Talon (Rise of the Pride, Book 1)

by Theresa Hissong

  “What did we do, Talon?” she snapped.

  “We made love, Liberty,” he informed her, his eyes sparking with glowing amber. She knew she was pissing him off, but she was even more pissed off.

  “No, we didn’t,” she scoffed.

  “Yes, we did,” he replied, taking a step forward. She took a step back, trying to keep some distance between them. He was putting off that mating scent again and it was driving her crazy with lust. His nostrils flared, and she knew he’d scented her arousal. How the hell was this making her hot again?

  “No, we fucked,” she said, gritting her teeth. “If we’d made love, you wouldn’t have been in such a damned hurry to tuck your tail and get out of…eek!”

  Before she could finish her sentence, Talon was on her. Liberty was lifted and pushed against the far wall, Talon’s body holding her at eye level with him. His eyes were completely amber, his canines were poking out between his lips, and in one powerful thrust, he buried his hard cock deep into her body.

  “This is fucking, Liberty,” he roared. His mouth latched on to her nipple, sucking it deep between his canines. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she clasped her hands on the top of his shoulders for leverage. He was pushing into her so fast and hard that the sound of their bodies writhing in pleasure echoed off the wall.

  “Oh, God,” she panted, feeling another climax building. His mouth found hers again, his tongue demanding entrance. This was what she had wanted from him. His wildness called to her. He was dangerous when in his element, but soft and caring when it came to her.

  “Tell me you are mine,” he growled. “Tell me.”

  “Talon,” she moaned, a denial on her lips, but she knew. In that moment, Liberty knew that there would be no one else. Talon brought out feelings from inside her that had laid dormant since her father had died. She’d pushed away any idea of finding a partner. Her life was the bar. She didn’t know why, but she trusted Talon.

  “Please,” he whispered, almost so low she didn’t hear it.

  “Yes,” she panted, feeling her sex clamp down on his. “Yes, Talon, I’m yours. Now, fuck me.”

  He did exactly what she’d demanded, thrusting into her sex, trying to push her over the edge, but she just couldn’t get there. Something was holding her back.

  “Bite me, Talon,” she breathed, turning her head to the side and exposing her neck. “Mark me so that you never have to wonder. I want you to do it. I want to be yours.”

  He dropped to his knees with a gasp, pulling his cock free from her body. She scrambled to her knees, dropped to her forearms, and presented her ass in the air, waiting for him to make the final mark. She screamed out when he thrust back inside. Her hair was tangled in his hand and her body was jerked upright.

  “Are you sure?” he growled, his canines almost obscuring his voice to the point he couldn’t be understood, but she knew what he was asking.

  “Yes, do it,” she replied, sucking in a breath as he struck.

  The bite itself sent her straight into a climax. The pain was sharp in the side of her neck. Talon thrust several more times before his own orgasm caused him to release inside her. The roar that left his human voice rattled the pictures on the wall, but Liberty was too far gone to make sense of anything but the peace and darkness that surrounded her.

  She curled up against Talon’s chest like a small cub as soon as he climbed back onto her bed. He ran his hand over her silky hair, kissing her forehead. He pushed the strands away, revealing the two beautiful marks on her neck. He’d marked her, signaling to other shifters that she was an intended mate, and his chest swelled with pride. Leaning over, he lapped at them, letting his saliva work its way into the wound, healing it faster than her human body would.

  “Talon,” she murmured, nuzzling into his own neck. He wanted to feel her bite, too. He wanted to feel her teeth sinking into his flesh, but he knew that wouldn’t happen…not until he made her what he was.

  “I’m here,” he whispered. “Go to sleep.”

  “M‘kay.” She settled down and it didn’t take long before her breathing evened out. Talon kissed the top of her head and slid out of the bed, reaching for his pants. He wasn’t going to leave her, but he had to find Savage and give him orders for the next few hours. If his pack needed him, he’d be close. He would stay with Liberty until morning before heading home to find out what his Guardians had discovered overnight.

  He found his shirt downstairs and pulled it over his head. Outside, he made a click sound out of the corner of his mouth. A panther casually walked out of the woods to his left. Savage shifted as soon as he reached the porch.

  “Everything okay?” Savage asked, the corner of his lip quirked up into a knowing grin. Talon cringed inwardly, knowing he’d more than likely heard them.

  “Everything is fine,” Talon answered in a clipped tone. “I’m staying here until sunrise. When Winter gets home with Nova, I want you two to take off and help where you are needed. Notify me if anyone has any leads on Evie.”

  “Yes, alpha,” Savage replied. He was distracted by headlights. Nova pulled up in the blue compact car she shared with Liberty. The thing had seen better days, and Talon made a mental note to get them something a bit more reliable.

  “Well, if you are going to walk around here like that,” Nova hummed as she approached the house. “I think I’ll need round the clock protection.” She shook her head and walked past Savage, giving his naked form a once over.

  “Come on,” Savage sighed as Winter approached. “Let’s head out. Boss man is staying here until morning.”

  “You’re staying?” Nova asked, raising a brow.

  “With Liberty,” he told her, pulling the screen door open so that Nova could enter ahead of him.

  “Winter told me what happened,” Nova said, sobering a bit. “I’m so sorry. If there is anything I can do.”

  “Just keep yourself and Liberty safe,” he sighed, leaning against the frame of the door to the kitchen. Nova hung her purse on a peg behind the door and walked over to the sink to wash her hands.

  “We carry guns,” she said, plopping down in a chair at the table.

  “A gun will only stop a panther momentarily,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. His alpha power surged and he knew Nova felt it when she sat up straighter in her seat.

  “Doesn’t silver kill your kind?” she asked.

  “No,” he laughed. “We are not werewolves.”

  “Oh,” she blushed, averting her eyes. “Well, I’m sure if your kind took a bullet to the head, it would stop you for more than a moment.” She glanced up at Talon and smirked, knowing she was right.

  “Go on to bed,” he said, shaking his head. “We can talk about other ways to kill me and my people tomorrow.”

  “Okay,” she giggled, flicking off the light and heading for the stairs.

  Talon checked the locks on the old farmhouse, frowning to himself when he realized they were not sturdy enough to keep out even the weakest of humans. He’d send Winter over during the day to put up some more lighting outside and maybe a state-of-the-art security system.

  Chapter Ten

  Kye had followed the path the two men had taken through their property. This was his second search of the area. They must’ve had a car waiting right at the fence because Evie’s scent ended abruptly at the road. There were no other signs of her or the men who’d taken her.

  No other scents…nothing.

  His panther howled. Evie, I will find you. I promise.

  They’d known each other their entire lives. It wasn’t until this past summer when he’d come out of the house and found her walking away from her cabin in a tight tank top and a short denim skirt that he’d really noticed her beauty. He didn’t know if she was his mate or not and the wait was killing him. He loved her…always had, but fate wouldn’t reveal itself for another three years. Three very long years before they would know for sure.

  He’d seen it with other members of the pride. Th
ey’d dated during their high school years, but as soon as they came of age, the mating bond hadn’t been there. It tore those relationships apart because there was a mate out there for each and every shifter. Finding that mate was the tricky part. If you were with someone who you loved, or thought you loved, and met your true mate, the feeling you had for the other person wouldn’t even compare. It ripped the hearts out of so many of his kind. Some of the kids his age didn’t even bother to date. They didn’t want to hurt themselves or another person that horribly if they ended up not being their mate.

  Evie was different. She was his mate, and he didn’t give a damn what fate said about any of it. His panther accepted her as his own. He had this overwhelming urge to keep her protected, but he’d failed her. Mating instincts and all of that bullshit his brothers spewed was a load of horse shit as far as he was concerned.

  “Any luck?” Booth, one of his brother’s Guardians, asked as he approached. Kye was standing next to the road, staring at the spot where Evie’s scent disappeared.

  “No,” he said in despair. “I have to find her.”

  “It’s okay, son,” Booth whispered, clasping the top of Kye’s shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “She will be found.”

  “My brother doesn’t feel her,” he growled. “I don’t know what that means.”

  “It means that she is unconscious, and that is all we are going to take it as,” Booth said. “We have to go, Kye.”

  “Let’s find her,” he said, straightening his shoulders.

  They followed the path back to her family’s home, slowing down to see if there were any scents or identifying marks they could gather to give them an idea of who had taken the young panther.

  “Wait!” Kye yelled, stopping when something caught his eye. Bending down, he touched the gold chain that was lying in one of the kidnapper’s footprints left in the mud. They’d already checked some of these prints, knowing that whoever had taken Evie was in human form. There were no scents to identify if they were human or shifter.

  “Is that Evie’s?” Booth asked, standing to his full height after leaning over to get a better look.

  “Y…yes,” Kye choked, feeling his chest constrict and his heart gallop. He balled his fist tightly as he held onto the only part of Evie that he had left.

  He made a vow in the middle of the forest, “I will find her. I will rip whoever took her to shreds and dance on their souls.”

  Kye didn’t hear the Guardian curse behind him as he took off at a dead run toward the main house and his vehicle. He would find her if it was the last thing he ever did.

  Chapter Eleven

  Liberty woke to the strangest sound and the weirdest sensations. Opening her eyes, she smiled at Talon who was laying snuggled into her naked breasts. The sound was coming from him. He was purring, the soft vibrations were tickling her stomach.

  “Wake up, kitty,” she giggled, running her fingers through his hair.

  “I’m not a kitty,” he grumbled, nuzzling back into his spot. She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair again and chuckled at the reappearance of his rumbling purr.

  “No, you are definitely not.” She smiled.

  Before she could say anything else, his phone rang on the nightstand. He quickly scooped it up, barking into it as soon as the call connected. Liberty knew it had something to do with the young girl who’d been taken and she immediately felt bad for letting Talon stay the night.

  But things had gotten heated and he…well, he was insatiable, and she ended up falling asleep after the marathon of sex they’d had.

  “I have to go,” he said, breaking into her thoughts.

  “Is there anything I can do?” she asked, honestly wanting to help.

  “Stay safe,” he ordered, pulling on his jeans. Without his shirt, the defined muscles on his abs called to her eyes and she licked her suddenly dry lips.

  “Okay,” she whispered.

  “I’ll come to the bar tonight.” He growled low, his nose flaring as he took in her scent. “You smell like me…I like it.” With nothing more than a brief kiss to her forehead, Talon hurried out of her room.

  She listened for the sound of the front door closing before she found her discarded clothes. She tossed them into the laundry basket and went to take a shower.

  Inside the shower, she ran her hands over her sore muscles. It seemed that everywhere she touched, her body ached in the most delicious way. Between her legs was sore, but not painful. He’d taken her like she was one of his kind, and she accepted that. She also accepted the fact that he was part animal. The smile that played on her lips caused a hysterical bubble of laughter to come up from her throat. He was definitely an animal.

  Nova was still asleep when she left for the bar. Today was her baby sister’s afternoon off and a very long night for Liberty. She’d open The Deuce for lunch and work straight through until closing. It was also Friday night. Nova would be in for the late shift to help her with the bar.

  As she stepped off the porch, she saw Winter approaching from the woods. He was human and fully dressed.

  “Hey, Winter,” she called out.

  “Boss man wants me to go with you to the bar,” he announced. Liberty looked up into his icy blue eyes and noticed how they flickered to the upstairs window…her sister’s window.

  “Would you rather stay here?” she asked.

  “No, ma’am,” he said, looking down at his feet. “An order is an order. I don’t have a choice. Savage is staying.” She looked over his shoulder, and sure enough, there was a panther laying down on a bed of leaves just inside the tree line beside the house.

  “You could’ve told him no,” she chuckled.

  “Not really.” He laughed when Liberty’s eyes hardened. “When an alpha tells you to do something…you do it. There is no rejecting his orders.”

  “Seriously?” she gasped. “Like…if he told you to go jump off of a bridge, you’d do it?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he nodded. “But a good alpha would never order one of his pride to intentionally hurt themselves.”

  “That’s good to know,” she said, shaking her head slightly as they walked to her car. She looked at Winter, and then her eyes swung to the car. This is going to be like putting a giant in a tin can!

  “I need to bring my truck,” he grumbled.

  “Sorry.” She shrugged and unlocked the door.

  The bar parking lot was empty. It was an hour before opening when they arrived. Winter went on alert, his eyes scanning everything as they walked to the front door. Liberty grabbed the mail from the box by the door and waited for a nod from her protector. She stuck the key in the lock and pushed the door open. The beep of the alarm ticked off the forty-five seconds she had to get to the pad and plug in the number to deactivate it before the time was up.

  Winter moved around the empty bar, checking behind the bar, in closets, and finally the kitchen before meeting her at the door to her office.

  “Let me go in first,” he whispered. She remembered not to get close to him. The last time she’d been accidentally touched by another man was a fresh reminder of the pain. She’d learned the hard way not to get close to unmated males.

  Two days ago, Nova had to call Talon to the bar because Billy Miller had stumbled into Liberty, wrapping his arms around her in an innocent bear hug. He was just being playful, but the pain was enough to send her to the floor. Talon had rushed to the bar and had entered like a freight train, demanding to know where she was. When he’d entered the office, he had to wrap his large body around hers, letting his touch heal her. It was the best medicine she’d ever had and that made her think of the night before. A blush rose on her cheeks and her lower stomach quivered.

  “It’s all clear,” he said, clearing his throat. The panther looked uncomfortable. It took just a second for Liberty to realize he could smell her desire. She really needed to get control of that around these panthers. “I think I’ll go wait out in the bar for your employees. Call if yo
u need anything.”

  “Thank you,” she told him and entered her office. The sound of his heavy boots echoed down the hall as he walked away quickly.

  She set about opening the stack of mail, placing the ones that were bills in one pile and throwing out the junk mail in the can next to her desk. The old desk was her great grandfather’s and was made of solid wood, nothing like the flimsy pieces of furniture you could buy in this day and age.

  “What the hell?” she said aloud, coming across an envelope marked for Talon. There was no return address.

  Liberty contemplated calling Talon, but it was addressed to the bar. Tearing it open, she removed the single piece of lined paper, unfolding it to reveal something that sent fear through to her very soul.

  The alpha for the girl.

  Meet at the abandoned gas station on Hwy. 309…midnight.

  There was no way she could let Talon sacrifice himself for the girl. If he were to disappear, his pride would suffer without his guidance. Evie was well loved by the pride, and even Liberty knew that they wouldn’t send him if they knew this was what the kidnappers wanted.

  Liberty hung her head in her hands, trying to come up with a way for the pride to bring Evie home. The letter gave her hope that the young girl was still alive. She hadn’t called out to Talon since she’d first been taken. Everyone believed that she’d been drugged, and this letter proved to Liberty that their suspicions were more than likely true.

  But how were they going to keep Talon from turning himself over? Would his Guardians allow that? She sincerely hoped they would prevent him from doing something that drastic.

  Unless? Maybe, just maybe, she could do something to get Evie back to her parents. From what Liberty understood, Evie was a very small female, even for a panther. How long could a child live like that without lasting damage to her young mind?

  No, Liberty couldn’t let that child suffer any more than she already had.