Gregor (Stone Society Book 2) (26 page)

Gregor
offered a spare bedroom to Xavier, but he declined. While Elizabeth wanted to
stay, Xavier was still very protective and was ready to get her back to their
home. Most of the Clan cleared out, giving Gregor his privacy. Rafael and Kaya
stayed later than most, discussing Xavier and Alistair, and what that meant for
the Gargoyles. Rafael planned to call a meeting of the Clans and inform them of
human bonding, as well as the repercussions and possible war with Alistair.

Gregor
had missed out on helping Jasper move. The Julian-Dane battle over Katherine
Fox had continued then. More than once the other brothers had intervened. The
two hadn’t come to blows yet, but if they didn’t settle who she was actually
mated to soon, Rafael was afraid they would battle it out with their fists and
claws.

“What’s
the deal with Tessa and her brother?” Kaya asked quietly as she sat sipping
coffee.

“They’re
close. I’d say as close if not closer than twins because they come from the
same DNA. I was right; they can hear each other’s thoughts. He is very
protective of her, has watched over her for years now,” Gregor told her. Tamian
was once again upstairs with his sister. Gregor had a feeling things were going
to change for them as soon as she woke up.

Speaking
of Tamian, he slowly descended the stairs and stepped into the living area.
“She’s asking for you. Now that I know she’s going to be okay, I’m going to
head on home. Promise me you’ll take good care of her.” His words sounded like
a real goodbye, not just “I’ll see you later”.

“Of
course I will, but you don’t have to leave.”

“Yeah,
I do. She needs you, and you two need to start your life together without
anyone hovering.” Tamian clapped Gregor on the shoulder. “Rafael, Kaya, take
care.” With that, Tamian walked out the front door without looking back.

“Why
did that feel like goodbye?” Kaya was hugging herself.

“Because
it was.” Gregor didn’t need to have Dante’s psychic abilities to see the truth
for what it was.

Rafael
called for Priscilla who was still in the kitchen. Gregor would be searching
for his utensils for weeks. “We will leave you to your mate. If you need
anything at all, just call.” Rafael pulled Gregor in for a brotherly hug.

“Thank
you both, for everything.” Gregor kissed Priscilla on the cheek and bowed his
head to his Queen. Once the house was empty, Gregor took the stairs two at a
time to get to Tessa.

“It’s
about time.” Tessa smiled at Gregor.

“Holy
shit, Baby! You’re awake! Oh my gods, Tessa!” Gregor wanted to grab her up and
twirl her around, but with her injuries, he didn’t dare. “When Tamian said you
were asking for me, I didn’t know you were
really
asking for me.”

“I
was really asking for you. Can you get me some water? My throat feels like
fourteen cats have been clawing around in there.”

“Of
course, hang on.” Gregor grabbed a glass of water from the bathroom and helped
her sip it. “I need to call Joseph and ask if it’s okay to remove the I.V.”

“Who’s
Joseph?” Tessa asked between sips of water.

“Your
doctor. He operated on you after the wreck.”

Tessa
appeared confused. “But where’s Jonas?”

“Jonas?”

“Yeah,
my uncle. I know his voice as well as I know Tamian’s. He was there the whole
time, talking to me. I don’t recall anyone else.”

“Holy
fucking shit.” Gregor couldn’t believe it. Now it all made sense. Joseph
Mooneyham was Jonas Montague. That explained the recognition between him and
Tamian. “Tessa, I am pretty sure your uncle has been right here in New Atlanta
for the last ten years posing as Joseph Mooneyham, Chief of Staff.”

Tessa
rolled her eyes. “Of course he has. That’s why Caroline was able to get here so
quickly when Dane transitioned. They’ve been hiding close by.” She laughed
until she started coughing.

“Easy,
Baby. Don’t overdo it. I just got you back.” Gregor fussed over her pillows,
and her shirt, and her hair.

“Stop
fussing. Do me a favor and call Jonas. Ask him about the monitors and the I.V.
and these fucking splints. I’m pretty sure my bones are healed by now. And get
this fucking catheter out of me. Now.”

Gregor
laughed at her sass and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. She surprised him
by offering her lips. It was a swift brush of skin. “I would give you some
tongue, but my mouth tastes like those fourteen cats have used it as their litter
box.”

Gregor
went to the bathroom and came back with mouthwash. “Until we can get you up to
brush your teeth.” Tessa swished a little mouthwash around and spit it in the
offered glass. While she was swishing he told her, “About the catheter, I’m not
pulling it out. I’m not a doctor, and I don’t want to hurt you. Let me call
Joseph, I mean Jonas. If he can’t come by here, I will get Isabelle on it.”

Gregor
made the phone calls, and Tessa rambled on about nothing. She was catching up
on lost time using her voice. The doctor instructed Gregor to feed her broth
until her stomach got used to something other than the fluids that had been flowing
through her veins.

Even
though the hour was late, Tessa had insisted all tubes and monitors be removed
from her body. Dante and Isabelle arrived together. Working as a team, Isabelle
removed one splint while Dante removed the other. Jonas had agreed to the splints
on her arms coming off, as long as she promised not to put any weight on them
or pick anything up for several days. Getting around required the use of
crutches, so she would be immobile for a while longer. Gregor had to promise Tessa
would not move herself. He had no problem with carrying his mate wherever she
wanted to go.

Isabelle
shooed Dante and Gregor from the room so she could remove the catheter. Tessa
and Isabelle spoke privately while Gregor and Dante did the same downstairs. Gregor
noticed Dante’s mood was lighter than it had been in years. “What’s up?”

“Isabelle
asked me out to dinner.”

“Do
you think she is ready to move forward?” Gregor hoped so for his brother’s
sake.

“We
shall see. It is, however, just dinner at Chez Vaison. A very public place
where absolutely nothing other than conversation can happen.”

“Truth,
Brother. It’s what happens after dinner that could be exciting.” Gregor clapped
him on the shoulder just as Isabelle came down the stairs, shaking her head.

“She’s
all yours. I don’t know how you put up with her mouth.”

Gregor
laughed, thinking how much he loved Tessa’s mouth and what she could do with
it.

For
the second time that day, Dante and Isabelle said goodbye, this time happy that
Tessa was awake and on her way to a full recovery.

Gregor
shut and locked the door and headed to his mate. He stopped just outside the
bedroom and stared. Bruised, cut, and in desperate need of a shower, she was
still the most beautiful woman in the world. She smiled at him and patted the
bed beside her. Gregor sat down, scooting over until he was next to her good
leg. She leaned up so he could slide his arm around her waist. When he did, she
laid her head on his shoulder. Gregor’s heart sped up. Having her back in his
bed was a dream come true, even if they could do no more than cuddle.

Tessa
gingerly placed a hand on his chest, letting her fingers trail swirls over his
skin. “I need to ask you something.”

Gregor
momentarily tensed. He had no idea what was going through her pretty head, but
he would tell her what she wanted to know. “Anything.”

“Is
Gordon dead?”

Gregor
let out his breath. This he could deal with. “Honestly, we don’t know. His helicopter
was shot down, but only one body was recovered. That doesn’t mean he got out
alive. Doesn’t mean he didn’t. Now I have a question.”

Tessa
looked up at him. “Anything,” she responded in kind.

“How
did Merrick find you?”

Tessa
frowned. “Who’s Merrick?”

“The
guy chasing you, the one driving the Mustang.”

“Oh,
him. I think it was dumb luck. I was standing in the food line at the festival,
and he turned around, dumping his food on my shirt. When he went to apologize,
he must have recognized me. If he was working for Gordon, he probably had a
picture of my mother. Did he get away, too?”

“No,
that fucker’s dead.”

Tessa
thought on that a beat then asked, “What’s up with Dante and Belle?”

Since
the Clan already knew, he didn’t see anything wrong in telling Tessa. “They’re
mates. I thought you might have figured that out already.”

Tessa
raised her head and looked at him, “No, but I’m glad it’s your brother. She was
really worried about who it might be. Although, I hope they never have kids.”

“Why
not?” Gregor’s heart stopped. Where was she going with this? Did she not think
the Gargoyles and half-bloods should have children?

“Have
you seen those two? Neither one of them knows how to smile. Just think of the
scowling ass babies they’d have.”

Gregor
started laughing. He couldn’t help it. She did have a point, but hopefully now
that Isabelle had asked Dante out, they would give each other something to
smile about.

Tessa
snuggled in closer then spoke to his chest, “When I left here Halloween
morning, I wanted so badly to turn around and come right back. My heart felt
like someone had reached into my chest and ripped it right out. I went to the
fall festival and walked around, thinking. Do you really want children?”

Again,
Gregor was leery of the subject. He didn’t know if she wanted children, but if
this was going to work, they had to be honest with each other. “I do. Do you
not?” He closed his eyes, waiting on her answer.

“I
wasn’t sure I did until I observed the families at the festival, watching the
parents interacting with the kids. And then there was this purple duck. That
sealed the deal.”

“A
purple duck? I didn’t know there was such a thing.”

Tessa
explained how she won the stuffed toy for the little girl whose mother didn’t
have the money or ability to win the toy for her daughter. “The joy that one
insignificant toy brought to that child instilled the longing within me to see
my own child happy. I want children. Your children.”

Wetness
was forming in Gregor’s eyes. He didn’t try to hide the emotions from his mate.
Honesty came in many forms, and that included allowing your true feelings to
shine, even in the form of tears. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. She
had just given him the world.

“Does
this mean you’re ready to make the bond official?  Not now, but when you’re
healed?”

Tessa
nodded, her own eyes shining with tears. “Yes, I am ready to be your mate.”

When
the world was falling apart, all because Tessa’s uncle decided to clone her, the
Di Pietro family began buying up real estate all over the world. The small
Greek island of Astakos was one of those properties. Sixx had offered the
island to Gregor and Tessa for a belated honeymoon. Once Tessa had healed,
Gregor more or less turned the Pen over to Deacon. Wherever his mate went,
Gregor followed.

Tessa
produced Jonas’ final journal that chronicled the lives of his seventeen
children, showing humans could mate successfully with Gargoyles. As soon as
Tessa gave the journal to Rafael, he had thrown his Queen over his shoulder and
sequestered her to their bedroom for days. Needless to say, Dane Abbott became
Chief of Police.

With
the Stone Society owning Astakos Island, Gregor and Tessa had all the privacy
they wanted. What started as a one week holiday turned into a month-long sex
fest. When Sixx originally bought the island, he had razed the local hotel, and
in its place built a huge mansion full of windows that overlooked the Ionian
Sea. The only others on the island were the cooks and caretakers who kept out of
site of the guests.

The
weather was such that they could stay on the beach with no worry of rain. The
temperatures were mild, and they rarely saw the inside of the mansion. The
cabana by the sea boasted a kitchen, king-size bedroom, and bathroom. Gregor built
a fire on the beach every night, not for heat, but just because Tessa wanted
one.

Tessa
was lying on a chaise, sunning her naked body. All of her scars had been
removed with the exception of the one running through her ink. Gregor insisted
she leave it. He wanted the reminder of how precious life was. He stood,
admiring his nude mate, his cock standing at attention. He had worn a hard-on
since they arrived at the island. They had made love and fucked in every room
of the mansion. The hot tub had to be cleaned daily.

When
Gregor shaded Tessa’s body, she asked, “Do you remember when we went cliff
diving in Acapulco?”

“Yeah.”
Gregor bent down closer to his mate, his cock straining against his swim trunks.
“What about it?” He got closer still and ran his nose up her inner thigh,
stopping at the juncture between her legs. As long as he lived, he would never
get enough of her scent, her taste.

“I
want to go Gregor diving.” She was grinning at him.

“Gregor
diving?” He lifted his nose from her crotch. The mirrored aviators she wore
concealed her eyes. He couldn’t tell if she was yanking his chain.

“Yep,
I want you to fly me above the water and let me dive off your shoulders.”

Gregor
gently slid the shades down her button nose, seeing the glint of mischievousness
in her eyes. “You’re serious.”

“Of
course I’m serious. You’ll be able to see the water and know I’m not diving
close to any rocks. The farther away from shore you fly, the deeper the water.”

Gregor
licked a trail up her torso, admiring the goose bumps that popped up. He sucked
her left nipple. “What do I get in return?” He sucked her right nipple. Tessa
squirmed in her chair.

“Anything
you want,” she responded in a husky voice.

Gregor
liked that answer. Tessa was a wildcat in bed. They had experimented with just
about every toy imaginable. They tied each other up, submitted to and dominated
each other. Tessa was an expert when it came to dishing out just the right
amount of pain. She was the perfect sexual partner. If she wanted plain vanilla,
slow and gentle love making, she never hesitated telling him so. Gregor was more
than okay with being gentle when his mate needed it.

“Suit
up.” Gregor dug through the duffle bag sitting next to her chair and grabbed one
of Tessa’s many bathing suits, tossing it to her. There was no way she could
jump into the sea without getting a saltwater douche. She grabbed his hand, and
he pulled her to her feet. Even with her red hair, she tanned evenly without
burning. Her toned, tan body was sexy as hell, especially now that she had
another tattoo on the opposite hip as his initials. When Tamian had taken off,
it nearly broke Tessa’s heart. When she asked Gregor if he minded her getting
ink to honor her brother, he was all for it. Gregor almost felt guilty for her
brother running off. Almost.

The
workers on the island had been hired specifically because of their knowledge of
the Gargoyles. If they noticed Gregor flying with Tessa and her diving into the
blue water, they wouldn’t think anything about it, other than it might look
fun. Once Tessa was wearing a swimsuit, Gregor unfurled his wings and wrapped
his arms around Tessa’s waist. He launched into the air, flying out over the
water. When he thought he was high enough, she shook her head, “Higher.” He
flew higher yet, and when she told him to, he helped her climb onto his
shoulders. His wings held him in place while Tessa dove from high above the sea
into the crystal blue waters. He flew after her, landing almost as soon as she
did.

Tessa
kicked her legs and broke the surface of the water, laughing louder than he had
ever heard. “Again!”

After
the sun started going down and the moon was showing its face, Gregor grabbed
her and pulled her body to his. Tessa wrapped her legs around his waist, her
arms around his shoulders. The smile on her face could light up a small third world
country. He vowed to keep her smile in place for an eternity.

Tessa
ground her pussy against his ever present hard cock. It wouldn’t be the first
time they made love in the sea. It wouldn’t be the last swimsuit Gregor
shredded to get his mate skin to skin. She pressed their mouths together, twirling
their tongues in a dance as hot as a Samba. Gregor shuffled them closer to
shore so his feet could find purchase in the sand. Tessa had his swim trunks
down his legs and his dick in her hand, ready to impale herself. Between kisses
she asked, “How do you feel about the names Tabitha and Antonio?”

Gregor
froze in the water. “Do you mean what I think you mean?” His heart stopped.
Ever since Kaya had given birth to Sebastian, Gregor had been longing to have a
child of his own, their own.

Tessa’s
bright green eyes glowed. “If you think I’m pregnant with twins, then you would
be correct.”

Gregor
kissed Tessa with all the love he had in him. His mate carrying his babies in
her stomach was the greatest gift she could give him.

Gregor
latched his mouth onto her neck, sucking the blood to the surface, adding it to
the other marks he had put on her body these last few days. Gregor smiled at
his woman, “Hold on.” When she was wrapped tightly around his body, he phased
and used his wings to lift his woman into the now moonlit sky.

Gregor’s
wings flapped softly, keeping them hovering just below the clouds. “Have you
heard of the mile high club?”

“Of
course. What are you…?”

Gregor
didn’t give her a chance to finish her question. He crashed their mouths
together as he thrust his cock into her warm, wet core. Gregor and Tessa made
love in the evening sky over the sea, celebrating the two lives growing in her
belly.