Kye (Rise of the Pride, Book 6)

by Theresa Hissong

  The phone on his desk rang, and he picked it up to hopefully hear some good news from someone in his pride.

  “Hello?”

  “Harold?” Evie said from the other line. Her voice was a little unsteady.

  “Evie,” he paused, “How are you?”

  “Good… I think,” she whispered. “Can I ask you something without having to come into your office?”

  “Of course,” he replied, his mind churning over a thousand different reasons why she’d be calling… all of them bad.

  “Well, I haven’t told anyone this,” she said. “Kye and I are finally mates.”

  “That’s wonderful news!” he cheered, but he fell silent when his enhanced hearing picked up the sound of her breath catching. “What else, Evie?”

  “I went into heat tonight,” she answered.

  “Okay,” he drawled. “How long ago?”

  “About an hour ago,” she answered. “I don’t think I’m with child, though.”

  “Give it time,” he told her, hoping she was just being paranoid, but in all reality, the young female would probably never produce offspring. “Try to rest, and when you wake up in the morning, you will know… your mate will know.”

  “Thank you,” she said, hanging up as quickly as she had called.

  Harold’s head jerked up at the scent that filtered through his home. Something sweet and a bit wild tickled his nose, and his beast roared beneath his skin. Before he could rise from his chair to follow the scent, Luna appeared in the doorway, wearing a pair of blue scrubs. Her hair fell in ringlets over one shoulder and she was stunningly beautiful.

  “Thank you for the shower,” she blushed.

  “Um,” he cleared his throat, “Um, yeah. You’re welcome. Are you ready for me to exam you?”

  “Yes… no, maybe?” She hesitated. “Honestly, healer, the thought of another man touching me makes me want to claw my skin off, but I have some medical training from my pack, and I know you need to check me. Can you just make it quick?”

  “I can,” he said with a nod. “However, it may be better if we get Theo here to be outside the room.”

  “I’ll go back to the exam room.” She frowned, lowering her head.

  The thought of those scientists hurting any female sent him into a rage, but why did the knowledge of the things they had done to Luna make him want to find them all and kill them with his bare hands?

  Evie’s eyes fluttered open as the sun was rising over the horizon. She was warm all over and quickly realized Kye had not left her side the entire night. His large body was wrapped around hers in his sleep.

  She took stock of her body, hoping to feel differently, maybe even a bit sick, but was disappointed when there was nothing. Their mating night was perfect, and the fact that she’d actually gone into heat was a blessing. The realization that she didn’t conceive had her eyes watering.

  “Why are you crying?” Kye mumbled in his sleep. How did he know she was crying?

  “Go back to sleep,” she cooed, rubbing circles over the back of his hand where it rested against her empty womb.

  She waited several minutes for his breathing to even out before slipping from the bed. Inside the bathroom, she stood in front of the mirror and examined the mating mark on her neck. The two marks were scarred and stood out brightly against the light over the sink.

  Evie rested her hands on the sink and lowered her head. The healer had been right. She would probably never carry a cub for her mate.

  “How can I help him lead a pride with no chance of giving him an heir?” she whispered.

  “I will never lead a pride,” he spoke from the door, startling Evie so much that she fell into a defensive stance as she spun around to meet him. She didn’t even hear him get out of bed.

  “What?”

  “When I was dying…” he paused to reach out for her. She went to him willingly, resting her head on his massive chest. “I realized that I didn’t want to rule a pride. My life is with you, Evie.”

  “But you are an alpha,” she mumbled against his skin.

  “Only by blood, but not by mind,” he said, shrugging. “Can I just want to live a peaceful life with my mate?”

  “You don’t care that I didn’t conceive last night?” she sniffled, feeling more tears fill her eyes.

  “We just mated, baby,” he replied, tucking his finger under her chin so she’d look up at him. When their gazes connected, she saw love, compassion, and pride in his. “We have all the time in the world to make a family.”

  “What if we never do?”

  “Then I will love you enough to fill that void,” he said truthfully, capturing her lips. He scooped her up and took her back to their mated bed, showing Evie all the ways she was loved by the male who’d always been destined to be her forever.

  The End…

  Look for The Healer’s story coming soon…

  About Theresa Hissong:

  Theresa is a mother of two and the wife of a retired Air Force Master Sergeant. After seventeen years traveling the country, moving from base to base, the family has settled their roots back in Theresa’s home town of Olive Branch, MS, where she enjoys her time going to concerts and camping with her family.

  After almost three years of managing a retail bookstore, Theresa has gone behind the scenes to write romantic stories with flare. She enjoys spending her afternoons daydreaming of the perfect love affair and takes those ideas to paper.

  Look for other exciting reads…coming very soon!