Chapter Twelve
The Community, a religious group, has claimed the shifters are an abomination of God. In a shocking request, they are calling out to the U.S. government to eradicate any and all shifter citizens. The President has asked that the Community halt any actions toward the paranormal community. As of right now, there has been no other statements released from the religious group.
Ranger watched as Talon slammed his fists down on the desk, his eyes glowing amber. His beast was on the surface, causing the alpha to partially shift. His eyes closed as his pride called out to him as one. The alpha pressed his palm against his chest for a moment before barking out orders.
“Get all of our females accounted for and make sure every Guardian is on duty. I want men in the woods at every corner of our land,” he ordered, but paused when Ranger growled low in his throat. “What is it?”
“Shit! Hope, Evie, and Calla are in town shopping,” Ranger cursed. “I’m going to find them.”
“Take Kye with you,” Talon demanded, raising his voice. “And someone find that goddamn sheriff!”
Ranger didn’t wait for any other orders. His heart was pounding in his chest with fear like nothing he’d ever experienced before. His steps fell heavy as he rushed to the front door, his hands fisted at his sides. If Hope had been hurt by anyone, he’d kill them without remorse.
She was his, and solely his responsibility.
The heat of the day slapped him in the face as he rushed out the front door, squinting his eyes against the high noon sun. Kye pulled a shirt over his head as he met Ranger at the truck, both men silently sliding into the cab. Ranger backed out and pressed the accelerator down, leaving the pride’s land at top speed. He pushed his balled fist to his chest to calm his heart. If anyone had touched his mate, he’d surely kill them.
“Evie’s not answering,” Kye growled.
“Try Hope’s number,” Ranger barked, tossing his phone at the alpha’s brother. “Where did they say they were going?”
“To the shoe store in town,” Kye answered, putting the phone to his ear. Ranger’s enhanced hearing picked up the unanswered ringing and the voicemail prompt.
As they passed The Deuce, Ranger spotted Dane and Savage rushing through the front door, obviously there on orders from Talon. Kye didn’t protest when Ranger passed a few slow cars on the two lane road leading into town. Good thing, because at the moment, Ranger was hell bent on reaching the small town of Olive Branch so he could find his mate and ensure her safety.
“Fuck, it’s Evie,” Kye said in a rush as his phone began to ring. “Where are you? Are you okay?”
Ranger couldn’t quite pick up what Evie was saying. However, he could hear the frantic cries of the female as she spoke quickly to her boyfriend. The conversation lasted only a minute before Kye turned to look at Ranger. When he saw the young male’s glowing amber eyes, he knew something was terribly wrong.
“Kye?” Ranger gasped.
“You need to hurry,” he replied, sending Ranger’s foot to the floor. The truck shot forward, speeding toward town. “Evie, we will be there in less than five minutes.”
“What happened?” he demanded, slamming his hand on the steering wheel when his passenger didn’t answer. “Damn it, Kye!”
“I need you to calm down.” Kye held up a hand when Ranger’s canines punched through his gums. “You won’t be able to help her if we are dead from you crashing this truck.”
“Who touched my mate?” Ranger snarled, feeling his razor sharp claws lengthening from the tips of his fingers. His face rippled from the push of his panther.
“There were men in the parking lot,” Kye explained. “They were dressed in black robes and approached the females. They tried to grab them, but Hope and Evie fought them off.”
“What the fuck?” Ranger interrupted. “Did they touch her?”
“The sheriff’s deputies are there with her now. They’ve caught the men and arrested them,” he replied. “Calla and Evie won’t let the paramedics touch Hope. They’ve put her in the car until we get there.”
Ranger’s wheels squealed as he turned into the parking lot, his eyes zoning in on the commotion toward the parking area in front of the store. As soon as they were close enough, he slammed on the brakes and jumped out of the vehicle. His panther demanded blood for the pain his mate was in. If it wasn’t for the whimpering he heard coming from the vehicle, Ranger was sure he would have ripped the door off the hinges of the police cruiser to tear the men limb from limb.
“Mr. Coleman?” an officer asked as he approached. Ranger had no desire to speak, walking past the lawman like he was nothing more than a ghost. His only concern was getting to Hope.
Evie was there to open the door to the Chevelle, stepping aside as he approached. The first thing he scented was his mate’s tears…the second was the stench of the men who had touched her. He would forever remember their unique scent. He’d need it later when he found them and killed them.
“Hope?” Ranger spoke softly as he put a knee on the seat. Ducking his head, he leaned into the car, finding Hope curled into a ball on the bench-style seat.
“I’m sorry,” she moaned. “I had to fight them off.”
“Shh,” Ranger cooed. “You did the right thing, Hope. Let me hold you and make the pain go away.”
He didn’t wait for his female to move, using his strength to scoop her up into his arms. He shifted his weight and ignored his leg when it protested. As soon as she was settled on his lap, Ranger carefully picked up her right hand and pressed the back of her knuckles to his face, kissing her wrist when she sighed in relief.
“Where else does it hurt?”
“My arms,” she replied, pulling up the sleeve on her shirt to reveal red marks from the men’s hold. There’d obviously been some slight bruising, but her enhanced healing had already begun, fading them into nothing. Ranger was relieved that he didn’t see the damage firsthand, because he was sure he’d have been arrested on the spot for murder.
“Mr. Coleman?” The same officer approached the vehicle slowly, squatting down to be at eye level with him and his mate. “Do we still need an ambulance?”
“No,” Ranger answered, tightening his hold on Hope. She closed her eyes and nuzzled into his neck. “My mate is okay now.”
“Hope? We need to ask you a few questions,” the officer continued. “Are you able to do that now?”
“Yes,” she replied, pushing back from Ranger so she could get out of the vehicle. Ranger held onto her hand, refusing to leave her side.
“You don’t have to answer anything,” Ranger said, taking a protective stance next to his mate. “You’ve been through a trauma.”
“No, I haven’t,” she scoffed, turning her head to glare at him. “I was approached, attacked, and almost kidnapped. I took care of myself. I took care of the young females, too.”
“Yes, you did,” the officer added. Ranger didn’t like the way the human male looked at his mate. The rumbling growl that bubbled out of his chest was a clear indication to the lawman that she was his. Jesus, what was wrong with him? Any male that got close to her was going to die if they didn’t stop looking at his mate with lust.
“I’ll answer what you need to know,” she began, ignoring Ranger’s protests, “but I would like to go home as soon as possible.”
Evie walked over with Calla close to her side. Kye was visibly shaking as his eyes narrowed on the police cruiser that was pulling away with two of the three men inside. Another vehicle left the lot right behind the first, with the last man cuffed in the backseat.
Hope replayed everything that had happened. Ranger and Kye stood behind the females as they were questioned one final time. There was no way they were going to let anyone get close to them again.
“We were just coming out of the store, and when we approached the car, these men jumped out of that old pickup truck.” Hope paused to point to the older model Ford that was currently being loaded up on a flatbed tow truck. “They wore those weird capes and kept saying the Community sent them on a mission from God.”
“News reports were just released where they were calling for the eradication of the shifters.” The deputy cursed, running a hand through his short, brown hair. When the females gasped, backing toward the males, the lawman held his hands up. “Wait! Sheriff Lynch has informed us that we are to protect you and your pride. No one is going to harm you.”
By this time, Ranger’s blood was boiling. He’d had enough of outside forces trying to take females from their pride. “What about those men?”
“Those men are not even a part of the Community,” another officer said, shaking his head. “They’re just some trouble causing locals who are constantly in our cells. If it’s not one thing with them, it’s another.”
“Are you just going to let them go?” Calla asked, finally speaking up for the first time since they’d arrived.
“No,” he replied. “This time they will be charged with a hate crime. We will make sure they do not harm you again. You can go on home now. I’m sure Sheriff Lynch knows where to find you.”
“Thank you.” Hope nodded, waiting until the officers left to turn around to face Ranger. “I’ll drive the girls home.”
“No,” he snapped. “I’ll drive you home, and Kye can take my truck.”
“But,” she began. A hard glare from Ranger made her pause.
“I’m not budging on this. Talon is on edge, and so is the pride. I need to keep you with me,” he said. “You are my mate, and I know you can protect yourself, but right now, my beast is prowling, needing you home.”
“Okay,” she whispered, letting him wrap his arms around her so he could pull her to his chest.
“I’m proud of you, angel,” Ranger whispered into her hair. “You did well.”
The ways of their world didn’t work like those of the humans. Sometimes, you found your mate first and love would follow. No rules were set in stone as to how long that took. For Ranger, he already knew that he’d fallen for this female and fallen hard. His panther purred inside his head in agreement.
Sheriff Lynch was waved through the gates of the pride as soon as he arrived, driving as fast as he could to get to the alpha’s home. The moment he walked into the main house, all hell had broken loose. Females were in the living room, holding their cubs as they wept.
“Fuck,” Garrett cursed, turning for Talon’s office. He didn’t even knock before opening the door. Talon was pacing a hole in front of his desk, stopping when the lawman entered the room.
“You better have brought me some answers,” Talon ordered, his eyes throwing amber sparks as his animal pushed for release.
“Nothing,” he replied. “I have nothing other than what was just released on the television.”
“Nothing?” Talon bellowed, his canines pushing forward. The whines of his pride were heard coming from the front room. The four Guardians in the office snarled from their alpha’s tension. Everyone was on edge, and he understood their worry.
He was terrified.
“I’ve had no visions of harm coming to the pride by way of the Community,” he replied, slapping a folder down on the desk. “This is all I have on them. The business permits, the address of a residence, and a name that cannot be found in any database.”
“Seriously?” Booth gasped, leaning over to read the information. “What the fuck are these visions? I thought you couldn’t tell the future.”
“I can have visions,” Garrett admitted. “Well, I used to have visions. Back when I was watching over Liberty, I was given the ability to see any human harm that came her way, then they recently came back in flashes. Now…nothing. The visions are sporadic and of no use. All I see are the protestors.”
“Why are you not seeing them?” Talon frowned. “I thought you were here to protect us from the humans.”
“That’s what I was sent here for,” Sheriff Lynch replied, touching the information on the business permit. Talon picked up the folder and read the information, a vicious snarl leaving his throat as his eyes widened. “Are there any paranormal entities in North Carolina?”
A round of curses lit up the room as everyone came to the same realization. “Get Kraven in here now!”
Booth rushed from the room as Talon picked up the folder, reading the information the sheriff’s department had on the Community.
“My Guardian and brother rushed into town to get to his mate and Evie,” Talon began, the skin on his arms rippling with the need to shift and hunt. “Your deputies have caught three men who dared try to abduct my females. I will not stand around and wait for this to be dealt with by human laws.”
“Those men are not your problem,” Garrett stated. “They’re copycats. They jumped on the wrong bandwagon and will now pay dearly for their actions.”
“I. Don’t. Fucking. Care!” Talon blared. “I want this Community stopped, or so help me Garrett, I will go after them myself.”
“The protests are beginning,” Garrett informed him. “This is about to get worse before it gets better. Do you still have those weapons?”
“Yes, I do,” Talon nodded. “And my Guardians will be armed with them from now on.”
“Good,” Garrett agreed. “I do not know what is going on, but I will get to the bottom of this.”
“Sir?” Kraven asked as he entered the room.
“This is Sheriff Lynch. We need some information on your pride in North Carolina,” Talon ordered.
“What do you want to know?” Kraven growled, his eyes sparking amber. “I’ll tell you everything if you can get Boris Small out of power.”
“Boris Small?” Garrett gasped, his eyes narrowing.
“Yeah,” Talon snapped, holding the folder up so everyone could see. “The same man whose name is on those business permits.”
“This is why I cannot see anything that has to do with the Community anymore,” Garrett stated in disbelief. “He’s a shifter?”
“Yes,” Kraven answered. “A very dangerous male, too.”
“If the paranormal are working with your human enemies,” the sheriff snarled, “I am blind…useless.”