“I don’t either,” Talon growled.
“I’m taking off and am going to stay there until we find out what’s going on with Rycon.” Winter nodded toward his mate. “I can’t be away from her.”
“I’ll take shifts with you,” Savage said, looking toward his mate. “I agree with you. My beast refuses to let her out of my sight.”
“I agree,” Talon approved. “I will be there when I can as well.”
“We will take care of her,” Winter said, cupping Talon’s shoulder. “I promise you. No one will touch her.”
Talon nodded and moved away from the wall. He walked to the end of the table, holding his hand out for his mate. Liberty looked up at him and smiled. The look he gave her was met with a nod.
Savage knew what his alpha was feeling. He also wanted his mate in his arms. The shooting at the bar had shaken everyone up, and as he looked around the room, he noticed all of the males hovering close to their families.
“Are you ready to go upstairs?” Mary Grace asked as he approached.
“Yes,” he said, taking her plate. Once he set it in the kitchen, the women shooed them out and set about cleaning up after dinner. Talon’s mom smiled warmly at them as they left.
Once inside the room, Savage locked the door and took her into his arms. He spent the rest of the night making sure that his mate was shown just how much she meant to him.
Chapter Fifteen
Savage looked on as the crew started installing windows on the front of the house. The plans were set in motion and he hoped Mary Grace liked what he had in mind. The home he’d planned ended up being bigger than a cabin. He wanted a big family, and even though he hadn’t talked about it with her, he hoped she agreed.
“How does Mary Grace like the house?” Ranger asked as he grabbed a bottle of water out of a cooler that sat in the back of his truck.
“Haven’t shown her,” Savage replied, glancing down at the blueprints in his hand.
“You’re so dead,” his fellow Guardian snickered.
“She told me to surprise her,” Savage shrugged, looking up from the plans with a sneer on his face.
Ranger barked out a laugh and slapped Savage’s shoulder. “Good luck with that.”
“Whatever,” Savage snarled. “Take your lunch and get back to work.”
“Yes, sir.” Ranger smiled, giving a salute before heading toward the stack of food that the females sent over from the alpha’s home. It never failed that they stepped up and fed the males. It was their way of thanking them for the Guardians and other males who kept them happy and the families safe.
Savage rolled up the blueprints and tucked them behind the front seat of his truck. He hoped like hell he was doing the right thing by surprising his mate. Would she love it? Would she hate it? Did he pick out the right colors? Were the rooms big enough? The kitchen? He knew she liked to cook, but he didn’t know what all she needed to make her happy.
“Stop stressing over it, Sav,” Booth said, walking up to lean against the bed of the truck. “She’ll love it.”
“Did I do the right thing by touching her? Changing her?” he wondered aloud.
“Yeah, buddy, you did,” Ranger chimed in as he returned after dumping his plate into the big trash bin.
“Why don’t you get out of here and let us work on the rest of these windows,” Ranger offered. “Head over to the bar and check on your mate.”
“I think I will.” He paused when his phone rang. His heart sank in his chest with the phone number from Winter registered on the screen.
“What’s wrong?” Savage barked into the phone.
“Need you at the bar,” Winter grunted. Savage was already on the move when he heard Mary Grace whimpering on the other end of the line.
“Who touched her?” he roared, tearing down the gravel road past the alpha’s house.
“Calm down,” Mary Grace sniffled as she took the phone. “I’m fine. It just burns.”
“I know it does.” Savage calmed slightly. “Where are you hurt?”
“My arm,” she answered, but stopped abruptly to suck in a hard breath through her teeth. “It won’t stop, Savage.”
“I know, sweetheart,” he replied, stepping harder on the gas. He needed to touch her…to calm her. “I’m almost there. Go lay down in the office.”
“Nova is in here with me already,” she replied.
“I’m pulling in now,” he told her, hanging up the phone.
His panther prowled as he entered the bar. A customer was sitting down on a barstool with a pissed off bartender glaring daggers at him. As Savage walked by, he pointed to the human, saying, “We will talk as soon as I care for my mate.”
“No, Savage,” Winter warned as he rounded the corner from the office, looking toward the counter where the man sat totally still. “Not the greatest idea.”
“I…” Savage froze, his eyes swinging back to the human. He’d been in such a rush to get to Mary Grace, he didn’t even notice that the human sitting there was the sheriff in plain clothes.
“It was an accident,” Sheriff Lynch said, holding his hands up in defense. “I wanted to stay here and formally apologize to you.”
“It’s forgotten,” Savage growled, clenching his hands at his sides. Winter was right. Killing the lawman wasn’t the greatest idea.
Nova jumped slightly when Savage slammed into the office. He didn’t really pay much attention to her as she made an excuse to leave him and Mary Grace alone.
His mate was lying on the couch, her eyes closed as she held onto her right arm. When her eyes opened, a lone tear leaked out, trailing a path over her cheek and soaking into the material of the couch. Her new ice blue eyes stared back at him with all of the trust in the world.
“Come here,” he said, dropping to his knees. The moment his hand touched the red mark on her upper arm, she sighed in relief, but his panther pushed forward, seeing the red marks for what they were.
“Why the fuck did he grab you?” Savage bellowed, his apology to the sheriff was null and void if he’d hurt her on purpose.
“It’s not what you think,” she gasped, reaching up to touch his cheek. He’d never admit it to anyone, but that touch alone calmed him and his panther.
“What is it, then?” Savage asked, closing his eyes tightly. “Because I am about half a second from going out into that bar and killing that son of a bitch.”
“He actually pulled me away from two men who were arguing,” she said, pushing the hair out of his eyes. “He thought I was going to be hurt, and obviously, he didn’t know that we’d mated.”
“Jesus,” he breathed out, settling back onto his heels. Her hand dropped from his face and landed haphazardly on the couch. “I almost killed him.”
“What?” she screeched, looking toward the door. “Are you crazy?”
“When it comes to you,” he said with a smile, looking into her new eyes that matched his own. A part of his pride swelled when he thought of how he’d been the one to turn her, she was his in blood and in fate. “I will do anything to keep you safe.”
“You’re making me fall in love with you, Savage Corvera,” she whispered, leaning forward and taking his lips. Savage stiffened only for a moment before picking her up into his arms.
“Say it again,” he ordered, nipping at the mating mark on her neck.
“I think I love you.” She smiled, tilting her head to give him better access.
His cock hardened painfully as he scented her desire. He turned, dropping her to her feet. He reached for the fly of her denim jeans and jerked down her zipper. “I need inside you.”
“Please,” she panted. Mary Grace leaned her head back on the wall, her mouth falling open. Savage’s panther roared inside his head when he saw her canines had thickened, and through the slit in her eyes, he saw that her panther was close to the surface.
“Jesus, you’re beautiful,” he whispered, pulling her pants from her body.
“You make me feel beautiful,” she blush
ed.
They tore at each other’s clothes, and in seconds, Savage had her up against the wall as he pushed inside her, cursing from the heat of her sex. His panther roared inside his head, demanding he mark her with his scent. The animal inside took over as he thrust; his eyes sparking amber sent everything into sharper focus.
Seeing Mary Grace up close and through his panther eyes stunned him even more because her beauty was something to cherish. The slight flush to her cheeks, the amber to her own eyes, and the blood that rushed to her full lips…it was all so clear.
“Savage?” she questioned when he froze. He’d stopped thrusting just so he could absorb every little thing about her.
“You are mine,” he breathed, shocked at his own words.
“Yes,” she agreed, rolling her head to the side. She wanted his bite again.
As he sunk his teeth into the mating mark, she gave him her pleasure and he returned it…giving thanks to the gods for choosing her as his mate. “I love you.”
Chapter Sixteen
The bar was pretty slow. Mary Grace wasn’t going to complain. It was Wednesday night and they usually spent most of the evenings like that doing major cleaning to burn up the time before closing up for the night.
Nova was in the office going over the end of the month paperwork. It was only Cole and Della on the floor as she ran two orders out to a table of customers she’d never seen before. Savage was outside, doing a sweep of the exterior of the building.
Once she set the plate down, the man on her left eyed her a little creepily, but she ignored him. It wasn’t the first time she’d been ogled by a man at the bar. Both men looked like they didn’t belong with their dress shirts and ties. One wore a pair of glasses, the other kept his head down as he stared at his phone. The screen had one of those tinted screens on it so no one could look over his shoulder and see what he was doing. He’s probably looking at nasty ass porn, and not even the good type.
“Can I get you anything else?” she asked, taking their empty drinks from the table. When they both shook their heads, she made a promise to return with refills as she walked away.
Cole had his hands in the sink, washing some dirty mugs. Mary Grace walked around the bar and refilled the drinks herself. She sat the first one on the counter and started to fill up the second one when the door to the bar opened and several men in black combat gear rushed through the door. All of their faces were covered with masks.
“Whoa!” Cole barked, throwing his hands up to point at the men. Soapy water slung out over the bar top as he shifted his weight so he was in front of Mary Grace.
“Everyone on the ground!” one of the men yelled, raising an assault rifle to his shoulder. He searched the room through the sight on the weapon. When the business end stopped on her, Mary Grace gasped. “You!”
“Where’s Savage?” she mumbled to Cole, but the bartender didn’t answer her.
Two of the armed men moved forward, pointing their weapons at Cole’s chest. He stood his ground and didn’t move, but the two men were larger and stronger as they lunged for her only protection. Mary Grace screamed for them to leave him alone as they pushed her coworker to the ground.
“Tie her up,” the first man ordered.
“No!” she screamed when their hands made contact. The burning fire raced up her arms as they were pulled behind her back. Rope scratched her skin as one of the men made loops around her wrists.
“Let her go!” Cole yelled, lunging forward, but one of the men punched him in the jaw, sending the big man back to his knees.
Mary Grace bent forward, trying her best to protect her unborn child. Her eyes searched the bar, frantically looking for any sign of Savage. He’d been there not five minutes before the men entered the bar.
“Savage!” Mary Grace screamed his name over and over again, crying out when the man grabbed her by the throat.
“Shut up, bitch!” The guard gave her a shake, indicating he wasn’t going to tolerate her screams.
Several of their regular customers stood from their tables, hiking their shirts up. Three of them were armed, but Mary Grace pleaded with them to not cause a scene. She didn’t want anyone else getting hurt. Cole was still on his knees, blood pouring from his nose. Thankfully, Nova was safe in the backroom.
The four men surrounded her, all of them holding their weapons at the ready to kill anyone who tried to interfere. The one who’d tied her grasped her arm tightly and began to move, walking her toward the front door.
“Anyone moves, I will kill them,” one guard warned.
Warm air hit her skin as they pushed through the door to the outside. Mary Grace screamed when she saw Savage face down on the wide porch, blood puddled next to his head.
“Savage!” she cried, pleading for him to wake up. “Savage! Wake up!”
The guard holding her cursed when her mate began to move, pushing her toward a waiting van. She spun around, trying to break their hold, but it was no use. The three other men put their hands on her body, pushing her into the seat. As the door closed and the engine fired, Mary Grace screamed for her mate one last time.
Savage’s body jerked as he regained consciousness. His head swiveled around, and the last thing she saw was the glowing amber eyes of her mate as the van sped out of the parking lot of The Deuce.
Mary Grace screamed again when the male touched her skin. There wasn’t a part of her body that didn’t feel as if it were on fire. The crazed shifter they’d brought into the cell was oblivious to her pain.
“Please don’t,” she whispered as she cowered in the corner of the cage they had bolted to the floor of the warehouse. There were five other cages that sat ten feet apart in one long line. Outside the cages, there were desks and monitors that were manned by people in lab coats. There were two security guards who took up sentry at the doors on each end of the building, ensuring no one was coming in or out of those heavy metal doors.
She was in too much distress to even force a partial shift to call out for Talon. Even if she did, would these scientists know that she had that ability? Would they hurt her if she tried?
A large man in a suit sauntered up to the cage, an unlit cigar hanging from his puffy lips. His hair was slicked back and his beady gray eyes roamed her body.
“This one will do,” he mumbled, looking over her shoulder.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked, cowering even more when the male shifter made a move to get closer.
He was as large as Savage and his eyes were glowing amber. She knew he was a panther, but she’d never seen him before. The feral-looking male was covered in dirt and sweat. His canines were thick and sharp. The points had already bitten into his bottom lip, leaving spots of blood on his chin.
“Hey, animal!” the human called out. “You need to fuck her.”
“No!” Mary Grace cried, fear pulsing throughout her body.
“You need to let him do his deed, bitch,” the man ordered. “Just lay down and take it.”
“Excuse me!” she snarled, feeling her panther push forward. The moment that happened, the man’s eyes widened and the bellowing laugh that rumbled out of his disgusting mouth set her teeth on edge.
“You dumb fucks,” he chuckled. “You didn’t get a human. You kidnapped one of them.”
“The man who tried to bring her before said she was human.” The scientist frowned, looking at a clipboard on the corner of his desk.
“Frank?” Mary Grace growled. “Where is he?”
“He’s dead,” the fat man shrugged. “He was useless.”
“No,” she whispered. Frank was dead? They’d killed him when he didn’t bring her to them.
“You,” the fat man pointed at the scientist, “Go back and find a human female.”
“Yes, sir,” the scientist replied, gritting his teeth.
The man, who was obviously the leader of this lab, pointed to another man and told him to take over until the scientist returned. The fear of that sent Mary Grace into a near panic. She
hoped that Liberty and Nova were safe on the land and Della was not at the bar.
“Wait!” Mary Grace threw herself at the cage bars as the man turned to leave, lighting the cigar in his mouth.
“This is even better,” a man in a lab coat said as he marked something down on his clipboard. He walked away, leaving Mary Grace with the male in her cage.
The beast circled her, his long brown hair draping over his eyes. His hands hung loosely at his sides and he was stark naked. Thankfully, his cock was flaccid and he wasn’t looking at her like he was interested.
“Please don’t hurt me,” she begged in a whisper. If she could get him to just stop and scent her, he would know she was with young. It was a scent that was supposed to calm the males. At least, that was what Savage had told her. All of the males in the pride were fascinated with her and sought her comfort. This beast wouldn’t be any different, would he?
“Where is your mate?” the male snarled as soon as the big man had left the room.
“He was hurt,” she replied, keeping her voice small. When he glanced at her stomach and back at her face, she gritted her teeth and jerked her head slightly, telling him to keep his mouth shut.
“They want me to fuck you,” he cursed.
“Don’t,” she whimpered, sliding down so she could pull her legs to her chest. “Please, don’t.”
The male moved forward, but his knee buckled slightly. He was weak. That meant he was a part of a pride somewhere, and he’d obviously been away from his alpha for some time.
“Where is your pride?” she asked. “Have you called for your alpha?”
“They haven’t come,” he snarled. “I don’t know if they killed my alpha.”
Mary Grace felt a pang of sorrow for the male, but that didn’t mean she wanted to be his friend. He’d touched her, causing her pain, and any male who brought discomfort to any female was the lowest form of scum, according to the Shaw pride. They didn’t tolerate it.
“How long have they had you?” She needed to keep him talking.
Savage Page 14
