Page 26 of Bind Me

Exiting the bar, my mind churns with the new information—my grandfather had a partner in crime, potentially the very person who betrayed him. It’s always those closest who wield the sharpest knives, isn’t it? I need to find more people like Joe and dig deeper. He can’t be the only relic of those days still kicking around this city.

I wander up the road, where quaint shops begin to line the streets. The place is surprisingly modern, far from the backward world I’d pictured in my youth, listening to tales inside prison walls. Here, in the House of Gold and Garnet, one of the wealthiest districts, magic is as common as dirt, used to provide all the comforts of life, regardless of the cost.

As I navigate through the quiet streets, movement catches my eye in a shadowy alley between two buildings. I pause, peering into the dim light. There’s Asher with his foot planted on a man’s chest.

“Told you I’d find you again,” he jokes, spotting me.

I grin, stepping closer. “Still having fun, I see.”

“I’ve been enjoying myself tremendously, just as I promised myself.” His laughter cuts through the chilled air, dark hair fluttering with the movement. “It’s been fucking insane. The freedom to hunt is everything.” He glances down at the man under his boot, who’s groaning in obvious pain, face bloodied, eyes fluttering closed from pain or fear, possibly both. He’s in bad shape. “These fuckers have been keeping me busy and entertained.”

Asher smirks, practically buzzing with energy. He loves his hunts, just like he did back in Tartarus.

“You’re going to make these mercenaries extinct.” I chuckle.

His laughter booms again, resonating between the narrow walls. “I’ll take that. Better to be a guardian from hell than some fluttering cherub. Anyway, this jerk was on your tail, so I dealt with him.”

The man pinned down with Asher’s foot tries to mumble something as he spits up blood, but a sharp look from us silences him. He’s one of so many mercenaries who think we’re free game for entering their territory, and they’ve been swarming us like ants.

“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Asher states. “Any progress on your grandfather?”

“Small steps, but I’ll get there, even if I have to scour the whole damn country and speak with every single person.”

Asher peers down and notices the guy is passed out but still breathing. We leave the mercenary behind. Perhaps he’ll think twice before coming for us again.

We weave through the back alleys of the city, of voices farther in the distance. Asher mentions a temporary place he’s found for himself, secluded, sounding like the kind of spot a man looking to disappear when necessary would have.

My thoughts keep drifting back to Sasha… her fiery spirit, that spark in her eyes, the way she felt up against me. Finally, I cut in, unable to keep it to myself.

“I found my fated mate.”

Asher pauses mid-sentence, his expression shifting from casual interest to shock in an instant. “You fucking lucky asshole.”

“Yeah,” I say, the word hanging between us.

“Well, fuck, man! That’s huge!” He claps me on the shoulder, a solid, affirming smack. “And here I thought we’d just lie low and go to town on the mercenaries.”

“I thought so, too,” I admit, shrugging slightly. “But she just walked into a trap… literally.”

Asher laughs, the sound booming around us. “Only you could find your mate because she stumbled into one of your traps.”

“I’ve never reacted this way to anyone.”

“Well, you’re not going to let her go, right?” Asher’s tone turns serious. “She’s moved in with you already?”

I sigh. “Not yet, but that’s the plan. She just doesn’t know it yet. Something about her makes me want to rush things, like I need her in my life now!”

His grin is fierce, an approving look.

As his laughter fades, a thought pops into my mind—an idea that might help me handle things with my fated mate without scaring her off. Doing her a favor of sorts.

I turn to Asher, querying, “Feel like a scavenger hunt?”

His gaze sparks alight with interest. “What do you have in mind?”

“There’s someone in the city we need to find. We only have a name and the fact that he’s been skulking around my place recently.”

His grin widens, the thrill of the chase already igniting his blood. “I’ll track his scent!”

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