Taze (Rise of the Pride, Book 11)

by Theresa Hissong

  Calla covered her yawn with the back of her hand as she put everything away. Taze was sitting in his recliner, but she couldn’t see his face since the chair faced the living room. He’d been quiet since he’d cleaned up their meal. Her heart warmed when she walked over and he stood from his seat.

  “Can we watch a movie or something?” she asked. “My brain is tired, and I want to watch some mind-numbing television.”

  Taze let her pick the movie, and within the first hour, she’d already curled up on his couch with a blanket he’d provided for her while he added logs to the fireplace. She never finished the movie, because her eyes had drifted closed. Having Taze around made her feel relaxed enough to fall asleep on his couch and not wake until the next morning.

  Taze ignored the movie. He was too focused on Calla sleeping so peacefully on his couch. If they were already mated, he’d have picked her up and carried her to their mated bed.

  He’d been fighting his need to touch her since she’d walked in the door after work. The therapy sessions were going great, but she’d only been to two of them. The entire time she was in the office, he would sit in his truck and watch every single human who walked in the building. He took his role of Guardian seriously when it came to the female.

  Trying to fight his panther for dominance when it came to claiming her was a test of his strength. Taze was certain the other mated males knew what he was feeling. If it took a year for them to touch, then so be it, but his panther wouldn’t be happy about it.

  It was almost three in the morning when he finally closed his eyes. Seeing as he worked the overnight shift, he didn’t do anything more than catnap for another hour. When Calla finally stirred, the sun had been up for an hour.

  He stood from his chair and made his way into the kitchen to prepare her a pot of coffee. He would need to sleep later, but he wasn’t ready for her to leave just yet.

  “Morning,” she yawned and stretched. Her blouse lifted, showing off the ivory skin of her abdomen, and Taze had to look away before he couldn’t walk from the erection he felt coming on.

  “Coffee is ready,” he announced as he poured her a cup. “What are your plans for the day?”

  “Studying,” she hummed as she took her first sip of coffee. “I should probably run home and shower, too.”

  Her hair was in a bit of disarray around her head, and he liked the way her lips pouted when she was first awakened. Looking away, he wanted to beg her to stay, but he didn’t want to push her too fast. “Would you like me to walk you home?”

  “You need your rest,” she said, holding up her cup. “Thanks for the coffee.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “I’ll study at home today. Call me once you wake up.” Calla washed her cup and returned it to the cabinet.

  He didn’t want to sleep. It was Saturday morning, and they should be running in the woods with the others instead of separating because he had to rest for his shift. He’d never questioned his choice of becoming a Guardian until that moment.

  “Promise me you’ll come over if you need me,” he ordered. “The door will be unlocked.”

  “I have plenty to keep me busy while you sleep,” she chuckled. “Did you see how big that textbook is?”

  They both laughed, and he was happy to see the lines of stress around her eyes relax. Calla was showing signs of her old self; the person she had been when she was training.

  He knew she didn’t want to talk about her time in the Guardian’s facility, but he didn’t want her to forget her time there. It wasn’t because he wanted her to quit her schooling. Taze believed the sparring helped her control her thoughts, keeping them focused on the task in front of her instead of drowning in memories of the past.

  “Go on home.” He paused to yawn. “Let me get a good six hours of sleep. I’ll call you later.”

  They said their goodbyes, and Taze watched her until she was safely tucked away in her tiny home. He closed the door, scooped up the blanket she’d used, and made his way toward his bedroom.

  He inhaled her scent as he lay there, absorbing everything about her. God, he was such a freak. It didn’t take long for him to drift off, and the blanket stayed tucked under his chin the entire day.

  By the time he awoke, it was well after five in the afternoon. He crawled out of bed, and like usual, padded barefoot across the living room to his kitchen to start a pot of coffee and make himself some breakfast even though it was dinner for the rest of the world.

  Her scent hit him, and he purred when he realized it’d lingered from her being there the night before. He could get used to waking up with the house scenting of his mate. In fact, while he poured his coffee, he wondered if there was a way to bottle it up so he could cover himself in it for the rest of his life.

  Rubbing his eyes, he grabbed his phone and checked his messages. Noah had sent a message around nine that morning, advising him of two more female rogues they’d found and brought back to the pride until they were done transitioning. He couldn’t understand why the Gadaí were being so careless changing them in the streets, and if they were not caught, how were they getting them back to a place for them to go through the change?

  He’d seen firsthand what the change did to a human, and he wouldn’t wish that pain on anyone. Thankfully, Harold had a sedative to help, but it didn’t stop all of the pain. He’d once heard Mary Grace compare it to labor, saying she’d rather have triplets with no anesthesia than go through the changing process again. Of course, he wasn’t a female, but he knew that birthing young wasn’t a joyride, either.

  When he returned to the living room, he peeked out his blinds to make sure Calla was home. His beast bristled at seeing her brother’s car pulling up in front. Malaki had been mostly quiet over the past week, and he wondered what had transpired between him and the alpha. Taze didn’t want to hate him, because he now knew why he had been such an asshole when it came to his sister.

  The male needed to work through his past, too. Calla couldn’t keep making excuses and allowing him to live with so much hate and anger. So far, she’d kept Taze in the loop about her meetings with the therapist, but she hadn’t once spoke about her brother.

  He wouldn’t interrupt her during their visit, but he would watch the house for any signs the male was distressed. It took him only a minute to pull a sweatshirt over his head and grab his jeans before stepping out the door. He took a seat and waited.

  It took an hour before Malaki came out and got into his truck, turning away from the road that led to most of the cabins. Because of the lots being taken up so quickly by the Guardians, they’d cut a new road on the other side of the dorms to make way for new cabins. Malaki was the first, and only, pride member to build out that way. The male wanted peace and that was exactly what he had gotten when he built his cabin at the end of the new gravel road.

  He gave her a few minutes before placing the call.

  “Good morning,” she answered. There wasn’t a drop of stress in her voice, and he breathed a sigh of relief. The visit with Malaki must’ve been a good one.

  “I’m awake,” he said as he walked back inside. It was cold, and he needed to start a fire if she was going to be coming over. “I’m building a fire. So, give yourself about fifteen minutes before you get here.”

  “You’re very sure I’m going to come over today,” she giggled. He knew she was teasing, and he wanted nothing more than for her to keep that bright attitude.

  “Of course,” he replied. “Hurry up.”

  “You said fifteen minutes,” she reminded him.

  “You’re a smartass,” he accused, feeling his beast pacing in his mind. “Are you hungry? I was about to make something to eat, then possibly go for a run in the woods before I have to go to work.”

  “I actually need to shift,” she admitted. Good, because he cherished the times they spent in the woods. “Food first, though.”

  “The door is open when you get here,” he offered, hanging up when she said she was on her wa
y.

  Taze was still smiling when she walked in the door. When he turned around, his eyes heated. She was wearing a pair of skin-tight, black jeans, matching colored boots, and a thick, flannel shirt over a tank top. Her top showed off the upper swell of each breast, and he had to bite down hard on his jaw to keep his tongue from falling out and panting like a dog.

  “Wine?” he asked after clearing his throat. As much of a gentleman as he wanted to be, and he felt like a complete piece of shit for thinking it, he wanted to touch her tonight. He wanted to complete the mating with Calla and work on her aversions after.

  “You okay?” She frowned as he set her glass down. He couldn’t look at her for fear of his panther making itself known. The mating scent he produced was getting stronger and he was fighting the urge to mate.

  “I’m fine,” he replied, turning for the counter to grab the tray of ribs he’d seasoned to put on the grill out back. When he turned back around, she was standing there looking like his personal wet dream. “God, you’re beautiful.”

  “Um, thanks,” she scowled, but moved out of his way when he came through. Calla was still standing in the same spot when he returned. “Why are you not looking at me?”

  “Fuck, sweetheart,” he groaned. “I’m really sorry. I’m such a jerk.”

  “Why are you a jerk?” She backed away when he moved closer, but he stopped just a few inches from her, and that was the worst idea he’d had since he and Lucky had decided to prank one of the elders when they were ten years old.

  “I want you,” he blurted, his eyes finally showing his true nature. “I shouldn’t want to touch you this badly, and I know better. Damn it, Calla. I. Want. To. Fucking. Touch. You. But I can’t…I won’t until you are ready to make the contact.”

  “I’m sorry,” she sighed, dropping her eyes to the ground.

  “Do not look at the ground when you speak to me,” he ordered, feeling his panther push at his chest. The male wanted to show his worth to her. “When it’s me and you, we don’t do that, yeah? That’s not the way we do things.”

  “You’re right,” she agreed, bringing her head back up. Her eyes were sparking amber, and he scented her desire. She wanted to touch him, but she didn’t know how. “Oh, Taze. I’m so torn.”

  “I know,” he replied. “Let’s not rush things. Tonight, we eat and run. Tomorrow, or the next day, we worry about the rest. Okay?”

  On her nod, he turned for the kitchen and slid her glass closer. When she took it and found her normal seat at his table, he finally relaxed enough to finish preparing the meal. “By the way, my mother asked if we would like to have dinner at their place on my next night off rotation.”

  “What night are you off?” she asked, her voice soft and sure.

  “Tuesday.” Taze set the potatoes to boil and grabbed a glass out of the cabinet. A beer wasn’t going to give him any calming effects. So, instead, he poured himself a whiskey on the rocks; heavy on the whiskey, light on the rocks.

  “I’m free that night,” she beamed. “Should I bring anything?”

  “No,” he said after taking a long drink. The whiskey burned going down, but it was a good burn. It kept his mind off of touching her, kissing her. “Mom wants to cook for us, and knowing her, we will be coming home with leftovers for a week.”

  “She’s such a good female,” Calla pointed out.

  “That she is,” he agreed. He’d talked to his mom about his desire to mate her, but he didn’t go into specifics out of respect. The conversation was mostly from his end, and his beautiful mother had listened to him ramble on for the better part of an hour, nodding and holding his hand when the things he struggled with got too hard to express.

  The meal continued, but a silence had descended while they ate. Calla was deep in thought, and he knew letting her stay there for too long was probably a bad idea. She’d told him she didn’t like being in that place.

  “Calla?” he called out. When she looked up, there was sadness and a bit of fear in her eyes. “We talk to each other, remember?”

  “Yeah,” she breathed out and leaned back in her seat. “I was just thinking.”

  “About?” he pressed, ready for whatever she could throw at him. They had a long road ahead of them to get to a point where they could move forward with their relationship, and every second they were together was going to count toward that goal.

  “Training,” she answered.

  “Training?” he asked, confusion making his brow furrow.

  “I was in a good place then,” she admitted, wiping her hands and placing her napkin on the top of the table. She drained her glass of wine and straightened her spine. “I don’t want you to think I didn’t like training. I loved it, but my dream to become a lawyer, plus my upcoming maturity, changed things.”

  “Go on,” he urged as he continued to eat.

  “I miss it,” she admitted with a soft blush. “I felt powerful then. Now, I don’t even know who I am.”

  “Are you telling me this, or are you asking if you can go back into the program?” He wanted to approach the subject carefully. She’d done nothing but blow up when people bugged her about the training program for the Protectors.

  “I don’t want to train to be a Protector,” she said with a shake of her head. “I would, however, like to have permission from the alpha to work on my self-defense and maybe some other exercises.”

  “I don’t think Talon would deny you access to the facility,” he declared. Taze was certain Talon would be ecstatic if she showed interest in working out.

  “Would you help me again?” she asked shyly.

  “Well, you know the problem with that,” he stated. “You would have to be covered.”

  She nodded and went back to her food. He waited patiently as she finished eating before sending her out to the living room to find something for them to watch. By the time he arrived, she was laying on the couch. “Did I leave my blanket here?”

  “Ah, yeah. It’s in my room.” Taze retrieved the blanket, thankful he didn’t do anything stupid like burying his face in her scent while he masturbated.

  “Thanks,” she replied as he covered her up, letting the top of the blanket fall over her shoulders.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Calla woke in the middle of the night. She’d fallen asleep on Taze’s couch again. When she sat up, she noticed a light on in the kitchen. “Taze?”

  He didn’t answer her right away. So, she climbed to her feet and searched for him, finding nothing until she reached the kitchen. The clock over the stove said it was a few hours after midnight, and there was a note left on the counter.

  If you wake up before I get home, go back to sleep. I’ll wake you when I get home from my shift.

  Sleep well.

  Instead of going to the couch, she grabbed her blanket and padded barefoot down the hallway to his room. She yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. It was dark in his house, but with a shift of her eyes, she was able to see the door at the end of the hallway.

  Taze’s scent was thicker in the room. A large bed sat against the adjacent wall. The sheets were in disarray and several pillows were scattered along the headboard. A laundry hamper sat empty on her right next to a dresser with a television mounted above it. She wouldn’t say it was the ultimate bachelor pad, but his room was pretty close to it.

  For a moment, she stared longingly at his bed, knowing when he came home, her use of his space would send the wrong signal. She totally understood what it would look like, but she felt safe here. In his space, she was freer. She could be herself and speak about the things that bothered her. Taze had been nothing but understanding since she had finally told him everything.

  “Fuck it,” she whispered as she climbed in the bed, pulling the covers over her body. The room was cool, but he had enough blankets to keep her warm until morning. Glancing at the clock, she made note of the time. Just after three in the morning. He usually arrived home anywhere from seven to nine. Hopefully, she would be able t
o sleep deeply enough to not worry about any sounds she heard outside his window. With his scent on the sheets, Calla relaxed and closed her eyes.

  The bed dipped, waking her from a deep, restful sleep. The split second of panic was replaced with a purr from her panther. Taze’s scent enveloped her as she pulled the covers over her shoulders.

  “It scented of you,” she explained.

  “I was surprised to find you in my bed,” he admitted. A bright smile lit up his face. “I’d like to see you there more often.”

  “I was worried you’d get the wrong message,” she mumbled, immediately regretting her words the second they left her mouth. Taze’s eyes held a bit of hurt from her admission. “I didn’t mean it that way. What I was saying…I…I don’t know. I think I was worried you’d come home and think I was ready to touch you.”

  “That’s not it, Calla,” he replied. “I didn’t think that at all. I was worried you’d had a hard time sleeping on my couch or you got scared.”

  “I just wanted to be close to you,” she said. Gods, she sounded so fucking weak, but Taze’s scent…his presence did something to her. It grounded her in a way nothing else ever had. Not even the training she had done made her feel this in control.

  “You are always welcome here,” he replied. “Do you want that run we never took last night?”

  “Actually, I do,” she nodded.

  “I’m ready when you are,” he replied, making a fist in the sheets when she stretched. It was obvious he was fighting his hold on the need to touch her. “I’ll make you a cup of coffee before we go.”

  She watched him as he left. The male was perfect in so many ways. His broad shoulders, narrow waist, and thick legs were normal for the Guardians, but the way he walked, with so much confidence had an ache building in her belly. There was something in the way he wore his leather jacket, too.

  “I need to get out of his bed,” she whispered to herself.