by Jade White
Egan stopped abruptly, his head cocked, listening to a rustle ahead of them, much louder than the wind moving through the leaves. Egan took a step back, ready to lunge, holding his breath as he watched the trees ahead of them. Olivia cursed her night-blindness and fought the urge to bury her head in Egan’s coat once more. Her legs trembled around him, her heart in her throat.
Egan saw him first, inching out of a thick stand of trees to step out onto the path. He strode towards them with purpose, his broad shoulders set in determination as he advanced on them. Olivia sat on Egan’s back, voice caught in her throat in fear as the stranger moved in. The moonlight touched his face, and Olivia screamed in delight.
“Sable! I thought I’d never see you again.”
She slipped down off Egan’s back, dropping the heavy pack on the ground and moving down the path towards Sable. Sable closed the distance easily, reaching out to catch her as she stumbled on a rock in the dark.
He pulled her into his arms, his mouth covering hers as he kissed her hungrily. Leaning into him, Olivia wrapped her arms around his neck, fighting back tears as he held her. The baby rolled and kicked against Sable.
“I think someone feels squished.” He chuckled, running his large hand over her belly and kissing the top of her head. “I’ve missed you so much, Olivia. These last few days have been hell.”
Hand-in-hand, they walked the few feet back to Egan. Sable shouldered the pack and lifted Olivia onto Egan’s back, kissing her one last time.
“We have a ways to go, but I couldn’t wait a moment longer to see you.”
Placing a hand on his brother’s shoulder, he gave Egan a heavy pat of thanks.
“Egan, we’re clear to the north, and the last news report has you guys headed west out of Colorado Springs, so we should be fine for a couple of days while we figure out our next move.”
Egan nodded slightly, walking down the path beside his brother on silent paws, his breath finally quieting.
“How did you even get here? Weren’t they following you?”
“I slipped Aldrich something to help him sleep. It was pretty heavy stuff that would have caused him to wake up confused. There’s no telling what he thinks happened, but I was already on a plane to Toronto before anyone knew I was gone. Then, I took the train East to Quebec and took a plane from there to Vancouver. The cabin is almost on the Canadian border, and the woods stretch from Canada to Oregon. We’re only about ten miles from the Canadian border, and only another two miles from the cabin. With any luck, they’ll assume we’ve gone to Canada to escape their laws. If they find us, we’ll make a run for the border.”
Olivia nodded, feeling like she was stuck in a crazy dream.
“All this because I won’t marry you?”
Sable shrugged, though Olivia couldn’t see the gesture in the dark.
“All this because I won’t force you to marry me. Olivia, I want to marry you, but not if you’d rather die than be married to me. I love you, and I know that you love me. If that’s all you’re willing to give right now, that’s all I need.”
Olivia sat in hushed silence on Egan’s back. His words hurt, but not because of what he said. He spoke with love, and his words were sincere. He was willing to risk his life to protect her, even if she needed protection from marrying him. He could have let the council come for her, waited until the penultimate moment, when the reality of her sentence was upon her, and swooped in and saved the day by convincing her to marry him to save herself. Instead, he had moved heaven and earth to protect her life and her freedom. Worse still, he’d put his little brother in danger for her life and her freedom.
A single tear slid down Olivia’s cheek. The weight of his sacrifice was not lost on her, and she would never find the words to thank him. He had absolute power over her, and yet he chose to use that power to save her. And from what? The horrors of being married to a skilled lover, and a man who had stepped up and cared for his young brother when he’d been so young himself?
Olivia shook her head, trying to clear away the doubt. The crisp mountain air stung her lungs as the silent tears flowed. Sable continued walking beside them in silence, his hand resting on her leg in the dark. If he could see her tears, he didn’t mention them.
They passed the final mile in silence, both men picking their way over the terrain carefully, their progress much slower than the first few miles.
“How far are we from the barn where we left the car?”
“At least twenty miles, maybe closer to thirty.”
Olivia was surprised, but Egan’s weariness made sense. He’d run at full speed for quite some time to get them this far, all the while carrying her and the heavy bag strapped to her back. Taking her nails and giving him a good scratch behind his shoulders, she thanked Egan for doing so much for her. He didn’t have to, but he did anyway. They treated her like family and she was so grateful.
In the darkness, a deeper shadow appeared. Squinting, trying to adjust her human eyes, she could just make out the outline of the cabin. As they got closer, she could see that the forest had long ago reclaimed this land. The dense growth concealed much of the building as it snaked its way around.
Egan stopped in front of the door, laying down to allow Olivia to slide off his back. Their breath was like plumes of thick smoke in the cool night air. Olivia shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. She was desperate to get inside the cabin to keep warm, and hopefully get some rest while they had some time before the council could catch up with them.
The front of the cabin was completely dark, save for the sliver of an outline around the door. If not for the gentle glow that seeped out from around the edges, Olivia wouldn’t have known where to enter. Sable pulled on the handle, opening the door for Olivia and guiding her over the decaying steps into the main house.
A small fire burned in the fire place, though the smoke had been invisible from the outside. The cabin was cozy, though she wouldn’t describe it as warm so much as warmer than the dank cold of outside.
Egan, already shifted to human form, slipped by them and headed for the back room.
“I need to sleep. I’ll wake up in a few hours and make rounds. Olivia can take this room with the fireplace so she can keep warm.”
Without another word, Egan shut the door quietly. Within minutes, all signs of movement from the other side of the door ceased. Egan had pushed himself passed the breaking point hours before, yet he was still going. Olivia thought he could probably sleep for weeks if it was safe to.
Sable walked around the room, closing doors that hung on rusted hinges to keep the warmth in the main room. Some of the doors were missing half their boards, but within minutes the room became warmer. Olivia began shivering as the bone-deep cold was chased from her body.
A pile of thick furs lay on the floor, the only thing in the cabin that didn’t look a hundred years old.
“I was hoping we could stay here for a bit, so I brought those for you.” He pulled her to the fur and sat down, helping her maneuver to the ground without falling. She was exhausted, her eyes sporting dark circles.
“Sleep, sweet Olivia. I’ll keep watch over you until you wake.”
Snuggled into his strong arms, she didn’t have to be told twice. The tiny fire crackled softly, heating her wind-chilled face gently as Sable’s warmth enveloped her. She had never been so exhausted, but before she could think about how good it was to be in Sable’s arms once more, she was asleep.
Sable watched her face as she slowly relaxed. Mountains of fear and stress melted away, revealing the sweet, care-free face he realized that he had always loved. He leaned down and gently kissed her forehead, chuckling when her brow furrowed momentarily. He moved his hand down to rest on her belly, wishing for the millionth time that the thought of marrying her didn’t send her running for the hills. Olivia looked good with his baby inside her, and he planned on making this a common thing.
The fire dwindled until it was reduced to red-hot embers scattered around the bo
ttom of the fireplace. Sable watched the embers pulsate with the flow of air, glowing and fading rhythmically, as if they had their own heartbeat. He was thinking that he should head outside to collect more wood when his eyes started drooping. No longer riding the adrenaline high of the past few days, Sable drifted off to sleep beside Olivia, his arms still wrapped protectively around her and his unborn child.
**
Egan gently shook Sable awake.
“I’m going to make rounds now. I’ll be gone for a while.”
Sable looked around, trying to make sense of his surroundings. All at once he remembered where he was, and why. Relieved that Olivia was still lying safely in his arms, he nodded to Egan.
Olivia stirred in his arms as Egan walked out the door. She blinked several times, an endearing look of confusion on her face while she processed the scene.
“Go back to sleep, Beautiful. The sun isn’t up yet.”
She reached up and touched his face, her delicate finger trailing along his strong jawline.
“I’ve missed you so. I thought I’d never see you again.” A single tear slid down her cheek. The last week had been too much, and Olivia was starting to realize that her stubbornness had a lot to do with that.
Sable leaned down and kissed her gently, his mouth covering hers and derailing her train of thought. His kisses were tender and tentative. He broke away often to look into her eyes, smiling at her before leaning back in for another round of sweet kisses.
Olivia pulled away, her breath becoming heavy as the heat within her grew.
“Sable, I want you. I don’t want to talk, I don’t want to think. I just want to feel you.”
She moved to lie on her back, pulling him on top of her as she kissed him deeply. Unable to deny her, or himself, he returned her kisses hungrily. His hand ran down her body and under her shirt, reaching up to cup one swollen breast in his large hand. He kneaded her supple flesh as they kissed, his mouth covering Olivia’s as she let out tiny little moans of pleasure.
Pulling his shirt over his head, Olivia stroked his broad chest and shoulders. His skin was hot and smooth, deliciously bronzed by hours spent outdoors. Biting her lip and working her hands downward, she grabbed his jeans and worked the zipper down.
She reached her hand into his underwear, pulling out his swelling member and stroking it slowly. Sable used his free hand to push his pants down, freeing himself for her touch. She eagerly grasped him, stroking ever faster, working her fingers across his skin with that magic touch that brought him to the edge.
He pushed her hand away, gently, trying to form coherent thoughts as she continued to stroke him.
“Olivia, wait. I want to go slow.”
Olivia released him, though her face registered her disappointment. She loved nothing more than to drive Sable wild, and she knew exactly what to do. But she couldn’t deny him his sweet request. Desperate as she was to quench the overwhelming ache inside of her, she knew that they wouldn’t have many opportunities to take it slow until this mess was over.
Shifting into a lower gear, Sable slowed his movements down, torturing Olivia with his patience. His fingers teased her flesh as he slowly undressed her. He hovered naked above her, exposed for her hungry eyes, his muscled body tantalizing and torturous while she struggled to hold herself together. She wanted to shove him back. To climb on him and ride him hard until they were both satisfied.
Her frustration grew as Sable dipped his head to lick her nipples one by one. Fingers reached up and threaded through his hair, pulling him closer and eliciting a garbled chuckle from Sable. Face pulled tightly into her chest, he was well aware of her need, and amused that her efforts to speed him up were causing her more delay.
He delighted in the trembling of her long, lanky body. Her curves. Her delicious heat rising up and encircling him. Sable growled low in his throat, pulling away gently.
“Fine, wicked one. We’ll save the love-making for another time.”
She barely had a moment to smile before he pulled her clothes off, nearly ripping them in his haste. The control he had held dissipated with her longing. Kissing her, caressing, pulling her towards him, he slipped inside of her and began rocking her towards the greatest orgasm she’d ever felt. She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him deeper, his hardness filling her and stretching her. The feeling as he took her roughly was at once painful and pleasurable, the urgency of his need driving her maddeningly closer to her climax as she held on for dear life.
When she couldn’t take another moment of his quick thrusts, she let her head fall back and let out a scream, stifling it with a desperate moan as the heat continued to build while she climaxed. Sable didn’t relent, riding her through the waves of pleasure and continuing as her nerve endings screamed for him to stop.
She whimpered and moaned, feeling as if she was beyond her threshold. Sable’s breath suddenly quickened and he reached his peak, spilling himself inside her, though he didn’t stop.
Olivia fought to breathe, struggling to inflate her lungs under the constant rhythm of his forceful thrusting. Without warning, she climaxed again, giant wave after wave of pleasure crashing through her and drowning her in ecstasy. Sable felt her quiver around him and knew that he’d given her more than she’d asked for, and exactly what she needed.
He slowed down, smiling as she trembled as the waves grew further and further apart. Spent and satisfied, he laid down beside her and pulled her into his arms. Her skin was slick and radiant, her satisfaction displayed like a medal on her sweet face. She opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn’t catch her breath. Sable smiled and brushed the now brown hair out of her face.
“The first thing we’re doing when we figure our way out of this mess is getting that flaming hair of yours back. Even brown-eyed and mousy, you’re the little firecracker I’ve always loved.”
Sable stopped, not intending to declare his feelings so boldly, especially not while they were both basking in the glow of amazing sex. Olivia saw his expression change and felt awful for all she’d put him through. Here was a man who loved only her, and yet she had treated him like a leper. He deserved better from her. He deserved better than her.
Hiding the pain she knew was evident on her face, she buried her head into his chest and closed her eyes. She allowed the darkness to swallow her, to take her to a place where she didn’t have to think of the mess she’d created. Where she wasn’t the stubborn woman who refused to admit the truth and instead fought the inevitable. She loved Sable with all her heart and soul, and she wanted no other man. The only thing she had to do to save their lives was agree to marry him. Even she couldn’t explain to herself why that was so hard.
Her brow furrowed and her eyes fluttered as the last of her thoughts got swallowed by exhaustion. Sable moved out from under her, hastily getting dressed in case Egan came back. He dressed Olivia, smiling down at her as she briefly roused from sleep to help him slip her shirt over her head before fading into slumber once more. If it took him the rest of his life, he would convince her to marry him. He couldn’t live his life without her.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The sun was rising gently through the trees when Olivia woke up a short while later. Sable was sitting near the window, watching out the window, his hands working nervously on his leg while he scanned the tree line.
He heard Olivia stir and moved one finger to his lips to signal her to be silent. She nodded, pulling her pants and shoes on quickly and gathering her things. Sable was tense, and Olivia had no doubt that they’d already been found, though she couldn’t figure out how. With any luck, they could sneak out the back and she could ride Sable the few miles to Canada without getting caught. Or I could just marry him and end this all.
Olivia moved quietly to crouch beside Sable, trying to peek through the other side of the window frame to see what was going on. A tiny voice echoed through the woods, the screams hushed. But Olivia knew immediately who it was, and her blood ran cold as she realized in an instant how t
hey’d been found.
“Grace!”
Sable covered her mouth, quieting her screams.
“Be quiet. I’ll take care of this.”
“Where is Egan?” Olivia whispered.
“I don’t know. He hasn’t returned yet. Maybe they have him, maybe he’s still on patrol. I can’t tell you. For now, it’s just us against them.”
The leaves moved violently as Grace was shoved into the tiny clearing in front of the cabin. From the shadows, Laskin emerged, his gun trained on the back of Grace’s head.
“Sable! Bring her to me!” he bellowed loudly, sending birds scattering from the trees and into the air.
“Oh my God, Sable! This is all my fault. I’m so sorry.”
He shook his head, trying to reassure her that none of this was her fault, but tears spilled over her cheeks as Grace lay on the forest floor, too exhausted to fight the binding on her hands and feet to attempt to stand up.
“Coward! Come out of hiding and face me like a man!”
Sable stepped out towards the door, pushing Olivia’s hands away as she tried to hold him back.
“Stay here.”
He slid out the partially opened door and shut it firmly behind him. He eyed Laskin, surprised that the weasel had suddenly grown a backbone. He listened for Egan, hoping that his brother was lying somewhere in wait to help Sable in battle and not captured. Or worse. There was no sign of him, so Sable addressed Laskin.
“Where are the elders? Surely, they didn’t send the keeper of the tablet on such an important mission.”
Laskin’s face colored an angry red. Furious, he kicked Grace, her body flying a few feet before it thudded to the ground. She groaned but didn’t get up.
“I’ll marry him, just please don’t hurt my friend!”
Sable turned towards the cabin, shocked as Olivia struggled to pull open the heavy door while she screamed from the other side. “I’ll marry him, I promise. I’ll do it today.”
Finally, the door lurched inward and she stepped into the doorway.
