Talon (Rise of the Pride, Book 1) Read online

  “Sis?” Nova, Liberty’s baby sister, smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “That’s awesome that you are willing to treat those men just like anyone else.”

  “Why do you say that?” Liberty frowned.

  “People around town are a little spooked.” She shrugged. “I don’t really see a problem with what they are. It’s not like they’ve ever caused any trouble in here or in town.”

  “Exactly!” Liberty smiled, ruffling her sister’s long, brown hair. Nova giggled and swatted at her hand, shaking her head as she left to get ready for the dinner crowd.

  Liberty and Nova were just three years apart in age. Nova had just turned twenty one a few months ago and Liberty’s birthday had just passed. Being a bar owner at the age of twenty four was not something she’d imagined for herself at this age. She’d hoped to go to college, and had taken a few classes, but after her father’s death, she had to step up and take over the bar or it would’ve been lost to the bank. The Deuce meant too much to her and her sister to let it go. It was one of the hardest decisions she’d had to make as an adult, but she could honestly say that it’d been the best.

  As the bar began to fill up, Liberty spent time doing paperwork so that she could be on the floor when the crowd really got going around eight o’clock. Her office was in the back of the building, down the hallway from the bathrooms and a small employee breakroom. She’d recently painted the walls a warm green that reminded her of the woods behind her home. The old oak desk that had belonged to her father was the main focal point in the room. His picture still hung on the wall by the file cabinets to her right. When she felt like she couldn’t succeed in the business, all she had to do was look up at his smiling face and it would remind her of the sacrifices he’d made to keep this place running smoothly. She would touch his portrait and gain some unseen strength. Sometimes, she felt like he was there watching over her and Nova, ensuring she didn’t fail. He had loved this bar, and Liberty would keep The Deuce running as long as she had air in her lungs and love in her heart.

  The building itself was an old log home that had been transformed into a bar. The clatter of booted feet walking heavy across the hardwood floors was a sound that comforted her. So was the glow from the neon lights in the windows that faced the two lane highway that ran in front of the place.

  Leaving the office, she checked the bathrooms, refilling the paper towel dispenser in the women’s room. She knocked on the men’s room door and yelled, “Management! Is there anyone in there?”

  “I got it, Liberty,” Cole announced as he came around the corner. “Go on out front and cover the bar for me. I’ll be right out.”

  “Ah, thanks, Cole.” She smiled, handing him a rag and a bottle of cleaner. He nodded and ducked into the men’s room without another word.

  The hallway by the bathrooms dead ended into another short hallway. Turning left would take you into the kitchen and turning right dumped you out into the bar area. She quickly checked on Moe in the kitchen but didn’t say anything to the older man. He was busy plating orders and setting them in the window for the waitresses to deliver to the tables.

  Liberty gasped as she turned the corner and almost plowed right into her sister. “Nova! Where’s the fire, girl?”

  “Sorry,” Nova fidgeted, her face flushed. “They’re here.”

  “Who’s here?” she questioned.

  “The cats,” Nova giggled, but zipped her lip when Liberty scowled at her. “Sorry, Talon Shaw and his crew are here and everyone is staring at them.”

  “Why is your face so red? Did anything happen?” Liberty asked.

  “No,” Nova replied, then smiled. “Um, one of them was flirting with me.”

  “Girl,” Liberty groaned. “Stay away from those boys. In fact, stay away from all boys. They’re nothing but trouble. Now, go wait your tables.”

  “Okay,” she answered, bouncing off to the kitchen to grab her orders. At twenty-one, her sister was strikingly beautiful and single. That was a bad combination.

  Liberty shook her head and made her way out to the bar, glancing over at the booth in the back corner. Talon and his brother, Noah, sat with four other men, all talking and laughing amongst themselves.

  As if she’d called out, Talon’s head snapped around, their eyes locking from across the room. His face was momentarily cast in a shadow from the dim lights; that was until his head tilted to the side curiously. Liberty was rooted to her spot as Talon’s ice blue eyes darkened. A hint of yellow seeped into them, and as quickly as she blinked, the color was gone and so was the hold he had over her body. His brother nudged him, causing the alpha to turn his head, but not before the corner of his lip lifted into a naughty smirk.

  “Can you take these drinks over to our local celebrities?” Luke asked, setting another round of beers on a tray.

  “Sure,” she nodded, sliding the tray onto the flat of her hand that was suddenly shaky.

  As she approached the table, she watched Talon’s back stiffen. His head raised slightly and his shoulders seemed to double in size as he breathed deeply. Two of the men lifted their gazes and smiled. Talon lowered his head and looked up at her through thick, dark lashes.

  “Gentlemen,” Liberty greeted, setting a fresh bottle in front of each man.

  “Thank you,” Talon said, his voice a deep timbre. In fact, she could’ve sworn she heard a slight rumble coming from his chest, but she could’ve been mistaken too. The music was so loud that it may have been a part of the song that was playing over the speakers.

  “Is there anything else I can get you?” she asked, taking the empty bottles off of their table.

  “Yes, darlin’,” a slurred voice said from behind her. “You can tell these freaks they’re not wanted.”

  “Excuse me,” she snarled, setting the tray on Talon’s table and turning around to find Terry Holmes, a guy she’d gone to school with, swaying where he stood, his eyes bloodshot and watery. His blonde hair was unkempt and hung in greasy strands down to the tops of his shoulders.

  “I said…you need to kick these abominations out of your bar,” he snarled back. “Your daddy would be rolling over in his grave if he knew you were serving these…these pussies, Liberty.”

  Liberty was shocked for a moment, but then her temper kicked into high gear. “Terry, my daddy would’ve never been so hateful. Now, you need to just go on back to your seat, and if you can’t behave yourself, I’ll call Sheriff Lynch and have him come pick you up. I think you’ve had enough for the night.”

  Terry sputtered for a moment, his face turning red. Before she could blink, Terry reached around her and grabbed Talon’s wrist. “I said they need to go!”

  In a move her daddy would have been proud of, Liberty seized a hold of Terry’s wrist, adding just enough pressure for his hand to release the alpha’s wrist. The men at the table cursed and began to scramble as Liberty spun herself to the side, taking Terry to his knees. In a matter of seconds, Liberty had Terry’s arm behind his back at such an odd angle, the other patrons in the bar cringed at the look of pain that crossed the drunk man’s face.

  “Listen up, because I am only gonna say this once,” Liberty bellowed, her southern accent thickening with her anger. “This is my bar! It doesn’t matter who or what you are…black, white, human, shifter, or God knows what else is out there, you will not disrespect my customers or anyone who works in this building. From this moment on, The Deuce is neutral territory. Leave your opinions and your differences at the damn door.” With that, Liberty dropped her hold on Terry. The man scrambled to his feet just as Talon’s friends gathered at her back.

  “You will regret this, Liberty Raines,” Terry snarled, pointing a dirty finger in her direction. Liberty stifled a laugh because Terry was pointing at something over her shoulder.

  “Go on, Terry,” she barked, shaking her head. “It’s time for you to leave. Don’t let me see you back here until you can behave yourself.”

  She watched Terry until he stumbled out
of the door, one of his friends following him out to his car. When she turned around, she gaped at the six men who were standing so close to her back that she almost face planted into one of their beefy chests, but then they all took a step back like they were afraid to touch her.

  “Why did you do that?” Talon asked, stepping closer. His head tilted to the side again. She mentally slapped herself when she thought he resembled her cat, Mittens, when she would tilt her head from side to side.

  “Um, because he was drunk and touched one of my customers,” she answered. “I’m sorry that happened. Are you okay?”

  “I’m perfectly fine,” he snapped, looking like he could take her over his knee. Damn, he was mad.

  “Are you upset?” she scoffed.

  “No, ma’am,” Talon sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m not angry at you. What I want to know is, why did you defend us?”

  “Because this is my bar and I won’t tolerate disrespect,” she answered, then nodded toward his hand. “Do you need some ice? He grabbed you pretty hard.”

  “No,” Talon snorted, calming slightly. “We…um, we heal pretty quickly.” To prove his point, Talon raised his wrist for her to see.

  Liberty gasped as she watched the bruising under his skin fade and quickly vanish. “That’s really cool.”

  “Thank you.” Talon smiled. “We believe in repaying our debts. The Shaw Pride is indebted to you, Ms. Raines. If you are ever in need of help, please let us know.”

  “Ah, that won’t be necessary,” she blushed, looking up into Talon’s eyes. He was damn near a foot taller than she was. His shoulders were wider than a door frame. This man, and all of the men with him, probably lifted dump trucks just for the fun of it. “Maybe if I need some manual labor… like moving a house, I’ll let you know.”

  “Liberty?” Talon called out, just as she had turned to walk away. When she looked over her shoulder, Talon’s nostrils had flared slightly and yellow specks had seeped into his eyes. She felt her body warm from just his look. Oh, this couldn’t be good.

  “Yeah?” she stuttered.

  “Don’t ever put yourself in a dangerous position with a drunk human male again,” he ordered, his eyes completely switched to a glowing yellow.

  “Yes,” she sighed breathlessly. “Um, okay.”

  Without another glance, Liberty rushed off to her office, slamming the door behind her. Bending at the waist, she gasped for air as she tried to calm her heart from thundering in her chest. If she closed her eyes, she could still see those beautiful eyes, and she could’ve sworn his scent still lingered around her body. That scent alone caused a heavy feeling in her breasts and a dull ache deep in her belly.

  She didn’t know what the hell was going on with her body. Liberty Raines was a strong, independent woman and she would have never let a man tell her what to do. So why in the hell did every part of her mind, body, and soul want to do exactly as Talon Shaw had ordered?

  “You know that son of a bitch is going to come back, right?” Noah asked, draining the rest of his beer. His keen eyesight swept across the bar, looking for any sign of trouble.

  “He won’t touch her,” Talon vowed. There was something about the woman that made his protective instincts awaken. The feeling was so foreign to him that it shocked him silent for a moment. The feeling was unlike his need to protect his pride. No, this was different…stronger.

  “Whoa, dude,” Noah drawled, leaning forward to get a good look at Talon’s face. “Is your panther interested in the little bar owner?”

  “What?” Talon growled, feeling his panther close to the surface. He shook himself, trying to silently tell his cat to back the fuck down. He wasn’t looking for a mate, and that little human bar owner was not what he needed…ever. Then why in the hell was he being drawn to her?

  “Uh, yeah, man,” he snickered. “Your kitty cat is prowling.” Noah laughed and pointed to his own eyes, alerting Talon to the fact that his were turning amber.

  “Why the fuck do you call it my kitty cat?” he barked, wanting to strangle his little brother and change the subject at the same time. The kid was barely twenty two years old, but he acted like he was still fifteen sometimes. He was built, his jet black hair styled to perfection. Talon often wondered if there was something wrong with Noah because he always dressed like a preppy school boy and not like a man who lived in the backwoods of Mississippi. “Boy, did momma drop you on your head as a cub? I can’t remember if she did.”

  The other men at the table, Savage, Dane, Storm, and Winter, looked everywhere but at their alpha, choosing to ignore Noah and his stupid mouth.

  “Naw,” he laughed. “I was the good one, remember? She loved me more than you or Kye.” Kye was the youngest. At seventeen, he was about to graduate high school and head off to college. Talon hoped like hell that their little announcement to the world hadn’t affected his brother’s future.

  “Shut up, Noah,” Winter snapped, shaking his dark blonde head. “Boy, you don’t know when to quit, do you?”

  “Nope,” Noah grinned. “He loves me. It’s all good, my friends.”

  “Now I see why some mothers eat their young,” Talon mumbled.

  Talon ignored his brother’s rambling and instead continued to watch the bar with a keen eye. Liberty was rushing out with a tray of food. The tiny brunette looked very small in comparison to the tray she was holding. Her big brown eyes were framed with long lashes, her cheekbones high and sculptured just right. Talon suppressed a groan when he watched her lean over to place a plate of food in front of one of her customers. The tight denim jeans she wore molded to her shapely hips. Her tight tank top made her large breasts defy the material’s ability to stretch to its limits. On her feet, she wore a pair of tennis shoes that had seen better days.

  “Your tongue is hanging out,” Winter said, nudging Talon’s side. “She’s human, boss.”

  “I know,” Talon replied, not taking his eyes off of the beautiful woman. “I’m trying to figure out why she protected me and took on a man twice her size.”

  “She’s a human alpha.” Savage shrugged, pointing the top of his beer bottle in her direction. “That little lady right there is a force of nature in her world. I’ve met a few like her. That man, Terry, best not be causing trouble in here or she’ll eat him for lunch.” Savage was wise beyond his twenty-seven years. He could’ve challenged Talon for the alpha position, but he never did. The Guardian liked his spot in the pride, working at the construction company as a sales rep.

  “It goes against everything we’ve been taught to see a woman have to defend herself, let alone people she doesn’t even know.” Talon glanced at all of his men.

  “If I were a human male, I wouldn’t want to piss her off in a dark alley.” Savage shivered and downed the rest of his beer. That admission stopped Talon in his tracks. Savage was very good at reading people. Of course, he kept himself closed off from others, choosing to hide behind his long, dark hair. Maybe he was right about Liberty. She ran the bar like a well-oiled machine, no employee ever called in sick or acted out, that he knew of at least.

  “Nope,” Storm laughed, running his hand through his short-cropped, blonde hair, his ice blue eyes sparkling with humor. In fact, the only way to tell that these men were panthers was to look at their eyes. Each and every one of their eyes had a unique ice blue color. Only when their panther took over did the color change to a glowing amber.

  “Hey, boys,” a waitress greeted, smiling as she approached the table. “Name’s Della, and the boss lady said these were on her.” Della popped her bubblegum as she unloaded her tray of ice cold beers on the table. She tucked the tray under her arm and smiled at Winter, winking when his brows raised. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

  “Can we order some food?” Noah asked, pulling a menu from behind the salt and pepper shakers at the back of the table. “I’m starving.”

  “Whatcha craving, baby boy?” she teased. Over the past few months, they’d learned that t
his new waitress, Della Carter, was in her mid-forties and didn’t take crap from anyone. She dressed as if she were twenty, and had the body to pull it off. Talon was certain she achieved that by some type of plastic surgery, but he wasn’t one to judge.

  “I’d like a double cheeseburger,” he started, then paused. “With a side of fries, onion rings, fried mushrooms, and add two chicken sandwiches to that.”

  “You’re going to eat all of that?” Della raised a brow in shock.

  “I’m a growing boy,” Noah smirked. “Plus, that’s just an appetizer.”

  Della laughed and made her way around the table, dumbfounded at the amount of food the men ordered. Talon smiled to himself. If she only knew how much we spent on groceries, she’d be happy with this small order.

  “What’s on the agenda for this evening, boss?” Winter asked, still watching the crowd for any trouble.

  “Sitting here,” Talon replied, making his own sweep of the bar. “I’m not leaving here until this place closes tonight. Not sure if ole Terry will come back to confront Liberty.”

  “You really think he will?” Noah asked.

  “He might,” Talon remarked. “Let’s just enjoy the night off, and tomorrow we can rest until the Fall Equinox gathering at the main house.”

  Every Equinox and Solstice, the panthers gathered for a night of celebrations, giving thanks to the ancient gods who had made them what they were. Usually, the women of the pride would prepare a large meal, serving it at the alpha’s home. After the sun set, Talon would hold a ceremony of thanks and then dismiss his pride to shift and hunt on their land. Whatever meat they didn’t eat was dragged back to the main house and the men would stay up past dawn to prepare it for storage, providing the pride with meat for the next three months.

  They could shift anytime, day or night, but on the first night of each season, their cats called to run with their fellow shifters. The women were guarded and they were not allowed to run alone. This was more out of a habit carried over from ancient times. They were once hunted by their enemies, and the one way to take out a pride was to kill their females. It was bred in their DNA to be protective, and the women let them. For the females who were with child, they were not allowed to shift during their last trimester. A few of the men would stand guard at the gathering site, ensuring that the women were fully protected.