Strength Enduring (Talon Pack Book 8)

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  Because he was the Alpha that mattered. He was the wolf that would rule all.

  And the humans would one day know his wrath.

  But for now, they had no clue.

  For the time being, they would learn to fear the Talons. Until his plan was set in motion.

  Chapter Eleven

  Kameron ran a hand over his face, exhausted after another long night of not enough sleep and a full day of scheduling and patrols. Max and Mitchell had been on training duty for most of the day, and that meant it was his job to plug any gaps that might come from having so many of his soldiers brushing up on their evaluations and training. He normally wouldn’t have minded it, but the lack of sleep and how hard he’d been pushing himself recently was almost a little too much at this point.

  He was then perhaps thankful that there was a Brentwood family dinner tonight at Gideon and Brie’s. Or maybe he wasn’t as thankful as he needed to be, but he knew the time together was needed. With so many new babies and matings within the family, they tried to keep the dinners to at least twice a month now so everyone could catch up with each other, but as one of the only two non-mated Brentwoods left, it was a lot of family all at once.

  And it probably didn’t help matters that he’d heard they invited Dhani to the dinner so she wouldn’t be alone in her cottage all night with all her friends—minus Cheyenne, who was spending less and less time in the den.

  That meant he’d have a whole evening surrounded by his too curious family who all tended to see too much when they tried, and the one woman whose scent constantly sent him over the edge to oblivion where he had to use all his control not to mark her as his right then and there.

  But he had to go. The family didn’t let Max get out of these functions, and Max had a legitimate excuse to skip them, so Kameron didn’t have a chance. They were pack animals at heart, and that meant being near one another was what their wolves needed. They liked it, even if their human halves sometimes wanted space. Lone wolves could get by with long stretches of time away from one another, but even they needed some interaction.

  And even though some might think the opposite, Kam wasn’t a lone wolf.

  That meant that his wolf would actually enjoy the dinner tonight even if Kameron would rather be anywhere else. He loved his family, but he needed time to think about Dhani and what they were going to do about this burning need between them that was nothing so mundane as normal lust. And he couldn’t do that when she was so close to him.

  But he wouldn’t have a choice at the proximity, it seemed. As soon as he walked into his Alpha’s house, it was chaos once again—family, food, and a sense of what should have been rather than what Kam had been dealing with in his head for weeks.

  Gideon and Brie were snuggling with Fallon, the two looking as if they’d mated last week rather than a few years ago. Finn and Brynn were standing near them, talking and snuggling each other. They’d left Mac over with the Redwoods tonight so Finn’s parents could play grandparent and spoil the baby, at least according to what Brynn had said before she came.

  Ryder and Leah were on the couch with Bram, Shane, and Charlotte. The latter triad wasn’t related to the Brentwoods, but they were practically family since Shane was one of Gideon’s lieutenants, and Charlotte was Finn’s and Parker’s cousin. Everyone was so interconnected these days, it was hard to keep the wolves straight.

  Kameron didn’t know what the group was talking about, but the normally stern guys were laughing up a storm, and the women were rolling their eyes. Ryder and Leah’s son was draped over Ryder’s lap, sleeping away despite the noise.

  Brie had laid out appetizers for everyone, and Mitchell and Dawn were at the dining room table, talking with Brandon, Avery, and Parker. Every once in a while, Parker would whisper something into Brandon’s and then Avery’s ears that made them both blush, so Kam had a feeling the triad wouldn’t be staying long after dinner.

  Walker and Aimee were standing in a corner, his brother’s head bent low as he listened to his mate’s soft voice. Walker had his hand on Aimee’s waist, the other playing with her hair. The two looked as if they thought they were the only ones in the room, and in their world, that may have been the case.

  Kameron’s gaze had gone to the opposite corner before he walked all the way into the house, but he’d done his best to ignore it as Max and Dhani were standing side by side, surveying the house as they had a low conversation. Kam’s wolf bucked, wanting to tear Dhani away from Max’s side, but he wasn’t going to be jealous of the fact that his cousin could so easily talk with Dhani. The problem with Kam and Dhani wasn’t that they couldn’t have a conversation. No, the problem was that they wanted to do more than talk, and neither of them was prepared for the consequences of that.

  Kameron had walked in late, again, because he’d been avoiding being in the same room as the woman who held the scent that made his wolf crave her more than he ever thought possible. The mating urge rode him hard, and he did his best not to heed it because if he did, there would be no going back, and she’d be in more danger than she already was by being associated with the Talons.

  Before he could go over to one of the groups and make conversation as his Alpha’s mate would want him to, he noticed the TV screen. It was muted, but what he saw made him freeze.

  “Shit,” he mumbled, moving forward to turn up the volume. The others in the room stopped their conversations as he did. They all knew he wouldn’t have turned it up if there weren’t a reason—he was an asshole, but not a rude one.

  Dhani immediately came to his side and slid her hand into his as the news anchor started talking. He ignored the others as he felt their stares, knowing that what was on the TV in front of them changed everything and was far more important than what the others saw between Dhani and him.

  “We’re going back to Jack, where the story is unfolding. We’ll have more information soon.”

  Jack, the reporter who stood next to a pale, older couple, looked stern but familiar.

  “Fuck.”

  “What?” Gideon asked from his other side. Dhani shook next to Kameron, her scent shifting to fear, and he had a bad feeling…even worse than before.

  “That’s the reporter who came to the den looking for answers. Hell. And the woman behind him not saying anything is the damn woman who called herself a groupie. Who knows what we missed before I turned up the volume, but this isn’t good.”

  “Whatever happens, it’s not your fault,” Brie put in. “You were doing your job.”

  “Not good enough, apparently.”

  “It won’t be his fault,” Dhani said, her voice hoarse.

  “Oh God,” Aimee and Dawn said together as they came closer.

  “Is that…?” Dawn asked.

  “Yes,” Dhani said, her body shaking even more next to his. He didn’t move to put his arm around her, but he did squeeze her hand. “Those are my parents. Why are my parents on TV?”

  “Fuck,” Gideon growled. “This is going to be bad.”

  Beside them, Shane was on the phone talking to the others on his team, and Kameron knew they were making sure the den was safe. Kameron’s team would be doing the same, and once he had all the facts, he’d make some calls of his own.

  Jack began speaking. “We’re here outside the Talon den area, begging for the truth. We know what the government tells us, but I’ve seen firsthand what terrors those who push us away can bring.”

  Dhani’s mother whimpered, and Kam growled, squeezing Dhani’s hand again.

  “These wolves are scary, insular, and perhaps even murderous. As we learned before, they pushed away poor Jesse, who now stands behind us. They forced her to walk alone in the forest, lost and near death.”

  “Lies,” Kameron growled.

  “We know,” Brandon said. Kam could feel Brandon trying to soothe the emotions in the room since he was the Omega and that was his duty, but Kam never let Brandon close enough for it to work on him.

  “I was threatened with horrendous
things for wanting to know the truth. And now we’re here with the Coburns. They’ve come to beg for their daughter’s life. And I just want to emphasize the danger that could come from this single broadcast. We are risking our lives for the truth and to save a young woman’s life. Mr. Coburn, tell us what happened.”

  Dhani’s father pressed his lips together before giving a tight nod. “Our daughter has been kidnapped by the Talons. She’s a normal human, and now she’s being forced to live within their wolf den and do God knows what. If it wasn’t for Mr. Aspen, we wouldn’t have known that our Dhanielle had been taken from her home.”

  “Blade,” Kameron hissed out. “Fucking Blade Aspen. Real smooth, asshole.” Blade didn’t have a last name, so using Aspen was just a fuck you to Kameron and his Pack.

  “These wolves forced Dhani out of a job. Her nice job where she was making a difference. They made it impossible for her to work there. They made it dangerous. And now, we can’t talk to our daughter. We can’t see her.”

  Tears streamed down Dhani’s mother’s face, and while Kameron wanted to take Dhani away from this and protect her, he had a feeling her parents believed what they were saying. If Blade were involved, this was beyond surface deep. Something else was brewing.

  “We just want our baby girl back,” Dhani’s father said, his voice choked up.

  Jack gave them a solemn nod. “We’ve reached out to the Talons but have heard nothing.”

  “Lies,” Kam growled out once again. “Fucking lies.”

  “We’ve also reached out to local authorities, who said they would look into the matter. Dhanielle Coburn has been kidnapped and will most likely be forced to do unspeakable things. If the wolves turn her, they will be breaking the law. She is not under Pack jurisdiction, but bound by human laws. The wolves must see this. We cannot let them win.”

  The news went on to other things, speakers discussing the impact of the kidnapping and what could happen if this got out of control with even more broken laws. Kameron was sick to his stomach. When he looked down at Dhani, she was pale as a ghost, her body shaking.

  “Shit,” he whispered, tugging her close. “I’m so damn sorry.”

  “No. I am,” she gasped out. “I can’t believe…those were my parents, but they weren’t. You know. I mean, I just talked to them, and they sounded fine.”

  “They looked hexed,” Leah said softly from behind them, and everyone turned to look at the water witch. “If Blade is involved, then so is his witch, and I have a feeling he used her to make your parents do what he needed them to. To see what he needed them to see.”

  “I can’t believe they would do this.” Dhani pulled away from him, wrapping her arms around her middle. “I mean, I know they’ve been growing even more distant and they weren’t answering my calls, but I didn’t think twice about it. I just thought it was normal. How things went after a time where we didn’t have much to talk about. I didn’t realize there would be an egomaniac Alpha wolf convincing them that I was kidnapped. Perhaps even hexing them into going on national television. I’m so sorry. What can I do? I can go. I can tell people that you guys have been nothing but kind to me and would never do anything like that. Would it matter? That reporter seemed predisposed to the idea that you guys did this. I’m just so sorry.”

  Kameron didn’t touch her, but his wolf wanted him to.

  He wasn’t sure what he was going to say, but before he could even open his mouth, Gideon spoke instead. “We know this isn’t your fault. It was bound to happen. The more things start to settle, the more those on the fringes find ways to speak. I’m worried if you go on television now, they’re not going to believe you. Because you’re still out of our jurisdiction, just like that journalist said. If the authorities truly do come here like they were saying, we may not have any recourse to let you stay. But we can’t allow others to force our hands. The lines are blurred at this point, and we’re just trying to keep things settled in this new world. You may be employed here, but in the eyes of the humans, you’re still one of them. And I can’t make you Pack by changing you. It’s against the law, and maybe we could’ve found a way around that before, but there’s no way now. We’re under too much scrutiny.”

  Kameron’s claws pressed under his skin, his fingertips burning, but he held them back—barely. He knew he should say something to Dhani, but there wasn’t that kind of time, and frankly, he didn’t know what he would have said anyway. “If you perform a mating ceremony, then she’s Pack, right? Then the humans can’t do anything.”

  A few gasped, while the others looked at him with pitying glances. His eyes were only for Dhani, though. Because he had just outed their secret, the one they’d both held close to the vest because it had been about the two of them, not about anyone else. And now, those closest to them knew, and he just hoped it was enough. Because despite the ramifications, he would mark her right there, get the blessing from his Alpha, and take her to his place to complete the mating bond. He’d be damned if he let her or his Pack get hurt because of his actions.

  “That almost sounds a little too convenient,” Gideon began, but held up his hands when Kam growled. “I’m not saying it’s not true. I had a feeling there was something going on between you two, but I was doing my best to ignore it because, while I’m the Alpha, I do try to stay out of everyone’s business—don’t snort, Mitchell. But what I’m saying is, it might sound too convenient for the humans. We have no way of proving mating bonds, no way of saying that she’s Pack without it sounding as if we’re scrambling. And, frankly, I haven’t heard a word from Dhani saying that this is something she wants. It takes two—or three in some cases—to mate. Not just the desire of one.”

  Dhani raised her chin and met Gideon’s gaze for a moment before she turned to Kameron. “What if we play Blade’s game? What if we televise the mating ceremony? I’m not talking about the actual bonding, but what if we give them something that looks like a wedding, something that humans will understand. I know it’s not exactly what you guys do, and I don’t even know if it will work, but if it’s what we need to try, then I’m game. Because I’m not letting my family hurt this family.”

  The others started talking around them, making plans and pretty much agreeing with what he and Dhani had just come up with. But the only two people not speaking were him, and the woman who would officially be his mate. Soon.

  He knew they needed to talk, but it looked as if they weren’t going to bother at that point because they were both going to do this for the good of their people, the good of their Pack.

  And he’d never hated himself more than at that moment. Maybe if he had stopped that reporter, maybe if he had listened, this would be different. Maybe if he had listened to what Jesse, that so-called groupie, had wanted, things would be different. Maybe if he had found Blade and ended things before they truly began, things would be different.

  Maybe if he hadn’t been so closed-off, and hadn’t been such an asshole, things would be different.

  Because now, he was pushing a woman into mating, forcing a bond that both of them said they could feel the need for but hadn’t said they wanted.

  And now they were doing the most taboo thing possible by playing Blade’s game and having their mating televised.

  In the end, he would end up with a mate, one with a bullseye on her back because of his actions.

  There was a special place in Hell for him, and it looked as if he were already living in it.

  Chapter Twelve

  When Dhani was a little girl, she had played wedding games like most of her friends. She had married three or four of her friends over time, using pillowcases and parts of lace tablecloths as veils. She had used dandelions and white daisies as her bouquet. She had danced to soft songs with her teddy bears as she imagined her perfect wedding day.

  The image had changed over time because while she’d had a few serious relationships, none of them had ever screamed marriage to her.

  She’d been too busy and had never found the r
ight person for her.

  Now it seemed that nothing from her childhood would actually come true.

  Instead of lace and daisies, she was going to mate—not marry—a man she was just starting to know…under duress.

  He had said straight to her face that he didn’t really want to want her. He may not have used those exact words, but she knew the undercurrents. He wanted to keep her safe, and despite the burning heat between them, she understood. But now it seemed that, no matter what, she couldn’t truly stay safe.

  And yet it wasn’t her safety that she was thinking about when she agreed to a televised mating ceremony. It was the safety of the new pups that she taught, the safety of her friends that were connected to the Talons. She knew that Kam would do everything he could to protect her, and maybe one day when she was a wolf, she would have the strength to protect herself. Now, she was giving up the idea of doing something just for her, falling for someone and letting go of the consequences. Now, she was doing something for the good of her people, or at least the good of the people who had taken her in and held her close to their hearts.

  Nothing was as it should be. She should have been standing with her parents, crying soft tears as her daddy gave her away. Her parents would not be attending this farce. They would see it on television like the rest of the world. And while she feared for their safety because Blade had evidently been near them at some point, she couldn’t let her parents close to the Talons either. Gideon had sent a couple of soldiers out there to watch over her parents, but in secret. Because they had no idea if Blade was still around or if he’d left some of his men to keep an eye out.

  It was a dangerous game, and she hated that her parents had become part of it. Because as much as things had gone wrong between the three of them, she couldn’t believe that they would go to the extremes they had. The idea Leah had mentioned when she said that they looked hexed had been an oddly soothing reaction, even though it should’ve felt horrendous. She should have been horrified that magic had touched her parents. Conflicted was such a small word to describe what she was feeling.