Talon (Rise of the Pride, Book 1) (19 page)

“Everyone has been alerted,” Savage
announced, slipping his phone in his pocket. “What’s the plan,
boss?”

“Make sure our females are safe,” he said,
turning to his Guardian. “And get Evie back to the pride where she
belongs. And let’s pray that we are not too late.”

They were less than a mile from the pride’s
property when Talon’s phone rang.

“Kye?” Talon answered.

“I found wolf tracks too,” he snarled. “No
scent.”

“How many?” Talon asked, afraid to hear the
answer.

“Three sets,” Kye cursed, his voice
strained.

“Get to the pride,” he ordered. “Now,
Kye.”

“I’ll be there shortly,” he promised.
“Talon?”

“I know,” he replied, hanging up before his
brother had a chance to express his fears. The last thing he needed
was to have his brother’s possible mate killed by werewolves. The
death of a mate was one of the hardest events in a panther’s life.
It was something that was inevitable, and they all knew that at
some point age would take the life of the one they loved, but it
still sent the one left alive into a depression. If Evie died now,
Kye may never know if she was truly his. His brother could go rogue
and become unstable. Talon shook the dark thoughts from his mind.
He didn’t want to think about having to put his brother down before
he was old enough to even live.

As he cleared the wooded area and entered the
back yard of his house, the pride had already gathered, their faces
grim. The wind picked up, scattering dead leaves across the yard.
Talon’s eyes landed on Evie’s parents. Marie wasn’t holding up well
and her mate had his arms around her, whispering into her ear. When
she looked up into Talon’s eyes, the female squared her shoulders,
but the tears still trickled down her face. She wanted to look
strong for her alpha, but Talon would not have faulted her for
breaking down. He was on edge already as it was.

“I’m sure the Guardians have already informed
you that we have found werewolf tracks to the north and south of
the property. Their scent is nonexistent. I’m going to say that
they have somehow learned to disguise their stench so that we
cannot detect them.”

“Oh God,” Marie trembled.

Talon stepped forward and stood in front of
Marie before continuing, “I
will
find her. This I promise to
you and your mate as your alpha.”

In a move that no one in his pride had ever
seen, Talon dropped to his right knee, allowing his canines to grow
in his mouth. Lifting his right wrist to his mouth, Marie gasped,
but didn’t make a move to stop him as he bit into his vein and held
out his arm, letting five drops of his alpha blood land at her
feet. “This is my promise as your alpha…your leader.
I. WILL.
FIND. YOUR. DAUGHTER
!” At that, all of the Guardians roared in
their agreement, dropping to one knee where they’d been gathered at
the alpha’s back.

“Thank you, alpha,” Marie cried, turning her
head into her mate’s chest.

“Take your mate to your home,” he ordered,
rising to his feet. “I will be in touch.”

He watched as the pride left to return to
their homes. He gave orders to the Guardians who were there. Kye
shifted nervously as he awaited his orders.

“You are to stay here,” Talon ordered,
holding up his hand. “I will have a plan by tonight. I need to
check on Liberty.”

“Talon,” Kye choked out. His little brother
was on edge. Hell, they all were.

“No,” he growled, using his authority to get
his point across. “I will return shortly and then…we hunt.” The
Guardians separated, preparing for the mission to recover one of
their own.

Talon pulled up to the bar, his eyes scanning
the area for anything out of the ordinary. When his eyes landed on
the Sheriff’s car parked by the door, he felt his panther lunge
forward. That man wanted his Liberty, and Talon would make sure
that Sheriff Lynch knew she was off limits.

He didn’t even think twice as he yanked the
door open to the bar, causing the patrons to turn sharply toward
the noise. Talon’s shoulders filled the door frame, the setting sun
sending his shadow out before him into the little entryway of the
building.

“Talon?” Nova asked, walking up to greet him
at the door.

“Liberty? Where is she?” he demanded.

“Ah, she’s in the office,” Nova replied, her
eyes wide. “But you need to wait out here.”

“Why?” he snarled, searching for the sheriff.
He wasn’t anywhere in the bar.

“She’s talking to Sheriff Lynch,” she
admitted, moving out of the way when Talon charged forward. He
ignored Nova’s curse and made his way through the bar and down the
hallway to the office.

If that man had his hands on Liberty, the law
would have to bury him under the jail, because he’d rip that human
to shreds. Just the thought of another male touching his mate sent
his panther into a frenzy…demanding blood.

“Talon!” Liberty shouted, holding a hand to
her chest as she stood up from her spot behind the desk. Talon
searched the office and relaxed slightly when he found the cop
standing in the far corner of the room, looking out the window. At
the commotion, he’d spun around and removed his gun, pointing it at
Talon’s chest. When he realized there was no threat, the cop placed
the gun back in its holster at his side.

“Sorry,” Talon mumbled, keeping his mouth
closed to hide his thick canines.

“The Sheriff was just here to talk to me
about Terry,” she said, quickly explaining why they were alone in
the room.

“I haven’t touched her,” Sheriff Lynch
announced, causing Talon to growl low in his throat. “What I’m
trying to say is that Liberty explained to me about the mating. I
would never do anything to her to cause her pain.”

“Good,” Talon said, narrowing his eyes. “She
is mine.” He didn’t want to tell him that he would kill him if he
ever hurt his mate.

“I’ll get out of here,” the sheriff offered,
heading toward the door.

“Thank you.” Liberty nodded toward her desk.
“I’ll call you if he shows up.”

Sheriff Lynch left the room in a hurry,
closing the door. Talon walked over and turned the lock, ensuring
no one would be bothering them.

“Everything okay?” he asked, stalking toward
his mate…slowly. Her eyes widened, but quickly smoldered when his
mating scent drifted across the room.

“Mmhmm,” she hummed, inhaling deep. “Um,
Terry…Ah…he’s not allowed here anymore.”

“Good,” he replied, walking around her desk.
He froze for a moment when he noticed she was wearing a dress that
reached her ankles. Her hips flared just slightly, making the
material there pretty snug, and that caused his cock to swell in
his jeans.

“You’re wearing a dress,” he observed,
licking his lips.

“Oh,” she giggled, looking down at the light
blue dress clinging nicely to her lush body. “Yeah, I thought I’d
be comfortable today.”

“I like it,” he smirked. “Easier for me to
take my mate.”

She yelped when he lifted her up, spinning
their bodies so that Liberty was pinned to the wall. His lips found
the mark on her neck, and she moaned when his tongue licked over
the wounds he’d made there. Her hips rotated, her sex rubbing
against the hardness behind the fly of his jeans.

“Your tongue is rough,” she moaned, tilting
her head back as he traced a path from the mating mark to her jaw,
and then to her lips.

“My panther,” he growled around his partially
shifted mouth.

Liberty didn’t reply as his tongue pressed
forward, claiming her mouth. Talon could taste his own mating scent
when he kissed Liberty, and that just urged him forward. With one
hand, he pulled the long dress up, gathering it at her hips that
were tipped to keep her legs wrapped tightly around his waist. He
unsheathed one claw and managed to rip her panties just enough to
so that he could grasp them in his hands, tearing the shredded
material from her body. Her arousal hit him full force as she
deepened the kiss.

Her hands tightened on the tops of his
shoulders as she rubbed herself against his body. Talon reached
between them, tracing the wet folds of her sex with his finger.
“You are already so wet for me.”

“Always,” she moaned. “Please, Talon?”

“Don’t ever beg me, mate,” he ordered,
releasing the button and zipper on his jeans. His cock sprang free
and found its way home, buried deep inside his mate. His
Liberty.

Her channel tightened and released him as he
thrust deep, taking her almost savagely. He didn’t want to
accidentally release his full power on her. He had to keep
remembering that she was human.

“I’m not going to break, Talon,” she panted,
kissing a path from his lips, over his jaw, and finally to behind
his ear. He felt his cock swell inside her, but he held back. He
was enjoying her warmth wrapped around him too much to let it end
that quickly.

“You feel so good,” he purred, stretching his
neck. He wanted her bite. Talon wanted to feel her canines break
his skin…to feel her accepting his blood in their mating ritual.
“Fuck!”

“Talon…please,” Liberty panted, leaning back
against the wall. “I need…”

He didn’t have to be told what she needed. He
reached between them, adding pressure to her clit. “Come for me,
mate.” His voice was deep, his canines making the sound deadlier,
but Liberty didn’t scare that easy.

“Yessss!” she breathed, her sex milking him.
The moment she began to scream with her release, his mouth crashed
down on hers, swallowing the sound. He didn’t want anyone hearing
her pleasure. That sound was meant only for him.

“Shhh,” he whispered, feeling her shivering
in his arms. He let his cock slide from her body, but kept her in
his arms as he took a seat in her office chair. Liberty curled up
on his lap and melted against his chest.

“You can come to my work anytime,” she
giggled. When she raised her face, he leaned in and kissed her
softly.

“I’ll be by tomorrow,” he said, then
winked.

“Let me clean up,” she said, unfolding
herself from his lap. She quickly washed up and returned to the
office.

She pulled him from the chair. “Are you
hungry?” she asked, walking toward the door.

“For you,” he smirked, “Always.”

“Come on, big guy,” she laughed, and the
sound was like music to his ears. This beautiful woman was his…he
knew that now.

He stopped her in the hallway by pulling her
back to his chest. Lifting her face with just a crooked finger, he
captured her lips in a kiss that seared his very soul.

“Hey, Nova,” Liberty called out, catching her
sister as she left the kitchen.

“What’s up?” Nova paused. “Are you okay? You
don’t look well.”

This was going to be easier than she thought.
“I don’t feel all that great. Do you mind closing up?”

Talon had left hours before. There was going
to be a search party sent out to find Evie. She just hoped that she
could get to the young female before they got their hands on Talon.
She kept telling herself that if he was gone, his pride would
suffer. She knew this was the right thing to do.

“No,” she said, squeezing Liberty’s hand. “Go
on. I got this. I’ll have Winter take me home.” Shit! She forgot
about Savage being at the house. Maybe she could get to the meeting
place before they realized she was missing.

“Thank you,” she said, grabbing her sister
into a tight hug. “I love you, Nova.”

“Um, I love you, too,” she replied, looking
at Liberty like she’d just sprouted a purple nose. “Have you been
drinking Moe’s homemade hooch again?”

“
No
!” she scolded. “Nova!”

“Sorry,” her sister chuckled. “Go on
home.”

Liberty hurried out the door. She had thirty
minutes to get to the place where the note said to meet. She
checked the gun at her side as soon as she locked herself in the
car. She had a clip full of ammo and a prayer. Hopefully, they
would have Evie and she could trade herself for the young girl.
Liberty squeezed her eyes closed, pushing away the horrors she
imagined could have happened to the girl.

She started the car and pulled out of the bar
slowly, taking the road north toward the main highway. As soon as
she was far enough away, Liberty pressed hard on the pedal, hoping
she wasn’t making a mistake.

No, she wasn’t. She knew in her heart that
this was the right thing to do.

As she turned into the lot, there were no
cars waiting. She breathed a sigh of relief that she had actually
arrived before the people who had kidnapped Evie. She put the car
in park and went to reach for her gun, but the door was ripped open
and she was yanked from the car. Her foot caught in the seatbelt
and she screamed when she felt a pop, causing searing pain to
radiate up her leg.

“Where’s the alpha?” a man hollered.