Cry of the Pride

by Lacey Thorn

  She gazed around them then focused on him once more. I’m sorry, Aleksy. For shutting you out.

  It’s okay.

  No, it’s not. I needed… Hell, I don’t know exactly what I thought I needed. It doesn’t matter now. What matters is I realized what I do need. Who I need.

  And who would that be?

  You, Aleksy. I was reeling from all the changes and meeting my brother, knowing he wants me to go back with him while that would be the last thing you wanted. It was too much. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Then my tiger decided she was tired of waiting, and everything just…synced within me. I didn’t know Blane was here, and really, it doesn’t matter. I’m not alone anymore. I have a mate now, a…family. I’m not used to checking in with people, and I’m going to screw up. But I don’t mean to. I don’t…want to.

  Lyra—

  I’m falling in love with you, and it terrifies me.

  I’m not going anywhere, and no one will take me from you.

  What if I choose to go to Oklahoma? I don’t want to choose between you and my brother because I know I’ll choose you. And I’m afraid that choice will put my brother’s pride in danger.

  You don’t have to choose, Lyra. I’m with you. Always. Wherever you go, I go.

  Even if it’s Oklahoma?

  Even then.

  And he meant it.

  Do you think Tony will mind going to Oklahoma?

  He wanted to laugh at how well she knew him already, yet she didn’t even realize it. She thought she was falling in love with him when she was already head-over-heels. She’d figure it out soon enough, and he could wait. She’d knocked him on his ass from the beginning. He just had to wait for her to realize she was on the ground beside him.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Lyra looked around the room at the multitude of strange faces that avidly watched her as if she held all the answers. She wasn’t even aware of the questions. The shifters had been trickling in since she’d returned to the bunker. Aleksy was still out cleaning up, and Gideon, Orsai, Reno and Amia were down with Tony, watching over Daniel. Apparently, he wasn’t healing. Tony was trying to see if there’d been something in the bullets that would slow or even halt the animal’s ability to heal. Plus, they hadn’t heard from Murphy yet, which meant they had no news on Blane. Lyra could tell it all weighed on her brother who refused to put in a call to his alpha, yet.

  “Is he here?” A young woman moved forward. She’d come in with another girl, slightly older, and Lyra thought they were sisters.

  “Who?” Lyra asked, not sure which of the shifter males the woman looked for.

  “The one who called to us and told us to come to him,” the girl said. “We saw you and through you, him.”

  The woman Lyra thought was the girl’s sister stepped forward. “And we came. Where is he?”

  “He’s home,” Zane answered as he came in with Aleksy and the others. “And you’re welcome to go with us, but we’ll need to know a little about you first.”

  “I can vouch for them.” Another woman stepped forward. She was older, with steel-gray hair, and carried an air of authority around her. “This is my group. We heard the alpha’s call and came as soon as we could.”

  “And you are?” Aleksy asked as he came to stand next to Lyra. She leaned into him and smiled when he wrapped an arm around her and dropped a kiss atop her head.

  “Narda Bell. Widow, nurse, shifter. I’ve been taking in strays for a long time. We keep to ourselves and try to stay off the hunters’ radar.” She shrugged. “Until we can’t.”

  “Coming here isn’t exactly staying off their radar,” Aleksy stated dryly.

  “No, it’s not,” Narda agreed then circled her finger to indicate the room. “We’ve waited a long time for the alpha to rise. I wasn’t sure I’d see it in my lifetime. I’m glad I was wrong.”

  “Did you lose any out there?” Zane asked.

  Narda glanced around the room, stopping on the faces of those who’d come with her before nodding. “Three. We lost three.”

  “I’m sorry,” Lyra whispered.

  “We knew the risks. All of us,” Narda replied. “And we all made the choice to come.”

  “How did you know where to come?” Zane asked.

  Narda nodded toward Lyra. “We followed what we saw. Which was her. We went to Chicago first, to a bar there. Then to a veterinary clinic, where it looks as if someone was tortured. Then here.”

  Lyra lifted her hand to her face. “You see what I see?”

  Narda smiled. “Only what you share. These places you showed us? Were you in danger while you were in them? Did you call for help?”

  “Yes… Well, for the most part. Tah appeared to me before I knew I was in danger,” Lyra admitted.

  “He called,” Narda agreed. “And we were led to you. Now, you’ll lead us to him.”

  “Is this all of you?” Zane asked.

  “All that’s left of us,” Narda answered. “This is Beebee.” She nodded toward the younger girl then to the woman who stood with her. “And her older sister, Kristi. Ronna, Patrick, Mike and Soren, Teddy and her brother Nick, and Johnna. It’s just the ten of us now.”

  Lyra nodded at all of them as they were introduced. They all stared at her as if waiting for her to say something profound. They’d have a long wait. She was still getting used to speaking at all.

  Aleksy pulled her closer, and she knew he sensed her anxiety. Hell, she felt as if the other group had painted her as some type of prophet or beacon of hope, which she was far from. She’d never even met the alpha herself.

  “How’s Daniel doing?” Aleksy whispered.

  She shook her head. “Reno’s still down there with him. I guess his animal isn’t healing him the way it should.”

  “Let’s go check in with him. Zane’s got this under control.” Aleksy took her hand and tugged her out the door. She felt several gazes tracking them as they moved into the hall.

  They think I can lead them to safety.

  You said you wanted to go to Oklahoma.

  For my brother. He said if I didn’t the alpha would come here with his mate and daughter. That can’t be safe for them. And…I want to meet him, Tah. I want to know how I saw him when I was in Chicago.

  You want answers. We’ll get them for you. When your brother and his group are ready to travel, we’ll go with them. Tony will set it up.

  She nodded in agreement, and Aleksy dropped a kiss on her upturned lips before propelling her farther down the hall. He pushed into the room Daniel was in. He was hooked to several machines. Both Gideon and Tony monitored him while Reno and Amia watched. Orsai sat quietly in the corner, looking on.

  “How is he?” Aleksy asked.

  “Not good,” Tony answered.

  “He should be healing, but his animal genetics aren’t kicking in,” Gideon added. “He’s coded twice, but we were able to get him back. I swear it’s as if he wants to die.”

  “Fuck!” Reno yelled, pacing away. “This is what Murphy was afraid of.”

  “I still can’t get Murphy,” Amia said. “His phone is going straight to voicemail.”

  “He’ll call when he can,” Reno replied. “I need to let Finn know he’s on the hunt, though, in case Murphy contacts his brother first.”

  “What about Daniel?” Tony asked. “Does he have family? A mate?”

  “Yes,” Reno answered but didn’t elaborate on which of those Daniel had. “How soon can we move him? I need to get him back to Oklahoma. As soon as possible.”

  “At least, twenty-four hours to stabilize him,” Tony answered. “And he can’t make a long car trip. He’ll have to be flown.”

  “We don’t have a plane,” Reno snapped.

  “I do,” Tony said. “I’ll make a few calls and get arrangements made. How close can we get to your home before we land?”

  “How big of an area do you need?” Reno asked.

  “Big enough for a helicopter. That’ll be the quickest.”

  �
��There’s a clearing on our property that will work for that,” Reno told Tony. “I’ll make the call and let Tah know we’re coming in. He’ll have everything in place for Daniel. We have a medical facility. Zane’s wife, Diane, is in charge. We have a doctor, Miles Jensen. Plus, there’s Gideon and a few others. They’ll be able to see to Daniel there.”

  Tony nodded. “I’ll make the necessary arrangements in the morning. Aleksy, may I speak with you privately.”

  Aleksy nodded then glanced at Lyra.

  “I’ll wait here,” she assured him.

  “I’m glad you’re okay, Lyra.” Tony walked to her and gave her a hug and a kiss on the forehead. “You and Aleksy look good together in both forms. His black liger and your white tiger make the two of you look like a yin and yang with stripes. Maybe, you’ll help balance each other out. God knows Aleksy could use some balance.”

  Lyra smiled and squeezed Tony’s hand with hers.

  “Thank you,” she whispered, doing her best to convey her meaning with her gaze. She was thanking Tony for everything he’d done to watch over and protect Aleksy from the moment he’d met him. She knew Tony meant the world to Aleksy, and that made Tony equally important to her.

  “You never have to thank family,” he whispered back, giving her fingers a squeeze in return. “You can join us, Lyra. Private doesn’t exclude you. I know there’s nothing private between you and Aleksy, anyway.”

  “Thank you, but I’d like to stay here. I want to speak with…my brother.”

  “I’ll be back in a minute,” Aleksy told her. Then we’ll head to our room so we can be alone.

  I need you, Aleksy.

  I’ll always need you, Lyra.

  His gaze was heated as he walked out with Tony, and she already anticipated getting him upstairs alone. She’s was becoming fond of shower sex, or hell, sex in general with Aleksy.

  “Everything okay?” Reno asked her as Aleksy and Tony left the room.

  She nodded. “I wanted to let you know that the shifters from the woods showed up. They’re part of a pride headed by Narda Bell. There’s ten of them all together.”

  “Did they say what brought them here?” Orsai asked.

  “That’s the weird thing,” Lyra admitted. “When I connected with Tah…I saw him, heard him. He told me to come to him. Aleksy was there, and he was able to see and hear Tah, also. These people, this pride, they say they heard Tah, as well. They heard his call but seemed to connect with me. They followed me here. Narda said they went to the bar in Chicago first. That’s where Tah spoke to me, and of course, where Blane kidnapped me. Then they went to the clinic where Blane held me prisoner. Then here. She said Tah led them to me, so I could lead them to him. Does that make any sense to you?”

  “You’re the catalyst he’s been missing,” Orsai said. “You’ll be the key to uniting everyone. It’s finally happening. All the pieces are falling into place.”

  “What’s happening?” Lyra questioned.

  “Everything is finally aligning. We have the alpha who was foretold, and he’s gathering the pride. Soon, we’ll all be gathered in one place. The call will go out, even to those who don’t yet know they’re shifters. They’ll head to Oklahoma, though they have no idea why. The end is coming.”

  “Wait! End? What end? Are you telling me we’re all going to die?” Lyra demanded.

  Orsai shook his head. “No. The end of the war is coming. There will still be those who hunt, zealots who want to preserve what they consider pure blood. But when Marcus Blane falls, most of the hunting society will go with him. The cogs are in place. A few more pieces and it will all come down.”

  “Now, that’s something to look forward to,” Amia interjected. “I’ll be the first one to offer a toast when that bastard dies.”

  Reno reached for his mate and pulled her to his chest. For all of Amia’s bravado, she shook. Lyra remembered what she’d heard about the hell Marcus Blane had put his only child through. She doubted it even touched what Amia had endured. Blane had tortured Lyra and left her for dead. He tortured Amia, all the while intending to keep her alive. As far as Lyra was concerned, Blane couldn’t die soon enough.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “What’s the plan?” Tony asked as soon as he and Aleksy had moved farther down the hallway.

  “You tell me,” Aleksy suggested. “You’re the one with helicopters heading to Oklahoma.”

  “And are we?” Tony asked.

  “Are we what?” Aleksy asked, feeling a bit exasperated.

  “Heading to Oklahoma?”

  “Yes. Lyra needs to go there, to see the alpha, Tah Pearce. We’re going with her,” Aleksy informed his friend.

  “Are you staying?” Tony swallowed and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Are you leaving…the group and joining the pride?”

  “Isn’t that what you suggested I do once upon a time? ‘Go meet the alpha, Aleksy. Their pride will be good for you’,” Aleksy said, mimicking Tony’s voice.

  “Only because I knew you wouldn’t listen, and you know that, you bastard.”

  Aleksy laughed. “I’m not going anywhere without you, Tony. And yes, Lyra knows that. We’ll go to Oklahoma and do what we need to do there. When Lyra’s ready, we’ll head back out. But I have a feeling Oklahoma will be home base now.”

  “So, I should look into buying land in Riverton, Oklahoma?” Tony asked.

  “Might not be a bad idea,” Aleksy agreed. “I know how much you like your creature comforts when you go home.”

  “Ha ha ha,” Tony said.

  “The question is…will Nathan be going with us?”

  Tony looked away, shifted his weight again then shrugged. “It’s complicated.”

  “No, it’s not,” Aleksy disagreed. “Boy meets boy. Boy likes boy. Other boy feels the same. Boys—”

  “Let’s stop right there. Quite frankly, I don’t want to know what you think happens after that. But Nathan and I have history, so it’s complicated,” Tony said, and Aleksy could tell his friend was hurting and confused.

  “Okay,” he said, and Tony nodded gratefully. “I’m here if you need a sounding board or just someone who’ll listen.”

  “I know,” Tony said. “I love you, too.”

  Aleksy punched Tony lightly on the shoulder. “Of course, you love me.”

  “You’re still not my type,” Tony replied with a snort.

  “I’m sexy, and you know it,” Aleksy assured him. “You know you want me.”

  “In your dreams.” Tony laughed.

  “I believe those are your dreams,” Aleksy disagreed. “The only penis in my dreams is my own.”

  “Jesus!” Tony shook his head. “Why it should surprise me you dream about your own penis is beyond me.”

  “Am I interrupting something?” Nathan asked as he walked toward them.

  “Tony was just talking about going to find you,” Aleksy said, stepping away from Tony. “We’re heading to Oklahoma. He wasn’t sure if you’d be able to join us or not. Wasn’t sure when you’d have to head back to Chicago and the bar.”

  Nathan stared at Tony. “I don’t have any plans. I can stay as long as you need me to.”

  “Well, isn’t that nice?” Aleksy said, and both Tony and Nathan turned their stares on him. “What?”

  “You are such an asshole,” Tony snapped.

  “And you still love me,” Aleksy reminded his best friend. “And speaking of love, I need to find my mate. We’ll be ready to head out when you are. Just say when.”

  With that Aleksy went to get his mate and take her upstairs so they could be alone. They needed a shower then he planned to spend the rest of the night showing her just how much he needed her.

  * * * *

  Lyra was barely through the bedroom door when Aleksy grabbed her and hauled her to him. The door shut with a bang as his back slammed against it. He gripped her waist and lifted her. She climbed him, arms wrapping around his shoulders while her legs clamped onto his hips. Their mouths m
et, licking and biting at one another.

  She nipped her way along his jaw, scraping him with her teeth and loving the way his chest rumbled in response. His fingers flexed on her ass, and he pressed her harder against his erection. She responded with a low moan and took his mouth again. Their tongues caressed, rubbing wantonly against one another.

  “I need to be inside you,” Aleksy growled when they drew apart for air.

  “Yes,” Lyra agreed, dropping her hands to grip the hem of her shirt and rip it over her head. She eyed his shirt then grasped the neckline, ripping it down the center to bare him to her hungry gaze.

  He chuckled as he turned and started toward the bathroom. “Shower first. Then sex.”

  Sex. Shower. Then more sex, she countered.

  I like the way you think.

  He stood her on her feet just inside the door and turned to get the water started while she stripped. He shrugged off the remnants of his shirt, tossing it toward the trash, and she ogled his broad back. Aleksy was masculine perfection. She loved looking at his body, touching and exploring him. Tasting him.

  “In,” he commanded, and she stepped under the spray of warm water. She immediately reached for the soap, lathering up and coating her skin quickly. She was shampooing her hair when he joined her. As her head dipped back under the water, his hands grasped her breasts, his thumbs brushing over her nipples.

  She moaned, arching further and offering them more fully to him. She watched as his head descended, savoring the slow flick of his tongue over her areola. It was his turn to moan then he wrapped his lips around her nipple and sucked greedily. She dropped her hands to cup his head, holding him to her.

  I love the way you touch me, the way you make me feel.

  “Yeah, I love the way you make me feel, too,” Aleksy agreed, lifting to kiss her lips.

  They slowed things down, the touches less frantic, softer. She took the soap again and slicked up her fingers before gliding them over his chest. He watched with hooded eyes, saying nothing as she leisurely worked her way over his body. He growled when she dropped to her knees in front of him, but she avoided his erection, stroking over his legs first then reaching around to run her hands over his buttocks, her breath fanning his cock.