Once forbidden, p.1
Once Forbidden, page 1
ONCE FORBIDDEN
JADE RIVER SANCTUARY
SAVANNAH KADE
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents are either a product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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CONTENTS
Join Savannah
Also by Savannah Kade
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Afterword
About the Author
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Novels by Savannah Kade:
The JADE RIVER SANCTUARY Series
Hidden Hearts
After Yesterday
Once Forbidden
Starlight Secrets
The WILDFIRE HEARTS Series
Crash & Burn
Catching Fire
Flash Point
Up in Smoke
Down in Flames
From the Ashes
The WILDER Books:
Our Song
Heartstrings
Love Notes
Music & Lyrics
The Wilder Complete Book Set
That Night in Nashville
The TOUCH OF MAGICK Series:
WishCraft
DreamWalker
LoveSpelled
SoulFire
ShadowKiss
The Touch of Magick Series: Complete Set
The AGAINST ALL ODDS Series:
Steal My Heart
Call Me Yours
Ask Me to Stay
Promise Me Always
Against All Odds Complete Set
Georgia Grace
The BREATHLESS Series:
Gifted
Perfect
Ruined
Rebel
Lucky
The Breathless Complete Set
The DARK FALLS Series
Dark Falls - Lori Ryan
Dark Secrets - Savannah Kade
Dark Legacy - Trish McCallan
Dark Nightmares - Becca Jameson
Dark Terror - Sandra Owens
Dark Burning - Lori Ryan
Dark Echoes - Savannah Kade
Dark Memories - Sandra Owens
Dark Prison - Lori Ryan
Dark Tidings - Trish McCallan
CHAPTER ONE
Su Abbott ran for her life. Her adrenaline spiked as her feet pounded the forest trails, dark and damp in the early summer morning. Fighting to keep her breathing steady, she worked not to use up all her resources in this early burst of speed. She would need her endurance. If she managed to get away it would be because she played her cards well.
Though she wanted to stop, she knew she couldn't. They would find her.
At a fork in the path, her adrenaline spiked again, not with fear but with anticipation. She knew this mountain like the back of her hand. And he didn't.
That was the point.
Taking a sharp turn to the left, she left the trail. This slowed her pace considerably, but she was willing to risk it. She plunged into the underbrush, turning to her side, one hand down to grab trees and roots, keeping her steady as she took the steep descent in an attempt to evade her pursuers.
Yesterday morning, she'd gone on her jog, as usual. The Sanctuary had seemed almost too still when she'd returned—the kennels empty, no one barking to greet her. No soft flutter of activity or dim light at the back porch of the Veterinary Clinic.
Then, she’d stayed on the trail, going right past her own small cabin. The feeling of being alone cemented her decision to do more than go for a jog each morning. She’d kept going, earbuds still in, across the main training compound—open and empty—and up the back steps of the lodge.
The first trainee from Pacific Search and Rescue was supposed to have arrived the night before, very late. She’d tried to keep her steps silent so as not to wake the man if he was sleeping in. But it was late enough, the sun fully up, that she knew that Roz would be in her office. Su had continued up the back porch of the lodge, through the unlocked door, and around the corner to ask her boss if there was anything she could help with.
She'd bounced in, trying to keep her heart rate up. Earbuds still in, thin t-shirt covered in sweat and ponytail swinging, as she almost smacked into the back of him.
Tall and broad shouldered, he wore his cocoa brown hair pulled back. He didn’t turn when she entered. But he stood facing Roz, a twitch in his shoulder letting her know he’d heard her enter. Having almost walked right into him, she now knew that he smelled good and she didn't.
He turned then, sharp blue eyes startling her. She just stared until she heard her name for the third time as if from a distance.
No, she told herself, he was not so good looking that she was lightheaded. Roz was practically yelling at her because she still had her earbuds in. Su plucked them, trying to keep her breathing under control. It was from running, definitely from running.
“I'm sorry,” she said, too breathy, but what could she do about it? She held out her hand. “I’m Su, newbie dog trainer.”
“Ian Carello,” he offered as he took her hand. She almost didn’t hear him say, “With Pacific Search and Rescue,” because she was telling herself she didn’t feel a zing.
She’d had zings before, and they were pointless. Attraction was fine, but getting involved? No thank you. She offered a genuine smile then, glad she’d talked herself down.
“Ian’s here with his two dogs,” Roz said. “Jackson and Felony.”
“Jackson is a search and rescue dog,” Ian added. “And Felony is a cadaver dog.”
Around here, it was absolutely normal to be introduced with your dogs. Su just nodded. “Nice to meet you.” But then she looked past Ian, or at least she stepped to the side to get a good view around him so she could talk to Roz. “I just wanted to check in before I did absolutely nothing for the day to see if there's anything that you need.”
Roz had tipped her head toward Ian.
“Actually,” he said. “I could use a warm body. A runner.”
She frowned at him. That did not sound good.
“I got here early, wanting to do a few extra practice runs before the certification training begins.”
“He's looking for a fugitive to hunt. I told him I don't have any fugitives,” Roz explained but her expression was asking Su if she was interested.
Well, if Su had a fugitive, she would have shared with him.
He laughed. “You run?”
“Most mornings.”
“Want to become a fugitive?”
She frowned at him, thinking that fleeing from the law was really not on her to do list. Then in hit her. She was being dumb. Maybe his good looks were making her stupid. She was too old for that, and probably for him. “Oh, you want me to be a pretend fugitive?”
He grinned as he nodded, looking her up and down. It wasn’t skeevy, she figured he was assessing her ability to escape custody. She worked out. She ran. She kickboxed. He better not find her wanting.
“Su is your best bet,” Roz said from somewhere behind the broad shoulders, but Ian didn't look back. He seemed to still be assessing her
The boss lady then proceeded to shoo them out of the office. Su headed down the short hall and kept going across the wide plank porch and down the back steps. Maybe she was trying to get somewhere she could step a few feet away and hopefully he wouldn’t notice that she smelled as bad as she did.
Ian was close on her heels. “I just needed someone to try to evade Jackson.”
She’d raised one eyebrow, until he added, “And me, of course.”
“When?”
“Tomorrow morning? When do you normally run?”
She rattled off a time, thinking it might be too early for him, he was fresh in from the Pacific coast. But, of course, he agreed. Honestly, it sounded like fun. She'd agreed a little too readily. Whether that was due to his charm or her own boredom, she still wasn't quite sure.
He talked her through the basics before she turned to walk away.
“Wait.” He’d stopped her. “Can I have your shirt?”
I’m sorry, what? But she’d trained herself to hold her tongue, to only speak when she was ready and say what she intended. She turned with a WhatTheActualFuck? look on her face and raised an eyebrow at him.
She was sweaty and gross. She had nothing but a sports bra underneath. And he was too young to be hitting on her. He must be at least a decade her junior.
He easily read the odd expression, but it only made him laugh. His grin was enchanting as he held his hand out, wide palm, long fingers waiting. “For tomorrow morning. So I can give Jackson your scent.”
Oh. He was not asking her for her clothing for any fun purpose. Damn.
Still keeping her expression a little condescending—hoping she didn’t look as foolish as she felt—she didn’t say yes or no. Reaching down slowly, Su plucked the edge of her shirt and stripped herself almost bare.
She dropped the disgusting top in his hand as if it were a prize before turning and walking away.
CHAPTER TWO
Su had done her best not to cross paths with Ian yesterday. The goal he’d explained to her was for her and his search dog, Jackson, not to meet. So that when Jackson got her scent from the shirt, it would be the only place the dog knew her from.
For herself, it meant she didn’t have to face the man after she’d done her little striptease. She should have known it wasn’t a pickup line, not given the age difference or the fact that he was here for a professional training. Not given the fact that he had asked for a stinky, sweaty t-shirt.
But she could admit to a little bit of a fantasy about the young hunk. He’d been charming and kind and just a little bit forward. Now, on the run, she knew that the longer it took before he and his dog found her, the better she’d feel.
Like she’d won. If they found her quickly, she’d maybe have to reassess her self image. Then again, if he did find her, maybe she should chalk it up to lack of sleep. She’d had one sweaty, heavy dream of the blue-eyed hunk. Then another, very different dream, that woke her cold. She wasn’t sure if she’d cried out or not. Though it seemed like one of her typical nightmares, she told herself she didn’t remember what it was about.
Ian and Jackson had given her almost an hour lead time. He seemed to think he and his dog were good enough to catch her with that much of a lead. Su wanted to believe that she could best them.
At least she had an idea of where she was going. A plan. Just like a fugitive would, she thought about the best places to hide, to rest. How to carry supplies with her, but not burden herself.
She slid a few feet down the steep embankment, reaching out and grabbing for a tree to steady herself. She had not gone down the side of the mountain this way before. But a quick video chat with Devin yesterday had him giving her instructions in ASL. That had been clearer than any English words could be. She knew exactly where to turn, how far to go, where to rest, and when to meet up with another trail.
When she got to the second trail he’d told her about, it was exactly as he’d described: almost a ledge on the side of the hill. Not much farther along, she found the little cave he'd mentioned. Though she was concerned about snakes or wild cats or worse, she went ahead and crawled a few feet in and sat down.
She needed to rest. If she was any good, this was going to be a long day. She grinned as she pulled her knees up and looked out over the view.
Su had dug out an old pair of camouflage leggings. They'd come as part of a set and were absolutely not her style. But right now, she was grateful to have them. Her sports bra was hot pink, and she already regretted that decision. The shirt she wore over it, though, was in mid-toned beige. No earbuds today. Just a small pack with fruit strips, granola bars, and a water bottle.
Turning around, she checked the cave again for animals, then checked her watch. Ian and Jackson should have left the Sanctuary about thirty minutes ago. The search and rescue guy said he needed someplace where he had no idea about the terrain. Someplace he and Jackson had never been before, searching for someone who didn't want to be found.
She recalled their conversation. She’d asked if he hunted a lot of fugitives.
But he’d said No, and that was the problem. He'd been called out and offered the chance to help find an escaped prisoner recently. While he felt Jackson was excellent at tracking people, he and the dog together were both a little untrained at finding someone who didn't want to be found.
The majority of people they searched for were apparently wanting help: desperate for someone to locate them and happy to see the dog. Worst case scenario, he’d told her, they were out cold, possibly even deceased. But rarely were they actively combative. Rarely were they doing things designed to evade the dog.
Mostly they just stumbled through the woods being lost. Walked in circles, got dehydrated, and became even more disoriented. Su was doing her best to stay alert and escape them.
She looked across the view. The river cut a sharp groove in the mountain and the small town of Jade River Valley sat on the other side of the water. It was about ten miles from the Sanctuary if one went straight down the mountain. Which she was doing . . .
When she slowed her breathing, she could hear the rush of water over the tumble of rocks. Roz had been right: It was a sanctuary out here. Su needed it. Her mind was calmer than when she’d first gotten here. There had been no spare time in the beginning, and she’d worked on learning the ropes and learning a new language.
Devin, one of the other trainers and the grant writer, was Deaf. Not only was Roz quietly demanding that everyone learn to speak ASL as an accommodation for another trainer, but because they trained hearing-ear dogs. Su hadn’t balked. She loved a challenge and even tried to learn what she could before she showed up.
She’d thought she was doing so well, had such a huge vocabulary . . . Only the first time she’d tried to actually talk to Devin, she’d found she was nowhere near as far along as she’d thought.
Ouch.
She was much better now. But as she sat and tried to breathe easy and sipped at her water, she wondered if she had false confidence today, too.
No, she told herself. She was doing it right. Here, her confidence would help. She couldn’t afford to lose it.
