“I’ve been reading a lot of paranormal romance novels.” Nova smiled. “If he claims you as his mate, Liberty, then you are his mate.”
“Seriously?” Liberty gasped. “You actually believe the crap you’ve been reading in your books is true?”
“Animal instinct,” she purred, fluttering her hand in front of her face. “It’s so romantic.”
“Romantic?” she choked out. “I’m not going to be his mate or whatever the hell they call it!”
“Just give the guy a chance, Libby,” Nova begged, using the nickname that she hated.
“Again…I’m not going to be this guy’s mate, and don’t call me Libby,” she huffed, heading out from behind the bar. She needed to find something to do in her office. Maybe the air ducts needed cleaning or something. Then she could just crawl inside them and hide for a few days.
Sitting down in her office chair, she grabbed a deposit slip and started counting money. It kept her mind off of sexy men and her silly sister. Her crazy ideas about love and soul mates made Liberty chuckle to herself. That sister of hers was a hopeless romantic.
“You ready?” Nova asked, peeking through the crack in the door.
“Yes,” she said, stacking the deposits and wrapping a rubber band around the two bags.
“I’ll meet you at the car.” Nova left her to finish her nightly ritual.
Liberty locked the safe and grabbed her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. As she stepped out of the building, a breeze picked up, sending leaves scattering across the parking lot. For a split second, she smelled something familiar, something wild. Using just her eyes to scan the area, Liberty didn’t want to startle Nova, who was standing by the car they shared, filing one of her nails.
“Come on, Liberty,” Nova shouted. “It’s getting cold.”
“I’m coming,” she replied, glancing over her shoulder as she jogged toward the car. The hair on the back of her neck raised and she could’ve sworn someone was watching her.
Her hair blew around her face, the scent reached her nose again, and then she frowned, wondering if maybe it was just the full dumpster behind the building. With all of this talk of shifters, Liberty was a little on edge. Talon had said that they were not dangerous. So, maybe she was just freaking herself out for no reason at all.
Nova leaned her head back in the seat once Liberty started the car, closing her eyes for the ride home. It only took five minutes for them to reach the house. The tall light in the yard illuminated the front of their home. They’d had it installed the day they moved in, because they both worked late and coming home to a darkened property wasn’t the safest thing for two young women living alone.
Liberty still carried her pistol, either in a holster on her side or in her purse, ensuring she had some form of protection. The town they lived in had a very low crime rate and the fact that they lived out in the county, consisting of mostly farms, meant there was a very slim chance something would happen, but she’d always been taught to be aware no matter where she was or what she was doing. Liberty’s dad had made sure his girls were comfortable around guns and had enrolled both of them in a safety course every few years. Liberty and Nova were more comfortable around guns than they were around a tube of lipstick.
Nova rushed to the door, unlocking it before Liberty could take the first step up onto the porch. Both women froze when a branch snapped near the side of the house.
“Get inside, Nova,” Liberty ordered, pulling her gun from the holster on her side.
“No, you come inside too,” Nova protested, her eyes darting around the yard. “We’ll call the Sheriff.”
“Hand me that flashlight,” she told her, holding her hand out behind her and taking a position in front of her sister. Nova complied, reaching behind the front door. She slapped the flashlight into Liberty’s palm, but not without a whispered curse.
The light beamed to life as Liberty flipped the switch, shining the light with her left hand. Nova didn’t protest when Liberty took a step off of the porch, shining the light toward the woods at the side of the house.
Could someone be following them? She’d been spooked all night and now there was the sound of that branch snapping. Could it be an animal? A little voice in the back of her head wondered if it was one of the shifters, but she immediately squashed that thought. Talon didn’t know where she lived. Or did he?
“I don’t see anything,” Liberty announced, turning off the flashlight as she climbed the steps up to the porch.
Once inside, she double checked the locks on the doors and windows, pulling all of the curtains closed tightly in the front room. She really hoped there wasn’t some creep out there on her property. With the clientele that came into her bar, she wouldn’t put it past the scarier ones to do something stupid like follow her home. She’d pissed off more than a few drunks when she’d had to kick them out for misbehaving.
Climbing in the bed, she closed her eyes, exhaustion rearing its ugly head. She’d only slept a few hours the night before, too busy remembering that heated kiss. Tomorrow she’d sleep in until early afternoon. She wasn’t due into work until five. Cole was going to take over the lunch shift to give her a needed half day off.
Mittens the cat curled up against her chest, purring softly as Liberty stroked her head. She fell into a deep sleep, not hearing the snap of another branch right outside her window.
Chapter Four
The gathering of panthers for the Fall Equinox was in full swing. The women of the pride had been preparing food for the past few days, ensuring everyone would have enough to eat before and after the communal shift at midnight.
Talon walked to his bedroom window, overlooking his land. His pride members milled about, laughing and talking with each other. Talon smiled to himself. They treated each other as if they were family. There were no fights within his pack, unless it was a fight for position within the ranks of his Guardians. All of his men had been in their spots for the past few years, none of them ever caring to move up or down the ladder. He knew that time would come someday, but for now, he’d enjoy the peacefulness of his pride.
As he checked the clock, Talon thought about Liberty. It was getting close to closing time at the bar, and he wondered if she was okay. He should’ve gone by there earlier, but he couldn’t leave his pride right before the gathering. No alpha had ever missed one, and he wasn’t going to let his pride down because he had feelings for the human bar owner.
Talon made his way down the stairs, stopping in the kitchen to check on the women. They had one pregnant female who was due any day. Her husband was hovering over her as she sat at the kitchen table. When she started to rise, Talon held up his hand, halting her.
“No, Hera.” He smiled warmly at her. “No need to get up.”
“Thank you, Alpha,” she told him.
“Alpha?” Talon turned to see her husband, Alec, approach, ringing his hands nervously.
“Yes?” Talon replied, knowing what the man was going to request.
“I’d like to ask permission to not run with the pride tonight,” he began. “As much as I appreciate our Guardians, I would prefer to watch over Hera this evening.”
“I grant your request, Alec,” Talon answered, patting the man’s shoulder. “Take care of your mate.”
“Thank you,” he breathed out, clearly relieved. “We will join everyone for the ceremony.”
Talon nodded and made his way out to the backyard. The ceremony was a tradition passed down from generation to generation. The panthers would celebrate a new mating, the birth of a cub, or the announcement of a new pregnancy. After Talon had blessed the couples or parents, he would gather everyone for a meal. At midnight, the pride would shift and spend the next few hours in their cat’s form, running and hunting on the property they called home.
Talon’s property was at the most southern tip of the county, only fifteen miles outside of the town of Olive Branch. His family had owned this land since coming here from Ireland over a hundred years ago.
“Alpha?” a small voice called out. Looking down, Talon smiled at the little cub who was tugging on his pant leg.
“What is it, little one?” he asked, leaning over and scooping up the boy. He belonged to one of the families in the pride. His father worked as a plumber for his construction company and his mother was one of the caregivers for all of the children with working parents.
“My name is Duke,” the cub announced, proudly holding his head high. Talon laughed to himself because he already knew the little cub’s name. “My papa says I’ll be an alpha like you someday.”
“Have you been eating your meat, Duke?” Talon asked, using his alpha voice.
“Yes, sir!” Duke made a show of flexing his muscles and growling like a cat.
“That’s good,” he chuckled. “You keep getting big and strong, and I’m sure you’ll get your own pride one day.”
“Duke!” a female voice yelled. Duke’s mother, June, rushed up, immediately dropping her eyes as a show of respect. “I’m sorry, Alpha. He’s very inquisitive at this age.”
“No worries, June,” Talon reassured her. “He’s going to make a great leader one day.”
“He has a wonderful leader to follow,” she told him, then nodded, waiting for Talon to set the boy down before taking her son’s hand.
Talon smiled, ruffling Duke’s hair one last time, and excused himself to go find his Guardians. They were milling around the campfire, each with a beer in hand.
“Savage,” Talon announced. “I am not appointing you to watch over Hera this evening. Her mate requested that he be allowed to stay with her since she is so near her delivery with their cub. She hasn’t been feeling well today, so I granted his request.” This was also the couple’s first born, so Talon understood the need for the male to stick close to his mate.
“Are we ready?” Winter asked, looking around the group that was starting to gather.
On Talon’s nod, everyone made a circle around the fire, listening as Talon spoke words of praise for the new members of their pride, for the children, and asked if there were any matings that needed his blessing. When no one came forward, Talon let his cat take over, his eyes bleeding amber.
“Shift,” he demanded, watching as the members of his pride stripped and fell to the ground, their panthers taking over their human form.
Talon watched Ranger out of the corner of his eye. He was a damn good Guardian, but he had been hurt when he was a kid. He’d come to the pride six years ago, a broken and bloodied shell of a male. Talon’s father had agreed to take him into the pride and have their healer work on his injuries. He’d been attacked by bears in Alaska while in human form. His left leg had been mangled, and shifting into his panther could only heal so much damage. Talon smiled to himself as he remembered the day Ranger and Dane had become friends. It was also the day they’d beat the living hell out of each other. They both had their demons, yet somehow had forged a friendship in the process.
A nose nudged his hand. Looking down, he saw Dane, his damaged ear cocked at an awkward angle, standing there. The panther huffed slightly and tossed his head over to the side, letting Talon know that he would run with his friend.
“You are an amazing male, my friend,” he praised, taking a moment to touch the top of his Guardian’s head, before stripping off his own clothing.
No one in the pride was shy about nudity. Since their clothes did not magically disappear during the shift, everyone would undress and set them on a bench or a table to retrieve later when they returned to the alpha’s house.
Winter and Savage huffed as they sat on their haunches, waiting for Talon to complete his change. It was a short process, not allowing them to be vulnerable for any length of time. Talon released a breath and felt his bones changing, rearranging. Fur sprouted where his human skin once was. Sharp, lethal canines grew in his mouth. A long tail appeared as he rose up on all four paws. Talon’s human mind relaxed, giving himself over to his other half.
The panther knew where he wanted to go…where he wanted to hunt. As he rushed through the wilderness surrounding his property, he felt two of his Guardians at his back, but didn’t acknowledge their presence.
The cat and human fought for control as the panther hurried toward the property line. Talon’s human side pulled back, telling his cat that going to Liberty’s home was off limits, but the panther was in control. It was a constant fight between the animal and human mind. They were one in the same, but when in animal form, the human mind was weaker. Talon was aware and could see everything the panther did, but the wildness inside the animal was stronger, more in charge.
The old country road was clear of cars as they approached, and Talon’s panther rushed across the hard pavement. The sounds of the river to the east reached the panther’s ears. The two Guardians behind Talon huffed when they realized where their leader was heading. They didn’t sound happy about the direction, but they didn’t protest, either. All panthers understood the draw of a mate, even if they didn’t have one themselves.
They followed the river northward for a few minutes before Talon’s panther turned left on a barely worn path that lead to his mate’s home. The trail he’d made through the brush just the night before was still pressed down, guiding his way.
Talon slowed as he approached Liberty’s property, a faint scent tingled his senses. It was a panther, but not one of his pride. As an alpha, he could pick out the scent of each and every one of his members. Their essence was etched into his brain, but this scent was definitely not a part of his extended family.
He knew when Savage and Winter had noticed by the deep, rumbling growl that bubbled out of their chests. It was a warning, and Talon followed up with his own snarl of rage.
A rogue panther has been on her property. His human side fought its way up to the surface, pulling against the panther that wanted to find and protect his mate at all costs.
The shift was quick, his body redesigning itself into that of a man. His two Guardians stepped up near him as soon as their bodies became human; both men were at his back, taking a protective stance.
“Rogue panther,” Winter growled.
“It is,” Talon spat, his shoulders tensing as his protective instincts kicked in. A male was very protective of his mate. An alpha? Well, there was no comparison to the level of protectiveness one felt when it came to his female. It’d been said that an alpha separated from his mate in times of distress would be worse than anything humankind had ever seen.
“Make sure she’s in the house,” Talon ordered, his sharp canines growing thick in his mouth. He and his panther wanted the intruder’s blood for even stepping foot on her property.
Those feelings shocked Talon, making him pause for a second. She was human and had no way of protecting herself against one of his kind. No human was strong enough to take on a panther.
As they crept along the edge of the trees in her yard, Talon tried to keep his temper in check, but was failing miserably. The scent of the rogue cat became stronger as they walked.
“It’s male,” Talon growled, inhaling deep to program that scent into his memory. He’d need it later when he killed the rogue in a fit of rage for being this close to Liberty.
“Paw prints,” Winter pointed out, squatting down to inspect the large indention in the wet ground beneath his feet. Thankfully, it’d rained a few days prior and with the cover of the trees, the ground had stayed a bit damp.
“Who the fuck is it?” Talon muttered angrily, trying to place the scent and the print. The size was fairly large, almost as large as his own panther’s paw. What was he doing on Liberty’s property?
“We need to talk to her, send some Guardians to watch her house,” Savage added, continuing his search for any other markings or clues.
Before Talon could reply, the click of a gun froze them all in their spots. They’d been so focused on the paw print that they hadn’t even heard someone approach. That was one thing that could be fatal for their kind.
; “Don’t fucking move!” Liberty ordered.
Her hands shook slightly as she held the gun at the ready, unable to make out the three figures in her yard. She’d just climbed into bed when Mittens, her small calico cat, jumped onto the windowsill and hissed at something outside in the yard. When she peeked through the curtains, she’d seen three figures moving slowly around the edge of her property, but couldn’t make out who they were. With no regard for her safety, she grabbed her gun and slipped out the side door, keeping to the shadows until she was close enough to confront them.
“Who are you and what are you doing on my land?” she demanded, sounding more in control than she actually felt at the moment.
“Liberty?” a familiar voice called out. It was one she’d heard in her dreams for the last two nights.
“Talon?” she gasped, lowering her weapon, but quickly pulled it back up to aim in their direction. “What are you doing here….and…oh my god, are you naked?”
She quickly averted her eyes as they realized the same thing, all three men scrambling for the cover of some shrubs. Heat crept up her neck and onto her face. Thankfully, it was really dark and she hadn’t seen something she’d regret. Okay, maybe not regret. She would bet he was ripped and big…really big. Stop it!
“We’re sorry,” he said, clearing his throat. “Can we talk? Do you have some clothes we could borrow?”
“Who’s with you?” she asked, turning her head slightly, making sure they were hidden. She was a little disappointed to see that they were.
“Savage and Winter, ma’am,” Winter replied, trying to keep from chuckling, but failing miserably. She wanted to be mad, but when she looked at the situation now that she knew she was safe, Liberty chuckled as well.
“This is not funny,” Talon barked, pushing what she assumed was his alpha voice deeper and louder.
Talon (Rise of the Pride, Book 1) Page 4