Page 19 of Alpha’s Vow (Copper Canyon Shifters #3)
CHAPTER 19
SABLE
T he drive back to Copper Canyon Ranch was cloaked in silence. Sable sat in the passenger seat of Bryce’s truck, her gaze fixed on the road ahead. The early morning sun bathed the landscape in its glow, but its warmth didn’t reach her. The enormity of everything that had happened was almost too much to bear, a suffocating mix of grief, exhaustion, and uncertainty.
Bryce glanced at her from the driver’s seat, his eyes filled with a quiet understanding that only made her emotions churn more violently. He hadn’t pushed her to talk, respecting the storm raging inside her, but his presence was steady and grounding, a constant reminder that she wasn’t alone.
When the sprawling expanse of Copper Canyon Ranch came into view, Sable’s breath hitched. The lush pastures, the horses grazing lazily under the open sky, the steady sound of life—it was a stark contrast to the chaos she’d left behind. For a moment, she doubted she belonged here. This place was full of life, of warmth and connection. And she wasn’t sure she even had all the pieces she needed to put herself back together.
“You ready?” Bryce asked as he pulled the truck to a stop near the barn.
Sable hesitated. “I don’t know.” She sat without moving and then turned to him. “Why? Why did you kill Seton?”
Bryce reached out, his hand brushing hers in a gesture that was both firm and gentle. “Because I love you. You took revenge on those who murdered your family. I took revenge on the man who hurt you. Let it go, Sable. You’re home now. Take it one step at a time.”
Home. The word settled over her like a blanket, unfamiliar, yet comforting. She nodded slowly, her chest tightening as she opened the door and stepped out into the crisp morning air.
The ranch bustled with purpose, the steady rhythm of life untouched by the battles she and Bryce had fought to survive. Colt and Landon worked near the stables, their easy camaraderie evident in the bursts of laughter that carried across the yard. By the corral, Briar’s melodic laughter intertwined with the soft nickers of a nervous mare as she worked her magic, calming the spirited animal with practiced ease.
From the main house, Dakota stepped out, her keen gaze sweeping the yard before landing on Sable. Her lips curved into a knowing smile as she called out, “Welcome back. Looks like you’ve been through the wringer.”
Sable’s shoulders sagged, the stress bleeding out of her frame as she mustered a faint smile. “That might be the understatement of the year.”
Dakota’s expression softened as she closed the distance between them, her hand reaching out to rest lightly on Sable’s arm. “Well, whenever you’re ready, come inside. I’ve got coffee on.”
A lump of emotion tightened in Sable’s throat as she nodded. “Thanks,” she managed, her voice husky with gratitude she couldn’t quite put into words.
Dakota gave her arm a gentle squeeze, her warmth lingering even as she turned and headed back to the house. Sable stood rooted for a moment, letting the quiet strength of the Savage family wrap around her like a comforting blanket.
“You okay?” Bryce’s deep voice broke the silence, drawing her attention. He’d come to stand beside her, his presence a solid, grounding force.
Sable tilted her head, her eyes meeting his steady, dark gaze. “I don’t know if I’ll ever feel okay again.”
“You will,” he said, his voice sure and steady as the mountains surrounding them. “This place has a way of fixing what’s broken. You just have to let it.”
Sable spent the next few days finding her footing, the simple rhythms of life at the ranch grounding her in ways she hadn’t expected. She rose early with Bryce, joining him for long rides around the property as the sun crept over the horizon. The Savage family and pack gave her space but never let her feel isolated, their warmth a quiet but constant presence.
She found herself drawn to the stables, to Ghost; the scent of hay and leather a familiar comfort. Some of the horses were wary of her at first, but she didn’t mind. She spent hours brushing them, talking to them in low, soothing tones, and slowly, they began to respond.
It was in the round pen with a young mustang named Ember that Sable felt her first flicker of peace.
The mare was skittish, her black coat gleaming as she danced nervously along the fence. Sable stood in the center of the pen, her movements calm and deliberate as she held the mare’s gaze.
“Easy,” she murmured, her voice soft. “I’m not going to hurt you.” Ember snorted, tossing her head, but her steps slowed. Sable stretched out her hand.
Bryce leaned against the fence, watching with quiet pride as Sable worked. “You’ve got a way with them,” he said.
Sable glanced at him briefly, her lips curving into a faint smile. “They’re easier than people.”
Bryce chuckled, his eyes glinting with warmth. “Maybe. But they trust you. That’s not nothing.”
Sable turned back to Ember, her heart swelling as the mare stepped closer, her nose brushing against Sable’s hand. The connection was small but profound, a reminder that she could build something beautiful from the ashes of her past.
Days turned into weeks, and Sable poured herself into training the mustangs. She worked tirelessly, her body aching at the end of each day but her heart a little lighter. The routine gave her a sense of purpose, each small victory with the horses filling the void that had once been consumed by revenge.
She found herself laughing more, the sound foreign but welcome. She joined the Copper Canyon pack for meals, her walls slowly coming down as she allowed herself to be part of their warmth. Bryce was always there, his steady presence both a comfort and a challenge. He pushed her when she needed it, his eyes reminding her that she was capable of more than she believed.
One evening, as the sun dipped low, coloring the sky in hues of gold and crimson, Sable found herself in the stables with Bryce. They stood side by side, their hands brushing as they worked in comfortable silence.
“You’re different,” Bryce said suddenly, his voice low.
Sable glanced at him, her brow furrowing. “Different how?”
“Lighter,” he said, his eyes meeting hers. “Happier.”
Sable’s breath caught, her chest tightening. “I didn’t think I could be. Not after everything.”
Bryce reached for her hand, his fingers intertwining with hers. “I love you.”
The bond resonated between them, the air thick with unspoken emotion. Sable looked away, tears filling her eyes as her heart pounded. “You’re infuriating, you know that?”
Bryce grinned, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. “Not the appropriate response.”
“Fine. I love you, too, but it doesn’t change the fact that you’re infuriating,” she said, but her lips twitched into a smile.
For the first time in a long time, Sable felt like she could breathe. The millstone of her past hadn’t disappeared, but it no longer suffocated her. She had found something here—something worth holding on to.
As she looked at Bryce, his eyes filled with quiet intensity, she realized she wasn’t just healing.
She was living.
The horses grazed peacefully in the late afternoon sun. Sable stood by the round pen, her hand resting on the weathered wood fence as she watched Ember, the young mustang she’d been training. Bryce fitted her with his bucking saddle, and with Colt and Landon steadying her, mounted.
It was as if the mare had exploded like a firecracker, her powerful haunches driving her into a frenzy of twists and kicks. Bryce sat atop her like a man carved from stone, his muscular frame moving fluidly with the bronco’s violent rhythm. The round pen churned with dust as the mare bucked, her ears pinned flat and her body arched like a coiled spring.
Sable leaned against the railing, her sharp eyes tracking every move. Colt and Landon stood beside her, their expressions split between admiration and anticipation.
“He’s got good form,” Colt remarked, his arms crossed over his broad chest.
“Yeah,” Landon agreed, his tone laced with humor. “But she’s got fire in her belly and knows her job. He’ll be eating dirt soon enough.”
Sable didn’t answer, her focus locked on Bryce. He was good—damn good—but the mare had an energy that went beyond wild. There was a calculated defiance in her movements, as though she knew her job and had no intention of not doing it.
The mare gave a sudden, sharp twist, her hind legs kicking high as she lunged to the side. Bryce held on, but the next move—a lightning-fast buck combined with a spin—caught him off guard. He lost his balance, and in the blink of an eye, he was airborne, landing hard in the dirt with a grunt.
Sable’s heart clenched, but before she could move, the mare stopped bucking. She stood still for a heartbeat, then turned and trotted straight to Sable, her ears flicking forward and her gaze soft and steady. Dust clung to her glossy coat, but her posture was calm, almost smug.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Colt muttered, leaning closer to the rail. “That mare knew exactly what she was doing.”
“Yes, she did; didn’t you, sweet girl,” Sable said, rubbing the mare’s neck.
Bryce pushed himself up, brushing dirt off his jeans with a wry grin. “Damn. This is going to revolutionize rodeo,” he drawled, his voice tinged with humor despite the fall.
Sable extended a hand, the mare pressing her soft muzzle into her palm as though she’d won some unspoken argument. “She’s smart,” Sable said softly, stroking the mare’s neck. “Too smart to waste on brute force.”
Bryce leaned on the fence, his dark eyes meeting hers. “Maybe, but she’s not unbeatable.”
Landon chuckled, clapping Bryce on the back. “Keep telling yourself that, brother. Might make the next fall hurt less.”
Bryce raised a brow at her, his grin widening.
Sable’s lips twitched into a faint smile, a feeling of peace settling over her. For the first time in what felt like years, the restless storm inside her had quieted. She had found something here, something steady and grounding.
“You’ve got a talent, you know,” Bryce’s deep voice rumbled behind her, sending a shiver down her spine.
Sable turned, her eyes meeting his dark, steady gaze. Bryce leaned casually against the fence, his broad shoulders relaxed but his presence commanding, as always.
“I know you weren’t really listening before, but I think you’re onto something. No cruelty, no stress on the horses, no rankness, just a horse doing its job. I’ve ridden a lot of the best bucking horses in the country, and none of them hold a candle to Ember. What if we could do the same thing with bulls?” Bryce said, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “Top-tier animals bred and trained specifically for the rodeo circuit. We’ve got the space, the resources, and—thanks to you—the talent.”
Sable blinked, his words sinking in. “You think we could make it work?”
Bryce nodded. “And we could breed good bucking lines, but because they were trained and not forced, after a couple of years on the circuit, we can recondition them into top-notch trail horses.” Bryce stepped closer until there was barely a foot of space between them. “What do you think?”
Her breath hitched, her heart pounding in her chest. “Bryce, I don’t know...”
“Don’t say no,” he interrupted, his voice soft but firm. “Not yet. Just think about it. You’ve already done incredible work with some of these mustangs. Imagine what we could do if we combined our strengths.”
Sable hesitated, the enormity of the idea swirling in her mind. A part of her wanted to run, to push away the vulnerability that came with building something so personal. But another part—the part that had found solace and purpose here—was intrigued.
“What would that even look like?” she asked, her voice quieter.
Bryce smiled, sensing her reluctance but undeterred. “We start small. A few horses, a couple of bulls. We train them, get them rodeo-ready. Then we host a competition, right here on the ranch, to showcase what we’ve built.”
“A competition,” Sable echoed, the word sparking something inside her.
“Yeah,” Bryce said, his voice brimming with quiet excitement. “We bring people in—riders, trainers, sponsors. Show them what Copper Canyon can offer. It’s not just about the stock, Sable. It’s about building a future.”
The enormity of his words settled over her, her chest tightening as she realized what he was really offering. It wasn’t just a business opportunity. It was a chance to create something lasting, something meaningful. And it was a chance to do it with him.
“You’re serious about this,” she said, searching his face for any hint of hesitation.
“As serious as I’ve ever been,” Bryce replied, his eyes locking onto hers. “I believe in you, Sable. And I believe in us.”
The vulnerability in his voice, the quiet conviction, unraveled something inside her. For so long, she had been running, consumed by grief and vengeance. She had forgotten what it felt like to hope, to dream, to build.
But here, standing with Bryce under the wide Texas sky, she felt something shift. Maybe she wasn’t just surviving anymore. Maybe she was ready to live.
The months that followed were a whirlwind of planning and preparation. Sable threw herself into the work, her doubts gradually giving way to excitement as the vision for the new division began to take shape. She and Bryce worked side by side, their partnership seamless as they selected the first horses for training and mapped out the logistics of the competition.
The ranch buzzed with activity, the Copper Canyon pack rallying around the idea with enthusiasm. Colt and Landon offered their expertise, while Dakota and Briar lent their support and encouragement, bolstering Sable’s confidence.
One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon and painted the sky in shades of gold and crimson, Sable found herself standing in the round pen with Bryce. They had been working with Rebel, who was now a far cry from the ill-tempered gelding he’d been when he arrived.
Sable wiped a strand of hair from her face, her chest heaving with exertion as she watched the gelding trot with effortless grace. “He’s ready. Building those chutes so that we have a signal for them to know it’s show time when the guys on the gate swing it open has really helped.”
Bryce stepped beside her, his eyes soft as he nodded. “It’s like they’re superheroes—by day the mild-mannered gelding who loves blueberries, and by night the ruthless bronco no cowboy will ever ride.”
Sable glanced at him, her lips curving into a smile. The bond between them seemed to vibrate with quiet intensity, the unspoken connection that grew stronger with each passing day. Sable’s heart pounded as Bryce turned to her, his gaze steady and unyielding.
Sable laughed, the sound foreign but welcome. For the first time in what felt like forever, she wasn’t haunted by the past. She was looking forward, and the future she saw wasn’t as terrifying as she’d thought.
As they stood together under the wide Texas sky, the first stars beginning to appear, Bryce tightened his grip on her hand. “We’re going to make this work, Sable. The ranch, the competition, everything. We’re going to build something incredible.”
And as the night settled over Copper Canyon Ranch, Sable felt something she hadn’t allowed herself to feel in years: peace. The journey wasn’t over, but for the first time, she was ready to face whatever came next.
With Bryce by her side, she knew they could take on the world.