Winter (Rise of the Pride, Book 2) (16 page)

“You smell like fear,” he replied, his voice
so gravely and low, it sounded lethal.

“Um,” she said, looking away. “Some guy…some
guy almost hit my car pulling in here. It startled me a little.”
She didn’t say anything else, rushing out of the bar area to put
away her purse and get ready to prep the floor for the lunch
rush.

“She’s lying,” Savage said, his eyes
watching her disappear down the hallway toward the office and
breakroom.

“What the hell was that?” Nova asked,
placing her hand on her hip. Why the hell was he so forward with
Mary Grace? She was so shy and he was just a beast. Well, all of
them were beasts, but Savage Corvera was wilder than the others.
Mary Grace was a beautiful woman who worked her ass off at the bar.
Nova had noticed Savage’s interest in his waitress over the past
few weeks, and had even caught Mary Grace laughing at something
Savage had said once, but that was the extent of their
interactions. Unless?

“We can scent fear,” Winter admitted,
pulling Nova over so he could nestle her between his legs as he sat
on the barstool. Her hand rested on his thick arm, her fingers
surfing across the soft skin. “We can also taste a lie.”

“Something’s wrong with her,” Savage
growled, walking from behind the bar. Winter reached out and placed
his hand on Savage’s chest to still the Guardian, and with a slight
shake of his head, Savage calmed, but his eyes didn’t return to his
normal ice blue until Mary Grace came out of the back, looking a
little more relaxed.

“I have to get things started,” Nova said,
pulling away from Winter. “I’ll be in the office.”

“I’ll be back there in a few,” he said,
releasing her hand.

Nova took a deep breath and left the bar,
reaching up to touch the mating mark Winter had left on her neck
the night before. It felt a little bruised, but after she’d studied
it in the mirror before her shower, she knew there was nothing
there but two already healed scars. She knew that their mating
wasn’t complete, and she also knew that he’d have to change her for
them to complete the mating.

She wasn’t stupid. Liberty had told her
everything, but there was an unease about him. As soon as she had a
moment to herself, she was going to call her sister and get the
answers her intended mate wouldn’t answer.

“Fuck,” Winter growled.

“Talk,” Savage ordered, taking the stool
that sat to Winter’s right. He twisted the seat around so Winter
could see his face and he could watch Mary Grace move about the
bar.

“I haven’t told her everything,” Winter
whispered, his voice so low only his brother could hear. “I haven’t
told her about the change.”

“She’s not going to like being kept in the
dark, Winter,” Savage replied, taking a hearty drink from his
glass.

“I can’t put her through the change,” Winter
admitted, shaking a picture of Nova screaming in pain from his
mind. “I can’t see her in pain.”

“So, you’ll keep her a human and defenseless
against our enemies, because of what you went through?” Savage
said, continuing when Winter started to talk. “Yes, it’s painful. I
can only imagine, but we have drugs now that will help; drugs we
didn’t have when I changed you. The healer would be with her the
entire time. Just as he was with Liberty.”

“But Liberty was almost dead…she was unaware
of what was happening,” Winter argued. “I would rather cut off my
own arms before causing Nova pain.”

“Talk to Harold,” Savage suggested. “And
tell your mate what the hell is going on or you may regret it.”

“I can’t do it,” Winter cursed, shaking his
head again. “You don’t understand, Savage. The thought of her being
in pain is almost too much for me to even deal with.”

“This isn’t just about you,” Savage said.
“You know I’m right, brother.”

Winter slammed his fist on the bar, cringing
when he heard Mary Grace yelp from the sound. He mumbled his
apologies and stood up from his seat.

“I’ll talk to her,” he growled. “Aren’t you
supposed to be at work?”

“Nah,” Savage smirked, leaning his back
against the bar. His eyes never left Mary Grace as she wiped down
tables and straightened chairs before the bar opened for lunch.
“Rain’s coming. Plus, I like this place better.”

“I can see that,” Winter chuckled, turning
for the back of the bar. He needed to get a team together to find
Perry once and for all. He was the only enemy standing between his
mate and her future.

Chapter Twelve

Calla shivered beneath the several blankets
that were piled on top of her body. She’d seen the healer and taken
a well needed shower. She’d slept for hours after the females in
the pack had fed her. Malaki was staying somewhere on the same
floor as she was and she sensed he was near. They’d always been
close, but the kidnapping had helped them form a stronger bond; one
that would probably never be broken.

A knock sounded on the door, causing Calla
to pull the covers tighter under her chin. She knew she was safe,
but the unknown of who was on the other side of the door sent her
into a near panic.

“Shh,” the alpha who’d saved her cooed as he
approached the bed. His lips moved, but she couldn’t make out what
he was saying. A loud keening noise drowned out all the sounds
around her. She took a chance at peeking out of her blanket
sanctuary and saw her brother moving around the alpha.

“Calla?” Malaki said, sliding into the bed.
The moment his arms wrapped around her, the noise subsided. “It’s
okay now. I promise.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, realizing that
the sound had been coming from her. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t ever be sorry,” the alpha said,
standing back from the bed. “Calla, my name is Talon Shaw, and I am
the alpha of this pride.”

“I…I know, sir,” she whispered, closing her
eyes.

“Your brother has pledged himself to this
pride,” Talon began. “I have taken him into my home as one of my
own, and I would like to ask if you’d be willing to do the
same?”

Calla looked up at her brother, seeing how
the dark rings had subsided from under his eyes. He
looked…happy.

“Please,” she said, trying to sit up so she
could look strong for both of them. “Please, I need an alpha. I…I
don’t want to die.”

“I’m not going to let you die,” Talon
promised. The alpha moved closer to the edge of the bed. He held
out his hand, waiting for Calla to accept it. She didn’t hesitate
to reach out for the only male that could save her life.

“I can’t stand, alpha,” she cried, her voice
cracking as she licked her dry lips.

“I’ll hold you,” Malaki promised, sliding
his arm behind her shoulders so he could stand next to her, giving
Calla the strength she needed.

“Calla Marshall,” Talon began, his canines
growing thick in his mouth. “Take the blood of my pride and you
will be one of us. Refuse and you will die. I will honor your place
in my pride and protect you as you will be one of my blood.” The
alpha scored his wrists and held it up to her lips. She leaned
forward and lapped at the drops of blood that had welled up on his
skin. As soon as the blood hit her system, Calla’s panther lunged
forward, causing her human body to jerk in her brother’s arms.

“Calla?” Malaki gasped.

“Let her go, carefully,” Talon warned,
taking a small step back. “She needs to shift. Let her go.”

There was a shout for a female as Calla’s
body fell to the floor. Several women rushed into the room, shoving
the men outside. She knew what was happening and was thankful the
alpha knew too. Even though their kind didn’t have an aversion to
nudity, Calla was going to need this first shift to not be so
public.

The females pulled at her clothes, warm,
soft hands petting her back. Fur sprouted along her human skin, her
paws flexed as sharp claws emerged. Calla’s panther yowled loudly
as her tail lengthened from the base of her spine.

“Talon,” one woman called out behind her,
but the panther didn’t care. She wanted out of this confined
room…she needed to run.

A huff reached her ears and the sound of
claws scratching sent the women scrambling for the door. When the
way cleared for her, the panther realized that her brother had
shifted and was standing next to an unknown male. That panther was
huge, easily four times her size.

Calla’s panther relaxed when their new
alpha’s power registered, wrapping around her body in a magical
dance only one as dominant as Talon Shaw could emit. Malaki’s
panther moved forward and nudged her flank, telling her it was time
to go.

She hesitantly followed the alpha out of the
room and down the stairs, her brother taking up the rear. As soon
as the door leading to the outside world opened, Calla’s panther
roared with the sound of freedom…and she ran for the first time in
months.

Winter had left Nova an hour before, posting
Savage at the bar until Drake could come hang out after dark. The
panthers were going on a hunt and just the thought of them getting
hurt on her behalf made Nova feel even guiltier for not listening
to Winter when he’d raised hell about her dating Perry.

She shuffled around the bar, refilling the
coolers with bottles of beer. Cole skirted around her, setting a
mixed drink in front of one of their regular customers. Luke, the
other bartender, was helping clear some tables.

“You oaky?” Savage asked, taking a sip of
his whiskey. He raised a brow when she shook her head. Nova really
didn’t want to voice her concerns to anyone but her sister or
Winter, and from the looks of it, she was going to have to get her
information from Liberty.

“Not really,” she sighed, tapping the side
of her head with a pen she held between her thumb and forefinger.
“Got a lot of stuff going on up here.”

“Ahh,” he said, standing up and walking
toward her. “Drake will be here soon. If you need me, you know how
to get in touch.”

“Just watch over Winter for me,” she
urged.

“Will do, sugar.” He winked, looking over
his shoulder as the sound of spurs reached his ears. It wasn’t but
a few seconds until Drake came in, looking larger than life.

“Little lady!” He smiled, just the corner of
his mouth lifting in a naughty smirk. “I’m here to keep an eye on
you again. Where’s my beer?”

“Over here,” she chuckled. Nova had never
seen a man put down as much beer as Drake did and she was secretly
hoping this babysitting job would be over soon, not because she
didn’t like Drake, but because he was going to put her in the red
with all of the beer he’d been downing on the house.

“Thanks, doll.” He winked again, taking his
usual seat at the bar.

“I’ve got to make some calls,” Nova said,
looking for an excuse to slip away from the big bear. “After that,
I’m going back to Winter’s place.”

“Let me know when you are ready to leave,”
he grunted, obviously sad that his free beer tap would be cut off
before the night even got started.