“What the hell is going on?” Talon yelled. “Ma?”
“She collapsed,” Liberty whimpered. Talon reached for his mate as she struggled to get off her knees. He carefully moved Liberty into June’s awaiting arms.
“Ma?” he called out, touching the side of her face as soon as he took a knee where Liberty had been kneeling.
“I’m fine, son,” she promised.
“I need to check you over,” Harold said. The healer quickly slipped on some gloves and reached for his mother’s wrist. He closed his eyes as he took her pulse. He frowned and quickly checked her eyes with a pen light he kept in his shirt pocket. When his mother checked out, Harold looked up at her with a frown. “I think we should draw some blood, as well.”
“Can I get up?” she asked, looking around at the people that had gathered. Talon carefully helped his mother sit upright for a moment until she nodded. He waited another few seconds before guiding her over to a seat that Liberty had pulled away from the kitchen table.
“Sit in this chair,” Talon ordered. His mother’s hair was twisted up into a bun at the back of her head, only a few tendrils had escaped to hang loose around her face. Her stunning blue eyes were sparking amber, letting him know that her panther was on edge.
“I’d like to know what the hell is going on,” Talon snapped as he turned toward the healer, his fists clenched at his sides. Liberty stepped up and rested a hand on his forearm. He felt his panther relax at her touch.
“I was coming into the kitchen and I got dizzy,” she began. “I’ve been feeling run down and tired a lot, but I’m sure it’s nothing, Talon.”
“It is something, Ma,” he growled. “Passing out is not good.”
“You have been doing a lot around here, Victoria,” Liberty pointed out. “Maybe you should take a break. I can always have Marie help me out here.”
“No,” his mother answered. “I want to help you, Liberty.”
“Why don’t you spend some time with me and let Marie help out around the pride until the cub is born? That way, we can both rest.” Liberty smiled at Talon’s mother, and he saw his mother’s eyes soften at his mate’s words.
“I’d like that,” Victoria said with a grin. “I’d like that a lot.”
Talon stepped aside as Harold removed his gloves. He glanced over his shoulder and waited until his mother and mate were deep into conversation before he turned to the healer. “What do you think it is?”
Harold wiped his hands on a paper towel after washing them, tossing the waste into the trash bin at the end of the counter. He seemed to weigh his words carefully before he finally looked up into Talon’s eyes. What the alpha saw there was worry and uncertainty.
“I need to run some tests on her before I can be certain,” Harold replied, walking over toward Victoria Shaw. He leaned in and whispered a few words to the matriarch. She nodded and stood slowly from her seat.
“I’ll walk with you over to the healer’s home,” Talon offered, quickly moving to his mother’s side. “Then I’ll come back here.”
His mother wasn’t that old. She was barely into her sixties and should have several years left before her health started failing from age, but looking into his mother’s eyes, he had a feeling that whatever the healer found wasn’t going to be good news.
Chapter Two
“Your mother is going to be fine,” Liberty promised, hoping that she wasn’t wrong. The look on Talon’s face when he had rushed into the kitchen had scared even her. Seeing the matriarch of the Shaw pride collapse on the floor had sent fear through Liberty’s veins. Talon had already lost his father, so his mother was all he had left, besides his brothers.
“Doesn’t mean I’m not worried,” he maintained, pulling Liberty to his chest. She wrapped her arms around his waist and turned her body to the side so she could fit against him as closely as possible with the big baby bump in the way.
“Let’s not speculate anything until Harold gets the results back,” she urged.
“Okay,” Talon conceded. “Let me feed you, and then I need to finish going over some things for the construction company.”
“I thought you had handed that all over to Winter,” she said, narrowing her eyes.
“I still check in on things and help out when needed,” he replied, giving her a soft kiss on the cheek. “I’m not going back to work. Dealing with pride business is enough to keep me busy.”
“I guess I should call Cole and check on the bar.” She frowned, pushing away from her mate.
“You are to stay home for the next three weeks,” Talon reminded her.
“I know,” she said, rolling her eyes. Harold had demanded that Liberty stay close to the pride in case she went into labor early. Nova was still working two days a week, preparing payroll and helping out when needed. Mary Grace had given her notice and had quit two weeks ago because she’d been feeling exhausted and Savage had demanded she take some time off. Liberty agreed with Savage. Mary Grace would always have a job at The Deuce and didn’t need to be working when she was feeling so rundown.
Liberty was currently looking for a few new waitresses, but the search had not been very fruitful. Every single one of the women who’d come into the bar were looking to hook themselves a Guardian. That wasn’t going to happen.
Cole assured her that everything was fine, promising to call if there were any problems. Nova texted to tell her that she was on the way to help out in the nursery.
“Go on and work. I’ll go up to our room,” she said, knowing she was going to work on the nursery instead of resting. Talon gave her a hard glare before placing a soft kiss on her lips. She sighed when his giant hand rubbed over the mound of her pregnant belly.
“I’ll be done soon,” he said with a wink.
Liberty took the stairs slowly, stopping at the top to stretch her aching back. She turned toward the room next to their master suite, pushing the door open wide. The lone crib sat against the wall with no bedding inside. The room was painted a pale green, and Evie had come by the house the week before to paint giraffes on the wall. There was a box to the right of the crib that held a rocking chair, and the box on the left held a changing table Noah had bought for them just last week. They both still needed to be assembled.
Liberty walked to the window and looked out into the yard. Several panthers were milling about with seemingly no cares in the world. Oh how things had changed for her over the past year. Her entire life had changed in so many ways. Meeting and falling in love with Talon was right up there at the top. Now, they had a child on the way.
“You okay?” Nova asked from the door.
“Yeah, just thinking.” Liberty took a deep breath and wiped away a tear.
“About?”
“How much things have changed.” She looked down, running a hand over her belly. “I miss mom and dad right now.”
“I do, too,” Nova sighed, reaching for Liberty’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “They would be happy for us, no matter what.”
“Yeah.” Liberty smiled sadly.
“I thought I told you to rest,” Talon barked from the doorway. When Liberty turned around, her mate was standing there with a frown on his handsome face. His jaw tensed as he narrowed his eyes.
“I’ll leave you two alone,” Nova snickered. Liberty growled at her sister’s enjoyment of her scolding. Usually, Nova was the one getting in trouble with her mate.
“I’m not doing anything.” She scowled as he entered the room. Talon was so large and menacing, and he looked even more frightening amongst the baby things and soft colors of the room. “I haven’t even touched a box or a stitch of clothes, promise.”
“Evie and Marie are here.” He nodded toward the two furniture boxes that were unopened. “I’m here to put those things together while you ladies sort out baby stuff.”
“My handyman,” Liberty purred, touching her mate’s cheek.
“That’s right,” he told her, then winked as he turned for the box.
“G
ood…again,” Ranger barked, taking a stance with his hands in front of his face. The sun was setting, signaling an end to their training session.
Evie spun, bringing her heel up to kick at her trainer’s left hand. A small thrill ran through her when she made contact for the third time in four tries.
“Have you had enough?” she teased, raising a brow at Ranger. Evie bounced on her toes, holding her hands up in front of her face just the way she’d been taught on that first day.
“The question is…have you?” he growled, dropping low and swinging his leg out in a half circle. Evie yelped when it caught her ankle, taking her to the ground.
“Damn,” Evie cursed, pushing off the ground and regaining her stance in front of him immediately. She’d long gotten over the shock of Ranger Coleman attacking back. Yes, she was a female. Yes, she was small, but he didn’t let that stop him from treating her just like any other Guardian in training.
“Time’s up,” Ranger said, looking at the clock. “You need to head home.”
“I do.” Evie dropped her head in defeat as she walked toward the bench beside the door. She was getting better, but she still wasn’t where she wanted to be. The nightmares were back, but at least she didn’t wake up in a near panic anymore. That had to count for something, right?
“Hey,” Ranger sighed, dropping to a knee in front of her. When she didn’t look up, he placed his finger under her chin and pulled until she looked up. “You’re doing great.”
“I know.”
“Tomorrow, same time,” he said, backing away and releasing her jaw.
Evie stayed there until Ranger was gone, slowing her breathing. She raised her arms over her head and twisted from side to side to work out the soreness. She’d never tell Ranger that she occasionally had issues with the muscles in her back after the wolves had kicked her repeatedly while she was held captive. Being unable to shift immediately to heal left lasting damage on panthers. All she had to do was look at Dane’s ear and Ranger’s leg to confirm that her unseen injuries were going to stay with her forever.
Hell, no one knew what exactly had happened during her kidnapping, and no one ever would.
After a few minutes, she stood upright, happy the stiffness was eased enough that her secret would remain just that, and dropped the gloves on the bench. It was dark when she left the side of the dorm, slipping into the woods to take the longer way home. She wanted to work off the adrenalin from her training, and running was the best way to accomplish that.
The woods were not as quiet as they’d been the past few weeks. Shifting her eyes slightly, Evie could see everything in perfect detail. It was warmer during the day now, and the panthers liked to spend their evenings playing in the forest behind the alpha’s home.
She skirted around two low bushes, taking the path that led to the road just beyond her cabin. The warm air filled her lungs as she pushed her legs until they burned. Three of the males who were going to fight at the Summer Solstice for a spot with Talon’s Guardians passed her going the opposite direction. They were probably heading to the clearing to spar again.
Thankfully, they were not allowed to use the Guardian’s training facility that was attached to their dorms. No one had caught her training with Ranger…yet. There was no way she was going to be able to keep this up without one of the males finding out. If they knew Ranger was fighting with her, he would face the wrath of not only their leader, but his brothers, too.
“Where have you been?” Kye growled the moment Evie entered her house. Her first instinct was to cower, but she was different now.
“I went out for a run,” she lied. It really wasn’t a lie, just stretching the truth. Evie had been training with Ranger and ran some of the trails in the woods close to her house on the way home. She hoped he wouldn’t scent her lie.
“I’ve been looking for you,” he grumbled, pulling her close to his broad chest. Kye was gaining muscle and starting to grow larger the closer he came to maturity. They only had a year and a half left before he turned twenty.
Evie couldn’t wait to see if they really were mates. She loved him…always had. There was no other male for her, and she knew he would love her regardless of what fate had planned for them. They’d even talked about what would happen if they were not mates. They’d made a vow to be together forever.
“I was feeling really well today,” she said as she smiled up at him. “So, I took a run through the woods.”
He leaned forward and captured her lips. Whatever she was going to say was forgotten as soon as he kissed her. She’d never tire of his attention.
Chapter Three
Talon smiled as he buried his face between his mate’s legs. The scent of her desire was a thick ambrosia on the air.
“I’m so fat,” she complained, running her fingers through his hair as he paid close attention to the swollen nub at her center.
”My cub is strong,” he growled against her pink flesh.
“Your cub needs to hurry up and get here,” she said, throwing her head back as he pressed two fingers to her opening. Talon ignored her plea for more as he kissed a blazing path up over her extended belly, stopping at her breasts.
“Not much longer,” he purred as he rolled to his side, pulling Liberty’s ass against his raging erection. One hand cupped her heavy breasts, the other was tucked under the pillow. She raised her leg, hooking it over his thigh as his cock found her center. They’d had to come up with creative ways to make love over the past month. With his cub growing so quickly, his mate wasn’t always comfortable with him hovering over her during their alone time.
Talon kissed the mating mark on her neck, feeling his panther prowl around in his mind. His eyes flashed amber as her moans became louder with each thrust inside her. He would never want anything more than the female in his arms. She’d taken to this new life as if she were made to be here, and that alone made Talon fall in love with her all over again.
“Touch me, Talon,” she begged, taking his hand from her breast so she could push it toward her sex. He smiled against the shell of her ear as he circled her clit.
“Like this?” he teased, following her clues.
“Don’t stop,” she moaned.
“Never, my queen,” he promised, taking her over the edge. It wasn’t but a few seconds before he emptied his seed into his mate, marking her with his scent. His canines had lengthened, but he didn’t bite her. He did, however, rake them across the top of her shoulder, causing a shiver to roll through her body.
They spent the better part of the afternoon in bed, napping and cuddling. Talon inhaled against her hair, his panther purring at the scent of his pregnant mate. His body relaxed deeper into the bed as she rolled over so she could nuzzle against his neck. Although they were on their sides facing each other, Talon wasn’t uncomfortable with their cub pressed against him. Occasionally, he’d feel a thump against his stomach. He would rub the spot on Liberty’s belly when she would flinch from the strength of their child.
“Have you thought of names?” he whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
“I can’t believe you leave it to the female to name the child.” She rolled her icy blue eyes. “What if you hate the name I pick?”
“It’s been that way since…well, forever,” he shrugged. “That’s the way of our people, Liberty.”
“No pressure,” she snorted.
“Well, do you have a name?” he pushed.
“I have a few,” she taunted.
“My son better have a strong name,” Talon teased, nipping at her shoulder. “He will be the next alpha.”
“What if it’s a girl?” Liberty smirked, pinching his side.
“We are not having a female,” he growled, his eyes sparking amber. “I cannot have a female child. I know what males think, and if one of them even looks at my daughter with lust in their eyes…I will kill them.”
“No, you won’t,” she laughed.
“Yes…yes, I will,” he groaned, rolling to t
he edge of the bed. “You should rest. I need to check in with my Guardians about the preparations for the Summer Solstice.”
“Okay,” she yawned. “Hurry back.”
When he turned to reply, his mate was already fast asleep, her hand resting on their cub. Talon huffed to himself as he left the room, closing the door tight, “Female, psh…”
Ranger paced in front of the four males who were slated to fight in two nights at the Summer Solstice to secure a spot within the ranks of the Guardians of their pride. The honor was one of the highest a male could accomplish without becoming an alpha in their own right.
“The night of the Solstice,” he began, “you will be at the circle at nightfall. When you arrive, you are to kneel at the platform and await your alpha. He will call to the ring two opponents. You will fight until one no longer stands or Talon calls the fight to an end. No Guardians will assist you until you have been granted Guardianship.”
Ranger avoided his younger brother’s gaze. He was not allowed to train him, and he hoped like hell that Axel had been preparing for what was to come.
Among the four were Storm’s brother, Lucky, and two other males from the pride who’d all turned twenty years of age since the last Summer Solstice and had shown that they were strong enough to try out for the higher ranks within the pride.
“I would suggest that you take the next two days to train on your own, mentally and physically. Good luck.” Ranger waited until the males had left before marching toward the Guardian’s dorms.
Ranger rubbed the back of his neck as he walked up the gravel pathway at the back end of his home. Most of the pride were gathering for a meal at the alpha’s home, so he was certain he’d be able to work out on his own for at least half an hour before the single males returned. When he pulled the door open, Ranger froze. Kye was sitting on the bench holding two boxing gloves. The same gloves that Evie had been using over the past several weeks during her training.
The Birth of an Alpha (Rise of the Pride, Book 4) Page 2