Riley's Pride

by Sandra R Neeley

  “Yes, sir,” both his males answered.

  They both stepped over Lazarus’ prone body, found themselves a place behind some shrubbery and waited for a signal from their Alpha.

  Chapter 28

  Maia stood in the doorway, her pistol reloaded and ready, scanning for more activity, any other fuckers that needed killing. The sounds of fighting in the distance tormented her, but she dared not leave the house. She was the only protection Cristie and Libby had, not to mention trying to keep the store and diner from being further vandalized. And she wasn’t sure, but she thought she could smell the slight scent of gasoline on the air. She was afraid they’d damaged the pumps trying to break the lock off. She really needed to make sure they weren’t damaged, but she would not leave the house until she knew Libby and Cristie were safe. Then she saw it, movement across the way. Two males, one supporting the other, helping him, as they ran quietly under the cloak of darkness. Whoever they were, they were rushing toward the sounds of the battle.

  She extended her arms, taking aim, hoping she’d be accurate at this distance. But then she suddenly shifted, taking aim at a spot in the dark where her Wolf told her someone hid.

  “It’s me! Dont shoot, Maia.”

  Maia lowered her arms, “Scotty! Is that you?!”

  “Yeah, it’s me. Libby called Travis. We came to help.”

  “Thank God! That was Travis I saw, then? I almost shot him!”

  “Yes, it was. Where is Libby? Is she safe?”

  “Yes, she and Cristie are hidden away.”

  “Perfect. I’m gonna help guard the house.”

  “Did Travis have someone else with him?”

  “Yes, a friend of his, Roman.”

  All of a sudden there was a Tiger’s roar in the distance and a sound so frightening Maia wasn’t sure what it was, both of which were answered by the powerful roar of her Mate — her Riley, and that of a Bear. The exchange let her know that he was okay.

  But the other call, the frightening one, she couldn’t identify, “What was that?” she asked, her eyebrows raised.

  “Roman.”

  “What is Roman?” Maia asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

  “Primate. He’s a Silverback Gorilla, a mature one.”

  “Holy shit.”

  “Yup, no need to worry now. Did they attack the gas pumps? I can tell they attacked the store, the glass is shattered in the windows and the signs are damaged, but I think I can smell gas.”

  “Yeah, they were trying to break the locks off the pumps. I think they damaged them.”

  As they spoke, they could hear a hiss.

  “Shh, what is that?” Maia asked, tilting her head toward the sound.

  “Fuck! I think it’s the pumps. You got this here?” he asked, “If I go for the shutoff valve.”

  “Yes, but be careful. They could be anywhere. The shut off valve is to the left of the door, outside wall up at the front of the store.”

  “I got it. I’ll be right back. Keep doing what you’re doing.”

  Maia nodded, resuming her position in the doorway, watching Scotty as he ran toward the gas pumps in front of the store. She waited, the roaring in the distance was down to a minimum, only sounding once in a while. She decided to go back and check on Libby and Cristie.

  <<<<<<<>>>>>>>

  Lazarus lay perfectly still until both males had forgotten about him, assuming he was dead. Then he very slowly started his crawl toward the closer of the two. When he was just behind the male, he rose up on his knees, springing the nails on his right and left hands and used them to plunge into the throat of the male before him, closing his fingers around all the flesh, ligaments and cartilage there, ripping his throat out. The blood rushed freely from the male’s neck, now laid completely open. He was unable to scream since his vocal cords now lay on the ground at his feet. Lazarus sneered at the male as he shoved him to the side, eyes wide, his blood soaking the grass beneath him as he quickly died. Lazarus raised his hands to defend against the second male who’d noticed Lazarus attacking his friend and come to his aid.

  This second male was the one who’d stabbed Lazarus. Lazarus shifted partially, just enough to elongate his teeth and make the claws on his hands even sharper. He was weak, he’d lost a lot of blood, but he’d be damned if he allowed this male to live. The male came down on Lazarus as though he meant to take him to the ground. So Lazarus relaxed and allowed him to do just that. He snarled when the weight of the attacking male pressed against his abdomen, but the rush of adrenalin the pain caused actually gave him the push he needed to grab the male’s head in both claw tipped hands, yank it to his own face and bury his fangs in the male’s throat. He then clamped his jaws closed at the same time he thrust the male’s head up and away from him, effectively tearing his throat out with his teeth. The male fell on top of him dead. Lazarus lay there, taking his time to breathe, to try to recover just a little of his strength. He took a deep breath, or tried to. He was having trouble catching his breath. He wondered if they nicked a lung when they dragged the knife across his upper abdomen. Didn’t fucking matter at this point. He had no more time to rest. Lazarus shoved the dead male off him, rolled to his knees and paused there for a few seconds, before grasping the small limbs of the shrubbery beside him and pulling himself up. The female he’d seen on the front porch, the brave one, the courageous one, she’d need his help if she was to survive the insanity that was his soon-to-be-dead Alpha.

  <<<<<<<>>>>>>>

  Maia stepped back through the front door, closing it and locking it. Then she hurried to the kitchen and approached carefully. She stepped silently, eyes scanning first the kitchen, then the darkened yard outside the back door. She saw nothing out of place so felt safe walking into the pantry and knocking softly on the wall. “Everything okay in there?”

  The tall, balding Alpha with the glowing golden eyes stepped out of the shadows. He’d slipped silently into the kitchen and waited patiently for the object of his desire to return to check on the safety of the friend she’d so carefully hidden away. And here she was, her back to him, a perfect target for his unexpected attack. Quietly he moved from the darkened corner of the room and into place behind her, then ever so slowly he grabbed her.

  Maia screamed as one hand came down around her throat, and another grabbed her arm wrenching it behind her back. The surprise attack knocked the gun from her hand. She fought for freedom, allowing all her strength to flow unhindered.

  The male had managed to wrap his arm around her throat holding her back to his front in a strangle hold. She couldn’t breathe, and he was putting more pressure on her windpipe.

  Maia kicked, she screamed, she held his arm in her hand, raking her claws across his flesh, trying to pull his arm away from her neck so she could breathe. Her Wolf wanted out to fight, but as her Wolf, she had no hands she could use to try to pry his hands from her throat, and he’d easily be able to strangle her, break her neck even. She continued to try to pry his arm from her neck. But she was suffocating, her head beginning to spin. She tried to call her Wolf to shift, but it was too late. Slowly he dragged her backward, releasing her arm to search for anything he could find to bash her head in just hard enough to stop her from fighting, at the same time he pressed harder on her windpipe. Her vision was beginning to fade, the blackness closing in from her peripheral vision.

  The Alpha was still scrabbling with his victim, searching for something to subdue her with. Finally his hand came in contact with the knife block. He grabbed it, snatching it off the counter and dumping the knives that fell clattering to the floor. Maia was gasping for breath, sinking the claws of both her hands into his arm again, trying to get a little air into her body. The Alpha lifted the knife block and brought it down, slamming it into her temple. Maia stopped fighting, falling unconscious, collapsing in his arms.

  He leaned over, licking her face, “That’s it, my pet, sleep. When you wake, you will be Reigna of my Pride.”

  Suddenly his eyes grew
round, his voice squeaked, his lungs making a squelching sound as they filled with blood. He dropped Maia to the floor as he looked down at his chest and peered in shock at the point of a very large hunting knife sticking out of it.

  He struggled to turn, staggering, to see who’d dared attack him.

  His face skewered up in a soundless snarl when he saw who it was, but it was too late, it didn’t really matter, he was dying.

  “She’s already,” he gasped for air to finish his sentence, “Reigna of,” gasp, “her own Pride,” he gasped again, “you, fuck,” Lazarus managed to get out before using the butcher knife he’d picked up off the floor to very neatly slice the throat of the male who was once Richie’s father.

  He watched dispassionately as the male bled out on the kitchen floor. He leaned over, one hand pressed to the gaping wound in his own abdomen, and pulled the hunting knife out of his former Alpha’s back. Then he struggled to move Maia inside the pantry. He closed the pantry door, shutting her still unconscious form inside, and turned his back to the pantry, leaning against it. He slid down the door and sat there guarding it, with the bloodied hunting knife still in hand.

  <<<<<<<>>>>>>>

  Scotty hurried over to the store, the scent of gasoline getting stronger. He ran straight past the pumps, looking for the shutoff valve Maia told him about. And there it was, right where she told him it’d be. He lifted the plexiglass cover and slapped his hand against it, causing the pumps to seal immediately.

  But he didn’t go unnoticed. He was just past the pumps headed back to the house when he realized he was being stalked — a male headed straight for him, at full speed from the direction of the highway. Scotty turned, faced the male barreling down on him, waited half a second to be sure he didn’t recognize the male, and fired his rifle. The male dropped in his tracks. Threat neutralized.

  <<<<<<<>>>>>>>

  Riley had successfully fought off three, killing two of them, before the third realized Riley was stronger than they anticipated, and made a break for a less violent target. Richie fought valiantly, knowing personally each of the males he battled. He was deeply embattled, both parties dripping blood. Lucas was surrounded by more than Riley could count in the darkness, tearing through them and tossing others aside, and they rose and came back at him. And didn’t that just piss him off. He’d left Lucas to protect Maia, Cristie and Libby, and here he was battling alongside them. He was on the one hand grateful for the extra help, and he had no doubt that Maia had ordered him here. But he’d heard the gunshots that came from the house and knew something made Maia feel she needed to fire at it. He knew Maia knew how to shoot, and he knew that Maverik had taught her well. He hadn’t heard any other shots, no howls from her Wolf, so he felt sure that she’d locked herself, Cristie and Libby in the storm cellar. For now, he had no choice but to continue battling, having faith in Maia and her ability to take care of the female members of his Pride. Another male launched himself at Riley; it seemed as though no matter how many they fought, no matter how violently they fought, there were others waiting to rain down on them. Riley let out a roar of frustration and tore into the next male who thought to challenge him, making it two aggressors against Riley.

  Then he heard a deep, resonant roar, one he thought he recognized as a Tiger’s roar. He kept fighting, Richie kept fighting, and Lucas let out a Bear’s answer to the Tiger’s call. Then Riley saw for sure, Travis, or his Tiger, came bounding over the rise and down into the melee without hesitation. At his side was the biggest fucking male he’d ever seen. Bigger than Bam, bigger than Lucas, and bigger than Travis. This male was black with silver tipped fur at the crown of his head, his nape, on his shoulders and down his back. He was a Silverback Gorilla in shifted form, and more massive than any creature shifted he’d ever seen, except for Dragons. And he looked happy to be here. Happy. What kind of fucking male was happy to join a life and death battle? He tore into the Panthers, Jaguars and Leopards like they were a personal affront to his senses.

  Travis roared once more, finishing off the male who’d attacked him. He was a fucking Tiger — albeit a legless one — and there were not many who could out-battle a Tiger. He trotted, awkwardly on his three legs, over to the spot he’d last seen Roman tearing apart another of the Panthers unfortunate enough to follow their Alpha into battle.

  The battle continued on a while longer, each male fighting for all he was worth, until eventually, those who were left standing, seemed to realize their target — Richie and his new Alpha — weren’t backing down. Simply put, they ran. First, one that was fighting Riley tucked tail and ran, followed by the other, then several others followed suit. Eventually there was only Riley, Richie, Lucas, Travis and whoever the hell the Gorilla was, surrounded by close to a dozen bodies.

  Riley didn’t waste any time. As soon as he was sure there was no one left to fight, he turned and ran for the house, a constant roar leaving his chest, warning off all who may be near his home, the names Maia, Cristie, Libby, a constant mantra in his mind.

  Richie broke into a full-out run right behind him, as did Lucas and Travis with the Gorilla hanging back, allowing Travis to go ahead of him.

  Then they heard the crack of the rifle, and Travis’ heart stopped, knowing it was Scotty. He turned, roaring at Roman, who broke into a full run, catching and running past all but Riley, who, was just clearing the rise as the rifle went off.

  He saw the male fall as Scotty shot him, noted the other four bodies on the ground as he ran past on his unwaivering path toward his Mate and child.

  He ran straight for the house, shifting as he approached his front porch and trying to get through the front door, but it was locked up tight, deadbolt and all. He roared and threw himself against it. It shook, but didn’t give. Then a large, black hand reached out, taking him by the shoulder and gently pushing him aside.

  Riley looked at the owner of that hand, who gestured for Riley to move. Realizing what the male had planned, Riley did move aside.

  Roman, still as his Silverback, took three steps back and charged the door. It had no chance. The door splintered, breaking in two right down the middle with little pieces of wood no good for anything but kindling filling the air, the wreath that was formerly adorning said door, flying through the foyer of the home to land a third of the way up the staircase. The huge Silverback Gorilla then stood aside, waiting for Riley to enter his home first.

  Chapter 29

  Riley charged into his house, Maia’s name on his lips, “Maia! Maia, where are you, honey? Cristie?!”

  He didn’t have a chance to call for Libby before Travis did. Behind him, Travis who had shifted back and his friend the Gorilla, who had also shifted back and was now helping him walk through the house, called for her as much as he did Maia and Cristie.

  Not getting any reply, Riley made a beeline straight for the storm cellar. He came to an abrupt halt as he rounded the corner. Richie and Lucas actually bumping into him where he stood taking in the scene before him.

  There was a bloodied and nearly dead male, sitting on the floor of his kitchen in a pool of not only his blood but that of the already dead male just a foot away from him. The dead male’s throat had been cut, and he’d been bleeding from a stab wound in the back as well. The barely-still-alive male leaned against the pantry door, Lucas’ hunting knife in his hands, a snarl in his throat. He struggled to rise to his feet, brandishing the knife at them, “I’ll kill,” wheeze, gasp, “you, too.” The male tried to take a deep labored breath, but didn’t seem to get much air in spite of the attempt, “Go ahead,” he gasped, “try me.”

  “Who the fuck are you, and why are you in my house?” Riley snarled. He didn’t say a word about the storm cellar the women were hopefully hiding in behind the male.

  “Are you,” gasp, “Alpha?”

  “I am! Who the fuck are you?! Why are you in my home?!” Riley bellowed.

  Lazarus slid back down the door to land haphazardly on the floor. This was the Mate of the female he protect
ed by hiding her away in the pantry. His ass slapped the ground, splattering the blood he landed in. He used the last of his strength to roll his head to the side exposing his neck. “Sanctuary,” he whispered, then his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell unconscious to the floor.

  Riley roared again, grabbing the male by his feet and dragging him away from the pantry door. He nearly pulled the door off its hinges, ripping it open and letting out a wail of pain when he found Maia lying just inside the pantry, unconscious, her own head bleeding at the temple. Riley dropped to his knees and felt for her heartbeat. Yes, there it was, and strong. He gathered her up in his arms and held her against his chest with his left arm, while shoving cans of food off the shelf and onto the floor. He slapped his hand against the wall, feeling for the pull latch and finally finding it, yanked it hard. The hidden door released, and the wall swung open, “Cristie, Libby?” Riley called.

  There was a sob of relief, and moments later Libby was running up the steps with Cristie in her arms. Riley hugged them both, then took Cristie from Libby. Libby spied Travis standing beside Lucas and Richie and a large man she didn’t know, and each of them, Riley included, was covered in cuts and blood. Scotty was standing just behind Travis, a rifle still in his hand. She burst into tears and stumbled toward Travis, “Libs,” Travis croaked, pulling her in for a hug. “I was so scared, so fucking scared I wouldn’t make it in time.”

  Libby didn’t reply, she just clung to Travis and sobbed. Scotty stepped forward and laid a hand on Libby’s arm where it wound around Travis’ neck. “It’s okay, Libs. We made it. You’re safe now.”

  Roman indicated one of the chairs at the table, and Scotty reached for it, pushing it closer to Travis, so he could take a seat and hold Libby in his lap.

  Roman said, “I’ll be right back,” to Scotty. He headed out of the house, jogged the distance to the truck and drove it back to Riley’s house. Then he slipped into the clothes he’d left in the truck when he’d shifted, grabbed Travis’ clothes and also brought Travis’ prosthetic leg. He locked it up tight and left it in the parking lot since he couldn’t get into the private drive of the house.