Liberty handed Ember off to June, promising to be back as soon as possible after her training session with the other females was done. Evie, Calla, and Hope had found their calling in life by pushing themselves to learn how to protect themselves.
Liberty snickered to herself when she thought of the discussions she’d had with the alpha late at night and after the baby was asleep. Thankfully, Talon had kept an open mind when it came to her stance on letting the females at least try. He’d growled all alpha-like when she told him she could protect herself.
Having been human once, she had relied on her knowledge of self-defense to keep her and Nova safe when they’d left the bar in the wee hours of the morning. She thought of her dad and how he had religiously trained both of them on handling firearms.
Nova had been training with them on occasion, and had even helped Liberty with teaching the females how to use guns. Liberty and Nova were splitting their time working at the bar, and it didn’t leave much time for anything else since their cubs were born.
She opened the back door and stepped out, a warm breeze washing over her. It was early September and you’d think it was still July by how hot it was outside. Fall couldn’t come fast enough.
“You ready?” Hope asked as she stepped up on the back porch to the alpha’s home.
“Let’s go,” Liberty replied, closing the door behind her.
When Liberty and Hope entered the training room, Evie was sitting on the bench with her elbows on her knees. She was staring off at a spot on the wall and didn’t look up to acknowledge Liberty at all. The young female was lost in her thoughts, and it broke Liberty’s heart to see her still dealing with what had happened to her.
“I need to talk to you,” Evie whispered so low that even Liberty’s enhanced hearing almost missed it. Hope froze as if she wasn’t sure she was supposed to be included. “It’s okay, Hope. I’d like to talk to you, too.”
“Okay,” Liberty said softly. She set her bag by the end of the bench and took a seat next to Evie. She reached up and ran her hand over the young female’s blonde hair. It’d grown so much over the years. She wasn’t the cute little girl she used to be. No, Evie had grown into a beautiful young woman who was on the cusp of her prime and possible mating with her brother-in-law. They’d be sisters soon, and that thought made Liberty smile. “Whenever you are ready.”
“We are here for you,” Hope said, kneeling down in front of Evie.
“I told Kye exactly what happened to me,” she began, pausing to take a deep breath. “I haven’t told anyone but my mother and the healer. They’d kept it a secret because I asked them to, but I couldn’t lie to him anymore.”
“Oh, honey,” Liberty sighed, pulling Evie to her chest when the female began to cry. Liberty held her for the longest time, just letting her get out her emotions. Hope placed a comforting hand on Evie’s knee, and they just waited for her to stop crying long enough to tell them what was on her mind.
It was a private moment, and one that she was sure Evie didn’t want anyone else to witness. Ensuring that they were not bothered, Liberty allowed herself to partially shift so she could send a silent message to the alpha, begging him to keep the pride out of the training room. He didn’t ask her for details and she felt his strength bleed into her. He was worried, but knew Liberty would come to him if she needed him.
“I want you to know,” Evie sniffled, lifting her head from Liberty’s chest. Liberty folded her hands and placed them in her lap, showing the female that she would be patient with her.
“We are here for you,” Hope repeated as she sat cross-legged on the floor at Evie’s feet.
Liberty didn’t have to wait long before Evie went into detail about how the wolves would kick her in her stomach and back whenever she was awake. They knew she’d call out for Talon and they enjoyed torturing her until they got tired of it, knowing their blows were so painful she wouldn’t be able to concentrate long enough to call for her alpha. They’d finally sedate her when they were done. She bled for days as if she were having her cycle. The males found it funny and would joke about how she’d never give birth to cubs. She was humiliated.
“What has the healer told you?” Liberty asked.
“I may never have cubs,” Evie cried. “I told Kye I wouldn’t fault him for not mating me.”
“I am so sorry,” Liberty cooed, pulling Evie back to her chest. She wiped her own eyes, feeling this female’s pain as if it were her own. That was what Talon had told her about being the alpha’s mate. She’d have to be there for the pride in their times of sorrow and happiness.
It amazed Liberty how Evie had kept herself together all this time and Talon not knowing anything through the bond he shared with the pride. Or did he? Did he feel her pain and sadness? Did he know through his connection to them that this female was suffering?
“Oh, Evie,” Hope cried, wrapping her arms around both the females.
“Why haven’t you and Ranger started a family?” Evie mumbled against Liberty’s chest. Liberty had wondered the same thing. Usually, mates had their first cub within the first year, but so far, Hope and Ranger had remained childless.
“Well,” Hope sighed, reaching up to tuck Evie’s hair behind her ear. “Ranger and I have decided that we don’t want to have any cubs right now.”
“Really?” Evie gasped, pulling away from Liberty. They were shocked at Hope’s confession, but Liberty kept her expression neutral.
“There’s no written rule that says we have to have cubs, Evie.” Hope shrugged. “It’s not that I can’t have them. We just use protection when I’m fertile.”
“Oh!” Evie blushed. “I really didn’t want to hear that about Ranger. He’s like my brother.”
“Sorry,” Hope apologized, shrugging when Evie’s shock subsided and she giggled. “Really, Evie. You have all the time in the world to work on a family with Kye. There are other alternatives that the humans use. I’m sure our kind can do the same. Harold is smart. He’ll help you.”
“I don’t know what to do,” Evie whispered.
“We are going to get you through this,” Liberty promised, nodding to Hope over Evie’s head as sort of a thank you. “The pride will hold you up when you can’t do it yourself. We are a family, Evie. This is what we do.”
Talon rubbed at the center of his chest. He felt his mate’s pain, but he already knew why. Evie must’ve finally confessed why she’d been hurting since she had been kidnapped. Talon had known. Hell, he’d felt her pain from the moment she’d been found and those damn sedatives had worn off.
For three years now, Talon had been softly sending the young female his strength through the magic that connected them. He had no idea that she’d take up learning to fight with Ranger to help her heal, but she had, and he was so proud of her for it. There was no way to tell if she had made that decision on her own, or if his slight push of power had something to do with it.
He’d never known exactly what had happened, and he was sure that he never would. The healer hadn’t spoken a word of it to him, and he wouldn’t ask. He knew Evie would come to him in time, but what he didn’t expect was his brother sitting in the chair across from him raging mad once he found out.
“I want to kill them all over again!” Kye exploded out of his chair, standing up to pace. His eyes were completely amber and his canines were thick in his mouth. The skin on the backs of his arms was rippling with the need to shift.
“It is over, Kye,” Talon reminded him, sending out a calming presence, but his brother surprised him by pushing back with power of his own.
“Stop trying to calm me!”
“You’re losing it, Kye,” Talon calmly stated.
“Do you blame me?” he snarled.
A knock at the office door caused Kye to sit heavily in the chair when Talon moved to answer it. He only unlocked and pulled the door open a few inches before walking back over to his desk and leaning against the edge. Kye looked over his shoulder and groaned, “Is this really necessary?”
“You need us, baby brother,” Noah said as he took a seat next to him.
“What I need is for my girl to be free of her demons,” Kye whispered, shaking his head. Talon knew he was trying to push away his panther, and from the amber glow to his eyes, he was struggling.
“She’s strong,” Talon answered. “What you need to do is be supportive. Don’t go off the rails in front of her. She doesn’t need to see this.” Talon made a motion to indicate Kye’s current state.
“I would never hurt her,” Kye growled, raising his head.
“We know this, but you are maturing,” Noah said. “I’m worried your temper will get the better of you.”
“I swear to you both. I will be okay.” Kye paused, raising his hand to stop Talon from cutting in. “I mean it, Talon.”
“What I was going to say,” Talon gritted his teeth and leaned forward, “is you can come in this office to yell, scream, and do whatever it is that you need to do to get your frustrations out, but as your alpha, I’m ordering you to not lose your temper in front of that female. Evie needs you to be there for her when she falls.”
“Okay,” Kye sighed, not pushing back against Talon when the order was given. “Okay.”
Talon gave the order and Kye would have to obey. The magic he had over his pride was so strong, his words were law. He could drive them to destruction or calm them to the state of near-death, but he wouldn’t. Talon considered himself a compassionate man, and the idea of making his family into killing machines sent fear through his heart.
“May I go now?” Kye asked, pulling the alpha back from his thoughts.
“Yes.” Talon nodded, but held up his hand to stop his baby brother. “I’m here if you need me.”
Kye nodded and left without a word to Noah, pulling the door closed as he left. Talon took a seat and rested his face in the palms of his hands. Noah moved silently and took the seat Kye had vacated. When Talon looked up, his middle brother had the same look of worry on his face.
“That girl will be okay,” Talon said aloud. “I won’t let her fail.”
“She’s an asset to this pride,” Noah agreed. “Evie may be more powerful than we think.”
“Her skills are as good as the Guardians.” Talon scowled. “What the hell am I going to do if one of these females want to fight in the summer for Guardianship?”
“You let them,” Noah shrugged.
“Against a male?” Talon asked. “What if Evie wants to become a Guardian at the Solstice next year? Kye will be fighting for his spot then. Am I going to put them against each other?”
“Damn.” Noah shook his head. “We would have to find another female to join for the fights to be fair.”
“Right now, Hope is the only other female,” Talon chuckled. “I know our females are strong and our males are mostly accepting of their training, but could you imagine the discord in our pride if two females step into the circle?”
“I’m sure Ranger and Kye will be in distress,” Noah replied, running a hand through his dark hair. “Good thing you have nine months until then.”
“Which reminds me,” Talon said as he looked toward the window. “The Fall Equinox is next week. We need to start making security plans for the pride during the ceremony.”
“I can work on that for you,” Noah offered.
“Please,” Talon said, his mind drifting to his mate. “I’d like to have the night off to spend with my mate and daughter.”
“I’ll call a meeting with Winter and Savage for later tonight.” Noah stood and extended his hand to Talon. “We will come to you in the morning with a plan.”
“Thank you,” the alpha sighed. “I appreciate it.”