by Jade White
She ran to the car and jumped in, dialing Grace’s number one last time in desperation. On the fourth ring, the phone was answered. Olivia felt relief flood through her.
“Grace, oh my gosh, are you okay?”
“Grace can’t come to the phone right now. She’s busy at the moment.” The male voice was smooth but somehow the words sent a chill down her spine. She dialed again, but her call went straight to voicemail. Whoever had Grace had turned off the phone.
Turning the engine over and peeling out of the spot, Olivia raced home. Not trusting herself to dial and drive, she sped down the highway and got home in record time.
**
She pulled into the driveway and threw the car into park. Halfway to the side door, she started yelling Sable’s name. Sable heard Olivia’s frantic voice before he realized she was screaming his name. He rushed to the door, meeting her on the porch. Sobbing and breathless, Olivia threw herself into his arms. He pulled her to him and held her tight. Soothing words passed over her unheeded as he struggled to calm her.
Olivia gasped, choking on a deep breath, and looked up at Sable. “Sable. They got her. Someone has Grace. I called her phone and a man answered. He said she was busy and hung up on me, but I could hear her in the background, crying. Sable, she’s in trouble and it’s all my fault.”
“Shh. Shh. Olivia, we’ll fix it. Did you hear anything else? Did he sound familiar?”
“No. I don’t know who he was but something about his voice and the way he talked. Sable, I don’t know how long he’s going to keep her alive.”
Sable placed a hand on each of her shoulders, setting her back so he could look into her eyes. “Listen to me, Olivia. They took Grace for a reason, and that reason is me. Well, us. All of us. They’re not going to hurt Grace until they have us. As long as we’re not all in the same place, Grace will be safe. I’ll go get her and I’ll bring her back.”
“I want to go with you.”
“No, Olivia. You have to stay here and take care of our son.” Sable looked over his shoulder to make sure young Morgan hadn’t snuck into the kitchen to eavesdrop. “If anyone gets ahold of him, they win, Olivia.”
“And how will I protect him? I’m a human. I’m not as strong or as fast. I don’t even know how to shoot a gun. Wouldn’t it make more sense to leave Egan here with him? If anyone shows up, then Egan can protect Morgan, or they can run. If I’m here, I’ll just slow them down.”
She looked Sable straight in the eye, daring him to challenge her on this. “Having me here with Morgan is a bad idea. If they get us both, they’ll have you without a fight. If Egan is trying to protect us both, he’ll be distracted. Sable, you know I’m right. Please, let me come with you.”
Sable opened his mouth to protest, then closed it and groaned. “You’re right.” He led her to the table and sat down, pulling a notepad and a pen from the center and motioning to the chair with his head. “Tell me everything he said, and everything you found out. Do you know how far she made it out of Florida?”
“She never boarded the first flight.”
“I thought she called you and told you she was boarding?”
“No. She texted me. She texted me again before the flight to Vancouver. Well, I thought it was her, but now I know it was him.” She slid the phone to him and Sable wrote down all the messages and their time stamps.
Footsteps sounded on the staircase, too heavy to be Morgan’s. “What’s going on, Sable?”
Sable filled Egan in on what had happened. Like Olivia, he immediately wanted to go, but Sable explained that he would need to protect Morgan. Egan started to protest, but Sable held up his hand. “Egan, Morgan needs you to protect him. And we can’t all be together. Olivia can’t protect him the way you can, and Grace needs us.”
Egan nodded, his displeasure evident, but he knew his brother was right. “What can I do to help?”
“For now, we need to pack a “go bag” with cash and a few supplies. I need to call a few friends and get a few things lined up so we can get back home under the radar. Where’s Morgan?”
“When I heard the car squeal into the driveway, I knew something was up. So I hooked him up with a kiddie movie and some headphones. When will you leave?”
“Tonight, in an hour. We have a long way to go on foot before we can get on a plane. Even under assumed names, a direct flight from Vancouver would be too obvious.”
“That makes sense. I’ll pack the bag while you two get ready.” Without another word, he turned, jogging up the stairs to the wall-safe in the second floor office.
“He’s still mad at you, Sable.” Olivia stood and wrapped her arms around his neck, looking over his shoulder to see all he’d written down.
“I’m not really happy about taking you either, but it’s the right thing to do. We can’t risk Morgan and I can’t lose you. This is the only way to save Grace and protect my family.”
She kissed his cheek and rested her head against his. “I know how you feel, and I understand. Thank you for saving my friend and protecting our family.”
Little footsteps hurried down the stairs, and Olivia turned to greet her child. “Mommy, you're home! Where’s Grace?”
Olivia ruffled his hair. “Some people got Grace, but daddy and I are going to fix it. You and Uncle Egan are going to stay here and protect our home so we can bring Grace back here, safely.”
Morgan nodded, his little face solemn. “We won’t let you down, Mommy.”
She cupped his cheek. “I know you won’t.” She pulled him in for a hug and kiss, laughing when he wiped her lipstick off his cheek dramatically. “Now let’s make dinner so Daddy and I can get going.”
CHAPTER 13
The night was dark as Sable and Olivia crept along in the shadows towards the forest beyond their property. They’d kept their goodbyes short, not wanting Morgan to realize how dangerous their journey was going to be. Sable had called his contact in Seattle, who would meet them in Okanogan and fly them the short distance to Las Vegas. Once there, they would take a commuter plane under assumed names to Atlanta and drive the rest of the way in.
It wasn’t the most direct route. The elders had known that Sable and his family had fled to Canada; whether that information died with them was anyone’s guess. Canada was a big country but it wouldn’t take much to figure out they were right on the Washington border if they flew in directly.
Sable had their heavy pack slung over one shoulder, Olivia close on his heels. They slipped through the gate and closed it behind them, jogging down the familiar path in the dark until they were completely surrounded by the trees.
Confident they couldn’t be seen, Sable set the pack down and stepped away from Olivia. He shifted quickly, groaning quietly as his muscles ached under the extra strain. In the dark, Olivia could only watch his shadow grow as he moved from his human body into the tiger she’d come to love. She pulled the heavy rucksack onto her shoulders, fastening the clips on her stomach and struggling under the weight of the thing. Everything they needed for the next two days was in the sack, including a large amount of American currency to buy supplies once they got settled.
She moved carefully in the dark, putting her hands out to test the air when she got closer to the shadowed mass that was Sable. He made a low noise, and Olivia was sure he was laughing at her.
“Not everyone can see in the dark, but it’s alright. You laugh it up now, Tiger Boy.”
Sable nudged her gently, and she scratched behind his ears quickly before clambering onto his back. She slid into the slight dip in his back, finding her center before giving him a tiny squeeze to signal her readiness. Like a shot, Sable took off into the darkness, the path visible like daylight in front of him. Olivia squeezed her eyes shut and hunkered down into his hide. They had about 100 miles to cover before they reached their destination, and the ride was far from luxurious. She had to admit, though, that it was much better than when she’d been carrying Morgan. That ride had been pure hell.
She wrapped her arms g
ently over his neck and relaxed into his movements. From the moment she’d realized Grace was in trouble, she’d been running on adrenaline. The next few days were going to be rough, but for now, it was just her and her tiger. She let the sound of his padded feet striking the soft ground soothe her heart. Things were scary right now, but here, atop his massive body, she knew they would succeed. With Sable by her side, she had nothing to fear.
They hadn’t been running long when Sable stopped suddenly and ducked into a dense stand of trees. He crouched down, head turned slightly to the right. Within moments, a four-wheeler came down the trail, headlights bouncing as the driver guided it over the terrain. Another vehicle followed closely behind it, the two men scanning the surrounding area slowly as they passed.
Olivia held her breath as they waited for the border guard to pass. This section of the border wasn’t heavily guarded, with a simple sign posted to warn people in the forest they were about to enter another country on each side. Both countries had a small group of border guards patrolling the forest sporadically since this area wasn’t prone to illegal crossings. This section was difficult to access from the Washington side, and not heavily travelled from the Canadian side. Olivia doubted they would see another human being besides these two before they reached their destination.
The two men stopped beside each other, turning their engines off briefly so they could speak.
“I swear I heard something but I guess not.”
The other man shrugged. “I don’t see anything and I don’t hear anything. Hopefully it’s not a bear.”
The first man looked around as if the thought of a bear had never occurred to him. With one last look, the two started their engines and headed down the trail that Sable and Olivia had just been on. After waiting for a few moments, Sable left the stand of trees and continued the way he was going, slowly at first, then picking up speed once the sound of the four-wheelers faded in the distance.
Settling in once more, Olivia turned her head to keep the cold wind off her face. Her eyes watered and her nose was cold, even with her head turned. One thing was for sure, she wouldn’t miss the Northwest’s chilly autumn while they were in Florida. She shivered a little, wishing they were already in the Florida sunshine.
Her mind wandered, day-dreaming about lazy days on the beach with Grace, and how warm the sand had felt underneath her as she’d laid out in her string bikini. But the memory was bittersweet, forcing Olivia to face the reality of their current situation. Sunshiny paradise or not, they weren’t going for vacation. Grace was in trouble, and the sooner they could get her out of Florida and away from the violence she’d already suffered, the better.
**
Olivia was sore and tired, and chilled to the bone when Sable finally slowed down and began walking. Sitting up, she looked around in the dark, but nothing that she could make out looked even remotely familiar. Sable walked steadily, his sides heaving slightly with each breath as he recovered from the long run. He pushed through the trees and into an empty field beyond the forest, standing to look around before they went on.
The weak light from the waning moon only illuminated part of the area, but Olivia knew exactly where they were. The old barn still stood in the distance, in the dark appearing even more rickety than it had five years before. Sliding down to stand beside him, Olivia let the heavy pack fall off her shoulders and onto the ground. She heard Sable groan beside her as he shifted. He was exhausted and struggled to shift after such a long run.
Olivia rummaged in the bag and pulled out a clean set of clothes for him. When he finally shifted, he stood beside her.The pale moonlight caressed his skin, begging Olivia to touch its smoothness. She ran her finger down his chest and over his abdomen before he grabbed her hand and stopped her.
“Not now, woman.”
Olivia sighed and handed him his clothes. He was right, now wasn’t the time.
“After riding you for more than an hour like that, can you really blame a girl for trying?”
He pulled his shirt over his head and leaned in to kiss her passionately. “I don’t blame you, but I don’t think you want Derek over there watching us.”
Olivia looked behind her, startled to see a dark figure emerging from the other side of the sloping hill in the distance. Sable hurried to get dressed as the man emerged from the shadows.
“Never imagined I’d catch you with your pants down around a woman, Sable.” The man laughed and clapped him on the back.
“Derek, I’d like you to meet Olivia, Olivia this is an old friend of mine, Derek.”
“I’d like to say I’ve heard so much about you but Sable called me out of the blue this afternoon after not hearing from him for five years.”
Olivia smiled at him, realizing too late he probably couldn’t see the expression in the dark.
“Thank you so much for meeting us. You have no idea how grateful we are.”
Derek nodded, scooping the ruck sack up and tossing it over his shoulder. Sable started to protest but Derek cut him off. “Even in the dark, you look like hell. I have a feeling you’re in for a rough ride, let me carry the damn pack.”
“Thank you, Derek. For everything.”
Sable grabbed Olivia’s hand and walked beside her and Derek. When they reached the top of the hill, Olivia was surprised to see a small plane, rather than a car. She paused briefly, subconsciously tugging on Sable’s hand when she did.
The plane was tiny, even in the near dark. It sat silently at the edge of the field, and Olivia realized Derek meant for them to get in the thing.
“Don’t worry, honey. The Corvallis is a big plane in a little body, it’ll get you were you need to be.” Derek chuckled, walking quickly towards the plane, leaving the pair to follow him or be left behind.
“Sable, I can’t get on that thing. That’s not a plane, it’s a toy.”
“I heard that,” Derek hollered over his shoulder, his light-hearted laugh echoing in the empty field.
“It’s going to be okay. Derek is an excellent pilot and a good friend. He’ll get us to Vegas in one piece, then we can get on a commercial liner.”
“How far is Vegas?”
“Just under 1,100 miles.”
“And how fast does that thing go?”
“It’s going to be about four hours, but they’ll fly by, I promise.” He tugged Olivia’s hand and started walking towards the plane. “I can’t run forever, and we can’t leave get on a commercial flight from here. We’ll be too easy to track.”
Olivia sighed and gave up the fight. It was only four hours, what could possibly go wrong?
**
Egan tossed and turned in the bed, his naked body glistening with sweat as he fought his dreams. He knew he was dreaming yet he couldn’t break away from the images that ran through his head.
Egan stood outside, laying on the ground and peering into the basement window. The young woman sat at the table, playing solitaire lazily while sitting in front of a bolted door. He watched her for a while as she absently wound her hair around her delicate finger.
The scene melted away, and the gorgeous brunette writhed beneath him as they climaxed as one. She screamed his name and buried her face in his shoulder, her arms tightening around his neck as she desperately clung to him. Exhausted and spent, Egan rolled off her and pulled her into his arms.
She closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest, listening to his heart pound against his ribcage. Egan stroked her should-length, chocolate hair. The straight, thick strands pulled on his fingers as he caressed her. She drifted into a deep sleep, melting into him and leading him into the next scene in his dream.
He was running through the halls in a house he didn’t recognize, searching frantically for her as gunfire erupted behind him. He was screaming her name, but he remained silent. He found her, huddled in a fireplace, trembling with fear. He reached for her, begging her to hurry as the fire fight moved closer to them. She looked at him, the fear in her eyes growing. She shook her head no,
pushing him away with tiny fists and kicking at him.
Frantic and frustrated, he grabbed her ankle and yanked her out of the fireplace. She fought him still, making it hard to hold onto her. He threw her over his shoulder and ran out the back of the house, running into the woods as the entire structure exploded. He was knocked to the ground. She fell and struck her head on a rock, knocking her out. Egan shook her, yelling at her to wake up, even though he couldn’t hear his own voice over the ringing in his ears. He picked her up and carried her further into the woods, her body limp as he ran with her held close to his chest.
Egan sat up in bed, covered in sweat. He swept the pillows off his bed angrily and jumped out of bed. He was so tired of this dream. He couldn’t see where they were, and he never heard her name. How was he supposed to find his fated mate if he didn’t know where to look? Even then, what could he do? They were supposed to be in hiding, not that it had mattered at all to Sable and Olivia when they needed to leave to save a friend.
Egan was frustrated, to say the least. He understood why they needed to split up, and he knew that being with Morgan was the smartest thing to do. But when they got back, would they help him find his mate? He doubted it. The pull he felt was overwhelming. The need to be with her now was setting his soul on fire. He felt hot all the time, like a feverish man on the verge of death. He felt her soul, calling to him.
He moved to the shower, desperate to wash the dream away and tamp down the fire within him. The cold spray was a welcomed relief, though he knew it would be short-lived. Every day he fought fate, it got harder and harder to win. He’d been hiding this from his brother for almost a year. He couldn’t take it any more, and the relief he felt in the moment wouldn’t hold him over long. He had to find her. More than ever, he knew he could no longer wait. And he was certain she was in Florida.
Turning off the water and grabbing a towel, he couldn’t put off the inevitable. He wrapped the towel around his waist and turned on his tablet. Without pausing to think about it, he opened the multi-airline search engine, looking for a flight leaving first thing in the morning. The only one he could find didn’t leave until a little later in the morning, with a long layover in Calgary.
