Julian (The Stone Society Book 9)

by Faith Gibson

  “I understand why it happened. Hearing our mate has been tortured is enough to make me want to storm into FSM and claim her, but I know that’s not possible, even if my shifter doesn’t. It wouldn’t matter if Landon or I were able to reverse the false documentation. That would only serve as a red flag and let the Feds know someone has some remarkable hacking skills.”

  “Speaking of hacking, were you able to follow Agent Everhart at all?” Tessa asked Gregor.

  “Not sure what that has to do with hacking, but yes. As he did when Julian tailed him, the man left and went straight home. I hung around to see if he left, but he never did. We’re going to have to get into his house during the day.”

  “And hack into his home at night so you can watch and listen,” Tessa explained her statement with her hands on her hips. Julian never tired of her spunk. He prayed to the gods that Katherine would be able to hold onto her feistiness after all was said and done. Torture was meant to break hardened men who had been trained to withstand such treatment.

  Gregor pulled Tessa into his lap and kissed her hard. When the kiss turned into something sensual, Julian retreated to his bedroom and closed the door. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d seen mates go from zero to naked in less than ten seconds. Julian was ready to be on the naked end of the equation with his mate instead of being the one to turn his head and try to ignore the passion burning through the room. Thinking of Katherine with no clothes on did nothing to lighten his mood. If anything, it made him edgier. He had jacked off quite often to thoughts of her small body, emerald eyes, long red hair, and those pouty lips. Ever since he’d figured out she was his mate, he’d needed to claim her. The pull to be with her, to touch her, feel her, have sex with her, was all he could think about at first. It was still on his mind, but her safety and rescue were at the forefront of his every thought.

  It didn’t take long until the door to Gregor and Tessa’s bedroom closed. Julian returned to the dining room and set about trying to find any mention on the internet of the basement at FSM. He didn’t want to have to bring in Landon, especially with Sophia’s theory about the Goyle weighing heavily. Before he did that, he pulled up his music app and found a classical album to help drown out the noises coming from the other end of the house.

  Nik kissed his mate on her forehead and held her a few minutes longer, making sure she was asleep. Her pregnancy had done nothing to deter her sex drive. If anything, it had increased. If he were human, Nik had no doubt his dick would have fallen off already. Since he was a Gargoyle, his stamina gave hers a run for its money, but that meant they often found themselves having sex instead of working. Still, he would never deny Sophia anything, especially the connection she craved from him making love to her. Their bond was still growing, and with his child in her belly, Nik didn’t believe he could be happier than he was in that moment.

  Slipping from the bed, he pulled on a pair of knit shorts and made his way to the archive room where he and Sophia had begun looking for information on Landon. They hadn’t gotten far when Sophia’s hormones kicked in and she had climbed on Nik’s lap, straddling him where she could kiss him deeply while writhing against his erection. After getting his mate off with his fingers, he carried her upstairs and gave her a good and proper fucking. Before Sophia was coming down from her orgasm, Nik had slowed his tempo and made sweet love to her.

  At first, he had wanted to dismiss his mate’s theory that Landon Roxburgh was not who or what he portrayed himself to be. But Sophia was smart. Her mind was sharp, and she had been studying the Gargoyles for many years. She was adept at seeing patterns as well as discrepancies. Just because he was older didn’t mean he was wiser than the beautiful half-blood in his bed. Their bed.

  Instead of going to the computer, Nikolas pulled out the physical book where all the names had been recorded upon their arrival in the States beginning with Nik’s uncle. From that point, Nikolas researched each listing going forward in time. According to Landon’s online records, he’d been in the US almost as long as Nik had. Landon would have no trouble manipulating the online data with regards to his identity, but there was no way he could sway the truth written in ink short of breaking into Nik’s home and stealing the journal where his name was. After three hours of searching, Nik had yet to come across Landon’s name. The longer he searched, the stronger his gut instinct was that Sophia had been right.

  When his mate’s movements from the bedroom caught his attention, Nik stopped what he was doing and returned upstairs for the remainder of the night. As long as they were together, Nik would never make Sophia wake up alone. He vowed to her when they completed the mate bond to always be there for her. He held her while she fell asleep, and he kissed her good morning when she awoke. Loving his amazing half-blood was nothing short of a miracle in his mind. He thanked the gods and the fates every night for bringing her into his life. And now that she was carrying his baby? Nik couldn’t wrap his head around how blessed he was. In a few months, he would have two females to love and cherish.

  Katherine needed to sleep, but she kept waiting for Julian to talk to her again. The conversation they’d had seemed so real. But how could that be? She had never demonstrated any type of psychic abilities in the past. The only thing she could think of was the hypnosis either screwed her up mentally or it unlocked some latent ability she’d been suppressing. One minute she and Julian were having a conversation and the next he was gone. She tried to reach out to him and get his attention, but it didn’t work. Maybe it was only something he could initiate. From that point on, Kat had attempted to clear her mind of anything except for him.

  Her eyes were getting too heavy to hold open. Maybe if she slept, he could reach her in a dream. Katherine closed her eyes and thought about the day at the coffee shop when she met with Dane Abbott. Katherine always thought Dane would ask her out with the way he constantly flirted with her. She could get away with more at crime scenes when he was around than she could with his former boss, Kaya Kane. That woman was scary, but Kat never let Kaya intimidate her. Much. Kat didn’t cross too many ethical boundaries when she was after a story, but she did get pretty close to the line on most occasions. She had been determined to grow as a reporter until she worked for one of the national news channels, and the only way to do that was to snag the big stories.

  That morning in the coffee shop, Dane was acting funny. She had fully expected him to ask her for a date. Instead, he asked her to reveal her source. When he mentioned someone in his department, she knew she needed to cut ties with Troy Quinn and fast. She’d been disappointed Dane hadn’t asked her out until she was walking away. Julian had been in the coffee shop, but he’d not paid her any attention as he typed away on his laptop. She had somehow felt his presence. To her surprise, he chased her down outside and asked if she was okay. The only reason she remembered Julian was correct in her clothing was she’d worn those colors on purpose to meet Dane, thinking the softer tones were more conducive to flirting than wearing something harsher.

  When Julian stopped her, she had been flustered about Dane’s question. Troy Quinn was a snake, but he had been an informative one. It didn’t surprise her when the cop had ended up dead. Being close to Julian had given Katherine pause, making her forget about the detective she wanted to ask her out and the cop who fed her information. After their brief conversation, Kat immediately forgot all about Dane and could think of nothing and nobody except for Julian. Once they walked away from each other, she chalked her uneasiness up to Dane’s topic of discussion. Until Dane arrested her and Julian visited her in the Pen, it had been five months since she’d seen either man. Dane had been sympathetic when he took her in. He apologized for having to arrest her, but he had no choice with the amount of evidence stacked against her. What surprised Kat most was when he told her not to worry. Someone was looking into everything, and they would get to the bottom of it all.

  When Julian came to see her in prison, she figured out who Dane had been talking about. Why, she didn’t kno
w, other than Julian claimed her. You are mine. She’d never forget that conversation as long as she lived. If the man was true to his word and did get her out of FSM, she wouldn’t hesitate to let him claim her in more ways than with his words.

  Chapter Six

  Rafael and Mason walked together to Dante’s back yard. With talk of war amping up, Rafael had increased Mason’s sword training. It also helped the young Goyle alleviate some of his pent-up frustrations. Mason had a lot on his plate having figured out Willow was his mate. He had even more going on now that she was on board with the two of them being together, but she was also willing to wait until Mason was ready. As a Gargoyle, he was considered a man, but as a human, he was still thought of as a boy and would be for another year. Mason was spending time with Rafe’s assistant, but he never allowed himself to be alone with her. His hormones were running away from him, and his beast was demanding he take her and complete the bond. He confided in Rafael all of his feelings and worries, as Willow confided in Kaya. Of course, Rafael and Kaya compared notes once they were alone in bed at the end of the day.

  As they approached the open area of Dante’s estate, the sound of metal on metal rent the air. Urijah already had training underway. As Rafael neared, Uri fisted his heart. “My King,” he spoke, bowing his head. When Urijah looked up, he reached out a hand to Mason. “Mason, good to see you again.”

  “Welcome home, Uri,” Rafael said to the large Goyle. Frey had overseen training while Uri had been on the West Coast getting the new armory up and running. “How are things in California?” he asked, hoping Uri would be honest with him.

  “The new armory is state-of-the-art. The swords I forged are some of my best work, if I do say so myself.”

  “And Banyan?” Rafael left the question open-ended on purpose.

  Urijah frowned, and instead of answering, told Mason, “Slade is waiting for you. Why don’t you go grab your sword, and I’ll be with you two in a moment.” Mason inclined his head and strode away. Uri fisted his hands at his sides. “Banyan is handling training now that I’m home.”

  “I take it things between the two of you are not any better than before?” Rafael was fishing, but he wasn’t going to come right out and ask Uri what was going on between the two of them. Sin had already confided in Rafael that the two males were mates, yet one or both refused to acknowledge the fact.

  “Things are the same as they’ve always been. The two of us do not get along, and it’s better when we keep at least two thousand miles between us. No disrespect, but if we’re finished talking about my personal life, I have much more important matters to tend.” Uri indicated the males training with a sweep of his hand.

  “By all means,” Rafael said. Instead of picking up a sword and sparring, he sat on one of the picnic tables Dante had placed to the side of the training area. As King, he should be the first one into battle when and if they went to war. He should, but his brothers had insisted he stay in New Atlanta should the fight with Alistair take them to Greece since Kaya was pregnant with his heir. She would need him beside her when the time came for her to give birth, not have him half a world away. He was torn between his loyalty to the Clan and his need to watch over his Queen. Rafael knew every single member of the Clan would put their life on the line for Kaya and their unborn Prince, but he preferred to be the one keeping them safe. Kaya had told him to do what he thought was best for the Clan.

  It had been over a week since anyone had heard from Donovan, the Clan’s Goyle inside Alistair’s compound on Ithaca. That in itself bothered Rafael, since Donovan was the only link they had to what the Greek King was up to. If they didn’t hear from him soon, Rafael was going to reach out to the twins. Carter and Hunter were loyal to Xavier, Tessa’s father; therefore, they were loyal to the Stone Society. Both males had helped the family on more than one occasion. Hunter most recently aided Sin when he traveled to Greece to meet up with Alistair. Not only had they not heard from Donovan, they still had no idea where Alistair was keeping Athena. Rafael’s mother had disappeared, and Rafe had no doubt his uncle was the culprit.

  As Rafael watched Mason and Slade spar, Connor joined him at the picnic table. Dante’s son was quiet as he mimicked Rafael’s posture. Forearms to thighs, the seven-year-old observed the males as they swung their swords, his own small sword resting beside him on the table. Rafe couldn’t help but smile. He also couldn’t help but wonder what was going through the boy’s mind. He didn’t have to wait long to find out. “I saw something, Uncle Rafael,” he said, looking up with troubled eyes.

  “In a vision?”

  Connor nodded. “It was Grandma. I don’t think she’s with us any longer,” he stated seriously.

  Rafael’s heart seized at the thought of his mother being dead. His first instinct was to roar with grief, but Connor was just a boy, even if he was wise beyond his years. Reaching deep inside and calling on his shifter’s strength, he asked, “Have you talked to your dad about this?”

  “No, Sir. It happened a few minutes ago. Da is at work, so I came out here when I saw you. I’m…” Connor didn’t finish his statement as tears welled up in his eyes.

  Rafael put his arm around his nephew, pulling him close to comfort him. If what Connor said was true, Rafael was now an orphan, albeit an old one. His heart ached for his mother. If she’d died at the hands of her brother, it would have been a gruesome ending. They’d had their differences over the years, but she was still his mother, and she didn’t deserve anything Alistair doled out. This made talking to Donovan even more important. “I’m sorry you had to see that, Connor.” Rafael continued soothing the boy until he wiped his eyes and pulled away.

  “I didn’t know how to draw it exactly. Grandma didn’t look sad. She looked like she was sleeping, and she was smiling.”

  “No, you do not have to put it to paper. You never have to put things like that on paper if you do not want to. You can always tell us what you’ve seen. Okay?”

  “Okay. I wish I only saw stuff that made everyone happy.”

  “Me too. You are so very special, Connor. I do not know why the gods have gifted you with the ability to see things, but it means they feel you are worthy. You’re important to our Clan and our family. Please never forget that.”

  Connor nodded, sniffling. Rafael patted the boy’s knee, trying to offer support. His heart hurt for the boy, having to see visions of death and the gods knew what else. Rafael needed to get used to feeling strongly for the well-being of children. Kaya would be giving him his own son to protect, and he honestly didn’t know if he was ready. Being responsible for something so tiny was daunting. His cell phone rang, and Connor said, “Tell Da I’m okay,” as he slid down off the table, taking his sword back into the house.

  Rafael stood from the table to retrieve his phone from his pocket. He didn’t have to look at the caller ID to know Dante was on the other end. “Hello, Brother.”

  “Rafe, is Connor okay?”

  “He said to tell you he is, but honestly, I do not know how he could be. He had a vision. Dante, Mother’s gone.”

  Dante sighed heavily. “Connor tried to convey as much to me moments ago. I was busy with a corpse and did not have my mind open to him. I was hoping, for once, our connection had been weak and I’d misread his thoughts.”

  “I’m afraid not. He’s shaken up, and I do not think it’s only the vision. How do you do it, Brother?”

  “The best way I can. Unconditionally. I offer him every ounce of support and love I have within me. He’s so young to be burdened with his visions.”

  “He and I were having that very conversation only moments ago. I told him how important he was to the family even though I did not understand why the gods had given someone so young his gift.”

  Dante coughed out a laugh. “I’m not sure I would call it a gift. I know it has helped us in the past, but honestly, Brother, I would not wish the ability on anyone, let alone someone so young. If Mother has truly crossed over, Alistair more than likely had so
mething to do with it.”

  “I need to contact Donovan. Connor mentioned that in his vision she was smiling. If that’s the case, she could have willed herself to cross over. If Alistair was holding her prisoner, it would be her way of taking matters into her own hands.”

  “And if not?”

  Rafael looked past the males in front of him, seeing his mother in his mind’s eye. “If not, Alistair was still responsible. Either way, this shit has gone on long enough. I believe it’s time we pay our uncle a visit.”

  “You mean we as in a collective group of males and not we as in you as well, right?”

  “Is it right for me to send any of you into battle and not be there fighting alongside you? I’m not the only one with a mate or a child on the way. Gargoyles have been mating and producing offspring for millennia. It’s never stopped one from going into battle as far as I know.”

  “No, but you are not only my King; you are my brother. I do not know anyone I would rather have help raise my children in the event of my absence. Don’t get me wrong. I love Gregor and Sinclair, but you are the oldest and wisest among us all. It would be a tragedy on more than one front to lose you.”

  Rafael didn’t know what to say. Out of all his brothers, Dante had always been closest with Gregor. “I appreciate your kind words, Dante. I would be honored to help Isabelle with your children, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I need to get in touch with Donovan and make sure Connor’s vision was accurate. If it was, I’ll call a Clan meeting, and we’ll decide then how many males we need to send to Greece.”

  “I agree, even though we both know Connor is never wrong. I am leaving the hospital now. Trevor can handle things here.”

  “Training is almost over, but I’ll remain here until you arrive.”

  “Thank you, Brother. I’m going to call Isabelle and see if she can break away from the Pen as well. Connor might have said he is okay, but he is just a boy. I will see you soon.”