The Birth of an Alpha(13)

“My mother has passed. We will come together as one to grieve in two nights’ time,” he barely got out. The collective shock rang out from the pride. The women, especially his mother’s closest friends, cried out the loudest. “On this night, we have also welcomed my cub into the world.”

He stepped back inside and walked over to the bed, removing Ember from her mother’s arms. Liberty gave him a soft nod and rested her head against the pillow. The pride gasped as he stepped out onto the porch to deliver more news.

“I have a daughter!” he bellowed, his eyes sparking amber. Talon raised his daughter high into the air with his skillful hands still holding her protectively. This child would be the next alpha in line for his throne. For the day that he retired, Ember would be ready to take on the pride as her own.

He tilted his head back and released the hold over his panther, allowing a partial shift. As a lone tear leaked from his eye, Talon’s beast roared to the sky with joy over his daughter…and his human side screamed in sorrow over the loss of his beloved mother.





Sheriff Lynch hid amongst the trees, watching the pride mourn the loss of the matriarch of the Shaw pride. He couldn’t save her. He wasn’t even allowed. The fate of all of them had been written well before they’d even been born.

Garrett watched as Talon raised his daughter to the sky. The pride roared and cheered with the news of the birth, but even he could feel the sadness of the pride. After a few moments, Talon disappeared from the doorway, returning without his daughter.

Talon froze, his eyes glowing amber as his head jerked toward where Garrett was perched in the thick forest. He knew that he was well hidden, but the alpha raised his head to the sky, inhaling deep. A roar tore through the darkened sky as his beast ripped from his human skin.

Garrett knew the panther had sensed him. Within a blink of an eye, Garrett shed his wings and materialized beside the road. “Talon.”

The alpha shifted back to his human form; his body bare from the absence of clothes. “Why are you here?”

“I’m always here,” Garrett admitted, taking a step back when the alpha growled low in his throat and moved forward.

Garrett knew the shifter in front of him was in pain from the loss of his mother. He also knew that whatever he was feeling, his pride was not immune. Guardians circled around their leader protectively. All of their eyes were glowing. All of them were poised to attack him if Talon gave the word.

“You could’ve found Liberty! You could’ve saved my mother!” Talon raged, throwing the first punch. Garrett staggered back, wiping his hand over his busted lip. “You could’ve saved Evie from the torture! You son of a bitch! How could you?”

“It wasn’t written that way, Talon,” Garrett explained softly, letting Talon punch him across the jaw again.

“What the fuck do you mean?” Talon snarled, taking Garrett to the ground. He didn’t try to defend himself, because he knew the male needed to work off all of his anger, fear, and pain from the loss of his mother.

“Your mother died of natural causes, Talon,” he said calmly. “I can only protect your pride from harm in a way that does not interrupt fate.”

“So, it was fate that my mother died?” he scoffed. “It was fate that a child in my pride was harmed?”

“Yes, to your mother,” Garrett explained, still pinned beneath the alpha. “Evie was not a part of my task until I was reassigned to the pride three weeks ago. Why do you think I was gone for so long? Did you wonder what had happened to me?”

“Gone?” Talon blinked, taken aback. “Where did you go?”

“I was called home.” Garrett paused, giving the alpha a stern look. “I shouldn’t have to explain that to you.”

“Who sent you?” Talon demanded, taking a step back to pull him up by his shirt collar.

“The very ones who made you,” he replied, his eyes flashing white as he disappeared from the pride’s land.





Chapter Nine





Talon stood in the doorway, watching his mate care for their daughter. Ember’s eyes were closed as she suckled at Liberty’s breast. It took a minute before Liberty looked up and saw him standing in the doorway.

“Hey,” she greeted, looking back at their child. The love his mate had for their cub shone brightly with the perfect smile that lit up Liberty’s face.

“How are my girls?” he asked, closing the bedroom door quietly.

“Your girls want to know how you are doing,” Liberty inquired, giving him a hard stare. “This cannot be easy on you.”

Talon knew he couldn’t lie to her. His mate had given him their daughter, and he was so overwhelmed with joy, but at the same time, he was hurting inside. His mother was gone, and soon he would have to prepare for her funeral.

“Talon?” Liberty whispered, touching his arm. He didn’t even notice that she’d put their child in the bassinet by the bed and had walked over to meet him in the doorway. “Come to bed with me, please?”

Talon took her into his arms and held on tight. “I’m a little overwhelmed right now, and I’m trying to stay calm for my pride.”

“I know,” she replied, pulling on his arm so he would follow her to the bed. Liberty tugged at his shirt, silently telling him to remove it. Talon dropped his jeans and climbed in the bed when his mate told him to. He didn’t waste any time pulling her to his chest. He let her soft purr lull him to sleep.

The soft whimpering of his cub woke him from sleep. Liberty had rolled over and pushed her back against his side during the night. He carefully slipped out of the bed and walked over to the bassinet, kneeling down to see his daughter.

“Hello, my little warrior,” he said with a smile, touching her soft cheek. Ember’s icy blue eyes looked toward him, calming immediately when he spoke. “You are absolutely beautiful.”

As if she’d understood him, Ember cooed, kicking her right foot out twice before her arms started flailing around. Talon smiled and reached down to pick her up. She was so tiny in his large hands. He brought her up to his chest, resting the babe against his heart. He bounced her slightly a few times before she settled in, closing her eyes softly.

He knew the moment that his mate woke up. She hummed softly and called out his name into the darkened room. “I’m here.”

“Is she hungry?” Liberty yawned, stretching her arms over her head. Talon growled low in his throat when the sheet slid down, exposing one of her naked breasts. He felt the punch to his heart when he realized that Liberty was his, and she’d given him a daughter to love and protect. His mother had been feeding him information on being a great father in the months before her passing. He would take all of that information to heart and care for both of his females.

“I think she was just restless,” he said, taking a seat on the bed. At no time did he remove Ember from his chest. “Go back to sleep. I’ll wake you when she’s ready to feed.”

“Okay,” Liberty yawned again. His mate had to be exhausted. The hours spent bringing his daughter into the world had taken a toll on her. The least he could do was hold Ember while she slept.

Talon leaned back against the headboard and cupped the back of Ember’s tiny head, placing a soft kiss on the top. Liberty’s hand rested on his upper thigh, and the connection of his family was complete.

When the clock read ten minutes to midnight, Talon carefully placed Ember in her bed and looked over his shoulder at his sleeping mate for a second before walking out of the room. It’d been two nights since his mother passed and it was time for him and his brothers to begin preparing for her funeral at daybreak.

He took the steps slowly, his thoughts a million miles away. His mother had taken Liberty under her wing and taught his mate everything she needed to know about being a part of the pride. Talon knew that being the mate to an alpha came with several responsibilities, and Liberty had not complained once about her role. He loved her more now than he did the night she agreed to marry him in her human customs. Now, he would let go of his mother, just as he had his father, and carry the pride into the next generation, preparing his daughter to take over for him when his time came to an end.

Being the first born to an alpha ensured that Ember would be an alpha in her own right. Any other children he and Liberty had would also carry the gene. Just as his baby brother, Kye, had shown he may also be a leader, it would now fall upon his shoulders to train them for their future.

“Are you ready?” Noah asked, his face masked from showing his pain.

“I’m ready,” Talon replied, his answer holding more meaning than his brother even knew.

“We’ve cleared the circle,” Kye informed him, dirt already caked on his young hands.

All three Shaw men let out a breath as they stepped off the porch. His brothers had already started gathering wood for the funeral pyre that would burn at daybreak while he spent some time with his wife and newborn cub. Kye and Noah worked in silence alongside Talon, stacking and preparing. None of the Guardians were allowed to help them, because their traditions wouldn’t allow it unless the member was without family. Then, and only then, would the Guardians be in charge of the final phase.