Raven covered Doc Josie’s hand with hers. “I agree.”
Saying her goodbyes, Raven left the doctor’s office and walked down the hall, turning to the left and walking down another one. Stopping in the doorway of the room where Rikki lay, she hesitated before making her way to the bed. She stared at the beautiful woman for a moment, then reached out to slowly run a hand down her long, black hair. “Hey, Rikki,” she whispered softly. “My name’s Raven. I’ve heard so much about you from my mate, Jaxson.” She watched closely, but there was no reaction, not that she expected one. The woman lay motionless, except for the slight movement of her chest with each breath she took.
Moving a chair over near the bed, Raven sat down and slipped her hand in the other woman’s, squeezing it gently. “I’ve been told that you are in a healing sleep right now, and that you could wake up at any time. I really hope that’s true, Rikki, because you are very missed here.” Rubbing a hand over Rikki’s arm, knowing contact was important for a shifter, she went on, “I haven’t been with the White River Wolves for very long. I actually just came here a few weeks ago, after RARE and Chase’s team of wolves saved me from the General. I’d been his captive for the past year.” Raven’s eyes widened in shock when a small sound of distress left Rikki’s lips and the hand in hers clenched and unclenched, before grasping her hand tightly. “It’s okay, Rikki,” she rushed to reassure the other woman who was moving around in agitation. “You’re going to be okay.”
Reaching over, Raven pushed the red alert button by the bed hoping to get one of the nurse’s attention, pushing it again several times when there was no answer.
“Raven, what is it?” Doc Josie asked, rushing into the room, Jade right behind her.
“I think I upset her, Doc. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to.”
The doctor froze, her gaze on where Rikki was clutching tightly to Raven’s hand. Rikki made another sound of distress, and Josie ordered, “Jade, get Angel. Now.”
“I already let her know what’s going on, but I’ll go make sure she’s coming.”
When Jade ran from the room, Raven cried, “I really am sorry!”
Doc Josie grinned, shaking her head in excitement. “Raven, I don’t know what the hell you did, but keep it going.”
“What?”
“She hasn’t moved in months. Nothing.”
Raven sat in shocked silence for a moment, unsure what to say. When Rikki moaned, her eyebrows furrowing as if she were in pain, Raven rose and ran a hand over her brow. “I was just talking to her.”
“What about?” Angel demanded, as she breezed into the room, the entire RARE team on her heels.
“I… I…” Raven was so flustered, she didn’t know what to say. Her eyes went to Jaxson imploringly, and then Rikki let out another moan, squeezing her hand so hard Raven gasped.
“Are you okay?” Jaxson demanded, crossing the room and reaching for her hand, as if to pull it away from Rikki’s.
“No!” Doc Josie snapped, grabbing his arm. “I haven’t seen Rikki do anything like this in a long time. Don’t interrupt.”
“But she’s hurting my mate,” Jaxson snarled, his gaze going from Raven to Rikki, uncertainty on his face.
Rikki whimpered, and began thrashing her head back and forth on the pillow. “No!” she mumbled, her breathing becoming labored. “No!”
“Raven, this is very important. What were you talking to her about?” Doc Josie asked.
“Nothing,” Raven whispered, tears filling her eyes as she looked down at Rikki. “I just wanted to meet her. I told her I was Jaxson’s mate, and that…” Her voice trailed off as her eyes widened in comprehension. “Oh!” Leaning in close, Raven gently stroked Rikki’s hair as she told her, “Rikki, I promise you, I’m all right now. I’m here… with Jaxson and the rest of RARE. I’m a part of the White River Wolves pack. I’m safe. No harm will come to me ever again.”
Slowly, Rikki’s struggling began to subside, her grip on Raven’s hand loosening, but not breaking away. Raven kept running a hand over the other woman’s hair until she was sure Rikki was calm, and then she slowly straightened and looked at the others in the room. “I told her you saved me from the General. That must have been what triggered her reaction. I didn’t realize, or I never would have said anything.”
“I, for one, am glad you did,” the doctor said, a wide grin on her face. “And, I think you need to sit back down and tell her the rest of your story. It’s one she needs to hear.”
Raven bit her lip nervously, then asked, “Are you sure? I don’t want to upset her anymore.”
“Raven, if you can get that kind of reaction out of our girl, you tell her whatever the hell you want,” Angel said, her eyes wet with unshed tears. “Please.”
Nodding slowly, Raven sat back down in the chair, her eyes going to Jaxson. “Okay, if you are sure.”
“Positive,” Angel said, crossing the room to give her a quick hug, before leaving, wiping her eyes on the way out.
Jaxson leaned down and kissed her softly. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being you.”
When Jaxson walked into his apartment three hours later, he stopped in surprise at the sight that greeted him. His heart began to pound as he followed the trail of deep red rose petals from the front door back to the bedroom, remembering what happed the last time they had roses in their room. His cock became instantly hard, and he reached down to rearrange himself in his jeans.
“Raven?” He said her name as he pushed open the bedroom door, inhaling her scent mixed with the roses deeply, a low growl slipping free. He wanted her. He always wanted her. Then, his nose twitched slightly when he noticed a subtle change in his mate’s scent, and he frowned in confusion.
“You’re home,” Raven whispered, turning from where she was staring out the window. She was a vision of beauty, in a long, silky light blue nightgown, her hair in waves down her back, her amber eyes wide as they watched him. A soft smile crossed her lips as she held out a hand to him. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
Jaxson slowly crossed the room to her, taking her hand in his as his gaze raked over her from head to foot. “You are so beautiful, baby.” Breathing in her scent again, he paused, “Something’s off.”
Raven’s face lit up in a breath-taking smile, and she placed his hand on her stomach. “No, my love, everything is perfect.”
“What?”
“I began to suspect a week or so ago that we were going to be adding to our family,” she said, ducking her head shyly. “The doctor confirmed it today. I hope it makes you as happy as it makes me.”
Jaxson caught his breath, then dropped to his knees, breathing in deeply. “Raven,” he managed to choke out. “My sweet Raven.”
Sliding her fingers in his hair, she smiled through the tears he could see gathered in her eyes. “After everything that was done to me, I didn’t know if it was possible for me to have children. I am so blessed.”
“We are blessed,” Jaxson rasped, laying his head against her stomach. His own eyes misted over with tears as he thought about the life forming inside her right now. He had no idea how the hell he had gotten so lucky, but he was going to do everything in his power for the rest of his life to make his woman happy.
“Jaxson,” she whispered, kneeling down so they were face to face. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, my sweet mate.”
24
“You ready?”
Raven glanced over at Jaxson and grinned with excitement. “Yes!” She was about to shift into her dragon for the first time in over a year and she couldn’t wait. She knew it would go a long way toward healing not only what was left of her physical wounds, but also the emotional scars she carried with her everywhere. Even with Jaxson wrapped tightly around her, she still had nightmares almost every night. The General was gone, but Ebony was out there. Even though she’d told Jinx that Raven would be free, a part of Raven was having a hard time believing it.
&nb
sp; “Let’s go!” Jaxson encouraged, laughing. “Show me your beautiful dragon, mate.”
Glancing around to make sure they were alone, Raven grasped the hem of her shirt and slid it up over her head. Her fingers trembled as she removed her shoes and pants. Raven could feel her dragon pushing at her. She wanted out and was tired of waiting.
“You better hurry,” Jaxson growled, “or you aren’t going to make it to the shifting part right now.”
Raven’s eyes met his, and she gasped at the way his gaze raked over her now naked body. She still struggled with the scars that were scattered across her skin, but Jaxson said he loved everything about her, and they were a part of her. They showed the battles she’d gone through and survived. Her skin heated, fire flaring in her, when she remembered the way he’d kissed each one of them just the night before while showing her how beautiful she was to him.
His gaze hot, Jaxson growled her name, “Raven, do you think I’m kidding?” Taking a step toward her, he sliced through his shirt with his claws, quickly ripping it from his body. His hands went to his jeans and she let out a small squeak. “Now, Raven! Shift!”
Closing her eyes, Raven let her dragon take over. It took longer than it used to, but a few minutes later she was standing in front of Jaxson, her red and gold scales laced with orange shining in the bright early morning sun. He stared at her in wonder, then slowly closed the distance between them, reaching out to trace a hand over her neck. Raven blew out a small puff of smoke, rubbing her head against his chest.
“You are so amazing, Raven,” he breathed, stroking his hand over her head. “Just stunning.”
Raven heard the pride in his voice, and her dragon loved it. So did she. She stepped back and spread her wings wide, nearly moaning in pleasure.
“Go, baby. Fly. Let me see what you look like in the air.”
Raven took a step away from him, then another, and then her dragon took over. She was off the ground before she knew it, soaring into the sky. It was exhilarating, flying high above the ground, the wind rushing past her. After spending so long in a cell, caged like an animal, this was what she needed. It would go a long way toward healing her heart and soul.
Raven heard the loud trumpet to another dragon and responded in kind, love flowing through her as Rubi joined her in the air. Soon, Dax was there, too, and it was as if they were dancing with each other. Raven couldn’t remember ever being as happy as she was right at that moment, twirling in the air, looping around her brother and sister as they breathed fire into the sky. The General had come close to ruining her, but now, she had so much to live for.
She heard a loud howl and glanced below to see a large wolf running below them. His multi-colored reddish-brown, grey, and black fur stood out against the green grass, and her heart filled even more as she recognized the eyes staring up at her. Swooping down low, she flew over the top of her mate, racing across the wide-open terrain with him, her heart beating wildly in her chest. She was home. She was finally home.
25
Amber sat on the hard dirt floor, her legs drawn up, arms wrapped loosely around them. Tears left tracks down her filthy cheeks, her body shaking uncontrollably in the cold. Hunger gnawed at her insides, her throat dry and raw. She had been alone for days now with no food or water, and she didn’t know how much longer she was going to survive.
When Ebony took her to the General after finding her with Raven, she’d expected a bullet to the head, which was her sister’s specialty. Either that, or to be given to the scientists to experiment on. Neither of those things had happened. Instead, she was taken to a place she’d never been to before and left alone after the first few weeks. She knew there was the very real possibility that she would die of starvation, or possibly even freeze to death. She wondered which would be the worst way to die. Now, she was wishing she’d eaten a bullet.
Amber tried to lick her swollen lips with her tongue, but it didn’t help. Nothing she did helped.
She heard the laughter before her sister came into view. At first, she thought she was seeing things as an image of Ebony seemed to waver in front of her. Then, she heard, “So, you are still alive. You’re stronger than our useless father thought you were.”
There was a loud click, and then the door to the cage she was trapped in slowly creaked open and Ebony walked inside. Amber stared at the silver tips of her sister’s black boots, but she stayed quiet.
“He’s dead, ya know,” Ebony drawled, walking over to squat down in front of her. “I’m in charge now, little sister.”
Dread filled her at Ebony’s revelation. She was at her sister’s mercy. She was afraid that was much worse than her father’s.
Ebony lips lifted into an evil smirk. “You know what that means, Amber?” Standing, she began to slowly pace around the confines of the cage. “That means, I get to do whatever the hell I want with you. And you know what I’ve decided?”
Amber lifted her head, her gaze locking with her sister’s, staying silent. No, she didn’t know what Ebony had decided, but she knew she was about to find out.
“You have such a soft heart for all those fucking animals you try to save, I’m going to show you what it’s like to live like one.”
Amber stiffened, but otherwise didn’t react to her sister’s comment. Fear raced through her, but she refused to let it show.
“Get her out of here,” Ebony spat, motioning to someone behind her. “I want her taken to the facility in southern Florida.”
Amber couldn’t hold back the small cry that left her lips when she was yanked to her feet and shoved out of the cell. She fell to her hands and knees, then tried to struggle back to her feet, but was too weak. One of the other men lifted her, throwing her over his shoulder. “What are we telling them?”
“I will call in my orders directly to the guards there. Go!” When he started to leave, Ebony called out, “Oh, and Amber? Good luck. You’re gonna need it.”
Amber blocked out her sister’s laughter, biting her lip hard to keep the screams of terror from breaking free. She had spent years trying to save the people imprisoned and experimented on by her father. Now, she had just become one of them.
Make sure and visit my website for information on all of my books, and to sign up for my Newsletter where you will receive all of the latest information on new releases, sales, and more!
* * *
Website: http://www.dawnsullivanauthor.com/
* * *
I would love to have you join my reader’s group, Author Dawn Sullivan’s Rebel Readers, so that we can hang out and chat, and where you will also get sneak peeks of cover reveals, read excerpts before anyone else, and more!
* * *
https://www.facebook.com/groups/AuthorDawnSullivansRebelReaders/
* * *
Dawn Sullivan
About the Author
Dawn Sullivan has a wonderful, supportive husband, and three beautiful children. She enjoys spending time with them, which normally involves some baseball, shooting hoops, taking walks, watching movies, and reading.
Her passion for reading began at a very young age and only grew over time. Whether she was bringing home a book from the library or sneaking one of her mother's romance novels to read by the light in the hallway when she was supposed to be sleeping, Dawn always had a book. She reads several different genres and subgenres, but Paranormal Romance and Romantic Suspense are her favorites.
Dawn has always made up stories of her own, and finally decided to start sharing them with others. She hopes everyone enjoys reading them as much as she enjoys writing them.
Other books by Dawn Sullivan
RARE Series
Book 1 Nico’s Heart
Book 2 Phoenix’s Fate
Book 3 Trace’s Temptation
Book 4 Saving Storm
Book 5 Angel’s Destiny
* * *
White River Wolves Series
Book 1 Josie’s Miracle
Book 2 Slade’s Desire
Boo
k 3 Janie’s Salvation
Book 4 Sable’s Fire
* * *
Serenity Springs Series
Book 1 Tempting His Heart
Book 2 Healing Her Spirit
Book 3 Saving His Soul
Book 4 A Caldwell Wedding
Book 5 Keeping Her Trust
* * *
Chosen By Destiny
Book 1 Blayke
Jaxson's Justice Page 13