“Your wolf will want to shift,” Talon said in a rush as he backed away. “Don’t fight her. Evie and Hope will run with you until you are ready to return here. Amaya Bradley, you have a new home and you are free from your old alpha. Shift.”
With his statement, Talon turned his back on the wolf as she shimmered. Hope and Evie were there to help her out of her dirty clothes. Storm couldn’t take his eyes off of her, but Talon’s hand wrapped around Storm’s upper arm, pulling him from the room. “Let her shift and get her bearings here before you talk to her.”
“Yes, sir,” Storm replied to the order over the roar of his angry panther. If Talon hadn’t stopped him, he would’ve shifted and followed the females into the woods to protect them.
The door closed behind him as he walked down the hallway, taking the stairs as quickly as he could. His hand was on the doorknob when he heard her wolf huff. When he glanced over his shoulder, Amaya stood at the top of the stairs, and she was flanked by the two female panthers.
She was stunning, and that was saying something, because Storm despised the wolves and what they’d done to the humans. There were so many questions running around in his mind, he was dizzy from it. The one…the biggest question was how had she fared during her change, but he knew he wouldn’t like the answer to that. Knowing she’d been in pain for three days hurt him physically as if her pain was his own.
Amaya’s beast took the stairs; its gray coat making her yellow eyes almost glow in the darkened stairwell. The scent that crossed his senses was of her natural scent…and something else. It wasn’t disgusting like that of the other wolves he’d captured or killed over his time as a Guardian. No, this was different. It was her mating scent.
Evie moved closer to her when the wolf cowered as she got close to the Guardians. Storm’s brows pinched together. Hope moved her body protectively to brush against the wolf. Evie’s beast snarled to get his attention, wanting free of the confines of the building.
His fingers tightened around the doorknob as he pulled it open, watching as the three females ran out into the night. Talon stepped out behind them and watched until they were out of sight.
“Storm, come to my office,” he ordered and turned for the main house.
He hated leaving the old dorms, knowing he might be gone too long and miss her return. If it wasn’t for his alpha, he would’ve refused to leave. His panther was having a hard-enough time processing what had been done to her. Now, he was expected to talk about it with Talon.
He hated talking.
Hell, he hated everything that was happening. She should’ve been protected. He should’ve gotten to the clinic sooner.
“Fuck,” he muttered as he climbed the stairs to the back porch of the alpha’s home.
“Let’s talk,” Talon said as he opened the door. “I won’t keep you long.”
Storm nodded, following his leader to his office. Once inside, Talon closed the door and walked over to his desk, leaning against the edge instead of taking the chair behind it. He didn’t indicate for Storm to sit. So, he took that as a sign the alpha wanted to remain relaxed, and the talk they were about to have was going to be deep.
“She’s going through a lot right now,” Talon began.
“Do you…feel her suffering?” Storm asked, gritting his teeth against the dam of emotions he was holding back.
“You know I can’t give you that information,” Talon reminded him, standing to his full height when Storm’s panther pushed at his skin. Storm felt the alpha’s calming magic, but it did little to control him. “You two are not mated.”
“But she is my mate,” he grunted, fighting his own beast to calm the fuck down.
“She doesn’t know that.” Talon continued to be the voice of reason. “I will tell you that you need to take it slow with her. I don’t know what happened over the past two weeks, but if it’s anything like what the others have dealt with, I’m sure she hasn’t been treated well.”
In other words, they had hurt her.
“Fuck,” he groaned again, dropping into the chair in front of Talon’s desk. “I don’t know what to do, Talon.”
How defeated could one male be when it came to his mate? Storm never in a million years thought he would be dealing with something this massive. His mate had been turned into a shifter…and it wasn’t even his own species.
“Maybe you should talk to the healer and his mate,” Talon offered. “I’m sure they will help you.”
“Okay,” he grunted, wiping his hand over his face. “Anything else?”
“Be easy with her, my old friend,” Talon softened. Storm and Talon were almost the same age and had been friends ever since they were toddlers. Thirty-six years was a long time to get to know someone, and if there was anyone who understood Storm, it was Talon.
“Thanks,” he replied and stood, shaking the alpha’s hand when it was offered.
Amaya’s wolf ran, feeling a sense of freedom. The weight of the faceless man instantly gone from her mind. The need to harm others had miraculously vanished. Talon’s blood had done that. It’d stopped everything the wolf man had programmed into her mind. It felt as if she’d been turned upside down and righted back to her feet in an instant.
The two panther females ran beside her as the crisp night air stung her animal’s eyes. They didn’t complain about the wolf refusing to stop, and Amaya wouldn’t have cared anyway. It was the first time she’d been in the wolf’s natural habitat, anyway. They’d only allowed her to shift in the cages at the warehouse where they’d turned her. Her human mind shivered at the memories.
If it wasn’t for the Shaw pride, she would’ve been back there, watching that poor woman scream and writhe for days while the monster took over her body. The male would control her, too. That beautiful woman would become just like Amaya before the weekend was up, and that thought brought her and her animal to a halt somewhere in the woods behind the alpha’s home.
Was there hope that others like her could be free? With just the blood of an alpha who wasn’t bad? Could she live a good life as a wolf? Landon had been happier since he’d been changed…so, why couldn’t she?
“Amaya?” Evie’s soft voice called out. When her wolf swung its head toward the female, the tiny blonde was naked, squatting down so they were on eye level. “What’s wrong? Can you shift and talk to us?”
Amaya took a step back when the other female, Hope, shifted, mimicking Evie’s pose. “We are here to help you. Don’t be afraid.”
She shook her head, wanting to tell the two females she wasn’t afraid of them, but it came out as a long huff. The animal was exhausted, and to be honest, so was Amaya. She accepted the wolf’s need to recess back inside her mind and didn’t fight the shift back to her human self. She’d learned quickly not to fight it, because if she did, it would be painful. She’d had enough pain during her three days of transformation.
“Thank you,” Amaya said, bursting into tears. “Thank you for finding me and helping me.”
The two females wrapped their arms around her, giving her strength through their touch. It’d been a long time since she’d had that kind of touch in her life. She usually shied away from affection, but after everything she’d been through, it was welcomed.
“We are going to help you learn how to live this new life,” Hope promised, leaning back so she could use her hand to wipe tears away from Amaya’s face. “We are a family here, and we take care of each other.”
“I…I don’t know what to say,” Amaya sniffled.
“There’s nothing to say,” Evie said with a grin. “You just take it one day at a time and don’t be afraid to ask questions.”
“But, I’m a wolf…and you are panthers,” she noted. “How do you know to help me?”
“You aren’t the only wolf here,” Evie announced, shocking Amaya.
“Really?”
“Our healer’s mate is a wolf,” Hope admitted with a smile. “She is eager to meet you, too.”
“I’d like that
, a lot,” she paused, realizing she may have hurt the other female’s feelings. “Don’t take that the wrong way. I still want to learn from you, too.”
“No offense taken,” Hope promised, hugging her again. “Come on. I know Storm is eager to talk to you. We should head back.”
At the mention of the male’s name, her wolf pushed to the surface. The two women shared a glance and Evie chuckled. “He’s probably your mate.”
“What?” Her mate?
“Take a deep breath and scent the air,” Hope suggested, a bright smile warming her face. Even in the pitch darkness, she could see them just fine. It was a weird new talent she’d gained after waking up as an animal.
Amaya closed her eyes and did as she was instructed. Immediately, she caught her own scent, but it was different than usual. There was a floral hint to her natural scent. If she hadn’t been filthy from not being allowed to shower while being held captive, she would’ve thought it was her shampoo…but it wasn’t.
“Your mating scent is strong when you think of or are near your mate,” Hope explained, taking Amaya’s hand. “Let’s walk back, and I’ll explain everything.”
By the time they reached the backyard of the alpha’s home, Amaya’s eyes were wide and her wolf was pacing inside her mind. She didn’t have to wait long to find the male in question. He was standing on the back porch, watching them approach.
“I’m not dressed.” She froze at the tree line. The huge, silent Guardian was her…mate? They’d explained everything, but Amaya didn’t even know the male. She looked at her feet as she thought of the things she’d been told on their walk back. Even though her human mind was in denial, the animal inside her prowled at the knowledge. It wanted to touch him to complete their union.
“Nudity is normal for us,” Evie responded. “No one will look upon you in lust. Well, maybe Storm will, but he won’t dishonor you by looking at your body.”
“What does that mean?” Amaya balked. He would see her. He would see her scars.
“A male will never look anywhere but your eyes when you have shifted to your human form. They are respectful.” Hope nudged her. “Go on.”
“I…I don’t think I can,” Amaya stammered, looking at her exposed skin.
Evie hissed through her teeth when she looked down. “Amaya?”
“I…I can’t let him see this,” she panicked. She had scars. They were everywhere, and she’d never exposed her skin to anyone when she was human. Not after…well, not after her divorce. She didn’t have a choice when she had been held captive over the last two weeks. Now, she did. “Can you help me find some clothes?”
“I’ve got it,” Hope whispered, touching her shoulder. “Stay here with Evie. I’ll be back in two minutes.” She didn’t have a chance to reply before the female ran off toward a bunch of cabins to their right.
“Can he see me?” Amaya whispered, knowing they had exceptional eye sight. She didn’t want to speak too loudly, either.
“If you can see detail in his skin, he can see yours,” Evie admitted.
Amaya narrowed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. Even in the darkness, she couldn’t make out any defining marks on his skin. They were far enough away that she was probably safe.
“He won’t come off the porch,” Evie whispered. “Storm is the most respectful Guardian I know.”
“I barely know him,” Amaya reminded her. “We only met in passing once when I was here to visit Landon.”
“Give it some time.” Evie smiled warmly at her, but they were interrupted when Hope returned.
“These should fit you.” Amaya slipped on the sweatpants and long-sleeved cotton shirt. She didn’t have a bra or panties, but it really didn’t matter at that point. All she wanted to do was find a place to sleep for the night.
They emerged from the woods, heading for the building they’d taken her to when she had first arrived. The walk from the edge of the woods was open and she couldn’t conceal her body from Storm’s gaze. As it was, she felt his eyes on her as she walked with the other females.
Evie held the door as they entered. “You can stay here as long as you’d like. We have food and drinks stocked in the fridge over there.” She pointed toward the kitchen. “I’m going to leave our phone numbers on a piece of paper by the phone. You can call us anytime.”
“Thank you…thank you both so much,” Amaya said, hugging both of them. She didn’t know how to repay them for saving her, but she would find a way.
“Get some sleep and call us when you wake up,” Hope ordered. “Worry about everything else tomorrow.”
“Okay,” she nodded. “Thank you for everything.”
“Welcome home, Amaya,” Evie announced as she followed Hope out the front door.
Chapter Four
By eight the next morning, Storm had given up on sleeping for the day. Talon had ordered him to take the night off, and he wanted to spend as much time with Amaya as she would allow. If she would allow it.
Something had spooked her the night before when she’d returned from her run with the two Protectors, Evie and Hope. He could barely make out the outline of their bodies as they stood at the tree line. Hope had run off and returned within minutes with clothes for Amaya. After they walked her to the old Guardian dorms, the two females had gone their separate ways.
He’d stood on the back porch of the alpha’s home until he saw the light in the upstairs bedroom window go dark twenty minutes later. Once he and his panther were satisfied she was safe, he had returned to his cabin across the property.
It irked him that he couldn’t see her from his back door, and it kept him awake most of the morning. As it was, he’d probably only slept an hour, worrying about the new member of their pride.
Oh, who was he kidding? She was more than just a new member. She was his mate. There was no beating around the bush about it, either. Storm wasn’t like the other males who’d found their mates. At least, he wasn’t going through a denial phase about it. He’d known from the first time he’d scented her at Landon’s home.
He sipped on his coffee, resting his forehead in his hand. He had to make a plan to get close to her, but he wasn’t sure how he would go about it. Gods, he was acting like a young cub and not a thirty-six-year-old male.
With a curse, he stood up and dumped his cup into the sink. He’d already showered and dressed for the day. Instead of stewing in his own worry, he left his cabin and tucked his hands into his leather jacket.
He entered the old dorms without knocking. The building had housed the single Guardians for many years, but now that they’d all moved out and built their own cabins on the alpha’s lands, it was used to treat the rogues who were found while being turned by Gadaí out on the streets. He’d always thought the rooms were lacking in something; either it be color on the stark white walls or homey decorations. But that was not how the alpha wanted his young Guardians to live. They had to become numb to distractions so they could train to be the best and the strongest of the species while living inside the old barn.
All of the military style living and training worked for the Shaw pride. Guardians were an elite breed of males, and now females, who’d giving their vow to protect their pride families. Only those who’d found their mates were away from the stagnant living arrangements. With their other halves, they could find a sense of home, building their cabins in their own ways.
Storm had built his own home almost a year ago, but he was missing the unique design most of the other males had inside their homes. He had no desire to change the mundane life he’d only known since becoming a Guardian just after his twentieth birthday all those years ago. Now, he was imagining how Amaya would decorate the house as if he’d already touched her and made her his mate.
He couldn’t think like that. They still hadn’t figured out what had happened to her during her time with the wolves. Two weeks with that evil could change a woman. He didn’t even know if she would allow him to touch her should the time come. There were just too man
y unknowns at the moment.
After they found Amaya, Talon had ordered the other female to be taken to Harold. No one knew what type of guilt Amaya would face once she found out that the woman was on their land.
“Storm?” Amaya gasped as he walked into the kitchen. She was standing in front of the coffee pot, holding an empty cup. She quickly pulled the sleeves of her borrowed shirt down where they’d been scrunched up to her elbows.
“Amaya,” he began, noticing how she relaxed after taking a deep inhale. He knew his mating scent was present. It was so strong, he was certain the whole damn pride was scenting it at that very moment. “Are you okay?”
“I’m better,” she sighed. Despite her admission, Amaya’s tiny hands shook as she grabbed the carafe. “I feel better, but there’s a lot of information being thrown at me.”
“I know it’s confusing,” he offered, wanting nothing more than to pull the female into his arms and tuck her away from any harm that might befall her for the rest of her life. “I’m here to answer any questions you might have that didn’t get addressed last night by the alpha or the Protectors.”
“Protectors?” She frowned.
“The females, Evie and Hope,” he explained.
“And you are a…Guardian?”
“I am,” he replied, jutting his chin out toward the table. “Grab your coffee and sit with me?”
She nodded and finished preparing her coffee with cream and sugar, asking if he wanted one as well. When he declined, she took a seat across from him.
“I’m so confused,” she finally admitted after a long sigh. “So much has happened over the past two weeks.”
“I will explain everything, but I need to make sure you’re okay first,” he began, tightening his fists below the table so she wouldn’t see. “We have a healer…a doctor. I need to know if you are in need of any medical attention after being with the wolves.”
Storm (Rise of the Pride, Book 12) Page 3
