Talon (Rise of the Pride, Book 1)

by Theresa Hissong

  “Mom?” Talon softly called out, a little nervous at what he was about to ask. If he could talk to anyone, it’d be her. He’d waited until all of the women had left, giving him some privacy with his mom.

  “What is it, Talon?” she asked, sounding worried as she wiped her hands on a dishtowel.

  “I’ve met a woman,” he admitted, feeling like a damn schoolboy. He was the alpha for fuck’s sake! He felt like the biggest idiot for running to his mom for advice.

  “Oh!” she squealed, then smiled bright as possible. His mother didn’t look like she was well into her sixties. Her hair was always styled in perfect curls, not a gray hair to be seen. Talon had inherited his dark hair from his mom. “Tell me about her.”

  “She’s human,” he said sadly, dropping his head into his hands.

  “And?” she asked, taking her hand and stroking his back softly, just the way a mother would.

  “Is that all you have to say?” he asked, holding back a growl of frustration.

  “There’s nothing wrong with mating a human,” she said, and giggled, looking like a younger version of herself. “Your aunt Georgia was human.”

  “What?” Talon snapped to attention, his eyes popping wide. That was news to him. No one had ever said anything about having a human mated to his uncle on his father’s side.

  “Son,” she sighed, placing a calming hand on his forearm. They were both leaning against the counter in the kitchen. “There is no rule that says we can’t mate with humans. Up until our discovery, it was just important to keep our secret. The only rule is that if you want to have young, you have to change her.”

  “Changing a human is risky.” Most panthers were born. There were a few who were turned, but it was very painful and dangerous. There was a fair chance that the human’s body wouldn’t handle the transformation. Most panthers stuck to their own kind anyways.

  “If she is a strong woman,” his mom smiled up at him, “she’ll be fine.”

  “But, I was told that humans couldn’t handle us when we…um, mate,” he blushed, his voice thick with embarrassment.

  “I’m sure you can figure that one out on your own,” she chuckled. “Now, tell me about her.”

  He filled her in on everything he knew about Liberty, which wasn’t very much. He even told his mother about his panther claiming her with a heated kiss in the bar and how she totally brushed him off.

  “She asked me if panthers dated!” He snorted. “I don’t even know what the hell she’s talking about.”

  “Boy, you are as stubborn as your father,” she scolded. “Women want to be courted…romanced. Ask that poor girl out on a date. Take her to dinner, buy her flowers. Do something to show her you care.”

  “Dinner?” he said, shaking his head with a laugh. “Flowers?”

  “Yes, Talon.” She smiled, pulling his shirt so he’d lean in closer. She kissed his cheek and patted his hand. “Make your plan and let me know if you need any help with your tie. I’m going home.”

  “Tie?” he whispered, watching his mother walk out the back door. What the hell?

  Chapter Five

  The night turned into day entirely too soon. Talon woke by seven and hurried outside to help the men cut firewood for the coming winter. With eighteen cabins and the alpha’s home, they would be working all day and into the following week. This would keep his mind busy and his panther from demanding he go and claim the human female for himself.

  If it was only that easy.

  Winter had already checked in, saying that there’d been no problems at Liberty’s property. Whoever that panther was that had been hanging around her house, he hoped it was just passing through, but his instincts told him not to be so quick to dismiss this odd sighting of another shifter… especially one that didn’t belong. He’d sent Winter home to sleep so he could take up his patrol after dark, and keep an eye on Liberty’s property.

  There was one thing he’d done before he had slipped outside to work. The smile on his face was hard not to notice. His pride watched him cautiously out of the corner of their eyes, never asking what had him in such a good mood.

  Talon stopped occasionally to see if there were any missed calls or texts on his phone. Even though he found none, he was sure he’d hear from Liberty soon.

  Grabbing the ax, he tightened his muscles as he swung the tool over his head, striking the center of the log he was currently splitting in half. The wood cracked, sending the two pieces in different directions. Leaning over, he grabbed another piece to continue his physical form of stress relief. He only stopped when one of the male’s mates forced him to eat the lunch she had provided.

  As darkness fell, he’d almost given up on the idea that she’d accept his invitation. Sending flowers to the bar on a Sunday had cost him a fortune, but he didn’t care. He’d made a very comfortable living with his two businesses. That was how he was able to keep his pride thriving. His Guardians ran the day to day aspects of his companies, leaving him to his main job of caring for his people.

  A chime from his phone had him scrambling to remove it from his front pocket. His hands shook as he looked at the screen, then the biggest smile graced his face. Her reply was simple.

  Yes.

  What in the hell was he going to wear? How the hell did you date a beautiful woman? Panthers didn’t date. When the mating instincts hit, you mated. Plain and simple.

  I’ll pick you up at six tomorrow night.

  He’d never admit it, but Talon had actually used the internet to find ideas for dates and he’d decided on something simple for their first one. Dinner out at the nice steakhouse in town. It wasn’t much, but it was a date.

  Are you at the bar?

  He was an alpha. Why was he so damn nervous about seeing her?

  Yes, are you going to stop by?

  A teenage thrill ran through him when she replied.

  I’ll be there shortly.

  He was already stripping off his dirty clothes, rushing into the bathroom to turn on the shower. It took him less than twenty minutes to get cleaned up and head for his truck. His brother, Noah, was sitting on the couch in the living room, eating a plate of food. Why in the hell was his brother not at his own place?

  “Where’re you off to, big brother?” Noah smirked.

  “Why the hell are you eating my food?” Talon growled. “Don’t you have your own place?”

  “You have better channels on your cable service,” he chuckled. “Off to see Liberty?”

  “Yes,” he answered.

  “Have fun.” Noah waved, turning back to his plate and a show about zombies.

  Talon left without any teasing from his brother. It didn’t matter that he was the alpha, Noah still treated him like any little brother would treat his older sibling. His Guardians were respectful because Talon was their leader. Noah? Not so much. They’d shared a room as kids and Noah liked to remind him about his awkward teenage years entirely too much. Brothers!

  It was well after seven when he entered the bar. A few heads turned in his direction, but he didn’t acknowledge any of them. His only goal was finding Liberty. Noticing his usual table was full of young men who worked at a local factory, he decided to step up to the bar and order a beer.

  “What can I get you, Talon?” Cole, one of the two bartenders, asked.

  “Just a beer,” Talon replied, glancing over his shoulder. His panther purred deep in his chest when he saw her walking out of the kitchen, a tray of food in her hands. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw him, a slight blush dusted the tops of her cheekbones. Their connection was broken when she looked away and headed for the table he usually occupied on the weekends with his Guardians.

  Talon accepted his drink, sliding his money over. He’d just taken his first swig as he felt her approach. Her scent washed over him and he had to forcefully push his panther back from demanding he claim her in front of everyone.

  “Hey,” she greeted, taking the stool to his right.

  “Hey,” h
e echoed, then smiled.

  “Thank you for the flowers,” she said, blushing. “They’re lovely.”

  The lady at the flower shop had done an amazing job. He’d asked for something that a man would send a woman he wanted to date. She’d picked out a large bouquet of wildflowers with a handful of pink roses thrown in for good measure.

  “You’re very welcome,” he answered.

  “Are you hungry?” she asked, fingering the end of her shirt. She looked as nervous as he felt. Her question also left him wanting to answer honestly. If I told her I was hungry for her, she’d run away screaming.

  “Yes,” he purred, his eyes tracing her lips. His cock hardened painfully when her cute, pink tongue snaked out and moistened her bottom lip.

  “What can I get for you?” she breathed, their eyes locked together. She had to be feeling the mating pull they had for each other. Her eyes had turned a little glassy, and if someone would’ve yelled that the building was on fire, Talon didn’t think either one of them would’ve heard a word of it.

  “I don’t know,” he whispered. “Tell me what you have that is the most delicious thing in the place.” He’d wanted to hear her say that she was the most delicious item, but he didn’t think she would. This heated flirting between the two of them caused Talon to lean closer, but not so close that it would break their connection or frighten her.

  “How about I surprise you?” she asked, her eyes tracing every inch of his face, and didn’t that make him feel like the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet.

  “I look forward to whatever you have to offer, Liberty,” he teased, taking a chance by reaching out to take her hand into his. When he kissed the backs of her knuckles, he suppressed the urge to lick her hand, just to commit her taste to his memory.

  “You smell so good,” she moaned, leaning closer. Before he could reply, she snapped her head up, gasping in embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I...I didn’t mean…um.”

  “Mating scent,” he whispered, knowing she’d heard him.

  “I’ll get you some food,” she said, hurrying off the barstool and heading for the kitchen.

  He didn’t know how the hell he was supposed to have a human mate. The fact that his mother had told him it was possible made him feel a little more at ease.

  But what would the pride think? Would they accept a human female? He knew his Guardians already knew and actually liked Liberty, but none of his other panthers had met her. Maybe he should take her to meet them?

  He was torn. His pride came first. Maybe he should just leave, forget about this urge to claim her.

  “Yeah, right,” he snorted, draining the rest of his beer. His panther wouldn’t let him off that easily.

  A soft breeze filtered through the room as the door to the bar opened. Talon’s panther stiffened as a scent registered in his mind. The scent was familiar. It was the same scent that had lingered on Liberty’s property.

  A female gasped as Talon rushed toward the front of the bar, exiting the building at superhuman speed. His nostrils flared as he tested the air, trying to follow the scent of the unknown panther. Gravel crunched under his black boots as he slowly searched one side of the building, the scent was missing from that area. Just as he turned around, Liberty rushed out the door, a look of panic on her face.

  “Talon?” she called out.

  “Get inside,” he ordered. He knew the moment she had noticed that his eyes had changed and his canines were sticking out of his mouth, because she backed into the building slowly, pulling the door closed behind her.

  Talon kept his senses on high alert as he prowled around the building. The scent ended at the road, but he was sure he would’ve heard a car leaving the area in a hurry. Plus, the panther wouldn’t have had time to get into the vehicle, start it, and then drive away by the time Talon had reached the door. Talon was certain that the panther wasn’t working alone.

  Once he went back into the bar, he found Liberty sitting on a barstool, facing the front door. She stood as soon as he walked in, and rushed to his side. “What happened?”

  “The panther that was on your property was here,” he growled. “He’s gone now.”

  “Should I be worried?” she asked, a shiver rolling up her spine. Talon wrapped his arm around her shoulders and walked her back to his original seat. He didn’t want to upset her, but he didn’t want her to be unaware of the dangers this rogue cat could cause.

  “No,” he replied. “Because I will have Guardians here to keep you safe when I am unable to do it myself.” It was a promise he intended to keep.

  “Talon, I don’t need…” she started, but he silenced her with a hard glare.

  “You will have them here,” he whispered harshly, letting his alpha powers out. He knew when his mating scent hit her, because Liberty’s eyes softened and she relaxed in his arms. “No arguing.”

  “Okay,” she nodded. “Let me go get your food.”

  He waited until she was out of sight before he pulled out his phone and made a call.

  “Winter, the rogue was here at the bar,” he barked. “I want a security detail on this place immediately.”

  “On it, boss,” his second in command replied.

  Liberty tried to get ahold of her emotions and her damn hormones as she stood off to the side of the kitchen door. There was something about Talon that kept her wanting him to just reach out and touch her; and not just a simple touch, but the kind of touch that curls the toes.

  Every time she got close enough to smell his wildness and feel the warmth coming from his skin, she wanted to crawl up into his lap and rub herself against him as if she were a panther. The wetness between her legs was evidence enough that she wanted him.

  When he’d sent the flowers over, she’d read the card and smiled. What he’d said was simple.

  Go on a date with me? Text or call me and tell me, but don’t make me wait too long.

  She didn’t want to seem overly eager, so she waited for several hours, trying to ignore the card and the hot, sexy shifter who wanted to be her mate.

  Liberty was still embarrassed that she’d snuck in her sister’s room after Nova had left and borrowed one of her silly romance books. She felt she had to do some research, and boy did she ever get schooled on the subject of alpha males who shifted into animals. The first hour that she’d skimmed through the book, she had laughed hysterically, but then the author’s words started to hit very close to home.

  A shifter was ruled by not only his human side, but his animal side as well. There was a constant fight of wills between the two. The human side of the shifter knew how to fit in with society. The animal side only lived by what was ingrained in them by way of their nature; hunt, sleep, mate. Whoever that author was, they must’ve had some inside information as to these shifters, because Liberty had seen Talon Shaw with every word written in that book.

  She understood a little better why he’d kissed her. The urge to claim a mate was predatory…part of his animal nature. At least he was trying to do things her way, or at least the way she’d suggested. She’d suggested a date and he’d asked in the most romantic way possible. What girl would say no to flowers and a man that looked like Talon?

  “Dinner’s up,” Moe snickered, hauling three plates onto the counter. One was a triple cheeseburger with everything, the second plate held three grilled chicken breasts, and the third had a steak that fell over the sides of the plate. Oh, and a small basket of fries.

  She was still smiling as she walked out to hand Talon his monstrous amount of food. She’d seen him put away twice as much, so this didn’t surprise her. As she flitted around the bar, checking on customers and helping Mary Grace with tables, she realized that she should’ve doubled that order.

  When he moaned at the first bite of chicken, she felt her insides liquefy and heat radiate in the pit of her stomach.

  “Thank you,” he said politely after he’d wiped the corner of his mouth. The moment Talon used his tongue to swipe across his bottom lip, she fel
t her knees buckle. Before she could crumble to the ground, he was there to pull her up by the elbow. “Are you okay?”

  “Fine,” she lied. “Just lost my balance.” With a knowing smile, Talon resumed eating, ignoring the sideways glances of her patrons.

  Voices alerted her to a group of girls entering the bar. They looked barely old enough to be drinking, if that. One was tall with long blonde hair, her eyes were ice blue. The other had dark brown hair, cut into cute pixie. Her eyes were also ice blue. Liberty immediately knew that they were part of Talon’s pride.

  With them were two boys who’d been stars of the football team in town several years back. They were brothers, and she knew them. They’d been good kids, but the girls were new faces and they didn’t even look old enough to drink.

  Before she could go check their identification, a rumbling growl came from Talon’s chest. Liberty glanced in his direction and watched as his eyes narrowed on the group.

  “Let me handle this.” He cursed, setting his napkin by his plate and standing up to his full height. It only took him two steps before the girls saw him approaching. Liberty couldn’t see his face from where she was standing, but she could see the fear radiating from the two girls.

  Talon talked in hush tones, the two girls nodding at his every word. The blonde one blushed with her embarrassment, but the other girl stood there with her shoulders back and her eyes cast up to look at Talon. Hell, Talon towered over everyone. She felt sorry for the girls, but it was obvious they were a part of his pride, and they’d shown up at a bar with two human boys who were barely old enough to drink.