“Hector, please forgive me,” Lachlan begged through the door for the eighty-seventh time. Hunter knew; he was counting. He had yet to say a word to his mate, mainly because he didn’t know what to say. The two of them had gotten together a couple of centuries earlier but didn’t fully complete the mate bond. Hunter had been reluctant to give himself to Lachlan fully. Now he knew why. The male wasn’t who he said he was. Hunter never knew the real male behind the beast, and now he never would. Rafael and Sinclair were taking Lachlan back to the States and placing him in the prison in New Atlanta.

Donovan had spent several hours at the computer with Lachlan while he gave over every bit of information he had on Alistair and his Clan. All the former King’s assets were now in Donovan’s name. Donovan had asked Hunter and Carter to remain by his side to help ensure a smooth transition as well as guard his back from any of the Greeks that might seek to challenge him unfairly. Carter had left it up to his twin, since he was the one with the mate. Hunter assured his twin he no longer considered Lachlan his mate, even though that had been a lie. The bond between Gargoyles wasn’t one you could just toss aside like humans did in a divorce. He had never heard of Gargoyles severing their ties until he overheard Urijah telling Finley about Banyan. Hunter didn’t believe Banyan had been successful, no matter how much either he or Urijah wanted to end things. Hunter didn’t envy either one of the Goyles.

“Hector, I love you,” Lachlan whispered. If Hunter wasn’t Gargoyle, he wouldn’t have heard the words. It had been a long time since his mate had uttered words of affection, but he felt them down to his core. The sad thing was he loved his mate in spite of the male he was and the bad choices he had made. He just couldn’t forgive him. He wondered if Urijah would ever forgive Banyan.

 

 

The Elder Council meeting had gone smoothly. Now that Alistair was dead, the others chose to speak freely without fear of retribution. Donovan was the rightful King of the Greeks as far as the Elders knew, but he wasn’t of Original bloodline; therefore, they did not have someone to take Alistair’s place on the council. Rafael promised to work with Donovan in finding the right Gargoyle for the council, and he also agreed to take his rightful place after all these years. Guilt was a great motivator.

Rafael stood alone in the mausoleum. He traced the inscription on his father’s crypt. No dates were listed in the event a human ever stumbled on the private burial site. Sinclair had called for someone to arrive later in the week and inscribe their mother’s name on her tomb. Rafael remained silent. He had said goodbye to Athena already, but he couldn’t find the words to speak to his father. Rafael had failed them both. He prayed to the gods he would not fail Kaya or their son when he was born. Rafe had already called ahead to have a jet return to pick them up the following day. He wanted to get Kaya back home. They would be leaving one sad situation and returning to another. Most Gargoyles chose when to pass on to the other side. With humans, it wasn’t the case.

Needing something to lift his spirits, Rafael left the mausoleum and returned to the villa where Kaya was waiting with Penelope. Since mating with Kaya, not a day had gone by without making love at least once. The day was almost gone, but he wasn’t going to let it pass without having her in his arms and his cock buried deep inside. Rafael needed her more than he needed air to breathe, and the longer he was away from her, the more he felt he was suffocating. The closer he got to the villa, the more his body eased. When he parked the car in the driveway and saw his mate waiting for him outside, Rafael was relaxed. Wherever Kaya was, Rafael was home.

 

Banyan couldn’t shake the feeling Urijah was close by. All night his shifter rattled around in his head, but when he tried to concentrate on what it was conveying, it shut him down. Uri had possibly gone to visit his parents after the funeral. It’s what Banyan did. Freyda convinced Gautum she was fine staying in Åsmundnes, but he promised her should Sigrid lash out again, they were going home. Sitting under the stars, Gautum had asked Freyda to move in with him, and she said yes. It was as close as a human marriage proposal the Gargoyles had other than the mating process. Banyan wondered if it were possible for a Gargoyle to have two mates. Since his aunt Jaleh crossed over so long ago and Freyda had never found her mate, he thought maybe the fates might change the rules for the two of them.

Banyan’s bedroom door creaked open, and a blonde head popped in. Bright blue eyes stared at him before the door burst open and he was attacked. A wild banshee flew through the air, landing precariously close to his dick. Banyan rolled just in time to miss a wayward knee. “You crazy jackal, get off me,” he bellowed.

Brynna’s laughter carried through the room and down the hallway. He loved his sister’s laugh. It brought joy to his heart, and he couldn’t wait to spend more time with her. The few days they spent together in California hadn’t been nearly enough. Banyan resented his parents for sending him away when she was a baby. As much as he loved Gautum, Banyan missed out on getting to know his little sister. He also blamed himself for not trying to find her sooner. He had always thought she remained home, and until his father called for him, Banyan had stayed away thinking it was what his father wanted him to do.

“God morgen, min bror!” Brynna said when she stopped laughing.

“Good morning to you too,” Banyan responded, pulling himself up to sit with his back to the headboard. Brynna crawled up beside him and sat on top of the covers. Banyan needed to remember to put on underwear now that she was in the house. “Did you just get here?”

“Yes. I took the first available flight out when I got your text.” Brynna lowered her voice. “It’s kind of creepy, don’t you think?”

Banyan grinned. “Not at all,” he deadpanned. His sister elbowed him and rolled her eyes. “And here I was going to offer it to you,” he added.

“But it’s so… empty.”

“That’s one way to put it. Too many rooms and not enough Goyles. But you could take care of that if you would give me some nieces or nephews.”

“I have to find a mate first. The fates either hate me or they completely forgot about me.”

“No one could forget you.”

“I know, right? So they must hate me.” She turned her face to his, pouting.

“How old are you, anyway?” he joked.

“Put on some clothes, B, and I’ll go find us some coffee,” Brynna said as she slid off the bed. Her nickname for him was the same one Urijah used to call him, and it put a small rip in his heart. Actually, it added to the hole already there. He should’ve asked her to call him something else, but she was his sister, and he wouldn’t begrudge her any nickname she felt comfortable enough to use at this point in their relationship. They might have been siblings, but for the most part, they were strangers. He wanted to rectify that. He needed as much family around him as he could get in the coming days and weeks.

Now that he could see her standing still, he had to admire his baby sister. She was a beauty. Her long hair was pulled away from her face in a series of braids. Her clothes were straight out of a Viking shield maiden’s catalogue. All she needed was the sword. The transformation from biker to Norse chic was no doubt effortless. Whoever she ended up mated to was going to have their hands full.

Brynna winked at him as she closed the door. Banyan gave her a few minutes to make sure she wasn’t going to return before he flipped the covers off his legs and stood, retrieving his boxer briefs from where he shed them before lying down. He was lucky it was the morning after a dreamless night. More than once he’d used his briefs to wipe his spunk off his chest after dreaming of Urijah. Not once in all his years had Banyan dreamed of another male. Not once had he ever jacked off to the thought of anyone other than Urijah. He really should get over that.

Now that he had released Uri from their bond, Banyan was going to concentrate on being King. Once he had a few months under his royal belt, he would go find someone to bed. Some random hookup to erase Urijah’s memory. Right.

By the time Banyan padded barefoot into the kitchen, Brynna and Marcie were chatting away about some Norwegian model they both thought was gorgeous. “Don’t you think he’s fine?” Brynna asked, turning the phone around.

Banyan had to admit the man was hot, but he wasn’t nearly as handsome as Urijah. “I’ve had better,” he said, winking. Marcie sucked in a breath, and her eyes were huge.

“Did Prince B forget to mention he likes the males?” Brynna asked.

Marcie looked between the two and nodded. Brynna laughed as she propped her boot-clad feet in the chair next to hers. Banyan was glad to see she felt at home enough to relax. Lawrence entered the kitchen, hair sticking up, and his face was still in its just-waking-up haze. He poured himself a cup of coffee, turned, and leaned against the counter. It wasn’t until after he was taking his first sip he realized there was someone else in the room. The mug froze halfway to his mouth as he took in the princess.

“Lawrence, I’d like to introduce you to Princess Brynhild,” Banyan told the human who was still staring.

His sister lifted her own cup and said, “You can call me Brynna.”

Marcie finally said, “Close your mouth, Larry. You’re going ta catch flies.”

Lawrence glared at his sister, but he closed his mouth and inclined his head. “Princess,” he muttered before rushing from the room. Both Marcie and Brynna rolled their eyes and went back to talking about the male in the photo, murmuring something about his cute dog. Banyan ignored them. It wasn’t that he didn’t care for a handsome male, but he had other things on his mind at that moment.

While Banyan sat listening to Bryn and Marcie carry on as if they’d been friends forever, Bryn fingered a pendant at her neck. It was Yggdrasil – The Tree of Life – and he knew in his heart it was Gautum who gave it to her. Banyan missed having Mjölnir around his neck, but the talisman had done its job and kept Urijah safe during battle. It and Finley had protected his mate. While the females were talking, Banyan decided to start on breakfast. He missed cooking, and it would give him something to keep his mind occupied. When Marcie started to protest, he told her to keep his sister company.

Gautum and Freyda came in the room at the same time a freshly-showered Lawrence returned. Gautum fussed over Bryn and introduced her to Freyda. Banyan was almost ready to set the food out when his father joined them. “What in the name of the gods is going on in here?” he thundered.

All talking ceased, but Banyan continued getting the food ready. “I’m cooking breakfast while the others get caught up.”

“I can see you’re cooking. I want to know why you are cooking when we have Marcie. And where are your shoes?”

Marcie had already scrambled from her chair to help Banyan set the dining room table. “Because I felt like cooking. It’s something I’ve done for hundreds of years, and something I plan to do for hundreds more, King or not.” He didn’t bother responding about his shoes. Banyan preferred going barefoot. His father would have to deal with that.

“It’s my fault, Pappa. I wanted to chat with Marcie,” Brynna said, stepping between Banyan and their father.

“Brynhild, when did you get here?”

“About an hour ago.” Bryn kissed her father on the cheek, but he didn’t look happy to see her.

Lawrence took over setting the table while Marcie helped Banyan transfer the food to serving dishes. “When I’m King, we are eating off the stove,” he muttered. Marcie gasped, and Brynna giggled.

“You made biscuits! You’re my hero, B.” Brynna shoved half a biscuit in her mouth and chewed while refilling her coffee. Marcie gasped again, and Banyan laughed aloud, ignoring the look their father was giving them. He should feel more love for his parents, but honestly, the week couldn’t pass quickly enough.

“Marcie, Sigrid will require her regular breakfast,” Asmund stated.

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Banyan and Brynna looked at each other mouthing “your grace?” before they both fell into a fit of laughter. He grabbed his sister’s hand and dragged her out the back door, leaving the others to wonder what they were up to.

“I swear to Odin, I don’t know if I can last a whole week in this house,” Banyan admitted when they caught their breath.

“Now do you see why I ran away? It was always like this.”

“I understand. But I promise you, Bryn, had I known, I would have come back and kidnapped you myself. I don’t have any idea who Asmund and Sigrid are. It’s been so long since I’ve seen either of them, and the few times I was in Father’s presence, we both were engaged in battle for the humans, and I wasn’t allowed to acknowledge him in any way other than commander. And I’m sorry Mother isn’t well, but I’m looking forward to the two of them heading to Switzerland.”

“Why are they leaving? I figured Father would hang around to tell you how to be King.”

Banyan explained their mother’s dementia and how Asmund was taking her to see a doctor.

“Well that’s a buzz kill. I guess I can behave for a week,” she said.

“I pray I can. Now let’s get back before the gravy gets cold.”

Breakfast was a quiet ordeal in that Asmund ignored everyone as they all chatted with each other. Marcie had prepared the usual food for the King and Sigrid, but the others were enjoying the biscuits and gravy Banyan made. Freyda, who was the best baker Banyan ever met, gushed over the fluffy bread and begged him to give her the recipe.

“I don’t have a recipe. I just throw the ingredients in a bowl and eyeball the consistency. I’ll show you next time I make them.”

Asmund huffed under his breath, but Banyan ignored him. Bryn winked at him, offering silent encouragement. Banyan really liked the female. It was odd having a sister he knew very little about. He could see the two of them becoming extremely close quickly. He hated so many years had been spent apart. Urijah would like her, of that he had no doubt.

Finished eating, Banyan and Brynna made their way outside after Marcie insisted she clean up by herself. Gautum and Freyda joined them. Even with all the rooms in the house, they always seemed to find their way out of doors. “Was he always like that?” Banyan asked Gautum about his father.

“For the most part, yes. When he and Sigrid were first mated, he wasn’t such an arse, but somewhere along the line, I think being King went to his head.”

“Promise you won’t ever let me turn into him,” Banyan said softly.

“Min sønn, you could never. I might not have been around ya much over the last few centuries, but I know your heart, because I raised ya,” Gautum said, smiling proudly. Banyan would respect the King while they were under the same roof, but as soon as Banyan wore the crown, he wasn’t going to hesitate to call Gautum “pappa” once more. The male was right; he raised Banyan, and he wouldn’t be the Gargoyle he was without his uncle. He also wouldn’t have met Urijah had his father not decided to hide him away as someone he wasn’t.

The two of them clasped arms and shared a private moment before Brynna interrupted. “Enough with this mushy stuff. I want to hear about the party.”

Banyan laughed at his sister, but he did as asked and told her about the ceremony.

“Did you invite Urijah?” Banyan had told Bryn about his mate when they met in California, but she didn’t know Banyan had released him from their bond.

“No. Last I saw him, he was getting ready to bury one of our Clansmen from the States. His best friend. He is probably back in New Atlanta getting on with his life.” Banyan didn’t believe that, though. His beast was unsettled but not in a bad way.

“Bury him? What happened?”

Banyan forgot his sister wasn’t aware of the battle with the Greeks, so he briefly told her about Alistair and the events leading up to the last few days. What he left out was how he released Uri. He didn’t want to talk about that ever again, not even with her. So, once he had explained how he ended up in Norway, he went back to talking about what would happen once he was crowned King.

“What about you? What are your plans once the ceremony is over?” he asked her.

“I want to stay here with you for a while. I’ve had my adventures, and we both know why I set out to seek them.” Bryn waved her arm at the house. “I needed to get away from here. But now that you’re back, this is where I want to be so you and I can get acquainted, if that’s ok with you.”

“I think it’s a wonderful idea. You can help me decide what to do with this,” he replied, waving his arm the same way she had. “As much as I want all of you here with me, I understand if you and Freyda need to get back home,” Banyan told Gautum.

“Tabor can run the business for a little while. He’s not very good with the computer, but Halina is a whip when it comes to taking over, so I’m not worried.”

“What business is that?” Brynna asked.

Gautum explained how there was a need for replica broadswords with all the conventions and renaissance festivals around the world. “Everyone wants to pretend they’re a Viking.”

“I always fancied I’d find myself a Viking as a mate, but that didn’t happen. Looks like I’m gonna be one of the last few unmated females alive,” Bryn said sadly. Banyan knew the heartache of not being mated, but his went deeper because of Uri.

“Don’t give up hope yet. Your uncle and I might not be mates, but I’m not alone any longer,” Freyda said. “And I have Banyan to thank for that.”

“Me?”

“Yes. Until you returned home, Gautum pussyfooted around me like I was going to bite him. Well, I may still do that,” she said and winked at Gautum, who blushed like a young female. “Whatever you said to him convinced him to give us a try.”

“He made me realize how short our lives are, and we need to live them to the fullest, no matter how long we have been of this world.” Gautum placed a soft kiss on Freyda’s lips. Brynna sighed, and Banyan smiled. Taking in his small family, he knew he’d made the right decision in returning for the throne. With the three of them by his side, he would be able to move on, even if it meant doing so without Uri.