Page 6 of Bind Me

I promised myself that when someone’s in need, I’d always help them, and it goes double for animals. For a split second, everything else fades—the heat, the smoke, the collapsing building—and I’m consumed by the urgency to save innocent animals.

Ignoring the searing pain on my skin and the smoke scorching my lungs, I dash back into the lab room. I can’t leave them here, not like this. I reach the cages just as the walls around us begin to crackle and spit larger flames. The metal bars are hot to the touch, and I wince as I grab them, but the urgency pushes me forward.

“I’ve got you. Just please don’t try to escape from me,” I coo to the critters in the cages on the floor. “I need to get you all out of here, please,” I whisper. All cradled in my arms, I set them on the lab table. Despite the walls on fire and feeling like we’ve entered hell itself, they stay close.

Turning my attention to the otter, still curled up in the cage, whining, I flick open the lock and wrench the door open. The poor thing whimpers and shrieks back.

“Come on, little one, I just want to help. Don’t bite me, okay, and I promise to get you out.”

Just then, a deafening sound erupts behind me. I twist my head as a crumbling wall outside the room collapses under the assault of the fire. With no time to hesitate, I stick my hand into the cage deeper, reaching for the critter. With a gentle, quick swoop, I scoop him into my hand and cradle him against my chest. I collect the other small animals as my heart shatters at their vulnerability.

I lunge outside the room, only to find the front doorway to the warehouse blocked. Half the wall falls away from the structure. Despite shaking and feeling like I’m burning alive, I dart toward the rear entry, cowering forward to shield the animals in my arms. A plank of wood crashes down not far from me, and I scream, flinching back instinctively.

The crackle of fire intensifies, deafening me. The heat is unbearable, and my throat burns with every breath I take. Dodging the flaming debris, I run like a maniac toward the rear door… just as a great explosive creak sounds behind me.

I burst out the back door, stumbling into the cool air as I suck it into my starved lungs. I’m choking frantically. Behind me, part of the roof caves in, and I dart farther away from the building that’s coming down fast. Sirens wail in the distance from what I assume are firemen coming to put out the flames.

My mind races, terrified at how close to disaster I came. I check on the little guys in my arms, who are all cradled close and silent with huge eyes. So, I turn my attention to finding Zane and Scout.

The foggy, cool air is sharp against my heated skin while my arms tighten around the small, trembling bodies of the six critters.

The docks are obscured by fog and shadows, the aftermath of the fire casting everything in ash and harsh, surreal light. As I hurry away from the collapsing building, my heart thunders with desperation and anger. The animals cradled in my arms are quiet, their small bodies shaking against me.

I pass a hulking ship, its massive hull throwing long, dark shadows across the wooden planks of the dock. It’s there, in a dark spot, that I find Scout sprawled on his back.

“Scout, are you okay?” I call out, dropping to my knees beside him as he groans, a hand reaching up to his face as he tries to sit up. Blood trickles from his mouth, and one eye is already swelling shut, coloring with the dark purple of a severe bruise. “What the hell happened?” I ask, scanning him for more injuries. We’re trained to handle ourselves in any situation—to fight and defend.

“The question is, where the fuck were you?” he snarls. “You’re supposed to have my back.” His voice is rough with pain and fury. “We could have had Zane, but what?” His gaze lowers to the animals in my arms. “You saved those fucking things but let the criminal escape? You made us lose him.”

“Me? You went against my orders and opened that damn office, tripping the purge trigger.”

He sighs, his good eye closing, not even hearing me, yet his accusation leaves me furious.

“These animals are innocent. Last time I looked, we’re not monsters… well, at least not me.”

Scout pushes himself to his feet, wincing with every movement. “You compromised the mission.”

“Shut the hell up. Now, which way did Zane go?”

He shrugs. “How the fuck should I know? After he turned into a horse and kicked me, I almost passed out. I could have died because of your dumb decision.” He’s practically shouting at his stage, his face shaking with fury.

Sure, I feel horrible for him, but him blaming me is not gaining him any brownie points.

“Sometimes, being a hero means deciding who needs saving the most. So, I made the choice,” I retort.

Silence stretches between us as he glares in my direction. Shuffling the animals to be cradled in one arm, I offer him my free hand to help him, but he knocks it aside and limps down the docks.

Great! Sighing heavily, I just know this is going to come back and bite me hard in the ass.

“Wait, are you serious?” My voice shoots up an octave as I lean forward in my seat, staring across the desk at my boss. Mr. Daniels is the epitome of a fitness fanatic, his slick hair and sharply tailored suit giving him an air of unapproachable perfection. His fae ears peek out just enough to hint at his magical heritage, though he plays it down, never really owning up to coming from a powerful family of fae.

“It’s for the best, Sasha. Consider it a new start,” he replies with that smoothness that I’m starting to loathe. He takes a sip from his cup of special mushroom tea, which he swears is the elixir of life or something. In the corner of the room stands his fancy bicycle, leaning against the wall, reminding everyone of his healthy lifestyle. Most days, I can ignore his arrogance. Today, I’m pissed.

I blink, my mind racing. “I haven’t had a chance to put my report in about Zane, but?—”

“It’s not needed,” he interrupts, setting down the cup with a grimace as if the tea tastes like hell. “Scout filled me in, and considering you didn’t bring Zane back with you, it now puts me in a very compromising situation because we promised to have him caught. But now, he’s on the run, probably gone into deep hiding.”

I pinch my lips together, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. Trust Scout to run straight to the boss before I even had a chance to get into the office and explain. The moment I arrived, I headed downstairs, submitting the animals I’d saved to animal handlers for safe transport to ensure they are returned to their original country.

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