Taze (Rise of the Pride #11) - Theresa Hissong Page 0,17

for training you,” he admitted. “Your brother has some serious issues when it comes to being overprotective.”

Calla ducked her head and wrapped her arms around herself. He felt a lash of pain across his heart when she wiped away a tear. “He has every right to be protective, Taze. We went through a lot with those wolves.”

“What happened when you were there, Calla?” Taze’s beast snarled in his head. There was something the two of them were hiding about their time with the wolves. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but he had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. “Is this why you have panic attacks?”

“I’ve gotten better,” she admitted, skipping over the original question. Taze didn’t miss the fact she wouldn’t tell him everything.

“You weren’t having them when we were in training,” he admitted, raising a brow when she frowned. His words were true, and if she didn’t like it, he didn’t care. She needed to hear it anyway. “You had a lot of confidence on those mats.”

“That’s one of the problems!” she yelled, throwing her hands in the air as she came to her feet. Taze wanted to reach out to her to calm her down, but he didn’t. “It drives me fucking crazy when everyone reminds me of my training and how they wish I’d go back to it. No one ever asked me what I want!”

“I’m sorry,” he replied, lowering his voice. She was upset, and the last thing he should be doing was yelling right back at her. “We are all just confused as to why you suddenly quit.”

“My path in life changed,” Her voice was calmer, and Taze relaxed when she took her seat again. “Can’t everyone just accept that and move on?”

“Why are you having the panic attacks?” he pressed, knowing he was getting on her nerves, but he didn’t care. Tough love and all that jazz.

“I just am, Taze,” she whispered and tightened her fists. “Please, just leave it alone. Leave me alone.”

Never,” he snarled. “If you haven’t noticed, our panthers have chosen each other as mates. The mating scent we each produce is proof of that.”

“I’m not going to touch you,” she replied. “It doesn’t matter what my panther wants. I choose not to have a mate.” He wanted to call bullshit when he saw the flash of pain cross her features. She wanted to touch him, and she wanted a mate. But something, or someone, was holding her back.

“Just know this, Calla, it’s not a matter of if we ever touch, but when.” He squatted down so he was eye level with her. “I don’t give two fucks what your brother says or does to me. I will take a million beatings from him and still want to claim you.”

“Taze…” she began, but he leaned closer, cutting off whatever excuse she had on her tongue.

“No, Calla,” he growled, feeling his canines thicken in his mouth. The room took on an amber hue, and he knew his eyes were glowing. “It takes a lot for a Guardian to speak their feelings. We are trained to not be vulnerable, but I’m tired of stepping on glass around you. You will be my mate, but I’m going to respect your choice…for now. I won’t touch you, but you will give in, and when you do, you’re going to have to be the one to initiate contact.”

Tears pooled in her eyes, and she stared at him in shock as they fell over her lashes, making streaks down her beautiful face. “Just leave, Taze. Please.”

Chapter Five

Taze ripped his clothes from his body and shifted as he jumped off his porch. He and his beast needed to run. They needed to hunt.

He ran until the sun was coming over the horizon. By the time he made it back to his cabin, he was surprised to see his mother there, folding his discarded clothes on the porch. As soon as he approached, Elisa Malone turned toward him with a bright smile.

“Hello, son,” she beamed. “Thought I’d come by. I didn’t know you were off rotation.”

Taze shifted and took the stack of clothes from his mother and quickly dressed as soon as he pushed his door open so she could go inside.

“I took the night off,” he admitted.

“Everything okay?” she asked as she started tidying up his living room. There wasn’t much to pick up, but she stacked his pile of fishing magazines and placed them on the side table next to his