Chapter One
Kye stood in the security room that housed all of the video monitors that recorded everything on their land and at the bar. Rain poured outside, the sound of thunder rumbling off in the distance, and he prayed it wasn’t a sign of something ominous on his birthday.
The protestors that worked for the Community had mostly been rounded up by the law, and the government had stepped in to protect the paranormal community. That didn’t mean the mercenaries associated with the Community had disappeared. No, quite the opposite. They’d become stealthier and more determined to take out shifters in any way possible.
The road in front of the pride’s land had been cleared of humans six months ago. After the sheriff’s department had placed deputies around their land, everything had gone quiet. That didn’t mean the Shaw pride was safe. No, the deputies remained to that day, and all of the Guardians worked alongside them in protecting the pride. Officers patrolled The Deuce and one of the Guardians was posted inside whenever their doors were open.
Looking at the clock, Kye knew he needed to get to his brother’s office. Today was going to be a long one, and even though he had been looking forward to this day for years, a little part of him wanted to just check on Evie instead. She’d been quiet over the past week, and he would readily admit he was worried about her.
“Happy birthday, brother,” Talon announced as Kye entered the office. He’d wanted to avoid coming to see his brother this early in the morning, but he knew it was something he needed to do. He had turned twenty at the stroke of midnight, and it was time to take on new responsibilities.
“Thank you,” Kye said with a grin.
“How are you feeling?” Talon inquired, raking his gaze over Kye. The assessment made him very uncomfortable. What was his brother wondering? It wasn’t like he was going to automatically be more powerful than the alpha on the day he turned twenty.
“I’m feeling good,” he smirked. “Why? Do you think I will become a raging asshole today?”
“You know that males who reach maturity tend to have some irritability.” His brother was right, but the only thing Kye felt was stronger, bigger. The past few weeks, he’d been growing so much, he had to get all new clothes ordered when his thick arms no longer fit into his old cotton shirts.
“Yeah.” Kye shrugged, standing up to stretch. “I just feel a little pumped up. I’m not sure what that means, but I sure don’t have the desire to tear anyone’s head off or anything.”
“That’s good,” Talon chuckled, shaking his head. Kye saw his brother’s shoulders relax as he rounded his desk.
“So, I guess we need to talk about my future.”
“There will come a day when you will want to have your own pride,” Talon said as he took a seat in the chair behind his desk. “You will need to learn everything you can before that time comes.”
Kye watched his oldest brother and alpha of the pride thumb through a stack of papers on his desk. Each cub born to an alpha could carry the gene to become a leader. Between the three males born to their father, only Kye and Talon had grown to be rightful alphas. Their brother, Noah, had not, and from the sound of it, their middle brother was perfectly happy keeping his Guardian status forever.
“Where do we start?” Kye asked, sitting up straighter. “My maturity is here, but I don’t feel the power yet.” The power was magical in a sense. Talon could push his powers out to the pride and command them by combining that strength with his orders. Maybe he just wasn’t feeling it because his mind was elsewhere…on Evie.
“You have powers, Kye,” Talon pointed out. “I feel them when you are angry. I don’t think you realize they are there.”
“Really?” He smiled, feeling a little better at his brother’s admission.
“Don’t get cocky, brother.” Talon rolled his eyes. “It’s a small push. Nothing like what I can do.” To prove his point, Talon pushed out his powers. Kye whimpered when he felt his brother’s magical strength.
“I see,” he said, casting his eyes toward the ground, just as Talon’s powers had demanded. Kye understood what his brother was saying. He obviously had a long way to go.
“I want to train with you for a few hours each day during the week,” Talon stated. “I’d prefer we do this early in the morning.”
“How early?” Kye frowned. He wasn’t a morning person, but from the tic in his brother’s jaw, he probably didn’t have a say in it anyway.
“Six in the morning,” Talon answered. “We can start tomorrow. Until then, go see your girl.”
Kye used the dismissal to quickly leave his brother’s office. He was expected to meet up with Evie in the training facility next to the Guardian dorm in an hour. He’d taken to training with her, but Ranger had expressed concern over his maturity.
Coming of age wasn’t a simple birthday in their world. Being a shifter, the change usually caused the males to become somewhat wild. Kye had seen it with other males in the pride. Their tempers were short and they had a habit of scuffling with the other males at the drop of a hat. He didn’t feel any different, but he wasn’t going to take any chances with Evie. She’d been through enough in her life already.
“Happy Birthday,” Evie purred as Kye nipped at her neck.
“My birthday doesn’t count until you turn twenty,” he mumbled, nuzzling the spot where he would mark her when they finally mated. The scent of his female was driving him insane. She was changing, maturing, regardless of the double braids she wore in her hair like she was still a young cub.
“We should celebrate tonight,” she hummed, molding herself closer to his warmth when he wrapped one of the braids up in his hand, enjoying the feel of the silky strands.
“Not until we mate,” he warned, wanting to kick himself for being so chivalrous. They’d waited this long to come together, they could wait two more months. Right? He wanted nothing more than to bury himself inside Evie’s sweetness, but he wanted to do right by her because she’d been through so much in her life.
“You’re killing me,” she moaned.
“And you’re not killing me?” he asked, following up his question with a thrust of his hips against her mound. His hardness was a blatant sign as to just how much she was wanted.
“Kye, please,” she begged, pushing her breasts against his chest.
They were alone deep in the heart of the pride’s land, choosing to get away from the pride when the weather had cleared. The bed of his truck was filled with blankets and pillows. The meadow was their go-to spot for when they wanted to be alone. How many years had they escaped to this place? Three? Four?
“You’re making it hard to be a gentleman,” he growled, nipping at her earlobe.
“I want to make love to you before we mate,” she admitted, a soft blush painting the tops of her cheeks. “I’m afraid of it hurting when our beasts take over.”
“I’d never hurt you,” he frowned, cupping her face. “I’ll be gentle, promise.”
“The other mated females talk about their first mating and said that their mates are…demanding.” She sighed. “I want to be prepared for that time, Kye.”
“We will take it slow,” he vowed, taking her lips with his.
His female. She was strong and patient, willing to learn how to overcome the things she’d experienced at such a young age. Kye was proud of the woman she was becoming.
“What if we’re not mates, Kye?” she asked, biting her bottom lip.
“We’ve talked about this,” he reminded her.
“Are you sure?” she pushed, reaching for his hand. “What if we are not mates, and someday, you find the one who was meant for you?”
“I will never want anyone else,” he swore, leaning over to take her lips. “You are mine forever, Evie.” She nodded but didn’t say anything else for the longest time. He wrapped his arms around her and just held on tight.
There was always a possibility that they were not fated to be together, and he was being honest when he said he wouldn’t want anyone else. Evie was his end game. She was it for him, and the thought of another woman in his arms made him feel a sense of disgust. No one would ever hold his heart as much as Evie did. There was no question about that.
“Want to run with me?” he whispered against her lips. He needed to change the subject.
“Of course,” she sighed.
“Not much longer,” he promised, pulling his shirt over his head.
Nudity was never an issue within the pride, and Kye had seen his mate’s beautiful body many times before, but as she undressed, his heart thundered in his chest. His panther snarled in his mind to give her what she’d been asking for…right now. He pushed his beast back, ordering it to calm the fuck down. There was plenty of time to show her all the ways he wanted to worship her on their mating night.
The panther bucked, but submitted as Kye let the cat free. Evie’s beast appeared and sat on her haunches. She was so much smaller than him, and his protective side wanted nothing more than to keep her by his side, but that wasn’t Evie. No, she huffed and looked toward the woods, digging her nails into the dirt and racing for the cover of the trees.
Kye’s panther chuffed, sounding almost like a laugh as he followed her scent. His keen eyesight scanned the area as they ran, watching for any signs of enemies. He wanted her safe, no matter what.
They ran for a while, finally passing over the old fence-line and into the new land his brother had purchased months ago. This new area was secured, and some of the Guardians had already made trails through the woods for the pride to run and play. The one place that they’d all fallen in love with was a huge pond right in the middle of the new property.
Most days, there would be several of the pride gathered at this place, shifted and playing in the water. Thankfully, today, the place was deserted. Kye’s panther stopped at the edge of the water and shook his head when Evie’s made a running leap onto a tree that hung over the water’s edge. Her panther looked over its shoulder at him, then jumped in, making a huge splash. Her head came up above the water and she floated there for a moment before slowly making her way out to the center of the pond.
He dropped down on his belly, stretching his paws out in front, but kept his hind legs tucked under him in case he needed to jump into the water for any reason. His panther didn’t move from his spot as he watched his potential mate swim casually in the center. The sun was out and Evie’s animal relished in it by closing her eyes and just floating.
Kye continued to scan the area, his nose twitching with each new scent. He knew there were a few rabbits on the other side of the pond, because their smell drifted on the soft breeze. A hawk sat high up in a pine tree to his left.
For the next hour, Evie played by herself in the water, not once making a move to get out or to ask him to join her. It didn’t matter to Kye, because he was relaxed and enjoyed watching her not being on edge for once.
Three years ago, she wouldn’t have left the house unless it was necessary. The training she’d been doing with Ranger and himself was strengthening not only her body, but her mind as well. It was one of the hardest things for Kye to accept, but he had.
His panther growled low in its throat as the scent of males approaching crossed his nose. Their heavy footsteps registered shortly after. His beast snarled when he saw some of the younger males enter the clearing. They all froze as they caught sight of him, taking a moment to set their fishing poles on the ground.
“Hey, Kye,” one of the boys called out. “Mind if we…oh, sorry.” Ellis, one of the young boys, blushed as he picked up his pole. He started to back away, but stopped at Evie’s human voice.
“It’s okay, Ellis!” she hollered from the pond. His mate had shifted and was swimming in her human form. “I’m done here anyway.”
Kye’s upper lip raised as he stood from his perch. The beast inside him wanted the boys away from his female, even knowing her nudity wasn’t going to bother anyone. But on the other hand, Ellis was sixteen and just starting his hormonal flux as his body gained weight to become a fully-matured male over the next four years. It was their world’s answer for puberty. So, Kye was sure this kid was knocking one off left and right as he watched porn late at night in his bedroom down the hall from his parents.
“It’s fine, Evie,” Ellis stammered, looking nervously at Kye. “We can come back later.”
Before Evie could say anything else, the boy grabbed his things and left them alone, his friends following quickly after him. Kye’s panther relaxed after the younger males had gone. He raised his nose to sniff the air just to make sure. When he swung his head around, Evie was starting to come out of the water, her body bare as a human.
Kye wanted nothing more than to shift and pull her into his arms, taking the time to show her how much he truly loved her, but he wanted to do right by Evie in all ways. Sadly, it would have to wait for a little while longer.
“I’m going to shift and head home,” she said. “Run with me?”
Kye’s beast climbed to his feet and let out a soft cackle, letting Evie know that he would go wherever she asked. His girl smiled warmly and began to shift. At the same time, a flash of light caught his eye off in the distance. Kye moved quickly to place his body in front of Evie’s, only relaxing slightly when he caught the sheriff’s scent. When the male came into view, Kye’s heart stopped in his chest. Sheriff Lynch’s eyes were wide with fright.
“Get the hell out of here now! Humans are on your land,” he warned. “Run!”