Sable's Fire

by Dawn Sullivan

  “It’s the man from the barn,” someone called out, but Dax didn’t slow down. Why the hell had he let her get so far away from him? He knew better, dammit!

  “I’m coming for you, Sable,” he ground out through large fangs that had dropped.

  “Dax…”

  “Holy fuck! What is he?”

  “Who cares what he is?” Ebony yelled. “Shoot him!”

  Dax let out another roar when he spotted his mate’s hand lying limply on the ground, peeking out from under a large bush. Unable to hold his dragon back any longer, he dropped his gun and let the change take over. One minute he was standing there, his clothes barely hanging on him, and the next, a large, angry, fire breathing monster was in his place.

  “Oh, my God!”

  Dax paused, swinging his huge head around to look at Ebony. Satisfaction filled him when he saw her trembling in fear. Rising on his back legs to his full height, Dax threw his head back and trumpeted his anger to the heavens, and then closed the distance between them. Reaching out, he swatted her hard, sending her flying a few feet in the air. He watched as she slammed into the side of the SUV, and crumpled to the ground. Then, he went hunting.

  The first person he got to suffered greatly when he wrapped his huge jaws around him and bit down, ignoring the shots that rang out, and the bullets that hit his thick scales. The second death was much quicker, with a thick claw slicing through a coyote’s throat. The next had his heart removed. Then, he took to the air, and several more were consumed by his fire, as was the barn he and Rubi had been held in, along with several of the small huts, and anyone who was still in them.

  There was a reason you never pissed off a dragon. By the time he was done, every coyote, along with all of the General’s men, were dead. The only people left were Ebony and Jinx. Breathing heavily in anger, he closed the distance between himself and Ebony, stopping right in front of where the woman still lay passed out cold, before bellowing his rage.

  “Wait, dragon! You need to stop! Killing Ebony will not help your mate. She needs you now.”

  Turning his massive head to look at the one they called Jinx, Dax bared his teeth. “I know, man. Trust me, I get it. I’ve wanted to take my sword to the bitch myself several times, but it won’t help our cause if you do. There are things you don’t know about her, dragon. I need her alive.”

  Dax cocked his head to the side, listening intently, even though all he wanted to do was rip out the woman’s throat after what she did to his Sable.

  “Let me worry about Ebony. Right now, your mate needs you. She isn’t going to survive if you don’t get her to the White River Wolves doctor quickly.”

  As Jinx spoke, he moved to the back of the SUV, opening it up and pulling out a small, black bag. Dax growled in warning when the man turned to go to Sable. Jinx glanced back over his shoulder, but didn’t stop. “Look, I know you have no idea who I am, and no reason to trust me, but your mate does. She knows I would never intentionally hurt her, or anyone in her pack. They’re my pack, too.”

  That stopped Dax in his tracks. He knew Jinx was Chase and Angel’s son, but for some reason, he never associated him with being part of the White River Wolves pack. Probably because he worked for the devil. But, Sable loved her pack. She said they were her family. If he was family, then he would fight for her, wouldn’t he? He would want her alive and safe. Shaking his head, Dax bared his teeth again when he saw that Jinx had reached Sable, and was kneeling down beside her.

  “She’s lost a lot of blood,” Jinx called out, opening the bag and removing something from it. “There are five points of entry that I can tell, and only two exits. That means she still has three bullets in her. I’m afraid I will cause more problems if I try to remove them now. I am going to bind her wounds the best that I can and give her something for the pain. You need to get her to Doc Josie right away, or she might not make it.”

  Another loud roar split the air, this time one of pain and agony at the thought of his beautiful, spitfire of a mate not living another day. Dax needed to hold her. To tell her how much he loved her, and couldn’t be without her. He needed to say so many things, but he couldn’t in dragon form.

  When he began to shimmer, initiating his shift, Jinx’s voice interrupted him. “No, wait! You have to fly her there. It will be faster than driving, and there is no way you will get her on a plane like this.”

  Ignoring him, Dax let the change take him, and soon was standing buck ass naked in front of the guy. “Sable,” he gasped, stumbling over to his mate and collapsing on the ground beside her. “Sweet Sable.”

  “Sweet?” A rough laugh left Jinx as he removed a syringe from the bag. “Not a word I would have ever associated with your woman.”

  Gently stroking a hand over Sable’s thick, dark hair, Dax growled, “You obviously don’t know her like I do.” When Jinx slid the syringe into Sable’s arm, Dax was unable to suppress the growl that erupted from his throat.

  “It’s just for pain,” Jinx promised. “She’s been shot five times, man. She has to be hurting.” Glancing his way, Jinx raised an eyebrow. “Speaking of hurting, how are you doing, dragon?”

  Dax spared his body a look, before shrugging, “I will be fine.”

  “You’re covered in blood.”

  “You don’t worry about me, wolf,” Dax snarled. “Worry about my mate!”

  Jinx nodded, throwing the syringe back in the bag, and pulling out some large bandages and a roll of gauze. “As long as you can make it to the White River Wolves compound.”

  “I’ll make it.”

  “Dax.”

  Sable’s voice was thin and rasping, but a miracle to Dax’s ears. Leaning down, he pressed his forehead to hers and whispered, “I’m so sorry. I never should have let you get so far away from me.”

  “Not your fault,” Sable whispered, a lone tear sliding down her cheek. “Hurts.”

  “I know, baby. Jinx gave you something for the pain.”

  “Jinx.”

  “I’m right here, Sable,” Jinx said, as he began working on a wound on her arm.

  Sable turned her head to look at Jinx, and Dax flinched at the raw pain in her eyes.

  “Jinx, we need your help.”

  “I’m doing what I can, Sable. Your mate is going to have to shift again and fly you home. I can’t do anything else here. You need surgery and blood.”

  “No,” Sable gasped, another tear slipping free, as she struggled to sit up.

  “You have to calm down, Sable,” Dax ordered gruffly when blood began to seep through the white bindings.

  Nodding, Sable swallowed hard, and turned to Jinx again. Her tongue snuck out to wet her lips, and then she rasped, “The General has Dax’s sister, Jinx. You have to find her. Please, find her. For me.”

  Jinx looked at Dax in confusion, all the while quickly covering the rest of her wounds. “Your sister? The General doesn’t have any dragon shifters. If he did, I would know.”

  “He has Raven,” Sable insisted, a moan slipping out when Jinx began to bandage the last gunshot wound on her leg. “He does.”

  “Raven?”

  “That’s enough,” Dax interjected, rising to his feet. “I have to get her to a doctor.”

  “Yes, and you need to leave now,” Jinx agreed. “She’s lost too much blood, Dax. You need to hurry.”

  “Jinx,” Sable whispered, reaching for him. “Please, you have to find Raven.”

  Jinx captured her hand in his and squeezed it. “I will look for her,” he promised, before standing and lifting her in his arms.

  Another protective growl left Dax when Sable cried out in pain, and then went limp as she lost consciousness.

  “We don’t have time for a pissing match, Dax. Shift now, if you want your mate to live.”

  Fear filling him at the seriousness in Jinx’s voice, Dax did as he was told, and was soon once again in his dragon form. He listened carefully to the directions Jinx gave him to the White River Wolves compound, and gathered Sable in h
is arms when Jinx handed her over.

  “Dax.” When he turned to look at him, Jinx took a step back before saying, “I will see what I can find out about your sister.”

  There was something in the man’s eyes, something that bothered Dax, but he didn’t have time to figure it out. Knowing Sable’s life had to come first, Dax bowed his head to Jinx, and then took to the skies, holding his mate close to keep her safe as he flew hell-bent toward her home.

  16

  Chase raked a hand through his hair in frustration as he stared across his desk at the young wolf in front of him. He had other, more pressing shit to deal with right now than the pup’s incessant questions. He knew he was worried about his friend, but this was getting ridiculous. “Aiden, for the last time, Sable is on a mission. She will be back when it is completed.”

  “I haven’t heard from her since she left, Alpha. That isn’t like her.”

  “Well, I have,” Chase told him, “and she is perfectly fine.”

  Aiden stiffened, and his eyes narrowed, “Then, why hasn’t she called me? Or sent me a text?”

  Sighing, Chase rose from his chair and crossed the room to stand in front of the window. He knew why Sable wasn’t calling Aiden, but it wasn’t his place to tell him. “Aiden…” Before he could continue, his phone began to ring. Hoping it was Angel, because it has been over a week since he’d last heard from her, he quickly retrieved his cell from his pocket and answered. “Chase here.”

  “Chase, it’s Jinx.”

  “Jinx? What’s wrong?” He could hear the urgency in his son’s voice, and his hand tightened on the phone, nearly crushing it, when the response came through.

  “Sable’s been injured, Chase. It’s bad. I did what I could for her, but she’s lost a lot of blood. Her mate is flying her there now. He left a while ago, but this is the first chance I’ve had to call because I was dealing with Ebony. You need to tell the doctor to get her ER prepped and ready to go. He should be there soon.”

  “Flying?”

  “Yeah. And Chase, you need to be careful. He is one protective, pissed off dragon.”

  “Shit.”

  “Dragons are very dangerous when they are angry. And this one is more than angry. He took out every single one of the General’s men, along with a majority of the coyote shifters here, in a matter of minutes. You need to proceed with extreme caution when he arrives. The only thing on his mind will be protecting his mate, and it will be hard for him to differentiate between you wanting to help her, and you wanting to cause her more harm.”

  Chase froze when he heard a loud roar that nearly shook the walls of his building. Turning back to the window, he glanced up and his eyes widened in awe. Hovering above the compound was something he never thought he would ever see in his life. A large, beast, covered in red, gold, and orange scales, flew in circles, breathing long streams of fire as he bellowed his rage for all to hear.

  “Fuck.”

  Chase looked back at Aiden, who now stood just behind him staring up at the sky, and nodded. “You got that right, pup. We might all be fucked.”

  He was finally at the White River Wolves compound, and he was exhausted. He’d flown fast and hard the entire way, his mate’s life resting in his hands. She hadn’t stirred since they left, and he was terrified. If she didn’t make it, it would take more than the wolves below to take him out. The rage and fury that poured through him was like the hot fire he was releasing for the world to see. He knew he needed to stop, but he was beyond reason. The beast was in control.

  Letting out another loud roar, Dax flew over the compound, his eyes on the buildings below. There was a large crowd gathering, watching him in both fear and excitement. He ignored it all. His mate was hurting, possibly dying, in his arms. Blood seeped through the bandages. Her life’s blood, taking her from him. To a place he would follow if it came to that. He couldn’t live without her. He wouldn’t.

  “Dax! Dax!”

  Dax shook his head roughly, struggling to break free of the fogginess in his mind. He knew that voice. Had heard it before.

  “Dax, you need to bring Sable down here, son! Bring her down here so we can help her.”

  Son? Another loud roar broke free at the word. His father was dead to him. He’d disowned him the moment he found out his parents sold his sister. He was no one’s son. Racing toward the voice, he flew low and blew another stream of white hot fire out above the throng of people, heading for the male that was several yards in front of them, as if protecting them.

  The man didn’t move. He stood tall and brave, not even ducking when the fire came close. “Dax, I can’t help Sable if you don’t bring her to me. I am her alpha! I will keep her safe. You need to trust me!”

  Trust him? Everyone wanted his fucking trust. And where had that gotten him? Raven was kidnapped, and living in hell. Rubi was injured. Who knew how bad? And his mate, his beautiful, courageous mate, was bleeding out in his arms.

  Taking to the skies, Dax flew in a circle high above, before dropping down to hover over the man again. All the while, he kept his precious bundle snug against his chest.

  “Dax, I promise you, I will keep her safe. She is one of mine. I will protect her.”

  Protect her? No one could protect her like he could. Dax tightened his hold on Sable. He hadn’t done a very good job of keeping her safe against Ebony, though, had he? His woman was dying, and it was all his fault.

  “Dammit, man! You need to give Sable to us so we can get her to Doc Josie!”

  Dax’s head swung around to meet the new threat that ran forward, stopping just behind his alpha. Brown hair, a lean muscular build, and brown eyes full of anger and concern.

  “Don’t antagonize him, Aiden!” Another voice yelled, and a man, almost identical to the first one, rushed forward, drawing a weapon as if to defend the other one. Aiden. He knew that name.

  “Put your fucking gun away,” the alpha ordered, waving a hand in their direction.

  “He’s going to hurt Sable if he doesn’t stop breathing that damn fire all over the place,” Aiden snapped.

  “No, he won’t,” a small voice piped up. “His fire won’t hurt her.”

  “Lily, stay back!” Chase ordered loudly.

  “He’s just confused, Uncle Chase. He won’t hurt anyone. He’s a good dragon. He protects the little princes and princess. He keeps them safe.”

  “What the hell is she talking about?” Aiden snarled.

  The loud scream of a powerful engine broke through the conversation, and a black sports car roared through the compound gates, making its way toward them. It came to a screeching halt a couple of yards away, and the doors flew open.

  “Daxton Dimitri Dreher, get your ass out of the sky, and bring your mate down here. If you don’t, I’m coming up there after you! You know I will, brother!”

  Dax heard the large gasp of the crowd, but his eyes were on the woman who stood below him, her long, blonde hair whipping out around her in the wind. Rubi was no longer the sister he had left behind when he went to serve his king years ago. She was now a dragon warrior, through and through. She was standing there, head held high, obviously in pain, but willing to challenge him for the sake of his mate if she had to.

  “Dax, please, you have to bring her down,” another voice called out.

  He looked past Rubi to Maya, the sweet wolf they’d rescued just days before from coyotes. How had she managed to turn out the way she did, after living with mongrels like that? The thought of the coyotes and their part in everything, infuriated him again, and he let out another loud bellow.

  “I’m coming up there, Dax!” Rubi hollered, taking another step closer to him as she began to undo the buttons on her shirt. “I swear, I’m going to kick your ass, you idiot!”

  Maya reached out and placed a hand on her arm, stopping her. Dax couldn’t hear what she said to his sister, but when she came forward a moment later, stopping just a few feet from him, Rubi stayed back. “Dax, you need to listen to me. I know you are
hurting. I know you are scared for your mate. But, you need to remember what she told us. This pack is her family. She loves them, and would do anything for them, as I’m sure they would for her.”

  “This is bullshit,” Aiden broke in, taking a step closer to him. “Just give me Sable so that I can take her to Doc Josie.”

  “Aiden, shut the hell up!” his brother snarled.

  Maya froze, her gaze leaving Dax and slowly going to the two brothers. But, then she seemed to catch herself, and she turned back to him. “Dax, you know who Aiden is. Think. He’s Sable’s best friend. He would never harm her.”

  Dax looked at the man who stood not far from him now, at the way he was willing to fight for Sable if he had to. Her best friend. The man she had thought she was in love with just weeks before. The man she would have chosen as a mate, if he hadn’t come along.

  “Dax, please. Give Sable to my brother. He will protect her until you are able to. She trusts him. You know you can, too.”

  Ignoring the look of shock that Aiden shot Maya’s way, Dax slowly dropped to the ground, bowing his head in the man’s direction. Maya was right. Aiden would take care of his mate for him until he was able to.

  “Go get her, Aiden. Everyone else, stay back,” Rubi ordered, slowly making her way around Maya, coming toward him. “His dragon knows you will protect Sable, but it is going to be hard for him to hand her over to you.”

  He watched Aiden closely as the man tore his gaze from Maya, and then quickly closed the distance between them.

  “I promise, I will keep her safe,” Aiden vowed, stopping just in front of him.

  It took everything he had in him to hand his reason for living over to the man in front of him, but Dax did it. For her. When Aiden took Sable gently in his arms, Dax stretched out his long neck to gently rub his nose on her arm.

  “Why don’t you shift and come with us, big brother?” Rubi asked softly, moving in closer. Slowly, she reached out and placed a hand gently on his side, a frown appearing on her face. “Dax?” she whispered, pulling her hand back, covered in blood. “Dax!”