by Faith Gibson
A little while later, Gregor and Tessa disappeared into the house to start supper, and as they all sat down together, she understood why Julian had such a large table when he had lived by himself for so long. Katherinehoped they would need an even larger table to accommodate all the children the mates, as well as she, would be having. Her heart had never been as full as it was among those gathered around. It was all because the fates deemed her, a clone, worthy of being Julian Stone’s mate.
It amazed Kat how all the mates had been tormented in one form or another. She might have been tortured, but she had been rescued by the most wonderful male on the planet, in her opinion. Her ear was healing, and the ache was barely noticeable. Her hearing had returned almost completely, and she had been able to take a shower with Julian without freaking out. She was taking small steps to recovery, but with Julian by her side, Kat knew she would be just fine.
When everyone left for their own homes, Kat and Julian began unpacking her personal things. Kat was trying to figure out where best to hang the one piece of art she had, and Julian was looking through one of the boxes. “Where are the rest of your pictures, Sweetheart?”
“I just have the two.” The only photos she had were of her with her foster parents.
“I find that hard to believe. You stood in our back yard snapping hundreds of photos.”
“I didn’t have anyone to take pictures of before. Now I do. Thank you for that.”
“Thank you for saying yes.” Julian’s voice cracked, and Kat thought she saw a sheen of tears in his eyes. She never would have guessed Super Gargoyles cried, but then again, she was certain everything they did was larger than life, even feeling.
“I’ve been thinking that instead of going back to work at the station, I’d like to take some time off. I want to visit my mom as much as possible. She might not know who I am, but I know who she is.”
“I think that’s a wonderful idea, Sweetheart. Who knows, having you visit with her might be all the medicine she needs for her mind to heal.”
“I’d like to think so. I would also like to spend some time with Stefan and get to know him.” He said he loved her more than life itself, and she wanted to give him the chance to be part of her life.
“I would prefer to be with you when you meet with him, at least until I get a better feel for the man.”
“I wouldn’t expect it any other way.” And she wouldn’t. After spending time around the Gargoyles, Kat had already figured out they were a protective bunch. Then again, it’s the way it should be in her opinion. If you loved someone, you did everything in your power to keep them safe. It was one of the reasons she wanted to spend time with Stefan. He had vowed to her father to watch over her. She wouldn’t get over him killing the Foxes anytime soon, but she didn’t hold a grudge against him for doing it, either. What Trevor said had made her really think about her godfather and why he’d killed in cold blood.
She smiled to herself thinking about Trevor and his purple hair and colorful tattoos. They had bonded over the fact that they were both clones, and in doing so, she found a new friend. When she’d met him out in the field, Kat hadn’t given Trevor a second look because he was different. Now, that difference was what drew her to him. She had learned a valuable lesson.
“What are you smiling about?”
“Trevor,” she admitted.
“Should I be jealous?”
Kat laughed and put down the painting. She walked up to Julian and wrapped her arms around his waist. “You are the only man for me, Julian Stone. Man, male, Gargoyle, whatever you are, you are mine, and I am yours. As your mate and as the woman who loves you, the woman who wants to have your babies, I will never give you reason to be jealous.”
“You love me?” Julian whispered, brushing her hair back from her eyes.
“My feelings go so much deeper than that, but to have something to call it, yes, I love you.”
The sheen was back in Julian’s eyes, and this time there was no denying what it was as a lone tear escaped out of the corner of his eye. Julian brushed his lips across hers and stepped back. He stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out a black box. When he opened it, the most beautiful antique diamond ring Kat had ever seen winked at her the same way her mate did. Julian pulled the ring out of the holder and slipped it on her finger. It fit perfectly. Katherine held her hand up, admiring the only ring she had ever been given. The only ring she would ever need. When she placed her hand on Julian’s chest over his heart, she said, “It’s perfect, Honey.”
“Just like the hand it’s attached to. Like the woman the hand belongs to. The woman who owns my heart and soul. I love you too, Katherine Annalise Stone.”
Julian picked Katherine up and took her upstairs where he showed her exactly how much he loved her. When they had cleaned up and Kat was falling asleep, Julian pulled her back tighter to his front and kissed her bare shoulder. Her mind replayed the events of the day, and as she was going under, a sweet voice sang to her.
Katarina held her arms up, and her papa stopped what he was doing at his desk to pick her up. “My beautiful Katarina,” he said. With her head against his chest and her hand on his throat, Katarina looked up into the face of the strong man who sang her to sleep as he did every night. She liked to feel the vibrations on his neck as the melody softly left his mouth. She stared at him until she could no longer keep her eyes open, knowing when she woke up, she would see his smiling face. Strong arms wrapped around her, and Katarina knew she would always be safe in the arms of the man who loved her more than anything.
Epilogue
December 2049
As Kat replaced the flowers in her mother’s vase, Julian knelt down in front of Nora with his baby girl. “Say hi to Grandma, Carleigh.” The six-month-old baby cooed and slobbered while patting her grandmother on her legs. Nora’s face lit up as bright as the Christmas tree in the corner of the room. A barely pregnant Katherine padded over to sit beside her mother while their daughter entertained them all with her babbling. Neither of them had planned on Kat getting pregnant so soon after Carleigh Brooke Di Pietro had been born, but the gods must have thought they should hurry things up if they ever wanted to hit the number nine mark.
Their daughter was born in April, three months after Frey and Abbi welcomed their son, Jonathan Matthew, into the world. Katherine was carrying another child, and until that morning, she hadn’t known it. Julian had been lying on the sofa with his head in his mate’s lap while she ran her fingers through his hair. They were relaxing in the living room, stealing a quiet moment while Carleigh was napping. At first, Julian thought there was something wrong with Kat when he heard the beats of her heart skipping. When he listened more intently, he realized it wasn’t her heart he was hearing but their unborn child’s beating with hers. Julian couldn’t contain his excitement and had jumped up from the sofa and shouted, waking Carleigh up. When he told Kat what he was so happy about, she gave a little shout of her own.
Three months after Kat began visiting her mother, Nora said the first words she’d spoken in over twenty years. Three months after that, with Kat’s blessing, Stefan took Nora to live with him. She wasn’t on any type of medication that required a nurse, so Stefan took her home and hired someone to help with things like bathing and her hair. Other than that, he took care of her around-the-clock. After meeting with the man a few times, it was clear to Julian he was loyal to Kat’s family and had remained so even after Salvatore had been murdered. Dedication such as that was hard to find, especially in humans.
Nora rarely spoke, but when she did, it was coherent and full of love. She always had a smile on her face whenever they visited, but never was it brighter than when Carleigh was in her line of sight. Julian understood how she felt. Only Katherine made his insides melt as much as his baby girl did. He was still completely infatuated with his mate, even after a year and a half, and he had a feeling that would never change. Kat still got down when she thought about being a clone, but Julian did his best to r
emind her she had been put on Earth for a purpose – to be his mate and Carleigh’s mother. Julian always knew he would want their first daughter to have Kat’s original name, and when he suggested it, it went a little ways in helping Kat heal.
Julian and Nikolas had searched the archives for someone to take Landon’s place behind the computers. He still felt as though he was less than competent to oversee the safety of the Clan, but with time and the encouragement of his brothers and cousins, Julian went back to work at the lab full time. He was also convinced that moving out of New Atlanta could wait.
Katherine split her time between visiting her mother, developing pictures in the dark room he had Rafael build for her, and sitting at the lab with him learning about computers. Once Carleigh was born, Kat continued with the things she loved doing, only then she had a little helper. Her love for the camera had only grown after she printed off the first photos she had taken that day in their back yard. She had such a natural talent behind the lens that the other mates begged her to take photos of their children.
When Kat unpacked her belongings from her apartment, she had brought two photos from her time with the Praters. Now, their walls were filled with pictures of not only them and Carleigh, but all their immediate family as well. Julian never tired of seeing the smiles of their extended family all around their home.
Stefan had hired a caterer for their lunch. Julian insisted he had no problem cooking for everyone, but Stefan wanted Julian to be able to relax. It had been odd at first, getting to know the former mobster, but Julian had grown to admire the human tremendously, especially when he realized how much Stefan loved Katherine. He considered her to be his daughter, and the love in his eyes was evident when he looked at her as well as Nora. When Carleigh was born, Stefan was right there in the waiting room with the rest of the family. They had yet to tell him the truth of the Gargoyles, but since he was still young by human standards, they would eventually have to confide in him since they wouldn’t be aging, and he was a big part of their lives.
It wasn’t long after Julian and Katherine met Stefano that Deputy Director Joseph Long was murdered inside FSM. Not only that, but the female guard who had tortured Katherine was also found dead inside her home the next day. Julian had wanted them both to suffer, so it didn’t bother him they met their end in unnatural ways. He had a feeling Stefan was responsible, but he never asked. It didn’t matter.
When Stefan came into the room to tell them lunch was ready, Carleigh held her chubby arms up and said, “Papa.” Stefan gladly took her from her father and danced around the room with her singing a silly Christmas song. The sound of his child’s laughter was music to Julian’s ears. To him, there was no better sound. Well, maybe the noise Katherine made when she orgasmed. He would be hard pressed to choose between them.
Julian helped get Nora situated at her spot at the table while everyone else took their appointed seats. Carleigh’s highchair was wedged in between him and Kat so both could take turns feeding her. They were partners in all things, but especially when it came to their child. Julian had changed as many diapers as Kat had. He took the night shift more often than not considering he didn’t need sleep being a Gargoyle.
Once they had finished the catered lunch, they gathered around the tree and opened presents. Technically, this was their second holiday together, but the first one hadn’t been spent as a family since they were still getting to know each other. Kat’s present to her mother was a pearl bracelet. For Stefan, she had framed a photo of him holding Carleigh in the hospital. Of course, Stefan went overboard with his presents for the baby, but Nikolas had already warned him that’s what grandparents were for. Since Nora and Stefan were the only grandparents Carleigh had, Julian welcomed the gifts. When it came time for Kat to open her present, Julian felt the mood change. He reached out with his senses and found that Stefan was on edge. When Kat opened the large box, she pulled out an urn. With tears in her eyes, she asked, “Is this…”
Stefan nodded. “Your father’s ashes. The Fiores have a family plot, but after what happened, I thought this would be best so one day I could share him with you. I’ve kept them for you all this time, Katarina. I hope you find it an appropriate gift.” Katherine couldn’t hold back the tears as she stood to hug the man. Julian concentrated on his daughter and Nora, trying to give the two of them as much privacy as he could while in the same room. Stefan had recounted many stories to Kat about her father. Salvatore Fiore had been more in love with his baby girl than his wife. Julian didn’t understand that part at all, because Katherine was everything to him. But he did understand the level of devotion Sal had toward his Katarina. Being a father changed your outlook in ways he never would have imagined had he not had his own child.
Stefan had that same devotion. When Kat was a baby, Nora hadn’t been well enough to take care of her, so Stefan took over the role of nanny. He sang to her back then the same way he sang to Carleigh. Julian had no doubt the man would lay his life on the line for either of them.
They all sat quietly watching Carleigh play with her things until Nora began to tire. While Julian and Kat packed their new SUV, Stefan took Nora to her room for a nap. When he returned, he carried Carleigh outside and placed her in her car seat like he had so many times before. After closing the back door, Stefan pulled Katherine in for a hug. “I love you, my Katarina. Thank you for giving me a chance to be in your life,” he whispered. Julian only heard it because he was a Gargoyle.
“I love you too, Papa.” Kat kissed the man on his cheek then wiped the lipstick off as she did every time they were together.
“Julian, take care of our girls.”
“You know I will. Thank you for a wonderful day, Stefan.”
“Thank you, my son.”
Julian was still getting used to that, but if truth be told, it made him feel good inside. Not only did he have a beautiful mate who made him happier than he could imagine, he also had a healthy baby girl, another child on the way, and a family that was getting larger every day. Life didn’t get any better than that.
Coming Soon
Urijah
Stone Society Book 10
Finding Home
The Music Within Book 4
Tap Dancing with an Angel
The Ghost in the Water
Samuel Dexter Book 2
Cast of Characters
http://www.faithgibsonauthor.com/stone-society-family-tree.html
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About the Author
Faith Gibson is a multi-genre author who lives outside Nashville, Tennessee with the love of her life, and her four-legged best friend. She strongly believes that love is love, and there's not enough love in the world.
She began writing in high school and over the years, penned many stories and poems. When her dreams continued to get crazier than the one before, she decided to keep a dream journal. Many of these night-time escapades have led to a line, a chapter, and even a complete story. You won't find her books in only one genre, but they will all have one thing in common: a happy ending.
When asked what her purpose in life is, she will say to entertain the masses. Even if it's one person at a time. When Faith isn't hard at work on her next story, she can be found playing trivia while enjoying craft beer, reading, or riding her Harley.
Connect with Faith via the following social media sites:
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Other Works by Faith Gibson
The Stone Society Series
Rafael
Gregor
Dante
Frey
Nikolas
Jasper
Sixx
&
nbsp; Sin
Jonas – A Stone Society Novella
The Music Within Series
Deliver Me
Release Me
Finding Me
Tap Dancing with the Devil – Standalone MF Suspense
The Samuel Dexter Books
The Ghost in the Mirror
The Ghost in the Desert – Prequel Short Story
