Taze (Rise of the Pride #11) - Theresa Hissong Page 0,11

with the threat of more snow in the area, causing a shiver to roll over her panther’s skin. The thick fur insulated her enough to run through the woods for the next hour or two.

Gods, she hated the cold. It seeped into her bones and reminded her of the time she spent with the wolves. She’d healed from that time, but there were still things that kept her up at night. Her anxiety would sometimes get to be too much when her mind played the scenes over and over in her head.

Run, girl. Run it off.

Her gentle command to the panther sent its feet moving as quickly as it could to the trail closest to her tiny home. The animal remembered those days when she had been collared so she couldn’t be set free. The abuse was felt two-fold; from Calla and her beast.

The sun was setting, but she didn’t need the light to see. Her animal eyes adjusted as the last bit of light disappeared over the horizon. The birds chirped as they settled into the treetops for the night, and a rabbit scurried off in the distance to find shelter from the cold, winter night.

The sounds of other pride members running through the woods was a comforting thing. Calla had always felt welcome at the pride, and it was getting harder and harder to remember her life before she was kidnapped. She and Malaki never talked about the night their pride was killed. Hell, they didn’t want to think about it at all. Seeing your parents gunned down at point blank range could change a person.

The gods knew it had changed her.

And Malaki.

She remembered a time when Malaki had been gentler, less angry. He’d never been very protective of her when they were younger, and he mostly spent his time in the woods with his friends. It wasn’t until they woke up in a cage that they became closer.

She loved Malaki with every breath in her body, but she was so tired of his attitude. What would it take to get him to back the hell off? Taze wasn’t as bad as Malaki believed. It was a miracle they could work together and not kill each other.

Her panther snarled as she felt the anxiety coming on. The stress of feeling responsible to keep them apart was wearing on her mentally. If she didn’t care so much, she’d look for another pride once she finished school, but knowing how bad finding another pride had worked out for Jade kept Calla planted on the Shaw pride’s land.

Calla made her way through the trails, approaching one of her favorite spots on the land. It was a place she came to often, and since it was off the main trail, she could rest in her panther body for a while without anyone bothering her.

A large oak tree stood on top of a rise just beyond a valley on the land. The lower branches were as thick as her animal body was wide. The panther dug its claws into the bark for traction, using its powerful legs to jump high enough to reach the branch she called her own.

Down below, she could see the trail, but for anyone passing, they wouldn’t notice her because of the height. The space gave her the beauty of nature while it freed her mind and soul of the stress she always felt. As the panther settled in, her human mind cleared and she let out a sigh as the soft breeze rustled the leaves below.

There was no cover for her, but she didn’t mind. The peace was worth the exposure to the chilly night air. The panther closed its eyes and napped while her human side rested. Two teenage panthers scurried down the trail, but the sound came and went so fast, the panther didn’t do anything more than open one eye to watch them as they passed.

It was later on when she awoke to the sound of heavy footsteps. Someone was out in the woods in their human form. Her panther raised its head as it stretched and kneaded its claws into the limb, causing tiny shards of bark to fall below.

She scented Taze before she saw him, and her panther jerked its head to the side when he finally yelled her name. “Calla! Are you out here? Calla!”

Her human mind wondered why he was looking for her, but her panther betrayed her and released its own mating scent to signal to him she was close.