A Mate for Griffin

by Charlene Hartnady

  He put his face into the crook of her neck. His breath was ragged and hot against her skin.

  “Sarah,” a whispered plea. She could feel his lips as they moved against her. She clung onto him. He was still hard inside of her. She wasn’t ready for the moment to end.

  Her body still hummed.

  He stroked the back of her head, his chest moved against hers as he struggled to catch his breath. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him how she felt about him but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. He’d told her that he would do this with any vampire female. That this was about restoring his energy. He had made it clear that he saw her as a friend. His gentle caresses didn’t mean what she wanted them to mean. She needed to remind herself of that.

  She buried her face into his hair, wishing that things could be different.

  Chapter 17

  He hated himself. What the fuck had he done?

  What the fuck?

  He had used Sarah. Taken from her in a moment of weakness. It had been sheer agony to push her away. He was in love with this female. Totally fucking in love. There was no denying it. Not anymore. It didn’t change anything though. Not a single damned thing.

  After all she had been through, he had still rutted her like an animal.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

  “You have nothing to be sorry about.”

  “Fuck, Sarah.” He lifted his head. His dick throbbed inside her. He was the biggest asshole because he had not only taken her, but had done so like an animal. Even worse, he wanted to take her all over again and just as hard and rushed as the first time.

  “It’s fine.” She clasped his cheek. “We’re friends remember.” That look of hurt crossed her face as she said it.

  “Yes, we are,” he murmured. He had rutted her like a beast, but he could make it up to her. He needed to make it up to her. To show her tenderness and respect. To show her how he felt inside. He moaned her name, as he carefully flipped her onto her back and positioned himself over her.

  The driving need to fuck and drink still rode him hard but he ignored it. They didn’t have much time. Lance had used her and in many ways, Griffin was no better. To take what he needed and then move on. It was going to fucking kill him.

  He cupped her cheeks. His cock was still buried to the hilt inside of her. Her sheath was tight around him. It felt like he had fucking died and gone to heaven.

  He brushed his lips against hers and she sighed. Her eyes drifted closed. Her little hands slid around his waist, clasping him to her. Griffin nudged her mouth open with his tongue and kissed her in the way that he had been dreaming of. Slow and easy. Soft and passionate. Her breathing picked up a notch and her little fingers dug into him. When she rocked her hips, he moaned.

  Griffin took ahold of her thighs and pulled them higher around his body. He slowly began to move. Slow, easy thrusts. One of his hands dug into her hair as he deepened the kiss. They were both breathing hard.

  Her hips rocked and she gripped his ass. Her little cries of pleasure, coupled with the way her breasts were mashed against his chest almost had him coming right then and there. Griffin moaned and sucked on her lower lip. He gave it a nip before breaking the kiss.

  He needed to see her. He angled his hips until her eyes fluttered shut and her head fell back. Griffin drove in deeper, keeping the same steady rhythm. Sarah moaned. Music to his ears. He took back her mouth and she tightened her legs around him, grabbing his ass with both her hands.

  “Griffin.” Her voice was hoarse. Tightly wound and dripping with need. He wished he could hear her lost in desire every day. A shiver raced through her body and her pussy walls fluttered. Griffin slowed his thrusting.

  Her nails dug into him and she tried to move faster, but he pinned her in place with his hips. Buried deep inside her, he didn’t have much space for movement. Deep and slow. Sarah was all out moaning. So was he. Fuck!

  “Feels so good!” She said on a moan.

  He cupped her face. “Look at me.”

  Her beautiful blue eyes opened and locked with his. He murmured her name and touched his lips to hers for a moment.

  “Griffin,” she whispered between ragged pants. Her eyes stayed on him as she too cupped his jaw.

  He pulled almost all the way out before plunging back in. Her jaw turned slack and her eyes glazed over before they began to drift closed. “Look at me.” he urged as he kept up the assault. He wanted her to remember him. To remember this moment.

  Her pussy walls were tightening. Her mewls becoming high-pitched. Then she groaned and squeezed the fuck out of him as her orgasm hit. The most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

  Seeing Sarah overtaken with rapture. Knowing that it was him that had made her feel this way was too much. Looking deep into her hazed over stare, he felt everything in him tighten. He groaned harshly through tightly grit teeth as the rush of blinding pleasure hit him head-on. He jerked into her as hot spurts of seed were loosed deep inside her.

  He wished that he could make her his. That she was in heat so that he could get her with child. To see her belly swell with his baby would be wonderful. It would be everything. He growled in both frustration and ecstasy.

  Knowing it was the last time, he buried his head into her neck and sucked. Sarah’s back bowed and her tight sheath clamped down on him all over again. He heard her suck in a lungful of air. It was only on the third suck that she cried out. A guttural, animal like sound. Her pussy spasmed.

  Her essence filled his mouth. Rich, sweet. It tasted of her. Of light and courage. Of happiness and kindness. Shy, yet not afraid to speak her mind. Sexy as fuck, but without even trying.

  Griffin groaned as he came again. Her scent, her taste, the feel of her under him was just too much. His heart swelled and in the same breath, it was broken. Shattered into so many pieces that he knew no one else would ever be able to have it.

  Half a minute later, he realized that he still clung to her. That he was still buried inside her. His face still in her neck. His hands still dug into her hair. He never wanted to fucking leave.

  ****

  Sarah felt it the instant Griffin came back to his senses. His body tensed. His breathing hitched for the merest second. He withdrew first and she had to fight her natural instinct to grab onto him. To grip him with her legs and arms. To hold onto the moment just that little bit longer.

  He put more weight onto his arms, almost lifting his body completely away. His eyes locking with hers. He gave her a half smile and brushed a kiss against the side of her mouth. It was casual and friendly. It cut her but she tried not to show it.

  “Thank you. I really hope that we’re still good?” He raised his brows, carefully extracting his hands from her hair and swiping a strand from her face. The act was intimate. Something that a real lover would do.

  It doesn’t mean anything.

  She realized that she hadn’t answered him and tried hard to remember the question. Oh yes! “No problem. Are you feeling better?” She had to work to sound relaxed and casual, which was difficult considering he was still on top of her and what had just gone down. She managed better than she would have thought.

  “Much.” he half smiled, looking tired. “Still weak but at least I’ll be able to walk now. Stay there and I’ll fetch you something to clean yourself with.” He grimaced as he pulled himself upright. She couldn’t help but to notice how good his ass looked as he walked away. She really needed to stop. Even though she was completely in love with him, Griffin was her friend. Her buddy. Her pal. She had to fight back a sob.

  Sarah pulled herself into a sitting position. It was really stupid, but she suddenly felt embarrassed and thought for a second about pulling a nearby throw from a couch to use as a cover. She dismissed the idea. It really was silly. Griffin had seen her naked. He’d been inside her. She shivered at the thought.

  He returned to the room and rummaged in the tote bag for a few seconds before making his way to where she sat on the couch.


  The hand towel he was holding looked clean. “This should work.”

  Sarah took it from him. “Thanks.” She also took the t-shirt he handed her. The last thing she felt like doing was wearing a garment that had belonged to one of her kidnappers but what else could she do? All that was left of her bra and panties were tattered pieces of lace. She couldn’t return to vampire territory wearing nothing. She cleaned herself as best she could.

  Sarah noticed how Griffin kept his eyes averted while she removed what was left of her undergarments and pulled on the shirt. He grabbed the throw she had been eyeing earlier and tied it around his waist.

  “I’ll go back with you but I’m not staying. I can’t be with Lance,” Sarah blurted. It wasn’t exactly the right time to have this conversation, but she needed to tell him and the sooner the better.

  His eyes moved to hers. “He will understand. Don’t give up on the possibility of the two of you because of what just happened.” His features tightened. “I’m so sorry. I was in bloodlust and unable to control myself. I should never have taken advantage of you like that.”

  It hurt her so badly to hear him say it. For a second, she struggled to breathe. The pain was just too much. She had to clench her fists to keep from clutching her chest. “I offered. It’s what friends are for.” She almost choked on the words.

  “I am more grateful than you will ever know. Like I said…” Griffin swallowed hard. “Lance would understand. Don’t give up on him. I know that the two of you have feelings for one another. Think on it.”

  She nodded, not wanting to argue right now. She was afraid that she might start crying. Something jingled and she noticed that he was carrying a set of keys. “Ready to go?”

  She followed him. The drive back was long. Griffin’s chest still clearly ached and by the time they arrived at the gate he was sweating profusely, his complexion pale. He refused all of her offers to take over for him behind the wheel.

  There was a full scale search underway. Everyone was happy to have them back. Griffin was taken to the medical section of the castle. She was questioned over and over again. It turned out that the vehicle Griffin had taken to go after her was new and had not yet been fitted with a tracker device. It was retrieved from a parking lot at a popular restaurant in Sweetwater.

  All requests to see Griffin were denied. No one even blinked when she told them that she’d, had sex with him in order to restore his energy. It seemed that such an act was very much the norm amongst vampires. It didn’t matter, she would always hold onto her stolen moment with Griffin. Always.

  Chapter 18

  10 Days later…

  A light breeze ruffled his hair. Weariness still clung to him like a heavy cloak. At least the worst of the pain and weakness had passed.

  “It’s good to see you back at practice.” York smiled as he hefted his sword.

  “It’s good to be back.” Griffin sighed. “A male can only lie around and take leisurely walks for so long.”

  York laughed. “Yeah, I hear Eleanor was even more difficult than normal. She kicked your ass good and proper.” He laughed and Griffin couldn’t help but to smile along. The male shook his head. “If rumors are to be believed, she had a whole line of vampire females in and out your room on a daily basis.”

  Griffin gave a nod of the head, not wanting to talk about it. A different female had knocked on his door twice a day.

  “I hear you turned them all away.” York raised his brows. “Did you hit your head or something?”

  Griffin pulled his sword from the scabbard. “Are we going to talk all fucking day?” He paused for a half a second. “I came here to fight.”

  “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” He narrowed his eyes on Griffin who gave a jerk of the head. He lifted his sword a half an inch to show that he was ready.

  “Bring it on,” he growled.

  “I will go easy on you.” York smirked. “I’ve had plenty of blood and I rut my female at least twice a day. You’re a sorry fucking sight.”

  “Fuck you!!” Griffin threw his sword from his right to his left hand and back again. He didn’t elaborate because he knew the male was right. He was no match for any of the elite, and if he didn’t sort his shit out, and soon, he might end up cut from the team. He had already withdrawn from The Program.

  The problem was that he couldn’t seem to make himself be with another female. He was still too cut up over Sarah. He’d asked not to see her before she left. He couldn’t fucking take it. He’d called her once just to make sure that she was doing okay and she’d sounded fine. Happy even. He wasn’t about to fuck with her life anymore than he already had.

  “I could’ve killed you several times already without even trying.” York chuckled. “Head in the fucking game. You’ve had your time off.” He turned serious. “If you need a few more days…”

  Griffin shook his head. He lifted his blade. York attacked just then and he barely had time to block.

  “Sloppy,” York grumbled. “You can thank the fact that you have such good fucking reflexes that you are still here.”

  Griffin didn’t wait for York this time, he swung at the male, keeping his movements tight and controlled.

  York blocked and stepped back. “Better.” They sparred for another minute. Griffin was on the defense the entire time.

  “Enough.” York gave Griffin a tight smile. He sheathed his sword.

  “What are you doing?” Griffin was breathing heavily, even though they had only just started. Sweat dripped from his brow.

  “That’s enough for today.” York looked him head-on. “Don’t come back tomorrow unless it’s with a belly full of blood. Find a female. Do what you need to do.”

  “I don’t need a female. I’m fine,” Griffin growled.

  “What is it with you?” York put a hand on his back and ushered him away from the sparring males. “Ever since that human left, you haven’t been the same. If you have feelings for her then you should go after her. Pining away is not going to help you. You died twice and were fucking lucky, Griffin. You should have died. You need to recover and you can’t do that on the odd sip of blood from an elderly female.”

  “I know all of this. What’s your point?” He knew he was walking a fine line talking to York like that but didn’t give a shit right now.

  “I bet if I lifted your vest I would find puckered scars.”

  Griffin shrugged. His heart injury was still a scab but he didn’t tell the male that. By now, the wounds should have been totally healed, with scars barely visible to the eye if at all.

  “If you can’t move on then you need to go after her.” York looked away. “I wasn’t planning on saying anything since it’s none of my business, but seeing you like this has changed my mind.” His gaze was somewhere on the horizon over Griffin’s shoulder.

  The male seemed to be deep in thought.

  “What?” For whatever reason, he felt his hackles rise. He wasn’t going to like what the male had to say. York was a straight talker. He normally didn’t hesitate.

  “I excused Lance from training this morning, so that he could go and visit with your human.”

  “What?” Griffin all out snarled. The males closest to them stopped mid-bout and turned to stare. Even Zane turned his stare to them.

  “Keep it together.” York spoke under his breath.

  How the fuck hadn’t he noticed that Lance wasn’t here? Then again, a day off here and there was a normal occurrence. Griffin was breathing hard, he sheathed his sword. There was only one reason Lance would have to go to Sarah and that was to rut with her. His friend might think he could change, but it wasn’t going to happen any time soon. Lance had taken two vampire females to his bed just last night. He was going to hurt her and Griffin wouldn’t stand for it.

  Although he had told Sarah that she should give the male a chance, he realized in hindsight that he never would have been able to stand by and watch it happen. Never.

  “I need to go,” he finally growled.


  “I don’t want any fighting outside of vampire territory. Your balls would be nailed to the fucking wall. It’s bloody and noisy and quite frankly, I don’t think that you could take it in your current state.”

  “I am not a hothead.”

  “Not normally. Lance mentioned something about doing what he should have done…”

  Griffin wanted to roar his anger and frustration, but he knew that if he did so York probably wouldn’t allow him to leave. He clenched his jaw for a few beats. “I feel responsible for the human. Lance…” He chewed the inside of his cheek, curling his hands into fists. “…would hurt her. He already did once before. I need to go and put a stop to—”

  “They are adults.” York looked at him pointedly. “I’m sure Sarah can make up her own mind.”

  “She is sweet and kind. Lance is a sweet talking son of a fucking bitch and I won’t stand for it…I won’t.” He added the last, in a much softer, more controlled tone.

  York nodded. “You are also a grown male.” he sighed. “If you feel you need to go, then…by all means.”

  Griffin didn’t wait for a reply, he spun on his heel and began to jog back to the castle.

  ****

  Sarah opened her front door, almost stumbling back when she saw him lounging against the jamb.

  “Little Prim. I can safely say that I’ve missed you.” Lance grinned. “It’s good to see you too.” He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

  It was a miracle that she was dressed. She’d opened her eyes this morning and had turned over in bed, wanting to stay nestled under the covers. That was how she had spent the whole of last weekend. In bed, eating copious amounts of ice-cream and crying her eyes out.