Saved Mate

by L. J. Red

  Could he really see her the way she saw him? Could he really be as enraptured by their touch as she was? He leaned in toward her, pressing their bodies together and she felt the hot, hard line of his erection. Well, that answered that question. She applied herself to his shirt. It had been a very long time since she had been with another person, and a hurried fumble in a club bathroom didn’t compare to this leisurely undressing. Every movement drenched in meaning and desire, their eyes catching, gazes transmitting more than just aching need. It was like a connection was being forged between them right now. Thread by thread. She’d never felt that before. Never had sex meant more than just momentary relief with a willing body. This was different, this was… soulmates, she realized. It had to be the soulmate bond.

  His shirt hit the floor with a wet slap and she couldn’t stop herself running her hand over his muscled chest. He tugged his belt out of its loops. “You too,” he whispered.

  She unbuttoned her shirt, shimmying out of her pants, wanting to be skin to skin. Her foot caught in the leg of her pants and she hopped, distracted, before kicking it off. She looked back up. He was naked, gloriously naked, all broad muscle and thick legs and… Her gaze stopped at his cock. She stared. He was big. Seriously big. She blushed red to the roots of her hair. Jacob walked slowly up to her and she dragged her eyes up to his face. Met his knowing smirk. The smug bastard, he knew exactly what was going through her mind.

  He reached out and slid her shirt off. She gasped at the feel of his hands on her skin, secretly reveling in the possessive light in his eyes as he drank in the sight of her just like she had.

  He tugged her into the shower. She braced for cold, but the water came out instantly hot. After the rain, it was almost too hot on her sensitized skin. “Sorry,” Jacob murmured, leaning forward to twist the tap and then leaving his body there, so close they were almost touching. Water trickled down his shoulders and crossed the muscles of his chest. Sparrow’s eyes were caught on the line of the drops as they trailed over every part of him. She wanted to follow the drop with her fingers, just like the swimming pool. Only this time nothing was stopping her. She reached out, her fingertips following the wet line of the water droplet. Jacob’s body jerked under her touch and she glanced up at him from under her eyelashes, amazed to think it was her touch that was causing that reaction. That her touch made him move when she’d seen him stand, unflinching, against a warrior in a fight. She had the power to make him tremble and it was a power that went both ways, she realized, as he sealed his mouth to hers, kissing her again, deep and wet and even better now that the water around them was steaming, not cold, and the slick slide of their bodies was skin to skin. The hot water warmed their bodies, taking away the chill of the rain and the fire between them was stoked to higher and higher levels as the kiss went on and on, no need to breath. She lost herself in it.

  This was everything she wanted. The feel of him against her was indescribable. The thought that the soulmate bond was real, was hers was amazing, perfect. So fucking tempting. She wanted this. To be loved. To be held like she was something precious, like she had a place here. She knew they needed to talk. She needed to understand exactly what a soulmate bond was, what it meant for her, that she could become a Shadow. What her place would be, how she would fit into the Sanctuary.

  But under the onslaught of his kiss, her thoughts scattered. All she wanted was him.

  Her worries, the panic attack that had set this in motion, the strange flickering visions that still haunted her, all of it was wiped away by the feel of Jacob’s hands on her skin and she finally gave in to the desire that had been working on her from the moment she saw him. She wanted Jacob and that was the only truth that mattered.

  Chapter 21

  Everything felt new. Every touch like she was being remade. Jacob ran his thumb over her lip, pressing down, slick from the water around them. Her lips trembled, the back and forth of his thumb edging her mouth open. He drew down her bottom lip then sealed her mouth with a kiss, drawing her in until she was aching for more. His kisses followed the rivulets of water down the side of her neck, edging carefully around the scar on her shoulder.

  He slid his hands under her thighs and urged her to wrap her legs around him, pressing her back against the tiles and rolling his hips against hers so that his hard cock pressed against her. Then, teasing, he kept her pinned and moved to kiss her bare skin, licking back across her neck, her collarbone, his hands on her sides, his touch mingling with the patter of the water on her skin. Sparrow couldn’t catch her breath. His touch was tempting, teasing, pressure then softness, a scrape of fang, a brush of lips, and the whole time the hard length of him so close… so close.

  “Stop teasing me,” she gasped out. “I need you.”

  “Need me where?” he purred.

  “You fucking know where,” she said, losing her patience and jerking her hips up to meet his.

  His eyes darkened and she caught her lip, did it again, rolling slower, more sinuously, pressing every inch of her body against his in one rolling curve, from her thighs to her hips to her breasts. He exhaled roughly as her hard nipples brushed his chest. “If you insist.” His hands slid down to grip her waist tightly and he caught her eyes as he slid into her. A slow, slick burn started in her core, forcing her to break his gaze as her eyes closed, her whole body shuddering around him. He took his time working his way into her, distracting her from the almost painful stretch by drawing teasing swirls over the soft skin of her thigh and bending his lips to hers in another heavy kiss, until he was sheathed fully, her body impaled, her nerves so over sensitized she couldn’t think, couldn’t move, just feel. He started to move, sinking into a rhythm, driving her higher with each stroke.

  She gripped him tight, her nails raking down his back as he rocked into her, the rhythm punishingly hard, the water falling around them. Her skin alive, her nerves lit, every part of her body burning up brighter and brighter until she couldn’t hold it, until it spilled over, crackling through her core, through her nerves, through her entire body. Glorious release snapped through her. Sparrow cried out, clutching him desperately as her body rode out wave after wave of pleasure.

  Jacob’s rough voice echoed hers a second later and she felt his cock pulse deep within her.

  She clutched him close, aftershocks rocking through her until the tremors finally subsided and he pulled free. She slid down between his body and the wall, her oversensitive skin still tingling. She felt shaky, unable to trust her voice, her knees weak. She could barely keep herself upright. He drew her close into his embrace, holding her up against him, letting his strength count for both of them.

  The hot water carried all the marks of what they had done away, and Jacob finally cut it off and pushed open the shower door, steam billowing out into the bathroom.

  Sparrow felt like all her bones had been replaced with jello. She wasn’t sure she could take a single step. Luckily, Jacob seemed to be aware of this. He lifted her up into his arms and carried her out of the room like she weighed nothing.

  She felt like she ought to try and walk but she was wrung out and exhausted, and it was so tempting to lay her head on his broad shoulder and just let him carry her through the room to the bed.

  Jacob dragged the covers up around them both and curled his body protectively around hers. Sparrow felt warm, protected, loved, and she never wanted to leave.

  “This is what a soulmate bond can be,” Jacob murmured, his voice even rougher, as if their lovemaking had tired him out as well. “Will you accept the bond?” he asked her.

  “Accept it?” Sparrow asked. “I don’t understand. I thought what we did in there—”

  Jacob’s smile was full of that male satisfaction that came after sex. “What we did in there was amazing,” he murmured, pressing closer to her and tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. “But in order for the bond to be claimed I have to…” He hesitated for a moment. “Bite you,” he finally said.

  Despite the languoro
us exhaustion weighing down Sparrow’s body, something tightened deep in her chest at the thought of being bitten again and her eyes opened, her gaze running over Jacob’s face to his mouth before back to his eyes.

  “It’s okay,” he soothed, running a hand down her arm. “I know what Roman did to you was brutal and I don’t expect you to want to be bitten again, but it’s the only way, the only way to bring someone into a bloodline and seal the soulmate bond.” He pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “You don’t need to decide now,” he said. “I’ll wait as long as you need, forever if I have to. Whatever, however, you want me, I’m yours.”

  Sparrow felt wings unfurling in her chest, a yearning sensation that sparked at Jacob’s words, at his promise to be whatever she needed. She didn’t know what to say about the bite. She still had nightmares about what Roman had done to her. And while she knew Jacob was nothing like him, her mind still entangled the thought of biting with the traumatic and painful memories she had experienced. It was still all too fresh, too close, and she didn’t know if she could say yes to Jacob, at least not yet.

  However, he didn’t seem to expect an answer straight away as he slid his hand round the back of her head and tucked her under his chin, settling them deeper into the covers. Sparrow tried to recapture the warm protected feeling she’d had a moment ago but that niggling concern about the bite still lingered. Had what Roman done to her broken her for good? Would she ever be able to accept a bite from Jacob? Would she ever be able to accept the soulmate bond or was she just too broken?

  It took her a long time to fall asleep, and her uneasy thoughts trailed her into her dreams.

  She was in the factory again, running through the halls, this time being chased by a monster with long white hair and shining white eyes. Every door she tried was locked and she screamed and screamed for Jacob, but there was no answer. No one was coming to save her; she was entirely alone.

  She skidded around the corner, slamming into the far wall and sprinting down the hallway toward the door she could see at the end. Faster and faster she ran, almost there. She spread out her fingers, reaching for the handle, but before she could reach it a cold hand gripped her shoulder and dragged her back, spinning her around and slamming her painfully against the wall.

  Roman grinned down at her, his claws cutting deep into the wound on her neck. “There you are,” he hissed. “Finally, I’ve got you.” He bared his fangs, ready to lunge, and Sparrow screamed out loud, kicking at him wildly. His grip shifted, changed, became heavier, broader, darker, as she fought her way free of the dream and up into wakefulness.

  Jacob grunted and fell back as Sparrow fought to break free of her tangled thoughts.

  It was just a dream, just a dream. Roman wasn’t really there. And yet the sensation of his presence lingered and the wound in her neck ached. She could still feel the pressure of his claws in the wound. She kicked free of the covers and scrambled up against the headboard, staring wildly as the room around her took shape.

  Jacob. Where was Jacob? She looked down and saw him on the floor. Hunched over, his hands between his legs and an intense expression of pain on his face… Oh, oops.

  “Did I kick you in the—”

  “Yeah,” he hissed, straightening up slowly.

  She winced. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.” She inched back, hoping he wasn’t too angry. But as he rose and the pain faded from his expression she realized he wasn’t angry at all. Instead, concern was painted across his face.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “I’m the one that kicked you in the balls, are you okay?”

  “You were having a nightmare,” he said, sitting carefully on the edge of the bed and looking down at her.

  “Oh, right,” she said awkwardly. “Yes I was.” She didn’t know what else to say. Roman had been hounding her dreams for so long, but this time felt worse. She could still sense his lingering presence and it was unsettling. She looked around the darkened room. It felt like only moments since they had collapsed into bed, but she could feel the sun setting outside They had slept the entire day away.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” Jacob asked.

  Sparrow looked at him, at the calm, serious look in his eyes, and she knew he wouldn’t press. He would respect her silence. If that was what she wanted. She ought to talk about it. She didn’t want to have to suffer through these dreams and visions alone any longer. It was exhausting. She needed to explain to someone. “The nightmares,” she said, “I thought they would stop after a while. Dr. Patil said it was normal, after experiencing trauma, to suffer from bad dreams, but they haven’t stopped and I think—” She hesitated. There was a white flash in the corner of her vision. The words were hard to get out. “I think—” She broke off again. They are getting worse, she wanted to say. I think they’re getting worse. But the words choked in her throat. She felt again Roman’s claws, gripping her neck tightly, and a ripple of fear ran from her scalp right down her spine.

  She couldn’t get the words out. She couldn’t tell Jacob about the nightmares. She choked on air. It’s Roman, she tried to say. I dreamt about Roman. In my nightmares. He’s chasing me. But the words snarled up like tangled vines and refused to escape.

  “It’s okay,” Jacob said, reaching forward. “I can see this is hurting you,” he said.

  No. Sparrow wanted to scream. That’s not why I’m afraid. I’m afraid because I can’t speak to you. Because the words are being held inside my throat.

  Her vision flickered once more, and for a terrifying second she saw Roman’s skeletal form standing in the corner of the room watching her with a sick, satisfied smile on his face.

  Sparrow wanted to scream. She wanted to grip Jacob’s shoulders and pour out all of her fears, but it was like her body was no longer her own. Her arms were filled with lead and her voice stolen away. All she could do was shake her head mutely as Jacob pulled her close to him and wrapped her into his embrace.

  This was so much worse than she had feared. The visions, the nightmares, they weren’t just trauma from what had happened to her. Roman was using her somehow. He was controlling her, and whatever he wanted to make her do it wasn’t going to be good.

  Chapter 22

  He finally had her. Roman grinned widely, his fangs flashing. Whatever block had been stopping him from taking control of the little vampire fledgling, he had finally worn it down. It wasn’t enough to stand against the full strength of his bloodline bond. He was the leader of her Bloodline and she was just another fledgling. She would bow to him like all the others and he would use her for his own ends.

  Soon, he would have her completely and he would be able to carry out his attack on the Shadows.

  Many times he had considered simply killing his remaining fledglings and taking their power for his own but draining ten souls meant nothing compared to the hundreds of vampires he had already drained and destroyed. No, it would be better to use them to strike at the heart of the Shadows. He would have his opportunity, he was sure. He just needed to get those fucking Shadows to drop their guard for a moment. He needed to distract them so that his little fledglings would be free to do his bidding. From stealing glances through his vampires’ eyes, he knew the court case against HUNT would be starting soon. The perfect opportunity. A public place where the Shadows would be constrained by the limits the humans placed upon them. That was perfect. He would plan something, something big, something flashy, something that would set back the Shadows’ ridiculous dream of living alongside the humans. He would prove that vampires and humans could not live alongside each other. Humans were merely food. Vampires’ rightful place was above them, and his rightful place was leading the vampires. Not Lucian or any of the Shadows. No, it was him, Roman, the only vampire in the world with the power of a full bloodline all concentrated in his veins.

  But what could he use to distract the Shadows? They were so careful to protect his ten little fledglings. He would need something to lure them away. What could possibly be
more important to them than protecting the so-called innocent?

  Roman crossed the room and walked toward the window, dust whirling in little eddies with every step. The drapes were thick and closed against the night and, staring at them, he had a moment of inspiration. Of course, the only thing they cared about more than his fledglings was Roman himself.

  With a jerk, he pulled the curtains wide, letting in the orange light from the streetlights outside, and he stepped forward so that his pale hair caught the light and his face was easy to see through the windowpane. He knew they had their minions watching his territory. There was no way Lucian would have failed to post people nearby. Let them watch. Let them report back to Lucian that Roman had finally been found. Let them be distracted, split their forces. That was when Roman would make his strike.

  Chapter 23

  The atmosphere in Lucian’s office was quiet, full of a tense anticipation that Ben felt heavy on his shoulders. He traded a look with Cas as they crossed over the threshold and stood to attention in the center of the room. Lucian and Dana, his soulmate, stood before them. He was glad Cas was here with him. When they first came to Chicago after years spent serving Bloodline Vigor they had never expected to end up in front of one of the Shadows, let alone the leader of the Bloodline, and they had certainly never dreamt that they might have a chance at being accepted into the most elite of warrior lines.

  Benedict knew he had come a very long way from his humble beginnings as a soldier in the French court. All the way across Europe and then eventually to America. New Orleans, where he had lived for many years, before moving further south and ending with Bloodline Vigor in Texas, where Cas had welcomed him with true southern charm. For a while, they had found a home there until, finally, the itch to travel had come upon him again, and together they had made their way through the center of this new, young country as it had been then and ended up close to the vast lakes that reminded him in some way of the Mediterranean Sea that he had spent his human life living beside. Chicago was finally starting to feel like a true home and Benedict knew that was not just because of the city itself, but because of the people around him. The Sanctuary had changed so much since the Shadows took control and evicted Radiance. He was proud to know he had played some part in defending his home against those who would have destroyed it.