Chapter Seven
Talon unlocked the door to the security room and stepped inside. He shook his head when he found Noah there with his elbows on the desk and his hands covering his face. It broke his heart to see his younger brother in so much pain.
“Noah,” Talon spoke, his voice level.
“I guess you’re here to talk,” Noah said, leaning back in his chair. The hum of the monitors was the only sound in the room when Talon made his way over to take the chair next to Noah. He didn’t say anything for another minute as he settled into his seat.
“Is there anything you want to talk about?” Talon offered, posing his concern as a question.
“I really don’t know,” Noah breathed, raising one hand to rub at his temples. “I’ve got a lot going on up here.”
“As do we all, Noah,” Talon replied, leaning forward in his chair. The alpha placed his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together. “I’m worried about your drinking.”
“I metabolize fast,” Noah huffed.
“Not when you are pounding cases of beer in one sitting,” Talon rebuked.
“It’s hard being in her house again,” Noah said after a few minutes, still not looking at Talon. The younger Shaw stared into nothingness as he talked. “I smell her everywhere. Everything inside that cabin was hers…dad’s, hell, ours.”
“Maybe you should move out?” Talon suggested. “Come stay here with me and Kye.”
“I miss her, Talon,” Noah admitted, wiping his hand down his face. The tear he took with him wasn’t missed.
“It’s okay to grieve,” Talon reminded him. “We all did it when our father was taken too soon.”
“You took it harder than the rest of us,” Noah remembered.
“I did,” Talon nodded, “but I also stepped up and got my shit together. I had to take over a pride.”
“I am not alpha material, Talon,” Noah growled, finally turning in his seat to face his brother. “I cannot turn off my emotions like you can for the sake of the whole.”
“Do you think this has been easy on me?” Talon asked, hoping his brother understood. “I miss her. I miss our father, too. Somedays, I wish I could just call him and ask him how to handle pride business, but I can’t.”
“This isn’t about you or me!” Noah bellowed, his eyes sparking amber. “This is about the loss we’ve all endured and the shitstorm that is coming for us.”
“Stand down, Noah,” Talon ordered. He pushed his powers toward Noah, calming his brother. “This is an order. I gave you time to mourn, but I need you to be strong. We need you for the sake of our pride.”
“Talon,” Noah moaned, bowing his head in shame. “I need to come here to stay. I just can’t be in her home right now.”
“You will always have a place here with me, brother,” Talon promised, pulling his brother into a hug.
Hope blinked several times, hearing a panther purring close to her ear. When she woke, she realized she was in a king sized bed with Ranger. He was fast asleep on his back and she was draped across his chest. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep after they’d completed their mating. Reaching up slowly, she hissed at the soreness of the mating mark. He’d bitten her deep. The mark was going to be large from his teeth and stand out like a beacon to Boris Small when he came for her.
A shiver rolled over her exhausted body as she remembered their mating. She wanted him to wait to mark her, but as their animals connected, there was no way either one of them could deny their nature. Their beasts had been in control.
“Rest, my mate,” Ranger mumbled, wrapping a muscular arm around her smaller body. His skin was soft against her face and his warmth was more comforting than any blanket could provide.
“I need to get up,” she sighed. “My clothes are in my room.”
“I’ll have one of the females bring them over,” he yawned, pulling her closer to his chest as he rolled to his side. She closed her eyes and inhaled, absorbing his mating scent.
“I’m not going to argue right now,” she whispered.
“Does your mark hurt?” he asked, his voice soft and concerned.
“A little,” she said, then nodded.
“Come here,” he urged, pushing her long hair off the side with the mark. Her body responded when he leaned in and slowly washed his tongue over the bite. He’d partially shifted, and the roughness of his tongue made her shiver again. “That should help.”
“What about your bite?” she asked, looking at the spot she’d marked. Hope frowned when she realized her small canines hadn’t left a huge mark. She made a mental note to correct that the next time they made love.
“Mine is fine.” He frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she blushed, wishing she could just melt away from the embarrassment.
“Do not lie to me, mate,” he bristled. “Did I hurt you?”
“No!” she gasped. “No, that’s not it.”
“Tell me,” he pushed, cupping her face with one hand. His warmth surrounded her and his mating scent filled the air with his concern.
“My…my bite is small,” she answered, looking at his neck.
“But it’s your bite.” He smiled brightly. “I will wear it with pride.”
“I’ll make it bigger,” she growled. “I want the other females to know you are taken.”
“I’m not going to deny you the opportunity to bite me again, my mate,” he chuckled. “I’m all for you marking me whenever you feel the need.”
“What if I need to do it again now?” she asked, licking her lips. His scent was driving her mad with lust, and she needed him inside her again.
Hope sucked in a breath when he flipped her over onto her back and entered her in one swift push. Ranger’s eyes sparked amber and his canines pushed out of his gums. Her own teeth thickened and she licked her lips as he tilted his head to the side.
“Mark me again, my mate,” he goaded. “I am yours.”
“I want that female found!” Boris Small paced in front of his Guardians. Each man had been hand-picked by himself. He’d found several of them in a small town up in Canada. They were savage beasts and exactly what he needed.
They’d stumbled upon an alpha and a Guardian when passing through town a few months prior. There was quite a fight, but he was able to best the alpha and take his life. The Guardian was sold to the Community for research. Who cared about that panther anyway? The fifty grand was what he needed to line his pockets and hijack the pride, forcing the pride to take his blood. It wasn’t until three very sexy female panthers came to him that he realized he was in the right place.
His attempt at starting a harem had been thwarted when the females’ families ran away with them. It didn’t matter, because he’d already marked them as his own. They’d return to him when he found them again and killed their handlers. It wasn’t like the females were worth anything other than birthing males to carry on his lineage. Any females born to those whores would be given to the Community to be researched…or killed. He really didn’t care what happened to them. Females were worthless, in his mind.
“You have two weeks to go out and search,” he continued. “Return to me when you are weak.”
The Guardians snarled their agreement and left the yard behind his new home. He’d get those females back if it was the last thing he did.