Talon (Rise of the Pride, Book 1) (22 page)

His life…

His mate…

Chapter Fifteen

Evie cried as she was lifted from the
backseat of the truck. Her father’s arms were strong and sure as he
rushed her to the house. Her mother, Marie, stood there with her
hand over her mouth, sobbing hysterically.

“I’m okay, mother,” she whispered, trying to
suppress the tears. She’d cried all the way back from the cabin.
She’d hoped that Kye would be the one who found her, but it was his
brother, her alpha.

“What can we get you, darling?” her father
asked.

“Water,” she begged.

“You need to shift,” her father said. “You
need to heal.”

“I know, and I will,” she promised. Evie
hadn’t known who the woman was that was held captive with her in
that cabin, but the Guardians had explained everything on the way
back to the pride. Her name was Liberty, and she was the alpha’s
intended mate. More tears escaped her eyes when she realized that
poor woman probably wasn’t going to make it out of there alive.

“Water first,” he ordered, rushing out of the
room. When he turned to leave, Evie’s mother stepped forward.

“I’m so sorry, momma,” she sniffled. “They
kept me so drugged up that I couldn’t call out for the alpha.”

“We know, sweetheart,” Marie cooed, stroking
the dirty hair away from her face.

Evie turned on her side, wondering where Kye
was and why he wasn’t there. A lone tear escaped her eye and she
didn’t even have the energy to wipe it away.

“He’s on his way,” her father said, entering
the room with several bottled waters. Her father knew about her
love of the alpha’s little brother. They’d warned her that there
was no way to tell if Kye was her mate. They’d even tried to keep
them apart when her parents realized that the two of them were in
love.

“Who?” she asked, tucking her head into the
covers…afraid that her desires for the young panther would not be
coming true.

“Kye, honey,” her mother smiled. “He was told
to stay behind. The alpha didn’t know what condition he’d find you
in, and he didn’t want to risk his brother going feral.”

“He would never hurt me,” she said, taking
the bottled water and draining it in several gulps.

“I would cut off my own arms before ever
laying a hand on your daughter,” Kye vowed from the doorway.

When their eyes met, Evie cried harder,
trying to push herself out of the bed, but she was too weak. She
just wanted to feel his arms around her. She wanted him to help
her…to keep her safe.

“We will leave you two alone,” Marie stated,
pushing her husband out of the room.

“Evie,” Kye barely choked out, holding back
his own tears.

“Kye,” she cried weakly. Her arms were too
tired to hold them out to him and her legs were too wobbly to hold
herself up to run to him. “Please touch me…hold me?”

“Anything,” Kye vowed, rushing forward. Evie
buried her face into his neck while great sobs wracked her
body.

“Don’t ever let me go,” she begged, absorbing
his warmth and his strength. That strength was something she was
going to need until she could get over the nightmare she’d lived
for the past few days.

“Never,” he promised, pressing his lips to
her forehead. “I have something that belongs to you.”

“W…What?” she stammered, trying to control
her tears. Having his touch was helping more than she ever thought
it would. Having Kye’s warmth around her, she actually felt like
she might be able to overcome anything.

He opened his hand, but frowned, “I found
your necklace and had it fixed.”

“Oh,” she gasped, a genuine smile spreading
across her face. “Thank you.”

“Are you healed enough for me to put it on
you?” he asked, his eyes flashing amber at the bloody marks on her
neck.

“I don’t care,” she whispered. “You gave me
that for my birthday last year. I would rather have it on where it
belongs. Please?”

“Anything for you,” Kye smiled, carefully
clasping the golden chain behind her head. He touched the chain as
it rested at her collarbone, causing Evie to sigh softly.

“I need a shower,” she frowned. “But I don’t
want you to leave.”

Her best friend and the boy that she’d loved
for as long as she could remember, leaned over and kissed her
forehead. “I will stay as long as you want me here, Evie girl.”

“Then I may never ask you to leave,” she
replied.

“You need to shift.” He frowned, fingering
the necklace as he held her close. “If you’d like, I’ll shift with
you.”

“I’m so tired,” she whispered, nuzzling into
his shirt. God, he smelled like home and safety. Why were their
kind so cruel? Why did she have to wait until they were of age to
proclaim their mate status? She knew in her heart that they were
destined to be together. There was no other man she wanted.

“I’m going to carry you outside,” he
announced, sliding carefully off the side of the bed. Evie winced
as he slid his arm under her shoulders. His other arm secured her
body under her knees. “Tell me if I hurt you.”

“You can’t hurt me any more than I’ve already
been hurt,” she said, tears gathering in her eyes.

Kye scowled, releasing his hold. She wanted
to protest, but decided that she’d rather stay in bed anyway.
Shifting could wait for another time. Maybe after Evie had eaten
she’d have enough strength to shift.

“What did they do to you?” he asked, stroking
a piece of hair behind her ear. “Please tell me.”

“They didn’t touch me,” she answered, closing
her eyes. They quickly popped back open when the visions of her
captors appeared. “They threatened to, though.”

“Oh, baby,” Kye said, wrapping his arms
around her for comfort. “We will get through this,” he vowed. “I
will be here every step of the way.”

“Okay,” she answered, unsure if there would
ever be a time that she didn’t remember the way she’d been
treated.

“Come,” he said, after a few moments of
quiet. His strong arms scooped her up, Evie’s hands clasped around
his neck automatically. Kye nodded to her father as he made his way
through the house. Her brother snarled from the couch, but Evie’s
mother scolded him. She was thankful no one in the house stopped
Kye from caring for her.

“Can you undress?” Kye asked, a slight blush
creeping into his cheeks.

“Yes,” she answered, then smiled at him.

“I’ll meet you here,” Kye promised, stepping
around the side of the house.

Evie quickly removed her clothes, draping
them across the large shrub in the yard. She dropped to her knees
and let the change take over. Her panther roared at finally setting
itself free. The cat had wanted those wolves’ blood, but it knew
that shifting with that collar on would’ve killed them both.

Evie stood on steady legs, the panther’s
healing power taking over her human body. A few of her ribs had
been broken, but she felt them mend as she waited for Kye to
shift.

A purr reached her ears before she saw him.
That sound was one that Evie had known since they’d first shifted a
few years ago. It was Kye’s panther’s way of greeting her cat.

He walked cautiously toward her, his large
paws barely making any noise as he approached. The moment he was
close, Evie’s panther rubbed her face against his, absorbing his
scent and the feel of his fur. She was finally home.

A lone tear escaped the panther’s eye where
the love of her life couldn’t see.

A panther snarled deep in the forefront of
Liberty’s mind. She must be dreaming, because it felt like there
was something feral fighting for space in her mind. Her body felt
warm, content. There was soft bedding around her body and she
inhaled deeply when she caught a familiar scent. Her body tingled,
an unknown desire to find that scent overcame her, but she was just
so tired. She wanted to reach out for that safety…the scent…the
panther.

Mmmm, mate!

What? Where did that come from?
Her
mind froze. What the hell was going on with her? She felt
weird…different.

Testing her body, she pointed her toes and
frowned when her back arched in the process. Damn, she was really
warm. Her body stretched lazily, the sound of fabric ripping
confused her.

She blinked once…twice. She was in a room
that smelled strongly of Talon. Looking around, she saw she was in
a large space, dark brown furniture everywhere. The bed she was on
sat high off the floor and she was surrounded by dark blue
fabric.

A flash of black fur had Liberty looking
down. Her heart began to race when she saw a panther’s paw. Her
mind struggled to accept whatever the hell was going on. That paw
turned into a hind leg, which moved when she willed it to move.

She jumped when she realized that panther’s
paw was actually her human foot. The panther scrambled backwards,
banging into the headboard before falling off the bed into a heap
on the floor.

The other voice in her head snarled,
demanding calm, but Liberty was far from calm.

He changed me into a panther!

When she tried to stand on all four paws, she
slipped on the hardwood floor, smashing her hip into the
nightstand. Her heart pounded as she backed herself into the
corner. Her claws caught in the curtains and she yelped when they
crashed to the floor.

The door opened and Talon rushed in, his face
masked with worry. He froze in the doorway, a beautiful smile
spreading across his face. Liberty’s human sighed. She’d never seen
him smile like that, and it did funny things to her heart.

“Liberty,” he said cautiously. His hands
raised in a defensive manner. “You’re okay. It’s a little confusing
at first.”

Confusing? She wanted to glare at him, but
instead, her panther snarled and tried to move forward. Her front
paws held firm, but her butt hit the floor again when her back legs
slid out from underneath her. God, she probably looked like an
idiot.

“Easy,” he urged, stepping forward.

Easy? Easy! I’m a fucking panther!

“Woah,” he said, stopping when she finally
got her legs steady and moved forward, her panther stalking him as
if he were prey.

“I had to turn you,” he answered her warning
growl. “I know you can hear me.”

In response, she roared and used her new
claws to swipe at his leg, slicing his jeans at the shin. She was
so angry at him right now.

“Hey, you little hellcat!” he barked.

A sudden wave of power overcame her, forcing
her to her belly. It felt familiar, but stronger. It was his alpha
powers, and she had to obey him…she couldn’t fight back against
him. Liberty remembered Talon explaining that a newly turned
panther had to learn to control their emotions. Their tempers could
get the better of them until the human side found a balance with
the panther side of who she was now. Her panther snarled inside her
head, but Liberty’s human side pushed harder, calming the cat
slightly.

“Shift,” he growled, his eyes glowing
amber.

Shift? How the hell do I do that?
Liberty’s panther whined, leaving her defenseless as sensations
overcame her.

Liberty’s body convulsed, sending her back to
the floor in a heap of black fur. Her bones screamed in pain as
they reshaped, molding themselves back into their human form. A
deep sounding moan released from her throat as her canines recessed
back into her gums. Tears leaked from her human eyes as she curled
herself into a ball. Strong arms lifted her from the floor and
placed her on the bed, covering her naked body that was suddenly
cold.

“It’ll be easier the next time,” Talon
offered.

“There won’t be a next time,” she complained,
shaking her head. “That hurt like hell.”

“I know, love,” he purred, the vibrations
soothing her more than ever before. She laid there for several
minutes, listening to the soft vibrations coming from his chest.
His warmth seeped into her aching body and she closed her eyes in
bliss.