The Tranquil Hunters Pride

by T. Cobbin

  * * * *

  Maddy looked pale as Grey laid a blanket over the top of her sleeping form on the couch. After eating she’d laid on the couch and fell asleep instantly. He’d asked Amier if it was wise that she had healed so many of Rainy’s wounds. Amier told him to reel in his protectiveness because Maddy was stronger than he thought. But Amier wasn’t standing there seeing her now, was she?

  “Boss, Rainy is awake.”

  Grey glanced at his mate one more time and went to talk to the other female. Rainy didn’t acknowledge him when he walked into the room. She was sitting on the edge of the bed with her gaze firmly rooted to a spot on the floor. She looked a hell of a lot better than she had in the woods. Her hair was clean and free of tangles, and her skin had a little pink in it.

  “Rainy.” He crouched down in front of her. Her face was a picture of mottled colors due to the several layers of bruising; they’d sure done a number on her. “I’m not going to kill, harm, or send you away unless you choose to be free of here, and then I’ll make sure you are somewhere safe.” He paused, waiting for any kind of reaction.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You’re sorry? For what?”

  “He will come. I s-shouldn’t...” she began, shaking her head. “He made me do all kinds of things...his men...” There was no emotion in her voice, it was devoid of anything.

  “Rainy.” His voice was stern. “If he comes, he comes to die. He won’t get to you. Do you trust me?”

  “You should trust my lion, Rainy. He is the biggest, baddest, most annoying Alpha that I’ve have met.” Grey listened to his mate’s soft voice. The little minx must have woken and come to see what was going on. She should be resting. “He won’t let your father hurt you. Shit, if he comes I have magic too. There’s a whole pride behind you, girl.”

  For the first time Grey watched the tiny skin-and-bones woman in front of him lift her head. She looked over his shoulder. He turned and saw Maddy standing there in shorts and a t-shirt with the blanket he had laid over the top of her earlier now draped around her shoulders.

  “But why? When I came here I honestly thought you would kill me or turn me away because he was my father.”

  “No, you came here because you had a tiny bead of hope deep inside of you that wished for help. You got it, girl. Now come with me. Let’s go get some cookies and ice cream, although for some reason...” She turned her head and stared at him. “I really fancy a jar of pickles.”

  Maddy held out a hand. Rainy stood, walked across the room, and took it. It was the first sign of real trust she had shown. His mate was astounding. But he was still going to whip her arse later for overdoing it.

  Chapter 15

  Five Months Later

  Over the next few months Rainy became Maddy’s shadow. She began talking and telling her story. She told how she remembered being pushed into her father’s camper van one night. They had spent weeks, maybe months, on the road before settling in a remote cabin in the middle of nowhere. One night Rainy’s mother got into a fight with Jerrick, shouting at him that she wanted to go home. Rainy had watched her father put his hands on either side of her mother’s face and kiss her, then twist her head to the right sharply. Releasing her, he walked away, leaving her lifeless body to plunge to the floor in a heap.

  He locked Rainy in her room that night. She had woken to see him pounding a large metal hook into the wall, and then he attached thick chains to it. Rainy explained the only time she was released from those chains was when some of the men Jerrick gathered over the years came to her room and used her. Twice she had gotten pregnant and both times she had been beaten until she miscarried.

  She went on to tell Maddy how she managed to escape. One night one of her father’s men had raped her, beating her until he thought she was unconscious. When he walked out of the room he forgot to chain her back up. She’d found not only the willpower to move but the motivation to get out of her situation. A hope that someone out there might either help her or kill her, either way she didn’t want to stay where she was any longer. She’d heard from the men talking that her old friend Grey was now Alpha of the Tranquil Hunters Pride. She’d slipped out of the room, snatching a pair of overalls, and ran, not even knowing if she was heading in the right direction.

  Finally reaching a garage, she’d broken in and pinched a map and food and kept running, only sleeping for a few hours at a time. She kept to as many rivers as possible, swimming or crossing them. She covered herself in mud from head to toe, trying to hide her scent. She did all she could to keep ahead of her father and his men who came after her. She tried as many tricks as she could that she remembered from the nature programs she’d loved as a kid.

  Maddy told her over and over that she thought she was amazing. To have been held captive for so long and used the way she was, and then to have escaped and kept ahead of her father was incredible. But she knew Rainy had yet to accept that. One day Maddy hoped she would.

  Rainy had started to put some weight on, and her cuts and bruises had disappeared—with a little help from magic. Between Amier and herself they had managed to minimize the scarring. However, Rainy still had a problem around the men; if they entered the house or came near her she would immediately look to the floor and shut down. But with Tommy it was different. She loved the little lad, and Maddy had even seen her smile a couple of times around him.

  Maddy’s morning sickness, or more likely evening sickness, had abated and she was often found snacking on a gherkin with a piece of ham rolled around it. She called it her own gherkham roll. Her five-month bump was growing, and so was her sexual drive. Grey was now the one being pounced on, not that he cared.

  “Hey, Miss Far Away, you dreaming over there?” Amier asked, walking in from the back through the patio doors.

  “Yep, thinking of pouncing, lions, and meat.”

  “Do I really want to know?”

  “I don’t think so.” Maddy chuckled. “What are we doing today?”

  “Where’s your shadow?” Amier asked, looking around.

  “She’s taking a shower. Vista is going to take her on a run today as she needs to let her lion out. She was rather cranky yesterday, but her beast is getting better. It’s calming down more, but it still only enjoys Vista with it when running. Grey told her at the next pride run she was to come along and try with the group. The poor girl looked terrified.” Maddy wasn’t sure if it was the run she was worried about or the fact Grey was talking to her.

  “And where is our Alpha?”

  “He’s in his office. Mace came over this morning with some news he wanted to discuss.”

  “Morning, you two.” Vista came sweeping into the kitchen, placing Tommy on the floor, and sat next to Maddy, pinching a gherkin from her plate.

  “If I was a lion, I’d beat your arse right now. Pinching a pregnant woman’s pickle is a crime.”

  Vista just sat there looking at her with a smug smile. Under the table Maddy twirled her fingers and called a spell up. Vista stopped smiling when the now frozen pickle dropped on the table with a slight thud.

  “Unfair,” she grumbled.

  It was Maddy’s turn to smile smugly.

  “Morning.” Rainy walked into the living area, her long, damp hair clinging to her head and shoulders. She was wearing a baggy t-shirt with some scruffy jeans.

  “Now that you have curves we so have to take you shopping,” Vista said, looking at Rainy.

  “You would say or do anything for a shopping trip.” Maddy chuckled. “But it sounds like a good idea. We haven’t been for a while.”

  “I call shotgun.” Vista moved so quick she was a blur. Tommy was scooped up in her arms and she was out the front door.

  “I guess we’re going now, huh?”

  * * * *

  Five hours later they pulled up to the cabin, the car filled to the brim with shopping bags. Four tired but happy women and one toddler climbed from the vehicle to be met by several grumpy and bad-tempered lion shifters.

>   “What the hell did you think heading off pride land without backup? I called you several times until I discovered your blasted phone on the kitchen counter,” Grey growled, nearly shouting.

  Maddy pushed through the small group of women before any of them could respond. “I love you, Greyback Hunter, but if you growl or shout at me again, you will find yourself with blue balls...hear me, sweetie?”

  Grey bared his teeth at her and growled deeper. Based on the way his body was practically shaking she knew he was struggling to hold in his temper. She could see speckles of fur slip through his pores and cover his arms. She also knew he was lying about the backup. Four enforcers had been seen several times trailing them. Guilt hit her hard though, because she hadn’t even thought about the threat from Jerrick until now.

  “You. Went. Shopping. And had no one covering your back. What if something or someone was out there?”

  Maddy walked over to her male and curled her body around his. “First of all, don’t lie. We damn well know four enforcers followed us. Second, I’m sorry we didn’t tell you. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. Third, I am sorry I forgot my phone. As I said, we rushed out, but we’re home safe now. And last but not least, I bought something nice for you.” She plastered her puppy dog eyes and pouty lips on her face.

  Grey lifted his hand up; Maddy knew it was to run it down his face in exasperation as he often did. But with a sudden blur of moving bodies she found herself pushed back behind the body of an angry Rainy who was standing in front of a stunned Grey in a fighting stance. Her were teeth bared, and she was growling deep in her throat.

  “Rainy, it’s okay.” Maddy gently grabbed hold of the woman’s shoulder to halt her from attacking.

  “Rainy, don’t do this,” barked Grey, taking a stance and a step forward, which just made Rainy more anxious.

  Maddy moved and tried to pull the other woman back. When that didn’t work she slowly made her way around Rainy to stand between them both.

  “Maddy!” Grey snapped, his voice now more of a rumble. He placed his hands on her shoulders and moved to push her aside. It seemed to be the final thing Rainy needed to attack.

  Rainy quickly shifted, but Grey was faster. Maddy was shoved toward a growling Mace, and Grey pounced, shifting mid-leap onto a pissed off lioness. Tattered bits of clothing flew in all directions to land on the ground in rags. Rainy’s beast didn’t have time to fight back bar a paw swipe that missed its mark. Grey was there on top of her with his jaw around her vulnerable throat, growling.

  “No, Grey,” Maddy shouted. “She didn’t mean it, she was protecting me.”

  “It needs to be done,” Mace whispered in her ear.

  When the lioness didn’t automatically submit Grey shook his head a little and growled again. The beast went limp underneath him. After a long minute he let go of her throat, shifted, and then ordered Rainy to do the same.

  Maddy shoved Mace aside and ran toward the couple. Rainy gradually shifted and knelt naked in front of Grey, visibly shaking. Maddy knelt beside her and pulled her into her arms. From the faces around her everyone was surprised, she wasn’t sure if it was because Rainy had attacked the Alpha or the fact that Maddy was giving her support.

  “Your heart was in the right place,” she said as she pulled back to look at Rainy’s face. “But Grey would never hurt me.” Wariness shone in Rainy’s agitated eyes. “You have trusted me up to now, right?” Maddy asked. Rainy nodded. “Then trust me now.”

  Rainy lowered her gaze to the ground, her whole body collapsing with her head resting on Maddy’s shoulder. “I thought he was going to hit you. I’m sorry, Alpha,” she said, lifting her head to look up at Grey who still had a pissed off look on his face.

  “Well, that was a nice ending to a fucking good shopping trip,” Vista grumbled.

  A round of light chuckles filled the air. Grey growled something at Mace then leaned down to Rainy and whispered something in her ear which had her face lighting up in a huge grin. Maddy then felt herself lifted off the ground and pulled close to a heated chest. Grey put one beefy arms under her knees and one behind her back and carried her into the house and through to their bedroom.

  “Thank you for whatever you said to make her smile,” she said, turning her face into his chest and kissing it.

  “I just told her thank you for protecting you, and that it must have taken a lot of guts.”

  Maddy looked up at his handsome face and raised a hand to stroke along his whiskered jaw. She loved this man with all of her soul.

  Rainy had taken a stand today. She was wounded and broken but with help she was slowly coming out of her shell. Grey was right—protecting her today had taken a lot of courage. To stand up to a male, let alone an Alpha, after years of abuse was huge.

  Chapter 16

  Grey kicked the bedroom door shut and slowly placed Maddy on the bed. He ran his hands and gaze over her body, searching for anything out of place. She knew he was just being protective. His hands drifted over the now pronounced bump too.

  “I didn’t even get touched, Grey. The cub and I are okay. I can take care of myself, you know. Shall I show you?”

  All she received in response was a growled grunt. When his amber eyes lifted to meet hers, she saw the worry in them.

  “I won’t go off again without telling you, I promise. We just up and went.” She didn’t want to antagonize him at the moment, because he was so wound up. She would remember in the future, she was positive of that.

  Grey lowered his body, covering hers, and shoved his face into her neck. She could hear him inhaling and taking her scent into his lungs. His hands roamed up and down her body, tugging at her clothes until finally she lay naked under him. He kissed her, a deep, passion-filled kiss. Like he’d lost then found her. She couldn’t help but melt in his arms and go with the flow. Her arousal grew as he laid tiny, gentle kisses over her skin.

  “I need you,” Grey growled.

  “I know, my lion. Take your queen and show her how bad she’s been.”

  “Hands and knees,” he ordered.

  She rolled over, lifting her arse in the air enticingly. She knew he could see how wet and ready she was. Without any preamble Grey placed his hard shaft at her entrance, and with one thrust he was deeply rooted inside her. He grunted loudly. She closed her eyes, relishing in the pleasure of being filled so fully. She loved his huge cock inside of her with his arms around her. He pulled almost all the way out then drove back inside her again.

  “Don’t.” Thrust. “Disappear.” Withdraw. “Again.” Thrust.

  His balls slapped against her clit. One of his hands gripped her hip while the other reached in front of her and began stroking her clit. She pushed back at him, meeting him thrust for thrust. The pressure was building deep inside her. He was ruthless but still restrained. His fingers on her stiff bud moved faster, pushing her to the breaking point.

  “Give it to me, Grey, I’m not made of glass.”

  With her permission he pushed on her shoulders, lowering the top of her body, and powered inside her over and over. All of his frustration and worry leaving him with each thrust, nip, and kiss. The sounds of skin slapping skin filled the air. Her walls fluttered then clamped down on his hardness, leaving her seeing stars and calling out his name in a husky, lust-filled voice. With one final plunge Grey’s roar filled her ears as his seed filled her womb. His cock swelled and jerked. She could feel his slick forehead when he leaned down and rested his head on her shoulder.

  “I love you, Maddy, but if you do that again, I will tan your arse whether you’re pregnant or not. That’s a threat, not a promise, princess,” Grey warned her then rolled their bodies to their sides.

  She curled up her back to his front and fell into a well earned sleep, knowing she was safe and things between them were okay. He might be an overprotective Alpha, but he was hers.

  When she woke up at dusk, she found herself alone. Running a hand over Grey’s side of the bed, it felt chilled. so she knew he’d
been gone for a while. Getting up and wrapping herself in her silk robe, she followed the smell of food.

  When she reached the end of the hallway she was greeted with a humble family scene. Vista was in the kitchen wrapped up in Mace’s arms, trying to cook around the randy male. Rainy was sitting on the floor with a giggling Tommy who was knocking over colored blocks. Rainy was dressed in a set of her new clothes. Maddy had been surprised but pleased when she had chosen some very loud, vibrant colors. Grey was standing in the patio doorway, watching the woods.

  Maddy smiled, rubbing her baby bump. This was home. She had never felt as relaxed and happy as she did now. All the past families, troubles, and life were over and done with. It had given her many hills to climb to get where she was now. It was thanks to Grey. Who would have thought being kidnapped could give her this?

  “Hey, princess, how are you feeling?”

  She turned to the man in question and walked across the room, straight into his waiting arms, and kissed him. “I’m good.” She grinned.

  “Food’s up,” called Vista.

  Before sitting at the table she went over to Rainy and asked, “You okay?”

  “I’m sorry I attacked your mate. I thought he was going to hit you.”

  “So you explained earlier. It’s okay, I understand. I’m proud of you.”

  “Huh, what? Proud? Why? I attacked your mate.”

  Maddy smiled gratefully at her. “I’m proud because if Grey had been about to hit me, you would have stopped him. Even though he would have handed you your arse, you still tried. It takes a lot for someone to do that.” She threw her arms around the brave woman and received a hug back. “You’ve come so far. Onward and upward, right? Now let’s eat before I devour a lion.” She grinned and walked them both to the table where a delicious beef stew was waiting.