Jasper (32 page)

Jasper
circled over his property, taking in the scene below. Theron’s body was already
in a black bag and being loaded into the back of Uri’s SUV. He would take it to
the morgue where Dante would get it ready for transport. Even though this was
war, Rafael had thought it best to send Theron’s body home to Greece for a
proper burial. They knew that was more than Alistair would offer, but they
weren’t Alistair.

Jasper
fully expected Trevor to have gone in the house when he took off without a
word, but his mate was standing where he left him, watching him as he flew
circles just above the trees. Trevor was grinning at him and shaking his head. His
mate was grinning. Trevor clamped his hand over Travis’s eyes and said, “Did
you forget you’re wearing a kilt?”

The
Gargoyles glanced up at Jasper and started laughing. He looked down and
realized his junk was on display for all the world to see. He smoothed the
plaid down over his legs and held it there as he came to land beside his mate. Trevor
uncovered his brother’s eyes and launched himself into Jasper’s arms, kissing
him for all he was worth. When they broke apart, Trevor said, “You’re wet. Why
are you wet?”

“I
might have gone for a quick swim in Frey’s lake.” Jasper shook the water out of
his hair, splattering his mate in the process.

Trevor
slapped him on the chest as he said, “Of course you did.” Trevor turned
serious, inspecting Jasper’s chest where the cut had already healed. Jasper
stopped his hands and flattened them against his chest.

“I’m
fine, Baby. I promise.”

“I
know you are, but I needed to see for myself. Come on. There’s a houseful of
badasses who want to congratulate you. Once they’re gone, I’m going to congratulate
you right out of that kilt.”

Once
inside, Jasper grabbed several bottles of Jameson out of the cabinet. He didn’t
bother with glasses. The Gargoyles, along with Trevor and Travis, passed the
whiskey around. He might have incited a Clan war, but Jasper felt like
celebrating. His mate was safe, and Jasper could now bury the past. Literally.

Before
the last vehicle had reached the gate, Trevor was on his knees with Jasper’s
kilt pushed up over his hips. After a mind-blowing hummer, Jasper took Trevor
upstairs where he wrapped his mate in the plaid as they took turns making love.

Rafael
called a mandatory meeting at the manor. The snow had melted, and true to the
unpredictability of Georgia weather, it was sunshiny and sixty-four degrees
outside. Jasper decided to get the Harley out since the weather was warm. He
had taken Trevor to get fitted for a helmet, and he never wanted to drive the
Jeep again. Riding with his mate seated close, his arms banding Jasper’s
stomach, was heaven on two wheels.

When
they arrived, Jasper knew right away this was no ordinary meeting. Rows of
chairs were set up at the back of the house. They climbed off the bike and
removed their helmets. “I do believe we are about to finally witness our King
and Queen getting married,” he said against Trevor’s ear. They walked arm in
arm to where others were already gathering.

Amelia
was twirling in circles, her pink tutu sparkling in the sunlight. When she
stopped, she stumbled like a drunk and fell to the ground laughing. The adults
were laughing with her. When she picked herself up, she ran to Jasper, and he
caught her as she jumped into his arms. “Uncle Jas, look. Trevor’s hair’s
purple. I want my hair purple.” She wiggled out of his arms and took off
running toward Frey. “Daddy, can I have my hair purple?”

Jasper
touched the colored strand in his mate’s hair. A couple of days after the
fight, Trevor had surprised Jasper by getting the streak put back in his hair.
Jasper had a feeling Rafael had something to do with it, but he didn’t ask.
Travis waved them over to where he was saving seats. He had gone back to Athens
for Molly, and they were getting settled into their new home. Trevor was
including him in his life as much as possible. They dragged him along on their
date to Stone Mountain where the brothers ganged up on Jasper with snowballs.

Both
Trevor and Travis had agreed to see a counselor about their recent experiences.
Nikolas had been able to recommend a Gargoyle in the area who worked as a
psychiatrist. Travis was also getting settled into working for Rafael.

Speaking
of the King, he got everyone’s attention and asked them to take their seats.
The chairs were facing the garden where an Arbor had been placed at the
entrance. Rafe took his place under the flower-covered structure alongside
Victoria, Priscilla and Jonathon’s niece. She was the Clan’s attorney and had
recently become ordained so she could perform Frey and Abbi’s wedding. Now, she
was standing with Rafael as they waited on Kaya. Jasper was thrilled for his
former boss. He was also thrilled for himself. When Frey and Abbi tied the
knot, Jasper had been lost, not knowing if Trevor would ever come around. Now,
he was mated to his best friend and lover, and they were planning their own
wedding a few months down the road.

Soft
music floated over the air coming out of speakers Julian had set up around the
grounds. He was manning the makeshift stereo as Amelia walked down the pathway,
dropping white rose petals from the basket she was carrying. Once she was
seated next to Frey, it was Kaya’s turn to make her way to where Rafael was
waiting. True to the woman and Queen he had come to know and love, Kaya was not
wearing the usual long white wedding gown. Instead, she was clad in a simple light
blue dress that billowed from the waist, stopping right above her knees. Her
belly was just beginning to show the baby she was carrying. True to the
Gargoyle and King Jasper had grown to admire, Rafael grabbed Kaya and kissed
her passionately as soon as she reached the arbor.

“Uncle
Rafe, you’re supposed to kiss her
after
the wedding,” Amelia chastised.
Everyone laughed, including Rafael and Kaya. The ceremony was short and to the
point with both Kaya and Rafael saying a few words to each other. When Victoria
pronounced them husband and wife, Rafael kissed her again, and the group headed
inside for the reception.

Priscilla
had outdone herself as usual. There was more food than she’d cooked at
Christmas, plus there was a beautiful four-tier wedding cake. After everyone
had eaten and it was time to cut the cake, Rafael gathered everyone around
again. “Now that Kaya and I have been able to have our wedding, we are going to
take a trip to California to visit Sinclair and the Clan on the West Coast.
Once word makes it back to Greece on recent events, we will either be fully at
peace or fully at war. Let us all pray it is the former.”

After
much discussion, it was agreed that Sergei would deliver Theron’s body back to
Greece while Kallisto remained a guest at the Pen. Should Alistair agree to
call a truce, his daughter would be released. If he refused, she would become
Vincent Alexander’s permanent neighbor.

The
happy couple cut the cake, and champagne was passed around. Sixx handed a glass
to both Jasper and Trevor before saying, “I’m headed out to California next
week when Rafe and Kaya go.”

“Have
you spoken to Desirae?” Jasper asked.

“No.
I’m afraid if I tell her I’m coming she’ll run. It’s going to take me the whole
trip to gather my courage to actually knock on her door.”

“Good
luck with that. Keep us posted on how it’s going,” Trevor added just as Mason
ran into him.

“Oh,
sorry, Trevor. I’ve…” Mason looked like he was going to throw up. “I’ve gotta
get some air,” he said and ran out the back door.

Jasper
looked around the room and spotted the reason for Mason’s unease. Willow, Rafael’s
assistant, was talking with Rafael and Kaya. Mason had recently figured out she
was his mate, but being so young, he had no clue what to do with a girl. At
least Jasper had met his mate long after he’d matured. Mason, even though he
looked twenty-something, was actually only sixteen. He was still maturing as a
Gargoyle, but it was going to be necessary for Rafael to tell Willow about the
Gargoyles soon.

The
reception eventually wound down and most everyone headed to their respective
homes to let the King and Queen have some private time as husband and wife.
Jasper and Trevor were going to retrieve Theron’s body from the morgue while
Urijah released Sergei from the Pen. Dante had given the other morgue employees
time off while Theron’s body was stored in one of the refrigerated drawers. It
wouldn’t do for anyone else to discover a headless Gargoyle.

At
first, Jasper had balked at the idea of Trevor being the one to handle the
transfer, but he assured Jasper he was more than willing to help dispose of Theron.
In fact, it was something he was looking forward to. He wanted to help Jasper
send off the Goyle who had made his past miserable, so together they could look
to their future. Once the body was securely in the back of the bus, Trevor
drove to the airport where the Viking was meeting them with Kallisto’s
sidekick.

Rafael
had instructed Jasper to deal with Sergei since it was him and his mate Theron
had tried to take out. Jasper had no problem with that. When Uri pulled Sergei
from the backseat of his SUV, the man’s eyes practically bugged out at seeing
Jasper standing there alive.

“Surprise.
Guess you didn’t expect to see us, did you?”

“Where’s
Kallisto? You cannot hold her. The King will demand you release her.”

“We
have a message for the King, and you’re going to deliver it. Let’s take a
walk.” Jasper pointed to the Gianopoulos jet that was fueled and waiting for
Sergei’s return trip. Using Sergei’s phone, Julian had sent a text to the pilot
instructing him to get the plane ready. He also instructed him of the day and
time to return to the hangar to make the trip back to Greece. They had enough
time to load Theron’s body in the bedroom and secure Sergei before the pilot
would arrive.

Once
they were onboard the plane, Sergei asked, “So what’s the message?”

Uri
pointed to the bedroom. “It’s in there.”

The
three of them had a seat and waited while the man went into the bedroom and
unzipped the body bag. Gagging and retching soon came from the bathroom. The
sink turned on and Sergei splashed water on his face. When he returned to the
cabin area, his damp face was paler than the white leather seats. “You killed
Theron?”

“He
tried to kill me first. Twice,” Jasper said as he stood. “Don’t act like we
murdered the heir to the throne without just cause. He murdered five innocent
men. He poisoned me and left me for dead. Between you, Kallisto, and Theron,
you’ve tormented our Clan for the last few months. You’ve murdered family
members, and we are done sitting idly by watching you and Alistair target our
families. You take Theron back to Alistair and tell him this – Rafael demands a
cease and desist. If Alistair agrees to a truce, we will release his daughter.
If he declines, she dies the same way Theron did. Simple as that.”

“No,
you can’t kill her, she’s…”

“She’s
an evil bitch who does her father’s bidding. If you don’t want her harmed, I
suggest you convince Alistair to let this vendetta die along with his son,”
Jasper seethed.

Sergei
nodded and sat down in an empty seat. Jasper pulled Trevor to his feet, and
Urijah stood, tossing Sergei’s phone to him. “The pilot will be here within the
hour. I suggest you take the opportunity to look through your phone if you need
further convincing that we’re serious about your girlfriend.”

The
three of them walked down the steps of the plane. Before they’d made it too
far, Sergei howled. “I guess he saw the pictures,” Uri said. When they got to
their vehicles, Uri stopped and told them, “I’ve decided to head to California
for a visit. Since Rafael, Kaya, and now Sixx are taking the Clan jet, I
thought I’d hop a ride with them. Stay with Finley for a little while. Jasper,
here are the keys to the armory. I’d appreciate it if you’d keep an eye on
things while I’m gone.”

“Of
course, Brother. I hope you find what you’re looking for out there.”

Uri
cocked his head to the side and studied Jasper. Jasper had a feeling he knew
who Uri was looking for as well as what, but it wasn’t really his business. He
held out his hand and they clasped arms. Uri fisted his heart and bowed his head
to Trevor. With that, the Viking was gone.

“Let’s
get the bus back to the hospital so we can get home and do a little more
celebrating,” Trevor said.

“Yeah?
What are we celebrating?” Jasper asked.

“For
now, we have no one gunning for us or our family. We need to take advantage of
it while it lasts. Who knows how Alistair is going to react when he sees his
son?”

Jasper
couldn’t agree more. Once they dropped the van off, they climbed into the Jeep
and headed home where they celebrated well into the night.

October 2048

Jasper
and Trevor were lying on their backs on a blanket, staring at the Aurora
Borealis. Just as Jasper had predicted, the Northern Lights were putting on a
spectacular show, and Trevor was amazed at all the brilliant colors. If it
wasn’t for the Gargoyle lying next to him, he knew the experience wouldn’t have
been as stellar as it was. Before they left the States, they held a small,
intimate wedding ceremony with the Clan and their families in attendance.
Amelia had been the flower girl, tutu and all.

They
traveled first to Ireland, where they both stood dressed in O’Donnell plaid and
spoke their vows as they overlooked the Donegal Bay. Jasper had exchanged the
plain titanium band he’d give Trevor when he proposed with one that matched his
own. The bands had intricate Celtic designs on the outside and their names
etched on the inside. After the ceremony, they toured the Irish countryside
with Jasper showing Trevor where he’d lived after being sold to the O’Donnell.
They visited the land where he’d fought many years before.

Next,
they took a boat over to Scotland where Jasper rented a small house for a week.
They were on their third night at the house and were enjoying their time away
from their busy lives back in the States. Jasper was still lead detective with
the police department, and Trevor was studying to become the next Medical
Examiner, considering Dante was barely at the morgue anymore. He and Jasper
rarely had time to themselves.

Thinking
of the Clan, Trevor asked, “Do you ever think about your family?”

Jasper
rolled over so he was facing Trevor. “Every once in a while. I even thought
about trying to find them while we’re here, but then I remembered they aren’t
my family anymore. They haven’t been for almost five hundred years. Besides, my
birth clan has probably moved by now. My family died on the battlefield.”

“I
understand. I used to feel that way about my dad, but now look at us, having
coffee once a month.” Trevor had finally called his father, and their
relationship had gotten better over the last few months. He and Travis met
their dad once a month at the diner where Marley worked. He still hadn’t spoken
to his mother, and he was okay with that.

“Your
dad didn’t sell you to the highest bidder.”

“True.

“I
don’t think anything good would come from seeking them out. Besides, I have you
in my life. What more could I want?” he asked as he touched Trevor’s cheek
where a dimple was hiding.

Trevor
had been thinking a lot about that lately. With Kaya giving birth to Sebastian
a few months ago, and now both Sophia and Abbi pregnant, Trevor was thinking
about children. He knew with them being men they would have to adopt or find a
surrogate, but Trevor felt like his biological clock was ticking, as stupid as
it sounded.

“I’ve
been thinking, Baby.” Jasper began as he snaked a hand underneath Trevor’s
shirt so he could be skin to skin.

“About?”
It was hard to think with Jasper ghosting his fingers across Trevor’s abs.

“Sebastian
sure is a cute baby.”

“How
could he not be? Have you seen his parents?”

 “You
think Rafe is good looking?”

“Jas,
he’s a Gargoyle. The badass gene pool doesn’t allow for ugliness.”

Jasper
rose up on his forearm and glared at Trevor. “Seriously? You think all the
badasses are hot?”

“Not
hot, no. You’re the only hot badass to me. Now, why are you bringing up
Sebastian?”

“I
know he died a long time ago, and he wasn’t really my father, but I was
thinking…” Jasper swallowed before he said, “I was thinking there would be no
better way to honor the O’Donnell than to give him a namesake.” When they
applied for the marriage license, Jasper had Julian “fix” his birth certificate
showing his name as Phelam Jasper Jenkins O’Donnell. He wanted to pay respects
to the man he’d once thought of as his father. At work he was still Jasper
Jenkins, detective, but in private, he was Phelam O’Donnell, warrior.

“You
mean a baby?” Had Trevor’s thoughts somehow seeped into Jasper’s brain? Was he
appeasing Trevor, or did he truly want kids? “You want to have kids with me?”

“Yeah,
I think I do. We don’t have to do it right away, but I wouldn’t mind having a
little Trevor running around the house someday.”

“Have
I told you lately how much I love you, Mr. O’Donnell?”

“Not
in the last half hour, Mr. O’Donnell. Does that mean you want kids, too?”
Jasper asked, raising his eyebrows.

“As
a matter of fact, it’s what I was just thinking about. I’m not getting any
younger, you know.”

“Yeah,
but you’re also not getting any older, either,” Jasper said, his smile as
bright as the light show above them.

“True.
Okay then. We’re going to have a baby. Or adopt, or whichever you prefer.”

 “I’d
like to try using a surrogate. I want our kids to have our DNA.”

Trevor
pulled Jasper down on top of him. “I like that idea. Now kiss me, husband.” And
he did. For the third night in a row, they made love under the heavenly Northern
Lights.

By
the time their week was up, Jasper had made up his mind to seek out his birth
family. With Trevor and him deciding to have a family of their own, he thought
it might be a good idea to get some closure on that part of his past. It was
the only negative aspect of his life still lingering. Whatever the outcome, he
knew Trevor would be by his side, supporting him. Loving him.

He
had no idea where the O’Hearns would be, but he figured he and Trevor would
start at the old family home. Instead of driving straight there, Jasper made a
pit stop at a local restaurant. Of course, he was stalling, but they hadn’t had
anything to eat since breakfast, and it was almost time for supper. Once
inside, they seated themselves toward the back of the restaurant, away from the
other patrons. Even though they’d been together almost a year, they still acted
like the newlyweds they were. If they could sneak in a touch here and there,
they did.

The
waitress approached their table holding a tray with two glasses of water. The
first glass of water slipped from her grasp and hit the floor, shattering all
over the place. “Ma’am, are you…”

“By
the gods! Colm?” The woman’s eyes were wide as if she’d seen a ghost. It
finally registered in Jasper’s brain that she’d called him by his father’s
name.

“No,
Máthair
.
It’s me, Phelam.” Jasper had blocked most memories of his biological father,
but thinking back, how could he have forgotten what the man looked like? The
same image Jasper saw in the mirror every day. Now, standing before him, was
the female who brought him into this world. She was probably close to six
hundred years old, but she had the appearance of a haggard woman in her
forties. Time had not been kind to his mother, and he figured living with Colm
O’Hearn had a lot to do with it.

Another
woman came to check on the glass breaking. “Aibhlinn, is everything okay?” she
asked. When she got a look at Jasper, the woman gasped and crossed herself.
“Mother Mary, deliver us,” she prayed aloud.

“No,
everything is okay, Maeve. It’s a distant cousin of my husband. It was shocking
to me, too, is all. I’ll clean this up.”

Maeve
appeared skeptical, but she left them alone to speak privately.

“Máthair, why would you be so surprised to see your
mate?” he asked quietly.

His mother’s eyes flashed between his and Trevor’s.
“This is Trevor. He’s my mate and my husband. You can speak freely in front of
him.”

“How can that be? He’s a man.” His mother didn’t
sound judgmental, only confused.

“The fates chose him, that’s how. Now, back to my question
about your own mate.” Phelam refused to call the bastard his father.

She looked around before stating, “He lied to the King one
too many times. Your
Athair
was slain four months ago.”

“I’m sorry for your loss. Are your other sons not taking care
of you?” It wouldn’t be unlike his older brothers to take off and leave their
mother to deal with their asshole of a father.

“Your brothers left hundreds of years ago. They wanted out
from under your father’s rule. Colm continued to get me pregnant trying to
replace them, but I lost each baby. All but one.”

“Where is this brother? Is he taking care of you?” Jasper was
ready to kick some Gargoyle ass if he wasn’t.

“He is a she, and she is only six months old. Phelam, you
have a baby sister.”

“Oh.” Jasper didn’t know what else to say.

“Would you like to meet her?” his mother begged with her
eyes.

Jasper glanced at Trevor who had yet to say a word. He nodded
once, and Jasper told his mother, “Yes, we’d love to.”

“My shift is over in half an hour. I’ll wait for you to eat
and then we can go together.”

“Okay. Bring us whatever you suggest from the menu along with
two pints of Guinness.”

His mother left to put in their order. A young boy came and
cleaned up the glass from the floor. Once he was finished, Trevor grabbed
Jasper’s hands. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just a shock to find her this way. What I can’t
figure out is why she’s working in this restaurant. If Colm is dead, she should
have inherited all his money and land.”

“I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

Aibhlinn
brought their beer but didn’t speak. When she came back with their food, she
deposited two plates of Bangers and Mash along with two bowls of beef stew on
the table in front of them. “Can I get you anything else?” she asked as if they
were any other customers.

“No,
thank you,” they said in unison.

While
he ate, Jasper’s mind was going in so many directions. He had a sister. Was she
a Gargoyle? Or had his mother had an affair? Why did she look run down, and why
was she working as a waitress? He scarfed down his food and washed it down with
his Guinness. Trevor must have noticed his urgency, because his mate had
polished off his plate, too.

His
mother was waiting for them at the front door. “Your meal is on the house.
Maeve was horrified when I broke the glass at your feet.”

Jasper
pulled his wallet out of his pocket as he looked around for the older woman.
When he got her attention, he said, “Here you go,” handing her more money than
necessary. “The food was delicious.”

Before
she could protest, Jasper ushered his mother out the door with Trevor following
close behind. “Where’s your car? We’ll follow you.”

“I
don’t have a car. I live just over the hill.”

“Then
you can ride with us,” he said as he held open the back door for her to get
inside. Trevor jumped in, grinning at his mate.

Jasper
shook his head and opened the front door for his mother to ride next to him.
Once he was seated, he told her, “I need directions.”

He
pulled onto the street, and as soon as he topped the hill, she pointed to the
first road on the right. “Turn here. It’s the last house on the left.”

Jasper’s
heart sank when he saw where his mother was living.
“Máthair, what happened to your
home? Why are you living in a shack?”

“The King took everything when he killed your father.
He said after all your
Athair
had taken, what we had was
rightfully his.”

They pulled into the gravel slot in front of a house
that couldn’t contain more than two rooms. Trevor slid out of the backseat,
opening the door for
Aibhlinn.
He held his hand out, and she placed her hand in his. “Thank you, Trevor.”

“You’re
welcome, Mrs. O’Hearn.”

“Please,
call me Aibhlinn. If you wish, you can just call me Linn.”

She
walked right into the house without unlocking the door. “
Ida,
I’m home.” She told Jasper and Trevor, “If you’d like to have a seat, I’ll just
go get the baby.”