Strength Enduring (Talon Pack Book 8)

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  In the past, when he thought about what his mate could be, who she would be, he hadn’t pictured Dhani. He’d pictured someone he could protect, someone a little…softer, maybe even a maternal dominant. But that wasn’t Dhani. Yes, she took care of the Pack’s young, but there was nothing submissive or inherently maternal about her. Those weren’t the right words… Because she was amazing with pups, but she was also far more dominant in her human form than any of the others in her position. And he had a feeling that stark contrast would become even more evident, and she would become even fiercer once she became a shifter.

  Dhani would never stand by and let him protect her. She was going to face whatever came at her by his side. Had she done that when they made their relationship public? She had thrown herself into ensuring that the people around her were safe by doing something she wasn’t ready for. She hadn’t thought of herself, only those she loved. Maybe that was exactly the mate he needed.

  Except for the fact that he hadn’t wanted a mate who would be in danger just by being connected to him. Everything was slipping through his fingers, and he was just trying to catch up.

  But even though he didn’t feel as if he were quite where he needed to be, he knew what they needed to do next. As if he’d conjured her out of thin air, his mate walked up to him and gave him a strange look.

  Was it wrong that he liked that expression? That it turned him on?

  The mating bond was truly changing him.

  “We don’t have to do this, you know. We can just stay inside the den wards. Screw what people think.”

  “We both know that’s not something either of us is willing to do. We’re just going to walk outside like I’m on a normal patrol, but this time, you’re going to be by my side. We’ll still be on Pack territory, just not in the den itself. So there will be no wards to protect us or shield us from any prying eyes. But it means that any curious observers can see that you’re free to come and go as you please. And that you’re safe.”

  “Of course, I’m safe. I’m your mate. I think being the mate of the Enforcer and by his side, contrary to what you believe, is a pretty safe place to be.”

  He held back the growl that wanted to escape his lips and gave her a short nod. His mate was never going to be in a safe place. Because she was a symbol that any enemy could use against them. Any mate of those in the hierarchy would always be a symbol and in danger. But the mate of the one who was supposed to protect the Pack? That was even worse—at least in his experience and that of the other Enforcers he’d met along the way.

  “We should get going. Smile a lot, and make it look like you’re having fun.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Oh, yes, a romantic walk with my mate while we’re still trying to get to know each other will be so difficult. Excuse me while I plaster a smile on my face and pretend. You do realize that if we actually act like we like each other, it won’t be acting. You’re stuck with me for a long time, Kam. You better get used to it. And me.”

  He shook his head. “The thing is, I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to you. But I don’t know if that’s a bad thing.”

  “That was sweet. And I’m going to take it as a compliment.”

  “You should. Now, let’s go over what we talked about before. You’re going to be by my side no matter what. My trackers and soldiers will be around, but we’re not going to be able to see them. That’s their job. I won’t be on actual patrol, but knowing me, I’ll still be searching. We don’t have you trained with weapons yet, and that’s something we need to fix. I’m your protection. Meaning, if something happens, you will do exactly as I say. Even if what I say is to run full-tilt back to the den. I’m not saying that anything will happen, but you have to listen to me if it gets bad. Okay?”

  “I can do that.” She frowned. “But I don’t know how I could ever run away if you’re in danger.”

  “You’ll just have to learn to do it. Because right now, you’re one of the weakest among us. I’m not talking about what’s inside because we damn well know that’s not the case since I can feel your soul inside me. But if I say run, you run. As it is, I’m going to be distracted, trying to make sure you’re safe while protecting myself. I can do that, but I also need to know that you can listen to my orders.”

  “I don’t take orders well. But I’ll do my best for you.” She paused. “Of course, I haven’t really been taking orders in sex yet either, not that you’ve given me many since you sort of just toss me around however you want me. I kind of like that, though. Maybe we can talk about orders in bed a little bit later, too.” The tips of her ears went red, and Kameron had to adjust himself in his jeans even as he growled. Yes, this woman would be the death of him, but he thought he might perhaps like it.

  “What did I tell you about getting me hard when I have to be in public?”

  “That it is your favorite thing ever and I should continue trying to make you hard? Maybe I should even stroke a bit?”

  He leaned down and bit her lip, not too hard, but enough that her eyes widened. “Enough. For now.”

  And with that, he took her hand and led her through the wards. Even though she was part of the Pack now, her body still shook slightly as she went through the magic. He had a feeling that had to do with that knowing she had talked about. They were going to have to delve deeper into that eventually—but one thing at a time.

  Thankfully, their walk was boring if comfortable. They talked about what her new lesson plans would be, and how she still wanted to talk to her parents even if it would be hard. She did most of the talking, while he just listened. That was how he usually was, so it wasn’t as if this were different than any other person. But it was different. This was his mate, and perhaps she deserved more than just his listening. Maybe she deserved more of him. Only he never thought to be in this position, and he still felt as if he were two steps behind.

  Maybe that wasn’t fair, considering she was the one who’d been thrown into a completely new world. Maybe she was the one who was supposed to be behind, and he should be showing her the way. Only it felt like it was the opposite, and that just showed how strong this woman was. She was his. And that was something he would have to get used to.

  He held back a sigh and focused on the woman beside him and what their job was for the day. To act normal. To blend in. To just be. Out of all the wolves in the Pack—except perhaps Max—he would have been the last choice for this job.

  He could sense a few humans around, but most of them were right on the edge of Pack territory, watching. He didn’t mind that. That was what this walk was for, after all. It didn’t make him feel any less uneasy, however. He still felt as if they were parading themselves around. As if they were in some zoo where all the humans paid to see them in their natural habitat. Maybe they would throw snacks and take photos. Next time, he’d bring balloons.

  Of course, as soon as he thought that, a flash went off and he turned at the sound. Someone had indeed taken a photo of the two of them. That person was lucky the whole camera thing was part of the PR aspect or he would rip the asshole’s face off.

  He paused, maybe his wolf was a little too on edge for this walk to really work.

  Then Dhani squeezed his hand, and everything felt a little better. Was this how it was supposed to be between mates? He didn’t know; hadn’t really thought about it. But now it seemed all he was doing was thinking about it.

  They were just reaching the end of the territory when the explosion hit. Kameron threw himself on top of Dhani, ignoring the burn on his side and on his back. The scent of magic and humans surrounded him, but there was something…off about it. He didn’t quite understand it, but he knew it would be important later.

  For now, he pushed those thoughts out of his head and only focused on the woman beneath him, the female screaming his name. He could scent the wolves around them, taking stock of what had happened. A couple of the humans that had been safely taking photos were also on the ground. Kameron cursed and looked at one of his s
oldiers before nodding towards the downed humans. He didn’t think they had anything to do with what was happening, but he didn’t know. His people had to be safe and care for their own, but they also couldn’t let innocents die on their watch.

  And they didn’t know if there was another explosion coming.

  It hadn’t been a huge one, just about the size of a small pipe bomb, he figured, but it was enough that when he sat up and looked down at his mate, he let out a howl. She had blood running down her face from a small cut on her head from flying debris, and she was rubbing her elbow. It didn’t look as if she had any broken bones, but she was going to be bruised for sure. Because she was a human. Fragile.

  And his mate.

  His.

  Someone had dared to hurt her.

  “I’m fine, Kameron. You’re the one bleeding. Let’s take you back and take care of you. Walker can Heal you. Let the others take care of this, and let me take care of you. I’m fine.” She repeated the last words when he growled, and then she leaned forward and kissed his chin. “I’ll be okay. Let’s just make sure everyone else is okay. Let me make sure you’re okay. Whoever did this will be caught. We have to make sure everyone is safe. And that includes you.”

  He growled again but stood up. His back ached, and he knew Walker would have to Heal him because he had a feeling that whatever had exploded had left stones and other debris embedded in his skin. It was going to hurt like a bitch, but first, he had to take care of his people and his mate. His territory had been attacked, even if it had been a small siege that had only hurt him—at least from what he saw. And he wasn’t going to stand for that. The Talons wouldn’t stand for that.

  So he helped his mate to her feet, wiped the blood from her face, and held her against him before howling. The other wolves howled with him, their song one of protection and anger.

  The others from his Pack would be there soon to make sure that everything was okay and that everyone was safe, even as they closed ranks to protect the den itself.

  Someone had dared to hurt his mate. Dared to hurt him. Dared to try and hurt others under his protection.

  And he thought the scent was human, but he also scented a touch of magic.

  He couldn’t be sure.

  But he would be.

  Soon.

  TO HEEL

  Blade couldn’t help but smile. It had been a long time coming, but finally, things were working out in his favor. There had been blood on the ground and screams in the air, and he’d never heard such a symphony of glory. His Pack was going to rule the world, he was going to rule the world—or at least he would rule this area.

  Because that was all he needed.

  The world needed to see his strength. See what he had done over his lifetime.

  And they would know that he was the one the world needed for their salvation.

  And though they didn’t have the last two human women in their clutches yet, they would. Because one of them had bled, one of them had screamed. It didn’t matter that she was mated into the damn Talon Pack now. She was still human; therefore, she was fair game.

  Because the Talons thought the humans had attacked them. Because they were stupid. They always fell for what he needed them to believe. They didn’t know they had a traitor in their midsts. They didn’t know that one of Blade’s own lived in their den, lived near their precious humans. They didn’t know that Blade was the one with the upper hand.

  But they would know soon.

  As his red witch finished up the magic that had allowed the traitor to smell like a human, Blade just smiled. He had the best people. He was the best Alpha. And soon, the Talons and the Redwoods would come to realize that. Once the women were sacrificed, the humans would know what terrors lay within their borders, and the Redwoods and the Talons would cease to exist. The humans would be the ones to take them out.

  And Blade and the Aspens would prevail.

  The humans would bow before him.

  And the Redwoods the Talons would be no more.

  Finally.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Kameron winced as he settled into bed, but unlike the last time he’d been hurt in the line of duty, he wasn’t alone. Dhani sat by his side, her teeth biting into her bottom lip as she watched him move into position. He knew he shouldn’t find that sexy since she’d been bleeding in his arms earlier that day, but he couldn’t help it when she was around and truly safe and sound. She hadn’t been hurt that badly, but it was still enough to set his wolf on edge.

  “I’m okay. Really. Walker took care of the major wounds and bruises. I’m just a little sore. And I won’t be for long anyway. There are perks to being a shifter.”

  “You say that, yet you’re wincing. You never wince or show weakness.”

  “Kind of hard to hide it when you’re around. You’re literally in my soul, what you see is what you get from me now.”

  That made her smile, even though there was a deep worry in her eyes. He didn’t know where these words were coming from, but it wasn’t as if he could hold himself back when it came to her. He’d try around others, but what happened between the two of them was just between them, no matter how curious his family might be.

  “You say the sweetest things.” She fluffed his pillow behind him, and he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. She was worried about him and playing nurse, so he could understand. He’d just never had anyone take care of him before. She gave him a look before asking, “Why are you looking at me like that? Has no one ever fluffed your pillows before? And no, I don’t mean that as a euphemism.”

  She tried to tuck him in, and he reached out, gripping her wrist in a loose hold. “No one’s ever fluffed my pillows before.”

  She let out a breath, staring into his eyes. “I know we said we would never talk about past lovers but do we need to?”

  He shook his head. “We don’t need to. I never had a mate before you. You’re it for me. And you’ve never been married before this, and though it’s not a marriage, we’re still us. What I was talking about with the pillows wasn’t about an ex-lover, but more of my past.”

  “Your parents.” She was silent for a moment and then bit her lip when he didn’t say anything right away. “We don’t have to talk about them.”

  He didn’t particularly like this subject, but he knew he needed to at least tell her some things. “I know. And you already know a lot anyway. Kind of hard to miss when you’re living in the den with so many Brentwoods who lived through their own Hells with our dad. Mom wasn’t bad. Not like him. But she was so beaten down that she couldn’t protect us. And then she wasn’t there anymore. There were a lot of us, more if you include Mitchell and Max, who had their own issues with their father—my uncle. We grew up in Hell and were forced to live in it for a century. Now, we don’t anymore.”

  He didn’t know why he was speaking so much since that wasn’t his normal thing, but Dhani seemed to bring it out in him. And he wasn’t even sure it was just because she was his mate. Not any longer. It was just…her.

  He wasn’t the touchy-feely type. He was the guy that pushed people away to protect them. And he wasn’t sure he would like himself if he changed any more than he already had. But perhaps he wouldn’t have to change for others. Only her. Or maybe he was thinking too hard and really just needed to kiss her.

  Because he was falling for her. Falling for his mate. He didn’t know how it had happened, or when it had started, but it had. He knew part of it was the fact that he was coming to know her strength, her commitment, and the fact that she faced danger no matter the cost. She fit with him, and he wasn’t sure what he should think about that. But he also knew that he couldn’t hide himself from her. She deserved better, and he was going to provide that. Even if he had no idea what he was doing.

  “I hate that you went through that. That any of you guys went through that. And I don’t really know what to say other than I know things are different now and yet still dangerous. As someone who teaches children daily, I don�
��t really seem to be good with words right now.”

  He had never been good with words. He leaned forward and tucked her hair behind her ear. His twinges and aches weren’t all that bad, and between his brother’s Healing and his own natural shifter ability, he was doing better than Dhani probably figured. Walker was amazing at his role in the Pack, but there were some wounds that just took time. However, Kameron was dominant enough to heal on his own, as well. And that meant he needed to make sure that his mate was okay; needed to make sure that he could hold her.

  Because he was still so damn pissed that someone had dared to hurt her. She had a few bruises, but the cut on her forehead hadn’t even required stitches. Yet he wanted to tear up those who had dared come for her. He still blamed himself, even though he knew she would get angry that he thought that. But there was no way he could stop. He’d been the one to suggest them walking outside the den so others could see them acting normally, and he had been the one to put her in danger. And she had dealt with the consequences. He might’ve bled more, but he wasn’t human, and he healed faster than she could. After she went through the transformation and was fully a wolf, maybe he would be able to sleep better, but until then, he would just have to deal with the fact that she was far more fragile than he was.

  He was still so angry. Always. And there was nothing he could do except try to fix it. Try to keep her safe. Even though he hadn’t really been doing a good job of it as of yet.

  “You’re looking at me like you want to eat me up. But considering you were just thrown down to the ground because of a pipe bomb, shouldn’t we be sleeping so you can heal?”

  He leaned forward as she spoke the words, and he licked her bottom lip. He loved biting and licking her and hadn’t known it would be such a turn on just to be able to have her in his arms. This whole mating thing was new to him, but he was getting used to it. Slowly. He liked to take it slow. And maybe hard. And fast.