9781631052415ShadowedSpiritBeck (4 page)

Granger
explained everything as if he were debriefing her. Sadie was a little surprised
he shared so openly. She thought he might be angry she’d gone through his
things, but he didn’t appear angry at all, so she asked her next question.
“And this man?”

“He was
seen among the others. We don’t know yet what his role was, only that he knew
them socially at the very least,” Granger paused. “And you? You know him.” It
wasn’t a question so much as a statement.

Sadie
swallowed, took a deep breath, and confessed. “I dated him. He’s Breed.”

“You
dated a Valendite Breed?
This man?
This
man in this photo?
He’s Breed?” Granger’s voice grew louder, more
demanding as his muscles clenched around her.

Sadie
nodded her head, but didn’t move to look up at him as she
answered,
ashamed knowing this was frowned on in their community.
“Mase.
His name is Mase.” She cleared her throat and continued, “We knew we weren’t
mates, but he didn’t care, and neither did I.”

Long
moments stretched out before either of them spoke again. What was there to say?
She’d gotten her punishment when she walked away from Mase. Since then she
never had more than one night with any man, and never again with a Breed male
until Granger.

Granger
sighed, as if he was reluctant to ask another question. “What happened to end
it? I assume something unpleasant happened based on your reaction.”

“He,
well, uhm, we…” Sadie didn’t know where to start. She never thought she’d have
to talk about this. “He liked to bind me with uhm, ropes. You know, for…”

“Yes. I
get it,” Granger interrupted, his irritation with the subject obvious through
his gritted teeth. “Go on.”

“So,
one night when I was tied up in this harness, he,” Sadie’s voice cracked as the
emotion flooded her. With tears in her eyes, she continued, “he took some blood
from me. I couldn’t get loose and there was no one around to hear my screams. I
just hung there and he took it from me.”

“Oh,
Goddess,
mi bella
.”
Granger held her tightly and
rubbed his jaw along the top of her head.

“I
begged him to stop, begged him to explain why he did it but he just laughed,
calling me a stupid… a stupid whore. I thought I’d die when he left me there. I
didn’t know how much blood he’d taken but I felt so week.” Sadie paused again
to clear her throat before she went on, shaking her head, “I don’t know how
long I was alone but eventually, his housekeeper came in.
Samra.
She…”

Everything
Sadie had held back, the memories she had so successfully shielded in the back
of her mind, flooded her. Goddess, how could this be happening? In the
background, she heard the sound of a telephone ringing and was aware Granger
moved away to answer it. His voice was muffled and he didn’t talk long before
he returned to her side, his focus back on her.

“That
was Madden. Your sisters felt a severe shift in your mood and were worried.”

Sadie
was worried he’d mention this and she’d never told a soul. “What did you…
”

“Not a
thing. I told them we were sharing old childhood stories and one of you must’ve
made you feel sad. He bought it. No worries.”

Granger
took her small hands into his much larger one and kissed the top. “Sadie,
sweetheart, I know this is difficult, but more than just because I think you
need to tell me. You need to get this out. He might have something to do with
this operation we’re trying to shut down so I need you to tell me. Please tell
me the rest of the story.”

She
nodded as she drew up the strength to get through this. The confidence she
could feel through her connection with Granger strengthened her resolve.

“When
Samra came in, she seemed frightened. She said
th
–
that there wasn’t much
time and we needed to be quiet. I could tell she was afraid of him, of Mase.
She untied me and led me out through the side fire exit of his loft. I was so
grateful to her and I’ve always wondered what happened…” Sadie’s sob tore from
her throat as she allowed herself to consider
Samra’s
fate.

“Oh,
sweetheart.
I am so sorry. Something compelled her to help you though. She made a choice to
help you and I bet she held no regret.” Granger pulled her into his arms again
and rocked her as she wept. Sadie had adored Samra, the sweet young housekeeper
Mase kept. She was from Pakistan and far from her family so Sadie had made an
effort to befriend her. And, after that night when Samra had been her rescuer,
Sadie had to file her away with the bad memories. She had to leave her behind.

“You
haven’t seen him since then?”

Sadie
shook her head. “Once I made my way down to the street level and somehow back
to the studio I was renting, I called out sick on the last performance of the
show I was dancing in and returned home. Mase didn’t know where I was from. He
only knew my address in San Francisco.”

Granger
nodded, continuing to consider everything. Sadie could almost see him working
through the details. She sat still in his embrace, surprised that she did feel
better after sharing all of this with him. It was quiet for a long while.
Sadie’s eyes grew heavy until she gave in to the pull of sleep. She needed the
rest.

* * * *

Granger
laid Sadie out on the sofa. She would’ve been more comfortable in the bed, but
he wanted her close to him. The period of Acclimation was more intense than
he’d believed it to be. Even with his superior strength, he found himself
tired, so his tiny mate must be exhausted. She could rest nearby him while he
went back through the files with new eyes given the information Sadie had
shared.

This
man—Mase, as he now knew him—had a more significant link in this operation than
he’d first thought. He was holding some secrets that would explain the group’s
motivations. He was their missing link. And the fucker had taken his mate’s
blood. The thought of that made Granger’s own blood boil. He wanted vindication
and planned to get it, just as soon as he found Mase.

Granger
picked up the phone to call Caedon and paced the room as it rang through.

“Didn’t
think I’d be hearing from you so soon,” Caedon mocked.

“Yea.
Well, something’s come up.”

Sobering,
Caedon was in full operation mode in seconds. “What’s up?”

“The
man in those photos, the one we’ve been wondering about. Yea, I know who he is.
Well, Sadie knew him. She saw his picture when it slid out of a file.”

“This
doesn’t sound good.”

“No,
Caedon. The fucker was her lover a few years ago.” Granger couldn’t suppress
the growl that escaped through his words.

Caedon
whistled,
then
let out a sigh. “Well, shit.”

“That’s
not even the worst of it. And I don’t want a single smart-ass remark.” Granger
grabbed a hold of all the inner strength he possessed to share the rest. “He
liked to play with rope, you know, tie her up. One time, the last time before
she left him, he took some of her blood and left her there. She escaped and
ran, hasn’t seen or heard from him since.”

“What’d
he want with the blood?”

“He
didn’t tell her.”

“Well,
shit,” Caedon echoed Granger’s thoughts exactly. “Let me talk to Madden. This
guy might be the one who will tell us something. Does she know how to find
him?”

“They
were in San Francisco when they dated.”

“Okay.
Sit tight while we work a plan from here. And, Granger, how’s it going? The
Acclimation can be a tough period.”

Granger
sighed, running a hand through his hair. “We’re doing fine. We’re both tired
but it’s all good.” Better than good, actually. He’d heard his brothers-in-arms
talk about how challenging their mates had been, but Sadie was accommodating.
They were both happy.

“Good.
Just hang tight there until I call you back.” Caedon disconnected.

With
nothing to do and too worked up to sleep, Granger went back through the files
one more time. He was more of the take action man of the operations so research
didn’t hold his interest. But this time, something personal was at stake. What
had been done with his mate’s blood?

All the
testing facilities they found had been contained, searched, and then burned to
the ground. All the men involved had been eliminated. Mase was their last connection
to any of this. Honestly, Granger had assumed it was over for the most part.
They’d all believed the men in Nassir’s operation were after the Breed’s gene
to create a stronger breed they could control. And they’d certainly not
entertained that there was potentially a Valendite Breed at the helm of the
operation.

If Mase
was leading them, he held more information and power than the others.
Eliminating him would also not be as easy. What would’ve led him to do such a
thing? It was inbred into them to protect their freedom, their secrets, and
their women. Mase hadn’t done any of those things. His regard for their race
was non-existent and every thought like this brought Granger right back to the
question of his mate’s involvement. What exactly had her blood been used for?

Granger
snatched up the phone as soon as it began to ring. “Granger,” he said into the
mouth piece.

“Granger,
it’s
Madden. I’m here with the team on speaker.”

“Thanks
for getting on this so quickly.”

“You
just might’ve found what we needed. Now, depending where this takes us, we
might get to the bottom of this shit.” Madden paused and Granger heard papers
being flipped. “We’ve got the photo of the man you identified as Mase in front
of us. Sadie made a positive ID?”

“Yes.
She was certain. Her reaction was unmistakable.”

“Her
reaction was…” Madden prompted.

“Fear.
Terror,
actually.
She hadn’t seen him since she escaped his home the night he
took her blood.”

“And
she doesn’t know why he’d do that?”

“No,”
Granger answered.

Gage
cleared his throat and asked, “They’d never played like this before?”

“Played
with blood? What the fuck?” Granger’s anger flared.

“Granger,
sorry, man. It’s a valid question though. Some couples, they uhm… you know,
they play this way. And since there was some bondage too, we just wondered…”
Gage’s words abruptly cut off at the rumbles Granger couldn’t hold back.

“Look,
I didn’t ask, but from her reaction over what he did, I’d guess not. When she
saw that photo, she freaked.”

“Okay.
Tell us how she escaped if she was tied up,” Madden asked.

“A
housekeeper helped her get free, a woman by the name of Samra.”

“That’s
good. If we can find her, she could be of help. If she was willing to help
Sadie then, she might be willing help her again now. Look her up.” Even as
Madden spoke, Granger could hear Caedon tapping keys on his computer to find
Samra. He was a genius with technology. If she was still alive, he’d find her.

“How
will she know we’re helping Sadie?” Granger asked.

“Sadie
will go in with us. We’ll arrange a meet for her and Samra.”

“Hell,
no, she is not getting in the line of fire,” Granger demanded.

“We
won’t let anything happen to her. As bad as we want information, anything goes
south with Sadie at risk and we’ll abort and terminate,” Madden explained.

“Her
powers are likely already growing stronger. With the force of her sisters’
circle behind her, her strength is likely to top yours. She’ll be fine,” Lucas
assured him.

“Tell
me the plan.” Granger would hear them out, but wasn’t making any promises about
his mate being involved.

Granger
finished listening to the plan and headed out to the balcony. He needed time to
process what was to come over the next few days. He couldn’t believe he was in
a situation to finally have a mate, but then expected to allow her to go into
harm’s way. He vacillated between fear for his mate and anger at Madden for
expecting this of him.

Chapter Four

Granger
was still there when Sadie wrapped her arms around him from behind. Just this
single touch turned his entire body to fire.
Such gentleness he had never
known until Sadie’s small fingers touched his skin. She was magnificent and she
was all his. She belonged to him now and him to her. He thanked the Goddess
he’d been so fortunate to find her despite cringing over just where she’d been
when he found her.

Madden had prepared all the men in TEU for the real
possibility of never mating. Between their commitment to TEU and the rapid
spreading of their race around the world, connecting with your mate was not an
easy task. For so many of them to find their mates within such a short time
frame and in such close proximity told Granger fate most definitely played a
role in his destiny. It was a certain sign that this mating, this claiming, was
meant to be. He had someone precious in his arms and he planned to make sure
she knew it.

He pulled her around him and leaned down to kiss her. Unable
to resist, he deepened the kiss and sucked on her tongue and then nipped as
gently as he could while drawing out her precious, life-giving blood. He needed
it inside him, needed the reminder that it all belonged to him.

With the first drop of blood in his
mouth, Granger lost control. His plan to give her time to gain strength this
afternoon was
fading,
pushed back by his unrelenting
need to take her again. Then Sadie nipped him back and as their blood blended
into ambrosia, his head spun. Granger growled out his pleasure, his desire for
her stronger than his self-control.

Standing on the balcony, floors above
the Vegas strip below, lights sparkled off her skin from the signs around them.
She looked as if she were on stage. If she couldn’t be on stage for anyone else
anymore, then he sure as shit would build her a stage of her very own in their
house. She could dance for him alone, his private dancer. He chuckled and
grinned at the thought just as he willed their clothes from their bodies. “No
use in wasting time when I can do it so much faster,” he grinned at Sadie who
smiled right back, not shying away from the exposure.

Granger sat down on the cushioned chair.
Holy fuck, she was absolute perfection in all her naked glory. “Dance for me.”

Sadie smiled. She didn’t ask for music.
He didn’t provide any. It was simply there inside her head as her hips began to
circle, the curves of her ass shifting in a flowing rhythm. His cock stood at
attention as her long legs bracketed the footrest in front of him. Using it as
balance, she threw her head forward and rolled her shoulders. And what that did
to her breasts was unexplainable.

Granger was panting, heavy breaths coming
from his open lips, as he considered just how flexible Sadie was. Though tall,
her frame was petite. Her strong muscles moved below flawless, unblemished skin
as she danced. He admired it all, drinking her in.

“We’re bonded now, Granger,” Sadie
spoke while she continued dancing. “I can feel your emotions. I want you too…
so, so much.” Sadie drew her body closer to him with each word until her
nipples brushed ever so lightly along his chest.

 
“
It’s
way more
powerful than I’d imagined it would be. I feel like you’re actually here,
inside of me.” Sadie brought his hand to her chest and rested it right between
his breasts. Then she straddled his hips and placed them core to core.

Granger allowed his hands to explore
the curves of her body, slowly running gentle fingers from her shoulder along
her waist to the swell of her ass. He watched as the movements changed how the
lights from the surrounding buildings played off their skin, lending a surreal
feeling to the moment.

She was heat to his cool skin, warming
him even deeper than she could know. He’d closed up emotions, held them behind
a locked door so he could live a life of service. It did no one any good to
invest themselves emotionally in their missions, so he lived without emotion.
Until now.
Until Sadie returned those
emotions to him and forced her way inside his heart.
Her heart, her body,
called to him, and he wanted nothing more than to sink inside her heat.

Sadie brought him out of his thoughts
when she moaned as he continued to explore her body with his hands. Sliding one
up her neck, he tugged her down and brought their mouths together. This close,
no words were necessary as they shared emotions through their joined tongues.
Granger could feel everything she felt, and when combined with his own desire,
their joining—that bond all Valendite Breeds share with their mates—was the
damn most powerful thing he had experienced in his very long life.

Drawing his mouth away, he rested his
forehead to hers. “I need to taste you, Sadie.”

“Yes,” Sadie’s voice was a sigh on the
afternoon breeze.

Granger dipped his mouth to hers,
kissing the corner of her lips, and grasped her beneath her buttocks. He eased
himself up before laying her down on the chair. Starting with her ankles and
working his way up, Granger kissed every inch of exposed flesh before shifting
each leg over the arm rests. Then, kneeling, he zeroed in on his mark. He was a
sharpshooter after his target, completely focused on his objective.

“You smell delicious. I bet you taste
just as delicious.” Granger’s lips brushed along her inner thigh as he spoke,
his eyes never leaving Sadie’s core.

Sadie clenched. He watched as her
muscles tightened and released, moisture forming along the inner folds. He
licked his lips, taking a minute to calm himself enough to please her first.
Then he leaned forward and found his heaven.

With light flicks of his tongue, subtle
touches with just the tip, he marveled as Sadie’s muscles quivered. In the
background, he could hear Sadie’s moans of pleasure, but couldn’t pull himself
away from the feast he’d discovered. Not wanting it to end, he never pressed
too hard, used too firm of a touch.

“More, please, I need more,” Sadie’s
voice was rough, her breathing labored.

“Patience.”
Granger reminded her even as he gave a firmer touch with his tongue.

“Is not my virtue,” Sadie ground out
between clenched teeth.

He laughed. He knew it might piss her
off, but he couldn’t help it and when he looked up at her, his breath caught.
Flushed and sweaty, and far too sexy for any one woman, his mate was radiating
with lust. Flickers of light flashed along her skin as she moved, pressing
against him for more friction. He realized it was her powers.

“Fuck. You are amazing. I’m going to
touch you now.” Granger wanted to wait, to draw it out even longer for her. He
thought he’d like to see her ride the edge just to see how she’d react, but he
had all their lives to play. Now, he needed to please her. He also needed to
make love to her and feel the energy between them increase.

“I thought you already were.” Sadie’s
tone had him shaking his head.

“Be careful,
mia
bella.
I might wait longer. But now, I plan to touch you right
here,” Granger
spoke the words as he wrapped
his right arm around her leg and placed his fingers in the juncture of her
thighs.

It was so damn wet he could hear his
fingers sink into her folds. His nostrils flared as he took deep breaths and
allowed his eyes to flutter closed. Fuck, never had his senses been this sharp,
this intense. He bent down again but this time, he went for the direct shot.
His lips latched onto her small bundle of nerves at the same time that he
curled his finger forward inside her channel. Aim and hit. Granger had fired on
his target and enjoyed the explosion first-hand. There was nothing better than
this.

* * * *

Sadie
bowed her back off the cushion. Her scream rang out around them, filling the
night air, as Granger used his skilled fingers to absolute perfection. Damn, in
all her life, she had never felt something
so
powerful
as what was happening to her. Every muscle, every nerve, absolutely every piece
of her was focused in on Granger. Nothing else mattered as she shattered under
his touch.

Then
before she knew what happened, Granger had her straddled above him as he sat
back in the chair she’d first found him. She pushed her fingers through his
hair and reveled in the softness. Pulling his head towards her, he accepted her
tongue as Sadie sank onto his length. Already sensitive, Sadie felt the stroke
of his iron with each downward thrust.

Granger’s
hands came up to her hips, attempting to slow her down, but Sadie would have
none of it. He’d set her off and now it was her turn to return the favor.
Unwilling to release his mouth or his cock, Sadie sighed into him and exchanged
breath as she pumped harder, faster. She wanted this strong man, her mate, to
fall under her hands. She wouldn’t stop until she’d pushed him over the edge.
And, Goddess willing, she’d fall with him.

Taking
his mouth with hers, she stroked and nipped his lower lip until he matched her
ferocity, her need. The fierceness of their tongues as they dueled for control
echoed the desperation she felt inside of herself to maintain control over her
emotions. She fought him, stroke for stroke and bite for bite, as they shared
the essence of who they were. Their blood mixed together and coated their
tongues. She could taste it even as Granger began lapping at the drops on her
lips.

He
groaned even as she did the same. “Fuck, Sadie, what you do to me. What you
give to me.”

Finally,
Sadie felt Granger stop fighting her. He acquiesced to her pace. Her hips never
stopped, never slowed. She was a woman on a mission and nothing could get in
her way. She had the control and she would give him everything he craved. Sadie
needed this, needed some control over the craziness surrounding her. She wanted
to wash away this feeling of being swept up and exchange it for the knowledge
that she and Granger were partners, makers of their own destiny.

Sadie
wanted this man inside her, around her, on top of her, below her. She wanted to
never stop touching him, to never have him far enough away she couldn’t reach
out and stroke him. Goddess, she could not imagine a life without him. He’d
become her everything. Sadie wasn’t afraid he’d hurt her. She trusted him,
despite wondering if she could ever trust a man. She trusted Granger with
everything she was.

Letting
go of her fears, Sadie opened her senses even while never giving up the rhythm
she’d set for them. She felt him fill her up.
Her soul, her
thoughts, her body.
Yes, definitely her body. Grabbing onto his
shoulders, Sadie threw her head back and let out a call to the wild as every
coil inside her released and she felt Granger’s hot fluids splash the inside of
her core. He was everywhere and that was exactly where she needed him.

* * * *

It was
late morning. The sun was shining bright overhead, which meant they’d slept in.
No doubt they needed the rest, but now that she was awake, she needed
information. Granger remained sleeping soundly. Watching him, Sadie still
couldn’t believe what she had done, what it had felt like to take a mate. Now,
hours later, her body still vibrated with the energy. Nothing her mother or
sisters had ever told her had prepared Sadie for the overwhelming feelings that
warmed her belly or created this electrified sensation that hovered on her skin
with every movement she made.

Her
need for Granger was consuming all her thoughts. She couldn’t think of anything
but being joined with him, even after feeling so fulfilled. Sadie simply
couldn’t get enough. The feelings, this need, was driving her every action and
she didn’t understand it. There was no doubt about it. She needed to talk to
her mother.

“Mother,”
Sadie whispered, calling out with both her words and her powers.

Sadie
was surprised by how strong her powers felt. She actually saw them sparkle
around her as she called them forward. And then she knew her call had worked
when she saw the quick puff of smoke followed by the unmistakable purple swirls
that coalesced into her mother’s body. It never failed to stun her when she saw
her mother do this, and she knew someday she’d have that same power. Sadie
watched the translucent figure become more corporeal until it melded into the
solid form of her mother. Her mother’s powers were immense and they made her
feel reassured. No one was as strong as her mother.

Chiara
cast her eyes upon her daughter and smiled, seeming to understand without words
that Sadie needed reassurance.

“Sadie,
why the fright?”
Chiara inquired as she embraced her daughter.

“Mother,
I should’ve listened to you. I should’ve and I’m sorry I didn’t. Now I’m
clueless.” Sadie held her voice steady as she talked despite the clawing need
to break down and sob. She wanted to cry on her mother’s shoulder as her arms
kept her safe from the world.