Taze (Rise of the Pride, Book 11)

by Theresa Hissong

  Taze nodded and dropped his head as a show of respect. Talon could use his power to force them to get along, but his alpha didn’t lead that way. If he did, he would be no better than the Gadaí alphas who were forcing the rogues to cause havoc across the world.

  Malaki did the same as they were released. Both males remained silent as they exited the alpha’s home. Once they reached the training facility, Malaki reached out his hand. “I’m sorry for decking you, but I still don’t like you.”

  “The feeling’s mutual,” Taze replied, and accepted the apology.

  Chapter Seven

  Calla accepted the shot to her hip from Luna as the pain and fever from her heat flared. She was only a day and a half into her fertility, and she didn’t know if she would make it through the rest of the week without begging Taze to touch and fuck her.

  “It’s going to be okay in just a second,” Luna promised as she placed a cool rag to Calla’s head. “You can get some sleep.”

  “Why did this happen now?” Calla moaned. “Why was I late?”

  Calla had been so busy with work and school over the last two years, it didn’t even cross her mind she’d never gone into heat after she reached maturity.

  “We really don’t know,” Luna sighed. “You could’ve been a late bloomer. We usually follow our mothers in our maturity, and since you never had a chance to talk to your own mother about hers, you have to just accept what you get.”

  “She was older when she had us.” Calla relaxed as the medicine began to work. The cramps in her belly eased, but the wetness between her legs remained. “That’s all I know.”

  “I’m sorry,” Luna offered.

  “It’s okay,” Calla said as she covered a yawn.

  “I’m going back to the pride for a couple of hours so you can sleep,” Luna announced. “Call me if you feel the pain coming back before I return. I can be here in twenty minutes.”

  “Thank you, Luna,” Calla said, touching the female’s hand. “Thank you for everything.”

  Luna cupped Calla’s face and pushed some hair behind her ear. “You’re going to be just fine.”

  Calla closed her eyes and let the medicine take her away. She slept for two hours before waking with a parched throat. Her lips were dry and cracking; her body covered in dried sweat. She peeled off her clothes and turned the water on in the shower. Savage’s cabin in the woods had all the amenities she needed, and his promise of privacy was solid.

  The only people who knew where she’d fled were Savage and his mate, the healer and Luna, and the alpha and Liberty. She didn’t tell her brother nor did she tell Taze. If she’d let them know, both men would be at her side, and she didn’t need either of them there, for obvious reasons.

  She thought of Taze often. Especially during the worst part of her heat. She craved his seed, and her panther was on edge, pushing at her skin to shift and find him. It would’ve been so easy to just go back and beg him to touch her, but she didn’t. The last thing she needed to do was make decisions when in that condition. Plus, the idea of mating caused the panic to race through her mind.

  As for the information on the Amburo family, it was on hold. She had to think of herself, and even the alpha agreed she needed to step away from the investigation if she was worried. It was dangerous, but she didn’t want to stop helping the pride.

  The hot water washed over her body as she lathered up a clean bath cloth. She moaned as she washed between her legs. The need for a male’s seed was causing her body to do things she’d never experienced before. She wasn’t a virgin, but she was as inexperienced as one.

  A wave of nausea overcame her as she jerked her hand away from her sex. She couldn’t bring herself pleasure…she wouldn’t.

  Tears sprung from her eyes as she realized she’d never be the female mate Taze deserved. Calla was better off sticking to her current path, studying for her degree and using that to change laws and defend her species in the human courts. It would keep her brother from losing his shit, and it would save her a lot of stress in the long run.

  She let her hair dry naturally as she grabbed water from the small refrigerator, downing the bottle before gabbing another. Luna had stocked the cabin with basic foods, most of it protein. She didn’t have enough energy to cook for herself, so she opted for a bag of jerky one of the elder women in the pride had made after the last hunt they’d done on the winter solstice.

  She sat on the bed and ate in silence, trying her hardest not to think of Taze, but she failed. He had to be looking for her by now, and Calla hoped the alpha had put his foot down with both of them if they vowed to find her. She didn’t want it to be that way, but it had to be done. Her brother would panic because of her disappearance, but the males of the pride would keep him from going on a rescue mission for her. Gods knew she didn’t want to be found.

  Talon promised to keep her location secret from everyone, and she could sleep better knowing no one was going to pop up at the cabin. Only Luna had a key, and that was perfectly fine with Calla.

  She needed a break from everyone and everything.

  Luna had brought a bag of books for Calla to read when she was in a lull during the mating heat. The medicine the healer provided would knock her out for a couple of hours and leave her relaxed until the next dose was needed. Usually, she would go four to five hours between bouts, and she used that time to study and do her assignments. The books Luna brought would be for the late nights when she would have trouble sleeping.

  After she finished the jerky and another bottle of water, she rested against the mound of pillows and closed her eyes. She would meditate and relax until the healer’s mate returned. After that, she would accept the drugs offered to her to stop the need for sex and a male who would never have a chance to produce a child with her.

  When Calla told Taze she wasn’t ready for a mate, she really meant she’d never be able to take a mate…not after the things she’d experienced when she was just a child.

  Axlam Amburo slid the bound package across the table to his sister’s American boyfriend. The man had paid a lot of money for the cocaine laced Khat for his men and women. The man wasn’t really a man. His hazy yellow eyes proved he was more than human, and his power was not to be questioned or tested.

  At that point, Axlam didn’t give two fucks what the man was doing with the Khat as long as he paid in full with each delivery. His sister was whoring herself out to the man in hopes he would turn her into an animal, thinking she could have eternal beauty.

  Magan wanted to stay in the states. Axlam didn’t care either way. He was due to leave the next morning to return home. The accounts in America were secured, and he had the shifter man to run the business on this side.

  He would bow out from the delivery process to keep his name clear from the authorities. He’d already made too many trips to this place. There was enough Khat there to last them at least a few weeks. After the next shipment, the shifter would start transporting it to others across the United States. They projected to quadruple business in the next three months.

  Axlam’s time in Memphis was over, and the next morning, he would be on his way back to Somali as one of the richest men in his country. After that, he would retire and let his men handle the rest of the transactions. He’d seen the work of the shifters hired to stop the drug trade and round up the brainwashed shifters. He didn’t want any part of that.

  Taze was going feral. It’d been four days since Calla had disappeared and no one was talking. Not one of the Guardians let on they knew anything about her disappearance, and that was just odd. Especially, if the one missing was a mate. They’d all be on the lookout for the female.

  But she’s not your mate. The voice inside his head reminded him, again, that she was not going to accept their status, and he’d vowed to let her be the one to make contact.

  If he was a gambling man, he’d go against his alpha’s orders and search for her. Taze wasn’t as good at tracking as Calla was, but he could hold his own when ne
eded.

  Since that day in the office, Malaki had disappeared, too. He showed up for his shifts, but other than that, the male was vacant from pride activities. Unless that son of a bitch was going out looking for her on his own.

  “That motherfucker,” Taze bellowed as he turned into the driveway of the pride’s land.

  “What?” Noah asked.

  “Nothing,” Taze replied. “I just realized something.”

  “You haven’t been acting the same since she left,” Evie announced. Taze wanted to tell the female to butt out of their business, but he didn’t. He glared at her through the rearview mirror when they pulled up to her house.

  “I’m fine,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “I’m just saying.” Evie shrugged and slid out of the seat. He waited for her to get safely inside her home before putting the vehicle in reverse. Taze turned the truck around and pulled into his driveway. Noah was his neighbor and could walk the rest of the way home.

  “You’re not fine, man,” Noah accused as he came around the front of the truck to meet Taze face to face. “I know what you’re feeling. Hell, all of us who are mated know what you’re going through. I’m not going to make you spill your heart out to me, but I am offering you an ear should you need to talk about it. I can’t give you all the answers, but I can be a friend if you need it.”

  “Fuck, man,” Taze drawled as he wiped his hand over his face. “She’s been gone for four days, Noah. Four…fucking…days. And her brother is disappearing when he’s not on shift. I think he’s out looking for her even though Talon told us not to go.”

  “Oh, I’m sure he’s defying my brother’s orders, but you let Talon handle that,” Noah reminded him.

  “Do you know where she is?” Taze asked, hopeful the Guardian knew something.

  “No.” Noah frowned, shaking his head in shame. “I really don’t. I wish I could give you an answer.”

  Noah slapped Taze on the back, promising to see him at nightfall. Taze kicked off his boots as soon as he walked in the door. For the fourth day in a row, it didn’t matter how dark he’d made his bedroom, he couldn’t sleep, wondering where she was and if she was okay.

  He sat heavily in his recliner and reached over to crack the blinds so he had a direct line of sight to her tiny home. The brown slatted siding and green tin roof blended in with the land, but her white sedan stood out in contrast. It hadn’t moved in four days, and he’d checked the camera he’d installed at her work, proving she wasn’t there either.

  His beast rumbled in his mind, pacing as it voiced its concern over her well-being. Taze had to close his eyes and force the beast to settle, but it was hard. His human side wanted the same thing, and he was at a loss over what to do.

  Movement a few doors down caught his attention as the healer’s mate, Luna, walked out to her car and got inside. His brow furrowed. Why was she leaving the pride so early, and without her mate? It was odd for Luna to head out so early in the morning.

  He came to his feet when she stopped at Calla’s and went inside. She was only gone for a few minutes, returning with a small duffle bag. She tossed it in her car before hurrying down the driveway.

  His mind immediately went to the worst. Something was wrong. Fucking hell, his suspicions were going to drive him mad.

  He was torn as to what to do. The female was missing, and no one seemed to care. That told Taze everything he needed to know. The alpha and the healer knew where she was, and he didn’t realize he’d left his house and marched right up to the door until he knocked hard to get the healer to answer.

  “Taze,” Harold greeted, but he didn’t look happy to see him.

  “Where is she?” he growled, feeling his canines grow thick in his mouth. There was a burning deep in the pit of his stomach, and he caught his own mating scent as it thickened. It was time to stop playing games and touch the female. He, and his beast, knew she was going to be his whether she wanted a mate or not.

  “I cannot say,” Harold replied softly. Stepping back, the healer made a gesture for Taze to come inside, but the male watched him with a keen eye. Taze knew he was sizing him up to see if he was going to go feral.

  “You don’t have to sedate me…yet,” Taze snarled.

  “Let’s go into my office,” Harold offered after giving him a narrowed look.

  Taze marched ahead and took the seat in front of Harold’s desk, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the tops of his legs. “She’s my mate, Harold. I have to know if she’s okay.”

  The healer took to his seat and remained quiet for a few minutes before letting out a harsh sigh. “She’s fine.”

  “So, you know where she is?” Taze’s head popped up so fast, he felt dizzy.

  “Yes, I do,” he admitted, narrowing his eyes as Taze’s beast growled. “I am not telling you where she is, but I can promise you she will be home in a day or two.”

  “Fuck,” Taze grunted. “I’m losing my mind.”

  “By the alpha’s order, and out of respect for Calla, I cannot give you any information,” Harold stated. “Her brother came here two days ago, demanding information. I couldn’t even tell him.”

  “What do I do?” Taze finally asked after calming his panther. His voice sounded exhausted, and Harold heard the desperation.

  “Just wait for her, Taze,” he suggested. “Please, just wait for her.”

  He couldn’t wait much longer without going feral. Not seeing Calla for the last four days was wreaking havoc on his stability. If he let go of the fine threads of his sanity, he would have to be sedated…or put down.

  “I can’t think straight,” he whispered, fisting the sides of his hair as he fought off the need to shift and hunt her down. “My shifts have been shit. All I want to do is physically fight these Gadaí, and then hurry home to see if the light is on in her house.”

  “Mating hormones in males will do that to you,” Harold began, using his doctor voice. “What you’re feeling is normal, but since you two haven’t touched and officially mated, I will tell you this. Once you have a mate, and they disappear, what you’re feeling will increase a hundred-fold.”

  “I would have to be put down if she disappeared after we touched,” he admitted, knowing he wouldn’t be able to handle it. He would destroy everyone and everything in his path to get to Calla. He was close to that feeling already.

  “I didn’t tell you that to make what you’re feeling any better,” the healer reminded him. “I’m telling you this because Calla needs to work through her battles on her own. Neither you nor her brother are helping her.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” Taze jerked his head up, feeling his panther push at his skin.

  “You two are fighting and bringing so much stress on her that she is having panic attacks,” Harold accused. He bared his canines and his icy blue eyes glowed with the presence of his beast. Taze had never seen the male that angry before. “She has PTSD, and no one in her life is taking that into consideration when they voice what they feel she should be doing for her future. She’s fed up, Taze. Totally fed up…with both of you. If you want any chance at being with her, I suggest shutting the fuck up when you talk about Malaki, and while I’m at it, he needs to back the fuck off, too. Calla needs to work through the things she went through, and if you don’t support her, then you need to leave her alone.”

  “She was doing so well when we were training,” Taze blurted. “It wasn’t until she started this new career that she regressed.”

  “True,” Harold replied. “But she found another way to fight for us. She loves her job, and she is so determined to become a lawyer that she was willing to give up the chance to be a Protector. If you would look past your own wants, you’d see that.”

  “You’re right,” Taze admitted. He hadn’t been scolded like that since he was in the alpha’s office after treating Calla so badly. What he was doing now was no better.

  “Just be patient,” Harold begged. “She will be home soon.”


  “She’s okay?” he pressed, needing to hear the words.

  “She is,” the healer answered and escorted Taze out of his office. Hearing the healer lay everything out on the line shocked him, but deep down, he knew it was true. He and Malaki needed to come to some sort of compromise when it came to his sister’s well-being.

  “Thank you,” Taze replied, offering his hand. His father had taught him at a very young age that a male’s handshake was as good as a promise.

  Now, if he could keep his beast calm for the next few days, he could start over with Calla. She needed to heal, and it was time he started putting in the work to help her along the way.

  But first, he had to find Malaki.

  Chapter Eight

  Taze lifted his phone to his ear as soon as he awoke for the day. It was mid-afternoon, and he wasn’t going to be getting much sleep while he waited for Calla to return from wherever she had gone. The healer was right; Taze and Malaki needed to get over their differences for the sake of Calla.

  The asshole didn’t pick up, but that didn’t stop Taze from calling him again. He finally picked up on the third try. “What do you want?”

  “We need to talk,” Taze deadpanned. “And I mean, we need to hash out this shit between us for the sake of your sister. Meet me at the clearing in the back of the property in thirty minutes.”

  “You really want to have a go at this?” Malaki threatened. “I don’t think you’re ready for that, Taze Malone.”

  “Just fucking be there,” he warned and hung up the phone. His beast prowled, but didn’t beg for release. Whatever was between the two males were human problems. The animals didn’t fight amongst themselves.

  He didn’t shower, knowing he was going to end up bloody anyway. With Malaki’s temper when it came to his sister, Taze was sure the meeting would be anything but pleasant.

  He set off on foot, keeping to the main trail. There was no one out there, and he used the time to get his thoughts in order. There was still no knowledge on where Calla had gone, but from his ass chewing from the healer, he was certain she was on a mental break from the pride. She was fine being away from the alpha for a week, but if she didn’t return, she could start to weaken. Unless she was close to the pride. He didn’t think Talon would’ve let her run off for an extended period of time.