“Yeah, maybe we should get going.” He turned to where Grayson was playing by the slides and let out a whistle. “Grayson! Time to go!”
“Aww!” Grayson pouted. “Just five more minutes! Please, Luke?”
He turned to Georgina, and she shrugged. “Okay, five minutes but not a second more, ya hear?” Grayson let out a cheer of delight.
Luke sucked in a breath. “Actually, I was hoping for a couple of minutes alone with you. I need to talk to you.”
“You do?” Oh God, he knew didn’t he? He saw Adrian coming out of the ladies’ room. She flinched inwardly, waiting for the hammer to drop.
“Yeah. I just got a call from Matthew.”
“And?” she managed to squeak out, despite her throat being as dry as the Sahara.
“He wants me to come to dinner tomorrow night. At the castle. He says it's important, and he has an announcement to make.”
“Oh.” She wrinkled her brow. “That’s fine. I mean, we don’t have to spend every day together—”
“No, that’s not it.”
Luke scratched at the back of his head and shuffled his feet. Wait, was he … nervous? “Luke?”
“Matthew said I should bring you and Grayson.”
“He did? Why? Does he know about us?”
“I didn’t tell him,” he said. “But he knew about me coming over last week to help Grayson, and then Sybil told him about babysitting last night. So, let’s assume everyone knows.”
Oh crap.
“I’m sorry,” he said in a sheepish voice. “Not that I didn’t want anyone to find out about us spending time together, but I wasn’t sure if you did.”
“What? No, it’s fine!” Her stomach twisted into knots, and Adrian’s warning rang in her head. She had to act like everything was normal. “I mean, I’m sure Grayson would love to see the castle again.”
He grabbed her hand and held it in his. “I haven’t had dinner at the castle in a long time. I couldn’t. I wanted to say no, but this felt important. To have you and Grayson there.”
She sucked in a breath, hoping that would be enough to hold back the tears burning in her throat. “Of course. We’ll be there.”
He sighed in relief. “Let me go get Grayson. We can head over to the diner, and then I’ll take you guys home.”
She nodded and watched as Luke walked to the monkey bars and grabbed Grayson. Her son let out a high-pitched squeal as Luke flipped him over and placed him on his shoulders. It was too much, and she turned away.
The dread creeping into her chest grew heavier and heavier. How could she even keep it together tomorrow when she faced all his family and friends?
Maybe there was one bright side to this. Perhaps her betrayal would bring Luke back to his family. If anything, she gave a silent promise to do her best to mend the rift, while she still could.
Chapter Ten
Few things made Luke nervous. Sure, his lion paced and became edgy when there was danger or he was agitated, but his human side remained cool and calm, never reacting to the people and situations around him. Now, his palms were sweaty and his chest felt hollow, just thinking of being back at the castle. He’d been there a handful of times over the last few years, but he’d never felt this way.
Still, he didn’t even think he’d feel anything ever again. Not until Georgina.
His lion wanted to claim her and make her theirs. But he didn’t know the first thing about mates or how the mating process worked. Hank had tried to explain it to his kids when they were younger, but didn’t really give them any details. “You’ll know it when it happens,” he had said. Luke wasn’t even sure if that applied to him. Did it work the same way for lions as it did for dragons?
Maybe he should ask Matthew. The dragon shifter sounded both surprised and elated when Luke told him he was coming to dinner and bringing Georgina and Grayson. “I’m really glad you decided to come,” Matthew had said. “It means a lot to me.”
Luke already had a gut feeling of what this was about. And if he was right, he was happy for Matthew and Catherine. They’d probably been trying for a kid since they got married, and another Lennox dragon would be a welcome addition to the family.
The thought of having dinner at the castle created mixed feelings in him. Sure, he’d been there for Matthew’s engagement party and wedding, but it was far from an intimate family dinner. He hadn’t even set foot in the upper floors of the castle in years, much less sat in the family dining room in the east wing.
“You seem more anxious than me,” Georgina observed, breaking his reverie. Her hands were wringing in her lap, but she looked at him with concern.
“You’ll be fine,” he said as he pulled his truck into Blackstone Castle’s driveway. As he promised last night, he picked them up at home and they all drove up to the castle together.
“And you?” she asked, the corner of her lips turning up. “Will you be fine?”
He chuckled and slipped out of the driver’s seat. “You and Grayson are here, so yes.”
She gave him a smile, but one that didn’t seem to reach her eyes. There was something about the expression on her face that didn’t feel right to him. Georgina seemed skittish tonight, but he chalked it up to nerves. He hoped she could be comfortable around him first before he told her they were mates.
“Luke! Luke!” Grayson called from the back seat. “Don’t forget me!”
“Oops, sorry, bud,” he said as he opened the door and released Grayson from the car seat. The little boy jumped into his arms, and he set him down on the ground. “Let’s go.”
They walked up the driveway together, Georgina’s hand in his while Grayson clung to the other. Luke rang the doorbell when they arrived at the front door.
“Good evening—Lucas?” The older man looked startled for a moment when his eyes fixed on Luke.
“Hello, Christopher,” he said, greeting the Lennox’s long-time butler. Christopher looked the same as he always did—clean and pressed white shirt and black pants, shoes polished to a shine. Hank and Riva didn’t want things to be too formal around the castle, unlike in the old days, so they didn’t require Christopher or any of the staff to wear uniforms or even coats. However, Christopher was still old school and liked to look presentable, even on normal days. This was about as casual as he got.
“Matthew said you’d be coming, but I didn’t expect—” He cleared his throat and looked toward Georgina. “And you’ve brought Ms. Georgina and Grayson.”
“Hello, Christopher,” Georgina greeted.
Grayson, waved at the older man. “Heya, Christopher! How’s butlering?”
Georgina laughed when Luke raised a brow at the boy. “When we were staying here, Grayson asked what Christopher did. He said he was a butler and so now Grayson calls his job ‘butlering.’”
“Sounds important, taking care of everyone,” Grayson added.
“It is,” Luke said, giving a meaningful look at Christopher. He and his wife, Meg, had devoted their entire lives to Hank and Riva, and then their children. They would do anything for the Lennoxes, and he knew his family would do anything for the couple as well.
“Almost everyone is here,” Christopher said. “They’re upstairs in the east wing dining room.”
“Thanks, Christopher.”
Luke led Georgina and Grayson up the grand staircase and into the east side of the castle. Even though he hadn’t been here in years, it still looked the same. The memories from his childhood suddenly flooded his mind—running down the halls with Jason and Matthew, playing hide and seek with Sybil, numerous birthday parties, Riva chasing after him when he didn’t want to take a bath. It was like they happened a million years ago, yet being here again, the memories became crystal clear.
“Well, look who’s here,” Matthew said when they entered the dining room. He walked over to them from where he was standing in the corner with Ben, Penny, Catherine, Kate, and Sybil, then clapped him on the shoulder. “Glad you could make it.” He turned to Georgina an
d Grayson. “You guys, too,” he said with a warm smile.
“Thanks for inviting us,” Georgina said.
“How could I not?” Luke shot him a warning look and Matthew cleared his throat. “I mean, I did tell Grayson he can come visit and explore anytime.” He ruffled the boy’s hair affectionately.
“Where are Jason and Christina?” Luke asked, glancing around.
“They’re not sure they can make it. Work stuff,” Matthew said with a meaningful look. “But they said to go ahead without them if they don’t get here by seven thirty. Can I get you guys some drinks? Beer for you, Luke? How about you, Georgina? And Grayson.”
“Just water for me and maybe juice for Grayson?”
Matthew nodded. “Coming right up. Go ahead and join everyone. Meg just brought out some snacks.”
As they walked over to where everyone was, Luke could sense the apprehension in Georgina. He guessed she was nervous, coming here with him. “You’re fine,” he said, placing a hand on the small of her back. She stiffened but nodded.
“Georgina! Grayson!” Kate greeted. “A little birdie told me you might be here!”
Sybil elbowed her. “Yeah, that was me. Hey, squirt!” She knelt down and drew in Grayson for a hug. “How’re you doing?”
“I’m good, Auntie Sybil,” he said.
“Hey!” Kate knelt down beside them. “Don’t I get a hug?”
Ben laughed and slapped Luke on the shoulder. “You might need a shotgun to keep all the girls away when he grows up.”
Luke hoped Georgina didn’t hear that. She seemed stressed enough tonight. “Are we going to eat soon?”
“Yes,” Catherine said. “Meg’s almost done with the prep. Christina just messaged me; she said we should definitely start without them.”
“We can start with the reason we called you here.” Matthew slipped an arm around Catherine’s waist, his hand going over her belly.
Sybil slapped a hand over her mouth. “Is it—”
Kate pointed to the sparkling water Catherine was drinking. “Oh. My. God. You’re—”
“Pregnant?” Penny blurted out.
Catherine smiled. “Yes.”
Cheers erupted from the girls, while Ben and Luke both clapped hands with Matthew and gave him hugs.
“This is great,” Ben said. “Us becoming fathers at the same time. I was just telling Penny it’d be nice if our kid had cousins growing up, just like I did.”
“We didn’t want to tell anyone until after six weeks,” Catherine said. “I did tell Chrissy as soon as I suspected, but made her promise not to tell anyone, not even Jason.”
“He guessed it anyway,” Matthew said with a chuckle. “It’s hard to keep things from your twin.”
“Congratulations, guys,” Georgina said as she hugged Catherine. “I knew it would happen eventually.”
“Thank you,” Catherine said. “I’m so happy to be sharing this news with you all. We’re going to video conference with Riva and Hank tonight as soon as they wake up in their time zone.”
“Mom and Dad’ll be over the moon!” Sybil cried.
“Mommy, when do we get to eat?” Grayson stage whispered to Georgina, who turned bright red.
“Grayson!” she admonished.
Matthew laughed. “I remember what it was like,” he said. “C’mon. Meg cooked up a feast for all of us. And she made a chocolate cake for dessert.”
They all sat down around the table, with Matthew at the head and Catherine on his right. Luke sat down on the left side, with Georgina beside him and Grayson next to her.
Dinner, as usual, was fantastic. When Meg came out and saw Luke, she was startled, much like her husband Christopher had been, but she went over to him and gave him a hug. She looked meaningfully at Georgina (because of course the sly old woman probably knew something was up) and whispered to him that she hoped he would be by more often. He didn’t answer her, but instead, gave her hand a squeeze.
“I can’t believe you got to eat this everyday while you were growing up,” Penny said as she polished off the last bite of chocolate cake. “How do you all stay so fit?”
“Shifter metabolism,” Matthew and Sybil said at the same time.
“Right,” Penny chuckled and rubbed her stomach. “I better prepare myself.”
“Stock up on everything,” Georgina warned her and glanced over at Grayson, who was having his second slice of cake. “But it’s all worth it.”
Soon, the evening was winding down and after everyone helped clear the table (as it was late and they had urged Meg and the rest of the staff to go home and rest), they all said their goodbyes. Ben and Penny drove off, as did Kate and Sybil, who drove up together. Georgina had to help Grayson go to the bathroom, which is why they were left behind.
“Congrats, again,” Luke said as they waited in the outer foyer of the castle. “You both will be amazing parents.”
“And you?” Catherine said in a teasing voice. "Dare we ask about you and Georgina?”
The cat was out of the bag, so what was the use of hiding it? “She’s mine.”
Matthew grinned. “I knew it the moment she told me you came over to her place last week.”
“And Sybil let it slip that she took Grayson out while you two had a romantic dinner at home,” Catherine added.
“I want to take it slow,” he said. “She doesn’t know yet, but I’ll tell her soon.”
“Good idea,” Matthew said, looking at Catherine. “I’m happy for you. Georgina is a wonderful person.”
“This is so exciting,” Catherine said. “I hope you guys become mated soon.”
Luke rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, about that—”
The sound of a vehicle approaching made them all whip their heads toward the driveway. The familiar black truck pulled up to the front, and Christina and Jason stepped out.
“I thought you said you weren’t coming?” Matthew asked the pair as they approached.
“We did,” Jason said, then looked at Luke. “But we figured you’d be here.”
“Me?” Luke asked, confused.
“Yes.” Christina’s expression was grave. “We have some news. About,” her gaze darted toward Matthew and Catherine, “what you asked us to look into. You probably wouldn’t have liked it if we waited until morning. Should we talk in private?”
They had found something out about his pride? The thought made his chest ache. He wanted to know, but at the same time, he didn’t. “Just tell me the short version.”
Christina hesitated, but Jason gave her a nod. “I’m afraid we did find evidence of the Armstrong Pride in Dr. Mendle’s handwritten diaries.” Her voice sounded choked up. “I’m sorry. It’s not good news.”
Of course, it wasn’t. He knew, in his gut, it wasn’t going to be good. “What happened?”
“I—Georgina?” Christina frowned.
“Jason! Christina!” she greeted as she walked up to them, Grayson tagging along behind her. “I’m glad you could make it.”
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I’ll explain later,” Luke said. “Now, tell me what happened.”
“Grayson,” Catherine interrupted, “Did I ever show you the balcony in the West wing? It’s huge so the Blackstone dragons can land and take off from there.”
“Oh wow! I wanna see! Can I see, Mommy?” Grayson asked.
Georgina looked confused, but she obviously sensed the gravity of the situation. “Of course.”
“Let’s go.” Catherine took Grayson by the hand and led him away.
“Luke, what’s going on?” Georgina asked.
“Are you sure you want her to hear this?” Christina asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
“It’s all right,” Luke said. “She can be here.”
Christina shrugged. “If you say so. Anyway, it took us a while. Dr. Mendle has entries in his diaries about the Armstrong Pride from South Bend, Washington. They were written over twenty-three years ago.”
He swallowed hard. “Go on.”
“Dr. Mendle was there when … they captured the entire pride. Twenty in total, five of them cubs.”
“What happened?”
“They were taken to a facility in California where the adults underwent some tests.” Christina’s voice was shaky, and her hands curled into fists. “The cubs were kept there for a year as well and then transported to Texas.”
“One of the cubs escaped during transport,” Jason said. “The Alpha’s son. He killed half the guards and the drivers. The ones who survived chased after him, but they never found him. Colorado is halfway between California and Texas. It fits the timeline of when we found you.” Jason’s eyes turned to dark steely pools.
“And the rest of the pride?”
“I’m sorry, Luke,” Christina said with a shake of her head. “All gone.”
“Wait, I don’t understand,” Georgina said. “What’s going on?”
“We suspect that the same people who kidnapped you and Grayson were responsible for murdering Luke’s pride,” Christina said.
Georgina went pale. “No … I mean, how can you be sure?”
“We can ask Riva and Hank,” Luke said in a flat tone.
“What about Mom and Dad?” Jason asked, his voice defensive.
“They knew,” he spat. “They knew and didn’t tell me!”
“They wouldn’t do that!” Jason bit back. “They’re not like that.”
“They said I wasn’t ready to hear it. When were they going to tell me?” The bitterness and hate were seeping into him, threatening to consume him again.
Matthew placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure they had their reasons—”
Luke shrugged his shoulder. “Fuck that! They couldn’t have sat me down and told me the truth? Why would they hide it from me?”
“Listen, you were the one who stayed away all these years,” Jason said, his voice rising and a finger pointing at Luke’s chest. “I don’t know what happened or what you said that day you left, but I can still remember seeing mom sneak into the family room at night to cry! For over a year! You did that!”
“Stop,” Matthew commanded. A chill hung in the air. His dragon was making its presence known.
The Blackstone Lion: Blackstone Mountain Book 5 Page 11
