Taze (Rise of the Pride #11) - Theresa Hissong Page 0,46

it from you.”

“Why now?” he asked. “Why haven’t you told anyone before?”

She explained how she was afraid at first, and how she was more concerned for her brother’s well-being. It kept the peace to deal with it on her own. Taze’s panther snarled out loud, and Calla frowned in his direction.

“You were the one hurt, Calla,” Taze blurted. “Why were you worried about Malaki and his temper?”

“I don’t know,” she cursed. “Harold said the same thing to me. I guess I redirected my experience into a caring role for Mal. It kept my mind off of what happened.”

“Harold gave me a number to a therapist he trusts,” he remembered, pulling the piece of paper out of his back pocket. He sat it on the old oak table and slid it halfway across. Calla picked it up and stared at it for a minute.

“He said she’s human.”

“She is,” he nodded, “but Harold assured me that she was supportive of our kind.”

“I don’t want to go alone,” she whispered, and it broke his heart. Calla wasn’t the strong fighter she’d once been. Taze vowed from that moment on to bring her back to the days when she held her head high.

“I won’t let you go alone,” he promised. “I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

Chapter Thirteen

Calla spent the next week catching up on school work. She’d found it easier to study during her downtime at the office. Then after dinner, she could do her actual assignments. She was just starting her law classes, and she wanted to get into learning.

As she powered down her computer, her phone pinged with a text. It was from Taze saying he’d just woken up and asked if she wanted to have dinner.

If you don’t mind me doing homework while you cook.

She loved going to his place when he had the night off. He’d taken off a few nights to go with her to the therapy sessions, and afterward, they’d grabbed something to eat while they were out.

I don’t mind. Let me know when you are on the way.

A schoolgirl type thrill rolled through her. Taze had been nothing but kind, and maybe a little flirty over the past week. She didn’t mind his attention. It felt weird, but she was learning to understand that it didn’t feel wrong. Even though he went with her to the therapy sessions, he didn’t come inside. He’d taken up sentry by the office doors, always in Guardian mode.

The lawyers were already gone for the night, and she set the alarm, locking the main door on her way out of the building. She’d parked close to the door and under a street light when she’d returned from lunch that day so she could stay after and dig around on the Amburo family. Unfortunately, she found nothing more than a power of attorney form in the files.

She’d texted the information to Talon and called it a night. Traffic was light as she made her way back to the pride. When she arrived, Kraven was working the gate. “Hey, Calla.”

“Hey, Kraven,” she beamed. Hope’s brother had always been good to her, especially after he came to the pride. The male waved her through and she parked in front of her house, grabbing her backpack out of the backseat.

The gravel crunched under her feet as she made her way up the road to Taze’s house. When his cabin came into view, he was already outside, sitting on the porch while nursing a beer. His eyes sparked amber as she approached.

“Set your bag down and let me take it inside. It looks heavy,” he said, waiting for her to drop the bag on the first step. It wasn’t that he thought she was unable. No, Taze was a gentleman, and Calla wanted to thank his mother and father for raising him that way. She hadn’t seen his parents in a while, and she frowned at the thought.

“How are your parents? I haven’t seen them in a few weeks,” she asked as he poured her a glass of wine.

“They’re fine,” he replied. “They like to stay at home a lot during the winter. It’s been cold, and my father gets grumpy when he has to be outside for any length of time between the end of the year and spring solstice.”

“I love your mom,” she gushed. “Can we go by there one day?”

“I’d love to take you by to see them,” he offered. Calla saw the pride in his eyes when she mentioned seeing