Spectrum (Stone Society Book 14)

by Faith Gibson

  “Zeke,” Stella whispered. “It’s perfect.” Her eyes filled with tears, and Zeke brushed them off her cheeks before leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to her lips. Being this close to her had his beast itching to claim her, but Zeke pushed back, shutting that shit down. They had waited thirty years for their mate, and another few days wouldn’t hurt. He promised to give her all the time she needed, but having been around others who found their mates, Zeke knew she was feeling the bond, and after he told her the truth, it wouldn’t take long until she agreed to the bite.

  Stella was released the next morning, and Zeke was ready to get her home. Sheila surprised them both when she said she was going to work instead of seeing Stella off. The woman was upset even if she pretended she wasn’t. She had gushed over the stunning ring on her daughter’s finger, but the words had been nothing more than lip service. If Stella recognized her mother’s lies, she didn’t let on. Zeke would prove by his actions he was the male for her daughter. Not that her opinion made that much of a difference. He had his own parent – Jonas – who he no longer felt the need to appease. Caroline was a different story. Zeke loved his mother beyond measure.

  Zeke had a rental car delivered to the hospital. Once he got Stella home and settled, he would see about retrieving his own car from the airport. Zeke called Officer Dowd to inform her he was taking Stella to New Oceanside, and she promised to keep them apprised of the case. Bradley hadn’t returned, but Zeke didn’t see the male forgetting about Stella just because Zeke was in the picture.

  It was after noon when they arrived at the beach house, and Cyrus greeted them with a smile. He held the door open as Zeke carried Stella inside. “Stella, this is my brother Cyrus. Cyrus, this is my Stella.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, although I wish it were under different circumstances.” Cyrus was dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt. His feet were bare, but that didn’t surprise Zeke. His brother was used to the colder climate of his home state.

  “Bed or sofa?” Zeke wanted Stella to be comfortable.

  “Sofa please.”

  “I’ll give you a tour of the house when you feel up to it. For now, let’s get you settled.” Zeke placed his mate on the couch, knowing it was comfortable. He was of the mindset that furniture was for function more than looks. Cyrus held out a soft blanket Zeke didn’t remember having.

  “Since I only brought a couple changes of clothes, I went shopping last night. I saw this and thought it would keep Stella warm.” Cyrus blushed as he explained where the blanket came from.

  “Thank you, Cyrus. That was very thoughtful.” Stella brushed her hands over the covering, smiling at Zeke’s brother. His beast bristled inside.

  Stop it. Stella is ours, and Cyrus is gay. He was doing something nice for our mate.

  But we take care of our mate.

  And we will, but I want them to get along. They are both important to me, and I want Cyrus in my life too.

  By the wonderful aroma wafting from the kitchen, Cyrus had been cooking. “What smells so good?” Zeke asked.

  “I fixed a pot of soup and some cornbread.”

  “I can’t wait to try it. Stella, do you feel up to eating?”

  “Yes. I’m surprised you both can’t hear my stomach protesting. Plus, I need to eat something so I can take my medicine.” Stella looked around the living room. Zeke hadn’t decorated much in the ten years since he bought the place. The walls were painted light blue with gray accents. The living room opened to the dining area just off the kitchen. French doors opened to a large deck on the back of the house overlooking the ocean. Steps off the deck led to a small stretch of sand. Most of the houses were stacked on top of each other, but Zeke had managed to find the one on the strip with the most property. He had neighbors on either side, but they weren’t so close they could easily see in his windows.

  “I love it here,” Cyrus said between bites of soup. “I took a walk on the beach and met some of the neighbors. Everyone is friendly without being nosy.”

  “I know what you mean. When I stopped off at the diner the night before you and I met, everyone knew who you were.” Zeke hadn’t told Cyrus about meeting Maggie.

  “Please tell me you didn’t run into Maggie.”

  Zeke grinned after wiping his mouth on a paper towel. “Sure did. I have to say, you broke the woman’s heart.”

  Cyrus shook his head. “She needs to let that go. It’s been years. Don’t get me wrong. I feel bad for how things ended, but it was during that time I realized I was gay. I broke it off because it wouldn’t lead to marriage the way she wanted. I could only make so many excuses about why…” Cyrus glanced at Stella and blushed. “Anyway, I can’t say all of our problems were my fault. The woman has dated several men since me, and yet she’s still single.”

  “Wait, you said the night before you met.” Stella arched her eyebrows at Zeke.

  Fuck. “Yeah, I have several siblings who were given up for adoption. Cyrus was one of them, and before this week, we had never met. It’s a long story, one I promise to tell you soon. There’s some things we need to talk about.”

  “Is Cyrus like you?” Stella asked, absently stirring her soup.

  “Like me?”

  “Different. I heard you talking to me, or maybe I was dreaming. Never mind. Cyrus, this soup is delicious. Where did you learn to cook?”

  Zeke had thought Stella was asleep when he rambled on about being a shifter. But if she heard him, why wasn’t she freaking out?

  “My mom taught me. I grew up an only child, and I learned about ranching from my father, but my mom was of the opinion I needed to know how to take care of myself too, so she taught me how to cook, wash clothes, sew on buttons, things like that. Dad taught me to drive, change the oil in my truck, build things. I’m pretty well-rounded.”

  Stella smiled at him. “They sound like wonderful parents. I never knew my dad, and the men my mother married afterward were less than stellar. Don’t get me wrong, I love my mom, but she was more concerned with finding a husband than a good father figure.” Stella shrugged and took a bite of cornbread.

  Zeke decide now was as good a time as any to test the waters. “Yes, Cyrus is like me, and no, you weren’t dreaming. Everything I told you was the truth. I didn’t know you could hear me, so I thought I would practice what I wanted to tell you.”

  Stella held out the tray her food was on, and Zeke took it, placing it on the coffee table. “So both of you are these shapeshifters? What exactly do you turn into?”

  Zeke had been sitting in the recliner next to the sofa in case Stella needed help. He knelt in front of her. “Do you remember what I said about meeting our mates? How that was the catalyst for shifting the first time?” Stella nodded. “Cyrus hasn’t met his mate yet. It’s why I went to visit him. When I told your mom I was a consultant, it wasn’t the truth. I am what is called a watcher. Me, my brother Sam, his daughter Sophia, and my niece Tessa, the four of us were tasked with watching over my siblings who had yet to transition. Our father knew what prompted the initial shift, and that was coming in contact with our mate. Cyrus is the last sibling who has yet to transition, and I went to meet him so he didn’t go through what some of the others have.

  “Not aware there is a shifter inside you, then all of a sudden you become this thing you don’t understand… It’s alarming to say the least. I knew what our family was, so it didn’t surprise me when I shifted. But our father sent us out to help after the fact, not before. I didn’t want that for Cyrus.”

  “If he’s the last one, then you’ve already met your mate?” Stella paled, and Zeke prayed she wouldn’t pull away from him. He took her hands in his and kissed her knuckles.

  “You are my mate. I just didn’t know it until I met you in the airport.”

  “So you hadn’t shifted until we met last week?”

  Zeke didn’t want to lie to her. He couldn’t lie. “Not exactly. Once our Gargoyle surfaces, we stop aging. I’m actually older than Cyrus by four year
s.” Stella looked between the two brothers, her forehead wrinkling.

  “But we just met… No. No, no, no. Please don’t tell me you’re my mother’s Ezekiel.”

  “No, I am your Ezekiel. But yes, I met you when you were a toddler.”

  “Oh, Bast. You didn’t… you and her, did you…?” Stella placed a hand over her mouth.

  “No! No, we were never together like that. Stella, I didn’t date a lot, but once I transitioned, I never, I mean, it didn’t feel…” Zeke blew out a breath. “I haven’t been with anyone since before I transitioned.”

  “Really?” Stella searched his eyes, and Zeke tried to smile. It was a long time to go without sex. Even though he didn’t know what caused his beast to come forth, Zeke never felt the urge to find a female. Not until Stella.

  “Really. I don’t know why the fates made me wait all these years for you, why they put you in my path when you were so young. There are others who have dealt with the same thing – meeting their mate only not knowing who they are. I’m praying the gods will intervene with them the way they did for me. Knowing you have a mate yet not knowing who they are is a pain I don’t wish on anyone. Once we find our mate, there is no other for us. You were designed especially for me. If you decide you want to be my mate, you will never want another if you accept the mate bond.”

  “What happens if I don’t accept the bond?”

  “You will be free to date whomever you want.” It pained Zeke to admit those words.

  “And will you be free as well?”

  “No. My heart and soul belonged to you the moment we met, and that will never change.”

  Chapter Seven

  Stella had no intention of dating anyone else, but she had to ask. Knowing Zeke would never have anyone other than her, even if she refused the bond, hurt her heart for him and all the others of his kind. It shouldn’t have been so easy to believe what he was telling her, but Stella had always considered there were other beings walking among the humans. Sheila hadn’t raised Stella in church, but Christianity was alive and well in America. If Christians believed in angels and demons, why couldn’t there be Gargoyles? The Unholy weren’t human, and they were real.

  “Will you show me your shifter?” Stella believed Zeke was telling the truth, but seeing it for herself would go a long way to letting her know she wasn’t riding the crazy train.

  Zeke stood and took a step back. He held out his hands, and claws elongated from his fingertips. Stella couldn’t help but gasp. When she looked up at his face, sharp canines protruded over his lower lip. He withdrew his claws and removed his T-shirt. Stella’s eyes traveled from Zeke’s face down his torso. Her man was ripped. “One, two, three…” Stella counted his abdominal muscles under her breath. Holy cat, he had an eight pack. And those sexy dips at his hips that led to—

  “Stella.”

  “Huh?”

  Zeke’s eyes were hooded, and she curled her fingers into a fist. If he had been close enough, she would have probably licked the man, he was so sexy.

  “Stella, Baby.”

  “I’ll just get out of your way,” Cyrus said chuckling as he moved to the other side of the room.

  Zeke stepped into the middle of the room, and within seconds, a pair of wings were spread behind him.

  “Holy Bast! Turn around.” Zeke did as she asked. No wonder the room was so large. The glorious wings spread out behind him. Stella wanted to run her fingers over the rigid edges, but before she could scoot off the sofa, the wings disappeared like magic. There was no sign of an opening on his back, just smooth, tanned skin. “That’s… Holy Bast,” she muttered again. Zeke pulled his shirt back on, and Stella wanted to protest. Since they weren’t alone, she thought it was probably for the best.

  “Do all Gargoyles look like you? With the” — Stella twirled her finger in the direction of Zeke’s abs — “muscles and, uh.” She lost her train of thought.

  “Yes. Well, the males are muscular, but the females, while fit, don’t necessarily look like they spend hours in the gym. They do have claws and fangs, but they do not get wings or the impenetrable skin. We all are much faster and stronger than humans. Once we transition, we stop aging. I will never look older than I do now. As soon as Cyrus meets his mate, he, too, will stop aging.”

  “Gotta say, it sucks that you’re older and look twenty years younger.” Cyrus winked at his brother as he walked back to take a seat.

  Stella had so many questions, but she asked the one she couldn’t get out of her head. “You said there is only one mate for you, but what happens when I continue getting older? I’m human, and relatively speaking, will die way before you.”

  “Once a mate has accepted the bond, they also stop aging. While it is nearly impossible to kill a male, females are still susceptible to diseases and regular tragedies. Barring those, you will live as long as I do. Our mother, who doesn’t appear older than you, is two hundred forty-six.”

  “How will I explain that to my own mother?”

  “You won’t. It is imperative you keep our secret. If you wish to remain in California to be around Sheila, my father can provide you with a prosthetic that you wear when around her. It is how he has blended in with the same people in New Atlanta as long as he has. Jonas is the chief of staff at the hospital there and has worn prosthetics to not only hide his age but also his true identity. The world around him knows him as Joseph Mooneyham, when he is, in fact, Jonas Montague.”

  Stella knew that name. Hell, everyone knew who Jonas Montague was. “The scientist who cloned the baby?”

  “Yes. The baby was my cousin Tessa, who you will no doubt meet in the near future. Jonas is a genius, but he has different ideas of how we interact with full bloods.” Stella listened to Zeke speak of his parents meeting and subsequent escape. He explained how they put most of their children up for adoption, and how that led him to Cyrus. “If he had shared with us how we transition upon meeting our mates, I wouldn’t have spent these last thirty years feeling so adrift. I would have watched over you from afar, then as soon as you were old enough, I would have claimed you.”

  Stella couldn’t allow herself to think about Zeke dating Sheila. That was just too weird. At least they hadn’t slept together. Stella would never, ever tell her mother who Zeke really was. It would not only be strange, but hurtful. She held out her hand, and Zeke sat on the sofa next to her. Stella threaded their fingers together, smiling at her handsome blond. “It does suck that we missed out on all those years, but we have each other now.”

  Cyrus gathered their dirty dishes. “I’m going to put these in the kitchen, then I’m going for a walk on the beach.”

  “Thank you, Brother.”

  As soon as Cyrus was out the back door, Stella asked, “How do you complete the bond? You said something about a bite?”

  Zeke touched Stella’s unmarred cheek. “Yes, if you decide to accept our mate bond, I bite you.”

  “I’ve read romance books with shifters, and anytime a claiming happens, it’s during sex. Is that the case here? With us?” Now that Cyrus was out of the room, Stella wanted to strip her clothes off and get horizontal, even with the pulsing headache. She had never found any of the men she dated irresistible. Never thought of herself as wanton, a term she laughed at in her romance novels. But here she was, ready to climb Zeke, her headache be damned.

  “From what I’ve heard, that is usually when it takes place, yes. But it doesn’t have to be during sex. One of the King’s cousins bit his mate when he thought she had died to connect himself to her forever.”

  “Wow, that’s romantic. And sad. Please tell me she lived.”

  “She did, and now they are mated and married. Abbi’s is a sad story, one she will tell you when you meet her, but theirs is a story for the ages, much like ours.”

  “You keep saying when I meet these women. Is there like some initiation for me to become one of the Clan?”

  Zeke smiled and kissed Stella’s knuckles. “No, nothing like that. Tessa and Sophi
a are important to me. They both live in New Atlanta, along with two other siblings whom I wish to get to know better. I had hoped to visit them whenever we go to our house in Tennessee. That is, if you want to.”

  “I’d like that very much. It has always been Mom and me and my two stepfathers. Neither one had kids of their own, and their parents lived out of town. My mom’s parents died when I was young. We never visited my father’s family after he passed, so I’ve never known what it was like to have a big family.”

  “As odd as this sounds, neither have I. Even having fifteen siblings, I haven’t met all of them. With Sam and Tessa splitting watcher duty with me, then Sophia being added lately, I only met five of them. I would like to rectify that in the next few years. If you wish to continue teaching, we’ll travel during your summer breaks.”

  Stella had yet to see the rest of the house, but if it was anything like the living room, she would love it. Plus, he had another house in Tennessee, so he had to have quite a bit of money. Not that money mattered to her. She only wanted to be loved well.

  “What will you do now that all your siblings know the truth?” she asked.

  “I like flipping houses. Buying something in disrepair and bringing it back to life has always been fulfilling. My home in Tennessee was one of the first ones I fixed up. I loved it so much I kept it.”

  “Is that something we could do together?” Stella loved teaching, but she loved the thought of spending her days with Zeke more. “I mean only if that’s what you would want. I don’t want you to get tired of me.”

  “Oh, My Love, there is no chance I’ll get tired of being around you. The fates choose our perfect partner. It will be harder to not be around you than to work side by side with you. Take Sophia for instance. Before she met her mate, Nikolas, she researched the full-bloods, detailing everything about their lives. Nik is the archivist for the Clan, so their interests fully align. Does flipping houses interest you? Because if not, we can find something we both enjoy.”

  “I do love to watch home improvement shows, so yes, I think it is something I can see myself doing. And quite honestly, I don’t want to go back to my job. Not with Bradley being there every day.”