Tarian Alpha (New Tarian Pride Book 1) Read online

  “Ronin,” Rose whispered, sidling around him, “look at her face.”

  Ronin had great night vision, the only gift his good-for-nothing dad had ever given him through genetics. The moon cast her face in blue hues as he cradled her body like a child and looked upon the damage someone had done to her. She looked like Rose. He was going to fucking kill every male here. Blood was dried on her swollen lip, and her cheeks were still damp with tears. The left side of her face was so swollen it was hard to tell what she looked like.

  What the fuck was he supposed to do with this? He’d only meant to keep her from screaming and giving their position away.

  “We have to move,” Rose whispered.

  He fucking knew. He’d come here with no backup, trying to steal Rose back quietly, but he’d lost it on that lion who’d hurt her and wasted too much time.

  But he sat here frozen, looking at the woman in his arms, unable to move, unable to set her down gently in the snow and leave her to endure whatever this Pride had been doing to her.

  Women were queens. Queens. Male lions had it all wrong. The boys weren’t important. They were weapons, but females were the intelligence. The ones who softened hard hearts and made boys salvageable.

  This one had been mistreated, and he couldn’t just leave her.

  She’d been crying.

  “Ronin,” Rose warned.

  Fuck. He was kidnapping two lionesses from the Old Tarian Pride tonight.

  Without a word, he stood, hoisting the woman in his arms. Rose’s hand stayed right on his back. She didn’t see as well in the dark anymore.

  He cut straight for the ravine because the Pride wouldn’t expect their escape to be the hardest route. But Ronin wasn’t scared of hard. Nothing in his life, and he meant nothing, had been easy.

  And if they caught up to them, okay. He would let the snarling lion inside of him loose on this asshole Pride and see who survived. Because right now, he was in the presence of two battered women at their hands, and he was ready to steal every last one of their breaths.

  If it had been only him, he would have turned back around and been a live grenade right in the heart of the Old Tarian Pride. The only thing that kept him moving forward were the tear stains on the woman’s cheeks.

  Someday very soon, he would have his revenge, but not tonight.

  Chapter Four

  The hazy murmur of voices dragged Emerald from a deep sleep. Perhaps she was still dreaming. So many vivid images had bombarded her slumber, but she hadn’t been able to wake up. She’d had to get through them all instead. Maybe this was another one.

  “…you can’t just go out on your own, Alpha…”

  “Kannon, how many times have I told you, stop calling me that.”

  “Doesn’t matter how much you tell us. We’re still Tarian! That’s the way we talk to an Alpha.”

  No answer.

  Kannon’s voice came again. “Meeting is in ten minutes, and how are you going to explain last night?”

  “I don’t have to explain shit.”

  “Yeah, you do. You put this all together. You want to rehab us? Well then remind us why we are backing you.”

  “I brought Rose back—”

  “Alone! Without anyone knowing! What would’ve happened if you got caught? If you and Rose were killed? We would have no leadership, and we would all be sitting ducks. And now you’ve brought her back here? You’re going to turn this war into a fight over females, and it takes away from everything we’re trying to accomplish.”

  A terrifying snarl rattled the air around her.

  Okay, this dream wasn’t that good. It was kind of scary and didn’t make any sense. Emerald squinted her eyes open. The room was blurry for a moment before she focused on a tall, lean man slamming another dark-haired man against the wall.

  The man against the wall exposed his throat, but his face said he wasn’t sorry for anything he’d said. “I’m on your team, you know,” the dark-haired man, Kannon, growled. “Not all Tarians are bad.”

  “Fuck!” the tall man yelled. He shoved off the other man and sat heavily into a chair on the other side of the room. Kannon left, slamming the door behind him.

  Uh, this was not a dream. Where the hell was she? Scared into stillness, she watched the man run his hands down his beard and then rest his elbows on his knees. He stared at the ground, shaking his head. In a ragged whisper, he said, “What am I doing?”

  The man had blond hair, longer so it curled right at his shoulders, pushed back like he’d run his hands through it over and over. He had a thick beard, a couple shades darker, and his torso was covered in tattoos. How could she tell? Because the man wasn’t wearing a shirt. A bandage was slung across his body from ribs to shoulder, and at his shoulder, there was a big blood stain, but he wasn’t favoring the injury. It was definitely the man from last night, the one that had something familiar about him. She couldn’t put her finger on it. It was something in his profile when he looked out the window. Sharp cheek bones, and his eyes were slightly slanted upward, giving him a feline look even in his human form. He wore dark jeans that were ripped at one knee, and a gold chain wallet sat in his back pocket, the gold chain clinking against the chair when he moved.

  He didn’t look so dangerous right now as he rested his chin on his clasped hands and stared out the window.

  He looked…vulnerable.

  She released the breath she was holding as slowly as she could, but the man snapped his attention to her. And the second they locked eyes, she was stunned into stillness again.

  She knew him. Oh, God, she knew him. Those eyes. Those shocked, wide eyes. Blue like the ocean. They would turn goldish-green when he Changed. She’d only seen eyes like that once, in a blond little boy who had protected her on the playground when she was a cub.

  “Emerald,” he murmured, unblinking.

  “Ronin?”

  He stood and strode toward her. Three banging steps from his boots, and he stopped. His face was unreadable as he stared at her. He gestured to her face. “What happened?”

  Her head hurt so much to move, but she sat up, using the covers as a shield for her body. She dragged her fingertips to her throbbing cheek. “I’m not healing very fast,” she said, dropping her gaze in shame.

  “That’ll happen when you’re stressed. Your lioness…she’s…”

  “She’s what?”

  “Shut down. I can’t even feel her.”

  “Me either. It’s her move. She leaves easy.” Why did she feel like crying again? She forced the words past her tightening vocal chords. “I thought you were dead.”

  “Ha.” He inhaled deeply and made his way to the wall, as far away from her as he could, and leaned against it. “The council tried. Damn-near succeeded too, but I had a hero.”

  “Who?”

  “Damon Daye. A couple of the council members took me into the woods to kill me, but he was there. He and a grizzly shifter named Beaston. The griz said Damon didn’t even need to kill the men wanting to slit my throat. Beaston said they had a worse fate coming, and he smiled. Leon was killed in that war against Beast last year. He lived bad, and died bad. He was killed running away, and he suffered, and when I found that out, I could just see Beaston’s smile in my head. That old wily grizzly didn’t have to kill Leon, didn’t have to carry that death on his soul. Karma got him. That night in these woods, all those years ago, he and Damon saved me and drove me straight from Tarian territory to a Clan of tiger shifters. They plucked me from death and set me on a totally different road. One that lead me here. Those tigers turned everything around for me.”

  Emerald’s attention dipped to his stomach. It was a tattoo of a tiger and a snake fighting. “Is that why you got that one?”

  The corner of Ronin’s mouth curved up into a wicked grin. “I would never get a lion.”

  She couldn’t blame him.

  “I’m glad…” She chickened out and cleared her throat. Just say it. “I’m glad you had heroes.”

&nbs
p; He canted his head and studied her, a slight frown lowering his blond eyebrows. “What are you doing with Old Tarian?”

  All of her heartbreak flooded her in an instant.

  “I have to go back. I know where I am. I’ve seen this room before.”

  “It’s my room.”

  She swallowed hard. “It’s the Alpha’s room in the big house. I’m not where I’m supposed to be.”

  “Where are you supposed to be?”

  “I signed a contract—”

  “Where, Emerald?” he gritted out.

  “At the right hand of Cassius.”

  “Ffffuck!” he yelled, turning away from her. “Who hit you?” he asked suddenly, fury turning his eyes that striking gold-green color.

  She shook her head, trying not to think about yesterday.

  “Who?” he asked louder.

  She lifted her chin and forced herself to look him in the eyes. “Cassius has my father.”

  “What?” he asked, moving for her. He sat on the edge of the bed. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m contracted to be Cassius’s mate so he’ll release my father.”

  Ronin’s face twisted into something animal before he ripped his gaze away from her and gave her his back. There was a knock on the door. “Yes?” Ronin asked in a low, steady voice.

  “Meeting, Alpha.”

  Ronin sighed. “Bring me Rose.”

  “Yes, Alpha.” The echoing sound of footsteps followed his retreat.

  Ronin shook his head, his shoulders tense.

  “You’re alive and you’re Alpha of the Tarian Pride now. I never saw that coming.”

  “Not the Tarian Pride.” He looked to the side, giving her his profile. “The New Tarian Pride.”

  He was so handsome in the early morning light that filtered through the window. There was a big sunray hitting him, dust motes swirling in the air in front of his face, his crystal blue eyes emotionless, his jaw set grimly. He’d grown into a man. A powerful, terrifying man, but…

  “Why did you bring me here?”

  Ronin stood suddenly. “Pass.”

  “Pass?”

  “On your questions.” Changing the subject, he asked, “Your father is there? I remember him. Talon Lawson. Cassius is holding him?”

  “Yes. I was headed to try and see him last night when I saw you…fighting…”

  “That shifter is dead. I killed him.” He arched his eyebrows. “You should know what I’ll do for my people. Ask me if I lost any sleep over his death.”

  She didn’t have to. The dead expression in his eyes told her enough. He walked to the door and then, hand on the knob, he said, “Your father.”

  Softly and sadly, she explained, “They took him a week ago. Cassius wants my genetics. My ancestor was one of the founders of the Tarian Pride. They’re trying to bring back the founders’ bloodlines. I was picked up yesterday. The contract is signed, and I have to go. Today is my pairing day. If I don’t show up, they’ll kill him. But if I play by their rules, they’ll let him go.”

  Ronin slid her a narrow-eyed glance, his lip snarled up. “Fuck their rules.”

  And then he walked out the door and let it click closed behind him.

  The small noise seemed to echo on and on.

  She felt like she was in a dream. Slowly, she stood and padded barefoot to a small sink with a mirror over it. It was one of those old-fashioned white porcelain bowls set on a rustic wooden chest. There was a rusted water spout that she had to pump water from, and the mirror was the same she remembered from all those years ago. In fact, nothing in this room had been changed except the bedding, which was a dark brown now instead of navy blue. The sheets had smelled like Ronin, minus all the blood. What had happened to his shoulder? Had he been stabbed? Shot? That wouldn’t surprise her. Tarians wouldn’t have any problem using weapons. No honor.

  She stared at a reflection she didn’t recognize. It was shocking. Not just the bruising and the swelling, the cut lip or the pale skin… She was stunned by how hollow and sad her eyes looked. Gritting her teeth against another wave of grief, she pumped the water handle a few times until the bowl was half full, and then she washed her face. She didn’t have her suitcase, so no make-up, but whatever. She didn’t have to impress anyone. She wouldn’t be here long.

  Ronin looked really good. There was something about him that drew her and made her feel safe when she had no right at all to feel that way. Her life had been uprooted, she’d been hurt, and her future was bleak. But for the few minutes when she was talking to him, she’d felt like everything was okay. Or maybe he’d just been a beautiful distraction.

  She needed to call Cassius before he did something bad to her father. Her cell phone was probably lying in the woods where Ronin had kidnapped her. Kidnapped her? Had she been kidnapped? Well…that was about right.

  A soft knock sounded at the door. “Come in,” Emerald said, reaching for a forest green washrag on a small stack of them beside the sink. She gently patted her face dry, careful of the bruised side, and turned to find a silver-haired, familiar-looking woman in the doorway. “Rose?” she asked, the woman’s name coasting through her mind and landing on her tongue.

  The woman’s gray eyebrows arched delicately. “That’s right. And you’re Emerald. I would know those eyes anywhere, but you’ve changed, child. Well, I suppose I can’t call you ‘child’ anymore.” She smiled kindly, but winced. Slowly, she tucked her hair behind her ear and exposed bruises on her cheek and down her neck that disappeared into her shirt.

  “Oh, my gosh,” Emerald murmured. “What happened?”

  “The Old Tarian Pride took me from my home two nights ago.” She studied Emerald’s face. “I have a feeling I don’t have to tell you what happened to me. You probably understand better than anyone. Ronin came for me. We found you in the woods when we were escaping. Do you remember?”

  “I remember a little. I remember being scared. Ronin killed a man.”

  Rose brushed her fingertips on her injured cheek. “He killed the man who did this to me.”

  Well, that made a big difference. Ronin wasn’t just some murderer at random, going after any Old Tarian lion. He’d avenged Rose and the damage done to her.

  “Was my dad in the cabin with you? Talon Lawson?”

  Rose frowned and sat on the edge of the mattress. “I didn’t see any other prisoners. There was only me in the cabin.”

  Emerald sighed. That worried her. If they treated their prisoners like they had Rose, how was her father faring now? “Do you have a phone I can borrow?”

  “To call Cassius?”

  “Yes,” she whispered. “I need to go back.”

  “He knows where you are. He sent a messenger this morning with a letter.”

  “What did the letter say?”

  “Give me back what’s mine by two pm, or we kill every last one of you by nightfall.”

  “Geez, that’s horrible,” Emerald said, taking a seat next to the woman. “I didn’t ever want to be a part of any war. I just wanted to live free with my dad. Rogue. That was our choice, and Cassius took that away from us. I had a pet goldfish named Chester,” she said, drawing her knees to her chest, “a favorite Chinese food delivery service, a crappy job but it was steady income, Sunday dinners with dad, and we were figuring out how to live without my mom. I was finally settling into a life I was happy with again.”

  “You might not see it now, but everything happens for a reason,” Rose murmured.

  “Yeah,” Emerald agreed, not even trying to hide the lie in her voice. There was no point in dwelling. There was work to be done.

  “Ronin is in a meeting with the Pride. You can call Cassius when he makes a decision.”

  “What kind of decision?” Emerald asked.

  Rose only gave her a smirk and shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. I’m not in the meeting. My choice. I didn’t want to be around a bunch of squabbling males right now. Here,” she said, handing over a neatly folded pile of clothes.
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  Frowning, Emerald unfolded them and held them up. It was a plain black fitted T-shirt and a pair of dark-wash skinny jeans with holes expertly ripped into the knees and thighs. The size looked about right. “Were you expecting me?” Emerald joked.

  “You? Never. I thought you and your family were free and clear of this place. But now I have an excuse to use my too-young wardrobe. At least that’s what Grim teases me about.”

  Emerald studied Rose’s clothes. She was wearing a black tank top under a long-sleeved red flannel button up, and leggings tucked into calf-height leather biker boots. Where her sleeves were rolled up, Rose had a tattoo of the Grim Reaper with a lion’s face under the Reaper’s hood. A tribute to her grandson, the Grim Reaper? Okay, Rose was a badass. She was like the Tarian Pride lionesses Emerald remembered. Once upon a time, they had been mostly dominant, mouthy, ruthless lionesses, instead of the submissive, broken women she’d met yesterday. Things sure were different here now.

  “I’ll give you some space to get dressed,” Rose murmured as she headed to the door. “Emerald?” she asked suddenly.

  “Yes?”

  Rose gestured to her face. “None of that is your fault. If you go back, they’ll try to get in your head that you deserve to be treated like that. Like you earned those marks. They’ll manipulate you because that’s the only move weak men have. Don’t listen. You’re better than what happened to you.” Rose lifted her chin. “You’re royalty, and they’re the nothings. Not the other way around.”

  Right as she turned to leave, Emerald blurted out, “Why didn’t he Change?”

  “Who? Ronin?” Rose asked, her hand on the doorknob.

  “Yes. Last night. Why did he kill that man with his bare hands? Why didn’t they Change into their lions and fight like the old ways?”

  Rose gave her a devilish grin. “Because, child. If Ronin Changed, he would’ve gone after every Tarian Pride member until they were nothing but a pile of bodies. And he wouldn’t have gotten me or you out of there. That lion has a chip on his shoulder the size of a canyon, and the Tarians carved it there. I told him to leave you, you know, just to test him. He couldn’t.”