It took about an hour before the females of the pride had food on the tables. The males stood back and waited for everyone to make their plates before getting their own. Evie watched as her pride gathered together, talking quietly while they waited on word about Savage.
“We are going to increase patrols on the land for the next few days,” Kye announced as he approached. “Liberty isn’t allowed to be at the bar, so Dane is going to be there full time from now until this is over.”
“We all need to be careful,” she said, transferring the baby to her other hip.
“You’re a natural with him.” Kye smiled at the little boy.
“Ah, thanks,” she stammered. Turning her head, she didn’t want Kye to see the sadness on her face. She still hadn’t told him about what the healer had said, and she didn’t think she could. It wasn’t the time or the place, anyway. For now, she’d push that information to the back of her mind.
The back door opened and Savage entered with his mate, Mary Grace. She looked exhausted and worried. The male came straight for his son, taking him from Evie. “Thank you for watching over him.”
“He’s a great baby.” Evie tried to smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
“You okay?” Savage asked.
“Yeah, just a little uneasy.” She shrugged, hoping the half-lie wasn’t detected by the Guardian. “How are you?”
“Perfect,” he winked. “We’re going to be okay. This will pass.”
“I hope you’re right,” Kye said, wrapping his arm around her waist. The connection was welcomed as the sun was setting on a disastrous day.
The rest of the Guardians arrived not long after, their expressions masked for the sake of the pride. It was no secret that they’d disposed of the body in the woods. She was sure the sheriff had a hand in making the man disappear.
“Where’s the sheriff?” Evie asked. She’d expected him to be around since he was the one who had warned them of the human on their land, but he’d been scarce since it all began.
“He’s coming,” Talon answered as he entered the kitchen. “We will get to the bottom of this, and I want everyone on rotation until this is over. It may take some time, but I refuse to let this cult, or whatever the fuck it is, destroy us.”
Sheriff Lynch’s heart beat at a gallop as he drove through the gate at the entrance to the pride. Two of his deputies were on duty and nodded as he passed. The entire situation with the male entering the pride’s land was as messed up as could be. The human male was sent by the Community, but Garrett had no damn clue that the fucker was going to kill himself when he was caught.
The Guardian Booth was at the door when he knocked. He had his hand on a gun at his waist, but didn’t have it drawn. Booth nodded and stepped aside, his face somber as he spoke. “Talon’s in his office waiting for you.”
“Thank you,” he replied and turned down the hallway. It was hard to not look at the members of the pride as they watched him with all of their icy blue eyes. It didn’t matter that he didn’t know all of them very well. It was his task to keep them safe, and he’d become very drawn to them all over the past few years. The thought of something happening to the pride honestly scared him. Not because if they were gone, he would be too, but because he really cared.
“Give me an update,” Talon ordered as Garrett entered the office.
Storm and Kye were at their leader’s side, both with their arms folded over their massive chests. The alpha’s baby brother had filled out over the past few months. Nearing his twentieth birthday had been a time of growth for him and, from what he’d been told, Kye was to be an alpha one day.
“The Community had made a last second decision to send in that human male to try and kill as many as he could before he was caught. My vision happened within minutes of warning your brother and Evie.”
“So, what? They waited to tell the male what to do until after he was at our fence?” Talon frowned. “That makes no sense.”
“Does anyone else know about you?” Storm asked, his eyes flashing amber.
“No.” Sheriff Lynch shook his head. “You are the only ones. Why do you ask?”
“Could they’ve known you have visions and are working with us?” Storm ran a hand through his short-cropped blond hair, cursing when Garrett shook his head again.
“I’m unknown to everyone except the pride,” he promised.
“Then how?” Kye asked, his brow pushed forward.
“I do not know, but I will find out,” he stated.
“What about the male killing himself when he was caught?” Kye continued, dropping his arms and placing them on the desk next to where Talon was sitting. “They had to have known something for this male to off himself.”
“My only guess right now is that they don’t want to be caught for some reason,” the sheriff answered. “In wartime, an enemy is trained to kill himself to keep from being tortured for information. This is the only reason I can come up with for now.”
“Has the Community made a statement?” Talon asked.
“No, they’ve been too busy scrambling for cover since a new lab was raided just a few hours ago.”
“Where?” Kye asked.
“About a hundred miles outside of Phoenix, Arizona.”
“Shit,” Talon cursed. “How many facilities do they have? And how long have they been setting this up?”
“That’s what I want to know, along with the fact that I only started seeing visions of them coming for you now that the threat in North Carolina has been eliminated.”
“Are you sure they are not working with other paranormal entities?” Kye asked, his panther growling behind his words. “Is this why you didn’t know anything until the human crossed over our land?”
“I really don’t know, but I’m going to find out,” Sheriff Lynch promised.
Chapter Four
Evie punched the heavy bag in the Guardians’ training room. She was solely focused on making every hit count. It was just after sunrise, one month to the day after Savage had been shot, and she knew she’d have a few hours to train before Kye was out of a meeting with the alpha. He’d taken on more roles within the pride since the breach, and had been learning everything he could in the event that he’d have to take over the pride in the future.
The door to the facility opened and Evie glanced out of the corner of her eye to see Hope enter with a bag slung over her shoulder. Ranger followed a few seconds behind, dropping his own bag on the bench.
“Good morning,” Hope greeted, kicking off her shoes. “Where’s Calla?”
“I’m here!” Calla called out as she rushed through the door, out of breath and already sweating. The young female had her short, blonde hair tied back with a black bandana to keep it out of her face. “I decided to take a long run through the woods.”
“By yourself?” Ranger frowned. Evie cringed when Calla looked at him with narrowed eyes. The Community was still on the hunt for their kind, and even with the heightened security, the alpha wanted everyone to be in pairs when out of their homes.
“I was fine,” she bristled. “I have my gun.” The young female turned around, lifting her tank top to reveal a holster sewn into the workout pants she was wearing. A pistol was secured in place at the middle of her back.
“The Community is still out there,” Ranger warned, looking at all three women. “I know you’re training, but these guards they’ve trained are showing no mercy when it comes to rounding up shifters. Have you not been watching the news? Do you not remember what happened last month?”
“I have, and I do remember,” Calla replied, dropping her eyes to the mat. “I’m sorry.”
“Come on,” Ranger said, backing down just a little. “We need to do some training before I have to go into work.”
News reports were full of the Community rounding up shifters and the government raiding their churches where the shifters were being held. From the looks of it, some of the buildings had been turned into prisons, and the conditions wer
e terrifying.
Just two nights ago, a breaking news story had come out, saying that they’d found another lab where some of the shifters were being held and studied in California. The pride had gathered around the television in the alpha’s home to watch them pulling out several body bags of the deceased.
Evie tried not to let all of the news reports get to her, knowing that what the Community was doing was just as terrifying as what the wolves had done to her. It tested her strength more so than anything since she’d been kidnapped and tortured.
A wolf with a collar in his hands.
“Bitch!”
His boot as he kicked her in the belly.
The needles that gave her sedatives.
Evie squinted her eyes and shook her head, trying to clear the memories. Her PTSD was still present, and it was something she was probably going to have to deal with for the rest of her life, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to survive. She’d come this far in her healing process, and there was no way she’d go back to those dark days.
“Evie?” Ranger called out, pausing as he approached. The large Guardian stepped up to her side and lowered his voice. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” she answered, shaking the thoughts from her mind. “Nothing at all.”
“Do you want to sit out today?”
“No,” she scoffed. “I’m not leaving.”
“Fine,” he replied, handing over a set of gloves. “You can spar with my mate today.”
Hope approached and waited for Evie to prepare for their training session. She took a swing and missed Hope. Cursing, she held her ground as the female struck out against her. Bouncing on the balls of her feet, Evie tried to concentrate, but it wasn’t working.
Evie tried not to let the worry seep into her mind while she trained, and for the most part, she succeeded. Until a memory flashed through her mind and she lost focus for a split second.
“She’s bleeding.”
“Good! That’ll keep ‘em from making more.”
“Oh, poor kitty, don’t cry. We’re doing you a favor.”
“Evie!” Hope hollered, rushing to her side. Evie didn’t even realize she was flat of her back until she opened her eyes and saw Hope, Ranger, and Calla standing over her.
“Sorry, sorry,” she said, trying to sit up. Her jaw ached a little from the blow Hope had delivered.
“You lost focus,” Ranger growled.
“I know!” she snapped, tearing at the Velcro straps on her gloves. She tossed them to the side and looked up at Ranger. “We done?”
“Yeah, but you better be here in the morning,” he warned as she grabbed her bag and made a move for the door. “I’ll walk you home.”
“Don’t bother,” she bit out through her clenched teeth. “I’m fine.”
The hot September breeze coiled around her body as she stopped at the edge of the building, taking a few deep breaths to calm her beast. The memories would always be there. It was just when they struck out of the blue, Evie couldn’t stop the flashes that ran across her mind’s eye… and that was when she would be set back. That was when she would regress back to that scared and defenseless girl from so long ago.
Fabric tore as her panther took control, shifting in a blink of an eye. Claws dug into the dirt at her feet as she fled for the forest behind the alpha’s home, knowing she shouldn’t be alone, but at that moment, she just needed to run.
Dane stood with his back against the end of the bar closest to the door, his foot crossed over his ankle. He appeared relaxed and with no cares in the world, but what others didn’t know, he was on guard. His eyes scanned the crowd, and his nose was alert to every scent that drifted through the bar. He was in charge of security at the door of The Deuce, acting as the first line of defense against any enemies who might try to cause trouble.
Human deputies, wearing plain clothes, ate lunch and played pool as if they were any other average Joe in town. Cole Bryant was behind the bar, a pistol strapped to his hip and a shotgun secured under the bar. Noah was at the pride house, monitoring the cameras with a keen eye. The security and fire-power in the bar was as good as any military installation, and everyone who worked there had been trained in the event of any trouble from the Community. Even Moe, the cook, was armed in the kitchen.
Winter was sitting at the bar with Ranger at his side. Luke, the other bartender, was washing glasses at the sink. Both Guardians were watching their mates as they worked at The Deuce. Liberty had put her foot down about the bar, refusing to close its doors during the protests with the Community. Talon had fought her decision and put up quite the fuss of his own, but in the end, his mate’s wishes were granted.
“Want a beer?” Cole offered as he leaned against the inside of the bar.
“Sure,” Dane nodded, watching Cole when he reached into the cooler to grab a beer. The bartender was a little older than him. For a human, he was almost as large as Dane. He’d served in the human’s military and got out after a few tours overseas. He had a small scar on his upper lip that made him desirable to the women who came to the bar. Yeah, Dane had noticed them flirting with him, but the man kept to himself and did his job, rarely giving the women his time. Unlike Dane with his longer hair to cover his mangled ear, Cole kept his deep brown hair cut high and tight.
“Liberty is conducting interviews today for another waitress.” Cole rolled his eyes, setting the beer in front of Dane. “I’m sure this is going to be fun.”
Dane lazily reached for the beer, accidentally touching the tips of Cole’s fingers. A shiver of awareness rolled through his body, and he frowned. That was very strange. The feeling wasn’t magical enough to call to his beast, but it was definitely something. Maybe he was just on edge? Whatever it was, Cole hadn’t felt it, because the male moved over to take an empty beer bottle off the bar top to toss in the trash can like nothing had happened.
“Yeah,” Dane said, clearing his throat. “Winter is going to sit in with Liberty for her protection. We don’t trust anyone these days.”
“Agreed, my friend,” Cole said with a nod. Dane tipped the bottle toward Cole as sort of a thank you before taking a drink. When the bottle leveled out, the door to The Deuce opened and in walked the most beautiful blonde female Dane thought he’d ever seen.
“Damn,” Cole whispered under his breath. Dane had to agree. Since he was closest to her, and in charge of security, it was his job to check this woman out. It’d be my pleasure.
“I’m here for an interview with Mrs. Shaw,” the woman said, her emerald green eyes assessing him in that way that males loved. “My name is Olivia Stone.”
“I believe she’s expecting you,” Dane replied, his eyes scanning her face and trying his best not to stare at her breasts or thick hips. He failed, and miserably, at that.
Fuck! She was stunning. Long blonde hair, big green eyes, and breasts that would fit his palm perfectly. She smelled of sunshine… and she was human.
“I’m a little early,” Olivia stammered.
“No, I think you’re right on time,” he flirted, holding his hand out toward the bar. “Why don’t you have a seat and let Cole make you a drink while I have someone get Mrs. Shaw for you.”
“Thank you,” she said with a smile, a light blush dusting her cheeks when her eyes traced his outstretched arms and the mass of muscles there. Yeah, that right there was what men loved; to have women look at them with lust in their eyes. Even his panther sat up in his mind, purring softly at her.
Cole leaned against the bar with a naughty smirk on his face, asking her if she’d like something to drink. It wasn’t like the bartender to show much interest in the ladies. Interesting. So, this change was enough to make Dane raise a curious brow at the male who was putting the charm on the same woman he had only seconds before. Dane waited for his panther to snarl at the other male flirting with the female, but the beast didn’t. He still panted with interest at the two of them flirting. In fact, he liked watching them. Dane was known to have a c
ertain taste in his pleasures. Seeing those two together was one of them.
Cole told Luke to cover the bar, and then he escorted the female toward the back office by placing his hand on her lower back. Dane’s upper lip lifted, wishing he could touch a female as easily as the human males did. Being a shifter, you touched women, but only to fuck or to see if they were your mate. Either way, most of them at least wanted to get to know the females first.
Dane had touched plenty of women, but mostly for a hot night in the sack. He didn’t care much for finding a mate. Now wasn’t the time to be bringing a female into their world. It was best that he stay single and stop looking at sexy, blonde females.
Yeah, right.
Chapter Five
“Explain to me why you ran off from training alone,” Kye bellowed as he came upon Evie lying in a thicket right at the edge of the meadow they went to often. She was in her panther form, her eyes closed as she growled low in her throat. The beast’s tail swished back and forth, letting Kye know she was agitated.
When Ranger had called him, Kye immediately knew where she’d run, and he didn’t use his panther to go after her. He knew that she’d probably need to see him… just him. It was obvious that she’d had some type of bad flashback from what Ranger had told him.
“Evie!” His panther was growling in his mind, but he wouldn’t let the beast free to show comfort toward hers.
“You used to talk to me about what was going on,” he reminded her. “Now, all you do is train.”
Nothing. She wouldn’t shift. At that moment, he wished he had his brother’s ability to force her to change. He needed Evie in his arms.
“Please, Evie… let me take some of this pain from you,” he whispered, knowing she heard him. He sat on the ground and opened his arms, praying she’d accept him.
Kye (Rise of the Pride, Book 6) Page 3
