Taze (Rise of the Pride #11) - Theresa Hissong Page 0,12
Traitor!
The animal snarled to get his attention when he came around the bend of the trail. His eyes were throwing amber sparks as they locked gazes. Taze’s features relaxed as he tucked his hands in his jean pockets and stepped off the trail. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
She pushed at her panther to shift as soon as she landed firmly on the ground. “I was enjoying some peace and quiet.”
“Don’t disappear like that again,” he growled. His mating scent thickened in the air as his eyes traveled over her body. The heat in his gaze caused a shiver to roll up her spine.
“It’s cold, Taze,” she blurted as her nipples hardened to stiff peaks. It was cold, but his gaze was doing things to her body. “Is this important? Or, can we go back to my house so I can grab some clothes?”
“I noticed your car was there, and when I knocked and found your place empty, I was worried when no one had seen you.”
“I’m fine,” she replied as she looked at her bare feet. “I got off work early. I needed to shift.”
She hadn’t shifted in a month, and that was too long of a time to let her beast stay inside while she poured over websites to find Holden Manzelli.
“Go home,” he ordered, causing Calla to raise a brow. “I’ll meet you there.”
“Um, okay,” she replied and pulled at her animal. The shift was quick and she raced ahead to get to her house.
His mating scent was strong in the woods, and she knew it would be stronger once he stepped foot in her tiny home. It would linger there for days, and if her panther kept replying with its own scent, she wouldn’t allow her brother to come over for two weeks. Malaki would blow his lid.
Hello, stress. My old friend.
She had just pulled a soft, blue hoodie over her head when he knocked on the door. She didn’t have time for a bra, but it didn’t matter anyway. She wasn’t all that well-endowed, anyway.
“Come in!” she yelled as she pulled on an old pair of sweatpants. She’d had them since she came to the pride, and it was one of the first things Talon’s mother had given to her that she could call her own.
“It’s cold in here,” Taze noted as he looked around her living area. The house didn’t take long to heat because of its small size. The main living room and kitchen were the base of the house and upstairs was just a bedroom and bathroom. It wasn’t much, but it was hers.
“I have everything ready for a fire, but I didn’t start it since I was planning on staying out in the woods for a while.” She started to go over to the tiny fireplace, but Taze waved her away.
“Let me,” he offered, but it was more like a demand.
Calla tried not to watch as the tall Guardian knelt down in front of the old, black stove and grabbed a match from the box sitting next to a small stack of wood, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away. His wide shoulders blocked out what he was doing, and she licked her dry lips as the muscles there pulled his shirt tighter across the expanse of his back while he worked to light the paper under the wood.
“There,” he stated as he stood. “That should warm the place up quick.”
“Thank you,” she replied and turned for the kitchen. “Can I get you anything?”
“No,” he replied with a shake of his head. His eyes were sparking amber again, and the icy blue darkened as his eyes traced her face. “I have to work in a few hours.”
“How’s it going out there?” she asked, needing something to talk about to keep her mind off of how sexy he looked in his tight jeans and cotton shirt. He didn’t wear a jacket, but that didn’t mean he didn’t own one. She’d seen him several times in a black leather jacket that hugged his body as if he’d had it custom made.
“It’s bad,” he shook his head. “Look, as much as we need the information on Manzelli, I really wish you’d stay out of it.”
“Stay out of it?” she asked as she poured a glass of wine. “Talon asked me to help.”
“It’s dangerous,” he replied. “You’re already too close to this. The Amburo family isn’t one to mess with, Calla.”
“I’m not doing anything other than gathering information for the alpha,” she reminded him and