. We need to take advantage of it while it lasts. Who knows how Alistair is going to react when he sees his son?”
Jasper couldn’t agree more. Once they dropped the van off, they climbed into the Jeep and headed home where they celebrated well into the night.
Epilogue
October 2048
Jasper and Trevor were lying on their backs on a blanket, staring at the Aurora Borealis. Just as Jasper had predicted, the Northern Lights were putting on a spectacular show, and Trevor was amazed at all the brilliant colors. If it wasn’t for the Gargoyle lying next to him, he knew the experience wouldn’t have been as stellar as it was. Before they left the States, they held a small, intimate wedding ceremony with the Clan and their families in attendance. Amelia had been the flower girl, tutu and all.
They traveled first to Ireland, where they both stood dressed in O’Donnell plaid and spoke their vows as they overlooked the Donegal Bay. Jasper had exchanged the plain titanium band he’d give Trevor when he proposed with one that matched his own. The bands had intricate Celtic designs on the outside and their names etched on the inside. After the ceremony, they toured the Irish countryside with Jasper showing Trevor where he’d lived after being sold to the O’Donnell. They visited the land where he’d fought many years before.
Next, they took a boat over to Scotland where Jasper rented a small house for a week. They were on their third night at the house and were enjoying their time away from their busy lives back in the States. Jasper was still lead detective with the police department, and Trevor was studying to become the next Medical Examiner, considering Dante was barely at the morgue anymore. He and Jasper rarely had time to themselves.
