Tanner made the drive back much more quickly than Addy and Kim’s drive up. Without the symbol pulling her, she was finally starting to feel tired. They stopped for gas and Juliette told Jax she was going to wait for someone named Angelica and would call him later.
They’d been on the road for hours and were getting close to Tremain. The anxiety about seeing Gage was building, not to mention facing Bernard and Stubbs.
As Tanner turned into the driveway, she could see her car parked outside of the garage. She breathed a huge sigh of relief that Kim, and her car, had made it back safely.
The current problem was the gate. It was hardly ever closed, but it was currently shut and she didn’t have her remote to open it. She reluctantly reached over and hit the buzzer.
Gage walked out of the garage and peered over at them. He doubled back and a second later the gate slid out of their way.
Tanner pulled up near her car and Jax parked next to him. Gage stood watching as her and her new friends walked toward him. She was happy to see him even though she could see he was irate. Addy hadn’t seen him look that mad since she took out one of his snowboards without asking and cracked and chipped up the nose.
Addy took a deep breath and gestured to the guys. “Gage, this is Tanner and Jax.”
“Hey.” He gave them his standard head nod guy greeting.
“I saw you at the beach, but we weren’t introduced,” Tanner said, nodding back.
“Yeah, I remember.” Gage turned toward Addy, but didn’t look at her. “I’ve gotta go see Josh,” he said, walking away before she could respond.
She quickly walked after him, pointing for Tanner and Jax to stay put. “Gage, wait.”
“Not now, Addy,” he said loudly over his shoulder.
She stopped walking, feeling like she got kicked in the chest. After taking a deep breath to compose herself, she turned back to Tanner and Jax.
“That was awkward,” Jax said, looking around her in the direction Gage stalked off in.
Addy stepped over so Jax had to look at her. “You wanted to come here—now tell us what’s going on.”
Jax’s demeanor became serious and he turned toward her and Tanner. “Neither one of you is to mention that Mesen were attacking us—got it?”
She exchanged looks with Tanner and they both nodded. She started to question Jax, but decided against it after seeing the look on his face. She still wasn’t sure what to think of him and his need to get to Tremain.
Addy led them through the house the long way, trying to avoid taking any hallways that could cause them to run into anyone. The dogs were lying in their bed outside of the door when they walked up and Stubbs and Bernard were inside.
Bernard jumped to his feet when they saw her. “Addison!” He hurried over and scooped her up. “Are you ok?”
“Yeah, I’m sorry for worrying you.” She backed up and pointed to the guys. “This is Tanner Sutherland and Jackson…” She looked at Jax. “I don’t know your last name.”
Jax stepped forward. “Sanders.” He spoke as if he had been waiting all of his life to drop that bomb.
Stubbs was on his feet and Addy was about to hit the floor. Bernard gasped, and Tanner stood there wondering what the big deal was.
Addy held her hands out to her sides. “Sanders? Does that mean we’re related or something?” She knew the question came out sounding dumb as soon as it left her mouth.
Jax raised his eyebrow and nodded his head. “You could say that.”
Somehow, she knew what was coming next.
He took her hand and moved to look her in the eye. “You’re my twin—fraternal twin, that is.”
Addy staggered, letting go of Jax’s hand and Bernard helped her to a seat. “That’s not possible,” she said, feeling sick as she dropped down into the chair. She shifted her eyes to Jax. “Not possible.”
Tanner moved over, putting his hands on her shoulders. “Take a few breaths,” he said, leaning down near her shoulder. “Air is your friend…”
His voice snapped her out of the daze she was in, but her heart was still pounding in her chest as she struggled with Tanner’s request for her to breathe.
“There were not two children!” Stubbs began waving his hands in front of him. “We would’ve known.”
Stubbs looked about as sick as Addy felt.
“No one knew,” Jax said, turning his hands up. “Well, at least no one here. I lived with the West family—Juliette and Mitchell. Grandfather separated Addison and me to keep us safe after what happened to our parents.”
“I didn’t know either.” Bernard shook his head in disbelief, looking at Stubbs. “I just thought Fate was particularly close with Mitchell West.”
Jax, Addy, and Tanner took turns filling Bernard and Stubbs in on what had happened over the last two days. Jax lied when he was telling Stubbs and Bernard about the attackers. He said they were humans, not the Akori who called themselves Mesen.
“Where’s the Overseer’s Stone?” Jax asked when they were done. He spotted it sitting at the end of the table and walked over to it before anyone could answer. “Grandfather had the oldest and most intelligent Akori scholars educate me on every aspect of the Overseer’s duties and Akori life. I’m extremely knowledgeable, but you probably already—”
“Jax,” Tanner said, “when you’re done admiring yourself—could you educate me with your vast knowledge on what the hell I have to do with all of this?”
Jax pointed at him. “You’re an Akori Shepherd.” He looked at the others and only Stubbs seemed to understand. “Are you kidding—none of you knew what he was?”
Stubbs cleared his throat. “Akori Shepherds are used when the Overseer needs someone retrieved.”
Stubbs explained that Akori Shepherds were called using the Overseer’s Stone when the Overseer needed someone found or brought to him that he couldn’t summon with the stone.
“Well, Fate must have called for you to retrieve Jax,” Bernard said to Tanner when Stubbs finished.
Tanner and Addy exchanged looks, both realizing that when she stopped Tanner from getting to Tremain she must have wrecked Fate’s plan.
Jax focused on Tanner. “I’d never met one until you, but male Shepherds are supposed to have scary good memories.”
Tanner nodded. “I’ve been freaking people out with my total recall my whole life.”
Stubbs looked at Tanner closely, almost appearing a little worried. “You’re the only Shepherd we’ve seen around here in—well, a long time. I wasn’t sure if there were anymore.”
Tanner didn’t respond, but Bernard spoke before his lack of response became awkward. “You said your last name is Sutherland? What are your parents’ names?”
Tanner’s hands tensed on her shoulders. “Jasper and Kathleen.”
“I grew up with Jasper.” Bernard looked dumbfounded. “He was a friend of Fate’s and mine. They’re a bit old to have a son your age.”
Addy tipped her head back so she could see Tanner. His face was stone and he looked extremely uncomfortable with the conversation.
“Yeah, they adopted me,” he said without looking at Bernard.
Bernard wrinkled his brow. “I see.”
Stubbs took a step closer to Bernard. “Are you thinking Fate placed Tanner with them?”
“He trusted Jasper—it’s possible.” Bernard still looked unsure. “I just don’t know though—it seems like he would’ve disclosed something like that to you and I,” he said, leaning closer to Stubbs. “Even the situation with Jackson doesn’t make sense.”
“So does that mean Tanner’s an Akori then?” Addy shifted her eyes toward his hands on her shoulders. “He doesn’t have marks.”
“Not sure about the marks, but he’s definitely an Akori.” Jax said, carefully studying Tanner. “Your parents never told you?”
Tanner rolled his eyes. “Clearly they didn’t.”
His hands were still on her shoulders and he felt extremely tense. Feeling him so on
edge made her feel even more stressed. She reached up and began smoothing the palms of her hands along his forearms. After a few seconds, she felt him begin to relax. She tugged on his arm to make him lean down so she could whisper to him.
“Sit down.”
“I’m fine.”
“Tanner.”
“Girlie.”
She pointed at the chair next to her and tugged his arm. “Please sit by me.”
Tanner pulled the chair out and sat next to her with a sigh.
She smiled at him. “Thank you.”
Addy noticed Stubbs staring at them intently, which made her feel extremely uncomfortable. “I don’t understand how he and I have the same symbol on our necks, and why I was pulled to Jax with him,” she said, trying to turn Stubbs’ attention elsewhere. “I’m definitely just a human.”
Jax shrugged. “The pattern our grandfather told you to use must have given Shepherd powers to you—probably because Tanner didn’t show up. Maybe it was his way of bringing us together.”
Addy frowned. “But I’m a human.”
“You’re from Sanders blood. That makes you different from other humans,” Stubbs said. “That’s the only possible reason you could carry her symbol.”
“Her symbol?” Tanner leaned forward and looked at Stubbs. “Her who?”
Stubbs shook his head quickly. “The only logical way she can safely have that symbol is because she’s a Sanders.”
Addy remembered the stories she’d read about humans being marked with Akori symbols. None of them ended well for the humans.
Bernard glanced between Addy and Tanner, and then turned his attention to Jax. “The humans that tried to attack you today—how’d they find you? Even if the humans got an Akori to guide them, you haven’t claimed the stone yet, they can’t sense you.”
Jax shook his head. “We don’t know, but you can count on one thing—they’ll be back.”
“True, they probably already know where Tremain is,” Stubbs said.
“You should probably claim the Overseer’s Stone, my boy.” Bernard walked up and patted Jax on the back. “Just look at you, you’re the image of your father.”
Jax nodded. “He must’ve been an exceptionally handsome man.”
“That’s your brother?” Tanner leaned over to Addy. “I think you should request a DNA test.”
She put her hand over her mouth as she smiled at him.
“Jackson, considering you just arrived, I think you should get a few things in order before claiming the stone,” Stubbs said, “such as introducing yourself to the Akori people.”
Jax walked over to Addy and stood in front of her. “Let's take a break—I know it’s a lot to deal with.” He turned and faced Bernard. “I’d like to meet with you alone if you have a few minutes.”
Addy watched Jackson as he spoke to the others. She couldn’t believe she actually had a brother—a twin brother. She’d never felt like she had a sibling—much less a twin. The thought never ever crossed her mind.
They decided they’d gather everyone in the garden in an hour to tell them what was going on and then return to the library so Jax could claim the Overseer’s Stone.
Addy grabbed Tanner’s arm, stopping him at the door. “Are you ok?”
He nodded as he leaned toward her slightly. “Are you?”
“It’s a lot, you know.”
“It sure is, girlie.”
Tanner headed back to the resort next door, but said he’d be back shortly. Stubbs went off to arrange to get everyone together in the garden.
She wanted to talk to Kim, but when she asked Bernard about her he said she had only gotten back a few minutes before Addy arrived. She went straight to Matt and refused to answer any of their questions.
Addy decided to just go back to her villa. She made her way through the garden, carefully avoiding everyone. Her door was open when she walked up the sidewalk. She opened the screen and stepped inside. “Hello?”
Moose came running from the kitchen, followed by Gage. The sight of him made her heart jump.
“I was bringing the cat back for my mom.” He kept his eyes glued to the floor as he spoke.
She picked Moose up, who was purring loudly. “Thanks. I really missed him.”
“No problem.” He started for the door, but stopped when he realized she was still standing in front of it.
Addy put the cat down and took a step away from the door. She couldn’t believe Gage wouldn’t even look at her. She wanted to explain to him what happened so he didn’t have to hear it in front of everyone else.
“You don’t have to go. I’d like to talk to you.” She reached for his hand, but he pulled it away, making her chest tighten. “Don’t be like that, Gage.”
He shook his head looking just as angry as earlier—maybe more. “You took off to chase after some guy—what am I supposed to be like?” He still didn’t look at her. “Then you just roll up with him and his buddy today like it’s no big deal.”
She hadn't seen that one coming and her jaw just about hit the floor. “Why do you think that?”
Gage gestured toward the table by the door. “We saw the notes when we came to get your cat. The one that said he was leaving.”
That was exactly what she didn’t need to deal with, and she could feel anger building at him.
“Wow, you’re absolutely right,” Addy said, tossing her hands up. “Since you’ve got it all figured out, I guess there’s nothing to talk about.”
He finally circled his light blue eyes to meet hers. “Am I wrong?”
Taking a deep breath and trying to force her frustration back, she stepped toward Gage. Her finger tips barely brushed against his hands when a noise from the door made her spin around.
“Hey, girlie.” Tanner was standing on her porch with both hands full of shopping bags. “Open the door.”
She glanced back at Gage and then quickly went over to let Tanner in.
“These are the clothes you left in my suite.” He dropped the bags on her sofa and rolled his eyes. “Someone needs a shopping intervention.”
Gage shook his head at her and pushed past Tanner, out the door.
Chapter 17