Ranger (Rise of the Pride, Book 5)

by Theresa Hissong

  “Come with me,” Winter barked. “Dane says there is movement around Ranger’s place.”

  Three males caught on camera at the back of the property.

  “Let’s go.” Garrett growled at the incoming text from the alpha, taking off at a dead run alongside Winter. Kraven joined them as they reached the end of the driveway. Hope’s brother didn’t say anything as they ran in silence.

  As they approached, both men froze when they heard a feminine shout and one angry panther. Winter didn’t have any care in the world when he put his shoulder into the solid wooden door, splintering it as he plowed through. What he found there froze his heart in his chest.

  Talon and Dane were in panther form, two males being ripped to shreds by his brother and alpha. Another male, in human form, was squaring off with Ranger’s mate. She whimpered as she swung her fist, connecting with the male’s eye. She shook out her hand and raised them again. “How does it feel to get your ass kicked by a female, Chuck?”

  “Hope!” Dane snarled, making a move to give aide to the Guardian’s mate, but she threw her hand out for him to stop.

  “Hope!” Talon barked when he shifted. “Back away from the male.”

  “Sorry, alpha,” she snarled. “This one is mine.”

  “Come on, Hope, focus,” Kraven urged, ignoring the other males and their alpha as they looked at him in shock. Winter was so confused.

  “You are in pain from touching another male,” Talon warned, moving closer. Winter positioned himself to the female’s other side, noticing that her fists were covered in Chuck’s blood. He didn’t want to touch her, but they needed to take the male into custody.

  “Don’t really care right now,” she huffed. “Please, alpha. Let me kill him.”

  “Calm down, Hope,” Talon said, holding out his hands when she snarled. “Ranger is not here to relieve your pain. I need you to let us handle this.”

  “Yeah, bitch,” Chuck rolled his eyes. “Let the males do their job. Know your place for once.”

  “Fuck,” Dane whispered under his breath, throwing his hands in the air. Winter frowned at his brother, but didn’t have a chance to ask him what the hell he was doing when Hope gave out a demonic laugh.

  “My place is to rip out your throat for the things you did to me,” Hope replied, her canines growing thick in her mouth.

  “Hope,” Garrett warned, but when Winter looked over at the sheriff, he had a knowing smile on his face. “I’d like to question him.”

  “What did he do to you?” Talon inquired, stepping closer to the female.

  “This is the man that held me down as I was cut open and marked for Boris Small,” she raged.

  “You’re fucked now, asshole,” Dane growled. Winter looked toward the male with a raised brow. Dane shrugged and said, “You haven’t seen her fight, huh?”

  “Hope,” Talon warned again.

  “Please, alpha,” she begged, not taking her eyes off her opponent. That alone told Winter he’d missed a lot when it came to their new pride member and mate to his brother. “I am begging you. Do not order me to stand down.”

  “She can handle herself,” Kraven announced, but his eyes were still on the scene in front of him as he watched his sister bounce on the balls of her feet.

  “I’m getting tired of this,” Chuck said, taking it upon himself to rush the female.

  Before the males could come to her aide, Hope spun on one foot, bringing the other up to kick the male in the side of his head. Chuck let out a grunt of pain when Hope made contact, hitting his temple with her heel and knocking him to the ground. The male had a hundred and fifty pounds on the female, but she was trained…obviously more than the stunned male on the ground.

  “Finish this, Hope,” Kraven barked, his canines thick in his mouth. “Come on, girl. Let your panther free.”

  “Just the way you taught me, brother mine,” she growled, crouching low.

  Hope’s clothes shredded as she shifted. A warning was shouted by the other males, but she pounced on Chuck, clamping her teeth around his throat. With a snarl, Hope’s panther made the kill, spitting his severed throat to the ground next to his lifeless body.

  Talon rushed to her side when the female shifted, collapsing in pain as a human. The males backed away as their leader grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped her up, lifting Hope into his arms and rushing her from the home.

  “I’m taking her to Harold until Ranger can return,” he growled. “Clean this up.”

  “I’m going with you,” Kraven announced as he came to Talon’s side. The male whispered something to Hope and she smiled and nodded her head.

  They watched as Hope closed her eyes, only whimpering once from the pain of touching another male. Most females would’ve been screaming, but this one only tucked her head and let the only male who could touch her besides her mate and brother, carry her to safety.

  “Holy shit,” Winter breathed, looking around the small cabin. Blood and death were everywhere.

  “Ranger found himself the perfect mate,” Dane announced proudly.

  “She’ll kick his ass if he gets out of line,” Winter chuckled, nudging Chuck’s lifeless body with his foot.

  “No doubt,” Dane answered.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Ranger’s panther twisted, feeling his flesh rip from the male’s lethal canines. Blood tickled his fur, but the panther was too focused on ending the male’s life to care. The panther limped as he circled Boris, raising his lip in a nasty snarl.

  Pain was absent as he forced his back leg to pounce, taking the male to the ground. Boris’s panther yelped as Ranger got ahold of his shoulder, ripping at the flesh. They scuffled, rolling around on the floor. A lamp fell from a table, but that didn’t stop Ranger’s panther from going for the male’s throat.

  “End this!” Thorne yelled.

  Ranger’s panther clamped down and crushed the male’s windpipe, stepping back to watch him suffer as the animal bucked and scrambled for any footing he could find. When the air in his lungs dissipated, and his brain started shutting down from the lack of oxygen, Ranger shifted to his human form and grabbed the alpha by his throat, pulling the panther’s face to his own.

  “I hope you suffer in hell,” Ranger snarled, his eyes glowing amber.

  The panther’s body slumped to the ground and it was over…Boris Small was gone.

  “Ranger?” Thorne gasped as he approached. “Your leg.”

  The pain struck Ranger hard as he limped over toward a chair by the wall. He looked down at his bleeding leg and back up at his brothers. “I need a safe place to shift.”

  “You need a healer,” Thorne urged, reaching for the house phone.

  “This is an old injury,” he hissed. “I need to shift, but I want my brothers to check on my mate while I do.”

  “Use the backyard.” Noah pointed toward a door. “It’s fenced and will be secure. I’ll stay out there with you.”

  “Thank you,” Ranger huffed, pulling at his beast. The panther inside him was exhausted, but he continued to dig deep for his other nature.

  “I will report to you anything I hear about Hope,” Noah promised.

  Ranger shifted and limped toward the open door, relaxing when Noah followed him outside. Once outside, he found a thick patch of grass and pushed his panther away. The beast snarled, hating the back and forth, even though it knew this was the way he needed to heal.

  Five minutes as a beast, ten as a human, fifteen as a beast, twenty as a human. The next three hours were going to be hell on his body, but he needed to heal.

  As time progressed, Noah remained quiet, his trained gaze on the home and their surroundings. Ranger saw movement inside and knew that the bodies of the rogue alpha and his Guardians were being removed.

  Their world wasn’t always hearts and flowers. Punishments sometimes meant death, especially if a mate was harmed in one way or the other. No matter how strong a female, the males were protective to a fault. It was how t
hey were raised…it was how they lived.

  On his fifth shift back to human, Noah’s eyes met his and Ranger knew something was wrong. He stood up from his spot, ignoring the blood staining the grass where he’d lain for the last hour and a half. The wound was healing but not quite back to what it was before they arrived in North Carolina.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “We need to return to the pride,” Noah said, looking at his phone. “Are you okay to travel?”

  “Is it Hope?” Ranger snarled. His heart felt like it had stopped dead in his chest when the alpha’s brother nodded sadly. “Three males found her in your cabin after three other males were detained. The Community caused a commotion by picketing at our gates, and the males slipped in but not past our cameras, even though we were stretched thin.”

  “What happened to Hope?” he yelled, limping onto the back porch.

  “She…um, well, your mate killed one of Boris’s Guardians,” Noah replied, sounding perplexed.

  “Wait…what?” Ranger froze, turning toward the male.

  “She ripped his throat out after beating the shit out of a male almost twice her size.” Noah chuckled. “She’s a badass.”

  “Fuck,” Ranger cursed as he whooshed out a heavy breath. “She’s in pain. We need to go.”

  “Harold has given her a sedative until you can arrive,” Noah promised. “The truck is ready when you are.”

  “Let’s go home.” Ranger didn’t waste time in marching through the home, stopping for a moment to shake Thorne’s hand.

  The North Carolina pride was now his and they left knowing the male would rule as well as their own alpha back in Mississippi.

  Now, he needed to be with his mate.

  The sheriff’s deputies pushed the protestors back from the gate to allow the truck to enter the pride’s land. Noah cursed, “Damn, this is going to be bad.”

  “Garrett says they’re working with the government to stop the Community’s protests, but I have a feeling they are using this as a disguise for deeper purposes,” Ranger said, tapping his foot on the floorboard of the truck. He needed to see his mate.

  “I’m sure Talon will brief us on everything,” Noah said, giving a short wave to Savage as they passed the guard building.

  Ranger didn’t reply as they made their way up the long drive, passing the alpha’s home. The healer’s home was surrounded by pride members, all of them turning to watch as Ranger exited the passenger side and limped up the walkway.

  “Where is she?” he asked, looking around the room. Kraven was sitting on the edge of a chair with his head bowed as if he was praying. When the male looked up, he relaxed and released a breath.

  “In here,” Kraven said, pointing toward the back room. “She’s kind of loopy right now.”

  Ranger entered the exam room. The lights were dimmed, only a small lamp was on in the corner, casting a soft, yellow light over the room. The healer was sitting in a chair, reading a newspaper. Hope was on her side, curled up in the fetal position, and her eyes were closed.

  “She’s okay,” Harold whispered as he looked up. Folding the paper neatly, he stood from his seat and stretched lazily. “I gave her a sedative about an hour ago and she’s been sleeping ever since.”

  “Did they hurt her?”

  “No.” Harold smiled proudly. “From what I’ve been told, your mate held her own with those males.”

  “She has been taught well,” Ranger replied, silently reminding himself to thank her brother, Kraven, for having the foresight to teach his mate how to protect herself.

  “It goes against our nature to have a female fight,” Harold reminded him, “but I can attest to the fact that it may be time we change our way of thinking.”

  “Evie taught me that over the past year,” Ranger replied. “Hope’s abilities just sealed my way of thinking.”

  “Our world is changing in so many ways, Guardian,” Harold said, cupping his hand over Ranger’s shoulder. “You have done the right thing with the young female.”

  “She’s not the only one,” Ranger sighed, nodding toward his mate. “Hope has been teaching Calla how to defend herself as well.”

  “Talk to Talon about this,” Harold warned. “It is not my call, but I believe that the females are going to rise, and when they do, our kind are going to be stronger than we ever imagined.”

  “Ranger?” Hope moaned as she started to rouse.

  “I’ll leave you two alone.” Harold excused himself and walked out of the room, pausing at the door. “You need to shift some more to take care of that limp.”

  “I will as soon as I make sure my mate is okay,” he promised.

  Hope moaned as her eyes flickered open. When her eyes cleared, the icy blue of her human side looked at him with relief. “You’re here.”

  “I’m here,” he said, slipping into the bed. He took her into his arms and held her tight against his chest. She slipped her hands up between them so she could reach his face. They didn’t speak for the longest time as he made sure to keep the connection to relieve the pain of touching another male.

  “I killed a male,” she whispered, shivering from whatever thought she had in her mind. “Well, my beast did.”

  “Yes, you did,” he replied, not wanting to sugarcoat anything. “I am so proud of you for taking your safety into your own hands.”

  “I was mad and scared,” she blurted, nuzzling her nose against the spot where she marked him when they had mated. He felt his body respond, his cock hardening with the need to mount his mate.

  “I want to take you to our home,” he said, capturing her lips for a soft kiss.

  “I never told you that I loved you before you left,” she slurred, blinking rapidly.

  “You don’t have to tell me, angel,” he whispered. “I already knew.”

  “I’m tired, and I want to go back to our home,” she yawned.

  “My beast needs to check you over in our space. Then, I want to bathe you and take you to bed.”

  “I think that would be a great idea,” she mumbled. “I’m still a little groggy from the pain medicine the healer gave me.”

  Ranger slid carefully from the bed, trying to hide his wince. He really needed to shift a few more times. His healing shifts had been cut short when they rushed home from North Carolina.

  “Ranger,” she gasped, blinking rapidly. “Are you hurt?”

  “No,” he said through gritted teeth. “I just need to shift soon.”

  “Let me see,” she begged. “And don’t lie to me.”

  “I sustained an injury, but I’m not hurt,” he promised. “Now, let’s get you home.”

  “Who hurt you?” His mate’s words were said through her canines. She was angry, and that just excited him.

  “He’s dead,” Ranger said, his eyes roaming her body. “You really make me want to fuck you when you get protective.”

  “Does me being a badass turn you on?” she taunted, her eyes heating as they roamed his body. Damn, his mate really needed to chill on that look or he’d mount her at the healer’s home.

  “We should go home,” he growled. “Now.”

  Hope refused to let him carry her the short distance, but she did lean heavily on his side as they slowly made their way back to the cabin. Ranger kicked the door closed, not caring to lock it, because if anyone dared cross his threshold, he’d kill them with no remorse.

  Hope smiled as he placed her on the counter while he filled the huge tub in the master bathroom. He dropped her favorite honeysuckle bath salt into the water before testing its temperature.

  “Come, mate,” he purred, reaching for her shirt.

  Hope hopped down off the counter and pushed her shorts to the floor. “Want to join me?”

  “Yes,” he grunted, removing his own clothing in a rush. His cock hardened as she stepped into his arms, wrapping her arms around his waist.

  Hope sighed heavily, “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “Your safety is more important than mine
,” he growled, moving toward the bath.

  Once inside, he leaned back and let her rest against his chest. Ranger spent the next half hour running a soapy cloth over his mate’s skin. She never complained about his touch or the need to clean the enemies scent from her skin. He wanted her natural scent and that of their mating back, and he spent the rest of the night marking her to ensure that everyone knew Hope was his.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Hope carried a tray of drinks outside to set on the huge picnic bench they’d set up for the small party Nova and Mary Grace had wanted to reveal the sex of their cubs. Both Guardians were sitting close to their mates as they waited to open the big boxes that held balloons that would float up when opened. If the balloons were pink, it was a girl, or blue for a boy. Thankfully, the healer had been gracious enough to order the boxes for the couples, so no one in the pride knew the results except for him.

  “When we have cubs,” Ranger hummed in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her body. His scent washed over her and relaxed all of the stress she’d been feeling. “Do we have to do this gender reveal party thing, too?”

  “No,” Hope laughed. “I don’t really care to do something like this.”

  “Good.” He nodded, his eyes sparking amber. “Maybe we can try for one of those cubs later?”

  “Sure,” she replied, looking down at her feet. She hoped he didn’t sense her uncertainty.

  “What’s wrong, angel?” he asked, turning her around to cup her face. She didn’t hide it well enough, because her mate was tuned to her feelings.

  “I really don’t want to discuss it here.” Hope looked around at the pride, noticing many of them were within earshot.

  “We will discuss it here,” Ranger growled. “Tell me what’s going on with you. You’ve been quiet and distant since all of the females started setting up this party.”

  Hope chewed on her lip, unable to look her mate in the eyes. God, she was so crazy not to tell him her feelings. “Can we just talk about this later? At home?”