Chapter Nineteen

Deacon’s heart was breaking for his mate. They weren’t sure the stranger leaving notes was Jerrick, but if it was, Deacon was going to find the male and help him any way he could. He had no idea of how to find him, but he had the best person to help in his Clan. While he was waiting to pick up the food he’d called in at Giovanni’s, Deacon reached out to Julian. After telling him what he and Sabrina had discussed, Julian promised to make finding Jerrick a priority. There were other things he and Lucy were working on, like finding Craven, but nothing they couldn’t tackle together. Julian had already called Nikolas to come in and be an extra set of eyes.

Sabrina was silent as they drove to Deacon’s home, and his beast was trying to help push her emotions to the side, but in that moment, Deacon realized he didn’t want that. He wanted to share in her pain just as he wanted to feel her happiness. “Would you like to sit outside? ” Deacon asked. The weather was warm but not unbearably so.

“Sure. ” Sabrina grabbed the plates and silverware while Deacon poured the wine. Once seated, Sabrina took a look around. “I really like it here. I guess that’s a good thing since I’ll be living here. ”

“Does that mean you’ve made up your mind about being with me? ”

“Yes. ” Sabrina took a sip of wine before continuing. “It’s all I thought about at work today. I hated that for my patients, because they need my complete focus, but this is a life-changing decision. I wrestled with how quickly everything is happening. But then I figured I have no one to answer to except myself. Joseph is putting my name in the running for chief of staff when he retires, but since he’s one of your kind – he is a Gargoyle, right? ” Deacon nodded, and she said, “Then, I don’t see him having a problem with us. ”

“If anyone understands, it’s Joseph. He was one of the first of our kind to mate with a human. Theirs is a story in its own, but let’s say the two of them weren’t without hardships when they mated. He understands the bond and how quickly these types of relationships move. Once a Gargoyle finds their mate, it becomes nearly impossible to take things slowly. ” He wasn’t going to mention how Tessa refused Gregor for years or how Brynna was keeping Travis in the dark. Tessa had her reasons, those being how she was influenced by Jonas. As for Brynna, she was giving Travis time to mourn his lost girlfriend.

“I know I’m staying here because of whoever is stalking me, but I’d like to use this week as a trial run to make sure we get along. You know all about how the bond affects mates, but it’s an idea I’m still trying to wrap my head around. I have no doubt we’ll end up making things official, but I’d like to take this week to be sure, if that’s okay. ”

“As I told you, take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere. We can use these next few days to get to know one another better. I want you to become comfortable in my home and with me. ”

Sabrina dug into her food, like she was using the movements to give herself time. Whether to think or what, Deacon didn’t know. They ate their meal and drank the wine, neither saying anything else. Sabrina wiped her mouth with her napkin and placed it atop her empty plate. Holding the glass in her hand, she swirled the red liquid.

“If we’re getting to know one another, there’s something I should tell you. I dated a man a few years ago. He is a policeman, and he’s built similar to you. Things weren’t going the way I wanted in the relationship, and when I told him to pack his things, he got violent. ”

Deacon growled low in his chest, his fangs popping out. Sabrina’s eyes widened, and Deacon took a deep breath, calming the beast. He retracted his fangs, apologizing. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you, but the thought of any man putting his hands on you in anger, well, it makes me a little crazy. What’s this cop’s name? ”

Sabrina shook her head. “Oh, no. What happened is in the past. It won’t do any good for you to go after him now. ”

“It’ll do me a world of good to punish him. Please tell me you filed charges. ”

Sabrina briefly dropped her gaze. When she looked back up, she sighed. “No, I didn’t. He’s a cop, and it was his word against mine. Sure, I had the marks, but I couldn’t prove he did it. I stayed home, healed, and then I went back to work. He left me alone afterward. ”

“So, you lived with this man? ”

“Not really. He wanted to move in with me, but I didn’t love him enough to make that commitment. After it was over, I realized I didn’t love him at all. He brought clothes to spend the night, and more and more of his things found their way into my home. I wouldn’t give him a key, and that was one of the things we fought about. You told me you mostly went on first dates, so does that mean you haven’t you ever lived with someone? ”

“No, I haven’t. I’ve spent my life waiting for my mate. I haven’t been celibate for the last four hundred years, but…” Deacon took a deep breath. “The last time I tried dating someone, it didn’t go well. ” Deacon downed the last of his wine and poured another glassful.

“What happened? You have that look in your eye. ”

“The last time I went out with someone more than once, she tried to trap me. Told me she was pregnant. I knew she was lying. For one thing, I used protection, and besides, Gargoyles can only get their mate pregnant. ”

“And you knew she wasn’t your mate? ”

“There was no pull to her. Did I find her attractive? Yes. At first, she was kind. Charming. But if I didn’t see her for days on end, it didn’t bother me. She wanted more from me than I did her, and she wasn’t satisfied with something casual. I never led her to believe we would be serious, because I wouldn’t do that to someone. There are Gargoyles who have dated and even married humans while waiting for their mate just because they didn’t want to be alone, but that’s not me. I ended it with her, and I’ve been alone since. ”

“That’s kind of sad. I mean, I’m not upset that you haven’t really played the field, but weren’t you lonely? ”

“Were you? Did you miss having someone to come home to? ”

“Honestly? No. My ex was all about what I could do for him. Some days, I just want to come home and decompress after dealing with the heartache of what my patients are going through. Instead of being supportive and helpful, he expected me to cook for him. Not once did he offer to help clean the kitchen afterward. Said it was the woman’s job. I only dated a couple times after that, but I couldn’t bring myself to do anything more than go to dinner. And then I met you, but if it wasn’t for the mate pull, I doubt I’d have agreed to going out with you. ”

“I appreciate your honesty. I happen to like cooking, and I have no problem cleaning the kitchen, whether you or I cook. I’ve taken care of myself all these years, so I’m happy to continue doing so. Your job is stressful, and I want to help alleviate as much of your stress as possible. Not only is that helping you, but it will help me as well. Being empathic means I want everyone around me happy. I want you to feel comfortable around me and the other Gargoyles as well since they’ll become part of your life. If you’d like to meet up with other mates to pick their brains, we can set that up. I think you’ll find hearing their stories to be fascinating. You’ve already seen how accepting Sophia and Katherine were. And Kaya, well, we both know how our Queen was meddling, ” Deacon said, grinning.

“Queen? ”

“Yes. Each territory has a King. Rafael is the King of our Clan here in the Americas, and that makes Kaya our Queen. Tessa’s father, Xavier, is King of the Italians. He’s ready to step down and pass the crown to Tessa’s brother, Tamian. Brynna’s brother, Banyan, is King of the Norse Clan. He and Urijah have a home here, and Travis is designing them a new home in Norway. ”

“Wow. There’s a lot I need to learn about your culture. And I would love to spend more time with the other mates. Not that I don’t trust you to tell me what I need to know, but I think it will help me navigate the waters of being with a shifter if I can learn from those who are already mated to a Gargoyle. ”

“You’ve met Kaya, Sophia, and Katherine. You know Isabelle. She’s Joseph’s daughter and is a half-blood. She and Dante are mates. Connor is their son. Trevor, Dante’s assistant, is mates with Jasper who is a police officer. Trevor is also Travis’s brother. We have Sunday dinner at Rafael’s manor every week, and you can meet all the mates, or if you’d rather do it here away from the Gargoyles, we can make that happen. ”

“I know of Isabelle, but we’ve never met. Can I ask you about Connor? ”

“Of course. ”

“It’s just, I met him a couple days ago, and he had the strangest reaction when we shook hands. ”

Deacon had forgotten about Connor’s drawing. “I’m glad you mentioned that. Connor is a very special boy. He is wise beyond his years, is a genius, and is a talented artist. He also has visions. I need to show you something. ” Deacon pulled up the photo of the drawing and held it out for Sabrina. “This is why he reacted strangely when you shook his hand. ”

“Oh, my god. This is the man I saw outside my office. But, wait. Why doesn’t he have a face? ”

“That’s a good question. This has never happened before. Connor’s drawings are always specific, so we don’t know why he couldn’t see the man more clearly. You didn’t see his face either, so it might have something to do with that. ”

“Poor child. I would hate to have visions as an adult. I can’t imagine what it does to him being so young. ”

“He has a good support system. Dante and —” Deacon’s phone rang, cutting him off. “Speak of the devil. Excuse me, please. ” He connected the call. “Dante? ”

“Hello, Brother. I know you’re supposed to be on your date with Sabrina, but Connor had another vision. I was hoping you could stop by here on your way home. ”

“We got our food to go, so we’re already home. We can leave now, if that’s convenient. ”

“If you don’t mind. Have you spoken to Sabrina about the first drawing? ”

“Yes. Just now, as a matter of fact. ”

“If it won’t disturb her too much, we’d love to see you both. I was going to snap a photo of it, but Isabelle asked if you could see it in person. It has to do with your conversation earlier. ”

“We’ll be right there. ” They said their goodbyes, and Deacon turned to Sabrina. “I apologize. I should have asked your opinion before I spoke for both of us, but Dante and Isabelle have something to show us. Another drawing. Do you mind going to their house? They don’t live far. ”

“I don’t mind. I’d love the chance to visit with one of the mates, even if she is a half-blood. ”

“Excellent. Leave the dishes. I’ll get them when we get home. ” Deacon stood and reached out for Sabrina’s hand. “I need to get you a helmet so we can ride the bike together. ”

“I’d like that. What kind of drawing is this one? Does it relate to me? ”

“I’m not sure. Dante said it pertained to a conversation Isabelle and I had, and we spoke about an adolescent Gargoyle’s DNA. I guess we’ll have to wait until we get there to find out for certain. ”

Five minutes later, Deacon pulled up to Dante’s gate, rolled down the window, and spoke into the security box. The gate opened, and he drove slowly down the paved drive. Dante and Isabelle were waiting for them on the front porch. Deacon walked around the truck and helped Sabrina out of the cab. When they stepped onto the porch, Dante said, “Sabrina, good to see you again. I’m not sure if you’ve met my mate, Isabelle. ”

Isabelle held out her hand. “We haven’t had the pleasure, but I’ve heard so much about you. Welcome to our home. ”

Sabrina thanked them both, and when they turned to head inside, she paused. Connor was standing in the doorway. He didn’t hesitate to come forward and hold out his hand. “Miss Bailey, ” he said when she placed her palm against his smaller one. There was no vision this time that Deacon could ascertain. Just a little boy with impeccable manners.

Once they were inside and seated in the living room, Dante said, “Connor had another vision. I wanted you to see the drawing in case you recognize the man. ” Connor came forward with a piece of paper and held it out to Sabrina.

“Oh, my god. That’s Jerrick. That’s my brother. ” Her hands were shaking, and Deacon took the picture from her, placing it on the coffee table so he could pull her into his arms.

“This is a good thing. It means he’s most likely the one leaving you the notes. ”

“How is that good? If what you said was true, he allowed himself to be turned into one of the Unholy. ”

“Look at the picture. His features are normal. Maybe he was Unholy at one point, but if he knows about Craven and this boy, more than likely he’s now one of the Reborn. Your brother might not be exactly as you remember him, but I have a feeling he’s trying to do the right thing here. He’s asking for help. ”

“But I don’t know how to help him, ” she whispered.

Dante stepped forward. “No, but we do. ”

⇐ Предыдущая 19 20 21 22 232425 26 27 28 Следующая ⇒