by Faith Gibson
“I brought a letter from your father to Rafael. Alistair is calling a truce on your behalf.”
Kallisto released a laugh, but he knew it wasn’t because she found humor in the situation. Her father had never once done anything on her behalf other than adopt her. She had confided in Sergei everything about her mother’s affair with the King. Kallisto believed it all to be a ruse. Some type of cover up. For what she didn’t know. Both of them had heard the venom in his voice when Alistair spoke of humans. For whatever reason suited him at the time, Alistair had adopted a human and kept her mother as his lover. As soon as Kallisto’s mother passed away, Kallisto became a member of his army. He didn’t love her; he only wanted her skills as a sneaky bitch. Kallisto might not wear fatigues and carry an automatic rifle, but she was an important member of his team, nonetheless.
“We both know it’s not that easy. My father wouldn’t spit on me if I was on fire unless it would further his cause. How did he take the news of Theron?”
“Not well. He tore the villa apart. Two of the servants lost their heads, literally. If it wasn’t for you, I probably would have met the same fate.” Sergei had never feared for his life more than in the moment he had to tell the King of the Greeks his only true heir was dead. And not just dead – decapitated by the hand of a former lover.
Kallisto rubbed her temples. “When I get out of here, these fucking Gargoyles are going to wish they’d killed me. I swear to you, Sergei...”
He held up his hand and shook his head. Gregor Stone was standing outside the door. His shifter hearing offered them no privacy whatsoever. “Don’t, Kalli.” He cut his eyes to the door, and she understood his meaning. He slid his hand across the table, and this time, she placed her hand in his. “I won’t stop until I get you out of here. I am meeting with Rafael in a week’s time. Please be patient, my love.” He rubbed his thumb across her knuckles. She knew his feelings for her were deep. They had discussed their relationship on more than one occasion, but she wouldn’t allow herself to return his love. Said it would be too easy for her father to use that love against them. She was right. Sergei would do anything for her. Dying was at the top of the list.
“Who is with you?” Kallisto asked as she pulled her hand back.
“Drago and Crane. Your father told me to bring one Goyle, but you never know when extra muscle will come in handy.”
“Muscle yes, brains no. Keep an eye on Crane. You know he likes to go rogue,” Kallisto instructed.
Gregor opened the door. “Time’s up.”
Sergei stood from the table and offered her a small smile. “Be brave just a little longer. I will see you again soon.” She merely nodded before looking away. Sergei followed Gregor out into the hallway. “Is it okay if I bring some of her clothes for her to wear?”
Gregor stopped walking. The rage on his face closely mirrored that of Alistair upon hearing about Theron. The warden gritted his teeth. “That woman, aided by you, kidnapped my nephew. Tormented my sister-in-law. Killed an innocent man. Left an innocent woman for dead. Kidnapped a mate’s parents. Aided Theron in attempting to kill one of our Clan. If I had my way, you’d be back where we had you among the Unholy. Hell, I’d leave a couple of the doors open and let them have their way with you. So no. You cannot bring her clothes. You cannot come back to see her. You cannot come anywhere near this prison again unless you have specific direction from Rafael Stone to do so. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” He understood completely. He was surprised they had agreed to let him see her at all, given the circumstances. But they wanted a truce. As the warden pointed out, there had been enough bloodshed. “I have a meeting with your King next week. I will be staying in town until then.”
Gregor was silent until they reached the front door. “Don’t give me a reason, another reason to put your ass behind bars. You won’t be released again.”
Sergei knew when to keep his mouth shut. He wouldn’t lie to the male and tell him he’d never have cause to lock him up. He worked for Kallisto and her father. He was a pawn in this wicked game, and he knew Alistair was only getting started.
Chapter Eight
Sixx woke with a dire need to hit the ocean. After waxing his board the night before, the urge was implanted in his psyche. Now that it was daylight, the pull of the water and the sun was too much to resist. He was already resisting the moon since he wasn’t back in New Atlanta where he lived in the middle of nowhere and could risk taking to the skies. His shifter was driving him crazy to get to Rae. With her being in such close proximity, it was all he could do to tamp down his own craving to deliver the surfboard to her early. All of these needs had his normally tame shifter begging to be turned loose. Instead of waiting to go surfing like he originally planned, Sixx rolled out of bed with the intent of heading to the beach immediately.
Reaching out with his senses, he didn’t find Urijah anywhere near, so Sixx took that as a good sign that Uri and Finley were getting their friendship back on track. Sixx picked up the phone and placed an order with the florist. When the woman taking the order asked if he wanted to include a card, he reminded her he did not. He promised her that after tomorrow, the object of his affection would know who her admirer was, and he assured her he wasn’t a stalker – just a man on a mission. If Rae had any doubts as to who was sending her flowers, that doubt should be erased that afternoon. He was sending his favorite instead of hers, the same one he gave her before he knew what flowers she preferred.
After finding his swim trunks and a beach towel, Sixx backed the Jeep out of the garage and attached the new strapping device to the roll bars. He loaded the surfboard onto the pads and strapped it down. Sixx sent Uri a text letting him know where he was going in case the other Goyle wanted to join him. Sliding his aviators onto his nose, Sixx cruised down the hill to his idea of heaven.
Along with his surfboard, Sixx had brought a chair and a small cooler. He tended to lose track of time when he was in the water, so he always packed a sandwich or two along with bottles of water. He stuck his surfboard in the sand and placed the cooler in the chair to anchor it down. The wind shouldn’t be a problem, but one could never be too careful. He removed his shirt and decided to go for a swim while waiting on the waves to kick in.
Using his shifter strength, Sixx swam out into the water, keeping an eye out for marine life. When he caught sight of a dolphin playing, he eased his way toward the creature. Sixx treaded water while watching the dolphin swimming. When it chattered to him, Sixx dove under the water to check out their surroundings. He didn’t think the mammal would be frolicking if sharks were in the area, but he wanted to see for himself. When he returned, the dolphin was now jumping in the air and diving back in. Sixx dove under the water and phased. Using his wings for propulsion, he jumped into the air, retracting his wings right before he broke the surface. He had seen a couple of people on the beach when he arrived, and it wouldn’t do for them to see his extra appendages unfurled.
After playing with his new friend for a while, the waves were now gaining in size. Sixx swam back to shore and pulled his surfboard out of the sand. A tingle hit his spine, and he scanned the area. It wasn’t a bad sensation, just one that caught him off guard. To the north, a lone female was sitting in a chair, and farther up was a couple walking along the water line. To the south, a couple of men were fishing. Sixx returned his gaze to the lone female and studied her outline. The chance that Rae had left her home in New Lomita and driven to his beach was slim. The feeling didn’t abate, but he wasn’t going to take a chance on it actually being his mate. He would not come face to face with her in a public place, even one as uninhabited as the beach was at that moment. He would see her on Friday at her home, where they could talk privately.
Sixx took his surfboard into the water, and like twenty-four years had never passed, he was up on his first try, riding the waves like a professional. He became one with his board. He surfed for a couple of hours, keeping his eye on the woman down the way. It appeared she’d
fallen asleep at one point, because her body was in the same position every time he looked her way. There was a need deep within to go check on her. His shifter was protesting more than it ever had. Well, more than it had since he left her. It might not be her, then what? Apologize for waking her up? No. Sixx would keep to his plan. He had dinner tonight at Sinclair’s, training the next day, and dinner tomorrow night with Banyan. Then it would be time to go see Rae. He slid his t-shirt on over his swimsuit and gathered his things. Once the board was strapped to the top of the Jeep, he headed home to shower.
There were fewer cars when he arrived at Sinclair’s than there had been on Monday. Not only were they having dinner, but Rafael had called a meeting of sorts. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his Clan members, but he didn’t know them all well enough to trust them implicitly. As Sixx rounded the corner that led to the patio, he was pleasantly surprised to see Uri there with a smile on his face. No doubt that was attributed to his best friend standing next to him, whispering something in his ear.
Sin met him with a beer and a hug. “Sixx, how was your day?”
“Spectacular. I spent most of it in the water. Pulled the old surfboard out of storage and waxed her up.”
“I haven’t surfed in years. Maybe I’ll get myself a new board and go with you. I miss being one with the water.”
“There’s absolutely nothing like it.” Except maybe sex with his mate. Those were the only two things Sixx could think of that he couldn’t live without. Even though he hadn’t been with Rae in many years, now that he knew she was his, he refused to think of a future without her in it where they surfed all day and fucked all night.
“I don’t suppose you’d let me try it?” Kaya asked Rafael when they joined in the conversation.
“Not as long as you’re carrying my son. When he’s born, we’ll revisit this discussion.” Rafael kissed her on the temple as he pulled her close.
“I have to agree with my brother, Kaya. I know you’re used to being your own woman, but you are no longer merely a woman. You are our Queen. Mother to our Prince. You were important before, but now... Now you are the most important female in the world.” Sin took Kaya’s hand and kissed her knuckles. Sixx fully expected Rafael to growl when Sin touched his mate, but he smiled instead.
“That is the truth of it all, my love,” Rafael reiterated. “Now that that’s settled, let’s have a seat.”
The high top tables had been removed, and in their place was one long table. Sixx sat down across from Uri and Finley. Seated at the head of the table, with Sin and Kaya on either side, Rafael began, “Before we get started with dinner, I need to fill you in on what’s going on. I’ve already had a video conference with our Brothers back home, so they are on high alert. Earlier today, Sergei Novik returned to New Atlanta with a letter from Alistair. He showed up at my office with a couple of Gargoyles in tow. Mason intercepted Sergei before the man could say too much in front of Willow.
“When Sergei told him why he was there, Mason excused himself and called me. I had him open the letter and read it. It was a lot of bullshit that in essence stated he was willing to call a truce with the release of Kallisto. And before you ask, no. I don’t believe his sincerity for one second. I did call Gregor and allow the human one visit with Kallisto as a show of good faith. However, I have Julian monitoring Sergei’s whereabouts. If we release the woman, there’s no guarantee Alistair will uphold his part of the agreement. In fact, I feel strongly that he’s planning another attack as we sit here. He’s not going to let Theron’s death go unpunished. Not even for his daughter.”
“What do you propose we do?” Finley asked.
“Train harder. Get the new equipment up and running so that Uri can keep the Clan armed. Donovan’s been in contact with Carter and Hunter. They’re all doing what they can to get inside information, but as of yet, they’ve not been successful. Alistair is paranoid and suspicious of everyone. Julian suggested we embed a tracking device into Kallisto and let her go with the understanding she has to leave the States. Should either she or Sergei ever return, they’ll be recaptured, never again to see the outside of the Pen. He also suggested we not tell her she’s been tagged.”
“How would he manage that?” Sixx wasn’t as technologically savvy as Julian, but he was pretty sure someone would realize they were being injected with a transmitter.
“We drug her food. As soon as she’s knocked out, Isabelle will insert the transmitter under her skin on her scalp. It is such a small device that she’ll never feel it,” Rafael explained.
“Have you agreed to this? Even if Kallisto is free and back in Greece with Alistair, that won’t prevent either one of them from plotting against us.” Uri had a valid point.
“I don’t think it can hurt. Julian is preparing the transmitter. He is going to test it this week before handing it over to Isabelle. I will not release Kallisto until Kaya and I return next week. I will have a sit down with Sergei and feel him out. I’m going to draft a response to Alistair letting him know I’m agreeable to a truce, but if any of our mates are so much as looked at the wrong way, I’m coming after him first, whether or not he’s responsible.”
Sixx sat up straighter in his chair. The thought of someone, whether Alistair or one of his followers, coming after Rae or Desi had his shifter stirring. “I’m not waiting,” he blurted out.
“Not waiting for what?” Rafael asked.
“To talk to Rae. The longer I wait, the more she and Desi are left unguarded. With my son in the limelight, he’s an open target. If Alistair hasn’t figured out by now I have a son, he will. I don’t want Desi to be blindsided by a war that has nothing to do with him. I’m going to see Rae tomorrow. Get everything out in the open. Rafe, I want extra security put on Desi’s band until I can speak with him. Is that possible?”
Instead of Rafael answering, Sin spoke up. “I happen to know someone in the music business. It will only take a phone call, and I will have some of our men in place guarding your son at all times.”
“Thank you, Sin.”
“You’re welcome, Brother. I honestly don’t think the males will mind guarding a rock band. That’s a dream job.”
Fin disagreed. “Only if you like that type of music. That scream-o shit makes my ears bleed.” When the laughter around the table died down, he asked Sixx, “Do you two really look that much alike?”
Uri pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Here.” He obviously had saved a photo of Desi, because within seconds, Finley was looking openmouthed between the phone and Sixx.
“Holy shit. That’s... Wow. He looks like your younger brother instead of your son.”
“The only thing missing is the ink,” Sixx said. “Last night, I stopped for dinner at Domenici’s and had to leave before I was even seated. The patrons were snapping photos left and right on their phones. That shit has already landed on social media. What happens when Desi sees it, which, by now, he most assuredly has? It’s another reason I need to go ahead and come clean with Rae.” Sixx no longer felt like eating. He slid his chair back from the table and helped himself to something stronger than beer. A firm hand landed on his shoulder. Sinclair was there, offering his support.
“I’m going to call Julian now. Have him find out all he can about Desi’s band – their schedule, if they stay in hotels between shows, or if they stay on their bus. I’ll get someone there, wherever he is, before the sun comes up. You concentrate on your mate, and I’ll take care of your son.”
Sixx was overwhelmed with emotion. Not that Sin was offering to have Desi watched over, but the fact it needed to happen. “Thank you, Brother. I can’t be in two places at once. Even though I’ve never met him, just knowing he’s my son... Fuck, I need to go to him as much as I need to see Rae. It doesn’t make sense how I can feel this strongly about someone I’ve never met.”
Rising to pour his own drink, Rafael said, “I know exactly how you feel. I have never met my son, yet I feel as if I already know him. Next to Kaya, that li
ttle shifter she is protecting in her belly is the most important being to me in this world. I may not have held him in my arms, but he’s already in my heart, knowing he came from the love Kaya and I share. Desi came from the love you shared with Desirae.”
“But will he forgive me? I’ve not only been absent these past twenty-four years, now I’m coming to him, bringing with me the possibility of war.”
“He’ll understand once you explain it.”
“How can you be so sure, Rafe? Don’t get me wrong. I want your assurance to be correct, but I’ve tried to put myself in his shoes. It’s going to be a tough bit of truth to swallow.”
“Have faith, Brother. Not only in the bond, but in yourself. You are one of the most honorable of us all. Just be honest, and both your mate and son will come around.”
Rafael’s words touched Sixx’s heart. Deep. It wasn’t often the Clan members spoke of their feelings for one another, but hearing how his King felt was a much needed boost to his mood. “Thank you, my King.” Sixx fisted his heart and bowed his head. He’d long ago pledged his loyalty, but every once in a while the need to reiterate the vow came forward.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Let’s not make Ingrid have to keep our food warm any longer. Yes?” Sinclair urged.
Sixx nodded. He still wasn’t in the mood to eat, but his stomach took that opportunity to growl, reminding him he’d not eaten much that day. The males returned to the table and enjoyed the delicious feast that came close to rivalling Priscilla’s cooking.
While they ate, talk of war was absent, but another problem was brought up. “How is Mason doing with Willow?” Uri asked.
Rafael used the linen napkin to wipe his mouth. Grinning, he answered, “Not well at all. He’s spending all day at the office trying to get acclimated to being near her without his shifter taking over. Mason is young in human years and feels once Willow finds out how young he truly is, she will turn away from him. I explained to him that for now, she doesn’t need to know his age. He’s also worried about his lack of experience when it comes to females.”
