Noah (Rise of the Pride, Book 10)

by Theresa Hissong

  “I don’t know what to do,” Evie fretted. She went on to tell Calla how the trust with one of the agents was questioned. He was up to something, and they didn’t like it. They had to be careful what they said or did around Agent Murdock.

  “I doubt I can find anything on him, but I can try,” Calla offered. “I’ve gotten really good at finding people for court appearances.”

  “That’s because you’re a good tracker,” Evie noted, nodding in her direction. “You’d make a good asset to us, Calla. I really wish you’d reconsider the Protector position.”

  “I really wish everyone would quit hounding me about that,” the female huffed and turned around to head across the hall, speaking over her shoulder as she fled. “I have a plan to help find the alpha. I have resources at my work that can be used to find him.”

  “We need you,” Evie whispered, knowing Calla heard her every word.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Noah bit Landon’s ear as he held a handful of his hair. His chest was flat against his mate’s back. Ignoring the feel of his scar, Noah whispered seductively, “Let me change you.”

  “No,” Landon panted as his hand worked his own cock. “God, you smell amazing.”

  Noah’s mating scent was thick in the air…thicker than it’d ever been. After shifting several times, and the trauma of the shooting, his adrenalin was pumped. During his healing shifts, he would touch Landon, feeling his mate’s concern. All of that mixed together sent his sexual desires into overdrive.

  “You like my mating scent?” Noah teased as he slowly thrust into his mate.

  “You know I do.” Landon paused to moan when Noah released the hold he had on his hair and took over stroking the male’s hardness.

  “Let me make you feel good,” Noah urged, pressing his lips to the mating mark on Landon’s neck.

  “You already are,” his mate replied. “Please, finish me.”

  The sound of his mate’s shout of desire brought a smile to Noah’s face. He was happy with the male. All those months of pining over him and secretly watching Landon to make sure he was okay were finally over. The male was his.

  Noah fell to Landon’s side as he came down from the high of his own release. He left the bed for a moment to shower and returned to find Landon fast asleep as the sun was coming up.

  Noah texted Sophia and told her to cancel all of Landon’s appointments for the day. He was going to take care of his male and hopefully, readdress the topic of changing him into a panther.

  Landon woke when Noah placed a kiss on his lips. He didn’t want to disturb him, but his beast was pushing at him to make love to the human again. The beast wanted to take his blood again, and demand he change, too. Noah fought for dominance against the animal, pushing it to the back of his mind.

  “Hello,” Landon hummed as he stretched.

  “I missed you,” Noah admitted with a smirk.

  “I’m never far away,” Landon replied, and brought his hand up to cup Noah’s cheek. “Something’s bothering you. What is it?”

  “I want you to know how much I care for you,” Noah answered, closing his eyes as he nuzzled into Landon’s palm.

  “As I do you,” Landon replied, sitting up in the bed. The white sheet pooled at his lap, and Noah felt his body heating with desire to mount the male again.

  “Landon, I think I’m falling in love with you,” he admitted. “I know our species does things a little differently. First, we find our mates by touch, then we work on our matings until love finds us later on.”

  “I’ve been in love with you since the day you walked into my hospital room, Noah,” Landon sighed. “All of those nights I laid there in pain, I would look over at you sleeping, and you gave me peace and a reason to fight for myself.”

  “You are mine, Landon,” Noah vowed as he pulled the sheet away from his mate, exposing his thick erection. “I’ve waited a long time to find you.”

  Gabriel stood in the only hangar at the private airport in the small community of Cimarron, Colorado. There were rogues coming in every few days, and he had been tasked with starting a pride of misfit shifters. The government gave him everything he needed to redeem them. Little did they know, his blood and the Guardians from every pack and pride were the only thing keeping the Gadaí from taking over the world.

  His heart tugged as remembering the past. The Jackson pride wasn’t what it used to be. The disease that spread through his old family home killed everyone, except for him and Odin. His parents, brother, and baby sister were gone. He’d held their funeral pyre alone, and it still gutted him to that day.

  He saw a ray of hope with the new location, and even if the pride he was forming consisted of several different species, he was sure he could turn the ghost town into a thriving community for his people. With only a small post office and a general store, there wasn’t much else. The abandoned motel had an attached diner, and Odin had mentioned getting that up and running as soon as possible. Gabriel agreed, and had tasked Odin with finding out who knew anything about remodeling and have them help.

  The government gave him money every month to care for the rogues he was rehabilitating, and he could use those funds for anything as long as he was making a better life for everyone. So far, everyone was dealing differently with their new lives. Some were happy. Others…not so much. They all said they would stay, for now, and that was okay with Gabriel. He had a pride again, and he was feeling a little less broken each time he took in a new shifter.

  There were a few humans who resided there. Most left when news spread about the shifters. The population had dropped from just over a hundred people down to forty-five. The ones who stayed either couldn’t afford to move or were accepting of the shifters and wanted to stay in the beautiful mountain town. He was grateful for the ones who had stayed. They had been very helpful in the beginning while learning the area.

  A call from Talon Shaw in the middle of the night brought with it the news he feared the worst. The Gadaí had been found changing twelve females in a fucking alley in Memphis. Why would they risk themselves doing that? Either the alpha wanted the females turned quick, or they were setting the Guardians up for an ambush. Since the ambush hadn’t happened, Gabriel was sure the need for more pack members was the reason. More members meant more money. The thought of what they would’ve done to those females set his beast on edge.

  Talon had warned Gabriel of the issues they were facing and the suspicion surrounding one of the agents. Gabriel had his own questions about Agent Murdock. He wasn’t as accepting of the shifters as the other two agents, and that worried Gabriel. He expressed his concerns to the Shaw alpha, and they made a promise to keep each other informed on anything dealing with the government.

  “Alpha?” Odin approached after backing the van out of the hangar. “Pilot says they’ll be here in fifteen.”

  “How are the males coming along?” Gabriel had three males show interest in becoming Guardians of their pride, and he’d let Odin take the lead in training them to protect.

  “They’re almost ready,” he replied. “I’ve called them to come here and help us transport these six males to the pride.”

  Gabriel turned to his friend with a heavy sigh. They’d taken on a task of epic proportions. Not only were the Shaws sending them wolves, the other prides and clans were sending them different species as well. He’d already received a couple of lions, a few black bears, and one cougar along with the eight wolves sent prior from the Memphis area.

  He never would’ve thought it possible three years ago that his blood could rule all shifters except for the grizzly bears. The fact they didn’t need an alpha was a magical phenomenon he wouldn’t question. Those big bastards could stay hidden for all he cared.

  “Jace and Damon will be here any minute,” Odin informed him, pushing his hands into his pockets. It was cold, but the freezing temperatures didn’t really bother them. Odin and Gabriel had called upon their beasts to keep them warm by sitting right underneath their human s
kin.

  “There’s the plane,” Gabriel said, pointing toward the east as the two wolves he’d reformed arrived.

  As soon as the wheels touched down, he squared his shoulders and headed for the plane. It was time to do his part to keep the world safe from destruction and harm at the hands of some greedy alphas. He just prayed the other alphas were prepared should the alphas of the Gadaí succeed in multiplying their numbers.

  “I have to go,” Noah whispered into his mate’s neck. There were dark circles under Landon’s eyes as they struggled to stay open. He pressed a soft kiss to the mating mark and reluctantly slid out of the bed.

  “Be careful,” Landon urged.

  “Goodnight,” Noah answered. He would be careful so he could return to his mated bed. There was nothing out on those streets that would come between him and the male he loved.

  Noah hadn’t felt complete until the moment they exchanged the words. Well, that was a bit of a lie. He still needed Landon to mark him once he became a shifter. The obsessive need to wear his mate’s mark was still burning in the back of his mind.

  With one last glance over his shoulder, he closed the door softly on his sleeping mate. He didn’t want to accept Landon’s hesitation about being a panther, but he would. He would do anything for that male, and if it meant keeping him human to save his business, Noah would accept it.

  Taze and Evie met him shortly after, and they made their way downtown to find Agent Tabor. He’d sent them a text earlier in the day, requesting they meet him before they started their rounds. It confused Noah, because they were going to meet close to the alley where he’d been shot and not at Tabor’s office.

  “What do you think the agent wants?” Evie asked, her voice a little shaky.

  “I spoke with Talon earlier, and he said he’d rather us meet him out in the open than in an office. More ways to escape should something go down.” Noah didn’t feel uneasy with the agent. It was his partner, Murdock, that made everyone question some of the missions they were given.

  “What’s the plan?” Taze asked. The male kept his eyes on the road as he merged onto the interstate.

  They went over a plan, making sure to have their beasts use their sense of smell to look for anything out of the ordinary. Evie suggested they check the maps around the area for an escape plan, meeting back at the parked vehicle. Her jaw was set, and even though he knew she could fight as well as any Guardian, the missions were weighing on her. It couldn’t be easy capturing wolves and restraining them the same way she’d been held captive as a teenager.

  When they arrived, the plan was set and their alpha was notified. Evie walked ahead of them as they approached the intersection where Agent Tabor was waiting. He was alone and unarmed. Noah’s beast grunted low in its throat, and his partners tensed their shoulders at the sound.

  “What’s going on?” Noah twisted his neck from side to side, relieving the tension. The scent of trash from the alley burned his nose, and any scent he was looking for was being covered by the stench.

  Easy. He heard the whispered words from his brother and felt the magic from his alpha, giving him strength.

  “We have a problem,” Tabor replied, keeping his hands at his sides. “Well, I believe we have a problem.”

  “Explain,” Noah ordered. They were ready for anything, and as they’d discussed, Evie stepped aside so she could keep an eye on their surroundings. Taze was in the position to protect Noah and Evie should they need it.

  “I would never rat out one of my own, but I have a bad feeling you all are being played,” he admitted, taking a step closer to the group.

  “That’s close enough,” Taze warned.

  “I understand your reservations,” Tabor replied and started to reach into the inside pocket of his thick coat, but a growl from Evie paused him. “I have something I want to show you.”

  “Reach for it carefully,” Noah warned.

  Tabor nodded and retrieved a piece of paper, unfolding it from its four-part square. He handed it over to Noah and took a step back. “It’s not much, but it’s something I feel is important.”

  “Who is this standing with Murdock?” Noah asked as he gazed at the photo in his hand. The surveillance image was printed on regular paper, and although it was blurry, he could see everything. Murdock was outside of a local restaurant with a male and female Noah didn’t recognize.

  “That’s his girlfriend and her brother,” Tabor replied. “Axlam and Magan Amburo are from Somali, and the brother is a known cocaine dealer. He’s smart…very smart, and we’ve been secretly watching him.”

  “For you to be running surveillance on them, you have to have probable cause they are up to something,” Noah noted, refolding the paper and tucking it inside his jacket. He’d show this to his alpha as soon as possible. “Do you believe they are the ones bringing Khat into the states?”

  “We have very little evidence to go on, but we are on alert after seeing that video. There is a strong possibility Murdock has something to do with it.” Tabor cursed low under his breath before narrowing his eyes. “Khat is grown in the area they are from, and they’ve made two trips to the region in the last few months.”

  “I would say they are involved, regardless if you have the information.” Evie huffed and rolled her eyes. “I really wish humans didn’t have so many laws. We could end this immediately.”

  “But we do, and we have to abide by them,” Tabor agreed. “I’d like nothing more than to be able to tear them to shreds and just be done with it. I envy your shifter law.” The feds had been told of their old ways, but the current government had too many laws in place for the shifters to go around killing the bad ones of the species.

  And that sucked.

  “You cannot tell another agent this information. This is secret knowledge, and I could lose my job if anyone finds out I’ve told you.”

  “Would this be why Murdock has been sending us on wild goose chases?” Taze asked, relaxing a bit.

  “I think so,” Tabor replied. “Look, I will keep him busy while you look for these rogues. The faster we clean up the city, the faster we can get to this alpha. After that, I’m hoping I can flush out Axlam and reveal Murdock’s involvement.”

  “I’m required to take this information to my alpha,” Noah warned.

  “I understand,” the agent agreed. “You do what you have to do to get the job done. If I find out any more information, I will request a meeting with you at this exact location. If you are asked to go somewhere else, know it’s a trap.”

  Noah nodded in agreement, and sent out a message to his leader. They would have to return to the pride to give the information to the others. With the FBI around, Noah didn’t trust their phones not to be tapped.

  Evie cursed when they slid into Taze’s truck. Noah didn’t need to respond, because all three of them knew the rogues and the drugs were connected. They may just be looking at a bigger problem than they originally thought.

  “This is getting serious,” Taze snarled as they headed back to the pride.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Calla hurried to the kitchen of the old Guardian dorms to get something to drink while the female she was caring for was sedated. She hadn’t slept much the night before with the female shifting for the first time. No matter the drugs Harold had given her, she still screamed as her body reformed for the first time.

  Calla knew her name to be Heather Snow. She was a waitress at a Memphis bar, and from the information they’d found in her wallet, she was a college student. It broke Calla’s heart that the female would no longer be able to return to her normal life after the change. No female should have to go through what those women endured, and she wanted to help to make sure the violence stopped.

  Evie, Hope, and Jade were on rotation now, walking the streets to find the Gadaí before they destroyed the city. A pinch of guilt had her flinching when she thought of how she’d left them to train alone after she’d turned twenty. Evie was right; they needed her, but Calla’s h
eart just wasn’t into it anymore. It wasn’t her future.

  Finding the alpha was the next step. The Guardians and Protectors had been no closer to finding the male than they were when they’d first learned his name. He was elusive, and kept himself covered when he would give the rogues his blood.

  As soon as the wolf females were turned over to the alpha in Colorado, Calla was going to use her tracking skills to find Holden Manzelli. There was always a paper trail. You couldn’t hide in the current day and age like you could thirty years ago. It just wasn’t possible.

  Taze’s scent drifted across her nose the moment the front door opened, shaking the thoughts from her mind. He didn’t have to announce himself, because she already knew he was close. There was hesitation in his steps, and the sound worried Calla. She was sure he was there to help move the two females who were awake from their transitions already, but she was proven wrong when she saw him crossing the large living room space. His direction was aimed at her.

  “You okay?” he asked, his jet-black hair falling over his right eye. He pushed it back in annoyance and grabbed the back of a kitchen chair, spinning it around so he could straddle the damn thing. God, why was that so fucking hot?

  She had to tell herself it wasn’t in the cards for her to have a mate, and even though she knew Taze was probably hers, she didn’t want him to touch her. She was too busy making a life for herself, and a mate complicated things.

  “Yeah,” she yawned at the thought of sleep. “I’m exhausted.”

  “Hopefully, your female will be ready to leave this afternoon with the others,” he replied while she poured herself a cup of coffee.

  “How are things…ya know…out there?” she stammered, jutting her chin toward the outside world before taking a sip to keep her hands and mouth busy.

  “It’s tough,” he answered, crossing his thick arms across his chest. “We are outnumbered.”