Soldiers stood with weapons strapped across their chests at the entrance to the underground facility. The island off the coast of Maine was considered private property, and the Community was banking on that to keep them off the radar. With over two hundred acres of wooded area, the scientists would be able to study the shifters in the wild. An underground bunker was used to house them when it was time for the experiments. The home was a disguise for them, and the strict security protocol ensured that no authorities would be sticking their noses into the research they were doing to prove the shifters needed to be eradicated.
So far, they’d captured several black panthers, a few black bears, two wolves, and one small female coyote. Their research began to take a turn when they realized that the ones they had captured were dying after several weeks in captivity. After some harsh interrogation, they found out that the species only lived with the blood of a leader, an alpha. The most exciting, and puzzling, information they’d discovered was that these creatures could live with the blood of any shifter leader.
The young female bear shifter they’d captured finally confessed right before she died that they had to drink the blood of an alpha to stay alive. It didn’t take long before the scientists found a leader and brought him to the island, forcing the others to take his blood. The others had been alive for four months so far with no signs of sickness. This gave further proof to their theory that any of the species could possibly breed outside of their own kind.
Now, the breeding program would begin… as soon as they found more of the creatures to study.
“An entire pride has been found deceased in upstate New York,” Sheriff Lynch barked into the phone as soon as Talon answered.
“What?” Talon gasped, feeling his panther whine inside his mind. “How? What happened?”
His ass hit the chair as Garrett went into detail about how a delivery driver reported finding bodies all over a property he’d delivered packages to two days earlier. Upon further investigation, it was found out that it was a pride of werepanthers, very similar to the Shaw pride.
“What was their name?” Talon choked out, worried the pride was one that his father had dealt with in the past.
“Theo McCormick owned the land and home, but he has yet to be found,” the sheriff said. Talon could hear him shuffling papers around on his desk. “Did you know them?”
“Yes,” he growled. “Theo was an old friend of my father’s before he died. So, there’s been no sighting?”
“None.”
“Someone has taken him,” Talon offered. “Where was his son? Eros?”
“He’s deceased,” Garrett reported. “He was the only one that was murdered. The others died of natural causes.”
“Then Theo has been taken,” Talon snarled, slamming his hand down on his desk.
“How do you know this?” Garrett pushed.
“Because if the alpha is taken, and the rightful heir is not there, the entire pride will die.”
“We believe the Community has him,” Garrett said, then lowered his voice, “but no one has found him yet. Their compounds are drying up with each raid. The government is looking, Talon, but I don’t know what’s going to happen. I need you to keep your people accounted for until we get more information.”
“We have our security plan in place,” Talon grunted. “Why haven’t you seen any visions regarding these shifters being taken by the Community?”
“Because,” Sheriff Lynch paused to take a deep breath, “I’m here to protect the Shaw pride and no one else.”
Talon cursed and closed his fist, trying his best not to punch the desk that sat in front of him. It was his father’s, and one that Talon had remembered playing under while his father conducted pride business when he was just a small cub. It would be passed down to his daughter someday. He didn’t want her to have to deal with the hatred and horrors of the current state of affairs.
“You call me if you have any other information,” Talon ordered, hanging up on the lawman.
Talon sat in silence for several minutes, trying to calm his worry, knowing the pride would feel it if he showed any distress. Sometimes, it sucked being an alpha and having the magic inside of you, but he wouldn’t ever give it up. He needed his pride as much as they needed him.
Instead of sending out a call to his Guardians through their link, Talon sent a text message off, requesting a meeting in his office in an hour. He had a few minutes to go check on his mate and cub before they arrived.
“Hey,” Liberty whispered as he met her in the hallway. She’d just left their daughter’s room, closing the door silently. “She’s finally taking a nap.”
“Does this mean I get my mate for some uninterrupted time?” he teased, pulling her small body flush against his. She hummed low in her throat when his erection pressed against her stomach.
“I do believe we have some time,” she flirted, giggling softly when he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder, caveman style.
He’d get lost in his mate until it was time to inform his Guardians about the new information provided by the sheriff. He just prayed the Community didn’t come for them, and he was relying on that Watcher to do his damn job and keep his family safe.
The pride began gathering at nightfall. The Fall Equinox was upon them, and Evie was nervous with all of the problems with the humans. The Guardians were posted all over the land, and Noah was in the security room with Dane at his side. They were monitoring the cameras with keen eyes, but that still didn’t make them feel at ease.
Talon was inside his home with Liberty and his cub, Ember. Food had been made for the pride, but not much of it had been touched. Evie had forced herself to eat, knowing she would need the energy to shift at midnight.
Thankfully, this ceremony would be short. No new cubs or matings had happened since the summer, and that meant Talon would only give a speech before commanding everyone to shift. They’d run and return to their homes before sunrise.
“Tonight is going to go smoothly,” a voice said from behind her.
Evie gasped and turned on her heel, placing a hand on her gun, only to relax when she saw it was the sheriff. He was in plain clothes, not his angel wings. He just looked like a normal human, but he didn’t smell like one. No, he had a sweet scent to him that was more than comforting.
“You promise?” Evie asked, hoping he was right. The sheriff was something unlike her and her family. He was a Watcher, an angel of sorts, and he’d been tasked by the gods themselves to keep the Shaw pride safe from humans. Just like when he’d showed up in the woods to send her and Kye running back to the alpha’s home.
“I promise,” he smiled warmly.
“Can I ask you something?” Evie blushed, biting her lip. Maybe, just maybe, he could tell her that she and Kye were, in fact, mates. Maybe he’d know if she’d ever have cubs in the future.
“I cannot tell your future, Evie,” he guessed, or had read her mind. She really didn’t know how he knew, but she wished he could tell her something.
“I was hoping that maybe…” she paused.
“I wish I could tell you everything you are mulling over in your head is for naught, but I am not at liberty to say what will happen. My job here is to keep you all safe. Just know that you will be okay. That, I can promise you.”
“Even with the Community?” she asked.
“There will be a time when you need me,” he said, then winked. “Just remember… you can always call for me.” The sheriff nodded and disappeared with a soft flash of light.
As much as she wanted the answers immediately, she knew the Watcher was right. She should wait and see what fate holds for them. By the gods, she didn’t want to wait. Evie wanted to know now.
Kye had been more loving toward her since she told him the news. The picnic in the meadow was the sweetest thing he’d ever done for her. The fact that they went straight to the training room to spar sent a thrill through her that she knew was her arousal at his attention.
There were times when they’d be working on jabs and upper cuts, but all she wanted to do was drop her gloves and beg him to mount her. The thought of that made her blush. Why did fighting with him make her as hot as the soft kisses and touches in the meadow?
“Hey,” Kye announced as he came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He kissed the spot he’d bite to mark her as his own when she came of age.
“Hey, yourself,” she smiled, giggling when her panther purred loudly.
“She’s wanting to run?” he asked, nipping her earlobe. Evie bit her tongue, because all she wanted to do was tell him it wasn’t the run she wanted. Her panther wanted him.
“I think so,” she shrugged, turning in his arms. “I’m not going to run long tonight. I’m needed here to keep an eye on the house and the children. Talon wants Liberty to run with the pride tonight. My mother is taking the first shift with June.”
“I can help you,” he said, tightening his hold.
“You don’t have to,” she told him.
“But I want to.” He nodded to someone behind her. “Here comes my brother. Let’s get ready to go play, baby.”
Talon cleared his throat as he reached the circle. The alpha sent out a calming presence through the pride, making everyone relax. Evie felt it and her shoulders slumped in response.
“My pride,” Talon began. “We come to the circle on this Fall Equinox as a family. We have had fear and uncertainty in our lives, but I promise you that tonight will go on as usual. You are a superior race to our enemies, but I ask that if you are going to shift, you are to run with someone else. Do not go into the woods alone. If you see or hear anything that is out of the ordinary, you are to call out to me. I have Guardians in the woods and they will be close.”
The pride nodded and swayed, feeling Talon’s powers swirl around them. He was calling to their beasts, and Evie’s was primed and ready to run.
“Go forth, my pride,” he announced, holding his hands high. “Celebrate the change of season. You may shift now. Be safe, everyone.”
Evie quickly removed her clothes, feeling her panther clawing to shed her human skin. The shift was quick; one second, she was a human, the next, she was a beautiful black panther.
The panther stretched lazily, raising her nose to the sky to sniff out familiar scents. Kye was close and his mating scent made the beast purr loudly. Others were taking off into the woods at full speed. She could hear the cackles and snarls from them as the sound echoed off the trees.
A nudge to her back leg had her turning to see Kye’s panther standing there, an impatient look on his face. The male leaned in and nipped at her flank, sending her off at a fast trot. As soon as she reached the tree line, Evie ran.
It didn’t take long before she found a tree to climb, digging her nails into the bark. She balanced on a tall limb, looking for Kye. He was below, waiting on her to come down. He huffed and scratched at the ground. He wanted to play.
Her panther squatted down close to the branch and gathered her strength in her hind legs, pushing off with so much force, she was able to get a head start on Kye. The beast snarled as he got closer, but still didn’t catch up.
Her eyes took in every tree and shrub that lined the path, always watching for enemies and other panthers. Scents of the other pride members were faint and she knew they were alone. The panther longed for the male she already considered hers.
Evie’s human side understood. Kye was all she had ever wanted, and she really wished he’d make love to her before her birthday. The time was closing in, and she was excited and a little nervous about what that night would entail. Would he ravage her like some of the females had told her about? Or would he make love to her like he’d always promised?
And why in the hell was she acting like a dainty female? She was a badass female who fought with the Guardians. She should come on to him and be straight forward in her desires. Right? Maybe?
I have no idea how to seduce him.
With the push of her human thoughts, her beast stopped and fell to its belly, recessing back into her human skin. When Kye’s panther rounded the large shrub on the trail and saw her laying on her back in human form, he snarled loudly before Kye’s human form appeared.
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” he worried as he fell to his knees at her side.
Evie took that moment to reach up and wrap her hand around the back of his neck, pulling him to her lips. “No, I want you to fuck me, Kye.”
Her eyes flashed amber and a loud purring came from her chest as his mating scent surrounded her. She glanced at his cock and it was long, thick, and very hard. She felt her response when an ache started between her legs. Her arousal wasn’t missed by him. No, Kye’s beast responded with his own animalistic sounds.
“You make it hard for me to be a gentleman,” he warned as he took her lips.
“I don’t want a gentleman,” she groaned, reaching out with her foot to hook around his calf, twisting enough to lay him flat on his back. She threw her leg over his hips and sat across his erection. “I want it the way we were made to mate, Kye.”
His canines thickened in his mouth as she pressed her lips to his. The sensation of his rough tongue against hers sent a wave of heat through her core. His nostrils flared as he nipped at her lips. The woods were silent around them as she tuned out everything except her male.
“Fuck, Evie,” he panted. “You’re killing me, baby.”
“My beast needs you, and so do I,” she hummed, feeling her wetness coat his cock where her pussy rested against his shaft. “Please, Kye.”
“Fuck,” he groaned, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. His body began to move, sliding his hardness between the lips of her sex, but he didn’t breach her virginity. The skin of his erection was soft against her. A moan escaped her mouth and a purr rumbled in her chest. When Kye opened his eyes, they were completely amber and his scent strengthened, driving her insane with lust.
“Mount me,” she breathed, her body tightened with anticipation.
“You are a temptress,” he moaned, shifting his hips to force the roll, pinning Evie so she was flat on her back this time. His hand cupped her lower back where she’d had so much pain after her kidnapping. Even in the heat of the moment, he was careful. He didn’t need to be soft with her. She was better and the pain was almost non-existent since she had started training.
“Are you going to give in?” she asked, her voice huskier than she meant it to be. She reached up and nipped at his muscular shoulder, making him shiver.
“No,” he stated, his voice firm. “I’ve saved your body for our mating night. I want it to be perfect.”
“Damn it,” she cursed, a loud whoosh of air escaping her lips as she dropped her head to the hard ground.
“I know,” he smirked, shifting his hips so his hardness would press into her leg. “Believe me. I don’t know how I’m going to be able to walk home.”
“Well, do you want to know what I’m going to do?” she teased, answering when he remained silent. “I’m going home to touch myself and think of you.”
With that, she let her beast free, shifting beneath him. Kye jumped back, and Evie ran straight for her home to do exactly what she told him she was going to do.