Winter (Rise of the Pride, Book 2)

by Theresa Hissong

  “Go in the house, Nova!” Winter ordered over his shoulder. She stood on the porch, her arms folded across her chest. These panthers were going to drive her crazy with their alpha ways, always growling and fighting for dominance.

  “I didn’t mean to touch her,” Dane defended, pushing the other Guardian away. “Back off, Winter.”

  Winter crouched low, his canines growing thick in his mouth. Nova could see them biting into his bottom lip. She turned toward Dane and his were equally as frightening.

  “Are you mates?” Winter demanded, lunging forward and grabbing Dane by the front of his black shirt with both fists. Dane wrapped his fists in Winter’s shirt, both men leaning forward, their noses only inches apart. Winter turned his head slightly, his eyes glowing amber. “Is he your mate?”

  Nova recoiled, stumbling back from the venom of his words. She’d never seen him so angry. He wasn’t even that angry when she’d confessed that she’d accepted a date with Perry.

  “What do you care?” Dane goaded, tossing his head to the side to clear his long hair out of his eyes. “You won’t claim her.”

  “Dane!” Nova chastised, her warning going unnoticed. “I know you hear me, Dane!” Even with his damaged ear, she knew that he heard her from the teasing smirk on his face. She also knew he was pushing Winter and ignoring her. The fool wanted a fight. Men!

  “Answer me,” Winter snarled, pushing the Guardian backward. He dodged out of the way when Winter took a swing, a wicked laugh leaving Dane’s lips.

  She didn’t know what to do. They were probably going to kill each other. The touch was an accident and she didn’t feel anything toward Dane. He was just a friend, but she knew that Winter wouldn’t listen to anything she had to say in the other Guardian’s defense.

  As she jumped off of the porch, both men froze when she walked right up to them, separating them quickly when she stood between them. They were both a good foot taller than her, but Nova wasn’t surprised they separated so quickly. She knew it was because of their aversion to touching females. Her chest hurt when she realized Winter had moved back the furthest, but then shifted to the side so he had a direct path to Dane.

  A warning growl rose from their throats. She paused for a second when she got a good look at their glowing amber eyes. She knew their panthers were getting close to taking over. The last thing she needed was two panthers fighting in her backyard, yet it probably wasn’t the smartest idea to stand between two fighting predators.

  “Grow the hell up!” she cursed, fisting her hands at her sides. She flinched when she felt a pain in her broken arm, but ignored it.

  Another warning growl.

  “Don’t you ever touch her again,” Winter growled, crouching low.

  “I’m the one protecting her, and since I know she’s not my mate,” Dane paused, raising an eyebrow at Winter. “I can touch her anytime I damn well please.”

  “Well…shit,” Nova said, jumping out of the way as Winter lunged for Dane.

  Winter’s fist connecting with Dane’s face made a sound like two boulders slamming together. Dane shook his head and spit out a mouthful of blood, laughing as he danced around like this was a game.

  “Stop!” Nova begged, wishing she had her phone handy. She’d call Talon and have him come over to control his Guardians.

  “He needs to let off some steam, Nova,” Dane laughed. His words were cut off when Winter got him around the waist, taking him to the ground. A cloud of dust rolled around the two Guardian’s bodies as they tangled on the ground.

  “Let off some steam?” she scoffed. “You’re killing each other!”

  “It’s all good, Nova,” Dane said, but grunted when Winter got in another punch to Dane’s jaw.

  Nova threw her hands in the air. This was getting her nowhere. She contemplated running back into the house to grab her phone, but she was honestly scared they’d kill each other before she returned.

  “AMAZING GRACE! HOW SWEET THE SOUND!” Nova sang at the top of her lungs.

  “What the hell?” Winter yelled, confused. Both men rolled to their backs, and Winter stared up at her like she’d just grown horns.

  “I’ll keep singing,” she warned, propping her hand on her hip.

  “Stop! Stop! Stop!” Dane pleaded. His hands immediately covered his ears, and when he turned to glare at Nova, she noticed his eyes were back to the ice blue of his human side.

  “Made you stop fighting.” She smirked, turning for the house.

  “That was horrible,” Dane teased, rubbing his damaged ear. “Like a dying alpaca.”

  “It wasn’t that bad!” Nova replied, glaring at them over her shoulder.

  These shifters were nothing but big ass children. She had half a mind to call Talon anyway, but looking at Dane’s bloody lip, she was sure the evidence would incriminate him once he went home.

  Nova walked into the house, shutting the door and throwing the deadbolt. Those damned panthers were not coming in her house and dripping blood all over the clean floors.

  She finished making her sandwich, dropping into the rickety wooden chair and taking a bite. She hummed softly to herself when there was a knock on the door. She tuned it all out and let them stand out there while she ate her dinner in peace.

  “You need to leave,” Winter said.

  “Nope.” Dane smiled. “She’s not my mate. Now, I can help her with whatever she needs.”

  “You can’t help her when you are laid up from your arms and legs being broken,” Winter warned. He knew Dane was just trying to goad him, but he really wasn’t in the mood to deal with the Guardian’s bullshit.

  “Ahh, come on, brother,” Dane smirked, holding his hands up in surrender.

  “Give me the key and go home,” he ordered.

  Dane’s eyes flickered toward the window. Winter followed his gaze and found Nova sitting at the kitchen table, eating a sandwich. Her tiny legs were crossed and she was rocking her foot as she hummed softly to herself.

  “If she’s going to sing again, then I’m out of here.” Dane cringed, dropping the key into Winter’s outstretched hand. Winter had to laugh because Nova couldn’t sing worth a damn, and that little outburst had been so horrible, it’d stopped them from shifting into their animals. “Call me if you need anything.”

  “Will do,” Winter said, not taking his eyes off the beautiful woman inside.

  “And Winter?” Dane continued.

  “Yeah?” Winter asked, finally looking away from Nova.

  “I don’t want your woman.” Dane paused when Winter went to deny Nova was his. “She is special and I will protect her with my life, but you need to claim her. You almost lost her once.”

  “Go home, Dane,” Winter grumbled, looking at his black combat boots.

  He didn’t want to remember what she looked like when they first saw her in that hospital room. Her beautiful long, brown hair had been a matted, bloody mess. Her face was so swollen and bruised, if he’d been the one to find her, Winter wasn’t sure if he would’ve even recognized her. Her arm had been broken and she’d been drug across loose gravel, leaving a bit of a bloody rash on her arm. That son of a bitch had strangled her! Her concussion was bad, but not bad enough to damage her brain.

  “Winter?” Nova spoke softly. When he looked up, she was standing in the doorway. Her swollen eye still marred her lovely face, but she gave a small smile as he leaned against the frame of the door. The fading sunlight highlighted her hair, giving a soft, reddish hue to the locks that framed her face. He’d never noticed that before.

  “Yeah?” he answered, taking a deep breath. His panther immediately relaxed, settling back where he belonged at the back of Winter’s mind. As much as he wanted to let his cat free to find Perry, Winter knew he needed to stay with her.

  “Would you like something to eat?” she asked, leaning against the doorframe. She crossed her arms loosely and smiled. At that moment, his heart swelled, his need for her increased, and all he wanted to do was touch her lips to see if
they were as soft as they looked.

  “I’m hungry,” he replied, his voice deep and gravely. God, he wanted to touch her, console her, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Winter longed to brush the long, brown hair off her shoulder so he could place a reassuring kiss to the skin beneath her ear, but he just…couldn’t.

  “Come inside?” she offered, stepping back into the kitchen, leaving enough room for him to enter without touching her. “I was going to go to the bar, but I’m tired. So, I think I’ll head up to my room. I can make you something else if a sandwich isn’t what you’d like.”

  “No,” he said, shaking his head. Jesus, she was willing to cook for him after the complete jackass he’d been earlier. Plus, she was hurt. “You rest. I can take care of a sandwich.”

  “Okay,” she nodded, covering her mouth to stifle a yawn. “Good night, Winter.”

  “Good night, Nova,” he replied, watching her from the corner of his eye as she left the kitchen and made her way upstairs.

  After securing the house, Winter ate in the kitchen, cleaning up after himself. With his enhanced hearing, he listened to Nova settling in for the night. His mind wandered to sliding into the bed next to her, holding her small body close to his…protecting her…loving her.

  A contented purr rumbled out of his chest, his panther prowling around inside his head. There was no doubt that he wanted her. After he’d walked in and saw the moment Dane had accidently touched Nova, Winter’s panther had gone crazy, demanding he be set free. The fact that he’d wanted to draw first blood with his brother was a sure indicator that he was losing his mind over her. He suddenly realized he was more animal than human and he was denying the inevitable.

  He was going to have to touch her.

  But when?

  Winter froze as his enhanced hearing picked up a faint sound coming from the backyard. He closed his eyes and let his senses take over.

  Crack!

  Something was moving around behind the house. His eyes flickered to the stairway, knowing Nova was upstairs unprotected. Keeping as quiet as possible, he reached into his pocket, sliding his phone free. He ducked into the short hallway that lead to a spare room downstairs. When he unlocked his phone, he shot one text to Nova.

  Movement outside. Get your gun and lock your bedroom door. I’m going to shift. Calling for Guardians.

  The next message was sent to his brothers and his alpha.

  Movement at Nova’s. Shifting…need backup.

  He heard Nova’s door close and the sound of the lock clicking into place. He moved swiftly to the front door, and as quietly as he could, unlocked the bolt. He cracked the door open and then started stripping down. It only took a second or two for his panther to push forward. The shift was complete in a moment and he used his paw to pull the door open.

  The cat slinked down the front steps, not a sound to be heard. His eyes adjusted to the darkness and his mind tracked scents as he moved around the side of the house, pausing to use a tall shrub as cover.

  Crack!

  The sound was further away this time. The wind shifted and the scent of wolves caused his panther to growl low in his throat. Pulling all of the magic inside him, Winter’s human mind called out for his leader.

  Talon…Wolves!

  An immediate push of power swirled around his mind, the feeling of his leader’s strength invaded his thoughts.

  Almost there!

  The panther moved out from behind his cover, dropping low to the ground. He wanted to find them…he wanted their blood.

  Headlights flashed as several vehicles pulled into the drive, panthers jumping from the beds of trucks. Talon rushed out of the driver’s seat of his silver pickup, tossing his clothes as he ran.

  “Where?” Talon demanded, shucking his jeans.

  Winter’s panther huffed and turned his head, signaling the direction in which he heard the wolves. Talon’s panther stood tall and let out a deep growl, his nails digging into the dirt as he took the lead. Dane, Booth, Storm, and Noah joined them, following the scent of wolves deep into the darkened abyss of the woods behind Nova’s home.

  Winter registered the faint sound of paws running ahead, knowing they were close to catching them. Low branches slapped at his coat but found no purchase against the panther’s thick skin. The pride moved as one when the scent of wolves turned south, skirting the edge of the Coldwater River. An occasional paw print in the wet ground pushed his panther on, knowing they were getting closer.

  It was easy to make out the road up ahead because the leaves had already dropped from the trees. Headlights from a vehicle lit up their way, although they didn’t need it to see. Their vision was perfect in the dark, but the light was welcomed because it gave away the position of the wolves as they reached the street.

  What the panthers did not expect was that the vehicle was waiting for the wolves. The wolves jumped into the bed of a truck, speeding away when the panthers reached the road.

  A roar split the night when Winter’s panther realized he’d been denied a fight to take out the predators who’d tried to kill the alpha’s mate, hurt a child of their pride, and had dared to come on Nova’s land. Talon snarled, scratching his large paw into the ground, wanting the blood of those wolves as well.

  After several minutes, the surrounding woods became still, returning to their nocturnal sounds. Small animals scurried under dead leaves, hiding from the only predators remaining…the panthers.

  Talon huffed, wanting them to return to the house. They turned as one unit and began their trek back toward the farmhouse. Winter snarled, knowing he missed a chance to eliminate the wolves. As soon as they reached the yard, all six men shifted, gathering up their clothes.

  “I want Nova at the pride,” Talon ordered. “I don’t care what she wants. It’s too damn dangerous for her to be here, even with the Guardians. We could’ve been too late.”

  “I agree.” Winter nodded. “I will get her packed…but Talon?”

  “Yeah?” Talon said, pausing to pull his shirt over his head.

  “She’s staying in the cabin with me,” Winter growled.

  “Okay.” Talon laughed, shaking his head. “Good luck with that.”

  All of the Guardians chuckled as Winter cursed under his breath. When he went inside to tell Nova she was coming to stay with him, he was sure she’d put up a fuss. As he walked toward the house, Winter cursed again. “I told her to lock herself in her room with her gun. She’s going to shoot me when I tell her I’m taking her home.”

  As he climbed the porch steps, he heard his fellow Guardians laughing at his back. This was not going to go over well.

  As he reached the door, Savage was there guarding the house. The Guardian stepped aside with nothing more than a nod. Winter grabbed his discarded clothes, pulling his jeans on before walking toward the stairs. He took them two at a time, pausing as he knocked on her bedroom door.

  “Nova?” he called out, leaning his forehead against the frame of the door. “It’s me, little one. Open up.”

  “Winter?” she asked, her voice close to the door.

  “It’s okay,” he promised.

  The door swung open, Nova was there with her hair pulled into a high ponytail. She wore a pair of soft, blue fleece pants and a white hoodie. Her big brown eyes were wide with fright and in her hand she held her gun.

  “Put the gun down,” he said, using a soft voice. “It’s okay now.”

  “What the hell is going on?” she barked, turning to place the gun on her dresser.

  Winter took a second to scan her room. He’d never entered her domain, only staying downstairs during his time as her guard. The room was painted in a soft yellow. Her bed was pushed against the far wall, the headboard resting just under the only window in the room. Her dresser was to the left of the door, a small television sat on one end. He smiled when he looked to his right and there sat a recliner and a bookshelf filled to the brim with her romance novels; some of them double and triple stacked on their sides f
or more space.

  “There were wolves in the woods behind your house,” he explained. “I need you to come with me back to the pride, Nova. It’s not safe here.”

  “But?” she whined. “I just got home.”

  “You’re going to come stay with me,” he said, gritting his teeth when her eyes widened.

  “Uh, not only no, but hell no!” Nova crossed her arms over her chest and he stifled a laugh at how cute she was when she was mad, but then again, her temper was starting to just piss him off.

  “There will be no arguments,” he countered, fisting his hands at his sides. He really wanted to take her over his knee for arguing.

  “Yeah, there will be, you jerk,” she cursed. “I’m not going back there and these wolves won’t run me from my home, Winter.”

  His panther pushed forward and he knew the moment his eyes glowed amber because Nova gasped, taking a step back. He’d had it with her stubbornness over the issue.

  “You will come home with me,” he growled, his canines pushing through his gums. “Your life depends on me keeping you safe.”

  “What are you going to do? Huh? Carry me?” She snorted, rolling her eyes. “Guess you didn’t think about that!”

  “You, little one, are trying my patience,” he snarled. “If I have to, I will have Dane carry you out.” Knowing that Dane had accidently touched her sent his panther into a snarling fury, but the fact that they were not mates calmed him only slightly. The thought of the other Guardian being able to touch her freely caused all kinds of emotions to rear up inside him that he sure as hell didn’t want to think about at the moment.

  “Oh, that’s just great,” she snarled, throwing her hands in the air. “Fucking great!”

  “Watch your language,” Winter warned.

  “Nova?” Talon interrupted, causing Winter to turn around. His alpha had approached as they’d argued and he’d not even noticed because he’d been too focused on the little human. “He’s right. It’s for the best if you come home with us. Just until we find these wolves.”