Winter (Rise of the Pride, Book 2)

by Theresa Hissong

  “Why won’t he touch me?” she asked, looking up into her sister’s ice blue eyes, hoping to find all the answers she was seeking.

  “I really don’t know, Nova,” Liberty said, kissing her forehead. “Let’s get you home and we will rest. We can worry about stubborn panthers tomorrow.”

  Nova didn’t reply as the nurse helped her into the wheelchair. True to his word, Winter was waiting for them as they exited the doors. Nova shivered, wrapping her arms around herself from the bitter cold wind that felt like it was piercing her bones.

  Liberty climbed into the backseat of the extended cab truck, pulling the backrest so Nova could climb in the front. As soon as Nova was seated, and the bag of medicines and her paperwork were placed at her feet by the nurse, Winter handed her a large, thick quilt. The thing was old and smelled like him. She tried not to hold it to her face and inhale the unique smell of the woods behind her home and something sweet, but she did take a deep breath.

  He drove without speaking, his thick jaw ticked from how hard he had it clamped. Nova was sure he wanted to yell at her again for being stupid enough to go out with Perry. How the hell did she know the guy was out for nothing but information about the pride?

  “Nova?” Winter said, breaking her thoughts. “Are you feeling okay?”

  “I’m fine,” she replied, wiping at a lone tear that had trailed out of her swollen eye.

  When they arrived at the alpha’s house, Winter slid out of his seat, walking around to the passenger side. He opened the door and stood back, waiting for Nova to get out on her own. She noticed his hands were fisted at his sides and that damn tick in his jaw was only getting more and more pronounced as he waited impatiently. She didn’t want to be a burden, but it looked like Winter was agitated with her slowness.

  Nova held her broken arm close to her chest and carefully stepped out of the truck. She handed him the blanket without another word, grabbing her bag and walking toward the front door. The large brick home was inviting enough, but she really would’ve rather been at her old farmhouse. At least there she could cry without the panthers hearing her with their enhanced abilities.

  Liberty opened the door, stepping aside so Nova could go inside. There were several women moving about the home. One woman was dusting the dark wood furniture, but stopped when she heard them walk through the door.

  “Ms. Nova,” she began, setting her rag down next to a large flower arrangement. Nova remembered her as the children’s caretaker. Her name was June. “We have your room ready and Mrs. Shaw is preparing you a meal.” Talon’s mother did a lot of the cooking in the home. Liberty had introduced them a few weeks ago and Nova really liked her.

  “That’s not necessary,” Nova protested.

  “You need your strength,” June insisted. “The alpha wanted both of you fed well as soon as you arrived.”

  The door closed behind them and Nova didn’t even have to look to know it was Winter who’d entered behind them. His scent wrapped around her as he moved closer. “Liberty will show you to your room and I will bring you something to eat.” His voice held no emotion and, at that moment, Nova knew she needed to just turn off any thoughts of being with the stubborn Guardian. He obviously didn’t have the same feelings toward her.

  “Come on,” Liberty said, her teeth clenched as she spoke.

  Nova followed her sister up a set of stairs, turning left when they reached the top. A long hallway loomed ahead. Several doors lined each side of the hallway. At the end, a door was open, leading into a bedroom that had already been prepared for her.

  “Our room is at the other end of the hallway,” Liberty informed her, walking over to the tall bed to pull back the covers. “I want you to rest.”

  “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to be doing?” Nova smirked, trying to lighten the mood in the room. She knew her sister was agitated with Winter, but she didn’t want Liberty to be mad at him. Whatever was going on between Nova and the Guardian should stay just that.

  “And I will,” Liberty sighed. “Just as soon as you are settled.”

  “I’m a big girl, Libby,” she chuckled, using the nickname her sister hated. “I think I can tuck myself in for a nap.”

  “Sorry,” Liberty groaned, turning for the door. “Winter should be bringing you something to eat. Don’t feel like you need to eat it all. The pride females like to make a lot of food.”

  “Okay.” She smiled, sliding into the bed once she’d kicked off her shoes. Nova knew how much the panthers ate while in their human form and had even noticed Liberty’s appetite had increased before she found out she was pregnant. Hopefully her sister would start feeling better soon.

  The bed was super soft. The fluffy, white comforter encased her aching body as if someone’s arms were wrapped around her protectively. The thought of those arms made her stiffen. She didn’t need to be thinking about anyone holding her when she needed it.

  “Nova?” Winter called out, pushing the door open wide, a tray of food in his hands. Nova frowned, wondering why he’d offered to bring the food instead of having one of the ladies she’d seen downstairs do it for him. It wasn’t like the males to take a job from the women of the pride. They were thankful women and found pleasure in caring for the men.

  “Thank you,” she said, scooting up in the bed. Winter set the tray beside her, but not over her lap. The no touching rule he adhered to was driving her mad. She looked away from him and pulled the food closer for her inspection. She needed something to do with her hands and eating kept her eyes off of Winter and her mind off of his touch.

  “Look,” he began, taking a deep breath.

  “No, Winter,” she interrupted him, staring at the bowl of soup on the tray. “Just don’t, okay?”

  “I’m sorry,” he said, moving forward. Nova still wouldn’t look up from her food because tears had gathered in her eyes and she didn’t want him to see her upset. “Look at me, Nova.”

  “No,” she replied, a stubborn bark to her words. “Please, Winter. Just leave.”

  Nova gasped when he took a seat on the edge of the bed. Her eyes lifted to see him staring at her. The moment he saw the tears in her eyes, amber sparks fired in his eyes. His jaw tightened and he cursed loudly.

  “I want to touch you,” he admitted, running his hand through his blond hair, tugging on the short ends. “But I can’t.”

  “Why, Winter?” she asked, pushing the food away. It no longer appealed to her.

  “I wasn’t born a panther,” he explained. Nova’s eyes widened, her mouth dropped open, but no words escaped. This wasn’t something she’d known. “I don’t think like they do, even though I am ruled by their ways.”

  “How…how long have you been one?” she whispered.

  “Five years,” he answered, his eyes returning to the icy blue she’d become so fond of over the past few months. “I cannot damn you to this life.”

  “Is it that bad?” she asked, suddenly worried for Liberty. “Is my sister going to be okay?”

  “She’s going to be fine,” he replied, but his eyes flickered toward the floor. Nova sensed he wasn’t telling her everything.

  “If she’s in danger…” she began, but Winter shook his head.

  “Liberty is going to live a long, healthy life,” he said, moving off of the bed. “I have to go. I just want you to know…if things were different…”

  “Different how?” she asked, leaning forward. When she reached for his arm, Winter stepped back, his nostrils flaring.

  “Rest,” he ordered, walking toward the door, not looking back. “And eat.” He growled as he closed the door to her room, leaving Nova with more questions than she’d had before he’d walked into the room.

  Winter stormed out of the house. He couldn’t tell her. He couldn’t let Nova know her sister had screamed in pain for those days she was going through the change, accepting the panther inside her body. He wouldn’t bring anymore sadness to her life. She’d been attacked for fuck’s sake! If he’d even given in u
pstairs in that bedroom and touched her, and they’d been mates…Winter would have never forgiven himself for the sudden need to claim her body. He could’ve hurt her.

  The mated males in the pride occasionally mentioned the moment they’d found their mates. One couple had touched by accident in the alpha’s house and when they realized they were mates, they had solidified their mating in the tool shed out behind the barn.

  If Winter had touched Nova, and then taken her like an animal while she was recovering from her injuries, he would’ve hated himself forever. He was too much of a gentleman to rut into her with the bruises still healing.

  It was Monday and he wasn’t expected into the office until the next morning, because Talon had told him to take the day off to help bring Nova home from the hospital. He needed to lose himself for a few hours. It was early afternoon, and he had plenty of time to let his panther free. When he was human, he’d always wished there’d been a way to escape his thoughts for a short period of time. One of the perks of becoming a panther was the fact that he could, in fact, let his human side take a break.

  Not wanting to leave his truck at the main house, Winter drove to his cabin, parking in front of his garage. He shut the door to his truck and made his way to the porch, not even caring about throwing his things inside. He stripped right there on the steps, dropping to his hands and knees as soon as he felt his panther push forward.

  The panther stretched lazily, his lethal claws digging into dirt as he took his first step off the porch. The cool air was nothing to his thick, black coat. Noises were more defined as he trekked off into the surrounding woods. The scent of his family…his pride, surrounded him as he moved silently through the thicker part of the land, keeping a steady trot on his hunt for something that wasn’t human.

  A rabbit scurried out from under a fallen log, but the panther had no desire to feed. Winter’s beast had his own objective, and that was to find Nova. Winter tried to calm his panther when it turned for the alpha’s house, demanding to taste the scent of the human female. He wanted to be close to her…she was injured. A mournful cry escaped as the panther felt anger at the male who’d hurt Nova.

  “No,” Winter warned inside the panther’s mind, but he wasn’t listening, fighting the human side who wanted out.

  Two of the pride’s females moved to the side as he leapt onto the back porch of the main house. Evie’s mother, Marie, held the door open, a soft smile on her face. No one said anything to the panther as he prowled slowly through the living room, turning for the stairs. The panther purred softly as he caught scent of the human female. He turned left at the top of the stairs and followed the sound of her gentle breathing, knowing she was asleep in the room that held her scent. The panther curled up outside the door, closing his eyes and falling into a contented slumber.

  Chapter Four

  Nova wanted to go home. Her heart was aching along with her arm. She leaned over, reaching for her bag from the hospital. After digging around, she pulled out the bottle of pain pills, shaking one into her palm. She needed to rest just another day or two and she’d be good as new. After that, she could go back to work and back to her pathetic life.

  It had been two days since she came to stay with her sister. Winter hadn’t been seen since the day he ran out without explaining why he wouldn’t touch her. What the hell did he mean he didn’t want to subject her to his life?

  It didn’t matter anyway. She wasn’t going to be around long. The bar needed her and Liberty couldn’t continue to work as much as she’d been doing. The pride’s doctor ordered her to rest for a few weeks or until the morning sickness subsided. Talon had thrown a fit when Liberty protested, saying she could easily sit in her office and do paperwork.

  The sun was shining outside the windows as she rolled to her side, adjusting her arm so it was propped up on a pillow. She watched the tops of the trees sway with each gust. Even with the soothing sounds, she was restless, worrying about Winter.

  She’d overheard Talon speaking to Dane, telling him that Winter had been working with the sheriff since the day before to help find a missing person that had been seen in the area. Booth and Noah, the alpha’s brother, were on foot, checking all of the wooded areas for the man’s scent. They still hadn’t found anything.

  As far as Nova knew, no one had found Perry, and she was even afraid to bring up the subject because all of the males would bristle at the mention of the man who’d seemed to disappear into thin air. She wondered why Perry was so curious about the pride and why he wanted to know where they lived.

  Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she stood up slowly, thankful that the medicine hadn’t made her head dizzy. She wanted to move around for a few minutes and maybe head to the kitchen to see if Mrs. Shaw had made some more of her sweet tea.

  Nova took her empty glass and padded quietly out of the room. She frowned when she thought she’d caught Winter’s unique scent, but shrugged when she inhaled again and found nothing.

  Downstairs, people moved around, most of them ignoring her. When she turned the corner into the kitchen, the Guardian Savage was leaning against the counter, talking to a young girl who was about sixteen years old.

  “Nova?” Savage said as she walked into the room. His heavily tattooed arms were folded across his massive chest, his long hair hanging loose around his sharp jaw. “Are you feeling okay?”

  “Yes,” she answered and nodded. “I was coming to get some tea.” She held up the empty glass and gave it a little shake.

  “You could’ve called down and one of us would’ve helped.” He frowned.

  “Thank you, Savage.” Nova smiled. “But I can take care of this. I need to move around.”

  “Hi,” the girl said, holding out her hand for an introduction. “My name is Sofia and this scary guy is my brother.”

  “It’s very nice to meet you, Sofia,” Nova replied, taking the young girl’s hand. She was beautiful and looked very much like Savage, except her long, brown hair was a shade darker than his.

  “I’m going back to the house,” Sofia announced, smiling at Nova once more before standing up on her toes to kiss Savage’s cheek. He patted her on the head affectionately and shooed her out of the house with a promise to come by for dinner.

  “She’s very pretty,” Nova said, reaching into the refrigerator for the pitcher of tea. She filled up her cup and looked over at Savage. He was scowling at the empty doorway where his sister had just exited.

  “Yes, she is.” He wiped his hand down his face and blew out a frustrated breath. “I’m not ready to start kicking little cub’s asses for looking at her.”

  Nova laughed and shook her head. “It’s going to happen. Just remember that cats don’t do well in cages.”

  “That’s the truth,” Savage agreed. “Can I get you anything?”

  “No, I’m good,” she yawned. “I think I’m going to take a nap.”

  “Call one of us if you need anything,” he said, allowing Nova to leave the kitchen first.

  As she walked through the living room, Marie and another woman were just walking through the back door with several bags of groceries. Savage hurried over and waited for the women to pass before telling them he’d grab the rest. Nova made her excuses and headed for the stairs. She would sleep and then make her plans to head back to work in the morning.

  Kye drove his old truck up the long, winding road as he came home from school. He was so happy to have Evie sitting beside him, his hand resting on top of her knee. They had only two weeks before the Thanksgiving break and he planned on taking her out over the holiday weekend. She’d not been herself since the kidnapping and he was out of ways to keep her happy.

  “Want to take a run with me?” he asked, squeezing the top of her knee to get her attention. “I can be a little late to work.”

  “No,” she replied, shaking her head. Her short blonde hair had grown out some since the beginning of school. He liked the longer look, but then again, anything on Evie was beautiful. “I
have a ton of homework.”

  “I’ll drive you home,” he told her, making a left onto the road leading back to the mated cabins. Her home was far back from the main house and he sure as hell didn’t want her walking alone. He’d be an idiot to send her off by herself.

  She’d shown signs of panic when she would be left at home. Her mother had called the alpha two weeks prior, begging him to come talk to Evie. Talon had immediately found Kye and suggested he go to check on her. Her parents had planned on going out for the evening, her brother was out on a date. She’d cried, begging them not to leave her, saying she couldn’t be alone. It was only after Kye had entered the home that she had calmed and snuggled into his arms, eventually falling asleep curled up on his lap. Talon had sent her parents on their way, promising that Kye would be there until they returned. She never would talk about her panic attacks or even give him an idea of what was going on in her head, but he knew. She was obviously suffering from some sort of post-traumatic stress from the kidnapping.

  When they arrived at her home, Kye jumped out of the truck, reaching his hand in to help her out of the cab. She smiled warmly and grabbed her backpack, allowing him to walk ahead of her. He pushed the door open and was relieved when her mother peeked around the corner from the kitchen.

  “How was school?” she asked, wiping her hands on a dishtowel.

  “Good, Mrs. Sawyer.” Kye smiled, turning toward the girl that owned his every thought and his heart. “I’ve got to go to work. You’ll call me if you need me?”

  “Yeah.” She smiled weakly, standing on the tips of her toes so she could kiss his cheek. “Call me when you get home?”

  “I will,” he promised, waving toward her mother.

  He had to run to the house to change, expecting to find Talon waiting on him. His brother was probably already tapping his foot in the foyer, preparing an ass chewing for being two minutes late. When he entered the house, Kye frowned because his brother was nowhere to be found. If he was going to be told to help cut firewood, Talon better show up soon. It was cold outside, the temperatures quickly dropping with the end of the day approaching. It was November and they’d been having unseasonably cool weather.