Taze (Rise of the Pride #11) - Theresa Hissong Page 0,27

a break from everyone and everything.

Luna had brought a bag of books for Calla to read when she was in a lull during the mating heat. The medicine the healer provided would knock her out for a couple of hours and leave her relaxed until the next dose was needed. Usually, she would go four to five hours between bouts, and she used that time to study and do her assignments. The books Luna brought would be for the late nights when she would have trouble sleeping.

After she finished the jerky and another bottle of water, she rested against the mound of pillows and closed her eyes. She would meditate and relax until the healer’s mate returned. After that, she would accept the drugs offered to her to stop the need for sex and a male who would never have a chance to produce a child with her.

When Calla told Taze she wasn’t ready for a mate, she really meant she’d never be able to take a mate…not after the things she’d experienced when she was just a child.

Axlam Amburo slid the bound package across the table to his sister’s American boyfriend. The man had paid a lot of money for the cocaine laced Khat for his men and women. The man wasn’t really a man. His hazy yellow eyes proved he was more than human, and his power was not to be questioned or tested.

At that point, Axlam didn’t give two fucks what the man was doing with the Khat as long as he paid in full with each delivery. His sister was whoring herself out to the man in hopes he would turn her into an animal, thinking she could have eternal beauty.

Magan wanted to stay in the states. Axlam didn’t care either way. He was due to leave the next morning to return home. The accounts in America were secured, and he had the shifter man to run the business on this side.

He would bow out from the delivery process to keep his name clear from the authorities. He’d already made too many trips to this place. There was enough Khat there to last them at least a few weeks. After the next shipment, the shifter would start transporting it to others across the United States. They projected to quadruple business in the next three months.

Axlam’s time in Memphis was over, and the next morning, he would be on his way back to Somali as one of the richest men in his country. After that, he would retire and let his men handle the rest of the transactions. He’d seen the work of the shifters hired to stop the drug trade and round up the brainwashed shifters. He didn’t want any part of that.

Taze was going feral. It’d been four days since Calla had disappeared and no one was talking. Not one of the Guardians let on they knew anything about her disappearance, and that was just odd. Especially, if the one missing was a mate. They’d all be on the lookout for the female.

But she’s not your mate. The voice inside his head reminded him, again, that she was not going to accept their status, and he’d vowed to let her be the one to make contact.

If he was a gambling man, he’d go against his alpha’s orders and search for her. Taze wasn’t as good at tracking as Calla was, but he could hold his own when needed.

Since that day in the office, Malaki had disappeared, too. He showed up for his shifts, but other than that, the male was vacant from pride activities. Unless that son of a bitch was going out looking for her on his own.

“That motherfucker,” Taze bellowed as he turned into the driveway of the pride’s land.

“What?” Noah asked.

“Nothing,” Taze replied. “I just realized something.”

“You haven’t been acting the same since she left,” Evie announced. Taze wanted to tell the female to butt out of their business, but he didn’t. He glared at her through the rearview mirror when they pulled up to her house.

“I’m fine,” he said through gritted teeth.

“I’m just saying.” Evie shrugged and slid out of the seat. He waited for her to get safely inside her home before putting the vehicle in reverse. Taze turned the truck around and pulled into his driveway. Noah was his neighbor and could walk the rest of the way home.

“You’re not fine, man,” Noah accused as he came around the front of the truck to meet Taze face to face.