Sapphire Flame: A Paranormal Romance (The Flame Series Book 7)

by Caris Roane

  I can feel her as well.

  She heard a yelp as the man grabbed a pair of feet and began pulling Alanna from the van. Her ankles were bound with plastic ties.

  How do you want to handle this? Natalie asked.

  Let’s get close then draw her inside the spell.

  Can we do that?

  My instincts say we can.

  Grant released her hand then moved forward. I’ll take the guard, you grab Alanna and see what you can do.

  The young female was fighting hard which made it difficult for the man on the outside to drag her out.

  Grant, wait. Let me check the future first.

  Do it.

  Natalie held the spell tight and brought her wolf closer to the surface than ever. She grabbed for the future and found it. Oh, shit, it’s Kryder. He’ll be coming down the stairs in fifteen seconds.

  Then we’d better move fast.

  The outside man had control of the female wolf. Natalie moved in behind her as Grant dealt several swift blows to the man’s lower back. Punches to the kidneys hurt.

  The man bowed backward then toppled over. Natalie caught Alanna then pulled her inside the spell. She whispered. “We’re here to help. Do you recognize Grant?”

  The female wolf nodded and relaxed against Natalie. Alanna was a small woman, so it wasn’t hard to support her with an arm around her shoulders. With Alanna safe and the wolf Grant had hurt now cursing, Natalie drew close to Grant. He slid is arm around her shoulders. All three were within the spell. He tugged them both off to the side.

  At the exact same moment, the door at the head of the stairs banged open.

  “What the fuck’s going on down here? Where is she?”

  Grant took the young wolf from Natalie’s arms and cradled her with an arm slung beneath her knees. “Stay quiet,” he whispered to the wolf.

  Alanna nodded, her lips compressed together.

  Grant’s voice entered Natalie’s mind. Check the future. It’s our only way out of this alive.

  Natalie held to the spell and her wolf and once more snatched at the future. It opened swiftly. Kryder will be at the bottom of the stairs in ten seconds. We need to rise up swiftly then vault over the railing. Once inside, hide in the first room on the right.

  Got it.

  As soon as Grant rose into the air, Kryder headed down the stairs. Natalie trailed Grant, sticking close.

  She watched Kryder pause. Keep going. He’s working with his fae. She’s checking the future. I’ll do it as well. What Natalie saw, chilled her. Change of plans. Forget the first door, sweep down the hall to the end then cross to an offset hall. Go.

  Kryder was heading back up as Grant swung the door wide. Holding the young wolf tight, he flew swiftly to the end. Natalie stuck close to his heels.

  She could hear Kryder open the door they would have entered.

  Once they were in the offset hall, she told Grant to stop. She held his elbow as she checked the future again.

  Kryder will be on us in ten. Hug the wall and creep back up to the main thoroughfare then move as fast as you can. I’ll keep checking. The other fae has him right on our heels. For a split-second, the fae felt familiar to Natalie as though she was someone she knew, then the sensation disappeared.

  As they crept along the wall, Kryder flew past them in swift levitation. Natalie had never felt so afraid as she looked at the man who had caused so much devastation. His massive frame and thick, scarred features, plus the way he carried himself almost turned her knees to water.

  Keep moving. The sharp tone of Grant’s voice in her head put her feet in motion. He disappeared from view as he headed back up the main hall. But she soon caught sight of him and shot across the carpeted hallway to catch up.

  Once flying in his wake, she accessed the future. Stop where the hall T’s with the foyer. Kryder has a team waiting there. At least a dozen men.

  Grant nearly flipped forward as he put his brakes on. Where to?

  The venue to the right, but just inside. We’ll wait against the wall that faces the stage.

  Grant moved fast, and Natalie kept up. Her heart beat hard. Her chest ached with fear, but she forced herself to calm down.

  Holding the spell tight and keeping her wolf on full alert, she once more sought out the future.

  But all she found was one trap, then another, and another.

  She didn’t know what to do. The future wasn’t showing a way out at all.

  Grant, we’re in trouble. The future shows us blocked at every turn. What do we do?

  ~ ~ ~

  Grant heard Natalie’s words. She’d taken them this far, but he suspected the fae had them boxed in. We’re going to have to do this wolf-style.

  What do you mean?

  By now the aisles of the small theater were lined with Kryder’s men. Each wore black, short-sleeved t-shirts, black leathers, silver belts and blue flame logos on the front.

  He set the young wolf down and drew his knife. He cut her bonds then in an instant transformed into a wolf. The young wolf jumped on his back and grabbed hold of his fur.

  Natalie, stick close. We’re leaving this way.

  He then levitated in wolf form and rose all the way to the ceiling, he glided through the air faster than he could as a human.

  He couldn’t take his eyes off his path to see if Natalie was following, so he contacted her mind-to-mind. You with me?

  Right on your furry ass, Warrior.

  Her words made him smiled. He flew across the top of the stage then headed back up the opposite aisle and aimed for the doorway. He began clipping the heads of the security men with his powerful hind legs.

  Natalie reported in. They’re going down like dominoes.

  The foyer came next. Fortunately, the ceiling was twice as tall as the theater.

  But Kryder was nearby hunting for them visually. The spell was holding. The doors, however, were shut.

  There was only one thing to do. He told the young wolf to hold tight, that he was going to shift back to his human form.

  She whispered. “I’m not letting go for nothing. Do what you’ve gotta do.”

  Once he was done shifting, and Alanna was secure with her hands gripping his tank and her legs surrounding his waist, he flew toward one of Kryder’s men. He clipped him hard and grabbed his automatic weapon. He rose high in the air again as a spray of bullets sounded behind him. He then fired his weapon at one of the glass windows, well away from the stream of guests.

  As the glass shattered and fell, he bolted through. Natalie? Please to God she was still with him.

  Right behind you. Keep going.

  He flew straight, then veered up and to the right heading back to the entrance point. As shouting sounded behind them, he increased his speed. Once out of the entrance, he flew straight up into the air.

  He glanced back, but Natalie wasn’t following. She was well below him and faltering in the air. With Alanna clinging to his back, he flew like a torpedo in her direction. He knew at once what had happened. Natalie, you’ve been shot.

  Yes. Damn, this was the nightmare.

  He knew exactly what she meant. I’ll catch you. Don’t worry.

  She stretched her arm out to him. He ploughed forward and caught her wrist. Though he was dragging her through the air, he had to get her away from The Sapphire Club entrance.

  When they’d reached a safe distance, he slowed then pulled Natalie against him. He held her tight as he flew a long arc over the Graveyard then back in the direction of Kiara’s Revel refuge. Emergency room it was. Again.

  A few minutes later, and out of their shared invisibility spell, Grant sat beside Natalie in the same bay he’d inhabited the night before. She’d taken a bullet through the back of her leg. The doctor was taking broad stitches. She’d given Natalie a shot, but Natalie winced through each pull of the cord through her flesh.

  Through gritted teeth, she said, “We did it.”

  He couldn’t help himself: He grinned. Relief that they’
d made it out of Kryder’s club alive, all three of them, had worked on his mind like a drug. “We sure as hell did.” Alanna sat in the same bay sipping a bottle of water. She was uninjured though she kept wiping tears from her cheeks.

  Natalie hissed through another stitch. “Wish this was over.”

  “Just a couple more,” Grant said. The doctor glanced at him and shook her head. He turned back to Natalie. “More than a couple more.”

  “I figured.”

  “Sure, you don’t want some morphine?”

  “Not on your life. Nothing. Ouch, dammit.” She squeezed Grant’s hand hard. “I need to be alert in case that asshole comes for us and you know he will.” She put her head down on the pillow and once more squeezed her eyes shut. She was breathing hard and sweating. “Is Agnes here yet?”

  “Any minute.”

  Natalie opened her eyes then glanced past his shoulder. “How are you doing, Alanna?”

  Grant shifted to look at the small wolf as well. Alanna had dark eyes, straight black hair to her chin parted down the middle, and a slightly upturned nose. She was adorable.

  Tears flooded her eyes once more, but she chuckled as she said, “Better than you are, I’ll bet.”

  Alanna had spirit.

  “Good girl,” Natalie said, “You’ll be safe with Agnes. She has the best security system in Five Bridges. Kryder won’t be able to reach you once you’re in her compound.”

  “Took one to the leg, did you?” Agnes’s voice surprised Grant. He lifted a hand in greeting. Agnes inclined her head, but her attention was all for the patient on the ER bed.

  Natalie twisted her torso to better see Agnes, then gave a yelp as the doctor dug the needle once more into her skin.

  “It feels like the bullet started at the bottom of my calf, skipped the back of my knee then traveled up through my thigh. Burns like hell.”

  Agnes craned her neck slightly to view the doctor’s work. “Not quite, but almost.” She pivoted slightly and called out. “Good, you’re here. Natalie’s being brave, but I want her out of pain. She’s suffered enough for one night.”

  Emma appeared at the edge of the bay curtains.

  Grant had never been more grateful for anything in his life.

  The doctor stopped stitching as Emma gripped Natalie by the ankle.

  Grant could feel her healing power as though it was a whirlwind in the small room.

  “Oh. Thank. God.” Natalie’s whole body relaxed.

  Grant leaned up to watch the wound begin to heal like magic. The sutures started rising to the surface of Natalie’s skin as the wound closed up below. The doctor brushed them off one by one then said, “Sure as hell wish I could close up a wound the way you do. It’s no fun hurting people that have already been hurt.”

  When the wound was completely healed, Natalie rolled onto her back. “Thank you, Emma. If there’s ever anything I can do for you, just ask. But thank you.”

  She remained where she was and looked like a limp rag. Pain would do that, especially after all the adrenaline left.

  Grant sat back in his chair and took a long, deep breath.

  ~ ~ ~

  Once Alanna had thanked them both about a hundred times for coming to her rescue, Agnes carted the young wolf off with an arm around her shoulders. Emma went with them.

  Natalie watched them go and felt a sweet softness in her soul that sometimes good things happened, even in Five Bridges.

  She wanted a shower and she wanted to be home for a while, to rest, to think, and yes, to be with Grant, if possible.

  But would she be safe in her canal home?

  Once they were alone, she was about to address the subject with Grant when he said in a low voice, “I’ve been thinking. Maybe some of my wolves should stay at your house with us.”

  With us. She couldn’t help but smile.

  She caught his hand with her own and squeezed. “It’s a good idea except for one thing: We won’t have much privacy.”

  At that, his answering smile was slow as a lovely, wicked light entered his gold-green eyes. Her breath caught. His expression was just devilish enough that it set off his strong good looks in a glow of pure male testosterone. Her heart picked up its pace and for a moment she couldn’t breathe.

  His lovemaking came back to her in a series of strong images that had her wolf making a sudden, fiery appearance. His gaze shifted about her cheeks, her throat and her arms where she could feel the iridescent wolf-heat moving around.

  “Wolf,” he whispered.

  “Yes. But back to my question. What about our privacy?”

  “Well, privacy has its merit unless you’re under attack or dead.”

  She chuckled. “That was put succinctly.”

  “Besides. I have an idea.”

  “What’s that?”

  He shook his head. “No. You’ll have to wait, but I think it will work.”

  She cocked her head. “Tell me.”

  “No.” He stood up and extended his hand to her. “Can you fly yet?”

  She shifted her legs over the side of the bed. She felt a sudden longing to remain right where she was. Kiara’s refuge was relatively safe and had almost as solid a security system as Agnes’s compound.

  Grant was right. At the very least, they needed his men at her canal home. As lovely as it was, it only had a modest system and nothing that could combat a wolf like Kryder.

  She nodded. “I can fly.”

  Once in the air, she was surprised when Grant drew close and caught her around the waist. “Allow me.”

  “I’m strong enough to fly, but I’m so not saying no.” She leaned against him, settled her head on his shoulder and let him do the work.

  He switched to telepathy. I should warn you, Ryan and a dozen wolves, all airborne, will be joining us in about thirty seconds.

  When did you set that up?

  When Emma arrived.

  Did I ever have a say in this?

  He chuckled. The night air was cool on her skin. You always have a say, he said, and I’ll send them back to Savage if that’s what you want.

  No. You’re absolutely right on this one. My house would be an easy target. But what will Kryder think when he finds out that you invited his wolves to set up defenses against him?

  He didn’t answer for a moment, which made Natalie uneasy. She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear what he had to say.

  It came anyway. No doubt he already knows. We were busy at The Sapphire Club, too busy to really be seeing anything. But my memories are filled with several women, dressed in blue silk. It looked like a uniform of sorts. They all had sapphire flame markings on their throats, though they were covered up with jewelry.

  Right, she interjected. Those neck cages made up of diamonds. I can picture them. By now, she and Grant were flying across the main canal and were almost at her house. She watched as Ryan and his men showed up, right on schedule and began a descent into her backyard.

  Grant slowed down as she added, So, you think he’s using fae women in his club and keeping tabs on the future.

  A bunch of tabs. He began his descent.

  As she watched the wolves, all powerful warrior-types, form into an array to the side and behind them, she said, We might have a bigger problem.

  Bigger than Kryder?

  Well, yes. I don’t know about you, but I’m starved. Only, how am I supposed to feed a dozen hungry men?

  He chuckled. Slowing in the air, he directed the wolves into her garden though he drew back just enough and landed easily beyond the shrubs and not far from the canal. There were no tourist boats visible either, though she could hear one in the distance.

  He drew her behind a shrub and pulled her into his arms. “Have I told you how proud I am of you, of what you accomplished at Neil’s and how you performed just now at The Sapphire Club? You were outstanding. I mean it, Natalie.”

  “I could say the same, Grant. I reached a point where I knew Kryder’s fae had blocked us up completely in the future. I
still don’t know how we escaped.”

  He grinned again and drew her tighter against him. “I was just faster than the fae’s ability to read the future.”

  “I like it when you’re fast.” The nearness of him, the wonderful sweet lumberyard smell of him, had her wolf doing somersaults.

  “I’ll go fast for you, as long as you want, as long as you can take it.”

  He kissed her and, for just a sliver of time, the world as well as its incessant cares and worries, vanished like smoke rising high into the atmosphere. All she felt, all she knew was the strength of this man’s arms around her, holding her tight, promising security at least for the moment.

  A tourist boat rounded the bend in the canal not far from her house. The sound of the quiet motor was a soft, putt-putt drone that had Grant pulling away from her.

  “It’s very peaceful here.” He drew her deeper into the shadows.

  Natalie had placed the garden lights in such a way that she had few places on her canal-front property that gave her privacy.

  He kissed her again, only this time his hands wandered in the nicest way. I love the feel of your lips, Grant. Like heaven.

  His kisses pushed at her and she smiled because she knew what he wanted. She parted her lips. But when his tongue entered her mouth, her knees gave way.

  He caught her tight against him, however, and kept her upright. The man had a way about him that made her legs refuse to hold her up. He’d have her on her back in a few more seconds if she didn’t stop him. But she really didn’t want to.

  Her wolf had already started responding and her right hand slid to the nape of his neck urging him.

  We should go somewhere. His deep resonant voice in her mind had her breathing harder still.

  But her wolf sounded a quiet warning. She drew back and shifted her head, looking through her wolf’s eyes. She saw a familiar aura. Kryder’s fae is looking at us in the future.

  The aura vanished, however, the moment Grant released her. “Was she here?” he asked.

  She felt his sudden anger boil off his skin in waves.

  “No,” she said quietly. “It was a remnant of a recent search. She may have been tracking our location in the future. No doubt Kryder knows we’re here by now.”