Riley's Pride

by Sandra R Neeley

  He jumped the black, wrought iron fence with little effort, then stopped at the front door, or where it once was. He didn’t want to just walk in. But it didn’t seem appropriate to knock for entry since the door was no longer there. And he knew everyone inside was on high alert so didn’t want to just wander back in and get shot by mistake. He settled for stepping inside, “Hey! It’s Roman, can I come back in?”

  In the kitchen, Riley had handed off Cristie to Richie, so he could lay Maia across the table and try to wake her up. Lucas soaked a kitchen towel in cold water and handed it to him. Riley applied the towel to her bruised temple, wiped the blood away, then handed it back to Lucas, who handed him a fresh one. He bathed Maia’s face with the cold towel, “Maia? Baby, wake up for me. Can you hear me?”

  He took a seat, moved her from the table into his arms. He kissed her forehead, then her mating mark. Kissing the mating mark had her stirring. He did it again, then again, calling her name between kisses.

  Finally, her eyes fluttered opened, but her first instinct was to lash out at whoever held her.

  Riley ducked his head to the side, then caught her hands. “It’s me, Maia, it’s me. You’re safe,” he assured her. Finally her eyes focused enough to realize that Riley held her and she pulled her hands away from his hold, reaching for him. He held her more tightly than he ever thought he could. Kissing her hair, telling her how much he loved her.

  Then suddenly she sat up in his arms, “Cristie!”

  “She’s safe! Richie has her right over there,” Riley assured her.

  Maia tried to turn her head to see, but the pain that shot through her eyes wouldn’t let her. She winced then closed her eyes.

  “You want to see her?” Riley asked.

  “Please,” she whispered, “and Libby?”

  Libby, who was still being held by Travis, said, “I’m right here, Maia. I’m fine.”

  Maia nodded ever so slightly, then whispered, “Good.”

  Then Cristie was placed in her arms. Maia opened her eyes and looked at the face of the very worried, very scared little girl that had become her daughter. “Hi,” she said quietly. “Are you okay?”

  Cristie nodded, “You gots a booboo.”

  “Yeah, but as long as you’re okay, it’ll be fine.”

  They heard a very deep voice call from the front of the house, “Hey! It’s Roman, can I come back in?”

  Scotty said, “That’s our friend. The Gorilla.”

  “Come!” Riley called back.

  Moments later one of the most handsome men Maia had ever laid eyes on walked into her kitchen. He was also one of the scariest men she’d ever seen. But the physical beauty this man possessed could not be missed. He was easily 6’5” tall. He had long, thick, black, wavy hair falling down his back to his shoulder blades. Bright blue eyes, a very close cut Vandyke beard just along his jawline and chin. His cheekbones were high, and his skin was bronzed. He handed a bundle of clothes to Travis and took a seat next to him.

  Cristie laid her head on Maia’s chest, and Maia laid her head on Riley’s chest, realizing he was naked. “I think you’re naked,” Maia said softly.

  “I am.”

  “Maybe some clothes?” she suggested.

  “In a minute. I’m assuring myself that you are okay.”

  “Did you kill the male who attacked me?” Maia asked.

  “I’m not sure which male attacked you. One is dead, one is almost dead. Either way, I don’t think it’ll be a problem,” Riley said.

  Maia tried to see over Cristie’s head to the men on the kitchen floor. Her eyes hurt, her vision was blurry and her head hurt, a sure sign of a concussion. “I can’t see, and I really didn’t get a good look because he came at me from behind, but I clawed at his arm, trying to get him to release me, so I could breathe. Whoever it was should have marks on his forearms.”

  Lucas stepped over the dead man and yanked his arms up examining first one, then the other. “This would be him. Dead.”

  “Why is the other one here?” Riley asked.

  “I don’t know. Don’t know who he is, but the dead one, the one that attacked our Reigna, was my father,” Richie answered.

  Riley was speechless — he didn’t know what to say. He didn’t give a fuck that the male was dead, and if he wasn’t already, Riley would have killed him anyway for attacking his Mate. But Richie was his friend, his family, and he didn’t know how Richie would take it.

  “Rich?” Riley finally said.

  Richie shook his head. “No. Don’t bother. He was never a good man anyway. The abuse he heaped on my mother, myself, his entire Pride. And the fact that he came here, attacked our Reigna, tried to destroy our Pride… he deserved what he got.”

  Lucas prodded the still shallowly breathing male, leaning over on his side on the floor. “What about this one?”

  Riley looked over at the male. “When I came in, he was positioned outside the pantry door; he tried to stand and fight me. Almost as though he was protecting the contents of the pantry.”

  Lucas leaned over, picking up his hunting knife. He sniffed its blade, “It’s got the dead guy’s blood on it.” Then he picked up the butcher knife, “So does this one, and it’s got that guy’s scent on both handles,” he said, pointing to the unconscious one. “My guess is he offed the Alpha and then set about protecting Maia inside that pantry.”

  Riley listened to Lucas’ explanation. Thought about the scene he ran up on when he rushed into the kitchen. “I think you’re right. And he asked for sanctuary before he passed out.”

  “He’s almost dead. How the hell can we take him to a hospital?” Lucas asked.

  “We can’t. But we have someone we can call. Scotty, you got your phone?” Travis asked.

  “Yup. Right here,” Scotty said, handing it to Travis.

  Travis dialed, waited for it to ring, then said, “Hey, Alex. It’s me. You busy?” He waited for a moment, obviously listening to the other person replying, then said, “I know. I’m sorry, but we could really use your help. It’s one of my kind. Can you come?” He was quiet again, listening to her reply. “No, he’s hurt bad. A knife wound, lost a lot of blood. I’m sure he’s going to need blood, and stitches, lots of them, if you can even save him, that is,” Travis explained. Then, “Thanks, Alex. We’re at the old store outside of town. The one they’re renovating to reopen in a couple weeks. The house next door. Just pull in the parking lot and drive up as close to the house as you can. One of us will come out to meet you. Thanks, Alex.”

  Travis hung up the phone and tossed it back to Scotty. “Doc’s on the way.”

  “You sure it’s safe to bring in a doctor?” Riley asked.

  “This one is. Yes. Helped our kind before and kept our secret.”

  “Alright then,” Riley replied. He turned his attention to Maia, “Baby, I need to go move the bodies we have lying all the fuck over our property. I can’t have a doctor, no matter how sympathetic to our kind he is, driving into all this. Is it okay if I leave you here for a little while so I can take care of it?”

  “I’m fine,” Maia said softly. “I’ve got Cristie, go do whatever you need to.”

  “Travis, you stay here and keep an eye on mine?” Riley asked.

  “You know I will. But I’ll come help with the clean up,” Travis insisted.

  “No, you just stay here and watch the females, and I’ll be ever grateful. As if I don’t owe you enough already. I’ll never be able to repay you for coming out to help us. I am forever in your debt.”

  “Why? You helped with my beetles.”

  “Yeah, but there wasn’t a chance they were going to kill me. I was just killing bugs. This had a whole new level of sacrifice written all over it. I won’t forget.” Riley looked over to Roman, “And you. I owe you more than I can ever repay. And you too, Scotty.”

  “No you don’t. I needed something to do tonight. I was bored,” Roman replied, straight faced without cracking a smile.

  Scotty said, “You�
��re welcome, Alpha. I’m always available for whatever you need.”

  Riley just shook his head at Roman’s reply, but to Scotty said, “I do know that, Scotty. And I’m very proud of the bravery you showed tonight.”

  Scotty smiled, very proud of himself as well.

  Riley took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Let’s get this done. Doc’s on the way.”

  Lucas hoisted the dead Alpha over his shoulder, “I’m throwing him out back. I’ll walk back a ways and cover him with some brush until we can bury him properly.”

  “Alright, sounds good,” Riley answered, before Lucas headed out the back door.

  Riley stood, settling Maia in his chair, and headed toward the stairs, “Let me slip on some clothes and I’ll be right back.”

  “Bring me some, too, please!” Richie called.

  Moments later Riley was back, having slipped on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He tossed the same to Richie, who put them on where he stood.

  Then Lucas was coming back inside from the backyard, “I found two more out here. Looks like our friend there killed them, too. I put them further out with the first one and covered them all with some bushes and stuff I pulled up, and a couple dead limbs I found out there.”

  “Good deal, let’s go pick up the rest,” Riley said.

  “Need some help?” Roman asked.

  “Yeah, absolutely. We’d appreciate it,” Riley answered.

  “I can help, too,” Scotty offered.

  “Come on, then. The more hands we have helping, the faster it will go,” Riley explained.

  The males hurried away, leaving Travis behind to watch over the females. Travis was struggling. He knew that he should be thankful for everything that happened tonight. He’d battled a rival Pride. He’d killed. He’d stood strong beside his friends when they needed help. And he knew that. But he couldn’t help feeling less than when he was left behind with the females. As though he was no more aggressive than the females. As though he couldn’t possibly be of any use to the whole, healthy males. Travis ground his teeth, trying to control his reaction to the entire situation. Libby curled tighter into him, and he gently cupped her head to his chest, kissing the top of her head, soaking in all that was Libby. Because he knew that this would be the last time he’d allow himself close to her. He was right. She deserved better. She deserved a male who was able to defend her properly. A male who was at the very fucking least able to walk on his own to take her into his arms and carry her away. He had to depend on his buddy to help him even get to the fucking battle.

  He kissed her head one last time and in his mind, his Tiger whispered the words, I love you, Libby. We are yours. But then he hung his head, knowing these words would never actually be heard by her. She’d never know what a favor he did her, by not claiming what was rightly his. By not saddling her with this less than whole, piece of a male.

  Chapter 30

  Alex hopped into her small SUV and drove straight to her office. She hurried inside and grabbed the things she might need to help her patient. She gathered sutures, forceps, lidocaine, gauze pads, waterproof tape, buprenorphine injections for pain, penicillin injections, Neosporin, and a blood transfusion kit. She decided to take an IV catheter and a complete IV set with a 16 gauge needle, in case she needed to get him on fluids, providing she could save him at all. She loaded it all in her car, then drove out to the old convenience store as quickly as she could without getting stopped by police for speeding. She pulled into the parking lot and drove slowly back toward the house. She parked her SUV and got out. Alex opened the back door and starting taking out supplies. Then she heard a familiar voice.

  “Hi, Alex!”

  “Hey, Scotty!”

  Alex looked up to see Scotty opening a gate that she hadn’t even noticed in the black wrought-iron fencing. It was made to blend in without giving itself away unless you knew where to look for it.

  “Can I give you a hand with all that stuff?” Scotty offered.

  “Yes, please. I’d appreciate it.”

  Alex, her arms full of everything that Scotty couldn’t manage to carry with all he was already holding, followed him through the gate. He paused after she passed through the gate to use the toe of his boot to pull the gate closed. After it made a loud click, he turned and resumed his path toward the house.

  As they walked up onto the porch, there were two men she didn’t know clearing away what was left of a completely destroyed door. She offered them a tense smile then followed Scotty down the hallway leading down the right side of the staircase through what looked like an unused dining room to a small bedroom at the end of the hall there. She came to a complete stop in the doorway when she saw the male lying on the bed. He looked dead. His gut was ripped open. There was still blood trickling from the wound and his mouth. He was very, very pale. He was lying on a blue tarp that had been spread over the double bed, and a small amount of blood had begun to pool where his body made indentions where it lay on the tarp.

  She heard footsteps behind her, “Hey, Alex. Thanks for coming.”

  Alex looked over her shoulder and found Travis standing there. “Travis — I don’t know that I can be of any use here.”

  “I know. But he’s like me. He’s stronger than you think. Please at least try.”

  Alex looked back at the male lying in the bed. She nodded “I’ll try.” Slowly she approached the bed. She said, “Can I have a coffee table or a shelf of some kind to put my supplies on?”

  “Coming right up,” a voice she didn’t recognize answered.

  Before she knew it, she had a makeshift table, made of sawhorses and sheets of plywood just behind where she stood at the bedside of the male that she had decided would survive come hell or high-water. She didn’t know why, but she had an innate need to heal this male.

  “I’m going to need some help. And I’m going to need someone to be a donor.”

  “For what? What are we donating?” Lucas asked, he and everyone else having crowded into the doorway and the small room itself to see what she could do to save the unknown male that had protected their Reigna, then requested sanctuary right before he passed out.

  “Blood. And I need it to be the same kind he is.”

  “How do we know what blood type he is?”

  “No, not type. I don’t know what type he is. I mean species. If he’s a Wolf we need a Wolf to donate. If he’s a Bear we need a Bear to donate.”

  “He smells like a big cat, a Panther or a Jaguar,” Lucas said, wrinkling his nose in the air.

  “Then I need a big cat.”

  “I’ll do it,” Richie said.

  “You sure, Number 2?” Lucas asked.

  “Yeah. He saved our Reigna, and our little one and Libby. I’ll do it.”

  “He also…” Lucas said.

  “I know what he also did!” Richie snapped.

  “Fine. I was just saying you don’t have to,” Lucas said.

  “Where do you want me?” Richie asked, pulling his shirt off and walking toward her.

  “Can you have a seat right there beside the bed?” Alex asked. “I’ll get the transfusion kit ready.”

  “Yep, can do.”

  Alex worked for hours. She started him on a fluid drip of actated Ringers solution. She repaired him as best she could, using her surgical skills to stitch up his gut both inside and out, cutting away the damaged flesh that had no chance of healing as she went. When she was done with that, she completed the blood transfusion from the male she learned was named Richie to her patient, whose name was as of yet unknown. Then she gave him shots of penicillin and another injection of pain killers and set up a second round of IV fluids. She even swiped a little alcohol swab and some Neosporin across his cheek where he had a fresh wound that seemed to have already started healing. This male had lived through more trauma than most would ever witness in movies. His body was a road map of scars and puncture wounds.

  As she worked, several males came and introduced themselves. One of which wa
s the Alpha of their group, whatever they called themselves. His name was Riley, and he seemed to be a good guy. He was somewhat restrained, but considering the shape of his front door and the male lying in one of his bedrooms that was probably understandable.

  “Would you mind taking a look at my Mate while you’re here?” he’d asked her.

  “Is she injured, too?” Alex had asked.

  “Yes. She was hit in the head. I think she’s got a concussion, but I’d like to make sure that’s all it is.”

  Alex said, “I’ll do the best I can. That’s pretty elementary, so I should have no problem.”

  “What do you mean, ‘should have no problem?’” Riley asked.

  Alex smiled softly, “Travis didn’t tell you what kind of doctor I am, did he?”

  “Nope, he just said Doc.”

  Alex watched his face for reaction, then she said, “I’m a veterinarian.”

  Riley looked at the male resting comfortably in the bed. His color was better than it had been, he seemed to be resting easier, and he was professionally bandaged. “Looks like you did just fine to me. Besides, my granddad used to tell me that a veterinarian was better than most doctors any day. He said they can’t ask their patients where it hurts; they have to figure it out all on their own.”

  Alex grinned at the big male asking her to look at his Mate. “I’d be happy to take a look, but you may want to follow up with your regular doctor just to be sure.”

  Riley nodded.

  “Just let me make sure he’s stable, and I’ll be right there.”

  Riley went back to the living room where he’d moved Maia and Cristie to, now that Roman and Lucas had temporarily repaired the front door. They’d sealed it with plywood for the night. They’d even stuffed towels at the bottom of the door where it didn’t meet the floor properly and allowed cold air to blow through the crack. Tomorrow they’d have to drive into town for a new door, but this was fine for now.