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

  SAPPHIRE FLAME, A Paranormal Romance, The Flame Series Book 7

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Have You Read These Books by Caris Roane

  Giveaways, Blogs, and Newsletters

  Dear Reader

  SAPPHIRE FLAME

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  About the Author

  Have You Read These Books by Caris Roane

  Find Caris at…

  Author of…

  Copyright

  SAPPHIRE FLAME, A Paranormal Romance, The Flame Series Book 7

  By Caris Roane

  Copyright © 2019 Twin Bridges Creations LLC

  All rights reserved. No part of this e-book may be reproduced in whole or in part, scanned, photocopied, recorded, distributed in any electronic form, or reproduced in any manner whatsoever or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or hereafter invented, without express written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  Have You Read These Books by Caris Roane

  The Flame Series…

  BLOOD FLAME – Book 1

  AMETHYST FLAME – Book 2

  DARK FLAME – Book 3

  AMBER FLAME – Book 4

  A TOUCH OF FLAME – Book 5

  A WOLF’S LOVE, A Short Read – Book 5.1

  EMERALD FLAME – Book 6

  CHRISTMAS FLAME, A Holiday Novella

  The Blood Rose Series…

  EMBRACE THE DARK – Book 1

  EMBRACE THE MAGIC – Book 2

  EMBRACE THE MYSTERY – Book 3

  EMBRACE THE PASSION – Book 4

  EMBRACE THE NIGHT – Book 5

  EMBRACE THE WILD – Book 6

  EMBRACE THE WIND – Book 7

  EMBRACE THE HUNT – Book 8

  LOVE IN THE FORTRESS – Book 8.1

  EMBRACE THE POWER – Book 9

  The Blood Rose Time Travel Series…

  A VAMPIRE’S SOFT EMBRACE – Book 1

  A VAMPIRE’S EMBRACE – Book 2

  The Blood Rose Tales…

  BLOOD ROSE TALES BOX SET

  Guardians of Ascension…

  The Original Six Books Published by St. Martin’s Press

  ASCENSION – Book 1

  BURNING SKIES – Book 2

  WINGS OF FIRE – Book 3

  BORN OF ASHES – Book 4

  OBSIDIAN FLAME – Book 5

  GATES OF RAPTURE- Book 6

  The Dawn of Ascension Novels, Self-Published by Caris Roane, as part of Guardians of Ascension

  BRINK OF ETERNITY as part of VAMPIRE COLLECTION

  THE DARKENING

  The Rapture’s Edge Series as part of Guardians of Ascension

  AWAKENING – Rapture’s Edge Book 1

  VEILED – Rapture’s Edge Book 2

  REVEALED – Rapture’s Edge Book 3

  The Amulet Series…

  WICKED NIGHT/DARK NIGHT (Boxed Set)

  The Men in Chains Series, Published by St. Martin’s Press

  BORN IN CHAINS – Book 1

  CHAINS OF DARKNESS – Book 2

  UNCHAINED – Book 3

  SAVAGE CHAINS – A Separate Novel in the Same World

  Giveaways, Blogs, and Newsletters

  Do You Enjoy Giveaways and Learning New Things? How About Beautiful Photos on Different Subjects?

  For giveaways, freebies, updates on my latest books, and lots of photos, be sure to sign up today for my mailing list: Caris’s Newsletter.

  Do you like to learn new things, keep your mind sharp and come away inspired? Consider signing up to get my blog delivered into your email inbox. Go to the right hand column of my Home Page. I offer weekly giveaways and cover a broad range of topics.

  ~ ~ ~

  Dear Reader

  Welcome to SAPPHIRE FLAME, Book #7 of the Flame Series. This story takes us back to Savage Territory where the wolves reside in Five Bridges as well as Revel where the alter fae live. Here are the details:

  Having a strong dislike for fae of any kind, a wolf’s plan to become alpha gets derailed when a beautiful fae saves his life during a vicious rogue attack…

  Davis Grant, an officer of the Five Bridges Border Patrol, is next in line to become alpha of the Meldorin Pack. Because the current alpha is a psychotic monster who brutalizes his own pack members, Grant has made it his number one priority to bring the alpha down. But when a rescue in the deadly Graveyard throws him together with Natalie, a powerful fae female, he finds his attention shifting abruptly to her. His attraction to this woman has his bonding instincts flying at light speed. But he despises the futurists of Revel Territory, women like Natalie, who used their gifts against Savage’s wolves during the Fae-Wolf Wars. When his alpha demands a dominance battle, will Grant set aside his deep prejudice and join forces with Natalie? Or will he go it alone and face probable death?

  The last thing Natalie McKinnon ever wanted to do was get involved with a wolf of Savage Territory. But when a ghost appears and sends her to the Graveyard to save Grant’s life, Natalie finds herself drawn to this powerful, handsome wolf. She resists her attraction, however, since her best friend died at the hands of wolves during the Fae-Wolf Wars. But when she develops an iridescent astral wolf of her own, and as new powers emerge, she must set aside her animosity or face capture and enslavement at the hands of the brutal alpha of the Meldorin Pack.

  I hope you’re enjoying the Flame Series!

  And now, have a wonderful day and an even better night!

  Live the fang!

  Caris Roane

  January 2019

  SAPPHIRE FLAME

  A Paranormal Romance

  The Flame Series ~ Book #7

  By

  Caris Roane

  Chapter One

  “Kryder will have your head this time.”

  Grant stood at the railing of the Meldorin sandpit watching nine of the pack’s female wolves run training drills. He turned slightly to meet Ryan’s gaze. “Do you honestly think I give a fuck?”

  “No. But what will the pack do if Kryder decides you’ve pushed him too far? He’ll kill you and get away with it.”

  Davis Grant reverted his gaze to the sandpit floor below. His pack was one of the few that had their own pit, something he’d made happen four years ago. The Meldorin Pack had needed a focus to keep it together. The drills he ran every night had helped create that focus.

  Kryder, as pack alpha, could not have cared less.

  Grant crossed his arms over his chest uncertain if what he felt was rage or frustration. Both, he decided. Equal measures.

  Ryan, as usual had gotten straight to the heart of the matter. For six long years, Grant was the only thing that stood between Alpha Kryder and total brutality in the Meldorin Pack.

  Though suited by sheer brawn and a high degree of intelligence to be an alpha, Kryder was a fraction-of-a-gene short of criminally insane. He ruled not by an iron fist,
but by an undercurrent of magic-filled terror. He’d raped a number of the women, especially those newest to the pack. He would beguile and seduce them, usually with the help of a wizard’s spell, then assault with a force that left the women brutalized physically and emotionally.

  Kryder’s latest object had been three new females. Grant had coordinated efforts with Ryan and his team to get them to different hidden locations. This would keep them safe until Kryder’s interests waned. At least that was the plan. Once the alpha learned they’d disappeared, however, he would come for Grant.

  Right now, despite Ryan’s accurate assessment of the situation, Grant asked, “But are they safe?”

  Ryan, his features tight, nodded. “Yup, safe. Relieved to the point of tears.”

  Ryan was a few inches shorter than Grant and had sharp features. His thick, curly black hair went almost to his waist and drove the females wild. His intelligence was off the charts.

  He had a way of taking Grant’s best plans and making them better. Ryan missed nothing. Yet despite his abilities, he would never rise to alpha level. He was six-foot, stronger than most and lean. But he was no match for Kryder’s six-five, heavily muscled frame or a dozen others ahead of Ryan in pack order.

  But for Grant, he was the best of them all. He had a heart and that spoke more for him than all the muscle, height and bulk ever could.

  Not surprising, during Kryder’s rule, most of the serious rivals to his rank lost patience with his taunts and challenged him before they were ready. Each had died in the ensuing dominance battle. Kryder made sure of that.

  Grant’s survival had depended almost exclusively on keeping his shit together and not giving into Kryder’s jeers. But Grant hadn’t succeeded this far on his own. Without Ryan’s level-headedness, Grant would have caved years ago, and he’d be dancing with the worms.

  As for their current predicament, every time he, Ryan and those loyal to Grant effected a rescue, they walked a tightrope with Kryder. Would this be the moment that Kryder decided to hell with protocol and kill Grant outright? He’d come close more than once.

  “Where exactly did you send them?”

  “I turned them over to Kiara and she placed them in safe houses in Revel.” Kiara was Alpha Warren’s bonded mate. She had refuges in each of the five territories of their alter prison as well as a network of safe houses.

  Technically, Five Bridges was a nation unto itself, with its own governance and a Border Patrol. But thousands of feet of barbed wire and tall concrete walls, that in turn kept each of the five alter species from escaping to the U.S. proper, meant it was a prison. At least, that’s how Grant saw it.

  Grant narrowed his gaze at Ryan. “Revel didn’t mind taking the wolves?”

  Ryan shrugged. “I don’t know. Kiara said it wouldn’t be a problem. Because it’s been three years since the Fae-Wolf wars, she says times have changed.” The wars had been a blight on both territories and had lasted for two long months three years ago. He’d played his own unfortunate part. Ryan continued, “She called Kryder a scourge.”

  The word was too mild. “He is at least that.”

  In the pit below, nine female wolves, in full-fur, were running a coordinated drill, leaping over each other, circling back, rolling to leap once more. He’d taught them at least thirty drills and the women of his pack, in rotation, ran them. He wanted the females to be able to elude pursuing males of rogue packs or even Kryder and his men. Savage Territory lived up to its name.

  He also ran drills with the males of the pack. One day, he’d beat Kryder in a dominance fight. But Kryder wouldn’t give up the pack without a war. Grant had been preparing the Meldorin wolves for that day. He just wished like hell it would arrive sooner than later, but he was in no way ready to challenge Kryder in the sandpit. Kryder was still the stronger, more powerful wolf.

  A dominance battle would have to wait.

  Grant moved to stand at the top of the small arena behind the uppermost row of seats some forty feet above the pit. He wanted to see the women in action from the higher vantage. Ryan followed him.

  The women were spectacular which gave him hope.

  As he watched their moves, he thought yet again how different his life had been before the alter transformation. Prior to becoming a wolf, he’d been a high school science teacher built along the lines of Ryan, six-foot and lean. He’d loved teaching, bringing the bored students around to his fascinated view of the world, of science, and especially astronomy.

  Before Five Bridges, he’d always been looking up. The stars were his world. Now it was the earth, sand, and the view of the pine forest path as he raced on four paws. Or like now, as he stared down into a battle-focused sandpit.

  After a moment, it occurred to him that Ryan had fallen silent. His wolf instincts began rumbling. He sensed his friend was holding back.

  He turned once more and met Ryan’s dark eyes, they were nearly black as coal, like his hair. “Tell me.”

  Ryan lifted his chin. “You’ll find out anyway, but dammit, Grant, don’t let this get to you. Please. Because it’s bad.”

  “Just say it.”

  Ryan lowered his voice. “Kryder got to the youngest female before we could. She was torn up as all hell when we bundled her into the van. He’d raped her viciously and used his claws to hold her in place. He’d bit her several times, ripping muscle and flesh from both shoulders.”

  Grant’s thigh muscles twitched, and his rage came to life like an engine that had been idling until a foot suddenly slammed down on the accelerator.

  He was looking down. For six long, battle-filled years, he’d been looking down.

  Down at the dead and dying when he was on patrol.

  Down at the sand where he tried to give the women skills to survive.

  Down at the earth as he levitated and moved across Savage Territory looking for rogue wolves intent on killing.

  Down into his burrow where he lived his secluded life below the earth’s surface, where there were no windows to see the stars when night fell.

  The part of him that was still, and would always be human, hated this view.

  He’d stared down at his wife’s brutalized body when she’d been mauled in the Graveyard. He’d held her as she died. She’d told him to be strong and to watch his temper, that the women of the pack would need his vigilance, his protection and for him to stay alive.

  But it was all low and brutal.

  The young woman Kryder had just raped was only eighteen, a month into her alter transformation which she’d barely survived.

  Ryan gripped Grant’s arm and squeezed hard. “She’ll have a chance now. She’s safe. Let it go.”

  He’d seen Kryder working his wiles on the three women, but he thought he’d been in time.

  “He’s provoking you.” Ryan said, his steely fingers digging in hard. “You know he is. He did this to get you to react, but if you do, you’ll die.”

  Rage had Grant in its grip. He wanted Kryder dead. “He’s never been this blatant.”

  “My point exactly. This was meant to get you to call him out. He wants you in the sandpit, so he can finish you off legally.”

  Something was eating at Kryder, more than usual. Whenever he saw Grant, he started yelling at him, cursing him, trying to get him to offer a challenge.

  Whatever had him on edge, the pack felt it as well. Tempers ran short. Fights broke out. Shouting matches. Wolf battles involving claws and deep gashes. Order had become increasingly difficult to maintain.

  Across the upper row of seats, from an opposite entrance, a way-too-familiar voice drew his attention. “You’ve gone too far this time, asshole.”

  Kryder. And he was in rage.

  “Speak of the devil,” Ryan muttered.

  The sound of the alpha’s voice caused the wolves in the sandpit to stop what they were doing, shift back to their human form, then to assume submissive poses with heads bowed. The scattered spectators rose to their feet and did the same.

  Gran
t shot a telepathic message to Ryan. Get the hell out of here so Kryder won’t turn on you. I want you gone before he thinks to vent his rage on you instead of me. He’d lost count of the number of times Kryder had beat up Ryan in the hopes of forcing a dominance challenge out of Grant. Those were the worst for him. But each time, Ryan would be yelling at him telepathically to hold his own for the sake of the pack.

  Ryan said, For the love of God, don’t lose your shit.

  I won’t.

  Grant rose into the air as Kryder levitated above the sandpit and moved in a beeline toward him. From the corner of his eye, he watched Ryan begin his retreat.

  Grant called out loudly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Alpha.” He stayed at the back near the wall because there was plenty of room to maneuver.

  He would do everything he could to stand up to Kryder, just short of challenge behavior. He felt his wolf fur begin to prickle his chest and form along the upper ridges of his cheeks. Keeping his temper in check was always easier said than done.

  Kryder wore a t-shirt with cutoff sleeves which put his massive guns on display. One right hook had knocked more than one wolf out cold.

  His long, wavy dark brown hair was parted down the middle. Two thick braids framed his scarred face while the bulk of his hair hung down his back. He slowed on approach and dropped to within inches of Grant. He was three-hundred pounds of fierce muscle and the support structure of the arena seats shook with a thud as his heavy boots hit the walkway.

  Grant dropped down to match him.

  Half of Kryder’s intimidation came from his face. He had a thick nose that must have been broken before his alter transformation. His olive skin was pitted and scarred across the left cheek in three deep and very old knife wounds. His eyes, which may have been brown when he was human were now permanently amber.