“Sophia mentioned you closed down the office tomorrow,” Cole said, interrupting Landon’s thoughts. “I think that was the best decision. We’ve closed the bar, too.”
“It’s really not safe out there on the roads,” Dane agreed.
“Talon doesn’t want anyone leaving our land unless it’s an emergency,” Noah said after taking a bite of chicken and swallowing it down with a sip of tea.
“I guess we get to play some more tomorrow,” Olivia said with a wide smile. “I never really cared for snow much when I was a kid. Now, I love it.”
“It’s your beast,” Dane offered. “Panthers love anything new they can play with. Snow, water…it really doesn’t matter.”
“Cats don’t usually like water,” Landon chuckled, causing Noah’s head to pop up in shock. “Well, house cats don’t. The larger cats like…well, you…love it. I’m sorry, I’m rambling.”
“No,” Noah blurted. “It’s interesting. We aren’t related to any of the large cats in the wild. At least that’s what we’ve been told. So, we know what we like, and if it’s the same as the wild cats, it’s fascinating to me. I probably should’ve studied them growing up, but I just didn’t.”
“My field of study was domesticated animals like cats, dogs, and horses. I did research some of the more exotic animals in my free time during college.” Landon smiled warmly at Noah and felt his heart sink when he looked away.
“Only our healers know about us,” Dane informed him. “We’ve been spooked about anyone researching us since the Community tried to put us in underground labs.”
“I would never run tests or even think about asking to study any of you,” Landon balked. “That would be unethical.”
“It’s a hard reality we all face,” Noah sighed. “We used to live a peaceful life, but since we were exposed to the humans, things have definitely changed.”
“Have you spoken to the healer?” Olivia chimed in, holding up her hand when her mates narrowed their eyes. “Not to study us, but to offer your knowledge. I mean, Harold is only one male. He might need some help if we have another war. Patching up the Guardians is a full-time job on a regular day, and if something were to happen to several at a time, he could use your help.”
“I never thought of that.” Landon paused, weighing his words. “While I appreciate you thinking of me, I’m not sure where to start with all of you. Like I said, I have minimal knowledge of the shifters.”
“But you can sew up a wound.” Noah shrugged and popped a piece of bread in his mouth.
“That’s true,” Landon agreed with a nod.
“I’ll take you over there after the snow clears to meet with him.” Olivia nodded as if her decision was final.
Landon was about to say something when everyone at the table tensed; their eyes glowing with the amber of their panthers. Dane was the first to stand, knocking his chair on its back. Cole immediately grabbed Olivia around the waist and pushed her behind his back. Noah made a move to stand next to Landon, but he didn’t touch him.
“What the hell is going on?” Landon’s heart galloped in his chest. These shifters morphed into something he’d never seen in person. They were protectors…Guardians for a reason.
“Talon has called out to us,” Dane snarled, his eyes throwing amber sparks and his canines thickening in his mouth. “The sheriff is here with men from the government.”
“What?” Landon gasped, knowing what he was saying wasn’t good.
“He told us to lock our mates inside,” Dane barked. “Guardians are to report.”
“No,” Olivia cried out, reaching for him, but Cole held her back when Dane and Noah nodded toward each other.
“I’m sorry, love,” Dane whispered. He wrapped her in his arms, including Cole in his touch. “It is my duty to protect this pride. Stay with Landon and Cole. I’ll return soon.”
“But…” she began, then silenced herself when Noah whispered to her mate.
“It’s the Gadaí,” Noah mumbled as Dane kissed her swiftly before following the alpha’s brother out the door. He threw the lock and slammed the door, taking off on foot to the main house.
“Who the hell are the Gadaí?” Noah heard Olivia’s words from behind the door as he and Dane headed for the main house.
Chapter Two
Talon’s eyes tracked Sheriff Garrett Lynch as he entered the office with three men in suits. They each carried a briefcase, and from the scent, he knew they were armed with human weapons. All of the males were older than him by five to ten years.
“Talon, I’d like for you to meet Agents Thomas Klein, Walter Murdock, and Kevin Tabor.” The sheriff stood tall and strong. Talon watched him for several seconds, scenting the air for any deceit. When he found none, he extended his hand to each of the three men. “They are with the Federal Bureau of Investigations and would like to speak with you on the current affairs of the shifter community.”
“Our community?” Talon asked, eyeing Garrett as he stayed behind his desk. He knew Taze was in the security room watching his every move. The rest of his Guardians were in place outside in the hallway with the order to attack should these males make a move to hurt him. Winter was communicating with him through his thoughts, uneasy with the situation.
“We’ve come to talk to you about the shifters and some recent criminal activity,” Agent Klein announced as he stepped closer to the desk, touching the back of a chair. The agent’s height matched Talon’s, and the male exuded power. The salt and pepper hair on top of his head was deceiving. The male was an alpha among his species. Talon had no doubts about that. “Mind if we sit? I have some questions.”
“Go ahead,” Talon offered. Agent Klein and Agent Murdock took seats, leaving Garret and Agent Tabor to stand behind them. Tabor was the youngest of them, but by no means was he a boy. The agent’s dark brown eyes held Talon’s. He liked that about the male. He wasn’t intimidated. “What would you like to ask me about my kind?”
When he looked up at the sheriff, Garrett gave him a nod, indicating he was comfortable with the males. Talon glanced at Agent Murdock and sized him up. He was the only male in the room that put off a scent that turned Talon’s nose. It wasn’t one of lies, nor was it one of an enemy. He couldn’t place it, and he’d make sure the dark-haired one was watched until he could figure the male out.
“It seems we’ve had an outbreak of rogue shifters causing trouble around the world,” Klein began. “Police are unable to control them. They’re just too strong.”
“That is true,” Talon agreed, resting his elbows on the arms of his chair and steepling his fingers in front of his lips for a moment while he paused to weigh his thoughts. The Gadaí were thieves in their histories, but Talon was certain these rogues, as the humans called them, were not aware of the term. “We have superhuman strength, so I don’t doubt they are having problems with them.”
“We need your help,” Agent Tabor begged. Talon wanted to chuff and roll his eyes. Of course, the government needed them. When an alpha had control over his people and used them for nefarious reasons, the result would be catastrophic. “We have intel leading us to believe they are running in gangs, terrorizing humans, especially women, and stealing from banks, gas stations…whatever they can get their hands on.”
“Explain what you mean by ‘help’,” Talon pressed. He wasn’t able to send his Guardians off for months at a time, and he wouldn’t just offer up them up to anyone, especially the government. However, the only thing that could stop the Gadaí were other shifters…good ones.
Good ones like the Shaw pride.
“We’ve assembled a special task force to work alongside the local police in rounding up these shifters,” Agent Tabor informed him, shaking his head in disgust. “We are requesting Guardians to help our men out in the field. There are certain requirements we have when apprehending the ones terrorizing these humans, and I need you to be understanding of the laws we’ve put in place.”
“I assure you, agent, my men are better
trained in policing our kind than your government will ever be,” Talon began, his eyes glowing from the presence of his beast. “We’ve been policing our kind under secrecy for thousands of years. We were already doing this before we were exposed.”
“We understand that, but we have rules set by the government that we have to adhere to,” Agent Kline advised. “The paperwork alone will take a day or two to explain.”
“I see,” Talon said, relaxing a bit.
“I’ve been authorized to offer you and all of your Guardians compensation to work with the agents assigned to this detail.” The agent paused. “We would offer a salary to you and them. The use of government vehicles will be at your disposal, as well.”
“So, you want me to send my Guardians, who are tasked with protecting my land and family, out to serve as lawmen for my own kind?” Where was the line he needed to draw to keep his pride close for protection?
“Yes,” Agent Tabor said with a nod.
“I will not pull all my Guardians from my land,” Talon stated, and regardless of the human’s inability to feel his powers, he used them anyway. His beast snarled in his head so loudly, he almost missed the agent’s reply.
“We aren’t asking you to send them all,” Agent Klein assured him as he held up his hand as if he was taking a vow.
“How many other alphas have you contacted with this offer?” Talon was careful to ask the question. Garrett gave him a knowing glance, but quickly schooled his features. Talon would talk to the sheriff later. Once the humans were off his land, he and Garrett were going to have a long talk about what he had seen in his visions. Talon prayed the angel hadn’t seen their destruction.
“We have the cooperation of three other shifter communities at this time. They’re close to the more populated cities and can spare their men to patrol the area where the most activity has been reported,” Agent Murdock spoke up, pulling up something on his phone. He set it down on the desk and slid it over for Talon to read.
Fairbanks, Alaska: Duncan Clan (black bears)
New Orleans, Louisiana: Cyr Pride (panthers)
Los Angeles, California: Goldberg Pride (tigers)
“We’ve had reports just this week that there has been some activity in Memphis, and you are the closest community to the area.” Good thing it wasn’t further away. Without Talon, his pride couldn’t leave the area for more than a few weeks without becoming weak and eventually dying.
“Interesting,” Talon hedged, pushing the phone back toward the agent.
“Interesting?” Agent Murdock scoffed. “Is that all you have to say? Interesting?” The male was becoming a little put out with Talon, and thankfully, Garrett noticed, placing a calming hand on the agent’s forearm. It was obvious they were told to contain their tempers when around the pride. If one of his Guardians heard raised voices in a closed meeting, there wouldn’t be anything left of the door, or the agent for that matter, if they thought their leader was in danger.
“I’m not going to just offer up my Guardians and put them in danger,” Talon began, leaning over his desk. He knew his eyes flashed amber when the agents flinched. Good! “I need all the information you have about these rogue shifters and where they have been seen. And numbers, gentlemen. I need numbers as to our compensation, and I need to know how many rogues you’ve encountered.”
“Sheriff Lynch advised us you would need every bit of information upfront,” Agent Tabor said, reaching into his briefcase to retrieve a binder. “Here is everything you need to know about the gangs and the offer.”
“How long do I have to decide?” Talon inquired as he placed his hand on the file.
“Three days,” Agent Tabor said, straightening his jacket as he stood. “We are in need of your help. So, the sooner, the better, Mr. Shaw.”
The other agents stood and shook his hand. They didn’t pause as they were greeted with seventeen Guardians and three Protectors standing guard in the hallway as they made their way out of the alpha’s home.
“I’ll be back in an hour,” Garrett promised as he escorted them out the front door.
The moment they were gone, the Guardians and Protectors erupted in a volley of questions. Talon held his hand up, requesting silence. When everyone calmed, he turned for the security room and Taze was already opening the door to the safe room where Liberty was hidden with his two cubs.
“What happened?” she asked, her eyes wide with fright.
“Come to my office,” he hedged. “All of you file in as best you can.”
Talon pulled his mate to his side, waiting for everyone to settle. He wanted to be upfront with them and give everyone the option to voice their opinions. He knew they’d follow his lead, but he wanted the ones who were mated to make their own decisions. If they took the government’s offer, the Guardians would be away from the pride while they hunted down the bad guys. That alone could upset the mated males like Winter, who had a pregnant mate.
“This can’t be good,” he heard Diesel murmur as they all found places to stand in his office. The males left the few seats open for the female Protectors out of respect.
“We’ve been given an opportunity to work with the humans’ government,” he informed them as he stood behind his desk, glancing at the packet. “But, I’m not entirely sure I trust them.”
“What is it about?” Booth asked from his spot against the wall. The males and females were on edge as they awaited the news.
“Rogue prides and packs have begun to terrorize big cities, and the FBI wants our help in stopping them.” Talon wanted to be as clear as he could with the information he’d been given. His gaze swung across the room, taking in the faces of the males and females who relied on him to keep them and their families safe.
“This sounds entirely too familiar,” Savage grunted from across the room.
“Familiar?” Malaki, the youngest Guardian, asked.
“The Gadaí,” Talon began, but held up his hand when everyone gasped and started yelling questions. “I have a feeling these rogues, as the humans are calling them, have no idea they are following in the footsteps of our ancestors. I assure you, this time, they won’t almost wipe us out like they did so long ago.”
He spent a few moments talking to the few who didn’t know the history. The ones like Malaki, who were orphaned at a young age, didn’t know the stories of their past.
The Gadaí had ruled the world thousands of years ago. If the good guys had won, the shifters would’ve outnumbered the humans in the current day, but that didn’t happen. Complete prides and packs, along with a few black bear clans, were killed, almost eradicating all of the species and leaving only the Gadaí on earth to cause havoc.
The wolves hadn’t been saved. From that day forward, they were considered rogue, because no good alpha had been found to control the packs. Guardians had been created to protect, and they were the ones who stopped the war. Because of their heroic actions, the Guardians were respected as much as an alpha. It wasn’t until recently they’d found out that an alpha’s blood could control any shifter except for the grizzlies.
“I need to read over all the information they’ve given me,” he began, sending out a wave of calm over his people. He felt the resistance from the mated males, but he pushed even harder, causing some of his Guardians to sag where they stood. “Go home. I will call a meeting with the Guardians first. After that, I will address the pride as soon as I come up with a plan. Do not hide anything from your loved ones. Tell them we have been notified of the problem. I don’t want anyone in the dark on this.”
On his Guardians’ nods, Talon dismissed them and dropped into his chair as soon as he was left alone with his mate, cursing under his breath as he picked up the packet and dumped all of its contents on his desk.
The Guardians and female Protectors were sent home by Noah’s brother. The alpha had locked himself in his office an hour ago when the sheriff returned, and Noah was now on duty in the security room for the rest of the night until his brother was ready to
make a decision and speak to them. Noah would be working until morning, and hopefully by then, Talon would call a meeting to explain.
He watched the cameras on the land, paying attention to the front gate where Axel and Taze were working. Headlights flashed across the screen as Calla arrived home. She was unusually late, and he watched as Taze propped his forearm on the top of the car to speak to her. Noah didn’t want to pry, so he muted the audio at the gate to give them some privacy.
The other cameras filming the fencing around the land were quiet as usual. The updated alarm system was excellent at notifying them of any movement. A few pride members ran through the woods, playing and enjoying what was left of the snow, but other than that, the land was peaceful.
Calla’s car moved across the monitor, showing the road leading to the cabins. He kept an eye on her as she pulled into her small driveway. She’d been through so much, and it bothered most of the female Protectors how she’d given up on training. He wondered why, but he wouldn’t pry. Once she was safely inside, he leaned back in his chair and stretched, cracking his back to relieve the tension that had built there ever since the news of rogues was announced.
“Noah.” Talon called out his name as he entered the room.
“Why are you up so late?” Noah asked as Talon took a seat. His brother looked exhausted.
“This news has me worried,” Talon admitted.
“Worried how?” Noah asked, feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand up as his panther went on alert.
“We are going to have to help the humans,” he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Noah, the things the Gadaí have done is forcing our hands.”
“What?” Noah gasped, feeling the power of his brother’s anger dance across his skin. Talon’s eyes were glowing amber as he leaned back in the seat. “What have they done?”
“There are rogue prides and packs popping up all over the world,” Talon explained. “They’ve been attacking humans…females, and the authorities don’t know why.”
Noah (Rise of the Pride, Book 10) Page 2
