Gregor (Stone Society Book 2) (14 page)

Dane
nicked his lip. Again. He had to get his fangs under control before he met
Rafael. How had his life become this fantasy novel gone bad? Kaya put her
blinker on, indicating they were turning into a driveway. There was no one
behind him, so he didn’t bother. He stopped behind her, waiting. Instead of
punching in a code to the security box, she spoke into the box and the gate
opened. Must be voice recognition. High tech. When Kaya told him the meeting
with Rafael would be at his home, he never imagined it would be the massive
structure coming into his view.

Kaya
parked in front of a large garage, and Dane parked beside her. He calmed
himself. The pep-talk she had given him came back to his mind. She had told him
all his questions would be answered, and he would be welcomed into the Clan. He
angled out of his car and walked over to a waiting Kaya. “You ready?” She asked
him.

“As
I’ll ever be.” Actually, he was very ready. Tessa and Caroline had given him
some information, but not enough. Tessa had told him to be quiet around the
Gargoyles, but if they were as Kaya described them, he wanted in. He had
already met two of them, and they treated him as an equal, not a cast-off. Half-blood
or not, he wanted to play in the big leagues, not the minors. The front door
opened, and an older man smiled at them. When Kaya passed by, she kissed him on
the cheek. “Good evening, Jonathan. I’d like you to meet Dane Abbott. Dane,
Jonathan. He and his sister Priscilla take care of the manor.”

Dane
shook the older man’s hand and told him it was a pleasure. Kaya continued on
through the spacious place as if she lived there. She knew exactly where she
was going, so he followed. He had expected to meet in an office setting, but instead,
she led him to the kitchen. An older woman, Priscilla he presumed, was pulling
cookies out of the oven. “Kaya! There you are, dear. I baked cookies. You must
be Dane. What beautiful eyes you have.” Dane couldn’t help but grin as she
rambled on.

“Priscilla,
don’t scare our guest off.” A deep baritone voice came from behind Dane. He
turned to see a tall, dark-haired man smiling at Priscilla. Kaya immediately
went to him, and it was as if the rest of the world disappeared for them. When
Kaya said she knew Rafael, she failed to mention just how well. When they broke
from their kiss, the man turned to Dane. “Rafael Stone,” he said as he held out
his large hand. There was no power grip, no throwing the testosterone around to
mark his territory. It wasn’t necessary. This was Rafael Stone, King of the Gargoyles.
His presence alone did the talking.

“Mr.
Stone, Sir, uh… My King.” Dane didn’t know what to call him.

“Rafael
is fine for now.” He was smiling, so Dane hadn’t screwed up… yet. “Priscilla,
thank you for the cookies. If you’ll excuse us, we’re going to stay in here for
a bit.” The older lady patted Rafael’s cheek as she walked by.

 As
Kaya pulled a spatula out of a drawer and scooped the cookies onto a plate, she
asked, “Dane, would you like something to drink?”

“Water
would be great, thanks.” He really wanted a shot of whiskey. Or two.

Rafael
motioned to the stools at the island. “Dane, please have a seat.” Rafael, who
was wearing faded blue jeans and an untucked button up shirt, sat on one of the
stools at the island. His feet were bare. This was certainly not what Dane had
been expecting. Kaya placed a glass of water in front of Dane and milk in front
of Rafael. She poured herself a glass of wine and joined them. Rafael picked up
a cookie and offered one to Dane. “Priscilla’s cookies are to die for.” He
shoved the whole thing in his mouth, moaning as he chewed. Kaya was laughing at
him.

Rafael
drank half his milk, wiped his mouth on his sleeve and then spoke to Dane. “I
appreciate you driving out here to meet with me. I was going to do this at the
office, but I realized it would be better for you to see the real me. This is
the Rafael Stone that most people don’t know, never see. This is where I am
most comfortable. And this is the
me
that I want you to get to know. Not
just as your King, but your friend as well.

“We
are aware you have recently gone through your transition. First, I want you to
know, this is all new to us, the Gargoyles. Until a couple of weeks ago, we
didn’t know half-bloods existed. What I would like is for you to tell me your
story. Start at the beginning, if you would please.”

He
glanced at Kaya, and she nodded. “I’m not sure what to say, really. One minute
I was fine, the next I felt like I had the flu. I went to the doctor, but she
couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. Then this happened.”

“Okay,
can you elaborate a little for me?  We need to know everything you know,
especially about your parents.” Rafael grabbed another cookie, this time eating
it in more than one bite.

“I’m
not sure how much I’m supposed to say, but I’ve been thinking about that. I was
left to my own defenses my whole life, not knowing the truth of who and what I
am. Don’t get me wrong, Caroline explained a lot of it to me. I haven’t seen
her or Isabelle since I transitioned. Tessa did stop by, but she was hurrying
out of town. I know they’re my family, but to me, family doesn’t throw you to
the wolves with no survival guide. This is a lot of shit to take in, and I just
thought I would have someone helping me through it. I don’t want you to think
I’m some pussy whiner. I’m not. I just…”

Rafael
interrupted him, “Dane, Son, it’s okay. I don’t think less of you because you
are adjusting to being a shifter. If anything, I admire your strength. Gargoyles
are born into families where being a shifter is first nature, not second. Children
watch their parents phase from the time they come into this world and are
taught that they, too, will be shifters.”

Dane
couldn’t believe Rafael was proud of him or that he had called him
son.
He guessed being over five hundred years old earned him the right to call
anyone whatever he wanted to. “Thank you. It is a lot to get used to. Jasper
has tried to help, but I wanted to talk to my family first and find out if it
was okay to speak freely about all this. Since they aren’t around, I’m making
that decision for myself. If Gargoyles aren’t supposed to know about
half-bloods, maybe the Gargoyles shouldn’t be mixing things up with humans.”
Rafael flinched just the slightest at that.

“Here’s
what I know: Isabelle Sarantos is my sister, Caroline Wexler is my mother, and
Jonas Montague is my father, biologically speaking. I was put up for adoption
when I was a baby as were some of my other siblings.  The older ones were sent
to live in various countries around the world. Isabelle was the exception.
She’s the youngest, and Caroline didn’t want to give her up, but something
happened that caused Caroline to leave when Isabelle was young. I didn’t catch
the part as to why Isabelle thought Montague was dead. Caroline didn’t tell me
that she’s my mother; I overheard her and Tessa talking about it. Isabelle was
also kept in the dark about being a shifter. When I went to her for medical
help, she couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me and called Tessa in. What
Isabelle didn’t know was that Tessa was already watching me. When I started my
transition, Tessa had to tell her the truth. Some of this they told me, some I
overheard when they thought I was asleep.

“I
don’t blame Isabelle for not coming to me; she has her own demons to face. I do
blame Caroline. How can a mother…”

Kaya
reached across the island to place her hand on Dane’s arm. A low growl came
from Rafael’s throat, and she quickly pulled her hand back. Talk about intense.

“Can
I ask a question?” Dane had told himself he was going to find out everything. When
Rafael nodded he asked, “Are you two living together?”

Rafael
didn’t hesitate. “Yes. Kaya is my mate, therefore she is my Queen. Your Queen.”

“Come
again?” Dane knew things would be strange but
Queen
? That would explain
the jealous warning when Kaya touched him.

Kaya
spoke up, “I know this is a lot to take in, but quite a bit happened while you
were away. For whatever reason, the fates have decided that the Gargoyles can
mate with humans, as you now know. It could be because the females of their
kind are nearly extinct. For the bloodline to continue, the Gargoyles are now
able to mate with humans and have children, just like Jonas and Caroline.”

Rafael
elaborated, “We didn’t know this was possible until I met Kaya. The first time
I spoke to her on the telephone, I felt the mate pull. I tasked one of my
cousins with the job of finding out everything he could on the subject of
mating with humans. That search led him to Isabelle, and in turn Tessa. I need
you to tell us all you know on the subject.”

“That’s
just it; I don’t know anything about it. Any conversation I had with Isabelle
was before I knew she was my sister, and that was pertaining to my diagnosis.
When I was with Tessa and Caroline, I was trying to control my phasing. They
really didn’t tell me anything useful. Caroline did mention how the Unholy came
to be.” Dane told them about one of his older brothers, Gabriel, being used as
a pawn by Gordon Flanagan. He had been found by some of Flanagan’s men when he
was going through his initial transition. The scientists took his blood and
studied his DNA, somehow using both with the army they were creating. When
Gabriel was no longer needed, he was thrown into the river and presumed dead. “This
is the reason some of the younger siblings and I were put up for adoption, for
our safety. I’m sorry; if I had more information I would gladly give it to you.
Even though Isabelle is Montague’s daughter, Tessa seems to be the one with
firsthand knowledge of the man.”

“Yes,
Nikolas said as much after he spoke with her.” Rafael stood and rinsed his
glass out in the sink before putting it in the dishwasher.

“Nikolas?”
Dane had heard of Nikolas Stone and had seen his picture in the local
newspaper.

“Nikolas
is my cousin. You will meet him on Sunday if you come for what I’ve dubbed as
family day. Priscilla makes a buffet breakfast. You can come and stay all day
or just drop by when you feel like it. I have several brothers and cousins that
live here in New Atlanta, and even the Clan members that aren’t related that
closely are welcome.” Rafael told Dane a little about each of the Clan that
lived in New Atlanta. “I consider all of the Clan family whether we are related
by blood or not. You are now part of our family.”

Dane
nodded. “I would like that. Do they all live here with you? I mean this place
is so big…” He was interrupted by a voice coming from the back door.

“Honey,
I’m home!” Jasper came into the kitchen with that ever present grin stuck to
his face. “Oh, hey partner.  I didn’t know you were going to be here.” Jasper
helped himself to a cookie before opening the refrigerator and grabbing a
bottle. “Beer anyone?”

Tessa
heated her sandwich in the microwave. While it was nuking, she called her
mother. “Hey, Mom. Sophia just called. She received a cryptic message telling
her that Sam and Monica have been abducted, and if she wants to see them alive,
she would have to travel to Egypt. She was given an address, and the note said
she would get more information upon her arrival.”

“This
was what I wanted to talk to you about when you visited. I was afraid something
like this had happened. When I couldn’t get in touch with Sam, your father
started checking around. He can’t prove it, but he believes that Alistair is
causing another stir with regards to Jonas. Andrea, please tell Sophia not to
go after them. This is more than likely a trap.”

“Right.
Like she isn’t going to go after her parents. Do you honestly think if someone
told me you and Dad had been taken that I’d sit on my ass and do nothing? 
Sophia loves both her parents, but if something happened to Sam while she did
nothing to find him, it’d kill her. Besides, she’s already gone; she called me
from the airport. I am going to check on Lillian first thing in the morning,
and then I’m going to go after Sophia.”

“Andrea,
no, you can’t! It’s too dangerous,” her mom declared, with her father yelling in
the background, “Here, let me talk to her.” Tessa hung up the phone before she
could get orders from her dad to stay put. Since she lived in the States,
technically Rafael was her King. Xavier was King in Italy, but he liked to
throw his crown around with her since he was her father. There was no way she
would let Sophia go off to a foreign country alone.

Shifter
blood kept Tessa from getting too drunk or having massive hangovers. The
sandwich and glass of water helped clear the alcohol from her system and the
fuzziness from her mind. She had a lot of planning to do. Knowing Gregor was
lurking about didn’t help. She needed to be as far away from him as possible,
and going to Egypt was just the ticket out of town. With Sam missing and Ezekiel
still away, Tessa decided to tell Lilly the truth about being a shifter. With
no one to help her through the transition, she needed to know what to expect. Tessa
would go to her stand in the Quarter first thing in the morning.

Tessa
grabbed more water from the kitchen as she dialed Dane’s number. She felt bad
that she had left both him and Isabelle to their own devices so soon after
transitioning, but there was only one of her. By the time Sophia was able to
help, all the cousins would probably have changed. It was the cousins’ kids
that Sophia was going to watch. She was the only child of the half-bloods old
enough to go through a transition, and so far she hadn’t. That didn’t mean she
wouldn’t. When Dane’s phone went to voice mail, Tessa called Belle.

“Hello?”

“Hey
Belle, I was calling to see how you’re doing and when you are planning on
returning to work.”

“I’m
doing really well. I have the phasing under control, but I’m getting restless
staying at home. I had planned on going back to work tomorrow, but Gregor
called and said he had to go out of town. I’m to wait until he gets back. Since
I don’t know when that will be, I am going to my own clinic and get some work
done. I want to look through Jonas’ notes to see if there’s anything I can do
to help the inmates that Henshaw tampered with.”

“That
sounds like a great plan. Listen, I wanted to let you know that Sophia isn’t
around.” Tessa filled Belle in on the note, Sophia leaving for Egypt, and Tessa’s
plan to go after them all. “I’ll be home tomorrow night, but only long enough
to pack for the trip. Have you talked to Dane?”

“No,
I tried calling, but it went directly to voicemail. I left him a message to
call me.”

“Same
here. If you do talk to him, try to get a feel for where he is with the
Gargoyles. We need to stay as tight-lipped as possible around them. I found out
some more information about why your father was banished. Rafael’s uncle was
the one who instigated that. It seems he’s humanphobic or whatever the word is.”

“I
think the word you’re looking for is anthrophobic. And who is Rafael?”

Tessa
was relieved Belle was talking and hadn’t hung up on her. “Rafael is one of
Gregor’s brothers, but more importantly, King of the Gargoyles in the Americas.
Technically, he is our King, but until the half-bloods are acknowledged by the
Gargoyles, we will continue on as we have been. I have a feeling it won’t be
much longer until he wants us all under his rule. With Gregor knowing about us,
I am certain he has already told the King.”

“So,
that Nikolas that came by, is he their brother?”

“No,
he’s a cousin. There are a slew of cousins in and around New Atlanta. I would
have to ask Sophia for a list. She has been keeping up with that information
since she was old enough to write. She probably knows more about the Gargoyles
than most of them do. The other two brothers are Dante Di Pietro, who lives in
New Atlanta, and Sinclair Stone, who lives out west.”

“Why
does this Dante go by a different name?”

“Beats
me. Maybe one day you will get the chance to ask him yourself. I’m going to get
off here and make my travel arrangements. It was really good talking to you,
Belle.”

“You
too. See you when you get back.” Belle disconnected on her end, and Tessa was
glad her cousin was being inquisitive about her new world.

Gregor
parked his rental in the paid lot across from the casino then walked east
toward the river. The day was losing its light, and this was one of Gregor’s
favorite times of day. When the sun faded, giving way to the moon, the blood
coursed through his veins. The cells that fabricated his being ignited, as if
they knew night was growing closer. Gargoyles relished the dark, reveled in the
lack of sun, giving them the opportunity to spread their wings and soar. The breeze
off the Mississippi River tugged at his shirt tail and softy blew through his
short hair. Gregor ran a beefy hand through his cropped cut.

This
brought to mind a few hours earlier when Tessa ran her fingers through his hair
just before she kissed him. Even if it was a kiss to fool Jacques Dupart into
believing they were together, it had been one of the best kisses of his life.
Tessa’s mouth was crafted perfectly for his, and now that he had tasted her
essence, no other woman would do. If he was truthful, he didn’t want any other
woman. The few he had on speed dial could be removed from his phone. Gregor was
determined to make Tessa his, no matter how long it took.

Sitting
on a bench, looking out over the water, Gregor pulled out his phone and deleted
every woman who was listed for nothing more than fucking. After that was done,
he called Dominic.

“Salut.”
The voice coming the line was definitely French.

“Hello
yourself, Dominic. This is Gregor Stone.”

“Ah,
Gregor. What can I do for you?”

The
sound of silverware being placed on a plate came through the airwaves. “If I
caught you at a bad time, I can call back.”

“No,
I was just finishing my meal. What’s up?”

“I
am in New Orleans on personal business, and I wondered if I could meet with you
about a little problem I have.”

“Of
course. Anything for the King’s brother.”  Dominic wasn’t being sarcastic. Rafael
was a great King, and the leaders of the other Clans respected him and offered
their services freely and eagerly.

“Excellent.
How about eight a.m. at Jackson Square?”

“I
will be there. I must say you have me intrigued.”  The grin in his voice was
apparent over the phone.

“Yeah,
well, as much as I would love to take care of this myself, I have a prison to
tend to and just don’t have the time. Thank you, Dom.  I will see you in the
morning.” Both men said goodbye, and Gregor rose from the bench. He wanted to
check out a certain bar before heading back to Tessa’s for the night. He walked
along the river a little farther then crossed the train tracks and headed west
toward Ursulines Avenue.

Gregor
had never spent any time in Louisiana. He’d never had a reason to, until now. He
wanted to see what the allure was. Tourists filled the sidewalks along with
street entertainers, drunks, and vagrants. Young people all dressed in the same
drab clothes sat on the sidewalks, some playing instruments for spare change
while others just sat and talked. One such young man was walking with a dog
draped over his shoulders. People would ask about the dog, was he hurt or did
he just like to be carried. Gregor was certain it was a ruse for the man to get
attention as well as money.

Once
he crossed over Bourbon Street, the crowds thinned out. The busiest road in the
French Quarter seemed to be the barrier for tourists. It marked the edge of
let’s
take a look over here
and
I don’t think we should venture over there.
Gregor did venture on, noting a few of the locals who lived past the famous street
sitting on stoops, enjoying the night. Even though Halloween was a couple of
days away, the air in the southern town was still warm and sticky.

Gregor’s
shifter ears picked up the noise coming from the bar on the next block. He
didn’t have a plan if he happened upon Tessa’s ex-lover. He walked into the
crowded room and scanned the patrons. As luck would have it, the man was
nowhere to be seen. Gregor raised his voice over the noise and ordered a draft
beer crafted at the local brewery. He gave the bartender a ten and told him to
keep the change. Leaning against the crowded bar, he sipped his beer and looked
around again. The customers could easily fit in at The Tavern.  He finished his
beer, and seeing no sign of Dupart or any nefarious deals being made, he headed
back to his car.

The
crowd had picked up even more as Gregor eased his way along the various streets
that led to the river. Young boys wore flattened aluminum cans tied to the
bottom of their shoes, tapping out a rhythm while another boy banged away with
drums sticks on an overturned pickle bucket. A man dressed in a coconut shell
bikini and a long blonde wig was strutting down the sidewalk as well as he
could wearing five inch heels. Young women wearing nothing but body paint were
walking in the middle of the street, stopping for pictures whenever asked. These
sightings didn’t disturb Gregor, but neither did they hold any appeal. Having lived
over five hundred years, he had seen a lot of shit in his time. The only sight
that held his interest at the moment was around five foot eight with long red
hair.

Gregor
found an empty church parking lot close to Tessa’s house. He didn’t see any
signs posted stating overnight parking was prohibited. Getting his rental towed
would be a pain in the ass. He locked the vehicle and took off walking. He
wasn’t the only one on the sidewalks. Even though it was late in the day, individuals
were jogging, walking their dogs, strolling with their babies. He tried to
avoid those with dogs since animals could sense he was something other than
what he appeared to be. He couldn’t help glancing into a baby carriage as a
young couple passed by. A tiny, round face with eyes as blue as his own stared
back at him. The couple didn’t hesitate to allow him to coo at their infant. It
was a little disconcerting they weren’t scared in the least. There was no fear
coming from either of them. He ran a beefy finger along the fat jaw that was
grinning at him then thanked the couple for allowing him that small pleasure.

Gregor
wanted children. Always had. In the past, he tried not to think about kids,
even though he built his home with the hope of one day filling it with children.
Now that he knew Tessa was his mate, he couldn’t help but thinking about little
black haired boys and petite red haired girls running all over his cabin. If it
were up to him, he would be building on additions to make room for more kids.
He trusted when he finally got Tessa to see they were meant to be together, she
would want a houseful, too. After all, she was the one who would be carrying
and delivering the babies. Julian’s background check into Tessa had come up
lacking. He didn’t know any more now than he had before. She or someone she
knew was just as good as Julian with their computer skills. Tessa Blackmore was
still a mystery. One he intended to crack.

As
he closed in on her house, he scanned the streets for any sign of someone who
shouldn’t be there, someone who might be spying on Tessa for Jacques. He
doubted the man was brave enough to stalk her himself knowing Gregor was there.
At least he hoped not. Seeing no one lurking, he stealthily ascended the tree
outside Tessa’s window and settled in for the night.