What the ever-loving hell? Kat knew she was awake, but she still couldn’t believe Julian not only carried her through several acres of woods, but he did it in less time than she could have driven it in her car. She didn’t have a chance to ask him how he’d been able to run so fast, because they were entering a home as nice as Julian’s without knocking first, and he was calling out to his cousin. “Dante, we need your help,” Julian said in a normal voice. He cocked his head to the side before saying, “Dammit, he isn’t home.” He pulled his phone out, calling someone – Dante, Kat presumed. “Hey, Brother, we have a problem. Kat has a tracker under her skin, and we need it removed.” Julian ran a finger down Kat’s face, and she leaned into the touch. As crazy as everything was, she wanted nothing more than to return to his house and climb back in bed.

“Okay, thanks.” Julian disconnected and redialed. “Jasper, is Trevor home?”

Jasper? Trevor? The only Trevor Katherine knew was Dante’s assistant, but since they were standing in the medical examiner’s home, it would make sense he was the Trevor Julian was referring to. He asked Jasper if Trevor was home. They must be roommates.

“Katherine has a tracker in her neck, and we need it removed. The Feds are at my home now. I brought her to Dante’s, but he and Isabelle have taken Connor shopping. We are going to borrow Dante’s car, and we will meet you there. Thank you, Brother,” Julian said. Kat was pretty sure Julian had told her Nikolas and Frey Hartley were his only brothers, but maybe she’d misheard. That or he called everyone brother.

Julian took Kat’s hand and led her to Dante’s garage. “Sweetheart, I hate to ask this of you, but it will be best if you lie down in the back seat so no one accidentally sees you.”

“I can do that,” she said. Julian helped her into the back before getting into the driver’s seat. The key was already in the ignition, so borrowing Dante’s car had been no problem. Kat wondered if her life would ever return to normal. She also wondered about Julian and his abilities. She’d read books about super humans, but those had been fiction. She’d also read that all fiction contained a grain of truth. Kat could imagine Julian being a super human. There was an animalistic grace in the way he moved, and the noises he made were definitely not human in nature. He was doing whatever it took to keep her safe and out of the hands of the Feds. If he had extraordinary powers, all the better.

“I am taking you to the hospital. Dante’s assistant, Trevor, is going to meet us there. He is–” Julian’s cell phone ringing cut off his words. “Nik. Dante was not home. We are headed to the hospital to meet Trevor. Thank you. I will be in touch.”

“Julian?” Kat asked when he didn’t continue what he had been saying to her.

“That was Nik. He said the Feds were pissed, demanding to know where you were. He told them he had no idea what was going on, but they were welcome to search the house. When the tracker signal weakened, they left, both pissed and confused.”

“Is Trevor qualified to cut on my neck?”

“Yes, he is, but he is only going to get you ready. Dante is bringing Isabelle to us, and she will be doing the extraction.”

“Oh. Okay.” Katherine put her hand on the seat in front of her to keep from falling into the floorboard. Julian was driving fast and taking corners sharper than he should, but they were in a hurry.

When they arrived at the hospital, Julian said, “Stay here. I need to scan the area.” After several minutes, the door opened and Julian said, “Let’s go.”  He held out his hand to her, and when he helped her to her feet, Jasper Jenkins, one of New Atlanta’s cops, was standing next to him, his eyes searching their surroundings. Julian and Jasper used their larger bodies as shields while they walked to a side door leading into the hospital. Once inside, they didn’t stop until they reached the morgue.

Trevor McKenzie, Dante’s quirky assistant, was waiting on them. “Let’s go back here,” he said, indicating a room farther back. Kat had never seen the inside of a morgue, but it was everything she would expect it to be. Cold and sterile, the room was filled with stainless steel tables on one side and square doors on the other where she assumed dead bodies rested behind them. While Trevor gathered supplies, Julian pulled Kat into his arms. She welcomed the warmth and the support. Jasper gave Trevor a quick kiss on his lips before nodding his head at them.

“I’m sorry you’re going through this ordeal,” Julian said, kissing her hair. The tender way he held and kissed her was contradictory to the feral way he’d fucked her.

Not as sorry as I am. “If I knew why I had been targeted…” Kat didn’t finish her thought, because it would have been a lie.

“So, Trevor. You and Jasper?” she asked, changing the subject.

Trevor grinned, holding up his left hand. “Oh yes, and he’s going to make an honest human out of me if he survives the war.”

Jasper was standing at the door when he snapped his head toward Trevor and growled, “Trev.” What was it with these men growling? Then again, Jasper gave off the same vibe as did the others.

 Instead of answering Jasper, Trevor turned his attention to her. “Now, let’s see what we have.” Julian turned Kat so she was facing him and pulled her hair up, holding it out of the way for Trevor to see her neck. Trevor gently touched her skin and said, “Katherine, if you’ll have a seat on the table, I’m going to have to shave a small section of your hair. Isabelle will deaden the area around the tracker before she removes it.” The table in question appeared to be a slab where autopsies were performed. Uh, that wasn’t creepy. At all. Nor was the way Trevor spoke of himself as a human, and he mentioned war? What the hell was that about?

Julian lifted her onto the table and settled next to her legs. He kept her hair out of the way while Trevor got busy. “I’m going to cut the smallest section of hair I can get away with.”

“It’s okay,” Kat said. She’d shave her whole head if it meant keeping the Feds from finding her again. The snip of scissors sounded, and less than a minute later, she had a shaved patch of skin.

While Trevor was doing his thing, Kat asked Julian, “What war? Or is that another one of those things we’ll talk about later?” Before he could answer, Dante entered the interior room accompanied by a stunning brunette and a small boy.

Dante inclined his head in greeting. It wasn’t as though they didn’t know each other, but it was his wife who spoke. “Katherine, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I only wish it was under better circumstances,” Isabelle said, placing a hand on Kat’s upper arm. “Let’s see what we’re dealing with.” Julian continued to hold her long hair out of the way. While Isabelle was inspecting Katherine’s neck, the boy walked up to where she was sitting. He had to be Isabelle’s son, because their coloring was the same, and he had her kind eyes.

He made a fist and put it over his heart. “Miss Fox, I’m glad you’re okay. I’m Connor.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Connor.”

While Isabelle was digging in her purse, Connor said, “Da, can I please stay and watch?”

“Of course, Son.”

Isabelle had found a hair clip and piled Kat’s hair on top of her head to keep it out of the way. “I’m going to scrub, and we’ll get you all numbed up.” Julian stood next to Kat’s leg and picked up the hand closest to him. Connor mimicked Julian, holding her other hand. He smiled up at her, and her heart melted a little. None of the adults seemed to think his actions were strange, but Kat thought it was sweet the way he was being attentive.

Isabelle scrubbed her hands and pulled on a pair of latex gloves. Trevor had been busy getting things ready for Isabelle, and with little conversation, they moved in tandem, working well together. When Isabelle was ready, she held up the syringe and pushed the plunger in slightly, a small stream of liquid shooting out. “This is going to sting,” she warned before she pricked Kat’s neck. Not being a fan of needles, she was thankful for the two men holding her hands. Kat had been around a lot of kids when she went to live with the Praters, but none were as well-behaved or as sweet as Connor. He watched his mother intently, and right before she stuck Kat, Connor squeezed Kat’s hand. The gesture surprised her so much she forgot about the needle until after Isabelle was finished injecting the deadening agent.

“We’ll give this a few minutes,” Isabelle said. Before she stepped away, she frowned, looking at the side of Kat’s head. “Has your ear been bothering you?” she asked.

“Yes, the prison guard stabbed me in the ear. I can’t hear out of it,” Kat responded, bringing her fingers up to the bad ear only for them to come away wet and sticky.

“Are you taking anything for it? You need an antibiotic.”

“No, I thought it was something I was going to have to live with.”

“I’ll need to look at it more closely. If it isn’t punctured too badly, it will heal itself, but you still need medicine to fight off infection. You also need to keep water out of it until it heals.”

“So I’ll get my hearing back?”

“More than likely, yes, but I will need to take a closer look before I can know for sure. Trevor, do you have any sterile cotton?”

While Isabelle and Trevor found cotton to put in Kat’s ear, Connor and his father were having a side conversation. “Da, why aren’t you removing the tracker instead of Momma?” Connor asked. Kat wondered the same thing since he was also a doctor.

“Your momma has a softer touch,” Dante explained. Connor cocked his head to the side as if he was contemplating his father’s answer. Kat wasn’t sure she believed the man’s excuse. She chalked it up to him not wanting to touch her for some reason.

Julian’s phone rang, and he answered it with the hand not holding Kat’s. “Nik?” Julian listened for a few seconds and cut his eyes to Dante. Without a word, Dante left the room. “Thank you, Brother. Isabelle’s working on that now.” When he disconnected, Julian said, “You need to –”

“I’m on it.” Isabelle said, cutting him off.

Trevor moved a cart toward the table where he’d placed several cutting utensils. Isabelle chose one of the smaller scalpels and said, “We need to get this out now.” Connor returned to Kat’s side but kept his body angled so he could watch what his mother was doing. The air in the room had changed with the phone call from Julian’s brother, but Kat didn’t understand why since he was the only one who heard the conversation. Isabelle made quick work of removing the tracker from under Kat’s skin. When she had the small black speck out, Isabelle placed it in a stainless bowl before stitching the area back together.

“How are you, Sweetheart?” Julian asked, rubbing his hand up and down her thigh.

“I’m fine,” she answered, giving him a smile. He leaned in and placed his lips to hers softly. When he stepped back, he picked up the bowl and took the tracker over to the counter where he smashed the small device before flushing it down the drain.

Dante called out, “We have company.”

“What are we going to do?” Kat asked. “I never should have taken off the disguise.”

“I have an idea, but you might not like it,” Trevor said, looking between Kat and the drawers.

“Will I be able to breathe?” Kat asked. She didn’t have a problem with enclosed spaces, but she did have a problem running out of oxygen.

“Yes, but it will be extremely cold.”

“I’ll do it,” she said, holding her arms out so Julian could help her off the table.

“Sweetheart, are you sure?”

 “Yes, this is all my fault,” Kat said. “I never meant to bring my troubles to your family.” Julian kissed her quickly, but instead of helping her onto the cold stainless slab, he crawled on first before pulling her down on top of him. Once they were situated, Trevor shoved the table back in and closed the door, cutting off the light and most of the noise. Kat closed her eyes and pretended she wasn’t lying where countless dead bodies had been. She wasn’t frightened by the thought, probably because she was wrapped up tight in Julian’s arms. Instead of thinking about where she was, Julian’s hard cock pressing against her thigh reminded Kat of where she’d much rather be – his bed.

 

 

Urijah sat on his back deck staring out over the yard. When he first arrived in New Atlanta, things had been easy. He and Finley became fast friends as well as lovers. Uri knew it wouldn’t last once the other Gargoyles began finding their mates. It was only a matter of time before Finley was among those the fates chose a human for. He should never have let himself believe what they had could last.

We have our own mate.

Shut it.

We could be with Banyan right now.

I said shut it. You know why we can’t–

I know you’re being a stubborn ass.

Urijah sighed, closing his eyes. The conversation with his beast was as tiring as it was old. His shifter didn’t understand anything beyond the carnal. Beyond the pull to Banyan’s beast. It didn’t care what happened all those years ago that forever changed the way Urijah saw the boy he’d grown up with. The male he’d fought alongside. The Goyle he had vowed to spend eternity with. None of that mattered, though. His King had given him a job to do, and Uri would put his feelings aside for Rafael. For the Clan. He stared at his phone, wishing he could forget about Banyan and their past. He would never forget it, nor would he ever forgive his mate, but he had a duty to the others. Dialing Banyan’s number, he prayed the male didn’t answer so he could leave a message.

“Uri, is everything okay? Are you hurt?” The concern in Banyan’s voice did strange things to Uri. Things he couldn’t dwell on.

Keeping the call professional, Uri replied, “I’m calling on behalf of Rafael. The Clan will be going to war with Alistair soon, and I have been tasked with pulling together fifty of our best fighters. I will email a list to you of those I believe to be the best from the West Coast. Since you have worked and trained with them longer than I, feel free to make changes as you see fit. Each male will need to be ready to travel within the week.”

“Have you called Dominic? He’s been train–”

Urijah hit the “end” button so quickly he was afraid he’d damaged his phone. “Fuck you,” he hissed into the air. Uri had called Banyan because he had to. There was no way he would call the pirate he despised so greatly. They didn’t need him or his males. His phone rang, but he let it go to voicemail. Banyan should know not to mention that bastard. He would conduct the rest of their business via email messages only. Fucker.

 

 

Julian was having a hard time concentrating on the conversation going on in the morgue. With Kat plastered to his chest – and his groin – he wanted nothing more than to sink his cock into her sweetness. Now that he’d gotten a taste of what it was like to be with his mate intimately, he wanted to fly her to an exotic island and hide out for the foreseeable future. There was no way she could miss the erection pressing against her. And the way she was squirming to get comfortable was pure torture. “Kat, Sweetheart,” Julian whispered.

“Hmm?” she asked, not so innocently. If he didn’t know better, he’d think she was doing it on purpose.

“You are killing me.”

“I’m sorry. It’s just, well, you’re hard, and I’m…”

Julian growled low in his throat and crashed their mouths together. There was no way he was going to let her finish her statement with Dante and Jasper in the other room. Their Gargoyle hearing would pick up even the faintest of conversations. Keeping his mate preoccupied, he listened in on the conversation happening several feet away from where he and Kat were hiding.

“I’m Special Agent Godfrey with the FBI. We have been following a fugitive, and we have reason to believe she’s been in this room.”

“I’m Dr. Dante Di Pietro, Chief Medical Examiner for the City of New Atlanta. What is the victim’s name?”

“Victim? I’m afraid you misunderstood. She’s a live fugitive running from the government.”

“I can assure you, if your fugitive was in this room, she would have been on a slab wearing a toe tag.”

“I’m going to need everyone’s names,” the agent said.

“Unless you have a warrant, you are not getting our names. As you can see, there are no fugitives here.”

“You’re impeding a federal investigation, Dr. Di Pietro.”

“I am Jasper Jenkins, detective with the New Atlanta Police Department. I can assure you we are not impeding any investigation.”

“Why are you here then?”

“My boyfriend is Dr. Di Pietro’s assistant. I stopped by to see if he had a few minutes to spare for lunch.”

“And the rest of you?”

“That is enough, Agent Davidson. My wife and son are none of your concern. It is obvious there are no stray women in this room. The way I see it, you are wasting the taxpayers’ dollars by standing around harassing my family and staff.”

The agent mumbled something, but Julian could no longer concentrate. Kat was driving him crazy. He was going to be embarrassed when Trevor pulled the drawer open. He disengaged their lips and whispered into her ear so there was no possible way the federal agent could hear, “Sweetheart, please stop moving. I promise, when I get you home, you can strip me down and have your wicked way with me. For now, it is going to be embarrassing when Trevor frees us. I do not want all those people out there to see my erection.”

When she didn’t respond, Julian remembered she couldn’t hear out of that ear. He pushed down the need to kill a human and switched to her other side, repeating what he said.

Kat whispered, “Okay.” She laid her head on his chest and remained perfectly still. If he didn’t know better, he would swear she had a little shifter blood in her as she was completely motionless save the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. He wrapped his arms around her, enjoying the feel of her melding into him while at the same time calming his libido. He wasn’t an exhibitionist, and by the time Trevor pulled the table out of the drawer, Julian was ready to face his family.