“I can’t allow it,” Malaki spat. “I’ll get Calla and we will find another pride.”
“She won’t go,” Kye argued. “You both belong here. After everything you’ve been through, our pride has taken you in as family, and this is how you repay us?”
“I owe you nothing!” the male shouted.
“No, you don’t,” Kye continued. “But you do owe it to your sister to let her live her life the way she wants to live it. If it’s fighting alongside Guardians, then you need to accept that. Don’t try and take her away, because all you’ll do is destroy her.”
“I don’t need you to tell me what to do,” Malaki snarled, shifting into his panther form and making his escape, deep into the woods.
Guardians lined the walls in Talon’s office as he paced behind his desk. They were facing something that would test them and possibly destroy the pride in the very near future.
“The vision I saw was clear,” Garrett explained. He was the only one Talon allowed in the meeting that wasn’t a Guardian. Kye, his mate, Evie, and Hope were left out of this meeting for a reason. “They will be coming for Evie, and when they take her, it will be bad.”
“How bad?” Taze asked, his eyes having changed to amber as soon as Evie’s name was mentioned. The male had become close to the young female and thought of her as a baby sister. Hell, all of the Guardians had a special place in their hearts for that female.
“I saw guards taking her to a room full of scientists,” he scowled. “The guards are something other than human. Why am I seeing them? I don’t know, but in the vision, she knew they were something unlike anyone she’d seen before.”
“I thought you could only see our human enemies?” Savage questioned.
“I have no idea.” Garrett cursed, tossing his hands in the air. “There are no rule books to my mission here. For all I know, the gods may have now given me this ability for anything that comes your way.”
“So, can we trust your vision?” Dane asked, fisting his hands at his sides. Talon sent out a calming presence to his Guardians when they all started to shift on their feet. He could feel their anger and aggravation.
“I’m trusting it,” Garrett stated. “Evie is aware and has asked that we let her get caught so she can get inside this underground location to help us take them out. She wants us to imbed a tracker under her skin in case she is unable to call out for Talon.”
The Guardians hollered and cursed at the sheriff’s retelling of what the female had offered. Talon wasn’t about to let her go in like that. As his brother said, it was too damn dangerous.
“Why wouldn’t she be able to call out for Talon?” Taze asked.
“Because I would not be alive,” Talon replied honestly.
“Fuck that!” Winter pushed away from the wall and approached the desk. “You will not be taken away from us.”
“I have no plans on being taken out,” Talon promised.
“Then I will come up with a new security plan,” Winter vowed. “You and your family will not be alone until this is over.”
“I am the alpha, and I will fight with my Guardians,” Talon snarled, pushing out his powers so hard, the entire room fell to one knee. His anger was a thick blanket in the air that weighed down on everyone. “You all are to do your job of protecting the pride. If it is meant to be with your lives, then you fight to the death.”
“Yes, alpha,” they said in unison.
“Everyone in my pride is as special as my mate and cub,” he said, looking around the room. His usual calm behavior had fled with the news of the possibility of Evie being taken again. “Evie is our main concern. I refuse to let that female be taken. We will change the course of the sheriff’s vision.”
“Yes, alpha,” they repeated, still on bended knee.
“Winter,” Talon barked, turning to look at the male. “Make your security plan with Noah and Dane. I want that information by tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll have it before midnight,” Winter promised.
“Everyone is dismissed,” the alpha snapped, taking a seat in his office chair. Everyone hurried out of the room. Even Garrett left without saying another word. As soon as the door closed, the silence surrounded him like a comforting blanket, allowing him to compose himself. His pride was in fear, and they had every right to be.
Their lives were at stake, and he was afraid someone was going to be lost to them before this was all over.
The sun was just starting to rise when a knock sounded on her window. Evie quickly opened the curtain to see who was there, but no one could be seen. She looked toward the road and could make out a silhouette of a male as he disappeared into the woods after shifting to his panther form. She frowned and looked down, seeing a letter on the windowsill. She raised the sash and grabbed the envelope that had been placed between the screen and glass, opening it with a smile on her face.
My dearest Evie,
I request your presence at my mother’s home, our future home, at six p.m. tonight. A Guardian will escort you for safety.
Today, a series of gifts will be delivered to your door as mating gifts from me.
I know that you will be eager to come to me, but I ask that you take the morning and afternoon of your birthday to spend with your family, because the evening will belong to us.
I will be waiting for you.
Happy Birthday, baby.
Kye
Evie closed the letter and pressed it to her chest. After they’d come to an understanding about her desire to turn herself over to the Community and the danger behind it, Kye had been her rock, training her in the backyard of his mother’s old home for the past three days. She knew the possibility of her being taken was imminent, and she wanted to put him at ease by agreeing not to turn herself over willingly.
Winter had made a solid security plan, but Evie believed the Watcher and his vision. It was only a matter of time before she was captured.
“Evie!” her mother called from the front room.
She set the letter aside and ran down the hallway. Her mother stood at the door to their home and pointed to the porch. “You have a delivery.”
There was a small box wrapped in brown paper, a blue ribbon tied around it with a small bow on top. Evie took it to her room and climbed onto her bed. She held it in her hands as she felt tears well up in her eyes.
Pulling on the ribbon released the package, and she tore at the paper carefully. The box beneath was the same color as the ribbon. She took a deep breath before opening the lid and pulling back the tissue paper.
Evie reached inside and her fingers touched a thin metal band. She pinched it carefully, pulling it from the box. With a gasp, she held up the bracelet, allowing the morning sun to dance across two beautiful topaz stones that were connected to an infinity symbol. The band was made of white gold, and her hands shook as she tried to attach it to her wrist. It took a few tries, and she almost called her mother to come help, but she finally worked the clasps to get it connected. She twisted her hand, testing the weight and fit, realizing Kye had known exactly what size she needed. Picking at the remaining tissue paper, she found a note at the bottom of the box.
This gift is for the first time I truly saw you and realized you were going to be mine forever.
It was another two hours before the next box arrived much like the first, but this time, the box was bigger.
Inside, Evie found a new pair of gloves for her training. They were all black and small enough for her hands. The ones she’d been using were an unused pair that Ranger had found in a box toward the back of a storage closet when she’d begun training over a year ago.
Inside was another note:
This gift is for your strength and my acceptance of the woman you have become.
She wiped away a tear of happiness and tried on the gloves after removing the bracelet. They fit her perfectly and she would always cherish them, just as she would any gift Kye bestowed upon her. She placed them on her dresser and walked out to show her
mom his first gift.
“Oh, Evie,” Marie smiled, touching the side of Evie’s face. “You are one lucky female.”
“I am,” Evie agreed.
“When is he going to come over?” her mother asked.
“He’s sending a Guardian to collect me at six,” she blushed. “I don’t even know what to wear or take with me. What if I screw this up? I don’t want to make a fool of myself.”
“You could never do that.” Marie chuckled when Evie frowned. “He loves you, dear. Just be yourself.”
“I’m nervous and ready,” she sighed. “It’s going to be a long day.”
“How about I make you something to eat?” her mother offered.
“Thank you,” she replied, following her mother into the kitchen.
She sat at the table and watched her mother work, looking like she was meant to be there. The one thing about Marie Sawyer, she loved caring for everyone in the pride. She took her duties in the kitchen like she’d been handed a special order from the alpha himself. Evie had never heard her mother complain about any aspect of her life.
“Mother?” Evie cleared her throat. “May I ask you a question?”
“Of course you can, my sweet girl.” Marie turned with a smile, but it died on her lips when she saw Evie’s look of sadness.
“What if we touch tonight and are not mates?” Evie asked, chewing on her bottom lip.
“Do you love him?” Marie asked, setting a plate in front of her.
“More than my own life,” Evie vowed.
“You answered your own question, daughter.” Marie smiled and ran an old weathered hand over her head.
“We’ve talked about it,” she said sadly. “We will marry and live as a mated couple, but what if he finds the woman he is fated to be with?”
“Then there is a male out there for you, too,” Marie offered. Evie knew her mother wasn’t sugar-coating anything, and while she appreciated it, the thought of Kye being with another female had her panther clawing to get out so it could find her and kill her.
“Your beast doesn’t like that idea, huh?” Marie raised a brow.
“No, she doesn’t,” Evie frowned.
Chapter Thirteen
“Stop pacing,” Talon chuckled, watching his little brother wear a hole in the rug that sat in front of his desk. Kye had been there for the last hour, trying to pay attention to what Talon had to say, but it was pointless. Kye was too busy thinking about his mating night with Evie.
“I can’t,” Kye grumbled, wiping his brow. “I’m nervous.”
“Haven’t you two had sex yet?” Talon asked, sensing his brother’s nervousness was about the entire process.
“No,” Kye blurted. “And I’m definitely not talking to you about that.”
“I don’t want to talk to you about that either, but as your alpha…” Talon began, but was cut off when Kye narrowed his eyes.
“Please don’t,” Kye responded. “I need my brother right now. Not my leader.”
“Kye,” Talon sighed and stood up so he could walk around his desk. He reached out and wrapped his arm around Kye’s shoulder, pulling him in for an awkward brotherly hug. “Your nature will guide you. This is the only thing I can promise you about your mating.”
“Let’s change the subject, or else I’ll break my rule of not seeing her until this evening,” Kye said, pulling away.
“Okay,” Talon nodded. “Have you talked to Malaki?”
“Yeah, about that,” Kye flinched. “He’s not budging on his total assholiness.”
“What happened?”
Talon listened as Kye replayed the events of his talk with the male. It sounded to Talon like Malaki’s maturity wasn’t settling well, and he was making some rash decisions. He’d have to have a meeting with Calla and Malaki together to get a clear picture of what was going on with them and their plans for the future.
“I’ll take care of them from here on out,” Talon said. “I’m so glad you’re not being a jerk.”
“I have too much to worry about right now,” Kye replied. “I can’t afford to be out of my right mind around Evie.”
“Well done, brother,” Talon said with pride.
“When do I need to be here tomorrow?”
“Take the next few days off,” Talon smirked. “Your panther is going to demand you stay with your mate.”
“Okay,” Kye blushed. “I need to go. I have one last gift to send to Evie before dark.”
“Go, be with your mate,” Talon urged, shooing Kye toward the door.
As soon as his brother left the room, Liberty appeared at the door. His mate was smiling from ear to ear. “Have they touched yet?”
“No,” Talon chuckled. “He’s making her wait until this evening. At least he’s courting her the old way.”
“The old way?” Liberty frowned. “What’s that?”
“Ancient times were… different,” he began, pausing to open his arms so Liberty would come to him. When she snuggled against his chest, he kissed the top of her head and continued. “Males would send gifts to the women they wanted to touch to see if they were mates. The women would then be escorted to the male’s home he’d built for them. The night would be their official first touch, then they wouldn’t come out until their beasts were fully sated.”
“You didn’t send me gifts,” she huffed, jokingly nudging him in the side.
“I didn’t court you,” he reminded her. “We touched by accident, and then I had to convince you that you were mine.”
“I did play hard to catch, didn’t I?” Liberty chuckled and moved away, but not far. “I’m glad I finally gave in to your charms.”
“My charms?” he teased, raising a brow. “If I remember correctly, you gave in when my tongue brought you to orgasm.”
“Well, that too,” she blushed. “Think maybe you can charm me some more tonight?”
“How about we start right now?” He scooped her up in his arms and kissed her into silence as he left the office, hurrying toward their bedroom upstairs.
Dane entered the bar, his eyes immediately falling on Cole and Olivia talking at the bar top. Both of them looked up when he approached. The tiny, blonde female smiled warmly at him and backed away.
“You don’t have to leave on my account,” he teased, sealing that with a wink.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” she rolled her eyes, “I have work to do.”
With that smartass comment, she turned on her heel and walked toward the kitchen. When Dane’s eyes landed on Cole, the bartender chuckled softly and reached for a bar towel to dry a glass.
“What’ll it be today?”
“Just a beer,” Dane said, looking at the clock on the wall. “It’s time to open. Want me to turn the sign?”
“Please,” Cole replied.
As soon as Dane stood up, he felt the human male’s gaze on his back, and for some reason, his panther preened from the attention. He’d been working at the bar as security for the past several weeks. With Liberty now working from home and staying out of the reach of the Community, Dane was tasked with keeping her business from being infiltrated by the people who wanted to take out the shifters.
He flipped the sign and turned away from the door, only to spot that new waitress, Olivia. She was gathering an order pad from behind the bar and tucking into the black apron all the waitresses wore with the bar’s logo on it. Her gaze flickered to Cole, looking away when the male turned toward her. When she did, her eyes landed on him. He held her stare for a moment before giving her a wink and walking toward the bar to pick up his beer.
“It’s Tuesday,” Cole said, clicking the remote to turn on the televisions over the bar. “It’ll be quiet in here most of the day.”
“Let’s hope it stays that way,” Dane replied, taking a seat.
“So, explain to me what exactly is going on with the Community,” Olivia inquired, taking a seat next to Dane. He automatically shifted to the right to keep his distance. She blushed and whispered, “Sorry.
”
“So, I guess Liberty told you about us?” Dane asked, raising a curious brow as he moved to stand on the other side of the barstool.
“She asked me to keep a healthy distance from y’all,” she said with a shrug. “She said the shifters didn’t like the contact.”
“That’s all she said?” Dane asked.
“Yep,” Olivia said with a little pop to the end of her word. “I respect that, and I promised the boss lady I’d adhere to the rules.”
“Truth is,” Dane started, then smiled. “We don’t mind the touching. It’s just that we find our mates that way. One touch and that’s all we need to go into a mating… well, frenzy.”
“Oh,” she squeaked as she blushed.
“Yeah, we tend to keep our distance until we find someone who we are interested in.” He shrugged and took a long pull off of his beer, watching her eyes darken. “If we feel a good connection to them, there will be touching involved… lots of touching.”
“I see.” She nodded and grabbed a bar towel that’d been hanging from her tied apron strings. “I need to go wipe down some tables.”
Dane watched Olivia walk away, making note of how her hips swung seductively. It wasn’t like she was trying, either. He’d seen those kinds of women more than enough in the bar. You always knew who the ones were that were only there to pick up a shifter. What did Nova call them? Oh, yeah… pride whores.
Chapter Fourteen
I give this ring to you as a mating gift from me. Our vows will be said at the Winter Solstice, but until then, take this as a symbol of our bond.
Evie slid the silver band onto her left ring finger. It fit snug against her skin and she tested the weight, realizing Kye had found her a ring she could still wear if she ever had the need to fight. It wouldn’t hinder her in any way.
A soft knock sounded on the front door, and her mother began to tear up. Her father stood tall and squeezed Evie’s hand before walking to the door. Noah, Kye’s brother, was standing there on the porch. His smile was bright as he nodded toward her father.
Kye Page 8
