ArcherHoly fuck. She’s magnificent. Single-handedly the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, standing between us with her hair wild and a hard glint in her eyes.I can scent her fear. There’s a tension in her body that speaks of a deep urge to run, the way a deer would bolt at the crack of a twig in the night. But she doesn’t. She stands there, chin in the air, stance wide and unmoving, despite the four powerful, intimidating shifters staring her down.Sable, my beautiful mate, refuses to bend, and this glimpse of the warrior inside her—the wolf inside her—sends a wave of warmth and respect through me.Back in the council’s meeting house, I felt an instant and undeniable connection to her because of the mate bond. Not exactly a bond a shifter can ignore, or have any control over at all, really. But every day we’ve spent together since, I’ve learned more about her, gotten to know what makes her tick. It’s only made me care for her more.She’s an amazing woman. Stronger than she even k
SableThe five of us troop into the cabin, Ridge at the head of our little group. I hang back in the living room while the men go to the bedroom to dig clothes out of the packs. Thank God for that—I’m on naked man overload.My fingers are still shaking as I locate a box of wood matches and light the few candles scattered around the living room. Ridge will probably protest and say we can afford to turn on the generator for this, but I don’t want the harsh overhead light right now. I want to hide in the flickering shadows and come down from whatever the hell that was.I’m on edge, my mind whirling and trying to come to grips with what just happened. The sudden emotional crashes back to back, from desire to fear to anger to despair, left me an emotional pile of hormones. I want to go crawl back into bed and pretend none of this ever happened.But the way Dare kissed me…Jesus, it was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. The whole thing should have terrified me, sent me running for
SableWhen I wake up to late morning sunlight, all four men are already up. I can hear the low murmur of their voices conversing from the back of the cabin. I slide out of bed and fish out one of Amora’s loaned T-shirts and a pair of shorts from my pack, get dressed, then run my fingers through my hair before padding out to join them in the kitchen.Archer is standing over the wood stove as something delicious sizzles in the cast-iron skillet. He looks up as I enter and offers me a brilliant smile. “Good morning. Sleep well?”“After the late night interlude, yeah,” I reply, passing him to join the others at the table.There are already dishes waiting—a plate piled high with pancakes, a pitcher of warmed syrup, a dish of sausage patties, and a smaller bowl of scrambled eggs.“We’re having a feast,” I observe as I sit between Dare and Trystan. I try to keep my tone teasing and flippant, but I’m dying to eat every last thing on this table. Breakfast at my uncle’s usually ended at cereal
SableTrystan’s eyes are the most beautiful blue-green. They look like I imagine the ocean would look, and I feel like I’m drowning in them as he draws back a little, still holding my gaze.He’s such a confusing mix of conflicting pieces, this man. More of a mystery to me than any of the other three—even Dare, who I just met. Trystan often seems to look down at the rest of the world from on high, as if he’s got everything figured out and is just waiting for everyone else to catch up.But then he does things like this, and it’s like a whole other side of him emerges.A softer side.A kinder side.I want to know this side of him better. I want to understand him, to get inside his head.His hand is still cupping my cheek, and we’re gazing into each other’s eyes as if we’re the only two people in the world. But then Dare shifts slightly on one side of me, and Trystan’s body gives a little jerk as he seems to remember we’re not alone.The veneer of casual, languid confidence falls back ove
SableOver the next several days, things begin to shift between the five of us.It’s hard to believe how quickly these men have become a huge part of my life. I can barely remember when they weren’t in my life, even though it was barely two weeks ago that Ridge found me in that ravine. There are still plenty of things I don’t know about them and things they don’t know about me. But I’ve stopped holding myself back as much, letting down little pieces of the barrier around my heart.It meant more than I thought it would to tell my story out loud and have these four beautiful, protective men look at me the same way they did before they knew how fucked up my life has been.I know they all hate my uncle, and I know they all hurt for me.But they don’t look at me like I’m broken.Damaged.Ruined.They look at me like they always have, since pretty much the first moment I met them.Like I’m special.Like I’m perfect—just the way I am.It’s a balm to my soul, and their acceptance of even my
SableThe sun is setting over the mountains, already casting a purple twilight over the cabin.It’s hunting time.Since Dare’s arrival at the cabin nine days ago, he’s joined the hunting party every night. I get the sense that he likes spending time as a wolf, that he needs it, almost. A break from the stresses and strains of being a human, I guess. I don’t know.Archer gives me a sweet kiss on the cheek, and Trystan taps my nose with his finger, grinning at the way I scrunch up my face at him. Dare’s gaze lingers on me before he joins the other two in the yard.“Don’t be gone too long,” I say.“We’ll be back before you know it,” Trystan promises, before giving me a wicked smile and shoving his shorts to his ankles.A hot flush rises in my neck, and I fight the urge to fan myself as all three men disrobe in the front yard. Before I can fall into the trap of looking at things I shouldn’t be, they shimmer with the magic of the change. A moment later, three large wolves dash off into the
SableThis massive, powerful, controlled man wants me.Needs me.And I need him too.“Ridge, I…” My tongue darts out to lick my lips, tasting the addictive flavor of him on my skin. I don’t know quite what I want to say, what I want to ask for, but I hope he can understand.The wolf shifter’s amber eyes almost seem to glow in the fading light. He opens his mouth to speak when a soft noise comes from behind the cabin.He goes tense, his gaze darting to the back door.“Do you think they’re already back?” I ask, confused by his reaction. If it were only Trystan, Archer, and Dare outside, I don’t think he’d look so ready to fight. My skin prickles with unease.Ridge’s senses are on full alert. Even in human form, he looks like a wolf, with his nose in the air and his eyes unfocused as he listens to sounds well outside my range of hearing. “No. I don’t think so. That’s not anyone I know.”Fear strikes a chord within me, and I fight the urge to run. “A stranger?”Ridge catches my frightene
TrystanI never thought I’d enjoy hunting with shifters outside my pack, but these dumb fucks actually make it enjoyable.I’ve known Archer for most of my life, though not in any kind of familiar context. Just as that dude who’s dad is the dying alpha of the East Pack and who probably isn’t strong enough to take the mantle when the old man croaks.But he surprises me when we’re on the hunt. I had little doubt before that Dare was just as strong and skilled as me, but Archer is too. We work together like a well-oiled machine, evenly matched and able to anticipate each other’s moves.I fly over the undergrowth into position, forming a third point on our triangle around the herd of grazing deer. There are five of them to choose from, all with their noses in the grass in a small field, completely oblivious to the threat surrounding them. Whoever can’t run fast enough is going to be dinner.The wind carries me Dare’s scent, and I can see Archer just beyond the shadow of fading sunlight. We