Taze (Rise of the Pride #11) - Theresa Hissong Page 0,47

his parents. Taze’s mother had always greeted her with a warm smile and had shown general interest in her life since she had come to the pride.

“I’d like that, too,” she agreed with a smile as she dug through her bag.

Taze left her to work as he prepared their meal. She felt at ease for once, and having the male care for her was quickly becoming her personal addiction. The thought of touching him still gave her pause, but she was trying her hardest.

The therapy appointments were only beginning, but she was starting to feel the weight of her secret lifting. It helped knowing Taze was there to have her back. He hadn’t pushed her about their mating even though she still caught his mating scent whenever he was near.

The homework was tedious, but she was loving it. It wasn’t until he sat a bowl of stew in front of her that she finally looked up. “Sorry,” she cringed.

“Eat, then study,” he replied. “Don’t even worry about me. I can read a book or something while you finish up.”

“Thanks,” she said, pulling the bowl over so she could continue her homework.

Silence fell around her as she worked, checking and rechecking her answers to make sure they were right. There was a lot of information she needed to remember for an upcoming test. Even though she’d taken those ten days off from the pride during her heat, she’d kept up with most of her work when she was able. The assignment she was working on that night would get her back on track.

Calla covered her yawn with the back of her hand as she put everything away. Taze was sitting in his recliner, but she couldn’t see his face since the chair faced the living room. He’d been quiet since he’d cleaned up their meal. Her heart warmed when she walked over and he stood from his seat.

“Can we watch a movie or something?” she asked. “My brain is tired, and I want to watch some mind-numbing television.”

Taze let her pick the movie, and within the first hour, she’d already curled up on his couch with a blanket he’d provided for her while he added logs to the fireplace. She never finished the movie, because her eyes had drifted closed. Having Taze around made her feel relaxed enough to fall asleep on his couch and not wake until the next morning.

Taze ignored the movie. He was too focused on Calla sleeping so peacefully on his couch. If they were already mated, he’d have picked her up and carried her to their mated bed.

He’d been fighting his need to touch her since she’d walked in the door after work. The therapy sessions were going great, but she’d only been to two of them. The entire time she was in the office, he would sit in his truck and watch every single human who walked in the building. He took his role of Guardian seriously when it came to the female.

Trying to fight his panther for dominance when it came to claiming her was a test of his strength. Taze was certain the other mated males knew what he was feeling. If it took a year for them to touch, then so be it, but his panther wouldn’t be happy about it.

It was almost three in the morning when he finally closed his eyes. Seeing as he worked the overnight shift, he didn’t do anything more than catnap for another hour. When Calla finally stirred, the sun had been up for an hour.

He stood from his chair and made his way into the kitchen to prepare her a pot of coffee. He would need to sleep later, but he wasn’t ready for her to leave just yet.

“Morning,” she yawned and stretched. Her blouse lifted, showing off the ivory skin of her abdomen, and Taze had to look away before he couldn’t walk from the erection he felt coming on.

“Coffee is ready,” he announced as he poured her a cup. “What are your plans for the day?”

“Studying,” she hummed as she took her first sip of coffee. “I should probably run home and shower, too.”

Her hair was in a bit of disarray around her head, and he liked the way her lips pouted when she was first awakened. Looking away, he wanted to beg her to stay, but he didn’t want to push her too fast. “Would you like me to walk you home?”

“You need your rest,” she said, holding up her cup. “Thanks