Gage

Watching Sam fight had been one of the most alluring and surprising things Gage had ever seen. Her lithe body had moved expertly as she maneuvered around the mat, dodging hits and landing her own. She wasn't the delicate woman she appeared to be. She was strong and dangerous, holding her own even with an experienced fighter like Sarah, albeit she was a little rusty like she had warned. He could feel himself getting aroused as he watched them grapple with each other. But once Sarah had gotten the upper hand, he felt the need to step in. Seeing blood spray from Sam's lip as Sarah's gloved hand connected with her face sent him into protective mode. Before he knew it, he was pulling the she-wolf off of her, stopping himself from punishing her for hurting his mate.

Sam's bright and excited eyes found his and he could barely pull his own away. For the rest of the time they had stayed at the field he was drawn to her, wholly distracted by the magnetic pull he felt towards her. He barely even registered what the instructor was telling him.

He could barely contain himself as they walked in a pleasant silence back to his house, the setting sun turning her green eyes dazzling bright. But the moment the door shut behind them, he felt his restraint crack.

She let out a small surprised huff as her back hit the door, pinned there by his body. She felt so good against him and Kane purred at the sparks erupting on his skin. He kissed her for what felt like the first time all over again. She returned his kisses with fervor and his knees nearly buckled as her scent engulfed him. He picked her up, holding back a groan as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her over to the sofa and layed her down. The smell of her arousal hit him and Kane howled wildly as he lowered himself above her. He trailed his lips down her throat, tasting her sweet scent mixed with the salt from her sweat. He paused at the spot he wanted to sink his teeth into. Instead he sucked at her, eliciting a whimper from her as his lips bruised her sweet skin. He felt goosebumps rise where his hands touched her. He buried his hand in her hair, weaving his fingers through the silky locks and pulling gently.

"Hey Gage, we've got a probl- Aw man that's my sister!" Ian's voice rang through his head. Gage froze and let out an annoyed huff. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sam let her head fall back onto the couch cushion defeatedly.

"I've got a mate now." He bit back, "make yourself known before you just barge in from now on." Sam squirmed out from under him and he frowned, unhappy with the coldness that replaced her sweet warmth.

"Got it boss." Ian agreed, no doubt not wanting to see that just as much as Gage didn't want him to. It wasn't so much that he could see what was happening, but by reading Gage's thoughts he could get a very clear picture of what was happening. "I need you to come to the front gate though, we've got a problem." Gage sighed and told him he'd be there momentarily before blocking off the mind link. He blinked several times, bringing his focus back to Sam. He groaned, her lips were pink and puffy from his own attacking them, her cheeks a pleasurable shade of pink and her dark hair a sexy mess from running his hands through it. He clasped her face between his hands and pulled her lips to his, relishing her for a moment before he pulled away.

"I've got to go take care of something." He said cheerlessly. Her expression mirrored his own for a moment before she hid it. She stood up from the couch and straightened her clothes, he let his hands drop to his side. He wanted nothing more than to stay here.

"I'm going to take a shower and go to bed." She said, facing him again. "If that's ok with you..." he nodded quickly.

"You don't ever need to ask me permission Sam, this is your home as much as it is mine." The pink in her cheeks deepened and she scratched the back of her neck nervously, a habit he had noticed she shared with her brother.

Shaking his head to clear it, he stood and walked to the door, pausing to look back at her one more time. He sighed and closed it behind him, walking off to meet Ian.

Gage approached the front gate, seeing Ian gathered with Jackson, Gage's third in command.

"What's going on?" He asked as he joined them. Ian's lips were pressed into a grim line and he motioned for Gage to follow him outside of the gate. He did so and frowned when they came up to a cardboard box with a note taped to the top.

For the Descendant-

Forfeit yourself to us or more will follow.

Gage gulped and opened the box, grimacing as he looked into it. The lifeless body of a pug was packed carelessly into it, a long lock of blonde hair placed on top of its body in an almost artful way. Sam had informed them that the dogs blood on the wall at Anna's was probably that of her friends pet, this just confirmed it. He gingerly pulled the lock of hair from the box, eyeing it before handing it to Jackson.

Jackson was their best tracker, he sniffed the hair and closed his eyes for a moment, collecting all the information he could from its scent. He opened his eyes finally.

"She's still alive." He stated. "Or at least she was when they cut this off. I don't smell the witch though, only the rogue." He sneered, spitting on the ground as if trying to wipe his senses clean of the smell.

Ian took the hair and sniffed it as well. He stiffened and his eyes turned black for a moment. Gage gave him a curious look and Ian shook his head, clearing it before staring at the hair in his hand like it was a magical object.

"Can you track where it came from?" Gage asked Jackson, making a mental note to question Ian about his behavior later. Jackson shook his head.

"This witch is good. She knows how to mask herself well. But we do have a starting point. Your mate said they held her at the old Hahnemann hospital right?" Gage growled and nodded his head, thinking of how he wanted to burn the place down for what they did to her there. "I say we start there first thing tomorrow." Gage agreed, taking one last glance at the poor dog in the box.

"Sam doesn't find out about this." He said, pointing to it. "She's only just starting to get comfortable here, this will send her into a tailspin." They murmured their agreement. "Cremate the poor thing." He ordered, turning to walk to his house. Ian fell into step beside him silently, his house was in the same direction. Gage noticed him slip the lock of hair into his pocket.

"You gonna tell me what that was about?" He asked his beta, shooting him a glance out of the corner of his eye. Ian shook his head, staying silent for a moment.

"I can't be sure yet, I'd rather not say." His lips pressed into a thin line and Gage could practically hear the gears turning in his head.

"Okay." He said simply, not wanting to pry. He had an idea of what was going on with him but didn't want to make assumptions. It was unusual to see Ian so serious, and it had been happening a lot more recently. They came to where they had to go in different directions. He bid Ian good night, to which he only grunted in return.

He closed the front door quietly, trying not to disturb Sam if she was sleeping. He had just put his keys on the hook when a scream echoed through the house. Panic stabbed at his heart and his head snapped up towards the staircase.

"Sam!?" He was flying up them before he even knew it. He threw the bedroom door open, not caring that he heard the door knob hit the wall with such force there was no doubt now a hole on the drywall. He half expected to see someone splitting her open by the sound of her screams. He paused, confused, when there was no one in the room except Sam. She was laying in the bed, the sheets wrapped around her as she writhed and thrashed in her sleep. He rushed over to her and knelt beside the bed, unsure of what to do to help her. Was she in pain? Was she sick?

"No, no please, no!" She whimpered. It dawned on him that she was having a nightmare. Her forehead was slick with sweat and her chest heaved as he climbed into the bed beside her.

"Sam." He murmured, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to him. She threw a punch at him and he had to admit that even in her sleeping state, it had some force to it, it hurt.

"Sam!" He said louder, shaking her a bit as she began to hyperventilate. Her eyes snapped open, wild and searching in the dark. They locked onto him and she froze, her eyes roaming all over his features as her face began to crumple. A sob broke through her lips and she buried herself in his chest. He felt his heart ache as sobs wracked her body. He pulled her closer and she balled his shirt into her fists, staining it with her tears. He didn't care about the shirt, he just held her tighter as her cries became softer, replaced by trembling.

"I thought I was back there." She cried, her voice muffled by his chest. "It felt so real." She glanced at her wrist, and the ugly red scar that laid there. He placed his finger under her chin, making her look up at him. Her red rimmed eyes searched his, fleeting glimpses of panic still flowing through them.

"I will die before I ever let you get taken back there again." He murmured, urging his eyes to tell her just how serious he was. Tears began to flow down her cheeks again and he wiped them away with his thumb before pulling her head into his chest. He ran his hand over her soft hair as her breathing began to even out, and soon became deep and slow and he knew she had fallen back asleep. He stayed there, listening to her breathing, enjoying just how good it felt to have her enveloped in his arms. Soon, he fell asleep as well, her smaller body still wrapped in his protective embrace.

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Oooo what's going on with Ian?

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Xx mandabrandie