Katherine had to walk on her tiptoes to keep her shoes from sinking into the ground. About halfway to the bench, she stopped and pulled her heels off, carrying them the rest of the way. Maybe stilettos were overkill for a family gathering at home. This wasn’t her family or her home, but Julian made it clear both could be, and if the two women laughing were any indication, they already considered her part of their group. Sophia popped open a bottle of wine for Kat and Isabelle before pouring sparkling water for herself. Sitting on the bench between the two of them brought on a sense of longing.

“What’s wrong?” Sophia asked. “Your mood just took a dive, Katherine.”

“Oh, it’s… I’ve never had family; not like this. I was raised by my foster parents, and even though I had friends at school, I didn’t have siblings or cousins.”

“And this makes you sad?” Isabelle asked.

“No, it’s not that. I’m not sure how to act, is all.”

“Oh, sweetie, just be yourself. You’re already one of us. Unless you turn out to be a complete bitch, we’re going to love you,” Sophia said, nudging her.

They all laughed, but Kat couldn’t help but think of Kaya. “I guess I can be a bitch, especially in my job. I’ve had to claw my way to the top, so to speak. If I came across as meek and sweet, I would never get a story.”

“Sometimes, being a female, you have to be assertive to get what you want. Are you going to go back to work once Julian clears your name?” Isabelle asked.

“I don’t know. I mean, I like being here with him, but he’ll eventually go back to the lab, and I’ll be here all day with nothing to do. I have a feeling I’ll get bored being the kept woman.”

“How much about our family did Julian tell you?” Sophia asked.

“A lot. You two are half-bloods, so I have to behave or you’ll kick my ass.” They all laughed again, but Kat continued, “Seriously, though, he phased and it was glorious.”

“You weren’t scared?”

“Are you kidding? Those wings are something else.” Katherine shivered. “I wanted to touch them so badly, but he said I couldn’t until we were mates. How long did it take the two of you to agree to complete the bond with Dante and Nikolas once you found out what they were?”

Isabelle answered first. “Our stories are both different. I had no idea who or what I was. My family kept me in the dark about Gargoyles and being able to mate with them. My own father is a Gargoyle for the gods’ sake. If Dane hadn’t met Marley and come to my clinic, I might still be unaware.” Isabelle recounted how Dane came to her thinking he was ill, when in fact he was going through his transition. Neither one of them knew they were siblings at the time.

Listening to how Dante’s uncle had Isabelle and Connor kidnapped was horrifying. Kat didn’t have a child of her own, but she could only imagine how frightened Isabelle must have been. “When Dante and Connor bonded the way they did, there was no way I could have said no to being his mate. Not that I wanted to say no. It takes a strong male to accept another’s child as their own, but he has. As much as I know Connor loves me, he and Dante share a bond so deep I sometimes forget they aren’t related by blood.”

Katherine had already seen firsthand the talent Connor possessed. While they were getting the side items ready for supper, the child had drawn a sketch so elaborate, Kat felt it should have been framed and in an art gallery.

“I knew Nik was my mate a long time before he even knew about half-bloods or Gargoyles taking humans as mates.” Sophia took a sip of her water, and then she explained how she and Tessa, along with a couple of her uncles, were Watchers for the family. “I was tired of waiting on the Gargoyles to figure things out, so I put one of JoJo’s journals in the library disguised as one of his novels. If Nik hadn’t come looking when he did, I was going to send him an anonymous letter. Knowing that fine specimen was intended for me and not being able to have him was pure torture.” Sophia’s parents had been kidnapped by the same man responsible for Isabelle’s ordeal. She took off to Egypt alone, something Kat would have done if she were in the other woman’s shoes.

“Of course, Nikolas high-tailed it to Egypt after me. You should have seen the look on his face when he found me. I had on a prosthetic to hide from Kallisto and her goons. I was disguised as an old woman, so when I laid a kiss on Nik, let’s just say it was priceless.” Kat wasn’t the only one who had been imprisoned. While Sophia wasn’t tortured, she had been afraid she would never see the outside of her cell, even with Nik looking for her.

Katherine was glad she was drinking. Hearing what the other women had gone through reminded her of being held at FSM. Instead of waiting on the other mates to tell their own stories, Sophia continued with each one, beginning with Kaya. While Kat listened, she downed glass after glass of wine. By the time Sophia was finished, Katherine was feeling no pain. She wasn’t a big drinker in the first place, so the wine had done a number on her. Since she was sitting down, she hadn’t realized how drunk she’d gotten.

“All right, it’s my turn,” Trevor said as he walked toward the women.

“I need to pee anyway,” Sophia said with her hand cradling her baby belly. “I hope we haven’t scared you away, Katherine. We only wanted you to know you aren’t alone. We’ve all had to go through something to get to our mates.” Sophia pulled Kat into a side hug before allowing Trevor to pull her to her feet.

Isabelle added, “It really is no use fighting the pull. Besides, Julian is a wonderful male. He will make you very happy.”

Kat smiled, thinking about how happy he made her in bed. “Thank you both for sharing your stories.” She waved at their backs as they walked toward the house. “Now, Mister Purple Hair, what’s your story?” Kat asked Trevor, grinning bigger than was necessary. She blamed it on the wine.

“Hey! Jasper loves my purple streak,” Trevor said, holding his hand over his heart as if she’d wounded him. His smile let her know he was joking.

“I do too. It suits you. I always wanted a tattoo, but me and needles just do not get along.”

Trevor was grinning at her. “How much wine have you had?”

“Clearly not enough if there’s only one of you. There’s only one of you, right? Julian mentioned you’re a clone. I don’t know how that works.”

Trevor’s grin faded as he frowned at her words. “What do you mean you don’t know how it works? You should.”

“Why should I know?”

“Since you’re a clone too.”

Katherine laughed, but Trevor didn’t laugh with her. “Trev, old boy, I think you’re the one who’s drank too much. Have you been drinking?” Kat stood, and her head started spinning. She stumbled over to one of the statues and said, “I Pro’lly should have skipped that last glass. This ‘un over here’s mean, telling me I’m a clone,” Kat rambled to the marble woman while thumbing over her shoulder at Trevor.

“Katherine, are you okay? Do you want me to go get Julian?”

“Nope. It’s all good. But why d’you think I’m not a real person?” Kat hiccupped, and muttered, “S’cuse me.”

“I never said you weren’t a real person. I think we should go inside and get you sobered up.”

“No, you need to tell me why you think I’m a clone,” Kat said with a little more force. Her head was really spinning now, and it had more to do with what Trevor was saying than the alcohol. “Trevor!” she yelled right before she bent over and threw up.

“Shh, Sweetheart, easy there.” Julian’s soft voice was soothing. As soothing as a voice could be while one heaved wine and steak all over their feet.

“Gross. Just, yuck,” she muttered, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. “Trevor’s making me sad, Julian. Says I’m not real.” Kat plopped down on her butt and leaned her head against the statue she’d been conversing with.

“Trevor, what were you thinking?” Julian asked.

“Obviously I wasn’t, but can we discuss this later, you know, when she’s not tossing chunks?”

“We can discuss this now, and you tell me what–”

“What’s going on?” someone interrupted. Kat looked over her shoulder to find it was the redheaded hottie cop. Oh yeah, the meanie’s boyfriend. She closed her eyes and prayed she’d wake up, because this had to be a nightmare. No way would she get toasted and throw up in front of Julian’s family the first time they got together.

“That’s what I am trying to figure out, but your mate won’t tell me why he decided to upset mine.”

“Trev, Baby…”

Trevor whispered something, and Hottie McCopperson said, “Oh, you… crap.”

“How do you know that?” Julian asked. Trevor whispered again like she wasn’t sitting there, and Julian mimicked the redhead, “Oh. Crap,” after hearing whatever Trevor had whispered.

“Whispering’s rude,” Kat stated as she tried to stand. Julian helped her to her feet and wrapped his arm around her waist. She glared at Trevor. It was his fault she’d gotten sick. If he had told her his story like the women had, she would have been fine. Instead, he had to accuse her… Nope. She wouldn’t think about that. She would know if she was a body double posing as a real person. Wouldn’t she?

“Jasper, if you would please tell the others Katherine isn’t feeling well, I think we should resume this gathering another time.”

“Of course.”

“Julian, I’m sorry. I thought…”

“It isn’t your fault, Trevor. I will tend to my mate, and she will probably have questions for you when she is no longer hanging out with the garden accoutrements. I think she’s had enough excitement for one night.”

“Okay. I’m really sorry,” Trevor said. His voice cracked, and Kat caught the sadness on his face. Hottie cop put his arm around Trevor and kissed him on the side of the head before walking him toward the house.

“Let’s go get you cleaned up,” Julian said, picking Katherine up to carry her.

“My shoes are…” Kat looked around, not seeing her heels.

“Sophia took them inside already. She was afraid for you to walk in them while drinking.”

“Huh. She’s nice.”

“Yes, she is.”

Kat laid her head on Julian’s shoulder and closed her eyes, but the jostling while walking had her stomach growing queasy again. “I think I’m going to…” Julian squatted down quickly allowing her to throw up close to the ground. If she wasn’t so drunk, she’d probably be mortified. Thankfully, she was to the point of dry heaving. That meant there was nothing left in her stomach, so she could stop worrying about it happening again. Julian took her straight to the bathroom where he helped her to undress and brush her teeth. He didn’t bother finding her something to sleep in. Wearing nothing but her panties, she nestled into Julian’s large bed with him curled around her.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured.

“I am the one who is sorry. Sorry you were so upset. Rest for tonight, and we will talk about everything in the morning.” Julian kissed her bare shoulder and pulled her even closer to him. Wrapped in the protection of his strong arms, Kat slipped easily into sleep.

 

 

Kat’s breathing evened out quickly. Having never been intoxicated, Julian had no idea how she felt or would feel upon waking the next morning. When Sophia brought Kat’s high heels inside, she warned Julian that his mate seemed to be getting tipsy. He had been monitoring their conversations. Okay, he was eavesdropping, but this whole mate thing was new to him. He wasn’t trying to be invasive, but with everything she had been through, he wanted to make sure she wasn’t becoming overwhelmed with anything she was hearing. As soon as Trevor started talking to her, Kat’s mood changed. Julian didn’t hesitate to go to her, and he was glad he did. As soon as he reached her, she threw up.

If she hadn’t been sick, he would have found it amusing she was talking to a marble statue. What he didn’t find amusing was Trevor blurting out that Katherine was a clone. He knew Trevor felt bad after the fact, but he should have talked to Julian about it while they were cleaning up the kitchen. Why Trevor felt the need to test Kat’s blood from the gauze Isabelle used to staunch the blood while removing the tracker was something Julian intended to find out. There was more to his mate than Julian had realized, and if Trevor was correct in his findings, there was more than Kat knew about herself.

Julian didn’t bother trying to sleep. He knew he would wake up should Kat become restless, but he dared not take that chance. He would hold her close all night providing comfort for her. As much as his beast would like to comfort her in a different way, Julian was content to hold her while she slept. One of the first things he was going to do the next day was find a therapist. If Kat was indeed a clone, she was going to need someone to talk to for more than the reason of having been tortured.

Julian needed to find out all there was to know about his mate, and the only way to do that was to get back to hacking systems. Now that Kat was away from the Feds, his focus should return to the level it had been before. Landon could continue handling the day to day programming while Julian spent his time getting to know Kat while delving into who she really was. He could honestly say he knew nothing about cloning. As he lay there thinking things over, he realized he had access to not only the first cloned baby, but the male who had performed that particular miracle. If he couldn’t find what he needed through the computer, Julian would have a chat with Jonas.

Katherine was restless during the night, but not so bad she woke up screaming. Julian considered it a win. When she did wake up in the morning, she moaned and grabbed the sides of her head. “Who ran over me?” she asked.

Julian chuckled softly so he didn’t make the pain worse. “Hang on, Sweetheart. I’ll get you some aspirin.” He slipped out of bed and retrieved the bottle of pain relievers he’d noticed in her bathroom. Since Gargoyles didn’t get headaches, he had no medicine at all in his home. That was something else he’d have to learn – things his mate needed before completing the bond. “Here you are,” he said, holding out the pills and a glass of water. Kat cracked one eye open and quickly shut it.

“Ugh.” She didn’t move to take the pills, so Julian sat down next to her hip.

“That bad?”

“Ugh,” she muttered again.

“I take it you aren’t a big drinker?”

“Shhh. Don’t want to talk about it,” she whispered.

Julian pushed her hair back off her face so he could see her better. Even hungover she was beautiful. “I’m going to leave these right here and go make you some toast. I have heard you need something on your stomach to keep you from feeling nauseous. I will be right back.” Julian kissed her forehead before making his way downstairs. By the time he had a cup of coffee, a plain piece of toast, and her antibiotic, Kat was sitting up in the bed with the covers pulled up over her breasts. Shame, that. The pain pills were gone and the glass was empty. Julian placed the tray across her lap, thinking a bite of food would help the medicine to ease her headache.

Her mood was somber. The darkness was flowing through him as if he were the one who was sad. Julian hated to bring up such a touchy subject, but they needed to speak of it. “Sweetheart, if you do not wish to talk about what is bothering you, we don’t have to, but I think it is better to hash things out than to let them fester.”

Kat picked at the toast, pinching off small pieces and nibbling them. “Will you please grab me a T-shirt,” she asked without looking at him. Instead of going to where her things were in the other room, Julian opened his dresser and pulled out one of his, handing it over. He picked the tray up so she could put the shirt over her head, and when she was covered, he set the tray back down.

“I guess it’s a good thing you found out I’m not a real person sooner rather than later.”

“Sweetheart, what are you talking about? Of course you are a real person.”

“Not if I’m a clone.”

“So, you are saying Trevor isn’t real? That Tamian isn’t real?”

“No, but…” Kat closed her eyes releasing the tears she’d been blinking back. Julian removed the tray, placing it on the dresser, and pushed the covers back so he could slide into the bed next to her. He pulled her onto his lap and dragged the covers back up her legs. Placing one hand on her lap, he skimmed the other between the T-shirt and her soft skin, rubbing circles over her back.

“Being a clone doesn’t make you less real than anyone else. It makes you special.”

“How do you figure that?”

“Anyone can end up pregnant and have a baby. Someone had to choose for you to come into existence. There is a reason you were put on this earth. Whether it was because your sibling was sick or because the fates knew I was going to need you specifically as a mate… Kat, the reason doesn’t matter. You were put here on purpose. We only need to find out what that purpose was.”

“But how?” she asked on a sob. Julian brushed his thumb under one eye, but the tears fell faster than even he could erase them. “When Agent Rayaz hypnotized me, I remembered something. A part of my childhood I never knew… Before I went to live with the Praters, my parents were killed. I was in the basement hiding when a man murdered my mother. I was taken away in an ambulance, and after that is when the Praters took me in. But while I was under, there was someone else, another man – a different man – singing me to sleep. In that reality, my mother had been sent away. How could I remember something that happened when I was an infant? Why would I have memories of people who weren’t my parents being my parents?” Kat shook her head and let out a deep sigh before hiding her face in the bend of Julian’s neck.

“I don’t know, Sweetheart. The mind is an amazing vessel. I will not patronize you and tell you the memories are nothing more than a vivid imagination, nor will I tell you they are the truth, and Tobias and Meshawn Fox were not your real parents.”

“How did you know their names?” Kat asked, her voice muffled against his skin.

“In trying to find out who planted the false information about you, I researched into your past, hoping to find a link to someone or something that would allow me some insight as to who was behind framing you.”

“What else did you find?”

“Very little, to be honest. Most information regarding your past was sealed with you being a minor when you went to live with the Praters. I only read as much as necessary to find out you were put into a foster home at age seven. I researched the Praters’ background, but I came up with nothing that would indicate someone was harming them by going after you.”

“Did you find anything conclusive?”

“Every dead end led me to the conclusion you were framed to keep you away from me. I have reason to believe Alistair was behind it.”

“The same one who’s been targeting the other mates?”

“Yes. So you see, it was my fault you were imprisoned and tortured. I won’t ask you to forgive me, because I will never be able to forgive myself.”

Kat pulled away from his neck to look into his eyes. He stilled his hand on her back while he waited for her to agree he was responsible. If she walked out the door, he wouldn’t blame her. Julian held his breath, waiting on his mate to condemn him.