“Jade, you may need to leave,” Savage warned as Booth’s panther cackled through his human voice. “He’s not himself.”
“I’m not scared of him,” she said, eyeing Booth from the top of his head to his bare feet. “I can handle him.”
“He’s almost feral,” Savage warned again.
“Hey Jade,” Malaki called out as he slipped through the door. The young male looked around the training center, his eyes widening as he noticed the two males covered with a mixture of sweat and blood, and took a step back. “What the fuck is going on in here?”
The new Guardian wasn’t a threat, but Booth’s beast took action, ripping from his human skin. His body lunged for the male, but Jade stepped in the way after the panther knocked Savage to the side.
“You stand down, now!” Jade roared. “This male is not a threat to you.”
The panther hissed out a warning, but he didn’t make it far when Jade dropped to her knees, shifting into her own beast. Booth tried to calm himself through the panther’s mind, but there was too much anger and feral rage inside him.
They stood facing each other for several minutes. Their legs were spread out, and Jade’s tail twitched with agitation. Malaki made a move to leave, but froze when Booth lunged to the left. The only thing that stopped him was the female copying his move. She backed into the male, urging him toward the door without touching him. As soon as he was clear, Malaki pushed through the door.
“Booth, you have got to calm your beast,” Savage said from behind him. “I will knock you the fuck out if you don’t.” Booth’s panther knew the male was serious.
“Both of you shift!” Talon bellowed as soon as he walked in the door. His push of power was so strong, Booth, Jade, and even a human Savage fell to the floor. Booth’s shift was quick, and when he opened his eyes, they fell on the female. She was panting, her eyes narrowed on his. “Booth, in my office, now!”
Jade picked herself up and turned to the alpha, “I was handling things.”
“No one was handling this,” he growled. “I’d advise you to go to your room. I will deal with Booth, and after that, I want to see you in my office in one hour.”
“Yes, sir,” she said in defeat. Booth was still pinned to the ground by his alpha’s will. When Jade left the room, he felt the power recede and he was able to stand on his own. The cuts on his face were healed, and the only proof of their sparing was the blood splatter on the mats and Savage’s face.
“Savage, clean this mess up,” Talon ordered. “Booth, let’s go.”
Booth stopped at his gym bag and grabbed a pair of shorts, slipping them on before tossing the bag over his shoulder. He nodded at Savage in a silent thank you, knowing there were no hard feelings between the two. What they’d done was work out aggression. Savage’s words about being able to handle things with a female stuck with him, but his concern wasn’t completely gone.
Chapter Nine
Landon listened to the pride laughing and enjoying their Sunday meal together as he sat on the couch in the alpha’s living room. He’d been here for a year and only joined them a couple of times, and that was only when his brother begged him. He didn’t feel like he quite belonged, but he knew they were the only family he had left.
“Landon?” A voice he could pick out of any crowd brought him out of his thoughts.
“Hi, Noah,” he responded, feeling his heart race in his chest when the door opened to reveal the male he couldn’t quit thinking about.
Noah leaned on the door frame leading to the foyer, crossing his ankles as he appeared to be relaxed standing there, but the tic in his jaw gave away his nervousness.
“Won’t you come sit with us in the dining room?” Noah asked. The male had attempted to befriend Landon several times over the first few months Landon was at the pride, but he wasn’t in any shape to talk to anyone but his brother’s mate, Olivia. Being around that female made things easier. His own mother wasn’t as accepting of him, and Landon honestly felt more connected to Olivia than he ever did to his mother, even at a young age.
“I’d rather not,” he frowned.
“Why?” Noah asked, dropping his arms so he could step inside the room. Landon eyed him nervously as he took a seat on the chair by the window. His gaze landed on Noah’s icy blue eyes, and he had to look away before he imagined a time where he and Noah were a couple.
No, he wouldn’t think of that.
“Sometimes I feel like I don’t belong here, even though the pride is all I have,” he admitted.
“You are our family, Landon.” Noah didn’t look at him with pity, and that was one of the reasons why he continued to live there. Despite Landon’s social awkwardness, he was thankful for their hospitality.
“I know that,” Landon blushed. “Maybe it’s because I’m human and you’re not.” Landon didn’t miss the double meaning to his statement. Noah wasn’t anything like Landon. He was probably looking forward to meeting the right woman one day, settling down to have a hoard of kids.
“That shouldn’t matter,” Noah sighed. “We want you to know we care for you…you as a person. Not because of the things you’ve been through. This pride is your pride, regardless of anything else.”
“Anything else? Like me being gay?” Landon bristled. He didn’t need to be shunned here too.
“We don’t care,” Noah promised. “Take a moment and think about your brother and his mates. They have an unconventional relationship, and we are accepting of it. Everyone loves Olivia and Cole, and they are our family. Have you noticed how the pride interacts with them? It’s just like the way they interact with anyone else.”
“I guess you’re right,” he replied, thinking back to seeing his brother and his mates at the last Sunday meal he’d actually attended. The pride loved them and accepted them.
“Come have dinner with me, please,” Noah begged. “It kills me to know you are sitting in here alone when you could be in there with your family, socializing.”
Landon took a deep, calming breath and stood. “Okay, I could use something to eat.”
“Good,” Noah beamed.
Landon followed the male from the room and didn’t feel the least bit concerned about facing the pride after hiding out for the past several months. As soon as he entered the kitchen, the females doted over him, forcing a plate into his hands. Olivia looked up from her spot at the dining room table and she smiled widely at him. She gave him a little wink and went back to eating.
He could at least try to make the Sunday dinners in the future. If it meant that much to them, he would do what he could, and if Noah was going to be there, he’d be able to get to know him better, because hiding and pining over the male wasn’t getting him anywhere.
“I will not stand for this, Booth,” Talon growled as Booth entered the office. He hadn’t even had a chance to sit down before his alpha was pacing behind his desk. “You almost attacked another Guardian in your rage.”
“I don’t know what came over me,” Booth admitted, dropping his bag on the floor.
“I told you to stay away from Jade,” his alpha reminded him.
“That’s the problem,” Booth cursed. “I can’t.”
“But you won’t claim her either.”
“It’s for her safety and the safety of others,” Booth argued.
“So, you not claiming her is safer?” Talon asked, raising a knowing brow. “So, instead of accepting what your beast is telling you, you risk not only Jade, but also Savage, Malaki, and anyone else who steps between you and the female? What if one of the cubs had come into the facility? What would’ve happened then?”
“I would never harm a cub,” Booth growled.
“You have a temper,” Talon reminded him. “We’ve worked on that for years, and now, a female enters the picture and you’ve lost all of your training. Booth, you’re acting like a newly matured male.”
“Fuck,” he groaned, rubbing his forehead. “I’m fighting it, because I don’t want this. I don’t want to
love a female who could be hurt or taken from me. I couldn’t stand it.”
“I beg to differ,” Talon said, holding up his hand when Booth tried to speak. “From experience, I know that feeling you are so afraid of, Booth. It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced, but when I found Liberty on the verge of death, something inside me changed what I thought was going to be rage turned into determination to protect her and take out the enemy. I was still a young alpha then, learning to run this pride. I didn’t allow my predatory nature to rule me. You are capable of loving and protecting a strong female such as Jade. Don’t throw away the idea of having a mate because you are worried something could happen to them.”
“The thought of having a mate, and even cubs someday, scares the shit out of me, Talon,” Booth admitted.
“You need to accept it,” Talon said. “Jade is your mate, and you are in a mating rage because you haven’t touched her.”
“I almost did,” he snarled.
“You are a smart male,” Talon chuckled. “Take her on a date. Spend some time with her away from the pride. Maybe once you have a clear head, you can see a life with her.”
“A date?” Booth chuckled.
“Trust me,” Talon smirked. “I did it, and it wasn’t all that bad.”
“If you say so,” Booth laughed.
“If you can’t control your temper around the other males, I will isolate you to your cabin,” Talon warned, all teasing vanishing from his features. “This is an order, Booth. I don’t like forcing my Guardians to do anything, because I believe in free will, but this time, I must do it.”
The push of power from his alpha made the panther inside Booth whine and cower. The alpha’s demands were law, and any rage that was left over from sparring with Savage fled his mind. Booth sighed heavily like the weight of the world had been lifted.
“I understand, alpha.”
“Go home and take the next three days off,” Talon ordered. “I will assign someone to work your shift at the gate.”
Booth nodded and took his dismissal. He didn’t stop for food as he made his way out of the alpha’s home. The pride was still gathered, but it was getting late and the festivities were winding down. He didn’t see Jade, nor did he scent her as he went. She hadn’t arrived at the house yet.
By the time he reached his home, Booth was calmer, thanks to his alpha’s order. He dropped his bag at the door and opened his fridge, rummaging through to find something to eat. After downing a few leftover hamburgers, he took a shower and sat heavily on his couch, flipping on the television.
Whatever was playing couldn’t hold his attention. The female’s scent rattled around in his mind. His panther growled. Jade was his mate, and he needed to quit fighting it.
Talon was right, and Booth needed to trust his judgement. Seeing his alpha and the other males with their mates proved they were happier with the females by their sides. Savage, the most vicious of all the Guardians, was still one of their best fighters, but he was more controlled, more focused, since finding Mary Grace.
Could he love Jade?
Maybe with time? They barely knew each other. They hadn’t had a chance to really get to know each other. All he knew was she came to the Shaw pride on a dream of becoming a Guardian. She’d been abused and disowned by the only family she ever knew, but she got herself out. She overcame her situation and learned to defend herself.
He’d seen it firsthand. Evie was their best female protector, and even Jade bested her half the time. Hope was as evenly matched. If the alpha ever allowed the females to fight at the solstice, Booth was sure they’d be granted Guardian status. The problem with that would be finding a fourth female to join.
Calla wasn’t ready. She was a great fighter, but she wasn’t as far advanced as the others. If she did fight and lost, would her brother be able to handle it? Would Taze? He’d been her trainer up until recently when she turned twenty. Their training sessions ended abruptly, and Calla hadn’t been at the facility as much as she was before. Hope and Evie sparred with her when she was there, but the female’s heart just wasn’t in it anymore. She’d taken a job in town immediately after her birthday and only came in on her days off, which were few and far between.
He couldn’t imagine what the males of the pride would do during the fights, if they were to happen. Even with Talon’s order, could the males keep from going feral?
Booth didn’t have an answer for them, but he had one for himself.
No, he would have to be sedated or put down, because seeing Jade’s blood spilled would make him insane and the other females’ mates would kill him if he stepped in to protect his female.
“I have twenty minutes before I need to be in Talon’s office,” Jade worried. “Are you sure I should do this?”
“You’re a shifter.” Taze rolled his eyes. “We can’t get drunk off a few shots.” The young Guardian pushed the glass of amber liquid into her hand, and she tossed it back, only squinting slightly as the burn registered.
“You probably need that anyway,” Malaki added.
“Are you two the rebels of the Guardians?” she teased, feeling awkward when they cut their eyes at each other. “Woah, wait. You two don’t get along, do you?”
“I wouldn’t say that,” Taze hedged.
“No,” Malaki growled, his eyes flashing amber. “I really do hate him.”
“Oh, well,” Jade frowned. “Pour me another shot. If you want to talk about it, I’m here to referee.”
“You see how well that worked out earlier,” Malaki smirked. “I don’t think it’d be any different if Taze and I were in that room. We’ve come to an impasse, knowing we will be moving out of the dorms soon. We usually only talk to each other when the need arises. Other than that, we would rather not be in each other’s presence.”
“But you are now,” she pointed out.
“Only because we are on our second bottle of whiskey,” Taze said with a crooked smile, holding up the now half-empty bottle. He poured her another shot and made himself one. Whatever happened between those two was their business, and it showed a lot of strength to keep from killing each other.
“Okay, I really need to be going,” she hissed after the shot. “Don’t kill each other, and I’ll be back if the alpha doesn’t kill me.”
“He won’t,” Taze chuckled. “If I have made it out of his office alive…um, five times, you should be okay, too.” The male actually looked up at the ceiling and counted on his fingers.
“Thanks, I think,” she mumbled as she left the kitchen of the Guardians’ dorm.
The night was still warm, a heavy blanket of moisture filling the night’s air. Rain was coming, and the humidity made sweat pebble on her skin. Or was that the nervousness she felt when it came to going before her new alpha?
The pride house was deserted, the kitchen clean as if the large dinner had never taken place. When she closed the back door, Talon came from the hallway leading to his office. “You’re early.”
“I like to be early,” she chuckled, hoping to calm herself. “If I’m five minutes early, it feels like I’m ten minutes late.”
“I like that,” he said, shaking his head. “We need more like you.”
She didn’t want to look too deeply into his words, but it gave her hope she was on the right track. While the Shaw pride didn’t have female Guardians, they did allow them to protect the alpha’s home, and the idea of being able to work with Evie, Hope, and Calla excited her.
“Come to my office,” Talon ordered. “There are some things I need to discuss with you.”
Talk about your walk of shame. A million things ran through her mind as she followed Talon into his office. The sound of the door closing after she entered was more like a chamber door than a wooden one.
“Look, about earlier,” she began, but a sense of calm reached her. “I’m sorry.”
“I don’t want you to think you’re in trouble,” Talon said, pointing to the chair in front of his desk. Instead of taking his th
rone, the alpha hiked his hip on the corner of his desk and folded his arms across his chest. His eyes weren’t sparking amber, so she took that as a good sign.
“I feel like I am,” she admitted, nibbling on her bottom lip.
“I want to stress the importance of what I first told you about having a female fight for Guardianship at the solstice.” Talon’s knowing gaze landed on her. It was heavy, and she knew he was dead serious after the incident at the training facility earlier in the evening. “What you saw with Malaki, Savage, and Booth was only a taste of what would happen if I allowed females to try out.”
“Can’t you command the males to stand down?” she pushed, honestly wanting to know the truth. An alpha was magical, and he could control the pride anyway he saw fit. It wasn’t too much to ask if he would calm the males.
“I can, but there’s something you don’t understand about a mated male,” he began, clearing his throat. “Almost half of my Guardians are mated. If one of the males became feral because his mate was injured, that’s easy. But with eight mated males, and the other Guardians who’ve vowed to protect the pride, especially the female mates, it would be nearly impossible to control them all.”
“I lived with a single father,” she began. “I have only seen the mated males in my pride interact with their mates in passing. I usually kept to myself, so I don’t know much about matings other than the things I’d been told as I was growing up by one of the elder females.”
“Mated males are the only ones I have a hard time controlling,” he pointed out. “We’ve had a few of our females who were once human be turned. We have to sedate the males during their change. They cannot handle seeing them in pain. Multiply that times eight, and you might be able to understand my concern.”
“So, is that why you’ve allowed the females to be in charge of security here at your home when the males are away?” she asked, scooting to the edge of her chair.
Booth (Rise of the Pride, Book 9) Page 7
