Gregor (Stone Society Book 2) (25 page)

Gregor
spent the rest of the day getting Tessa home and into his bed. He grabbed a
spare comforter off one of the guest beds since Tessa had shredded his. He
cleaned up the broken glass in his bathroom while Dante and Trevor worked
fluidly to hook up the equipment and get Tessa settled. With her arms in
splints, she couldn’t easily lie on her side, so they brought in pillows from
the other bedrooms and propped her up. Trevor had been unusually quiet on the
ride to the cabin and hadn’t said a word once they were inside.

“Trevor,
I want to thank you for your help today.” Gregor knew he could be intimidating,
but there was no reason for Dante’s assistant to fear him.

“I’ve
seen her before, coming from Dane Abbott’s apartment right before he
disappeared.” Trevor was staring at Tessa.

Gregor
and Dante looked at each other. Dante was the one to speak up. “They are
cousins.” That was the truth, just not the whole truth.

Trevor
finally looked at Gregor. “I’m just glad she’s alive, you know? After seeing
all the look-alikes come across our tables, well I’m glad to see her like this
instead of... dead.” The kid could be morbid, but he had a point.

“Trevor,
please take the bus back to the hospital. I will remain here with Gregor and
Tessa for a while.” Dante was still adjusting monitors, fussing over Tessa’s
pillows, checking and rechecking her I.V.

“Do
you need a ride later? I can always come back after my shift is over.”

“It’s
very kind of you to offer, but I will have a ride. I, too, appreciate your
assistance today, and once I can put all my focus back on the morgue, you will
be getting a well-deserved vacation.”

“Wow,
that’s not necessary, but thanks!  Okay, then, I will just be going.” Instead
of leaving, Trevor walked closer to the bed and Tessa. He touched her arm with
his fingertip and whispered, “I’m glad you’re here and not there.”

Dante
walked Trevor to the door. Even though they were downstairs, Gregor’s shifter
ears picked up the conversation. “I really appreciate all you do, and I trust
your judgment in keeping our family business private.”

“Absolutely.
Besides, who am I going to tell? The corpses? It’s not like I have any
friends.”

“You
do have friends, Trevor. Gregor and I are your friends, your family. You just
have to let us in.”

Gregor
was shocked at the gentleness with which Dante handled his assistant. Normally
his brother was not the touchy-feely type, but his softer side was showing
itself more and more. It was possible Isabelle had something to do with it. Up
until about a week ago, Gregor’s life had consisted of patrolling for Unholy
and running the prison. He hadn’t thought of either in the last few days unless
it was mentioned to him. Finding one’s mate changed a Goyle.

Gregor
lay down next to Tessa on the bed, careful to not disturb her healing bones.
“Hey, Red. It’s just you and me for a few minutes. I brought you home, to my
home. I hope someday this is our home. I understand now why you said it wasn’t
safe, but Baby, we’re Gargoyles. Our lives have never been truly safe and never
will be. It won’t matter if you and I are together or apart. Someone will be
after one of us whether it’s my crazy uncle, or Flanagan, or Unholy, or
ex-lovers.

“We
were designed for one another. If the fates deem us mates, who are we to argue?
All I know is I want you with me, by my side as my partner in life, for
eternity. I have spent the last five hundred years alone, and I am ready to
fill my days with someone other than ugly inmates and ugly brothers.” Dante
coughed downstairs. He was listening to Gregor talk to Tessa.

“Okay,
maybe not ugly brothers, just ones who need to smile more often.” That got an
hmph
from downstairs. “Like I told you before, I will give you all the time you
need. Right now, I want you to concentrate on getting better, on waking up.
Even if you decide to carry on with your life without me in it, I want you to
open those pretty green eyes. I need to hear your sassy mouth telling me to
fuck off. Tessa, I just need you.” Gregor settled in beside her, closing his
eyes, and concentrated on the sound of her breathing.

The
sound of voices woke Gregor from a deep sleep. Having slept in a hospital chair
the last few nights had been brutal. Glancing at the clock, he noticed the
lateness of the day. Once he sat up, he could feel the pull of the moon. The shifter
inside warred between the need to fly and to stay by Tessa’s side. He brushed
her hair away from her face and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

Tamian
appeared in the door, “I thought I’d come give you a break. If you want to go
talk to your Clan, I can sit with Andi.” One of the monitors started beeping. Within
seconds, both Dante and Isabelle appeared in the doorway.

“What
happened?” Isabelle pressed a button, and the beeping stopped.

“St.
Claire here called his sister
Andi.
She fucking hates that name, man,”
Gregor admonished him.

Tamian
shrugged, “Hey, it’s her name. Maybe when she wakes up she can legally change
her name to Tessa since she’s so fond of it. Out of all her aliases, she
prefers that one.”

Hmm,
had Tessa not shared her choice of names with her brother? “She has a reason
for choosing Tessa. Maybe one day she’ll tell you why,” Gregor told Tamian as Isabelle
fussed over her cousin. Dante’s eyes rarely left his own mate.

“Who
all’s downstairs?” Gregor stood and stretched. His large bedroom was getting
crowded. As badly as he wanted to stay with his mate constantly, he needed to
eat. He would only be a few steps away from her, and she would be in good hands
while he took a break.

“Rafe
and Kaya, Frey, Julian, Sixx, Jasper, and Dane.” Dante rattled off the Clan who
had come to check on him and Tessa.

“Tamian,
please don’t upset your sister again. I’m going downstairs for a little bit.”

“Yes,
Boss.” Tamian gave him a smartass salute and settled into the chair next to the
bed. Dante and Isabelle headed down the stairs, but Gregor stopped in the
doorway to observe Tessa and her brother. Tamian gently took her hand in his
and kissed her knuckles. He didn’t say a word, so Gregor figured Tamian was
attempting to mind speak with his sister.

Tamian
was aware of Gregor standing at the door, but it didn’t bother him. If the
roles were reversed, Tamian doubted he would leave Andi’s side for one second.
As her clone, he needed the connection. Once he was old enough, Tamian had
followed his sister all over the world, watching her back and basically just
being near her. Andi. Shit. He would have to get used to calling her Tessa. He had
felt a twinge of jealousy that Gregor knew the meaning behind Tessa’s favored
moniker when he didn’t.

Ever
since Tessa had figured out Gregor Stone was her mate, she had become obsessed
with the man. Tamian eventually tired of listening in on her thoughts about
her
warden
and started tuning her out. Now he would give anything for her to
drone on and on about living happily ever after with the Gargoyle of her
dreams. On the outside, she had rebuked their mating bond. On the inside
though, her thoughts rarely strayed from the man, even when she had been dating
Jacques.

“Tessa,
it’s me, Tam. I’m going to sit with you for a bit while Gregor gets something
to eat.”

“Awesome.
Please do me a favor, and tell him to stop being so mopey, or I’m going to
shoot him.”

“Oh
gods, you can hear me!”

“Of
course I can, I just haven’t been able to respond. I’ve heard everything
everyone has said since I woke up. What’s wrong with me?”

“This
is great! At least I know you’re in there. We don’t know what’s wrong. The MRI
didn’t show any blockage or swelling that would cause your continued condition.
I guess since you can talk to me, you aren’t actually in a coma. I should tell
Dante and Isabelle so they can check you out.”

“No,
not yet. Just sit with me for a few minutes. The poking and prodding gets old.”

“Of
course. Do you need anything?”

“Yes,
take these fucking splints off. They’re driving me crazy. My skin is itching,
and my claws are ready to rip through the bandages.”

”You
will just have to tough it out; I’m not taking them off. Don’t you want your
bones to heal properly?”

“Of
course, but shouldn’t they already be healed? We’re fucking Gargoyles after
all.”

“Half
Gargoyles, and that’s a question for your doctor. Speaking of which…”
Tamian didn’t get a chance to
finish his thought. A commotion downstairs had both him and Tessa thinking, “
Oh
fuck
.”

“I
should probably go downstairs and play referee. Will you be okay until someone
gets back?”

“Yep.
Please don’t let Dad kill my mate before we have a chance to actually
become
mates.”

“So
you plan to go through with it?”
Tamian
had no right to deny his sister her happiness, but the green-eyed monster was
ever present.

“I
do. Before I was chased by a fucking lunatic, I had time to think about it. A
purple duck made my decision for me.”

“A
purple duck?”
His
sister always had wild ideas and stories. This one he had to hear.

“Yes,
but that’s a story for another time. I think you need to go rescue my mate and
the King from our father.”

“Okay,
I’ll send Mom up as soon as the smoke clears.”

“Tamian,
I love you. You know that, right?”

His
heart tightened in his chest. It was wrong, the feelings he had for his sister.
He didn’t understand them, never had. He was attracted to other women and had
bedded plenty of them. It had always been a quick fuck, a means to an end. Emotions
were never involved. He attributed his deep need for his sister to the clone
bond. It was a burden he had to bear. For the rest of his life, he would endure
it. Alone.
“I love you, too.”

Tamian
placed a kiss on his sister’s forehead and made his way downstairs to intervene.
He didn’t need shifter hearing as the shouting could be heard in the next
county over. He paused at the bottom of the steps, taking in the chaos.

The
scene in Gregor’s home warmed his heart. Kaya and Priscilla were working side
by side in the kitchen preparing a meal. Gregor would later find out they had
fixed enough food to freeze so he wouldn’t have to cook for weeks. The men were
refereeing an argument between Dane and Julian.

“I
am telling you, she is not your mate!” Julian was in Dane’s face, but the
newbie wasn’t backing down.

“Then
why did I transition immediately after meeting with her?” Dane had his hands on
his hips.

“I
don’t know. What I do know is Katherine Fox is
my
mate.” Julian had
vowed to stay away from the reporter, but Gregor knew once the mate bond hit,
you couldn’t let it go that easily.

Gregor’s
doorbell rang, and he left the arguing men to their own defenses. He opened the
door, and his breath caught. Standing in front of him was a woman who was the
spitting image of his own mate. Directly behind her was Xavier Montagnon, one
of the Original Elders. The arguing in the room ceased as Rafael seethed, “What
in the fuck are
you
doing here?”

Gregor
felt the heat at his back as Rafael now stood behind him. He knew Elizabeth would
not have aged, but she could pass for Tessa’s twin. “I invited them, although
when I did, I wasn’t aware of exactly who Tessa’s father is.” He was speaking
to Rafael but looking at Elizabeth.

“Do
you mind letting us in? And while you’re at it, stop staring at my mate.”
Xavier was not happy about the situation. That much was clear.

 Gregor
stepped back, opening the door wider. “Please, come in.” When Rafe didn’t move,
Gregor nudged him with his shoulder. “I can explain.”

“Yeah,
this I’m ready to hear.” Rafael backed up and allowed them to pass.

Most
of the Clan had met Xavier at some point in their lives. They had not met
Elizabeth. The mother of the first cloned baby who disappeared off the face of
the earth was a legend. A gasp escaped Kaya and something inhuman came from
Isabelle.

Dante’s
mate walked right up to Tessa’s mother. “Hello Elizabeth. You’re
looking…young.” She didn’t bother with niceties. The sting of being kept away
from her own mother with no knowledge of being a shifter was still not sitting
well with her.

“Isabelle,
I…”  Elizabeth was cut off by Xavier.

“You
can have your reunion later. Where is Tessa? I want to see my girl.”

“She’s
upstairs resting.” Gregor worked hard to calm himself. The conversation between
Rafael and Xavier regarding human bonding came to mind.

“And
you left her alone? In her condition?” Xavier was headed toward the staircase
when Rafael stepped in front of him.

“Of
course she isn’t alone. Her brother is with her,” Rafael confirmed angrily. He
obviously hadn’t forgotten the conversation either. Gregor knew his brother,
and he was about two seconds away from phasing. Xavier may be Tessa’s father,
but he was in Rafael’s territory now.

“Tamian’s
here?” Elizabeth’s eyes lit up. “I thought he was in jail?”

“He
was, undercover, until Tessa’s accident. Now he’s not.” Rafael wasn’t playing
nice. Gregor needed to diffuse the situation before it escalated to a minor
war. The men began arguing and the Clan circled, taking up for their King.

About
that time, a loud whistle ceased the quarreling momentarily. From the staircase,
Tamian called out to his parents, “Hello Mom, Dad.”

Elizabeth
ran to her son and wrapped her arms around him. The arguments continued but
lessened as Elizabeth’s crying could be heard by all.

Tamian
pulled back from his mother’s embrace. “Let’s all have a seat and discuss why
you were invited other than the obvious reason.”

Neither
Rafael nor Xavier moved to sit. Kaya closed the gap between her and Rafael, placing
a hand on his arm. “My King.”

 Elizabeth
eased in to Xavier’s side and grabbed his hand. “Honey.”

The
instant change that came over both men was amazing. Kings may rule the world,
but the Queens ruled the Kings. The Clan members stepped back, giving the
couples room to sit on the opposing sofas. Frey took a spot directly behind
Rafael and Kaya, standing sentry. The others moved off to the side of the room
looking less menacing. Gregor stood in front of the fireplace between the two
sofas, hopefully appearing neutral.

Gregor
asked Isabelle to go sit with Tessa while he spoke with Xavier. Once he knew
his mate was being looked after, he addressed the room.

“Tessa
is not critical, she just needs time to recover from her injuries. Her doctor
assured us she will wake up on her own, when she’s ready. You both know how
stubborn your daughter is. I think she’s milking the attention.” Gregor smiled
at Elizabeth, trying to ease her anxiety.

“I
feel it’s best to lay all our cards on the table, however painful they may be.
First, Gordon Flanagan may or may not be dead.” Elizabeth closed her eyes and
sighed. Xavier reached for her hand.

“Richard
Merrick, the man who was chasing Tessa, has been identified as the Redhead
Killer. If you weren’t aware, women in New Atlanta who could pass for Tessa’s
sisters were being strangled. The last body had a message carved into her skin.
This message was supposed to get Tessa’s attention and flush her out of hiding.
We haven’t been able to ask Tessa how Merrick found her, but he did. When he
began chasing Tessa, a helicopter joined in the pursuit. Tessa thought it was
Flanagan, and Geoffrey later confirmed it.

“Now,
we know how people can change their appearance, just like the decoy who lost
his life at the warehouse a few weeks ago. The man most likely was Flanagan,
but as of now, a body has not been recovered. We will not assume he is dead
until we see a corpse. We’ve made that mistake before.” Rafael opened his mouth
to add something but Kaya squeezed his arm, effectively silencing him.

“For
now, we are going to hope he is dead, and we have one less pain in our ass.
Next, we need to discuss the fact we have been kept in the dark about mating
with humans. Xavier, we know why this has been hidden from us. Jonas being
ostracized was not our fault. Furthermore, we are not afraid of Alistair. As
far as we’re concerned, he can sit on his throne in Greece and rot. He has no
authority over our Clan, and we will not put our lives on hold because one
bigoted Gargoyle has a problem with our lifestyle. As you can see, Rafael and
Kaya are mated. Kaya is our Queen, and now we have proof humans have carried
Goyle babies to term with no trouble.

“I
intend to live a long and happy life with your daughter. I would prefer to do
that without our families at war. If what you feel about Alistair is true, we
are going to need to work together on a united front, not opposing sides.”

Xavier stood.
“Rafael, I need to apologize for lying to you. Athena and I only want what’s
best for our children, and we agreed the longer you were kept in the dark, the
longer you could avoid Alistair’s misplaced ideas.”

Rafael stood facing
Xavier.  “I guess this is why my mother refuses to take my calls.”

Xavier nodded. He met the eyes of every member
of the Clan
. “I am
apologizing to you all, to your King, your Clan. I have watched you rule,
Rafael, and you are the best King I have ever known. I pledge my Clan’s
allegiance to yours.” Xavier fisted his hand over his heart and bowed his head.
Likewise, Rafael bowed his head to Xavier.

Gregor
smiled internally. “Now, would you like to see your daughter?”

Elizabeth
literally jumped up from the sofa. It was disconcerting how much she and Tessa
looked alike. No wonder Flanagan had been able to find Tessa. “I need to warn
you, she has both arms in splints. Her left leg is fragile, as the bone will
take time to heal. She also has monitors connected to her. We believe she can
hear us so please, talk to her.”

“Oh,
she can definitely hear you.” Tamian appeared to be gloating.

“How
do you know that, unless she spoke to you? Did she fucking talk to you and
you’re just now mentioning it?” Gregor was ready to throttle the man.

“She
didn’t speak out loud, no. But she did mind speak, and she has a message for
you. She said to stop moping around, or she’s going to shoot you.”

Gregor
threw his head back and howled. The others in the room probably figured he’d
lost his mind, but he couldn’t stop the laughter. “Of course she will.” He
shook his head, and his heart filled with hope for the first time in days.

Gregor
asked that they not overwhelm Tessa since she was obviously aware of her
surroundings. They agreed, and Elizabeth went in to see her first. Gregor stood
outside the door listening. He should give her some privacy, but he didn’t want
to be far away in case she became agitated. After Xavier spent a few short
minutes talking to his daughter, Elizabeth grabbed Gregor’s hand and pulled him
into the room with her. Even though Tamian had said Tessa could hear them,
Elizabeth spoke as if she couldn’t.

“I
remember when she got this.” She was running her fingers gingerly across
Tessa’s tattoo. Gregor had dressed Tessa in one of his button up shirts. It was
the easiest thing to get on over the splints without too much trouble. “I knew
then you two would eventually find your way to each other. I’m just glad the glass
cut through the A and not the G.”

“What
are you talking about?” Gregor looked closer at the tattoo. When he took the
time to analyze the ink, he finally figured out the swirls were more than just
fancy lines. His initials, GAS, were flowing along her skin.

“Tessa
has always known who you are, Gregor. While you may truly be a Di Pietro, to
her you are a Stone. Her hardass.” Elizabeth laughed as she stroked her
daughter’s hair. “Tessa, I know you can hear me, so you’ll just have to forgive
me for spilling your secrets.”  At that, the fingers on the hand Gregor was
holding twitched.