Taze (Rise of the Pride, Book 11)

by Theresa Hissong

  Storm made the motion for Taze to try the door. Fortunately, the house still had its old hardware and no deadbolts. The entry was easy as he used his strength to break the lock on the handle.

  The stench of something chemical burned his nose as he entered a small foyer. Stairs to his right led to the upstairs room where the dealer was hiding out. Tabor and Lucky met them at the base and all four of them nodded their readiness to go after the male.

  Each step on the staircase was taken in a precise pattern as to not make a sound. Storm went first and Taze followed, placing his feet exactly where the other Guardian had just been. His beast wanted to shift for safety, but he reeled it in. Now was not a good time to be furry. The animal would get his time to be free once they were home.

  The stench became stronger the closer they got. He’d never been around the cocaine they’d been adding to the Khat for the shifters, but he knew the drug was sometimes cut with manmade chemicals, and from the way the other shifters covered their noses, he knew they’d scented it as well.

  The door to the lit room was cracked open, but it gave them perfect sight into what was going on inside. The male, probably in his mid-thirties with greasy, black hair, worked over a table with scales and baggies just like the ones they’d found on the rogues. A pile of white powder lay on a paper plate just to his left, and to his right, a pistol lay waiting in case something went down.

  Taze’s panther snarled in his head. The male had no idea they were even there, and that was like candy to a predator. He could taste the victory on his tongue, and the other Guardians around him swayed with anticipation.

  Tabor held his hand up as he counted down. On his command, they rushed into the room. Taze grabbed the male while Storm removed the weapon. In a matter of seconds, the human male was up against the wall, singing like a canary.

  “I didn’t do it,” he choked out as Taze’s eyes threw amber sparks. The animal inside him growled from the lie.

  “Is there anyone else in the house?” Agent Tabor asked as he searched the room. “If you tell me no, and I find out there is another person here, you will not like the outcome.”

  “Ah, can we just play with him anyway?” Taze wanted to scare the male, and it worked. His eyes widened as Taze flashed his canines.

  “No, God, no!” he begged, struggling against the hold Taze had on his collar.

  “No, there isn’t anyone here, or no, please don’t let me be a cat toy?” Taze pressed. His beast wanted to play, but the human side knew better. If this had been a few years ago, he could’ve gotten away with making the guy piss his pants from fear, but there were new rules in the new age of fighting the rogues.

  “No!” the man screamed. “No to all of it!”

  “You’re no fun.” Taze pretended to pout as Agent Tabor came over with a set of handcuffs, securing the suspect.

  It took an hour for the authorities to come by and gather all of the drugs and evidence they needed. The guy had been taken downtown to be questioned about where he’d obtained the drugs, but so far, he wasn’t giving enough information to have a solid lead on Holden Manzelli or the Amburo family.

  Evie entered the living room and hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “Don’t look now, but Murdock just arrived. Sounds like he’s pissed he didn’t get an invite to the party.”

  “You guys get out of here,” Agent Tabor suggested. “I can handle him.”

  “You sure?” Storm asked, narrowing his eyes at the other agent as he stomped into the house.

  “Why wasn’t I notified of this bust?” Murdock bellowed as he entered.

  “Go on,” Tabor replied.

  Taze used his enhanced hearing to listen in on Murdock’s string of profanities. Agent Tabor explained how they’d observed a guy selling Khat to a rogue. They followed the male until he wound up at the house, and he and the shifters took it upon themselves to investigate.

  Good boy, Tabor.

  Taze nodded to Storm and the others. Agent Tabor was one of the good guys. At least, he had their backs. Unlike Murdock, who’d been sending them on wild goose chases the first few weeks on patrol.

  Now, after all the training and new laws put on them by the government, the Guardians and Protectors had gotten into a routine when busting the Gadaí. So far, they’d sent close to twenty male and female wolves to Gabriel Jackson in Colorado. His reports had come back with a lot of good news. Most of the rogues were doing well and thriving, bringing life back to the abandoned mining town in the western part of the state. Thank fuck for that, because Taze knew they were asking a lot of the alpha to take on a pride of misfits.

  By the time they arrived back at the pride, the sun was already up. Several members were milling about, coming out of the alpha’s home. Evie’s mother was on the back porch, sweeping as they drove past.

  “Let me out here,” she told Storm. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

  “Have a good night off.”

  “We should probably stop by Noah’s and see if he’s awake,” Taze announced as they continued up the road to the cabins. “He’ll want to know what happened tonight while he was away.”

  They parked on the side the road, noting an unfamiliar vehicle in the driveway. Storm froze as they approached. “Do you know whose car this is?”

  “I don’t,” Taze replied with a shake of his head, but kept walking. They’d find out who it was soon enough.

  Noah was awake and answered the door. “I have a feeling this isn’t a social call.”

  “No, it’s not,” Taze replied. “Got a minute?”

  “We can use the back patio,” he hedged. “One of Landon’s nurses stopped by and they’re catching up over coffee.”

  “We can always come back,” Taze began, but Storm’s words cut him off.

  “We will stay,” the more seasoned Guardian blurted as his nostrils flared. The big ass blond shifter pushed his way into Noah’s house, and immediately approached the kitchen table where a beautiful, dark-haired female was sitting with her arms wrapped protectively around her body.

  “Let’s go out back,” Noah suggested, nudging Storm to get his attention. The male grunted and turned away before saying anything to Landon or the human female.

  “Everything okay?” Taze asked, noting a change in Storm’s behavior.

  “Fine,” he stated.

  “Okay then,” Taze replied with wide eyes. Lucky shrugged and took a seat in one of the chairs around a glass table.

  “So, what happened?” Noah asked.

  Amaya Bradley had worked for Landon Bryant ever since he’d opened the practice. She’d finally found a place she could work away from people. Animals got her. With one last pat on the head to the sick poodle, she climbed to her feet. How could anyone poison such a sweet animal? Animals didn’t hurt you unless they were protecting themselves.

  She wasn’t happy when Landon gave the practice over to another veterinarian to run, but she understood why. Since he’d changed and mated one of the panthers, he couldn’t work with the domesticated pets like he did before. They sensed his newfound status, and it scared them.

  Amaya’s new boss was female, and it was a relief when Landon had made the announcement. Doc Lacey was in her early thirties, and they’d developed a friendship over the past month. She never asked Amaya about her scars, and that alone made her relax a bit when she would come in at night to watch over the animals at the clinic.

  “What are you going to do on your night off?” Lacey asked as they gathered around the front desk. Sofia was firing up the computers as they got ready to start the day. Amaya loved working nights. It kept her mind at ease as she hated sleeping during the overnight hours.

  “I think I’m going to go by and see Landon and his mate this morning,” Amaya replied. “He said he would have coffee on by the time I got there.”

  “That’s great.” Lacey smiled as she closed the folder on Mrs. Richard’s toy poodle who’d needed treatment for suspected poisoning. “Give him my best.”

&nbs
p; “I noticed their living room light on as I left my house to come to work,” Sofia offered. “Noah was off rotation last night.”

  “I hate that your people are going through this,” Lacey frowned. “I never in a million years imagined something like crazed shifters terrorizing the world.”

  “It’s not the first time,” Sofia sighed and took a moment to fill them in on the Gadaí.

  “That’s awful!” Amaya gasped. “And they’re letting you work here alone?”

  “Oh, I guarantee you that my brother, or one of his fellow Guardians, are driving by every half hour,” Sophia said with a roll of her eyes. “Plus, these cameras are linked to the pride. They’re always monitored by one of them.”

  “I knew they were linked,” Amaya admitted, silently thanking the pride again for the extra set of eyes. She felt safe coming to work, and that was saying something. She didn’t feel safe anywhere, but Landon’s new family was better than being friends with the mob.

  “Get out of here and tell Landon we said hello,” Lacey ordered, taking a file folder and waving it in Amaya’s direction.

  She jumped in her car and made her way over to the pride. A handsome, but younger, Guardian was at the gate and waved her through when she arrived. Once she passed the main house, Landon said to stay on the gravel road. Recognizing his car, she pulled in behind him, looking out her windshield at the cozy cabin.

  Landon was out the door as soon as I stepped out. “Good morning. It’s so good to see you, Amaya. Come inside.”

  She walked in and got the same happy greeting from Landon’s mate. She’d been around him a few times, and even though one would think the big, menacing shifter would’ve scared her, he didn’t.

  “I’ll let you two talk,” Noah announced, touching his mate’s hand. “Storm is stopping by to give me an update on what happened overnight.”

  Landon nodded and escorted her into their kitchen. “Coffee?”

  “Yes, please,” she nodded. “I need to stay up for a few more hours to get some things taken care of since it’s my day off. I can sleep all afternoon.”

  They sat for a while, catching up on things at the office. He filled her in on his training to work with the pride’s doctor to give aid to the shifters.

  A cool breeze blew across her arms, and she immediately wrapped her arms around her body as a reflex. She hated the cold.

  The sound of heavy boots fired a trigger in her mind. She stiffened as an earthy scent filled the room. When she glanced out the corner of her eye, she saw Noah with a few others, but she didn’t turn around to introduce herself.

  “Let’s go out back,” Noah announced as he pushed open the back door. She held herself against another blast of cold air, but it never came.

  Amaya looked over her shoulder and held in a gasp. A huge, blond shifter was standing there, Noah nudging his arm to get his attention. The world around her fell away as he grunted and shook his head before walking out the door.

  Chapter Four

  Calla shifted as soon as she arrived home from work. The end of January loomed with the threat of more snow in the area, causing a shiver to roll over her panther’s skin. The thick fur insulated her enough to run through the woods for the next hour or two.

  Gods, she hated the cold. It seeped into her bones and reminded her of the time she spent with the wolves. She’d healed from that time, but there were still things that kept her up at night. Her anxiety would sometimes get to be too much when her mind played the scenes over and over in her head.

  Run, girl. Run it off.

  Her gentle command to the panther sent its feet moving as quickly as it could to the trail closest to her tiny home. The animal remembered those days when she had been collared so she couldn’t be set free. The abuse was felt two-fold; from Calla and her beast.

  The sun was setting, but she didn’t need the light to see. Her animal eyes adjusted as the last bit of light disappeared over the horizon. The birds chirped as they settled into the treetops for the night, and a rabbit scurried off in the distance to find shelter from the cold, winter night.

  The sounds of other pride members running through the woods was a comforting thing. Calla had always felt welcome at the pride, and it was getting harder and harder to remember her life before she was kidnapped. She and Malaki never talked about the night their pride was killed. Hell, they didn’t want to think about it at all. Seeing your parents gunned down at point blank range could change a person.

  The gods knew it had changed her.

  And Malaki.

  She remembered a time when Malaki had been gentler, less angry. He’d never been very protective of her when they were younger, and he mostly spent his time in the woods with his friends. It wasn’t until they woke up in a cage that they became closer.

  She loved Malaki with every breath in her body, but she was so tired of his attitude. What would it take to get him to back the hell off? Taze wasn’t as bad as Malaki believed. It was a miracle they could work together and not kill each other.

  Her panther snarled as she felt the anxiety coming on. The stress of feeling responsible to keep them apart was wearing on her mentally. If she didn’t care so much, she’d look for another pride once she finished school, but knowing how bad finding another pride had worked out for Jade kept Calla planted on the Shaw pride’s land.

  Calla made her way through the trails, approaching one of her favorite spots on the land. It was a place she came to often, and since it was off the main trail, she could rest in her panther body for a while without anyone bothering her.

  A large oak tree stood on top of a rise just beyond a valley on the land. The lower branches were as thick as her animal body was wide. The panther dug its claws into the bark for traction, using its powerful legs to jump high enough to reach the branch she called her own.

  Down below, she could see the trail, but for anyone passing, they wouldn’t notice her because of the height. The space gave her the beauty of nature while it freed her mind and soul of the stress she always felt. As the panther settled in, her human mind cleared and she let out a sigh as the soft breeze rustled the leaves below.

  There was no cover for her, but she didn’t mind. The peace was worth the exposure to the chilly night air. The panther closed its eyes and napped while her human side rested. Two teenage panthers scurried down the trail, but the sound came and went so fast, the panther didn’t do anything more than open one eye to watch them as they passed.

  It was later on when she awoke to the sound of heavy footsteps. Someone was out in the woods in their human form. Her panther raised its head as it stretched and kneaded its claws into the limb, causing tiny shards of bark to fall below.

  She scented Taze before she saw him, and her panther jerked its head to the side when he finally yelled her name. “Calla! Are you out here? Calla!”

  Her human mind wondered why he was looking for her, but her panther betrayed her and released its own mating scent to signal to him she was close. Traitor!

  The animal snarled to get his attention when he came around the bend of the trail. His eyes were throwing amber sparks as they locked gazes. Taze’s features relaxed as he tucked his hands in his jean pockets and stepped off the trail. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

  She pushed at her panther to shift as soon as she landed firmly on the ground. “I was enjoying some peace and quiet.”

  “Don’t disappear like that again,” he growled. His mating scent thickened in the air as his eyes traveled over her body. The heat in his gaze caused a shiver to roll up her spine.

  “It’s cold, Taze,” she blurted as her nipples hardened to stiff peaks. It was cold, but his gaze was doing things to her body. “Is this important? Or, can we go back to my house so I can grab some clothes?”

  “I noticed your car was there, and when I knocked and found your place empty, I was worried when no one had seen you.”

  “I’m fine,” she replied as she looked at her bare feet. “I got off work ear
ly. I needed to shift.”

  She hadn’t shifted in a month, and that was too long of a time to let her beast stay inside while she poured over websites to find Holden Manzelli.

  “Go home,” he ordered, causing Calla to raise a brow. “I’ll meet you there.”

  “Um, okay,” she replied and pulled at her animal. The shift was quick and she raced ahead to get to her house.

  His mating scent was strong in the woods, and she knew it would be stronger once he stepped foot in her tiny home. It would linger there for days, and if her panther kept replying with its own scent, she wouldn’t allow her brother to come over for two weeks. Malaki would blow his lid.

  Hello, stress. My old friend.

  She had just pulled a soft, blue hoodie over her head when he knocked on the door. She didn’t have time for a bra, but it didn’t matter anyway. She wasn’t all that well-endowed, anyway.

  “Come in!” she yelled as she pulled on an old pair of sweatpants. She’d had them since she came to the pride, and it was one of the first things Talon’s mother had given to her that she could call her own.

  “It’s cold in here,” Taze noted as he looked around her living area. The house didn’t take long to heat because of its small size. The main living room and kitchen were the base of the house and upstairs was just a bedroom and bathroom. It wasn’t much, but it was hers.

  “I have everything ready for a fire, but I didn’t start it since I was planning on staying out in the woods for a while.” She started to go over to the tiny fireplace, but Taze waved her away.

  “Let me,” he offered, but it was more like a demand.

  Calla tried not to watch as the tall Guardian knelt down in front of the old, black stove and grabbed a match from the box sitting next to a small stack of wood, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away. His wide shoulders blocked out what he was doing, and she licked her dry lips as the muscles there pulled his shirt tighter across the expanse of his back while he worked to light the paper under the wood.