Banyan kept his mind partially on the conversation regarding his and Urijah’s new home and partially on his sister. When Rafael sent Travis to the file room to retrieve some plans, he said, “Travis is still recovering from his ordeal with Theron and losing Rachel. He is seeing a therapist to help with his PTSD. I’m not sure how receptive he’s going to be to Brynna at this point in his life, no matter how beautiful she is.”

“My sister is a kind soul underneath her adventurous exterior. She will be patient until Travis comes around on his own, I can promise you that.”

“Will she be remaining in New Atlanta or returning to Norway?”

“She wants to stay here with us. She has already told Uri she wants his house after we build our new one.”

“I know you asked for me to design your home, but Travis is a genius when it comes to domestic architecture. I suggest we hand your new home construction over to him. That way he can be around Brynna for legitimate reasons.”

Travis returned to the conference room where they had moved to when they first started discussing the reason they were in Rafael’s office. Travis placed the designs on the table and unrolled them all. When Uri and Banyan had described their dream home, with each of them adding their own aspects to what they were looking for, Travis’s eyes lit up, and he snapped his fingers. “I have just the plans.” Now he had three sets of designs laid out, pointing out different things on each one. “If you take the first floor layout of this one and combine it with the upstairs of this one, we would have what you want, Banyan.”

He had already told Urijah that he could design this home however he wanted, but Uri had balked, stating it was theirs, and they would design it together. Banyan wanted an open kitchen with a large island that doubled as a table. Their house would be a home, and they wanted the layout to reflect as much. He also requested the master bedroom be on the main floor with all other bedrooms on the second. He planned to fill their home with children, so he and Uri would need some privacy. Urijah’s only requests were a shower big enough for the two of them and a deck and patio off the back of the house where they could entertain friends. Banyan stood aside and let Uri and Travis compare the plans, combining aspects from all three to form their perfect home.

The love he had for his mate was trying to consume him. Thinking of building a home together and filling it with kids, both biological and adopted, was almost too much to hope for. Banyan had waited almost eight hundred years for this, and now that it was really happening? It couldn’t happen soon enough.

“B? Did you hear what Travis asked you?”

“No, sorry.”

Urijah smiled and laced their fingers together, the gesture grounding Banyan. Travis repeated the questions, and Banyan explained the layout he preferred for the kitchen. When Willow passed by the open doorway, Banyan said, “I’m going to check on Brynna. I’ll be right back.” He kissed Uri quickly on the lips before leaving his mate to deal with the house plans.

After knocking on the door to the apartment, Banyan let himself in and found his sister resting on the sofa. “You okay in here?”

“Physically, I’ve settled down. Mentally, I’m not so sure. I always thought my mate would be Gargoyle.”

“I didn’t take you for the prejudiced type.”

“I’m not, B. I promise I have nothing against humans. And Travis is extremely handsome. It’s just a surprise is all.”

“Did Willow tell you anything about Travis?”

“Only that he’d lost someone special to him.”

“I told you briefly how Jasper was poisoned and Lilly helped find the antidote. What I didn’t tell you was the details. Theron, a Greek Gargoyle, not only poisoned Jasper, but healso went after Trevor. Jasper and Theron had a past, one that Jasper had thought to have escaped. When Theron showed up looking for Jasper, he found the object of his obsession, Jasper, had his own obsession – Trevor. Theron decided to go after Trevor and in doing so, Travis got caught in the crossfire as did his fiancé. Rachel, the female, was killed, and Travis was injured. At that time, Travis wasn’t aware of Gargoyles. Losing the woman he was going to marry on top of finding out about our kind was a lot to handle. He’s still trying to come to terms with all of it.”

“That’s horrible. What happened to Theron?”

“Jasper took his head, and that was after Lilly helped Trevor bring him back from the brink of death when Theron poisoned him.”

“I really need to meet this Lilly.”

“She’s something special, but since she’s mated to Dominic, and he helped me after I killed Uri’s husband, I’m not sure how Uri would feel about seeing the pirate again. I will work on that if meeting Lilly is something you feel strongly about. For now, I need you to do me a favor. I want you to search your heart and make sure you’re okay with having a human as a mate. If you are, then I want you to treat Travis with kid gloves for the time being. Let him get used to being around you. You will know when he’s ready to move on.”

“I can do that.”

“Good. Now, there’s one more thing Uri and I need to discuss with Rafael. We’ll be on our way after that.”

“I’m going to go up front and hang out with Willow while I wait, if that’s okay. I really like her.”

“I’m glad. She is just one of many mates you will meet in the coming days and weeks. All of them are going to treat you like family.”

“I’m not opposed to family. Having searched for somewhere to belong my whole life, I have a feeling I’m finally getting what I’ve wanted for so long.”

Banyan held out his hand and pulled Brynna to her feet. “It’s the best feeling in the world,” he whispered.

When he returned to the conference room, Urijah and Travis were bent over a laptop, searching for available property in the area. “I like the size of this one and the location,” Urijah said, and Travis sent the listing to the screen hanging on the wall. After looking at the photos, Banyan agreed it would make a great spot for their new home. It was close to the armory as well as several of the other Gargoyles. They looked at a few more properties, but none were as perfect as the first one. Still, they made note of all the listings so they could visit them in person.

“I think we have the perfect start to our home, Travis. As soon as you get the plans drawn up, give us a call and we’ll make sure they’re perfect for the land we’ve chosen.”

“Will do. I’ll get started on them tonight,” Travis said.

“Rafael, there’s another matter we wish to discuss with you,” Urijah said.

“I’ll give you all some privacy,” Travis said, standing from his seat.

“Please stay, Travis. This isn’t anything you can’t listen in on,” Banyan told the human. If Travis was his sister’s mate, he was going to be family, and Banyan wanted the man to get used to being included in their family conversations. Travis gave Banyan a weak smile and sat back down.

“Now that Banyan and I are together, our fathers are ready to retire from forging swords. Banyan and I have agreed to take over their business so they can enjoy their lives. We want to make you an offer with regards to the armories here and in California.”

“What kind of offer?”

“Since the armories belong to the Stone Society, we would like to use them to forge the weapons we sell in our business venture and split the profits with you.”

“And I would make a counter-proposal,” Rafael said. “The armories are yours to do with as you wish. In return, you forge new weapons when and if the Clan needs them.”

“That’s too generous,” Banyan said.

“Without you and Urijah, the armories would sit unused. Please accept them as my gift to you on your coronation.”

“Thank you, Rafael. It would be our honor to accept your gift,” Banyan said. “As it is our honor to serve you as King of the Americas.”

“The honor is mine. Now that we have that settled, I insist you come to supper at the manor. Priscilla needs some happiness in her life, and helping the two of you celebrate becoming mates as well as Banyan becoming King will be just the thing she needs to keep her mind occupied for at least one evening. Travis, you are invited as well.”

“I don’t want to impose,” he replied.

“Nonsense. You are family and are never an imposition. You are always welcome, you know that.”

“Please join us, Travis,” Banyan urged.

“Okay, thank you. I’ll be there.”

Banyan wasn’t sure if throwing Brynna and Travis together was a good idea, but his sister needed to get used to being around her mate, and doing so surrounded by others was a good way to start. Before they left the office, Banyan asked Urijah and Travis to excuse him and Rafael for a few minutes. Uri already knew what was on Banyan’s mind, so he kissed him quickly and ushered Travis out of the room, talking more about their house plans.

“I want to apologize for running off and missing the funeral. I meant no disrespect to you, to Finley, nor to your mother.”

“It isn’t necessary, but I accept your apology. Sin told me what happened with you and Urijah before the battle, so let me just say how pleased I am that the two of you have settled your differences.”

“Thank you. It was a long road getting to where we are, but if that was the only way I could have Uri, I’d do it all over again. Tamian sent me a video of the funeral, and I paid my respects from Norway.”

“Then all is well. Just for the record, I think you are going to make a fine King.”

“I only hope to be half the leader you are.” Banyan held out his hand, and Rafael took it, smiling.

When the three of them left Rafael’s office, they drove around to see the various properties and choose where to build their home. Several had potential, but the one closest to the armory was the one they both liked best. Seventy-five acres of mostly trees with a creek running through the south end was what they settled on. Standing in the middle of a small clearing, Banyan called the listing agent and asked to meet as soon as possible. The agent was available, and after talking things over for an hour and making sure all the appropriate documentation was in order, they made a cash offer. With the owners of the property out of town, the agent had been given the authority to negotiate all offers, and theirs was accepted on the spot. It would take about a week for the title to be transferred, but soon they could begin building their new home.

Brynna had been quiet since leaving Travis behind. Banyan knew his sister was silently contemplating her future. He understood it was a lot to take in, but he had faith she would do the right thing where Travis was concerned. She had set out at a young age to find her mate, and along the way, she’d had great adventures. Brynna had lived several lives over the last seven hundred years. He hoped this was the beginning of a new adventure, one she would share with the human.

 

 

Urijah had already warned Banyan and Brynna about gatherings at the manor, so the number of cars in the driveway wasn’t a surprise. What was a surprise was the black Lab running around being chased by Amelia. As the three of them approached, Amelia stopped running after the dog long enough to yell, “Uncle Uri! I’m getting a puppy!”  He laughed at her enthusiasm, but he couldn’t help but wonder what the fuck was going on.

Tessa sidled up to them, holding her hand out for Brynna. “Welcome to the chaos that is our family. I’m Tessa.”

“Brynna, and it’s a pleasure. I hear you have a Harley.”

“Yep, and she’s right over there,” Tessa said, pointing to one of the sleek, black machines parked in the driveway. The two of them left Uri and Banyan without another word and headed toward the motorcycles.

“That didn’t take long,” Banyan muttered.

Hand-in-hand, Uri and Banyan joined the others who were equally as awestruck at Molly. “How is that possible?” Uri asked no one in particular.

“It seems Tamian has a way with animals,” Travis said, glancing back to where Brynna and Tessa were. “I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself, but he just… Heck, I don’t know what he did exactly. He’s like the dog whisperer, only there was no whispering.”

While they were standing around, Gregor brought the two of them a beer, and Urijah introduced Banyan to the mates he had yet to meet. “And his sister, Brynna, is the pretty blonde Tessa hijacked.”

“I did not, I borrowed her,” Tessa responded as she and Brynna joined their group. “Would you like a beer, some wine, or something else?” Tessa asked, playing hostess.

“Beer’s good,” Brynna said.

Tessa grinned and turned to Banyan. “I like her,” she stage whispered.

Brynna was introduced to everyone, and the females were drawn to her as much as Travis was. The human couldn’t keep his eyes off her, but he maintained his distance, hanging close to Trevor and Jasper. Talk surrounded Banyan becoming King and Brynna being one of the few remaining unmated female Gargoyles they were aware of. When that topic arose, she glanced over to Travis, and Urijah didn’t miss the smile that hinted at the corner of her mouth.

Priscilla was busy in the kitchen with Sophia and Katherine helping since the gathering was larger than most. Several tables had been placed outside to accommodate everyone. The males were busy setting up chairs, while the females added tablecloths and decorations. Priscilla coming up with that many centerpieces on such short notice shouldn’t have surprised Uri. It had only been a few hours since they left Rafael’s office. That didn’t give the woman much time to plan such a large gathering, but somehow, she had. The aromas floating along the air from the kitchen made Uri’s stomach growl.

Jonathan was seated on the patio with a quilt covering his legs. Cancer was crippling him from the inside out, yet the human had a smile on his face and a kind word for whoever stopped to talk to him. Connor, who normally sat quietly drawing, was in the yard with Amelia and Molly. He smiled every time the dog brushed his legs or licked his hand.

When Banyan stepped up behind Uri pressing their bodies together, he set his chin on Uri’s shoulder and sighed. It was a peaceful sound, but one of longing as well.

Uri pressed his free hand to the one Banyan had banded across his waist. “Do you want to adopt first or start looking for a surrogate?” Uri asked, understanding his mate’s sigh.

“Adopt. There are too many children waiting for someone to take them home.”

“I like the way you think,” Uri said, leaning his head against Banyan’s. “I like everything about you,” he whispered.

“And I love everything about you. Du er min sjel, and I love you,” Banyan whispered back.

“Jeg elsker deg også.” Urijah loved Banyan with everything he had.

While he and his mate stood silently watching the kids laughing and playing, Urijah inwardly wanted to cry. If he hadn’t been so stubborn, he and Banyan would already have a houseful of kids. He knew adopting human children would be hard on them in the end, watching them age and eventually die, but if Matthew and Travis could be given mates, it was possible their children would find mates as well and live long lives with their Pappas.

Standing there, surrounded by family and resting in the security of Banyan’s arms, Urijah vowed to be the best father he could be as well as the best mate. He had spent a long time denying what was in front of him, but now that he had Banyan, Uri was going to spend every day being the best Gargoyle he could be.