Tarian Alpha (New Tarian Pride #1)(30)

“What can I do to help?” she asked the girl with the hand gripping Emerald’s shirt.

The woman, Sora, rested her forehead between Emerald’s shoulder blades and released a shuddering breath. And on that breath, she whispered, “When you run, I want to come, too.”

“Me, too,” a brunette mouthed quickly before she returned to buttering loaves of French bread.

Hurt them back.

Females were power to a Pride, right? That’s why Cassius was binding mates to him. If they paired up, their families became allies. Well, if Emerald took the Old Tarian females, where would that leave this Pride?

Hurt them back.

It would leave them without allies and with a big gaping hole for Ronin and his people to come in and destroy this Pride from the inside out.

She turned and squeezed the girl’s hand gently and gave her a single nod. Okay. Let’s hurt them back.

And inside of her, for the first time since the lioness had been broken…or had awoken…Fury smiled.





Chapter Thirteen


“Can you hear that?” Annamora whispered in the dark. “Something’s happening.”

The room didn’t have any windows. Just cots lined up and thin blankets to cover them in the frosty night.

Emerald was wearing the clothes she’d worn to the Pride meeting—to stay warm, yes, but also to stay ready. Because Annamora was right. There was lots of activity and talking right outside. This cabin was located near the big house, but a much smaller version. Cassius’s two brunette mates were missing, but Annamora had explained they were waiting in the big house for Cassius to come home from some super-secret meeting that had the entire Pride all abuzz.

Whatever his meeting was for, Emerald was eternally grateful, because she sure as heck hadn’t wanted to have a pairing day with him. His duties had bought her time.

Ha! Doodies. It shouldn’t be funny right now, but doodie was and always would be her favorite word.

“We have to be careful,” Maris, one of the females murmured as Emerald stood and pressed her ear against the wall. “If they come in here and we’re out of bed, they will punish us. I’ll tell you when they’re coming.” She scrambled out of her tangled sheets and pressed her ear against the door.

Annamora hopped up, too, and tiptoed to the wall right beside her. She pulled a glass off the nightstand beside her and pressed it to the wall, then pushed her ear onto the bottom like some old spy movie. Emerald snorted at the very very serious look on Annamora’s face.

“Not funny,” her new friend said. “I’m a professional detective.”

“Oh, are you?”

Annamora grinned and held up Emerald’s cell phone, and in the dim light, she waggled her eyebrows.

“Oh my gosh!” Emerald whisper-screamed.

“It’s been going off for a while. Jenny is very persistent.” Annamora checked the door. “It took three of us casually searching the house to figure out where Orion kept it.”

“Be quieter,” one of the girls murmured from the cots behind them.

“All I hear is mumbling.” Annamora pouted out her bottom lip and replaced the glass on the table. “Is Jenny-texts-a-lot really Ronin?”

Emerald snorted as she opened his texts.

Em? Can you just tell me you’re okay? I’m going insane.

Two hours later:

Something big is happening, can you get to a safe place? Away from everyone?

Em? Fuck, I need to know you’re out of the way.

Fifteen minutes ago:

We’re here.

“Oh, nooo!” Now was the time for panic.

“What?” Annamora asked.

Should she tell them? Should she trust these Old Tarian lionesses, sitting up in their cots and staring at her with glowing eyes as round as dinner plates? What was the right decision here?

“Someone’s coming!” Maris whispered, running toward her cot.

Shit! Emerald dove for her own cot, and she and Annamora both threw their covers over them. And right before the door opened, Emerald shoved the cell phone under her arm and closed her eyes. Her heart was pounding so hard as the door creaked open. She didn’t dare open her eyes, but she heard him. Heard the footsteps on the floor as he walked along the feet of their cots. She inhaled, but she couldn’t tell who it was. Not Derek and not Orion. And not Ronin. Those, she had memorized.

The clomping boot steps faded away, hesitated at the door, and then the door clicked closed. Something felt off, though. The air still felt too heavy, so she kept perfectly still, kept her eyes closed, slowed her breathing.

Her lioness had pinpointed the exact spot in the room where he was. She could feel him watching her. A soft snarl rattled up her throat before she could stop it.

“You feel different,” Cassius rumbled.

Not being able to see him was the worst part, so she opened her eyes.

“So green. I wonder will you give our cubs those eyes of yours?” Cassius was crouched in the corner, elbows on his knees. It was dark in here, so all she could see was the outline of his form and his glowing gold eyes.

“Could you be any creepier?” she asked. Okay, she didn’t even understand where she’d gotten the courage to talk to him like this. Something was really wrong with her lioness.

The phone vibrated against her arm, and she hugged it closer to stifle the sound.