White River Wolves
Sable’s Fire
Dawn Sullivan
Contents
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
A Note from the Author
About the Author
Other books by Dawn Sullivan
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by means mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission from the author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events or persons, living or dead are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names or featured names are assumed to be the property of their respective owners and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement of any of these terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or in part, mechanically or electronically, constitutes a copyright violation. Published in the United States of America in June 2018; Copyright 2018 by Dawn Sullivan. The right of the Author’s Name to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by them in accordance with The Copyright, Designs and Patent Act of 1988.
Published by Dawn Sullivan
Cover Design: Dana Leah with Designs by Dana
Photographer: Robin’s Clicks
Model: Kathryn Ann
Copyright 2018 © Author Dawn Sullivan
Language: English
For Polly. Thank you for all of your continued support, and for introducing me to your daughter, who is the perfect Sable.
1
“Come on, Sable. This will be fun,” Aiden teased, slipping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close, his voice full of laughter. “It will be just like the old days.”
Raising an eyebrow, she pulled slightly away from him as she asked, “You mean like last week, when you took me to a bar, and then expected me to find my own way home while you left with a hot piece of ass you found to warm your bed that night?” She was still pissed at him for it. At least the bastard left her his truck so she didn’t have to call a cab.
“Damn, Aiden,” River’s voice slipped into the ear coms they wore, “you sure know how to treat a lady.”
Aiden chuckled softly as he opened the door to the Blue Moon Bar, letting his arm slide down so his hand rested on the small of her back. “I was just helping the little kitty to her car. But, when we got there, I realized she was too drunk to drive.”
“So, you had to take her home,” Sable said dryly, moving away from him when he tried to slip his arm around her waist. “Tell me, Aiden, how was she supposedly so drunk when she is a shifter? She would have had to drink a shit ton of alcohol, and all I remember seeing her sip on was one glass of wine, that she didn’t even finish.”
“Wait. Let’s go back to the kitty part,” Trigger interrupted, his tone low and interested. “I like kitties. Especially ones with a wild side.”
Sable barely resisted the urge to slam her fist in Aiden’s gut when he replied, “This kitty definitely had claws, Trigger. You would have loved her.”
“Do you have eyes on the target?”
Sable stiffened when her alpha’s voice broke through their light bantering, and her gaze slowly scanned the interior of the packed bar. “Negative, boss.”
“It’s still early,” River muttered. “Cinderella isn’t supposed to be here for another thirty minutes.”
Rolling her eyes at the target’s code name, Sable pasted a smile on her face and slowly walked around the room, finally allowing Aiden to slip an arm around her waist, even though she didn’t want to.
“That’s if the information we got is correct, or if she even decides to make an appearance,” Trigger grunted, his breathing slow and easy through the coms. He was good at his job, as was the rest of the team, but Trigger seemed to have more patience than most. Sable thought that was probably from the years he spent in the military, years that he never talked about. He kept his secrets from the past to himself, and hid behind an arrogant exterior. He was a pain in the ass, but was also one of the first people she would want on her side in a fight. Yes, he had secrets, but so did she. She wasn’t going to hold that against the man.
“She’ll show,” Aiden said confidently, sending Sable a cocky grin.
“How do you know?” Charlotte asked.
“Because, she will be too afraid not to. When her fiancé tells someone to do something, they do it. He doesn’t tell them twice.” Sable nodded, knowing it was the truth. They’d gotten word earlier in the day that he’d told Cinderella to be at the Blue Moon Bar by 7 p.m., even going into detail regarding what she was to wear. There was no doubt in Sable’s mind that their target would be there, and she would probably be early just to avoid pissing the bastard off.
“I will never let a man control me like that,” Charlotte vowed darkly.
“Me neither,” Sable agreed. “I’ll cut his balls off and feed them to him first.”
Aiden cringed, glancing down at her. “That’s a little bloodthirsty, don’t you think?”
“Just don’t piss me off,” she said, crossing the room to a table by the far wall, and sliding up into the high bar stool next to it. Leaning back against the wall, she scanned the room again, unaware that she was tapping the table with her fingernails in agitation.
Sable flinched when Aiden took the seat across from her, and reached across the table to cover her hand with his. Clenching her teeth together, she forced herself to keep her hand where it was, even though everything in her told her to snatch it away fast.
She was being stupid, and she knew it, but the way Aiden had been treating her lately just plain sucked. He was her best friend, the one she went with to almost everything, but his attitude toward her had changed in the past few weeks. Ever since his brother found his mate, it felt like Aiden was pushing her away for some reason. He started spending less time with her, and more time either at the gym, taking on extra shifts for Chase to ensure their compound was safe, or at the bar in town. Before Xavier and Janie got together, Aiden never went to the bar without her. Now, he was there at least a couple times a week, and she sometimes wondered if he went looking for a mate of his own. She hated to admit it, but it fucking hurt.
“So, tell me more about this kitty, Aiden,” Trigger demanded, and Sable had to bite her tongue before she said something she might regret.
“Hey,” Aiden said quietly, squeezing her hand as he leaned over the table closer to her. “What’s wrong?”
Aware that everyone could hear their conversation, Sable tugged her hand from his and looked away. Sliding her fingers roughly through her dark hair, she barely held back a snarl as she replied, “Nothing. Just trying to do my job.”
She saw the confusion in Aiden’s eyes, and knew he scented her lie when he whispered, “Sable? Talk to me.”
Refusing to get into it with him while they were on a mission, Sable shook her head, glancing around the room. When she did, she caught a glimpse of a tall, curvy woman with long, blonde hair walking across the floor toward a hallway with a sign that said restrooms above the doorway. She knew instantly it was the target they were sent to save after all of the pictures she’d studied of her.
“I see Cinderella, Alpha,” Sable said, sliding o
ut of her chair and making her way to the other side of the room, leaving Aiden behind. “She’s going to the bathroom.”
“Follow her.”
“Already on it.”
“A black sedan just pulled up in front of the bar,” Charlotte said calmly. “Two men are getting out, and they are huge. One has a crew cut and tats down both arms. The other is dressed to kill, in a suit.”
“It’s her fiancé,” Chase muttered.
“They are both packing heat, boss, and a lot of it.”
Chase swore darkly, before growling, “Aiden and Sable, get her and get the hell out of there.”
“I’m pulling around back,” Xavier told them. “Hurry up.”
Ignoring the curse Aiden bit out behind her, Sable ran down the hall, grabbing the surprised woman’s arm before she could slip into the bathroom. “I don’t have time to explain who I am right now, Grace, but you need to come with me. And we need to go now!”
Biting her lip, the woman looked down at where Sable held her and whispered, “I’m sorry? You must have the wrong person.”
Sable could smell the fear wafting off Grace, along with the stench of her lie. “I know you are scared, but we may not get another opportunity like this. Grace, please, your fiancé is coming into the bar as we speak. We are here to help you, but you have to come with us now. There isn’t much time.”
Her eyes widening in terror, Grace whispered, “He’s here already?”
“Yes,” Sable said, urging her down the hall toward the back exit.
Grace came to a stop, shaking her head. “I can’t go with you. If Jared finds out, he will hunt you down and kill you. I can’t let that happen.”
“You don’t worry about us, Ma’am,” Aiden said, looking back toward the bar. “This isn’t our first rodeo.”
“No, but if you don’t get moving, it could be your last,” River hissed through the coms.
“They are on their way into the bar,” Charlotte warned softly. “If I have to take them out, I need to do it now.”
“Not necessary,” Sable said, pushing open the back door, and shoving Grace through it. “We’re clear.”
A black SUV sat at the end of the alley, and taking Grace by the elbow, Sable quickly guided her to it, opening the door. “Get in.” Not waiting for a response, she nudged the woman inside, jumping in behind her. Once Aiden rounded the vehicle and got in on the other side, Xavier stepped on the gas pedal and they took off.
“All clear,” Charlotte said quietly. “We will meet you back at the plane.”
“Who are you?” Grace whispered, her gaze going from Sable to Aiden, and then to the men in the front of the vehicle.
Chase looked back at her and gave her a small smile. “Your saviors, Miss Carmichael. We were contacted by the council and asked to remove you from an abusive situation.”
“The Council?” she whispered, her eyes growing wide. “How did they know?” Her brow furrowing, she answered her own question before he could. “My brother.”
“He did it out of love,” Sable said softly, patting Grace’s hand lightly with her own. “So that you could have the chance at a life he never got.”
Her eyes glittering with tears, Grace begged, “Can you save him, too? I know he got tied up in Jared’s business, but Mathew really is a good man.”
Sable shook her head sadly, hating the reply she had to give her. “I’m sorry, Grace, but when the council sent someone to his home to extract him, they were too late. Someone must have found out that he contacted them.”
“No!” Grace rasped, her eyes filling with tears that escaped, falling down her cheeks. “Please, no!”
Sable slipped an arm around Grace’s shoulders, pulling her close, wishing there was something she could say or do to make her feel better. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, knowing they were just empty words. “We are taking you to the council now, and they will place you somewhere safe. Somewhere you will be happy.”
“How can I be happy if I’m alone?” Grace whispered, grasping Sable’s hand tightly.
Sable kept quiet, knowing there was nothing she could say that would help soothe the woman now. She’d just lost her brother, the only family she had, along with her life as she knew it. All because of a dark, dangerous bear shifter who ran the large city she lived in, who demanded she mate with him even though they were not fated mates.
Glancing over at Aiden, Sable sighed. Fate was a fickle bitch, deciding who belonged to whom. As much as she wanted Aiden to be hers, she knew he wasn’t, and she needed to come to terms with that. He was her best friend, and a part of her would always love him, but he would never be hers.
2
Daxton Dreher pulled up in front of the large cottage-style home, sighing as he put his truck into park and leaned his head back against the seat. He was finally home. He’d been gone for ten years, with little to no communication with his family, and he missed them terribly. Serving as a warrior for his king was one of the most exciting things he had ever done in his forty-five years of life, but he was glad it was over.
Swinging open his door, Dax slid out of the vehicle and raised his arms to stretch. He’d driven over fifteen hours straight just so that he could get home today. It was his little sisters’ birthday, and he couldn’t wait to see the surprise in their eyes when they saw him. He had always been close with both Raven and Rubi. They were eighteen years younger than him, and had followed him everywhere as children, and he let them. He took them to the movies with him, the library, and even to his warrior training sessions with his friends. He was the one who taught them both how to shift when they struggled with it at a young age, and also taught them the importance of not doing it in front of humans. The three of them were inseparable, until he left to serve the king. He would have stayed home if he could have, but he wasn’t given a choice. When the king of the dragons demanded your presence, you went. No questions asked. All dragon warriors were required to serve under royalty for a five year period. When it was requested of Dax, he stayed on another five years. Thank fuck a third request never came. He would have had to figure out how to tell his king no, which was never recommended.
When the front door of the house slammed open, and his sister, Rubi, stormed out dressed in tight, black leather pants, a dark red shirt covered in a black leather jacket, and sporting a Glock at her waist and knives in her boots, he raised his eyes and drawled, “Hey, sprite, what kind of war are we fighting today?”
Rubi froze, and then squeaked his name before closing the distance between them and launching herself into his arms. “Dax, oh God, I’m so glad you’re home! I wanted to call you so many times, but they wouldn’t let me. They refused to tell me how to get a hold of you.”
She had to be talking about his parents. They were the only ones who were given a way to contact him when he left. The king thought it was best if his warriors had little to no communication with family while working for him. He wanted their focus on the well-being of him and his family, not their own. Frowning in confusion, Dax slowly pushed her back from him, clasping her arms gently as he asked, “Rubi, talk to me, sweetheart. What’s wrong?”
She raised her head, looking up at him with bright amber eyes full of pain and sorrow. “She’s gone, Dax. And no matter how hard I try, I can’t find her anywhere.”
“Who’s gone?”
“Raven,” his mother said roughly from the doorway. “She was taken from us over a year ago, Dax. Stolen in the middle of the night.”
His eyes flew from Rubi to his mother, anger rising in him as he growled, “Who took her, Mother?”
“We don’t know,” Rubi whispered, tears streaming down her face. “But, I have my suspicions.”
“Rubi, no!”
Yanking her arms from Dax, Rubi turned to glower at their mother, resting her hands on her hips as she snarled, “I refuse to keep quiet any longer, Mother! You and Dad can hide in that damn house, praying Raven somehow miraculously returns, but I’m done! She’s my sister! Can yo
u imagine what she is going through, wherever she is? She probably thinks we have abandoned her.” Turning, snapping dark amber eyes his way, she growled, “I’m finding her, Dax. Are you in?”
“Raven is gone, Rubi,” his father said, appearing behind his mother. “You need to let this go. You are only making your mom suffer more.”
“Bullshit,” Rubi snapped.
“Wait,” Dax said, holding up a hand for silence. Looking between his parents and Rubi, he asked, “I don’t understand. Raven was kidnapped, but you don’t want us to look for her? Why?”
“Because,” Rubi growled, claws emerging from her fingers as she glared at their parents, “they were a part of it, Dax. They sold her to someone, I just can’t figure out who.”
“What the fuck,” he snarled, his own claws lengthening and his fangs punching through his gums as he slowly began to stalk toward his mother and father, stopping just in front of them. “What is she talking about?”
“Who the hell knows?” his father snarled. “She’s delusional, son. Has been since Raven was taken.”
Dax scented the acrid smell of his father’s lies, and ignoring his mother’s whispered pleas, he wrapped his hand around the bastard’s throat and slammed him up against the side of the house. “You sold my sister?”
“Dax, we didn’t have a choice,” his mother cried.
Dax turned his fury on his mother, his lips pealing back from his teeth as he snarled, “There is always a choice, Mother. You made the wrong one.”
“Philip Perez is not someone you deny, Dax,” his father said, his own fangs lengthening as he clawed at Dax’s hand. “If you do, your entire family ends up dead.”
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