Noah (Rise of the Pride, Book 10)

by Theresa Hissong

  “If you’re here to ask me to come back to training,” she sneered, “you’re wasting your time, Taze.” She wanted to yell and scream it from the roof of the alpha’s home. She would not be returning to fighting.

  “Never said I was,” he deadpanned. Didn’t that make her feel like a complete piece of shit?

  “I’m sorry,” she deflated. “I’m just tired of everyone assuming I will come to my senses and accept the offer to be a Protector.”

  She looked up at him when he made a sound, and what she saw there had her turning away. The disappointment in his eyes was enough to make that part of her heart ache.

  There was a time Taze had been her trainer. He’d pushed her to her limits, and continued to urge her more than the others to sculpt herself into a fighting machine. Calla would forever be grateful to him for the things he did in that training facility. It was Taze who’d taught her to go after what she wanted, and she should thank him, even if she didn’t fight for a role with the other females. Now, she was fighting for her education.

  In her former life, she didn’t have the opportunity she had now. Her family wasn’t very happy about the humans knowing about them, and wanted to keep her and Malaki close to the pride. They were killed because of their small-minded ways, thinking they could stay hidden from the bad things in the world and no one would come for them. Well, they had, and her mother and father paid the price for that mistake.

  “You do what you want to do.” Taze shrugged and raised from his seat as Evie and Hope came down the stairs. “I’ve always told you that you can move mountains. If it’s with your new job, then so be it, but I’d be stupid not to mention how good of a fighter you are, Calla. It’s in your blood.”

  “No, it’s really not,” she huffed, pissed he had brought it up anyway. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to go check on the female.”

  She hurried past Hope and Evie, ignoring their questioning looks. She took the stairs two at a time to avoid them. She didn’t want to have to hear how much she was needed in the program again.

  Landon sat in his office with his hands against the side of his head. The only noise around him was the heat blowing through the vents above his head. Malaki had made the room completely soundproof when he changed the doors to some type of bulletproof material. Hell, Landon didn’t even know what they had used. He just accepted the shifters’ paranoia and stayed out of the way while Savage helped him turn the space into a safe room.

  The topic of changing into a panther was brought up again while Noah was making love to him. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be one; he was worried about the clinic. The only domesticated animal he’d seen around the pride’s land was Liberty’s cat, Mittens, but that didn’t mean much. That cat was a sassy one, and she didn’t pay much attention to the panthers unless she wanted to show her dominance. Even that was few and far between. The animal kept to herself and lived on the protected land with no worry for her safety, because the panthers ran off most predators with just their presence.

  The males of the pride were all alphas in their own way. Even Cole, once he’d turned, gave off the confidence of a predator. Landon was smaller and less inclined to attack someone given the chance. Would he even be able to live like them? Would his softer nature change with the beast?

  “Fuck, I don’t know what to do,” he mumbled and wiped a hand over his face.

  It was nearing the end of the day, and Noah had already texted when he woke up around noon to let him know he would be making dinner tonight. It was Friday, and they had the entire weekend together after Landon finished with a few appointments in the morning on Saturday.

  When he arrived at the pride, Ranger stopped the vehicle at the gate. “The healer needs you at his clinic.”

  “Um, okay,” Landon replied, wondering what the pride’s doctor wanted. Noah was okay, as far as he knew. What else could the doctor need? “I’ll have Malaki drop me off. Thank you.”

  Ranger nodded and opened the gate, letting them through. He shot off a quick text to Noah, letting him know where he was going. It concerned him when his reply came back almost immediately: I’m already here.

  “What’s going on?” he wondered aloud.

  “There was a fight today and several Guardians were hurt,” Malaki offered.

  “Why didn’t you tell us?” Sophia gasped.

  “Talon didn’t want to upset the pride, but word got out anyway,” he grumbled. “I didn’t say anything, because it just happened an hour ago and there wasn’t anything we could do from the clinic.”

  Landon hopped out of the truck and made his way to the healer’s home, pushing the door open to find several Guardians sitting around with bandages on different parts of their bodies. The couch in his makeshift waiting room was full, and the matching brown wingback chairs were occupied. The males were cursing and raising hell so loudly, he couldn’t make out anything they were saying.

  Before he could ask one of them where his mate was, Noah appeared from the exam room toward the back of the cabin, motioning for him. “What the hell happened?”

  “They were ambushed,” Noah snarled, his eyes glowing amber. Landon took a second to rub his hand up and down his arm, relaxing when Noah calmed. “The Gadaí knew they were coming.”

  “How?” Landon asked, stepping closer to Winter, the alpha’s right-hand man. His mate, Nova, was at his head, leaning over to hold him still while silent tears escaped from her eyes. Blood pooled from at least seven different places on his chest, arms, and legs.

  “We think they were set up,” Talon answered as he entered the room.

  “What can I do?” Landon blurted. These people…well, shifters, were his family, and seeing them in distress bothered him.

  “I need you to assist me in getting these bullets out of the Guardians,” Harold said in a rush. He was in the corner, preparing his surgery tools, and from the male’s shaking hands, Landon knew he was agitated.

  “I’ve never operated on a human body,” he reminded them.

  “It’s no different than before. Just cut them open and dig out the bullet,” Harold assured him, pointing toward the sink. “Wash up.”

  Oh, hell. They were really going to put him in charge of operating on a shifter in their human form. He was a damn vet for Christ’s sake.

  “You take care of Savage in the other room,” Harold ordered. “He has a few less.”

  “A few less?” Landon gasped. How bad was the fight today? And in broad daylight?

  “Yes, now go,” Harold growled. “My mate is sedating him now.”

  Landon didn’t ask any more questions. It looked like he wasn’t getting out of his surgeon duties, and he had to act quickly. Noah had been very forthcoming about the fast healing abilities the paranormal possessed, and if they had a foreign object inside them, it could cause problems.

  When he entered the first room, Luna was stepping away from the male. On the wall to his right, Savage’s x-rays were lit up on the board, showing where they were located. The healer’s mate discarded her gloves and took Savage’s mate, Mary Grace, by the arm to remove her from the room while Landon studied the films. The sweet female placed a kiss to her mate’s head and left just as the sedative began to work.

  Without an assistant, Landon got down to work. He carefully cut into the wound before using his finger to dig around for the bullet. When he touched the warm metal, he used the utensils at his disposal to pull it from the large Guardian’s flesh. With a sold thunk, he dropped it to the tray and continued to look for holes in Savage’s body. One by one, he dropped them on the tray, cringing with the realization the shifters were at war. The healer was going to need help.

  All in all, he found five bullets, and thankfully, none of them had hit anything vital. He used the x-ray machine and got the images he needed to give the shifter the all clear. He didn’t have to administer anything to burn off the sedative, and like Noah, the healer promised their body would do that on its own.

  He left the room after
cleaning up and found Booth with one in his arm. “Can you all handle a smaller dose of sedative and not have to be knocked out?”

  “Yeah,” Booth nodded. “Half a dose works wonders. We will still be awake, but we’ll be too tired to care what you’re doing. It’ll dull the pain to an acceptable level, too.”

  Landon took Booth to the room where Savage still slept. He used the x-ray machine and sent the male back out into the waiting area. Noah popped his head in once the films developed. “Do you need anything?”

  “For these rogues to quit shooting the Guardians,” Landon snarled. “I can’t believe y’all can survive these wounds.” Booth would be okay. His bullet was in his bicep, but Savage and Winter should’ve been dead by now…or at the very least, in a damn hospital ICU.

  “We are tough,” Noah winked. “You should join us.”

  “Tell Booth I’ll be right there.” Landon ignored his mate.

  Booth took the sedative well and didn’t complain when he dug around for the bullet, dropping it on a paper towel he’d set on the end table by the couch.

  “Hey, doc, can I keep that?” Booth asked as his mate huffed her displeasure. Jade stood quietly through the entire thing, and Landon was surprised the female was so calm. He’d heard she had some alpha tendencies, but she didn’t want to lead her own pride. That woman was tough. Landon wasn’t nearly that poised when Noah had been shot.

  “Yeah, let me clean it off,” he said, rolling his eyes. Landon welcomed the moment of joking from the Guardian. The stress of the day was wearing on him.

  Noah sat in front of his brother’s desk while Talon scanned the surveillance photo he’d handed over that morning. With the ambush of the Guardians on patrol earlier in the day, they’d been too busy to sit down and discuss what had happened the night before with Tabor.

  “So, Tabor believes Murdock is somehow tied up in this drug the Gadaí are taking?” Talon confirmed.

  “They don’t have enough evidence yet,” Noah explained. “He wouldn’t give me any information other than this photo. Taze believes the agent might be working with Holden Manzelli.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised,” Talon growled. “One thing we’ve learned since coming out, it’s that the humans are ruled by money. They’ll do anything to get it, even if it’s illegal. If Murdock is in with these people, I’m sure he already knows where Manzelli is hiding.”

  “I’m certain he does,” Noah replied.

  “I need to send in a crew to watch him,” Talon suggested. “Having you, Taze, or Evie do it will cause suspicion. We need two or three Guardians who are willing to track him.”

  Taze and Evie arrived after taking care of getting the female wolves off to the airport. It had been a long few days with the females turning and the ambush. Noah covered a yawn and moved out of his seat for Evie to use during the meeting. She crossed her arms and shook her head, denying his offer.

  “We’ve been discussing your meeting with Tabor.” Talon pointed to the photo on his desk. “Noah and I were about to come up with a plan to track Murdock.”

  “Whoever it is needs to be careful,” Evie shivered. “I don’t trust him.”

  “We’re shorthanded as it is,” Noah reminded his brother.

  “I know,” Talon cursed. “I don’t have time to wait for more males to come of age to apply for Guardianship. I don’t even know if we have any trackers amongst them. The only one I can send in is Savage. He is our best bet, but that huge ass male sticks out like a sore thumb.”

  “Calla is a damn good tracker,” Taze blurted, a soft blush painting his cheeks when speaking of the female. “But she won’t go out on the streets. I don’t want her there, either. She hasn’t trained in over a year, and she still refuses to step foot in the gym.”

  “She’s offered to track Holden Manzelli for us,” Evie reminded them.

  “From the office,” Taze clarified. Noah saw the sparks of amber in the male’s eyes, but didn’t comment on it.

  “I need to speak with her when she arrives home from work,” Talon stated. “At this time, I need you three to be extra vigilant in your searches and your safety. I will also talk to Lucky and Storm before they head out tonight.”

  “I really don’t like this, Talon,” Noah admitted as everyone began to stand.

  Darkness was creeping in, and they had a few hours before they were expected in town. Noah would do some digging of his own on the secured computers in the room next to the alpha’s office.

  “I don’t like it either, but we can win this war,” he stated. “Go. Spend time with your families and brief me in the morning.”

  Evie and Taze said their goodbyes, and Noah was about to do the same when he turned to look at his brother. The alpha made a motion for him to close the door. Obviously, they weren’t done talking.

  “Has Landon made a decision about being turned yet?”

  “He’s still on the fence,” Noah hedged, but his facial expression betrayed him. Talon pointed to the chair in front of his desk. He cursed under his breath and took the seat.

  “You’re not happy about it,” his brother stated. It wasn’t a question. His brother went from the authoritative alpha to the compassionate brother in the blink of an eye.

  “It’s not my decision,” Noah blurted, glancing away. “It’s his, and I will stand behind him.”

  “But, you’re not happy,” Talon continued. “I can see it in your eyes, brother.”

  “It’s complicated,” Noah hedged. He didn’t want to tell Talon how he craved the bite of his mate…how he wanted to wear the mark upon his skin. With Landon remaining human, he would never have that.

  “There’s one thing I’ve learned since I mated Liberty,” Talon offered, pausing to rest against his desk. “You have to keep the lines of communication open. If you are struggling with his decision, tell him. I’m not saying you should convince him to change. He has to do that on his own, but Landon should know exactly how you feel.”

  His brother was right, and Noah respected Landon enough to go to him. It was a huge decision for a human. Noah took that for granted since he had been born a panther. He didn’t quite understand the hesitation when he thought of all the amazing skills he had. Who wouldn’t want that life?

  A little voice in the back of his head reminded him that Landon wasn’t like most people. He was putting others before himself, and he loved his job. Noah needed to tell him how he felt, and he needed to do it now.

  “You’re right,” Noah replied, finally making eye contact with his brother. “I’ll talk to him before I leave for work.”

  Noah left his brother’s office, making his way across the backyard to the road leading to the cabins. He didn’t stop until he walked into the door and cupped his mate’s face with both hands. “It’s killing me you won’t change into what I am.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Landon didn’t need air. With Noah’s lips on his and his tongue in his mouth, he didn’t need anything but the comfort of his mate. He hummed when he felt the change in Noah’s tongue. The roughness meant his beast was on the surface, boiling just under his skin.

  He would be a liar if he denied the fact that it turned him on. The animalistic need Noah had for him would never get old. The hold he had on his heart was burned there; scorched by the words of love Noah whispered to him when they were alone.

  “What’s all this about?” Landon panted. “Not that I don’t enjoy it.”

  “I want you to know how much I am in love with you,” Noah replied, still holding strong to the sides of Landon’s face. They were only inches apart. The glowing specks in his eyes hypnotized and held Landon there.

  “What’s going on?” Landon began to worry. The shape of Noah’s face was changing; his nose shortening as his eyes glowed. “You’re worrying me.”

  “I want you to see how amazing my life is,” Noah offered, kissing him hard again. Their breathing turned into heated moans, and Noah pressed his body closer. Landon’s body came alive with the feel of
his mate’s hardness pressed against his own. “I need you to know what it’s like to be what I am. It’s just so hard to explain to you through words.”

  “I’m trying, Noah,” Landon promised with a soft whisper, closing his eyes and leaning in for another kiss from the male. “I’m really trying.”

  “Run with me,” Noah begged. “Just come into the woods with me, and let my beast show you what we are…what we live for.”

  Landon hated the cold, but for Noah, he’d do anything. “Okay…okay.”

  Noah almost bounced on his feet as Landon added layers to his already thick clothing. He slid on his hiking boots and turned for the door. Noah quickly stripped off his clothes and took Landon’s face one last time.

  “Stay with me.” Noah’s eyebrows raised, making sure his order had been heard. When Landon nodded, Noah kissed him softly on the lips. “I will be your eyes in the darkness and your warmth when you are cold. Open your mind for me and just…live…live for the moment tonight.”

  Noah’s eyes glowed with the amber of his beast as he opened his mouth as his canines grew. He gave Landon a little wink before he fell to his hands and knees, changing to a large, black panther in the blink of an eye.

  Noah’s panther took the steps off the cabin porch slowly, waiting patiently for Landon to close the front door. The panther slinked along the driveway, keeping his pace with Landon. Noah kept Landon at his left side, making sure his thigh touched the panther’s side for guidance.

  The beast was warm. In fact, he was warm enough Landon didn’t even feel the cold temperatures. It would take a lot of trust to go into the woods blind, but he knew Noah wouldn’t let anything happen to him.

  The gravel of the road changed into dried leaves and a soft layer of mud from the melting snow as they continued into the darkness. Landon blinked several times, trying to adjust his sight. He could barely make out the trail they were on, but he could see shadows of trees and low-growing bushes.