9781618857835FrozenFuryBeckNC

by Paloma Beck

  “Amelia,” her mother stood and took her into her arms.

  The brief contact was a boost to her system. She smiled at the warmth coursing through her. “Mother. I’m so glad you’re here now. I’m sorry. I truly am sorry for the trouble I caused with my experiments. I meant well.”

  “Hush, my daughter, your father and I are not upset. We know your intentions were good. All will be taken care of now that you all have these strong mates to care for you.”

  Amelia bristled a bit at the archaic reference to big, strong men, but she knew her mother didn’t intend to infer the women were weak. Of all people, her mother was aware of the powers women in the Magdalena Circle possessed.

  “Girls, we have a Pronouncement to plan,” Mamma Santucci called out as she clapped her hands and brought the group to attention. “I’ve been assured that Valentino will handle coordinating all the travel. And the only parameter we were given is that the celebration must take place within the compound. The rest is entirely to your whim.” She smiled at Amelia.

  “I’d love to celebrate in the wedding grove in the vineyards where the others have.”

  Both Adelina and Chiara smiled and nodded pleased with the idea. Then the women talked through the plans for a few hours and enjoyed lunch together. Those who’d already experienced their own Pronouncement shared their memories. Then each of the younger women took their leave to begin working on their tasks.

  Within the week, Amelia would be fully mated to Gage. It couldn’t be soon enough for Amelia because a tornado was rolling in her stomach as her anger at Gage for going away was fighting its way to the surface. She knew she couldn’t be mad at him. She knew he needed to do this. Still, the fury was engulfing her and she had no idea how to control it.

  “I think I can help you.” Davina sat beside her with Gracie on her other side. She was surrounded by these strikingly different women.

  “Help me?”

  “With your anger. Remember at breakfast when you talked about it causing you trouble? Well, if you’d like, I can try a spell,” Davina whispered.

  “You do spell work?” Amelia was shocked. “It’s forbidden. We’re only to use our circle magic, those natural abilities granted to us by the Goddess.”

  “Yes, well, we’re just taking our natural abilities to another level,” Gracie added.

  “Our natural abilities? Gracie Sinster, are you doing these spells too?” Amelia’s shock grew exponentially.

  “We do it together. We need each other to create the power we need,” Davina explained.

  Amelia shook her head in disbelief. “I cannot believe this. Nothing in this world is what I’ve ever thought it was.” She nearly laughed at just how crazy this past week had been. Then she considered just what they were offering. “Okay. I’m in.”

  Gracie and Davina shared a look. Then Davina held out her hands across Amelia’s lap and waited for Gracie to place her smaller ones into them. They held onto one another, their fingers intertwined, and spoke in tones too low for Amelia to hear and too fast for Amelia to understand.

  Amelia glanced around the room but no one was paying attention to them. Actually, it was almost as if they weren’t in the room at all. She looked back to Davina who just shrugged.

  Startling Amelia, Davina’s voice wafted into her mind. “I’ve cast a spell over us so they no longer sense us.”

  “You are going to tell me about all these talents you have someday.” Amelia told Davina, whispering. “And you too.” She peered over towards Gracie. “You’ve been keeping secrets.”

  A warmth touched Amelia in her stomach and spread outwards as a calming presence overtook her. Slowly, she relaxed and could feel the vibrations of the words they spoke over her.

  * * * *

  Everything around him was going to pot. Leaving Amelia had been more difficult than Gage had expected and he was distracted. That was something he’d never before dealt with.

  “Gage, are you listening to me?” Madden’s voice, filled with anger, came over the link.

  “I’m in position. I’ve got two guards in my sight and am just waiting for your go.”

  Gage wanted to see this through and be done with these bastards who could possibly hurt his mate. He watched as the other TEU agents moved into position and prepared to take the building. He forced himself to focus on the objective.

  With his scope on the door the agents would go through, Gage perched waiting to take out the first guard. The building they surrounded showed over two dozen men inside. With the nine of them, they should be able to clear the building within a few minutes once they got inside. The object here was to use stealth, to make the mission go under the radar. No national coverage on this or the government would have questions they didn’t want to answer.

  The CIA sent orders that authorized TEU to extinguish all involved parties in order to maintain the secrecy of the Valendite Breed existence, but not at the risk of exposing their involvement. Gage was pleased by the authorization because nothing short of killing all these bastards would make him feel better about his mate’s safety.

  It was quiet until he heard Lucas count it down. “Four, three, two, one.” He opened the door, the large man stepped into view, and with a single bullet, Gage laid him out. One down.

  Lucas and Granger went in to scout. While waiting to hear Caedon over their comm device, Gage moved to the back door location where he was assigned to enter. No one spoke a single word as the men waited instruction.

  After long minutes of establishing the route, Caedon’s voice came across the links. “Okay. Here’s what we’ve got. We’ll move in two teams, one from each exterior door. Heat sensors continue to indicate two dozen people. There is only one level and Granger reports a large number of the men are in a gathering space. There’s just one objective here. Eliminate anything that breathes.”

  Madden interjected, “Good. Now on my count, we take everyone out. Team A follows me from the front. Gage leads team B around to the back.” Madden counted off, “One. Two. Three.” Each man did exactly as instructed and moved as if completely synchronized.

  Within seconds, gun blasts were going off toward the front of the building and men were streaming in their direction, away from the gunshots. Gage hung back, stroking his MK23 and waiting. The others would take the men out by hand. The preferred method was a simple squeeze to break the neck. Gage would shoot anyone who got through. Guns were his friends.

  He went to make his final shot when he recognized the eyes peering out at him under the hooded robe. It was Dr. Whitner. He just barely held his finger as it went for release.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Gage insisted, grabbing onto her arm and shaking her. “You’re obviously not a prisoner.” Gage’s fury at the possibility that his mate’s colleague would be part of this ignited a rage inside him. He shook her again.

  Lucas and Granger stomped into the room and pulled her from him. “There was a woman in here?”

  “She’s not just any woman,” Gage explained, “She’s the Director of MagCircle Lab.”

  Madden rounded the corner and stopped to stare at the scene in front of him. The disbelief in his eyes mirrored that of Gage.

  “What the hell?” Madden asked.

  “I caught her trying to escape.”

  “Fuck,” Madden growled and everyone present unconsciously took a step back.

  “We need to know what they knew and if anything else has been relayed to others. Start the search. We have twenty minutes before the call is made for the building to be swept. I’ll take Dr. Whitner with me back to the rendezvous point.” Madden’s intentions were clear. He would also be looking for information. Goddess help the doctor.

  Gage and Seamus made their way to a door clearly marked as their lab. The door was locked and not budging. “It’s solid,” Seamus told Gage as Caedon came up behind them.

  “Let’s blow it.” Caedon’s response was short and curt. He wanted whatever was in there.

  Without wa
sting any time, Seamus applied the explosive putty. “Ready,” Seamus spoke as he backed away from the door. The explosive had been developed to disintegrate the metal. It was muted by specially designed sound minimizer, but the blast would still throw off fierce heat. Not even a Valendite Breed wanted to mess with that. They ducked into an alcove and waited for the blast to clear. In case there were hidden men inside, Gage positioned himself to enter first.

  They heard the shouting before they could see clearly. One shithead came barreling out of the lab and Gage took him out in a single shot, twirling his gun and blowing on it like the wise ass he could be. It felt damn good to get rid of these fuckers.

  Seamus saluted him just like always and led the way into the lab. “All clear. Let’s crack these systems and see what we find.”

  * * * *

  After the men settled in for their flight back, Caedon began debriefing on his findings. This group had been close to discovering the serum, but they hit the jackpot when the doctor agreed to a payout. A one million dollar payout was enough for her to turn from the Valendite Breed. The information the group had on the Sinster sisters was extensive, right down to the DNA matches of the pairings and projections on the final matches. There was discrepancy in one—something Gage didn’t understand and Caedon said was unimportant right now—but otherwise, it seemed this group had garnered this information from Dr. Whitner.

  “It makes no sense. What’s the final objective? If they wanted an army of breeds like we thought, why worry about the Seventh Prophecy and the Sinsters?” Lucas asked, running his fingers through his unkempt hair.

  “No one knows exactly how this prophecy plays out in the end. Some suspect it’ll change the structure of DNA itself which means in the future, our sons won’t have this strength.”

  “Or this extended lifeline,” Madden added.

  “Right, which means should the prophecy truly eliminate the Breed and ultimately, the chance to determine the correct additives for the serum…”

  Gage cut him off, “they’d be out of luck.”

  “Fuck.” Donovan jumped to his feet. “So they’d need to eliminate the possibility of the prophecy coming true.”

  Trevor, their newest TEU agent and secondary pilot, walked in then from the cockpit where he sat with Seamus. “Madden, we’ve just received a message that Sadie Sinster is missing.”

  All mated males looked at one another in silence until Gage spoke. “and the other shoe just dropped.”

  Security measures on their mates—the Sinster sisters—just notched up to a whole new level as Madden got on the phone and began making the arrangements. Caedon picked up his computer and gathered intel.

  “All women were scheduled to fly into the compound over the next two days to get ready for the Pronouncement. That’s how they found out she was missing,” Caedon reported to the group.

  “They don’t know yet how long she’s been gone for,” Trevor explained. “She’d been on tour for the past month.”

  “Anton is with the other sisters, at the compound, and their mother is contacting the tour company to see what they can find out.” Madden placed his hand over the phone to fill them in.

  “What tour? Why can’t I remember Sadie?” Granger asked.

  “She’s a stage dancer. Her current show is performing in Las Vegas. According to Paige, she doesn’t have much to do with the Circle of Magdalena rituals. She’s around when they need her but otherwise, they call her a free spirit.”

  “What’s her soul sin? We know based on the prophecy that each sister has a different soul sin. What’s left?”

  “Sloth and Gluttony,” Lucas chimed in even while he was scanning the data on his tablet.

  Ignoring their side conversation, Madden continued his phone call. “Ok. The rest have arrived so we’ll close up the place tight. No one leaves, period, and no one enters without a security check. Transfer me to the main house to talk with Anton.”

  “Our arrival time is eighteen hundred hours. I’ll head back up with Seamus,” Trevor told them before heading back to the cockpit.

  “We’ve got three hours flight time. Let’s get a start on this. Lucas, call our government contact and see what they can do. Assume we’re on our own in this one though, Caedon, and get us as much information as you can. Donovan and Granger can do some surveillance searches.” Madden gave the orders and moved into his office at the back of the plane.

  Goddess, help him. All Gage wanted was to get back to Amelia. He needed to hold his mate.

  * * * *

  When Amelia sensed Gage in the house, she flew down the stairs and into his arms. She nearly collapsed after using all her reserve energy on the sprint down the stairs. Despite being surrounded by her sisters during the three days with Gage away, her energy was waning. With no blood exchange on top of her sister’s disappearance, and her director’s betrayal of the Breeds, her worry had taken its toll. Her hands trembled as Gage held her tightly. His emotions mixed with hers created a vortex of both joy and relief. In his arms, she knew everything would be okay.

  When she placed her hand on his cheek, he smiled down at her and kissed her with the same need that was inside her. Amelia couldn’t hold back how much she needed him, and he didn’t seem to mind. Once she’d had that one kiss—that single touch—she couldn’t get enough. She licked at his lips until he opened to her. Then he picked her up and walked them back to their room, her legs wrapped around his torso.

  Placing her on the bed with a bounce, Gage followed her down and rested on his elbows above her. “I don’t think I’ve ever worried more in my life than during this mission, knowing so much was going wrong and not being able to touch you. I need to touch you, to feel you with me.” He took her lips in a gentle claiming, but Amelia needed more. She couldn’t settle herself. She nipped and bit at his plump lips until he was attacking her back with the same voracity.

  Soon Amelia found herself lacking his touch. Gage sat up and looked down at her. “What’s going on, Amelia? Talk to me.” He clearly sensed all the turmoil rolling inside of her.

  “I don’t want to talk. I just need you. I need this.” Amelia tried to pull him down to her again but he resisted.

  “I’ll give this to you but only because I need it just as much. Then we’ll talk.” His lips were back on her body before she could sigh with relief. His soft, gentle touches against her skin caused shivers to rise on her flesh. He seemed to touch every part of her body as he removed her clothing and worshipped her. Amelia’s body absorbed everything he gave to her.

  When he pulled away, there was a furrow between his eyes as if he were studying her. “I know just what you need, beautiful.” His grin would’ve unnerved a lesser woman.

  Amelia ached to touch the muscular contour of his back as she watched Gage strip out of his clothes. Knowing he could’ve simply willed them off but chose not to drove her crazy. His body rippled with raw power as he held himself from her. Gage exuded the sexy strength of a predator, and she knew from the stories Eloise had shared yesterday that he was a frightening opponent. Still, she held no fear, only awe for this powerful man who could so gently take her in hand. A glowing aura of light surrounded them when he moved back down to stroke her.

  “You powers are lighting.” Gage spoke with reverence as he took in the colors around them.

  Amelia felt small even as she contemplated the immensity of her powers. Despite the abilities her powers provided her, Gage, her mate, was still built with much more strength. In his arms, with him framing her as he was, she could sense his massive contour. He was all power and she felt safe in his arms. For the first time since he’d left on the mission, she felt safe again.

  Gage bent to her and ran his tongue along the seam of her mouth until Amelia opened to him. She loved the deliberate petitioning for her submission. He asked and she gave. She clung to the muscles bulging in his arms as he held himself above her once again and lost herself in their kiss. An intense heat bloomed inside of her and she couldn’t s
top her need to touch every part of him. Amelia gasped as he pulled away to run his tongue along the curve of her shoulder. Then she whined as he withdrew from her again. She needed his touch, his skin naked against hers.

  Suddenly, before she could complain, Gage flipped her onto her tummy. He lifted her bottom and patted her. “Up on your hands and knees,” he instructed in a raspy voice.

  They’d never used this position before. Amelia found it vulgar, knowing her center was on complete display, but wanted to please him. Gage’s growl from behind her confirmed he saw just how wet she already was. When he pressed his thighs against hers and bent over her back, his rock hard cock rested between their bodies, right against the length of her dampness.

  Amelia contracted her buttocks and felt the friction of his thickness grind against her. Then she felt Gage’s hand as he landed a slap onto her hip.

  “Do not move. You will be still and take everything I give you.” Gage’s breath as he spoke was warm against her neck and she shivered at the words, at his closeness, at the feeling of helplessness that she couldn’t admit she savored.

  The kisses and the light nips Gage placed on her neck were growing more aggressive until she felt the pinch of a bite. Goddess, how she’d craved this moment. A burst of light came from between them.

  Gage released his suction and raised his head in question. “Did I hurt you?” He must’ve noticed the bursts too.

  “No. I, um, I guess I don’t have full control of my powers yet.” Amelia stuttered out, embarrassed.

  “I don’t mind. Making you lose some control does crazy things for me,” Gage teased, raising his eyebrows in the goofy way she was coming to love. He lapped at her shoulder some more as she shivered. “Let’s see how bright we can get these sparks.”

  Gage’s hands clasped her hips and tugged. His cooler touch was a relief against her warmer, flushed skin. Shivers ran up her back and her nipples puckered as he stroked his cock along her wet center. She tried to adjust, to press him more firmly where she needed him most, but Gage held her too tightly. Amelia could only wait for what he gave.