Savage Heart (Savage Island Book 1) Read online

  “It sounds like there are a lot more stories to tell, but it is amazing that the paranormals are coming together again. It sounds like it may be a good thing for all of us,” Grey replied.

  “I agree. I don’t think I would have found my own fated one if not for them reuniting.”

  Grey pushed his seat back and stood, then began to collect their empty dishes. “And now I shall leave you to get to your phone call. Maybe this evening we can meet for brandy in the parlor and you can regale me with more of these stories and new history being made.”

  “You’ve got a deal,” Savage agreed as he sipped his iced tea and watched Grey push the food cart into his room, then out into the hallway and closed the door behind him.

  CHAPTER 2

  Savage placed his glass on the table and lifted his phone, then dialed Wade’s number and waited. After a few rings it went straight to voicemail. Savage disconnected the call and sat back as he grabbed his glass and took another sip. Staring out over the ocean below, Savage thought about Wade and his men. All men who had become like sons to him.

  With Wade’s knowledge of the shifter world, it had been one of the reasons Savage had taken an interest in him while he was in boot camp. Along with the fact that the young man had the spirit of a great leader and was a very talented fighter. Savage knew from the start that Wade would make a great soldier, so he followed his career, mentored him, became his friend, then hand-picked a team to go with Wade when Savage had upgraded him to Commander of his own SEAL team.

  Savage had served man in the human military for many wars, and for many years had fought alongside thousands of good men, but there was something about Wade that drew Savage to the human that went beyond just the knowledge that Wade had known about paranormals his whole life. And as he got to know the man, Wade had become the son Savage never had and never thought he would have.

  Savage hand picked each man that he wanted to serve on Wade’s SEAL team six group, two shifters and three humans. He just knew they all belonged together and that some day when they each decided to walk away from military life, they would forever be together as brothers.

  After their last mission as SEALs, Wade and his men had all decided at the same time, after spending almost twenty years serving, that they had served their country long enough and they each wanted out. Savage had been happy about that, looking to retire himself. He had promised himself that he would not leave until all of his boys had left, this way he could watch over them. But he had been ready to leave.

  Most of the times Savage had spent serving in one human military or another, he only put in between twenty to thirty years before he had to leave because the humans would start to notice he wasn’t aging. Then he would travel the world and bring himself up to speed on whatever time he was in. The latest trends, slangs, history, and the like, before obtaining documents to match his age, then he would sign up again. But he never rejoined as any position lower than a captain. He was far too qualified to be an enlisted man.

  Savage tried Wade’s number again, but once again it went straight to voicemail. After taking another sip from his glass, he thought about what had been going on before he came home.

  Once Wade and the others had left the service and returned to their home states to pick up their lives, Savage had been offered a position with the Pentagon, but with a top-secret branch. A military organization within the Pentagon that very few knew existed. Even some presidents never knew about them. They called it Plausible Deniability.

  He and four other Generals, all from different branches of the American military, were appointed leaders of the group and would work side-by-side on choosing missions. Each General had a Black Ops team that served under them as well as worked under the radar. When a mission was chosen for that team, the General in charge would give the orders and be their contact throughout the mission until it was complete.

  They would send these teams on missions around the world, to take care of situations that required specialised skills but couldn’t be connected back to the government.

  When Savage had taken the position, he insisted he would only do so if he could bring in his own team who he trusted more than anyone, and then only if they all agreed. He also knew that he would need one of the best tech guys around to help with operations and to keep the men safe. Lucky for him, Wade’s younger brother Rory was that guy. The young man was in the top three best hackers in the world.

  Once Savage had convinced them all to be his Black Ops team, as well as having Rory join them, the eight of them had become the best team their secret organization had. They brought down more corrupt politicians from around the world, evil dictators, and drug and gun smugglers, than any of the other teams. Their success rate was perfect, and Savage had never been so proud.

  The men all had their own lives and jobs back home in the states while they awaited an assignment. Wade and Rory had an Auto Repair shop back in Crystal, which also fronted for their team. In the rear of the garage, Wade had built on a secret war room where Rory could work from while they were involved with a mission.

  Everything had been going great, but when you had the best team, you also had a bullseye on your back. And that is what brought them all together in Crystal. They were all running for their lives.

  On the guys’ last mission they had walked into a major clusterfuck and almost lost one of their own. Soon after they had discovered the mission had been a set up. At that time they all decided to leave the Black Ops group and to band together to try to find out who was trying to bring them down, so the others had moved to Crystal.

  At the same time, Savage had been sent on a goodwill meeting in Europe, looking into a Prime Minister who was said to have killed thousands of his own people. When Savage had been attacked, he realized he had been set up. Fortunately for him, he got away and made his way to Crystal as well.

  Now before he had left in such a hurry with his wounded mate, they had been getting closer to finding out who was behind the hunt to take them all down, when Flyer, their expert pilot, had been sent out to do a flyover to gather intel on the drug cartel that had been involved during their last mission. It was supposed to be a quick recon mission, but Flyer’s plane had disappeared, and Rory and Wade were having trouble finding him.

  So, if Wade was calling with information on Flyer’s whereabouts, then Savage needed to get his ass back to Crystal. But how was he supposed to do that and leave his mate alone in a strange place?

  Yes, Grey, Lani, and Heath were here, but they as well as this place would all be strange to Gill when he finally woke up. Savage just knew his mate would be scared, anxious, and confused once he came to, and he wanted to be here to soothe and comfort him, as well as explain everything to him.

  Just then his phone rang and Savage picked it up. Seeing Wade’s number appear gave him a small amount of relief, until he answered the phone and listened to what Wade had to tell him.

  “Flyer’s plane crashed in enemy territory with a civilian on board. Flyer and this guy, Ireland are now trekking through the wilderness,” Wade explained.

  “Flyer’s a good man, a good soldier. He’s smart and knows what to do. He’ll get them out of there,” Savage replied.

  Wade sighed heavily in his ear and Savage got a sinking feeling in his gut. “We have bigger problems. When Flyer’s plane went down he got injured and can’t see. Ireland is leading him blind through unknown terrain with thirty hostiles on their asses.”

  “What?” Savage raised his voice as he sat forward.

  “Rory was able to get satellite images of the area and spotted where they went down. After hacking into the cartel’s radio signal, he heard them talking about the crash. So Rory went back in using the satellite and spotted them not far out from Flyer’s location. We were finally able to contact Flyer again and warn him, and now he and Ireland are on their own.

  “On their own with Flyer blind and a civilian trying to get them out of there before a damn drug cartel gets them. They’re dead
in the water, Wade. I need to get back there. Send me their coordinates and I’ll head that way,” Savage said.

  “No can do, General. Look, I have no idea why you took off like you did, but I know you wouldn’t have unless it was a dire situation. We’ve got a plan and we’re heading toward Flyer now. Stay put and I’ll call you if we need you.”

  “I found my mate, Wade,” Savage replied.

  “Really? That’s fantastic, Sav. I’m happy for you.”

  “That’s why I had to go. That man at the shelter, Gill, who Rory and the others were trying to get to while he was being attacked, he’s my mate. When I got there, he was in bad shape. I had to get him somewhere to heal him. He’s stable now and in good hands. As much as I don’t want to leave him, you all are my boys and I need to be there with you just as much.”

  “I understand, Savage, but your mate needs you right now. The men and I have got this. We just landed and are loaded up to head out on foot to meet up with Flyer and Ireland. I also have Rory checking the satellite every fifteen minutes.”

  “Remind him to be very careful hacking into government satellites. If they catch him in there, even I won’t be able to save him,” Savage warned.

  “He remembers, which is why he goes in every fifteen minutes. We’ve got this, General. I’ll call you with any updates as they come or if we need you. Until then, take care of your mate. You’ve waited a long time for him, so show him how amazing you are.”

  “Yeah, yeah, you just make sure you bring everyone home safe and in one piece,” Savage replied, then disconnected the call and tossed his cell onto the table.

  Although Wade told him to stay put, Savage still felt guilty about not being there beside them. Flyer was one of his, damn it, and he should be there. But when he explained to Wade about Gill and why he had taken off so quickly, Wade had understood and told him to stay by his mate. So now all he could do was take Wade’s advice and sit here and wait. For now.

  CHAPTER 3

  He felt like he was floating in a soft sea of clouds. Gill never remembered feeling this comfortable in his life. The bed beneath him wrapped around him like a glove, and the blankets covering him weren’t too warm, but kept his temperature just right. He drew in a deep breath, then let it out with a sigh of content.

  He raised his arms over his head and arched his back at the same time, trying to get a full body stretch going, but a twinge of pain in his lower back stopped him, causing him to drop his arms and hiss.

  Gill opened his eyes and froze. Where in the... Where was he? How did he get here?

  He tried to sit up but that nagging pain in his back let itself be known again, stopping him. Gill stared at the ornate ceiling above him. Bare wooden beams ran across about ten feet above his head and the pitched ceiling was painted white. It also looked like it had sand within the paint, causing a nice texture across the surface.

  Turning his head to the left, Gill saw that he was in a massive bed that could fit at least ten people, if not more, and it had a large brown leather headboard above it with little dimples pushed in with matching leather buttons. Could it actually be called a headboard if it went up to meet the ceiling? Hmmm. Gill wondered. The nightstands that sat to the sides of the bed were made of a wood that to him looked like mahogany, but he couldn’t be sure. They were very ornate and matched the three dressers that were spread around the room, as well as the Armoire and a large wall unit that held a television, many movies and CDs, as well as a few knickknacks, and some books.

  Along another wall, which had to be ten or more feet high and at least thirty feet long, was a built-in bookcase filled to capacity with books. A sliding ladder leaned against the far end. The wood used to make the wall of books looked like the exact wood used in making the furniture.

  As his gaze traveled around Gill saw a very comfortable looking sitting area by another, smaller TV that was mounted on the wall above a gorgeous stone fireplace. A large, overstuffed, plush couch with two reclining chairs sat at the sides with a few side tables.

  He noticed two solid doors that looked like oak and guessed one led to a bathroom and the other a closet. Then there were four sets of French style glass doors leading outside that were framed with wood to match the furnishings. A shelf ran along the whole perimeter of the room above all the doors and held different types of artifacts that looked like they came from various cultures around the world. Including a wicked looking set of spears and a few swords.

  The walls were painted a very soothing sandy brown with white accents and moldings. Curtains that hung on the doors and windows were a sheer white and billowed with a light breeze that blew in from one of the open doorways, that he could see led out to a veranda, accentuating the comfortable feel of the room.

  Even though he had no idea where he was, Gill didn’t feel scared or concerned here. He actually felt at ease and... at home. Which was strange because the last time he remembered feeling like he was home was when he was about six. That was before his parents started putting so many expectations on him of what they thought his life should be, and insisting he follow what they had planned for him.

  God, his parents. He had left them. Ran away from home like a child instead of standing up to them like a man, insisting he should be allowed to live his own life. But he had been too chicken. Both his mother and father could be very forceful and very intimidating. His mother a little worse than his father. With her, if you disappointed her, she withheld her love – as if she actually had any to begin with. With her, it was the definition of conditional love.

  They had forced him to join the Maddox Fire Department, to train to be a fireman, but he knew right from the start that it wasn’t for him. He wanted to be a writer, not a hero. Gill knew there was no fighting his parents, so he joined the Academy and began working with the Maddox Fire Department, but on his free time he and his laptop were joined at the hip. His writing brought him peace and he always felt centered when he wrote.

  Gill knew he had to abide by his parents’ wishes, even though he was twenty-six and should be standing on his own two feet, but that was how his parents controlled his life. They made him dependent on them, so they could use the threat of taking it all away from him as a way to keep their control over him.

  So he had sucked it up and joined the academy, but his curious nature that he linked to his love of writing decided to use it to his advantage and learn everything he could about the subject so that he could use it in his books. He kept telling himself it was research, because pretty much everything he did in his life he used as research.

  He knew he saw the world in different ways than everyone else, and that was fine by him. Especially when he watched an interview with one of his favorite authors and heard them say the same thing. Normal people could pass by a mountain range, or a dock that sat on the ocean, and that’s all they saw, but the writer's mind saw so much more.

  When he went down to the lake near his home in Maddox that sat nestled in the valley between a few large mountains, Gill would sit on the dock watching the boats coming and going, and visions of mermaids and mermen jumping out of the water would fill his mind. Stories would begin to grow and unfold, and before he left to head home or to work at the station, he would have at least the start of this fantasy world of mermen living in an underwater kingdom, fighting bad guys, like sharks and manta rays.

  His father called it childish and thought it made him weak, his mother called it a waste, and they both told him he needed to grow up. His argument that hundreds, no, thousands of men and woman wrote for a living and they were adults, never made a difference. All he heard with that argument was how those people weren’t their son and their son would not live his life in a dream world or a fantasy. Their child would take his rightful place in their family and be a respected member of society, and to them and all their friends, writing silly stories was not a respectable career.

  When the fire chief in Maddox, Wyndingo, had told him that although he was doing a good job, he didn’t
think being a fireman was in Gill’s blood or his passion and maybe he should think of another career choice, Gill was happy as hell. But when his father found out he might be asked to leave; the man went ballistic and said he would talk to the chief himself and Gill would have a place in the department. How embarrassing. So that was when he decided he’d had enough, and knew that if he stayed he would be living a lie and a life that didn’t fulfill him, so he, a grown man, had run.

  He ended up in the next town over and planned to hide there for a few days until he had a plan of where to go, but he had met a nice guy named Jayce who ran a homeless shelter in Crystal, and Jayce took him in, talked to him, and offered him a place to stay there at the shelter. Gill really liked Jayce and he thought the shelter would be the perfect answer for him. His parents would never in a million years expect him to be holed up there, and in the meantime he could figure out what his next step was, and use his time there as one of those research and experience moments.

  But then he... what? Why couldn’t he remember?

  Gill closed his eyes and concentrated, thinking to the last thing he did remember. He had been at the shelter and... Benji! He had run into Benji. He was a nice kid who Gill had befriended. Benji lived at the shelter as well and he knew the kid had a crush on him, but Gill made sure to never give Benji the wrong signals or encourage his crush. Not that Benji wasn’t cute or nice, it was just he was not Gill’s type. Gill liked his men to be men. Men who knew who they were and were comfortable with who they were. He liked his men confident and strong. He also liked men older than him. Not that there was anything wrong with younger men, it was just that he didn’t want to be the one in the relationship who was guiding and teaching a young stud or taking care of him. Gill wasn’t looking for anyone to take care of him, but it would be nice for him and his partner to take care of each other.

  Gill sighed heavily. Yet another reason leaving his home, his parents, and everything he knew behind was the right thing to do. His parents would never accept he was gay and if they found out, Gill was sure it wouldn’t be pretty.