“You go with Noah and Dane,” he replied. “Bring her home.” That was all he could do for his brother. Let him feel like he was doing something to find her.
Noah held the door for the two Guardians who’d already shifted, following them out into the hallway. Talon started around the desk but stopped when his brother let out a shuddering breath.
“If someone hurts her…” Kye paused, clutching his chest.
“She will be found,” Talon assured him, hoping like hell he didn’t bring back the body of the young female his brother was already falling in love with. They were not mated…at least, not yet. The mating hormones didn’t appear until around the twentieth birthday. Kye had three more years before he and Evie would know if they were meant to be together. There was only one mate for a panther, and they mated for life.
“Wait,” Kye said, stopping Talon from leaving. “What about Liberty? What’s going on?”
“She is my mate and will be treated as such,” Talon replied, his alpha rising to the surface. She was his even if he hadn’t claimed her yet, but that would happen.
“We need to worry about Evie,” Kye interrupted.
“Liberty is no threat to us,” Talon snarled. “She is mine. Is that understood?” His voice dropped to a deeper octave. The sound was low and menacing. Any of his Guardians or family that challenged him would suffer at his hands when it came to the woman.
“She’s human,” Kye reminded Talon.
“Regardless, she’s my mate,” he stated, his voice holding a tone that said the discussion was over. He didn’t want to have to explain the complications of his mating with his little brother. Now wasn’t even the time to get into that with him. They had to find the child and bring her home.
As the thought of Liberty being left alone with his pride entered his brain, he ushered his brother out of the room. When he entered the living room, he was shocked still at the sight before him. Every one of his pride, in human and panther form, were gathered around Liberty as close as possible, watching while she held Evie’s mother as she wept on Liberty’s shoulder. When their eyes met, a sadness passed between them and right then and there, Talon Shaw made a vow to never see that look in her eyes again. He couldn’t bring a human into his world. It was too dangerous, and the thought of his mate being taken or hurt hardened his heart toward mating…anyone. His pride was the most important thing in his world. It was his responsibility to keep them safe.
Having a mate complicated things. His heart squeezed painfully knowing he couldn’t move forward with Liberty right now. Talon’s dedication was to his people. As it was supposed to be.
Chapter Eight
When Talon had left the room, Liberty had squared her shoulders and turned toward the group that had gathered, making sure to stay a good distance away from the ones who were in panther form. She still wasn’t sure how much of their human side remained after the shift.
“Can you tell me anything about what happened to your daughter?” Liberty asked, dropping to her knees in front of the woman. The woman’s eyes widened when she looked at Liberty, but she was speechless as sobs wrenched out of her. “Can anyone tell me anything?”
“Two men came on our land, and I was too late to catch them. They took my daughter.” The father squeezed the woman’s hand in a show of support. The pride who’d shifted snarled as their cat bodies rocked back and forth, anxiety evident in their postures.
“Did they look familiar? Ages? Descriptions?” she begged. She was throwing out any questions she could think of. They had to find that poor girl. Seeing this woman hurting was more than Liberty could stand. The thought of how her mother would have felt if she’d been kidnapped sent her heart fluttering in terror.
“Both of them had dark hair,” the mother whispered, accepting a tissue from an older boy who looked like the father. “I don’t remember much. It all happened so fast.”
“Is the girl that’s missing your sister?” Liberty asked, rising to her feet. The boy couldn’t have been more than fifteen, sixteen at most. His hair was dark brown and touched his shoulders. His eyes were icy blue, just like all of the people in the room who were actually in their human form.
“Yes,” he said, holding his shoulders high. “Her name is Evie, and I will kill whoever took her.”
“No, you will not!” his mother hollered. “You will not leave me too. I cannot lose both of my children.” Then the woman folded in on herself, sobbing hysterically.
“We will find her…Talon will find her,” Liberty promised, kneeling in front of the woman again and gently taking her into her arms. She hugged the grieving mother tightly, whispering how sorry she was over and over into her ear.
She held the woman for a few moments, praying she’d calm down enough so that her husband could take her home and she could rest. Bodies shifted behind her, but she didn’t look to see what was going on. The soft sounds of crying coming from the females was like sitting at a funeral, and Liberty had to grit her teeth to keep from joining along with them. She did have to wipe her eyes several times to catch the tears that escaped.
A peace settled over the room and Liberty turned her head quickly to see that Talon had come back. He stood at the doorway to the massive living room, his eyes soft as they landed on her. He nodded his gratitude and stepped forward. Liberty gasped when she noticed all of the pride in the room had crowded against her, lending their support to the woman and her husband. Two panthers were scooted up against her left leg and she hadn’t even noticed them approach.
As Talon moved forward, his people parted as if he were a god. Their eyes watched him walk gracefully toward the girl’s parents. When he stood next to Liberty, she started to move, but his large hand landed on her shoulder, holding her in place. She looked up just as he took to one knee next to Liberty, his hand still in place. With his other hand, he placed it on top of the woman’s head and leaned in to kiss her forehead. Apparently, the alpha could touch any female in his pride and not cause them pain.
“Marie,” he said, his voice even and strong. “The Guardians have gone out to search. Let Marcus take you home. We will send word as soon as we have it.”
“Yes, alpha.” She nodded, turning toward Liberty. “Thank you, Liberty.”
“You’re welcome,” she choked out, feeling more tears build when the older woman wrapped her into an embrace only a mother could give.
“Talon?” a soft voice interrupted. When they both turned, a woman who looked like she was in her mid-fifties stood in the doorway to another room in the house. Her dark hair was styled in big curls that fell to her shoulders. Her eyes matched all of the shifters. She was petite and a little rounded, but still stunningly beautiful. She wore a pair of gray slacks and a pale pink blouse.
As they approached, she noticed they were entering the kitchen. They woman smiled warmly at Liberty and pulled her into a tight embrace. “She’s beautiful, son.”
“Ma,” Talon scolded. When she looked over her shoulder at the big badass alpha, Liberty barely contained a giggle. He was blushing slightly and he looked almost like a small boy.
“It’s nice to finally meet you,” his mom said, holding out her hand.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Shaw,” Liberty greeted and smiled, accepting the firm handshake from Talon’s mother. Talon resembled his mother. Their hair matched each other’s color perfectly. The woman was very young looking despite what Liberty assumed her age to be somewhere in her late fifties to early sixties. Her smile made Liberty feel welcome, and that helped ease some of the tension she’d been feeling since walking into Talon’s house.
“Please,” she chuckled warmly. “Call me, Victoria.”
“Thank you, Victoria,” Liberty replied. Liberty had a sudden thought. This woman would know that she was human. Would she actually accept Liberty?
“You must come over for dinner on Sunday, dear,” Victoria suggested.
“I would be honored,” she replied, grateful to have been asked.
> “It’s late,” Talon interrupted, taking her hand. “Let me get you home.”
“Okay,” she said, nodding to his mother.
“I’ll see you soon,” Victoria said, casting a hard glare across the room to the other panthers. Liberty was too afraid to look back at their expressions.
There was a group of people, maybe twelve or so, watching their alpha escort her out of the house. Panthers and some of the men she recognized from the bar were just heading out into a wooded area beside the beautiful two story home.
Now that she was outside and not being rushed by Talon, Liberty thought about the grand home. The inside had been rustic, warm. The sunken living room had several overstuffed couches against every wall except for the wall with a huge fireplace. That was where she’d found the grieving mother sitting in one of the two high back chairs next to the hearth. The river rock face of the fireplace extended all the way up the ceiling that had to have been twenty feet high. A landing overlooked the living area.
Talon escorted her over to the passenger side, opening the door without a word. She felt his warmth as he helped her up into the seat. When she looked into his eyes, there was anger and sadness there that froze her in place. Before she could speak, he closed the door and walked around to climb in the driver’s seat.
“Your mother is very sweet,” she commented, but frowned when he glared at her. The look that he gave Liberty could freeze hellfire. She’d never seen that look in his eyes. “What? What did I do?”
“My priority has to be my pride.” Talon growled, hanging his hands over the steering wheel and staring at his lap.
“I understand,” she mumbled, sadness rolling through her for that poor family inside the house.
“Do you?” he asked, his voice going deep.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she promised. “You know where to find me.”
“That’s the problem,” he grumbled, starting the truck and backing out of the spot by the door.
“What?” she asked, unsure where this conversation was headed.
“My pride…I can’t mate a human,” he explained. “It’s not fair to you.”
“They won’t accept me?” she wondered.
“That’s not it.” He cursed. “They need me. I can’t spend my time with you when one of my own is missing. I am their leader and…and you are human.”
“Okay,” Liberty managed to squeak out, straightening her spine. She would not cry, because Talon was the one who’d come on to her…not the other way around.
He did things to her body, to her mind. The man ignited a fire in her very core, but he couldn’t claim her…he didn’t want her because she wasn’t one of his kind. She wasn’t good enough. She wiped angrily at a tear that had escaped the corner of her eye. She never cried, and this guy had pushed her away after claiming she was his mate and all of that bullshit.
“Liberty,” he began, but she was already shaking her head.
“Just…just take me home, Talon,” she said, gritting her teeth. The flowers flashed through her mind and she wanted to crush each and every one of their petals into dust.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Me too,” she replied.
The rest of the short drive was oppressively quiet. She watched the trees roll by as they moved forward. Fields of corn met them at different points, separated by houses and the occasional horse stable.
When they pulled into her driveway, Liberty’s only goal was to make it into the house. Nova’s car wasn’t there, so she hadn’t made it home from the bar yet. Looking at the clock on the truck’s dash, she figured she had about an hour and a half alone to stew over the rollercoaster Talon Shaw had put her on over the past few days.
“Liberty,” he said, trying again. He put the truck in park and turned toward her, but Liberty wasn’t one to argue.
“Let me go, Talon,” she pleaded and then sniffed, before throwing open the door and rushing toward the house. The moment Liberty got the key into the lock, she heard Talon’s truck door open. He called her name once more and she ignored him. She knew she shouldn’t ask him to choose between her and his people, but she’d felt something…something solid when she was with him. She needed his warmth…she needed his strength. There was something about him that she wanted to latch onto and never let go, but she’d be damned before she ever let that little bit of information be known.
Her door flew open just as his boot hit the first step on the old wooden porch. She was inside before he made it to the door. When she slammed the door in his face, a mighty roar filled the night sky and she sank down against the wall in the hallway and cried.
The moment the door slammed in his face, his panther rushed to the surface and cried out in anger at his mate denying him. His canines punched through his gums and it took all of Talon’s human willpower to keep his body from shifting. A vicious curse fell from his lips as his human mind and his panther’s waged war over what was the right thing to do and what his instincts yearned for him to accept. Liberty was his true mate no matter how hard he pushed her away…no matter what the rules of his pride were.
He felt Savage rush toward the house from his sentry position in the woods. He’d been there most of the night watching the house. Winter was at the bar with Nova, planning to escort her home. When he turned, Savage the panther froze, not moving forward. Talon snarled, tossing his head out toward the woods, reminding him of his duties. The cat slinked back and turned without any hesitation.
“Liberty,” he howled, his voice distorted by his growing canines. “Open the door!”
“Get out of here, Talon,” she yelled. Her voice was so close to the door that he wondered if she was sitting right against the other side.
“Liberty,” he gasped as the sound of her sobs hit his ears. Pounding his fist on the door, Talon cursed himself for making her cry. A male didn’t cause his mate tears, he prevented them. A mate’s solemn vow was to keep her happy and to care for her. He’d failed the first part miserably.
But hadn’t he pushed her away? Hadn’t he just made a promise to let her go?
“Go away, Talon!” she snarled.
“No,” he growled, the sound so guttural it actually vibrated the wooden frame of the door. Silence followed for about two heartbeats before Talon heard footsteps stomping toward the stairway down the hall from the entrance. At that point, he knew she wasn’t behind the door anymore.
One well-placed kick to the lock sent the entire door flying inward, bouncing it off the wall behind it. Liberty looked over the banister, her eyes narrowing in anger. Mine…my mate! His panther was screaming in his head…trying to override all of his human intentions.
“What the fuck are you doing?” she screamed, throwing her hands in the air as she ran down the stairs.
“Watch your mouth,” he snapped, marching forward to intercept her. He took one arm and wrapped it around her waist, yanking her flush against his body. Before she could curse at him again, his lips crashed down against hers, his tongue demanding entrance. He’d kiss her into submission if he had to. This human was driving him wild.
Talon took his free hand and tangled his fingers in her hair. He made a fist and tightened his hold on Liberty. He pulled on her hair, breaking their kiss. Tilting her head back, Talon gazed into her eyes. They were glazed over, her lips swollen from his assault.
“It is a bad idea for a mate to lock out their panther, little human,” he growled, his voice closer to animal.
“I’m not yours, you said so yourself,” she snapped.
“You are mine and don’t you ever forget that, Liberty.” She inhaled softly, and Talon was sure she was taking in his mating scent. She tried to pull away, but it was a weak attempt. She wanted him. He knew it from the scent of her arousal that wrapped around his senses.
“You don’t want me,” she growled. “You said your pride was more important.”
He saw the defeated look in her eyes. “I could no more let you go than I could let someone kill an in
nocent child from my pride.”
“Don’t say things that you will later regret, Talon,” she whispered, her eyes still wet with unshed tears.
“Listen to me, Liberty Raines,” he growled, getting in her face. At no time did he release his hold on her head. Talon wasn’t about to let go of her. “You are my mate. There is no other female in this world who could hold a candle to you.”
“Either you want me or you don’t, Talon,” she complained. “You can’t tell me that I am yours one minute, then when everything goes to hell, you push me aside.”
“I have to care for my pride,” he said, his voice sounding tired. He leaned his forehead against hers, his icy blue eyes boring into hers. “I’m torn.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way,” she pleaded, a lone tear trailing down her cheek. His thumb brushed away the wetness.
“I never meant to make you cry,” he said. “Please, just wait for me.”
God, he felt like the biggest fool. How did you push away what your instincts demand you claim? As an alpha, how did you balance the two parts of yourself? This wasn’t something his father had warned him about during all of those talks they’d shared about the responsibilities he’d one day inherit. Little did either one of them know, but his father wouldn’t be around to council Talon as he took over the pride.
“Let me help you find her,” Liberty begged, her voice sounding just as tired as his. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”
“I would rain hell down on anyone who harmed you just as they’ve harmed one of my own,” he sighed. “You are not to go looking for her.”
“But,” she started to argue, but was cut off by his growl.
“No,” he stated, not taking any protests from her.
“Let me go, Talon,” she whispered, trying to move away from him, but he held onto her for another few seconds. The loss of her touch burned him straight through to his soul. “Please?”
Talon (Rise of the Pride, Book 1) Page 10
