Sable could tell they were nothing but slave assassins like their half-animal counterparts. It was the same as the mutant she’d killed outside of Hunter Ridge. A new breed of mutant.
Felix and Savannah needed to be stopped. They weren’t her parents, not in the happy family way. A lump formed in her throat, but she swallowed it and straightened her spine. She would not grieve their deaths because she already had. A long time ago.
The human-like mutant growled and shifted his hands into claws. Sable frowned but did the same. She also called her power, building it around her and Jared to form a circle. After she was sure the circle was closed around them, she sent a blast of fire, fueled by magick, through the underground level. A split moment after she’d released the powerful blast, she spotted Felix behind the mutants.
Her chest tightened and her heart stilled for a brief moment as she watched her father become engulfed by the flames.
Jared’s arms wrapped around her from behind and he kissed her neck. “We need to leave.”
Closing her eyes, she teleported them back to Hunter Ridge.
****
Jared laid Sable on the blanket in front of the fireplace. She hadn’t spoken to him since they’d arrived. It was like she’d shut down, or close to it. A moment later, a fire flared to life, sparked by Sable’s magick. Watching her, his heart ached. With the mating bond in place, he felt her pain from the heat cycle, the emptiness from losing the connection to her father, and something else she hid from him.
He wished there was something he could do, but she’d have to grieve on her own. He understood it. Even though it was her mission to kill Felix, it didn’t make her hurt any less.
Her eyes drifted open and stared into his before she curled in a ball as if another wave of need rolled through her. They’d been in that moment before. He knew all too well the only way to ease her pain was to spill his seed deep inside her.
Threading his fingers through her hair, he grabbed a handful and gently tugged. “I will not break the bond a second time. Could you handle forever with me?”
Her breaths increased and her teal eyes darkened. “We don’t have forever.”
“I’m not letting you out of this that easy,” he teased.
She averted her gaze to stare into the dancing flames. “I’m infected with the mutant virus. Savannah injected it into me before I found you in the dungeon.”
His chest tightened. The fear of losing her just when he’d opened his heart to her again ran hot in his blood. “I’m not giving up on you.”
He withdrew his phone from his jeans pocket and dialed Dani—Ashwood’s leopard Healer. She answered on the third ring and he rushed his words out. “I need you to come to Hunter Ridge, now.”
“Good evening to you too, Jared.” She sighed and continued, “What happened?”
“Sable’s infected. Please tell me you have some of the antidote left.”
From the corner of his eye, he saw Sable shake her head. “This is a new formula, different from the virus you contracted when you were attacked last winter.”
Dani softened her voice. “What new formula? Look, Sven is here, I’ll bring him and Gina with me.”
Jared nodded. “Please hurry.” He ended the call before he remembered that Sven wouldn’t be able to come into the house with Sable in heat. Jared’s jaguar wouldn’t let him.
Sable groaned and curled up in a ball. Her fangs lengthened twice their normal size—one of the first signs of the transformation. His hands shook as he caressed her cheek and brushed her hair from her face.
“Hang in there, baby.” He wouldn’t—couldn’t—lose her again.
Chapter Nine
It took Dani, Sven, and Gina fifteen minutes too long to arrive. In that time, Jared had to restrain Sable to keep her from hurting herself. He could handle an attack from her, but he didn’t want to deal with her guilt in the end.
He waited outside the front door for the trio to
Felix and Savannah needed to be stopped. They weren’t her parents, not in the happy family way. A lump formed in her throat, but she swallowed it and straightened her spine. She would not grieve their deaths because she already had. A long time ago.
The human-like mutant growled and shifted his hands into claws. Sable frowned but did the same. She also called her power, building it around her and Jared to form a circle. After she was sure the circle was closed around them, she sent a blast of fire, fueled by magick, through the underground level. A split moment after she’d released the powerful blast, she spotted Felix behind the mutants.
Her chest tightened and her heart stilled for a brief moment as she watched her father become engulfed by the flames.
Jared’s arms wrapped around her from behind and he kissed her neck. “We need to leave.”
Closing her eyes, she teleported them back to Hunter Ridge.
****
Jared laid Sable on the blanket in front of the fireplace. She hadn’t spoken to him since they’d arrived. It was like she’d shut down, or close to it. A moment later, a fire flared to life, sparked by Sable’s magick. Watching her, his heart ached. With the mating bond in place, he felt her pain from the heat cycle, the emptiness from losing the connection to her father, and something else she hid from him.
He wished there was something he could do, but she’d have to grieve on her own. He understood it. Even though it was her mission to kill Felix, it didn’t make her hurt any less.
Her eyes drifted open and stared into his before she curled in a ball as if another wave of need rolled through her. They’d been in that moment before. He knew all too well the only way to ease her pain was to spill his seed deep inside her.
Threading his fingers through her hair, he grabbed a handful and gently tugged. “I will not break the bond a second time. Could you handle forever with me?”
Her breaths increased and her teal eyes darkened. “We don’t have forever.”
“I’m not letting you out of this that easy,” he teased.
She averted her gaze to stare into the dancing flames. “I’m infected with the mutant virus. Savannah injected it into me before I found you in the dungeon.”
His chest tightened. The fear of losing her just when he’d opened his heart to her again ran hot in his blood. “I’m not giving up on you.”
He withdrew his phone from his jeans pocket and dialed Dani—Ashwood’s leopard Healer. She answered on the third ring and he rushed his words out. “I need you to come to Hunter Ridge, now.”
“Good evening to you too, Jared.” She sighed and continued, “What happened?”
“Sable’s infected. Please tell me you have some of the antidote left.”
From the corner of his eye, he saw Sable shake her head. “This is a new formula, different from the virus you contracted when you were attacked last winter.”
Dani softened her voice. “What new formula? Look, Sven is here, I’ll bring him and Gina with me.”
Jared nodded. “Please hurry.” He ended the call before he remembered that Sven wouldn’t be able to come into the house with Sable in heat. Jared’s jaguar wouldn’t let him.
Sable groaned and curled up in a ball. Her fangs lengthened twice their normal size—one of the first signs of the transformation. His hands shook as he caressed her cheek and brushed her hair from her face.
“Hang in there, baby.” He wouldn’t—couldn’t—lose her again.
Chapter Nine
It took Dani, Sven, and Gina fifteen minutes too long to arrive. In that time, Jared had to restrain Sable to keep her from hurting herself. He could handle an attack from her, but he didn’t want to deal with her guilt in the end.
He waited outside the front door for the trio to
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