sableI snap awake, my whole body jerking from the violence of the return to my body. Beside me, Archer sits up with a gasp and turns to me, his eyes wide. For a long moment, we stare at each other, both of us considering the ramifications of what just happened.“Did that…” He shakes his head, blinking hard. “Did we just… share a dream?”I nod as I whisper back, my heart hammering in my chest. “I think so. You came into Clint’s basement while I was there.”“Then you took us somewhere else?” he verifies. “A cave? I didn’t get a good look.”Trystan groans and flails his arms, still half-asleep. “What the fuck is going on? What time is it?”In the darkness, Ridge grunts as if he’s just been elbowed or something, probably by Trystan. “Ow,” he grumbles, his voice deep and gruff. He was awake on watch, but he still sounds tired.Dare growls and rolls away from us. The whole scene is so comical that it almost makes me laugh. It would if I weren’t still reeling from the dream.On the other si
Archer“Are you ready to do this?” I ask Sable as I sit on the ground across from her and hand her a fresh mug of coffee.We’re in the back yard, just the two of us, on the heels of dawn. I put down a blanket on the dewy grass to keep us dry, and a plate with a few warmed cinnamon rolls rests between us, already missing one fragrant pastry. Steam rises in wispy strands from the surface of the coffee.Sable looks rumpled and sleepy as she licks the last of the icing off her fingers and reaches for the mug.“I think so,” she says, then pauses to sip from her cup. Her shoulders slump forward and she smiles, clearly having a moment with the caffeine.I can’t blame her. I rolled her out of bed way too early this morning to start work on recreating what happened during our shared dream. I’m absolutely positive that she was able to pull me into the astral plane—where she meets Cleo—using our mate bond. Either that, or it was an awful strange coincidence that we had the exact same dream at th
Archer she replies, her voice sounding dazed and distant. “I can feel you, but something’s keeping me from pulling you in.”I close my eyes and focus on the phantom sensation of her consciousness in mine. I give myself over to the feeling and let her wrap around me. It’s easy to give in to it. It’s all I ever want—to be as close to my mate as possible.“Pull again,” I tell her, hanging on tightly to her essence.Suddenly, the world around me dips and sways. I’m no longer aware of my body or of Sable’s warmth pressed against me. There’s only darkness and the distinct sensation that I’m flying with a cold wind rushing past my ears.Then I land on my feet in a familiar place.The mating cabin.When our wolves each declared Sable their mate at a North Pack meeting, the Elders suggested we all travel to the remote cabin used for mating rituals and give her wolf time to choose between us. Those early days feel like a dream now. So much has happened since then. The five of us have lived ent
SableWe make it down Archer’s street and onto the main road that bisects the village before we find Amora and her team.Thankfully, they all look well—no blood, no injuries, so they clearly weren’t ambushed, though they do all look exhausted on their feet. They’re already in human form, bedraggled and dusty from the long journey while they tug clothes over their naked bodies. The rush to dress isn’t something shifters usually worry about. Nudity’s just a fact of life around here.It doesn’t take long for me to see the reason why they’re pulling on clothes though. They’re not alone. Gwen’s walking with them.Gwen.Seeing the mountain witch sends a rush of memories cascading through me. I’m surprisingly happy to see her, and not just because I hope she’ll help us. I was intrigued by Gwen when we met her, and even though she’s a bit strange, I like her.Actually, maybe I like her because she’s strange. She’s different than any other witch I know.The lone witch is tall and willowy, but
sable As soon as we’re seated, a team of shifters arrives carrying snacks. They pile pitchers of iced tea and lemonade on the table, cold bottles of water, and an array of finger foods they likely pilfered straight from their own kitchens on the fly.Once we’re all sufficiently fed and watered, I set my own glass of lemonade aside and fold my hands on the table as I catch Gwen’s gaze. “I won’t beat around the bush. I know you don’t want to get involved in our fight with Cleo, but I’m hoping that once you hear what our plan is, you’ll be willing to help us.”Gwen nods. She keeps her fingers wrapped around her already condensing glass, as if the cool surface on her fingers can chase away the hot, dusty feeling she must have from the journey here. “I’m listening.”“We’re going after her.” I say the words bluntly, doing my best not to color them with any of the dozens of emotions bouncing around inside my chest. “We know where she and her coven hide, and we’re gunning for her.”Gwen rais
SableWith the first hurdle taken care of, a sense of greater urgency falls over the village. From the elders to the warriors to my mates, everyone feels a stronger need to get moving, to attack, to finish this before the witches have a chance to screw it up for us.But we aren’t prepared.Not quite yet.While Gwen gets to know the men and women who will be staying behind with her, the pack continues prepping for battle. The fields outside the edge of the village become training grounds, where everyone who will be fighting practices their moves. Weaponry, wolf combat, anything that they might need to take down the witches.Meanwhile, my men and I continue practicing with the mind link.It takes half a dozen times to really get the hang of pulling them into the astral realm, and then half a dozen more times to practice dragging them all in at the same time. Then we start working on transporting them in wolf form, which turns out to be even more difficult than when they’re human.But ev
sableDare’s hands fall to my thighs, his calloused fingers gripping my legs as he spreads them open. I can’t see all of him with Trystan leaning over me, so the moment when he buries his face between my legs takes me by surprise, even though I’ve been anticipating it.The first swipe of his hot tongue makes me whimper, and Ridge draws the sound out of my mouth with another deep kiss. I reach up, hooking my hands around the backs of Ridge’s and Archer’s necks, anchoring myself to my two mates as Dare eats me out like I truly might be his last meal.His tongue lashes back and forth over my clit before pressing against the sensitive little bud and rolling in slow waves, making my hips buck off the table. He grabs them to hold me steady, never stopping his relentless assault as he makes my eyes roll back in my head. Every time I think I’m almost used to the pattern, he changes it, moving from fast to slow and back again. When he stiffens his tongue and thrusts it inside me like he would
sable When Ridge presses a third finger past the tight ring of muscles, I gasp as pleasure morphs into pain and back again.Trystan bites down on my nipple, drawing my attention back upward. He laps away the sting and meets my gaze. “Relax. Push against him a little. It’ll make it easier.”I do as he says, and Ridge’s fingers slide deeper. They’re all so infinitely patient with me, slowing down every time I tense up and worshiping my body so completely that I feel like I’m balancing on a knife’s-edge of pleasure, ready to slip over into the pure bliss of an orgasm at any moment.Finally, Ridge slips his fingers out of me entirely. With his other hand, he gathers more of my slick arousal, using it to coat his cock, stroking himself as he looks down at me. “Are you ready for me, little wolf?”I nod, biting my lip as I meet his gaze. Without being prompted, I turn over and press up to my hands and knees, craning my neck to look over my shoulder at him. The look on his face nearly takes