“Whoa.” Vanessa laughed. “It’s official, Cupid shot you right in your ass! Look at you!” She grabbed Kat’s arm. “Come on—”
“What?” Kat stopped them in their tracks, “Where?”
“To introduce ourselves—”
“No,” she shouted, her heart slamming against her ribcage. “I can’t just go over there and introduce myself.”
“Fine, I’ll do it for you—”
“Girls,” Brian interrupted. “Do you know where Mom is? Stephen just told me that Senator McCarthy is here, possibly to endorse my campaign!”
“Really, that’s great, Daddy!” Kat said looking over his shoulder at the guy.
“Can you run and see if you can find her and tell her to go up to Stephen’s room? He didn’t want to talk here with everyone around to listen, so we’re going upstairs.”
“Yeah, of course, Dad, good luck.” Kat waved after he kissed her cheek then disappeared into the crowd.
“After we go and say hello to those two hotties,” Vanessa said.
“This is Dad’s big night. We promised that it was all about him—”
“But, Kat, you’ve never—”
“We find Mom then we can introduce ourselves.” Kat said sternly.
“Deal. I’ll go this way and you take that end, meet me by the punch bowl and keep your phone close.” Vanessa disappeared into the crowd.
Kat looked around the ballroom that was packed full of people from Brian’s law firm. It was his boss’ twenty-fifth wedding anniversary celebration but it had somehow turned into a campaign soiree for Brian. She walked around the room, her eyes always drifting toward the dark stranger who did the most unusual things to her libido, especially when he would look over at her and meet her gaze.
She bumped into yet another person because she was too busy staring at her mystery man. After apologizing for the fifteenth time, she focused on looking for her mother. She would have to stalk her hot guy afterward. Her thoughts, however, didn’t want to cooperate because they kept jumping back to him. She thought she had gotten a handle on all the different emotions she experienced over the years but this guy, he gave her the weirdest and most powerful sensation all over.
“Did you find her?” Vanessa asked.
“Nope, and I’ve tried her phone with no luck.”
“Guess we could just send dad a text and let him know she’s MIA—”
“Hey,” the friend of her hot mystery guy said to Vanessa.
“Hey,” Vanessa smiled her best flirty-girl smile.
“Wyatt,” he took her hand and kissed it.
“Vanessa.” She giggled. “And this is my sister, Kat.”
“It’s definitely my pleasure, Vanessa.” Wyatt gave her a good once over. “Can I have this dance?” He asked, completely ignoring Kat.
“Um, where’s your friend?” Vanessa stalled as she looked over at Kat with pouting lips.
“Jason?” He asked looking over her shoulder briefly then meeting her wide-eye gaze. “He had some business to take care of. Why? Would you prefer to dance with him instead?” He chuckled as he pulled her closer.
“No!” Vanessa looked at Kat with puppy-dog eyes again.
“Go.” Kat sighed. She couldn’t hide the disappointment of learning that his friend had left. “Have fun. I’ll find Mom.”
She watched as Vanessa and Wyatt walk onto the dance floor and he pulled her into his embrace. Kat longed for that to be her. She couldn’t ever remember wanting something so much, and with someone whom she had never spoken to before. Jason. How odd that just the thought of the name sent a chill up her spine.
She sighed. She hated feeling. Why couldn’t she be like the other Hybrids and have no emotions? Her life would be so much simpler without weird reactions to weird things. How could a name affect her? And how much longer would she have to feel it? She turned to search for her mother then turned again when she heard someone call her.
She didn’t know the woman but there was something about her that was familiar. She was sure that the red hair and green eyes that were indicative of Nemeanian women was the cause of the feeling. But the longer Kat studied her, the more she knew there was another reason the woman was familiar.
“Can I help you?” Kat asked.
“Blessed be,” the woman said.
“Blessed be,” Kat replied the customary greeting.
“We have much to accomplish in little time,” she guided them toward the door. “I’m Barbara.”
“Hello, Barbara.”
“It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you,” she said as they stepped through the doors that lead out to the garden. “Are you aware that your mother went before Council and spoke to the Elders?”
“Yes.” Kat whispered after a couple walked passed giggling. “She informed me that she was trying to obtain some direction on a situation that has arisen because of my unusual circumstances.” Kat looked toward the Jefferson Memorial. The hotel garden ran along the Tidal Basin of the Potomac River so the view was magnificent.
“They made a decision earlier today, so your mother asked that I come and get you, but I’ll let her tell you the rest.” Barbara finished just as they joined her mother on the far end of the garden.
“Hello, Mother,” Kat said.
“The Elders have made a decision. We are confident that they have our best interest in mind—”
“Ah, perfect timing.” Barbara interrupted. “Here they come now.”
Had she not heard the distinctive laugh, Kat would have insisted her mother continue, but she couldn’t ignore it, the chill running over her body forcing her to turn. When Kat looked over her shoulder, Jason was walking beside an older gentleman. She instantly recognized the older man, which helped her place Barbara.
That bit of stored information, however, wasn’t enough to explain why she almost lost it when she saw Jason. She hoped no one noticed her reaction to him and that she would be able to maintain her composure as he and the senator joined them. She doubted it, considering how her body responded to him.
“Katarina, this is Senator Eric McCarthy, and you already know his lifemate, Barbara,” her mother said. “This is their son, Jason, your lifemate.”
“Katarina,” Jason nodded his head toward her.
“Jason,” she nodded calmly despite the dizziness that overcame her with the news. “Senator McCarthy—”
“Please, Katarina, call me Eric.” He reached for her left hand.
Kat looked at him for a moment then placed her hand into his. Her heart rate accelerated when her mother reached for her right hand and she nearly fainted when Julianne began to speak.
“As sole representative of the Gallagher Clan, I, Julianne Gallagher, bless the union of my daughter Katarina to your son.”
Julianne took Jason’s left hand into her free one while Kat stared at her mother in utter disbelief. She couldn’t remember the last time she heard her Hybrid father’s surname spoken out loud. Nor could she believe she was hearing it right now. She wasn’t supposed to complete her unity ceremony until she was twenty-one.
“Jason McCarthy,” Julianne reached into her pocket and pulled a ring from it. She placed it in the palm of Jason’s hand then closed his fingers over it. “I give you this ring as a symbol that will unite our families until you are no more.” She looked toward Senator McCarthy and nodded.
“As a representative of the McCarthy Clan, I, Eric McCarthy, bless the union of my son Jason to your daughter. Katarina Gallagher, I give you this ring as a symbol that will unite our families until you are no more.”
After placing the ring in the palm of Kat’s hand, he and her mother stepped back and Jason reached for Kat’s right hand.
“Katarina Gallagher, I stand before you vowing to give you my life and loyalty for as long as I live.” He slipped the ring onto her right ring finger.
“Jason McCarthy,” it came out as a whisper, so she cleared her throat. “I stand before you vowing to give you my life and loyalty for as l
ong as I live.” She slipped the ring onto his finger.
“As head of the McCarthy Clan,” Eric said. “I graciously accept Katarina into our family and bestow upon her the McCarthy Family Crest.”
“As head of the Gallagher Clan,” Julianne said. “I place upon thee, Jason, the Coat of Arms of her ancestry. May it remind you always of your pledge to her.”
“May your union be blessed always,” Eric put his hand over their still joined hands.
“Until they are no more,” Julianne finished by placing her hand over Eric’s.
The rings on their fingers illuminated and sent a searing pain up her arm that lasted several moments, but her instinct to pull away was oddly absent. Then it was over, the pain and the ceremony complete. She was mated.
Whoa.
In under five minutes she had learned what the Elders had planned for her regarding Roger. She was going to break-up with him. And they made sure of that by introducing her to her lifemate years before it was due.
She looked down at her right hand. The ring had dissolved into her skin and bonded onto her bone after etching Jason’s family crest around her finger.
“Welcome to our family,” Barbara said. She took her hand and ran her finger over the marking. “Does it still sting? I remember it hurting so much when it was absorbed into my skin. Of course, we were in our true form then, so maybe this body provides a buffer?”
“Nope, it hurt like hell.” Jason laughed. “You could have warned us.”
Kat stared at him, her mind reeling from everything that had transpired and almost not believing it. Thankfully, no one picked up on her several mishaps, which was a miracle considering they had seemed, at least to her, so obvious.
“There you are!” Brian called as he walked around the bend. “Wonderful, you’ve already met.” He shook the senator’s hand then wrapped his arm around her mother’s waist.
“Yes, Kat just found me and told me the news, sweetheart. It’s wonderful that the senator is going to endorse your campaign!”
“We should get some fresh champagne to celebrate,” Eric guided Barbara toward the hotel.
“Yes, marvelous idea!” Brian followed behind but stopped and turned to look at her, “You coming, Kit Kat?”
“If you don’t mind, sir,” Jason took Kat’s hand into his. “I asked if she would join me on a walk with it being such a lovely evening.”
“Of course,” her mother said. “It’s such a pretty night to get acquainted. Just not too far from the hotel so we don’t worry.”
“Of course,” Jason said.
“We’ll see you inside.” Eric said as they disappeared into the hotel.
They walked several steps in silence, Kat letting Jason lead her along the garden path toward the water. She looked up at him when he pulled them toward the railing and leaned against it. Her stomach did a couple of flips when he met her gaze, so she looked out at the small marina. After a few moments of awkward silence, he leaned his back against the railing and cleared his throat until she finally took the hint and looked at him. His blue eyes were the prettiest aquamarine. They took her breath away.
“So, what do you think about the shoes?” He asked holding his foot out.
“I’m sorry?” She looked at the shoe then back at him.
“I just bought them. Well, not just…a couple of days ago. Father said I needed a new pair, so I went and got some. I think I did okay considering.”
“Considering?”
“That I was gonna get mated in them. I mean, that stuff isn’t important to us but humans sure do make a big deal about it. I can’t tell you how many weddings we’ve sat through. So I guess from their perspective they’re okay, what do you think?”
“I like them,” she looked at him for a moment before looking at the water.
“Okay, so let’s take a look.” He twirled her around. “Green is definitely your color; it brings out your eyes. And you look beautiful.”
“Thanks,” she said breathlessly. “But it’s not something a human would wear on her wedding day.” She scrunched up her nose.
“I like it,” he pulled her against him and wrapped his arms around her waist.
“Jason, what are you doing?” She pressed her hands against his chest and half-heartedly attempted to push him away.
When he leaned in and kissed her, she stopped trying to push him away. And after a moment, she actually pulled him closer, then wrapped her arms around his neck. She pressed herself against him and didn’t even care that kissing was forbidden. The thought of not returning his kiss seemed more criminal than stopping.
Not that Nemeanians didn’t kiss, because sometimes they had to, but always just for show to appease a human. Nemeanians had to fake-kiss because real kissing disgusted them. Being that close to someone was deemed offensive and the act of real was invasive.
So when their kiss escalated into a passionate human kiss, it surprised the hell out of her. It was beyond amazing and even more spectacular than anything she had ever experienced with Roger, which really blew her mind. Nothing could have prepared her for what kissing Jason would be like. It was amazing and addictive and fabulous.
An incredible amount of anger swept over her when someone grabbed her arm and pulled her away from Jason. As she spun to face the intruder, her fist ready to make contact with whoever it was, she froze in place.
“Roger!” Her voice cracked and she stopped struggling against the crushing grip he had on her upper arm.
“What the hell are you doing?” Roger shook her arm violently, the jarring nearly snapping her neck.
“Hey,” Jason grabbed her other arm and attempted to pull her toward him, Kat suddenly getting tugged back and forth as they confronted each other. “Anyone ever tell you it’s not polite to shove a lady?”
“Has anyone ever told you it’s not polite to stick your tongue down my girl’s throat!” He released Kat suddenly, so she and Jason stumbled, but he righted her footing just before she fell. Taking advantage of his vulnerability, Roger shoved Jason so violently, he fell and skidded across the ground.
“Roger,” Kat grabbed his arm to keep him from advancing toward Jason. “What are you doing here?” She asked breathlessly. But once she asked the nagging question, her mind instantly formulated that either her mother or the High Council had ensured that Roger would show up at the hotel. Why couldn’t they give her the opportunity to break up with him on her own terms!
“Kicking this guy’s ass,” Roger shoved her off of him and charged Jason, who had recovered and was back on his feet.
“Stop it!” She shouted.
Roger got in a few good shots, but Jason retaliated and had Roger laid-out with two shots. Not surprising, since starting at age five, Hybrids were trained in hand-to-hand combat. Kat kneeled by Roger but Jason pulled her upright.
“Kat,” Roger shouted as he sat up. “Is this it? Are you just gonna leave with this douche-bag?”
“Roger,” she looked up at Jason then pulled her arm free and took several steps toward him. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened. I met him and I just got overwhelmed with the way he makes me feel.” Which was true, and what she needed to say to convince him to leave. She hated having to hurt him. And it broke her heart to realize that this would be the last time she would be allowed to see him.
“How long has this been going on?” Roger grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him. “Is he the reason you’re always disappearing?”
“Yes,” Jason interjected and shoved Roger off of her. He pulled Kat behind him. “And she’s made her decision. We just spent the greater part of our evening up in our room—”
“You’re full of shit!” Roger charged him again and they crashed onto a flowerbed.
“Dammit, Roger, stop!”
Kat was sure Jason was going to get tired of him and snap his neck…literally. Two security guards shoved her aside as they made their way to the two fighting men. One stopped abruptly and steadied her since the impact of him try
ing to pass her nearly knocked her over.
“Blessed be, Mrs. McCarthy,” the security guard said. “My apologies, are you okay?” He asked. But before Kat could wrap her head around the fact that the guard was a Hybrid, and that he just referred to her by her mated name, he had already left to help Jason onto his feet. The other guard was holding onto a still struggling Roger.
“Tell me the truth!” Roger said shoving the security guard off of him and wiping his bloodied nose with his sleeve.
“I’m sorry about all of this, I never meant for it to happen.” She said honestly.
“So you’ve been sneaking around with this guy? Why? I don’t understand. I gave you two damn years, Kat! I’ve been chasing you around for that long and this is how you repay me?”
“It just happened,” the obvious pain and betrayal on his face breaking her heart. “I didn’t plan it…”
“Are your sleeping with him?”
“Yes,” Jason answered for her. “And I’m the one she wants to be with. Isn’t that right, Katarina?”
Kat looked up at Jason when he wrapped his arm around her waist, then she looked back at Roger.
“Get the hell off of her,” Roger pushed Jason so hard they both lost their footing, the one security guard catching them while the other slammed into Roger to contain him.
“Stop,” Kat begged. She ran over and grabbed Roger’s shirt and held him from advancing toward Jason. “Yes. He’s the reason I was always gone and he’s the one I want.” She looked up at him. “Roger, I’m so sorry—”
“Sorry?” He shoved her away from him. “What the hell are you sorry for? Being a slut just like your sister? It figures she didn’t act that way just because she wanted the attention. It must be another one of those Bloomfield girl traits she does just to keep up with her whore big sister!” He shouted then stormed off, the one security guard following behind him.
“Are you okay, Mr. McCarthy?” the remaining guard asked.
“Yes, thank you. We should be fine. We’ll just be going up to our room to clean up,” Jason reached for her hand. “Are you okay, Katarina?”
Kat looked at Jason then at the door Roger had used to cut through the hotel, his expensive sports car probably still sitting at the main entrance. No, she wasn’t okay. Her body trembled. She wiped her hand against her dress before she slipped it into his. She was sure that he felt it shaking. But the entire evening had her so thrown for a loop that she didn’t think she could maintain her façade for much longer, if at all. She looked at the guard then back at Jason.
Sleeper Cells Page 3
