by Faith Gibson
“I see what you’re saying. Are there any other secrets you’re hiding from me? If so, now would be a good time to come clean.”
Tamian didn’t hesitate to be honest. “I can hear thoughts. There are those with the ability to block their minds, both consciously and subconsciously. For that, I’m grateful. It took me a while to figure out how to block everyone out, because let me tell you; there are things you really don’t want to know about your parents and sister.” Tamian shuddered, remembering the first time he heard X’s voice in his head when he was planning on taking their mom to bed. He’d been ten, and that was not how he wanted to learn about sex. “I promise you now; I keep that part of me locked up tight. I wouldn’t want anyone invading my privacy in such a way. So, unless it’s trying to gain knowledge to help us save Lucy, I won’t be tapping into anyone’s thoughts.”
“I do not envy you that. Hell, most of the time I don’t want to be left alone with my own thoughts. There’s some crazy shit up here,” Tess said, tapping her temple. “Seriously, though. That has to be tough. Has it ever gotten to be too much?”
Tamian didn’t like to think back to those days, because the pain in his head had been excruciating. “Yeah, it has. Not so much lately, because like I said, I’ve learned how to tune it all out. But in the beginning, it was painful. The only time it gets to be too much is if I’m in a crowded space with lots of noise.”
Tessa reached over and gripped Tamian’s arm. “Why didn’t you tell me? I’d have tried to help you through it.”
“We were both young. I didn’t want to burden you with my problems.” He placed his hand on top of hers and gave it a squeeze. “And that is the last of my secrets.” Tamian’s phone buzzed with a text. After reading it, he said, “That was Jules. He said to check your email.”
While Tessa pulled up her email, Tamian went to the bar and poured another drink. It felt good to finally tell Tessa his secrets. He knew she’d share that information with Gregor, and Tamian was okay with that. If his brother-in-law didn’t trust him by now, he never would.
Rafael had never argued with Priscilla, nor had he pulled the “King” card, but he was at his wit’s end. His beloved housekeeper was wearing herself out by staying at the hospital, refusing to leave Jonathan’s side. Kaya had tried more than once to get the human to go home and rest, but she argued that her brother needed her. Rafael knew Jonathan needed some peace and quiet, not Priscilla constantly doting and fussing over him. To keep the peace within their household, he’d asked Jonas to step in and restrict overnight visitation. At least that way she was guaranteed to sleep in her own bed.
“Rafael! You have to do something. They’re kicking me out,” Priscilla cried.
So they wouldn’t upset Jonathan even more, Rafael guided her out into the hallway and led her to a private family room. “Priscilla, listen to me. You aren’t doing Jonathan any good by wearing yourself thin. I know you want to be with him, but you have to think about him for once. He needs his rest.”
Priscilla puffed up, the hurt evident by unshed tears. “Are you saying he doesn’t need me?”
“Of course he needs you, but you don’t sleep. He worries about you, and that’s not good for him. He needs to concentrate on himself. I promise you someone from the Clan will be here round-the-clock. You know we’re better equipped at keeping long hours. Now, I’m going to get Frey and Abbi to drive you home. I’ll stay here.”
“But Kaya needs you.”
“She does, but she needs her rest more. And she understands I’ll be home in the morning when Dante or Gregor come by to relieve me.”
“But that’s taking you all away from your jobs.”
“And it’s taking you away from yours as well. Do you honestly think your job isn’t as significant as the rest of ours? If anything, it’s more so. You have the most important job in the family; you take care of all of us, not just Jonathan. Now, please, go home and rest. I promise if something changes, we’ll have you back here before you can hide a batch of cookies from me.”
Priscilla’s shoulders drooped in defeat when the door opened, and Frey and Abbi stepped into the room. “Come on, Priscilla. Jasper and Trevor are watching Amelia at the manor, and she’s asking for you.” Abbi wrapped her arm around the older woman and pulled her toward the hallway. The tears she’d been holding back streamed down her face, and Rafael almost called her back. But Jonathan needed some peace that he’d only get without his sister hovering.
“Rafe?” Gregor said softly from behind.
Rafael turned, and Gregor held his arms open. He didn’t hesitate to walk into his younger brother’s embrace. The situation was hard on all of them, but Rafe could tell something else was on Gregor’s mind. When they pulled back, he said, “Talk to me.”
Gregor indicated the family room, and they stepped back into the private area and closed the door. “Why aren’t you with Tessa?”
“She... she’s fine with Tamian. They work well together, and besides, I’m needed at the Pen while Deacon gets his head on straight.”
“So, the doctor is his mate?”
“It would seem so, but he’s fighting it. Says he doesn’t have time to dedicate to a relationship right now.”
“Why not? We’ve all gone about our lives while getting to know our mates once we found them.”
“He says it’s because of the changes we’ve seen with the Unholy. But I think it’s more than that.”
“What changes?” Rafe asked. He trusted his Clan to take care of business while he focused on his mate’s pregnancy and now the issue with Jonathan.
“We’re seeing evidence of them acting more normal than before. I talked to both Kallisto and Sergei to find out if they know anything. Sergei has been in the Pen so long he has no idea, but when I told Kallisto she would never see the light of day unless she cooperated, she mentioned Drago. She admitted sending money to him before she fled Greece. I’ve tasked Remy and Kai with trying to track him down. If he has the resources, which it looks like he does, he could be using it to somehow control the Unholy. We both know the Greek Gargoyles didn’t come to the States to join our Clan.”
“You think he’s building an army?”
“Wouldn’t you? If you had few of your own kind backing you, wouldn’t you find a way to recruit others? Donovan called last week and let Frey know several of the Greeks have gone AWOL. That was to be expected, considering most were loyal to Alistair. Since Tamian’s out of town looking for his mate, we need to find someone to help Julian and Nik in the lab. They’ve both been working around the clock trying to find evidence of Gargoyles entering the city.”
“Nik needs to be home with Sophia. She’s almost as far along as Kaya.”
“She’s been staying at the lab with Nik, sleeping in the spare room. It’s not as hard on Julian and Katherine, but you know how it is being away from Kaya for any amount of time, pregnant or not.”
“Does Julian have any idea who could help them?” When Gregor hesitated to answer, Rafael shook his head. “No. He can’t seriously be considering Lachlan.”
“He is one of the best.”
“And he’s a traitor. I won’t allow him anywhere near our family.” Rafe ran his hands through his hair and blew out a deep breath. “Surely there has to be someone in a Clan as large as ours who is competent and trustworthy. I’ll call Sin and Dominic.”
“Don’t forget it was Sin who sent Lachlan to us. I’m not saying he’s a bad judge of character, but he is still beating himself up as much as Julian is over the whole situation.”
“I’m just as much at fault as Sinclair and Jules. But ultimately, Lachlan is the only one to blame for duping all of us. No. I will not allow him to have access to our lives again.”
“I understand. I just wanted to make you aware of what’s going on. Frey’s been trying to handle everything with regards to the Unholy and let you focus on your family. Don’t worry about contacting Sin and Dom. I’ll take care of that.”
“Thanks, Bro
ther. Is that all? You seem tense. Is it because Tessa’s not here?”
“No. I don’t know. Something’s bothering her, but she insists she’s fine. I think it’s because she isn’t pregnant yet, but that’s only a hunch. It’s one reason I’m giving her some space to help Tamian.”
“Not all couples get pregnant immediately. Would it bother you if Tessa couldn’t get pregnant?”
“I’m not going to say it wouldn’t, because of course I want us to have children who come from our DNA, but if we have to adopt, I’m okay with that too. Sinclair and Rocky are going to have to go that route if they have children. I would never make Tessa feel less than because she couldn’t have my child. You know I love her more than anything.”
“Gregor, if you need to go be with her, do it. There are enough of us to handle things here.” Rafael could tell his brother was torn. He couldn’t imagine if Kaya was upset about something and he didn’t know what it was.
“No, I’m good with staying here. If she and Tamian need help, they’ll call. Besides, there’s something else I need to tell you.”
“Yeah? What’s that?”
“Tamian’s mate isn’t human, but neither is she a Gargoyle. She’s a Gryphon.”
Chapter Fourteen
Lucy did her best to concentrate on what she was reading. Tamian had called out to her again, first to see how she was holding up, and second to let her know he was closer to getting her out. He had spoken with Maveryck, and everyone was no worse for the wear. That was one less thing she had to worry about. Doing as he asked, Lucy focused on all the notes and documents, gathering everything together that would help put her boss away and hopefully get her out of her contract with the GIA.
When Tamian asked her favorite place in the world, she thought it was an odd question, until he told her they might have to hide out while his family put all the pieces together to frame Ramey. Lucy told him she’d have to think about it until he mentioned his family had an Italian chalet. Not that Lucy had a bucket list put together of places she wanted to visit, but the thought of being holed up in a chalet with Tamian was quite an alluring prospect. Just the two of them alone with the Alps as their backdrop? Oh, yes.
There was so much she didn’t know about Tamian, but oddly, she was okay with that. If what he said about them being mates was true, they had the rest of their lives to get to know one another. She wasn’t going to balk at the idea of fated mates. She was going to embrace it, because she was ready to embrace Tamian. Thinking of her Gargoyle got her heated, and they weren’t anywhere near each other. She couldn’t imagine how explosive they would be together.
Focus, Lucy.
After talking with Tamian, Lucy decided she was going to do her best not to touch the torsos. Not that her fingerprints wouldn’t already be in the lab, but deep down, her heart hurt when she thought of what those victims had more than likely gone through, all in the name of science. So she wasn’t distracted by all the bodies in the lab, Lucy took the research into her apartment. Instead of diving right in, Lucy decided to fix a little supper and open one of the bottles of wine she’d noticed earlier. It wasn’t her favorite brand, but at least it was a red. She had thought she’d be able to eat and read at the same time, but Lucy soon lost her appetite. Deciding the wine was needed to get through the rest of the notes, she took the bottle and placed it on the small table next to her bed. With a full glass, Lucy relaxed against the headboard.
She started with the notes Lucius put together regarding the serum. It shouldn’t have amazed Lucy that her uncle was able to come up with something so complex. Lucius had been a genius. Comparing the man who’d helped raise her to the scientist who helped the GIA with an experiment to raise super soldiers was like comparing a puppy to an alligator. Thinking back over the years, Lucy couldn’t remember a time Lucius had shown the darker side, unless she counted him trying to figure out the Gargoyle’s longevity. But is that what he’d really been attempting to accomplish? Had it even been Goyle DNA he’d given her to test, and if so, where had he obtained it?
That was more mind-boggling than Lucius concocting the serum. From what Lucy knew of the other species, they were stronger, faster, and almost impossible to kill. So how had a lesser species been able to gather the large quantity of cells he had? Something about that didn’t add up. If Tamian ever got her away from her current predicament, she would ask him for a sample to compare to what she’d been studying back then. If they weren’t a match, it would only make sense she had been aiding Lucius in the experiment she was currently assigned to. Even unknowingly, Lucy would never want to be part of something unethical. Sure, she’d broken the law a few times, but it hadn’t been to harm anyone.
Climbing from her bed, Lucy walked into the lab and opened the refrigerator door. The contents had been emptied. Whatever Ramey had taken, he hadn’t wanted Lucy to have access to it. She turned to study the torsos. They had been injected with the serum, so the scientist who had been there previously must have been able to replicate her uncle’s formula. None of the notes were dated, so she had no idea how long it had been since the last scientist had stood where she was. And what happened to that person? Had they been let go to walk freely? Had they readily agreed to perform the same experiments with no thought to the repercussions of what happened to the humans they were studying?
If Ramey had initially gotten what he wanted – Lucy in the lab – she would have been down here all this time. Or would she? Since a super soldier had yet to be fashioned using the information gathered by both Lucius and those who’d come after, Lucy had to surmise they hadn’t been able to find the right combination to inject into a subject. She didn’t imagine she would have been any more successful. Not if Lucius hadn’t succeeded. So why did Ramey think Lucy could?
Returning to her room, she stopped at the foot of the bed and closed her eyes. Lucy was supposed to be working, figuring this craziness out, but all she wanted was to talk to Tamian. She didn’t want to bother him, but she felt the intense need to at least have his voice in her head.
“Tamian?
“Hey, Sweetheart. Are you okay?”
Lucy smiled. No man had ever called her sweetheart, or baby, or any term of endearment. They had yet to officially meet, yet here he was, claiming her. Or maybe he was just a really nice male and—
“Lucy? Are you there?”
“Yeah, sorry. I hope I’m not disturbing you.”
“Never hesitate to call out to me. I am always here for you.”
“Even if I just want to hear your voice?”
“Especially then.”
“What’s your favorite food?” Lucy wanted to know everything about Tamian. She would have found out a few random facts if they’d been able to meet for dinner, and since that hadn’t happened, she thought perhaps she could use this time to do so.
“I love a good, medium-rare steak smothered in mushrooms. I’ll never turn down pizza as long as it doesn’t have anchovies on it, but if you like them, I’ll pick them off. How about you?”
“Steak is always good, and I don’t care for anchovies either. I can live without sushi, although I have been known to go for a good California roll. I guess my favorite is anything Italian. It’s a good thing I have shifter metabolism, or all the pasta and white sauce would go to my hips.”
“I happen to like your hips. And everything else I’ve seen so far.”
Lucy felt the blush creeping onto her cheeks along with a big smile. As a female, she was worried just as much as the next woman about how men perceived her body. She’d never had anyone criticize her looks, but she’d also never needed anyone to find her attractive before.
“Did I lose you on that one? I apologize if I’m being too forward.”
“No, I’m here. Just enjoying the moment. You asked me earlier where I would go if I could choose anywhere in the world. What about you? Any place you’ve never been you want to see?”
“I’ve traveled quite extensively following my sister around the glob
e. You’ll meet her one day soon, and I’ll explain more about why she traveled so much. But to answer your question, I’ve always wanted to go to the French Polynesian islands. I’m a fan of clear blue waters, and I’ve yet to see those. This will sound like a cheesy cliché, but I want to go anywhere with you and see things while you experience them for the first time, even if I’ve already been there.”
“Wow, that’s so romantic. I haven’t dated a lot, so I don’t have tons of experience with a male who says things like that.”
“The beast in me is happy you haven’t had a lot of experience. Honestly, I haven’t spent much time with any females. I never thought I’d find my mate, so it really seemed pointless.”
“I should say I’m sorry for that, because it sounds like you’ve been as lonely as I have, but I’m not. Sorry, that is. I think my animal is going to like yours.”
“Tell me more about that.”
“My animal?”
“Yes. You saw mine when I was watching you from the woods.”
“Well, you’ve seen me in eagle form. I have only allowed my lion to come forth a few times. She tends to want to take over, and I have to remain in control at all times.”
Lucy removed the paperwork from the bed and stretch out on her back. It was strange, the feeling of rightness filling her heart and soul as the two of them shared with each other. She told Tamian as much.
“Is it odd that I feel closer to you than I ever have to another being? Growing up with Lucius and Vera, I had everything a girl could want with the exception of that all-encompassing love. Don’t get me wrong; I know they loved me, but it wasn’t what I’ve experienced with the Hounds. I’ve only been with my family four years now, and they accepted me like I hadn’t been kept away from them all those years. They love me, and I’ve come to care for them deeply, but I’m drawn to you in a way I can’t explain.”
“I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but it’s the mate bond. The fact that you feel close to me and we’ve yet to really be together means we are truly destined for each other. When I said I never thought I would find my mate, it’s because I’ve been around those of my kind and their mates. I’ve seen the pull, and I’ve envied them that ultimate love, for lack of a better term. I’m not saying you and I are in love, per se. Not yet. But I’m hopeful. Damn, that was sappy.”
