Storm (Rise of the Pride, Book 12)

by Theresa Hissong

  “No,” she answered with a shake of her head. “Everything that they did to me healed very rapidly.”

  His beast roared in his head.

  “Explain,” he ordered, seeing the room turn amber before him. He could control his shift, mostly, but his eyes betrayed him. Amaya’s golden eyes were turning a hazy yellow, too. Their animals were as anxious as their human sides.

  “They liked to kick and punch us when giving orders.” She paused, taking a deep breath and releasing it. “The one who was in my head had his men tell us our task for the night. If we didn’t do it to their liking, we were punished.”

  “How many females were there?” he pressed.

  “Four,” she replied. Then she gasped. “Oh, Storm! The woman from last night!”

  “Is fine,” he stated, holding his hand up to stop her from panicking. “She is going through her transition and is safe. We have her sedated so she isn’t in pain.”

  “Sedated?” she asked, narrowing her eyes. “They have a sedative that will work?”

  “They don’t,” he growled, his canines beginning to thicken in his mouth. Just the thought of her pain sent his beast into a frenzy. “We do.”

  “That would’ve been helpful two weeks ago,” she mumbled, but he heard her every word.

  “I’ve been searching for you since the moment they took you,” he breathed, putting his fists on top of the table. “Amaya, I haven’t slept, spending every moment I could on the streets to find you.”

  “I’m so thankful you came for me,” she admitted, closing her eyes for a moment.

  “What happened after they took you, Amaya?” he begged.

  “They kept me in a warehouse for the first week after I’d woken up from my…I guess you’d say…transition,” she explained, shivering from something that crossed her mind. Storm was certain it was her memories of the change. “After that, I was given an order to find females to change.”

  “How many have you turned?” he asked, needing all the information he could get.

  “They know you are rounding them up,” she began. “The four that are in the warehouse were all turned by me. You and your team have captured all the others already.”

  That bit of information gave him hope. They were doing their job at rounding up the rogues. Now, all that was left was to find Murdock and bring him to justice the old way…the shifter way.

  “What about the males? How many did you come across?”

  “There are only ten left,” she paused. “Eleven with the faceless man.”

  “The faceless man was the one ordering you?”

  “Yes,” she nodded.

  “When was the last time he was in the warehouse?” Storm pressed, pausing when a flash of fear crossed her face. “What’s wrong?”

  “I just remembered something,” she gasped, covering her mouth. “Storm! He’s a cop. The light was in my eyes when he was ordering me to find more females, but I remember now. He had a badge…on his hip.”

  “We already know,” he admitted. “He is wanted by the FBI. He’s an agent with them, but they’ve been watching him. The problem is, he went missing two weeks ago.”

  “He’s not missing,” she advised. “I saw him three or four nights ago.”

  “He wouldn’t go far, anyway.”

  “Why is that? Because he is forcing the wolves to harm people?”

  “An alpha has a magical connection to his people,” he stated. He didn’t know how to tell her without scaring her away, but she had to know everything. The last thing he wanted to do was leave her misinformed. “If a pride member was to leave for an extended period of time, they would become weak. If they are not brought back into the pride and under the care of their alpha, they will die. It’s the way of our world…your world, now.”

  “So, if I leave,” she began, but paused when he growled. “If I left the area, I would eventually die?”

  “Without your connection to Talon, you would weaken as if you’d not had any food or drink. Think of it as if you were stranded in a desert and no one found you.”

  “I would just fall asleep and pass on,” she finished for him.

  “Yes,” he agreed.

  She quieted for a moment, and he let her compile her thoughts. He’d seen the same look of confusion and uncertainty on the other females who’d been turned. “I can answer any question you have.”

  “Actually,” she sighed. “The females told me you have a wolf living here. The healer’s mate?”

  “Luna,” he nodded. “She was born a white wolf.”

  “Was she bad? Like me?”

  “You’re not bad,” he corrected, reaching out to touch her, but he pulled his hands back, placing them in his lap. “Don’t ever say that.”

  “I was a monster,” she reminded him.

  “You were brainwashed, sweetheart,” he sighed. “It’s over now. That alpha has no control over you.”

  She nodded, looking at her lap for the longest time. He was going to ask her what she was thinking, but her head lifted and he saw a flash of hazy yellow across her golden eyes. “Can you take me to meet Luna?”

  “I don’t think you should go over to the healer’s home right now,” Storm advised. “The female you gave your blood to is there, and we would like to keep the place quiet. I can ask Luna to come here. Since the place is empty, you two can have some privacy.”

  Despite his offer, Amaya sensed he didn’t want to leave.

  “I would like that very much,” she replied with a half-smile.

  Knowing the human she’d turned at the order of the wolf alpha was just across the property in one of those cabins sent her guilt through the roof. She wanted nothing more than to undo the things she’d done while under his spell.

  Storm lifted a cell phone to his ear and spoke quietly as he nodded and replied. She didn’t know why he was being so secretive, because she could hear every word he and the other male were saying.

  “The healer would like to meet you,” Storm announced as he slid the phone back into his pocket. “Landon is coming, too.”

  “Landon?” she gushed.

  “Yes,” the big Guardian smiled, and it hit her square in the chest. “Harold and Landon will bring Luna over here shortly. Both of them would like to check you over just to make sure you’re doing okay. After that, you and Luna can chat.”

  “Thank you, Storm,” she sighed. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me today, and especially for finding me, but I need to talk to someone who is what I am. I need to learn how to live this new life.”

  “I understand,” he replied, and she was glad he didn’t seem the least bit upset. Her wolf paced in her mind at the thought of hurting his feelings.

  Storm’s eyes flashed amber as his nose lifted and he inhaled. She caught the scent, too, and she remembered what the female panthers had told her the night before. “My scent attracts you?”

  “More than you know,” he said, clearing his throat when the front door opened.

  She turned; a sharp cry falling from her lips as soon as she saw Landon Bryant. “Landon!”

  He held his hands up in the air the moment she ran toward him, “Wait! Don’t make contact with me.”

  A pain of rejection hit her. Amaya’s bottom lip quivered and she saw the shock in her friend’s eyes. “You can’t touch me?”

  “You forgot about the mating,” he reminded her.

  “Mating?” She’d been so turned upside down that their weird mating habits had slipped her mind. “I’m sorry. I forgot all about that.”

  “Oh, Amaya. I want to hug you so badly, but we are just going to have to catch up instead.” Landon’s face fell as his hands dropped to his sides as if he wasn’t sure what to do with them.

  “We can catch up,” she promised, feeling defeat. She wasn’t much for touching people, but Landon was her friend, and he’d given her a job in her old field of work at the right time in her life when she had needed it the most. So, she felt a connection to him that went pre
tty deep.

  “You’ve been through a lot over the past two weeks,” he noted, clearing his throat as he cast his glance to the side. He knew she’d had a bad past even before the wolves, but he never asked her about the scars on her arms. She should’ve told him, but she’d never been brave enough to tell anyone, really, about that fateful night almost a year ago. “Come, meet our healer and his mate.”

  Landon smiled warmly at the couple behind him. The beautiful brunette stepped away from her mate and took Amaya’s hand. “My name is Luna, and I’ve been wanting to meet with you. This is my mate, Harold, and he is the healer for our pride.”

  “Amaya,” the big male greeted. He was big…as big as Storm. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  “Thank you,” she replied, her eyes kept watching the female as she moved around the living area to take a seat on the couch.

  “My mate and I would love to talk to you,” Luna offered, nodding toward her. “You have questions?”

  “I do,” she replied and took a seat on the small loveseat across the coffee table. “I have a lot of questions.”

  “Amaya,” the healer called out. “I, before we answer your questions, would like to know if you are okay. Do you require any medical attention?”

  “Ah, no.” She shook her head. “I’m fine. I’ve healed.”

  “Amaya,” Landon interrupted. When she glanced over at her friend, he wore an expression of pain…of loss.

  “I’m okay, Landon. Promise,” she assured him with a genuine smile. She was trying her hardest to keep from breaking down in front of the men. It was easier to harden her features than she realized.

  “If the males could leave, please,” Luna stated. “Let Amaya and I get to know each other better.”

  “Okay,” the healer replied, leaning down and kissing her softly on the cheek. Amaya looked away at the affection between them, and her eyes landed on Storm. He was standing guard at the door, and she wondered why he was so quiet.

  “I’ll be home later.”

  Her mate gave another nod and pinned the other two males with a hard stare.

  Once they were gone, Luna rolled her eyes, “Finally, some peace and quiet. He’s so protective.”

  “I can see that,” Amaya admitted. “He loves you very much.”

  “He does,” she blushed, turning her attention away from the door. “So, Storm said you wanted to talk to me?”

  “I do,” she paused, gathering her thoughts. “I really don’t know where to start.”

  “Take your time,” Luna offered, mimicking her pose. The other wolf girl wore a long skirt and thick sweater. The dark red was comforting. “I know this must be hard for you.”

  “I guess I just need help,” she said, feeling her bottom lip start to quiver. “I don’t know how to do this.”

  All of the walls she’d put up in front of the panthers came crashing down when tears spilled from her eyes. She covered her face, but Luna was there to wrap her into a comforting hug.

  “It’s okay, Amaya,” she cooed. “It’s okay to cry.”

  Chapter Five

  Talon sat quietly in his office, rubbing his chest at the pain and uncertainty Amaya was feeling while she talked to Luna.

  It wasn’t just Amaya feeling the strain. Storm was at his home, worrying over their meeting. The male had been one of his best friends since they were children, and he was more attuned to him than most.

  It was time Storm found his mate. The male had drifted silently through the last thirty or so years content in his single life. Amaya would be good for him, but they both needed to find themselves. Storm would need to be cautious with her.

  Talon had seen her scars when he’d carried her into the old Guardian dorm. He knew there was a story behind them, but he wasn’t the one to point them out to his old friend. When he’d put her in the bed, he’d taken a moment to pull her long sleeves down to hide the evidence.

  As a leader, he didn’t want to pry into the personal struggles of his people. He wanted them to have their freedom and mentioning her scars to Storm would be an invasion of the female’s privacy.

  A flash of light sent Talon to his feet. He narrowed his eyes on the angel when he appeared at the door to his office. “You could’ve called first.”

  “No time,” Garrett panted. “We need to talk.”

  “About?”

  “Humans,” the watcher huffed. “Tabor is your only ally in this. Watch the others when it comes to shifter law. They are not going to be as welcoming.”

  “You had a vision?” Talon asked, standing from his seat.

  After they’d realized that Holden Manzelli was actually Agent Murdock, one of the FBI’s own men sent to ask for the pride’s help in rounding up the Gadaí, Talon had told his men that once the male was caught, he was to be brought to the pride. Murdock would no doubt face shifter law.

  Meaning, he would be put down for his crimes.

  There was no other way to stop him from continuing the cycle the wolves had put into place in the area. The agent had used his power within the human’s law to take over the area. Talon wasn’t going to back down on his order, either.

  “Yes,” he nodded. “A big one. If word gets to the other agents, you will be relieved and another pride or clan will move into the area to take over. Tabor will be here soon with the information. Be careful of the FBI, Talon. They aren’t on your side as much as you think they are.”

  “Fuck, I knew it!” he bellowed, slamming his fists on top of his desk. “They want a war with us?”

  “I don’t think they do,” Garrett grumbled. “My advice to you is to find Murdock and find him soon. End this, Talon. If you don’t, I have no idea what will come to the pride. I’m blind when it comes to the wolf alpha.”

  “We will increase our patrols,” he promised. “I need to talk to Amaya. Maybe she can give me some information on where she last saw him.”

  “The woman will help you,” Garrett smiled. “She is a good female.”

  “She is,” he agreed.

  “I’ll be back if I have anything else.” Garrett paused as a car arrived. Talon had to calm his panther. It wanted blood from anyone who dared to come for his pride. “That’s Tabor. Make your plans and trust him.”

  “Will do,” Talon said into the empty air as Garrett disappeared in the manner he’d arrived.

  Amaya dried her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

  “Never be sorry,” Luna replied. Amaya didn’t mean to cry herself out on the woman’s shoulder.

  “What is my life going to be like?” she asked. “I have so much going on inside my head right now. I’m fighting my thoughts with this…animal, and I don’t know how to find balance.”

  That was only one of the questions she had. There were so many, and starting with the obvious one was probably for the best. She wanted to learn about what had been done to her, and once she got her balance, she would work on the rest.

  “Well, I guess we should start with your change and how it happened,” Luna suggested.

  Amaya thought back to that night she was taken. A shiver rolled down her spine at the memory. “It happened all so fast.”

  “I’m sure it did,” Luna replied in an understanding tone.

  “How did this happen?” Amaya asked, waving her hands over her body to indicate her wolf. “How did his blood make me change into a wolf?”

  Luna inhaled deep, the air coming back out of her lungs in a rush. “I only know the scientific reasoning behind your change. I was born a wolf, but I have been there when others have taken the blood of their mates to become the same.”

  “So, it’s science?” Amaya frowned. She had never learned anything in her science classes that would explain what’d happened to her.

  “Not necessarily,” Luna replied, taking Amaya’s hand. “It’s mostly magic. Well, maybe a combination of the two. There is something extra in a shifter’s DNA that can attach to a human’s DNA when blood is consumed in any way; either orally or by vein. It takes t
hree days for the animal blood to overtake the human’s body, and during that time, a new life…an animal one, is created.”

  “This is so weird,” Amaya admitted. “I get that…kind of, but what about the wolves? From what little I’ve heard, they are considered bad. Why is that?”

  Luna launched into the history of the wolves and the Gadaí. Amaya was shocked to hear that she was now a part of that. “What if someone comes across me who doesn’t know who I am, and they know that I’m a wolf? Will they kill me?”

  “They’ll try, but around here, you don’t have to worry,” Luna promised. “There are only two shifter families in the area, and the other one is a clan of bears who keep to themselves. They don’t want any business with panthers or wolves.”

  “That’s scary,” Amaya shivered. “And I can’t leave the area or I’ll die without Talon close enough to keep our connection, right?”

  “You can leave,” Luna smiled. “Harold and I are planning a vacation to Hawaii next month, but we will only be gone for five days. Anything close to two weeks away is frowned upon. You still have the ability to travel. Talon would never deny you that unless we are in danger.”

  “But aren’t we in danger already?” Amaya pressed, hearing footsteps outside. It made her pause because she still wasn’t used to being able to hear exceptionally well. “The wolves are still out there.”

  “You’re right, but Talon has granted Harold’s request to take me on our long-overdue honeymoon. Before Landon, Harold was the only healer to the pride. Now that we have someone here who can care for anyone who might be hurt, my mate has finally agreed to take some time off.”

  “You’ll love Hawaii,” Amaya said, holding her head high. “It’s beautiful there.”

  “You’ve been?” The healer’s mate’s golden eyes widened. The smile that pulled at the corner of her lips made Amaya’s heart ache to have had a different experience when she’d been to the island.

  “Yeah,” Amaya frowned. “On my honeymoon…with my ex.”

  “You had a mate?” Luna asked, but her question was left unanswered when the males returned.