by Faith Gibson
Dante answered, “We’ll do everything we can to get them away from Drago. Those who want help will have it. Those who don’t will end up in the Pen if they break the law. With the information Evan has given us, we’re better equipped to go after Drago and the other Greeks before their army of Unholy gets much larger. My brother Sinclair has seen an uprising of Unholy in California, so we’re working hard to battle them on both coasts.”
While Deacon had been claiming his mate, the other Goyles had been working to keep Jerrick safe. He thought he’d have to argue Evan’s case to get him out of the Pen, but his Clan had been on the same wavelength. It was one less thing he had to worry about in regard to Jerrick. With that settled, Sabrina told her brother she’d check in with him around lunchtime, and Deacon escorted her to her office.
As soon as they were inside, Sabrina grabbed Deacon around the neck and pulled him down for a kiss. It got heated quickly, and Deacon grabbed Sabrina’s thighs, lifting her so she had to wrap her legs around him. “I’m never going to get enough of you,” he muttered against her mouth.
“I don’t think this is the way the future chief of staff should behave,” a voice said behind them.
Deacon lowered Sabrina to the floor, putting himself between her and whomever the voice belonged to. The man had his phone out. Using his shifter speed, Deacon grabbed it out of his hand.
“Hey, give that back,” the man said, lunging toward Deacon.
Deacon growled low in his chest, and Sabrina stepped up beside him, looking at the phone.
“Paul, if you’re so hard up for pictures, I suggest you go home and watch porn.”
Deacon smirked at his mate. He knew she had fire underneath her professional exterior, but it still surprised him. He deleted the photo and handed the phone back.
“You think you’re untouchable, but you’re not,” Paul snarled.
Sabrina pushed the man, closing the door in his face. She leaned against the door, grinning.
“Who was that?” Deacon asked.
“Paul Blankenship, Chief of Pediatrics,” she answered, laughter in her eyes.
“I thought pediatrics was on the third floor. What was he doing up here?”
“Ever since Joseph mentioned retiring, names have been tossed around for his replacement. Paul thinks he should get the job.” Sabrina shrugged. “It’s nothing other than office politics. It’s probably a good thing he’s a pain in my ass, or we might have taken things too far.”
“You’re probably right. I need to get out of here so you can get to work. I’ll be back around five.” Deacon bent down and gave her a chaste kiss. Leaving Sabrina was even harder now since they’d completed the bond, but they both had jobs to do.
Deacon figured this thing with Paul was more than office politics. Sabrina was an alluring, successful woman, and he had a feeling Dr. Blankenship had something on his mind other than a job. That was too bad for the human, because Sabrina was Deacon’s. Deacon reached out with his senses, searching for Paul. Sabrina didn’t seem worried about the other doctor, but Deacon didn’t like his attitude or the tension in his body as he’d spoken to Sabrina. He followed the man’s scent to the stairwell. Deacon strode down to the third floor, but his scent continued downward. When Deacon reached the second floor, he opened the door and headed toward Jonas’s office. A loud, familiar voice carried down the hallway.
“I want to know who the Neanderthal is,” Paul demanded.
Jonas’s response was softer, but it still carried the weight of a shifter. “I don’t see how that is any of your business. What were you doing on the fifth floor anyway?”
“I… I was going to ask Sabrina if I could take her to dinner,” Paul responded, his voice defeated. Deacon had been right. Well, too damn bad.
“A word of advice, Paul. Forget about Sabrina. Her heart fully belongs to the man who was kissing her.”
“He wasn’t kissing her. They were practically having sex in her office!”
Jonas chuckled. “Ah, I remember when my Caroline and I first got together. We couldn’t keep our hands to ourselves either.” Paul sputtered, but Jonas kept going. “New love is like that. My suggestion is you mind your own business. I’ll talk to Sabrina.”
“And warn her away from the loser?”
“What? Of course not. I’ll remind her to close her office door for privacy.”
Deacon had just enough time to duck into the office next to Jonas’s when Paul stormed down the hallway, cursing under his breath. Looking around, Deacon was glad the office was empty, or he’d have to explain to whomever it belonged to why he was hiding in there. When the coast was clear, Deacon strode to Jonas’s door and knocked. When the male looked up, he grinned.
“I take it you heard?”
“Yes, and I apologize. It won’t happen again.”
“Nonsense. I wasn’t lying when I said I remember how it was in the beginning. And I’ll let you in on a little secret. Two and a half centuries later, and that need hasn’t dissipated one bit. If you’re mauling one of my doctors in her office, I take it things are going well?”
“We completed the bond last night.”
Jonas’s eyebrows shot up. “I’m surprised you left the house this morning.”
“It was difficult, but we both have jobs to do, and Sabrina wanted to check on Jerrick.”
“How is he this morning? I haven’t had a chance to stop by there.”
“Doing well. Whatever is in the serum that he was given is healing him pretty fast. His wounds were barely visible.”
Jonas leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers beneath his chin. “Interesting.”
“I know that look. What are you thinking?” Deacon had a feeling it had something to do with Gabriel.
“I was thinking of my son. If Isabelle can synthesize Evan’s blood properly, I’d like to recreate the serum and see if it has any effect on Gabriel.”
“We’re going to do our best to find Dr. Craven. If that happens, it’s possible we can get our hands on the serum itself. If we do, I’ll let you know.”
“I would appreciate that. Isabelle isn’t the most forthcoming with regards to my wishes. Anyway.” Jonas waved Deacon off. “Congratulations on your mating. Sabrina is a welcome addition to the family.”
Deacon said goodbye, and as he was walking toward the staircase, his phone pinged. He stopped to check his text, and it was a videoconference request from Rafael. If he hurried, Deacon could make it to the Pen before the meeting started.
Twenty minutes later, Deacon walked into the back door with five minutes to spare. Gregor and Remy were in Gregor’s office, and Gregor called Deacon in. “Just in time.”
“Do you know what he wants to talk about?” Deacon asked.
“Yes. We’re going after Craven and the child. With Jerrick’s help, Julian was able to pin down the location of the building where the Unholy were taken for their reversal.” Gregor set his laptop on the conference table and the two of them sat together while Remy went to answer a call from one of the guards.
Rafael’s face popped up, and he greeted them as he always did, “Good morning, my Brothers.”
“Good morning, Our King,” Deacon and Gregor responded in unison, as did everyone else on the call.
“Julian was able to locate the building where Dr. Craven has been turning the Unholy. I sent last night’s patrol to check it out, but there was no sign of the doctor or the child. Just a few minutes ago, Connor had another vision. In this one, the child was alone in a dark room, crying. With no discernable features, Connor wasn’t able to give any details as to the location of the room.”
“Brother, excuse me,” Dante said.
“Go ahead, Dante.”
“When Isabelle called to tell me Connor had another vision, I rushed home. He was quite distraught at not being able to give us any details. I had him meditate to help calm him. Rafe, Connor did more than that. He reached out to the other child, and he actually made contact. I don’t know how it’s po
ssible, but I’m learning that there’s much more to Connor’s abilities than we know.”
“Was he able to get a location?”
“No, but he has a better description of where Craven took the child. I’m sending everything to Julian as we speak.”
“Excellent. Frey, choose a team. As soon as Julian has the information, be ready to move out. I want that child found today.”
“I’ll take Paxton, Jasper, Lorenzo, and Deacon. Everyone, bring your swords just in case. We’ll meet at the gym as soon as we finish on this call. I want to be ready to roll out as soon as Julian has any information,” Frey instructed.
Deacon was torn between doing his duty and being home with Sabrina, but she was his mate, and as such, she would need to become accustomed to his duties to the Clan.
“With that settled, I’ll let those of you know who aren’t aware, I’ve agreed to release Evan. He and Sabrina’s brother Jerrick have decided to stay at Tessa’s house in New Orleans until we get a handle on Drago. Gregor and Tessa will be escorting them as soon as Jerrick is well enough to travel. Deacon, congratulations, Brother. I just got off the phone with Kaya. Sabrina told her you bonded last night.”
“Thank you, and yes, we did. I take it Kaya’s at the hospital with Jonathan?”
“Yes. He wanted to talk to her about Priscilla.”
“How is Priscilla?” Deacon asked. He had purposefully stayed away from the manor because the woman’s grief was too much.
“She’s not well. Not even Kaya’s pregnancy can pull her out of her despair. Honestly, I’m afraid we’ll lose her from a broken heart once Jonathan passes away.”
“We’ll all rally together and make sure that doesn’t happen. If nothing else, Tessa and I can take her on a vacation somewhere to get her mind off things,” Gregor offered.
“I appreciate that, Brother. Frey, how is Slade and Matthew’s vacation? Have you heard from either of them?”
“I haven’t, but I didn’t expect to. Let’s hope no news is good news,” Frey said.
“If there’s nothing else, we’ll wait for Julian to figure out where the child is, and we’ll go get him. Thank you all. Be well.”
“Be well, our King.” Gregor shut the connection to the video feed and leaned back, scrubbing a hand down his face. “Connor’s amazing, and I couldn’t be prouder to be his uncle, but I hope any children I have with Tessa don’t have special abilities.”
“I hope I don’t have children, period,” Deacon admitted.
“Really? I thought you liked kids. You’re great with Amelia and Connor.”
“I love kids, but then I watch what Dante has to go through with Connor. He can do his best to protect him from outside forces, but how can he protect him from the horrors he sees in his mind? I don’t envy him at all.”
“Truth, but it’s no different with adults. All you can do is love them and be there when they hurt.”
Deacon didn’t disagree.
“Gregor, Deacon, we could use some help in the Basement,” Remy called over the radio.
“Never a dull moment,” Gregor said. Deacon didn’t disagree with that, either.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Sabrina stopped by Jonathan’s room to say hello and found Kaya visiting. Kaya took one look at Sabrina and grinned. “Congratulations.”
“For?” Sabrina did her best not to blush, but Kaya was a mate, and she would know what the afterglow of having incredible sex with her mate looked like.
“You know what. You and Deacon mated,” Kaya whispered. Jonathan was resting, and it didn’t look like he was resting peacefully if the harsh rise and fall of his chest was any indication.
“Yes, we did. I had every intention of waiting. Spending time with Deacon to make sure it was what I wanted it, but last night… Well, something happened. I hurt his feelings pretty badly, and I knew when I saw the pain in his eyes that I never wanted to put that look on his face again. It made me realize I didn’t want to wait.”
“Good. That means we’ll be seeing you every Sunday,” Kaya said.
“Sundays? You mean family day at your manor, right? Deacon mentioned that.”
“Yes. It started off as the males getting together in the afternoon, playing video games or shooting pool. Something to get them together and relax. When they started finding their mates, we moved it to breakfast, and everyone typically hangs out most of the day unless there’s something pressing.”
“Sounds fun. What do I need to bring?” Sabrina asked. She was excited about meeting the rest of the mates and hearing their stories. She didn’t have an exciting story to share. Not really. Everyone already knew who she was from being Jonathan’s doctor.
“Just you and that handsome male of yours. Priscilla has all the food covered. We worried she’d slack off with Jonathan in the hospital, but it gives her something to keep her mind occupied. Cooking for such a large crowd takes a while.”
“Well, if I need to pitch in in anyway, just let me know.”
“I will. Thank you.”
“Okay, I’m going to get Jonathan’s discharge papers ready.” Since the man had opted to stop taking treatments, he was ready to move back home. He had wanted Kaya’s advice on whether or not that was advisable. His other option was to move in with one of the other Clan members, but that wasn’t what he wanted. His wish was to pass on at his home. Kaya assured him they would handle Priscilla. If the woman got to be too much for him, they would deal with it when it happened.
Sabrina stopped at the nurses’ station and made the necessary arrangements for Jonathan’s release. Deacon had texted earlier asking how her day was, and she responded honestly. She wished they were back in his bed. He corrected her: our bed. Which got her to thinking. Now they were mated, she could go ahead and move into his house. She would need to either put hers up for sale or rent it out, and she didn’t think she wanted to be a landlord. She put it on the back burner for the time being until she could speak to Deacon about it and get his opinion. It felt good to have someone to help make decisions.
By the time she got back to the secure area where Jerrick was, his wounds had all healed, and he and Evan were sitting up playing cards.
“Hey, Bree. “
“You’re looking amazingly healed.” Sabrina smiled and wrapped her arms around her brother’s shoulders. He returned her embrace, smiling back.
“I am. Gregor and Tessa have gone shopping for Evan and me some clothes since everything we had is at the warehouse. Then we’re headed out.”
“I’m proud of you. Both of you,” Sabrina said, smiling at Evan too. Deacon had told her how Evan’s family wanted nothing to do with him. “I’ve got vacation time coming up, and if Deacon is agreeable, we’ll come visit soon. I’ve always wanted to see New Orleans.”
“I’d like that. It feels good having at least one of my siblings back in my life. Maybe someday, the four of us can get together.”
“That sounds wonderful. As much as I would love to stay and chat, I need to head back upstairs, but I wanted to stop in and tell you I love you, and I hope you have a great trip.”
“I love you, too.” They hugged each other again, and when Sabrina released Jerrick, she pulled Evan into her arms for a quick embrace. Sabrina left the room quickly before the threatening tears fell. She wanted more time with Jerrick, but she had to be realistic. His life, if he remained in New Atlanta, was in danger. She understood the concept of war, but she’d never given much thought to the intrinsic nuances. There were people in power and others wanted that power. It wasn’t only pitting one army against another. Pawns were created and used. Lives were considered nonconsequential in the larger scheme.
Now, she was in the middle of one, or at least on the fringes. Sabrina didn’t doubt things between Gargoyles were just as serious and complicated as human wars. If this Drago was willing to use a child to further his army, there was no telling what he would do to Jerrick. He already tried to kill him, so there’s your answer.
Deacon sh
owed up not long after she said goodbye to her brother and explained he and several others were going to look for the boy. He gave her a key to his house, telling her to text Julian when she arrived so he could override the code. When she told him she’d just go back to her place until he was finished, he shook his head. “I’d prefer you stay at our home. My security is much better.”
“Why are you worried about my security? Jerrick was the one leaving the messages.”
“We don’t know if Drago is aware of your connection. I’d rather err on the side of caution. Besides, my house is now yours, as is everything I own, and I would prefer to come home to my mate.”
“I’m okay with that, except I don’t have my car.”
Deacon handed her his keys. “Take the truck. It’s parked in your spot. I’ll get one of the others to drop me off later. We don’t expect the rescue to take too long, but I will text or call you to keep you posted.” Deacon closed the door to her office before kissing her long and hard. Her body reacted to his touch, fire burning low in her belly, traveling farther south the longer they kissed. Sabrina gasped for air when Deacon broke the kiss.
“Stay safe, my love. I’ll be home as soon as possible.”
Sabrina nodded, touching her fingers to her lips, which were still tingling. Smiling, she got back to work. The rest of her day passed by in a blur. Jerrick was on his way to New Orleans. Jonathan had been checked out and was back home at the manor. She stumbled her way through the staff meeting with her department, but if anyone noticed she was off her game, no one said anything. If that wasn’t bad enough, a child had been brought into the pediatric ward, and none of the other doctors had been available to consult. Paul had remained professional if not distant.
Instead of heading directly to Deacon’s home – her home – she stopped by her house and began packing. There was no use in putting off moving in considering they were mated. Sabrina tried to wrap her head around the fact that a week ago, heck even a few days ago, she’d been single, and now she was practically married. Some of the others had referred to their mates as their wives, and she wondered if she and Deacon would get married too. He told her everything of his was now hers, so maybe things were different in the Gargoyle world. Sabrina snorted. Of course things were different. She never would have allowed herself to move so quickly with a human. He’d called her his love. Was it possible he did love her so soon after getting together? Her feelings for him were intense, and she thought about how badly she wanted to spend every waking moment with him. She felt lust, definitely. But love? If it wasn’t love, it was close to it.
