Tarian Alpha (New Tarian Pride #1)(23)

The others were gathering around now.

“It’s not your fight,” Ronin murmured.

“It is! You’ve made it our fight. We are backing you. We went against our friends and family to back you.”

“And when it comes to fighting the Old Tarian Pride? Huh, Kannon? What will you do? How will you feel? Because we just had a meeting and you were all still sympathizing with them.”

“Is it loyalty you’re questioning?” Kannon growled, his eyes the color of sunlight. “Because if you’re really questioning if we would have your back…then why the fuck are you here? Why the fuck did you take this throne?”

“He’s…he’s just taking me back to Cassius. Nothing more,” Emerald said in a mouse-quiet voice.

“Oh, she speaks!”

“Careful,” Ronin rumbled, tipping his chin back and looking down his straight nose at Kannon.

It was Rose who stepped in between the dominant lion shifters. “What Kannon is saying has merit. At some point, you’re going to have to trust us. You can’t fight a war all on your own. Cassius will win if we’re weak, and what you’re doing? Acting like you’re still a rogue lion? It will make us all weak.”

The others began to walk away, and Emerald could see it so clearly. There was a crack in this Pride the size of a canyon. On one side was the Alpha, and on the other were the rest of them.

“Can I make an observation?” she said as loud as she could. Only it came out a whisper.

When Ronin looked down at her, she wanted to hang her head, but there was no time for that. Standing, she clenched her fists and found her bravery. Louder, she asked, “Can I say something?”

The others slowed and turned. “Are you here to make judgements?” Kannon asked.

“N-no.” She swallowed hard. “I have no right to judge anyone. I just wanted to point out that Ronin is trying to protect you.” She shrugged. “I can see that clear as day, but you don’t.”

“Was he trying to protect us when he killed the Second of the Old Tarian Pride last night?” a tall man with a limp asked. “By himself?”

“Yeah, Gray,” Ronin answered for her. “Do you want to know why?”

Gray frowned and shifted his weight to his sturdier leg. “Yeah, actually.”

“Because,” Ronin said, “my life is less important than yours.”

Rose frowned. “What?”

“You are the good that came from the Tarian Pride. You’re the misfits. You could’ve joined in with every other fuckin’ lion in existence and rebuilt a council immediately. But you…what, a dozen of you? Stood up to everyone. There is no council right now because you have been rallying against it. You were the ones who wanted change, and you didn’t just sit by and let the same shit that’s been happening for generations happen again. You stood up and said, ‘That’s enough.’” Ronin’s smile was half wicked, half proud. “I just want to make sure you’re ready before I ask you to fight the people who used to be in your Pride.”

“They were in your Pride, too,” Kannon pointed out.

Ronin growled softly.

“I think you should do team-building projects,” Emerald suggested, hunkering down into her jacket as she made her way toward the others.

“Lady, we just Changed together. You can’t get much more team-building than that.” He held out his hand as she meandered closer. “I’m Terrence.”

“Hi,” she murmured, giving his hand a shake. “Emerald.”

“We know,” the man said with a chuckle. “We all remember you.”

“You do?”

“Uh, yeah,” Kannon murmured. “Why do you think we aren’t over here screaming ‘spy’? You hated this place as a cub.”

“That, and you came in with a pretty gnarly shiner,” Terrence said darkly. “Pretty sure you were dragged back to Old Tarian, and pretty sure you have every right to hate that Pride just as much as we do.”

“What kind of team-building projects?” Ronin asked thoughtfully.

“Like, drinking together,” Emerald said with a giggle.

“I’m in,” Kannon said.

Ronin snorted. “You all are annoying enough without alcohol.”

“But think about it,” Emerald said. “The fastest way to bond with people is to make memories of doing stupid shit together.”

“Thank you!” Kannon said, turning and holding his hands out. “I’ve been asking to get some fun up here for weeks. A cornhole game, Ouija board, something! I’m going stir-crazy. And none of us can leave because ‘safety in numbers’ and the Old Tarian Pride runs the town. It’s go to work in town, be wary, come right back. Day after day, it’s the same monotonous existence.”

“So safety-in-numbers it and go to a bar in town together,” Emerald suggested. “What’s the Old Tarian Pride gonna do? Attack you in public?”

“Uh, yeah,” Terrence murmured. “They don’t give a fuck, and it’s bad publicity on us if we go all murder-kitty on Main Street.”

Ronin pushed a branch aside and let her pass. And when she did, he squeezed her ass gently and gave her a wink. She gasped a little, but the rest of the Pride didn’t seem to notice as they walked in front, chattering about something called cornhole.