Page 19 of Soul Bound

Winslow places the fruit on the railing next to the bird and gives its black head a quick pat before coming back inside.

Remington gives her a pointed look. “So heisyour bird.”

Winslow anxiously plays with the bandages on her hands, not meeting any of our eyes as she speaks. “I wouldn’t say he ismybird, he does his own thing, but he does tend to follow me everywhere. We have a little bit ofhistory.” She mumbles the last bit under her breath.

I take a sip of my coffee before asking, “What kind of history?”

“Mmm…” She ponders her answer for a second. “I don’t want to say.”

Remington shoots me a confused look and mouths,She’s crazy.

“Why don’t you want to say?” Pruitt asks gently. The reason Pruitt is going to be a good alpha wolf is that she’s a good peacekeeper and has calm energy, but she can also kickass and take down anyone who threatens or hurts her pack.

Winslow sighs. “The last time someone found out, it didnotend well. As a safety precaution, I don’t tell people because people don’t tend to handle it well.”

“Is it any worse than you seeing ghosts or us turning into wolves?” I question her.

She pauses, biting her plump bottom lip. “Yes.”

“Shit,really?” Remi asks, stunned. Shifting into an animal usually wins.

Winslow shoves her hands through her hair, pulling roughly at the long dark strands. “Okay but if you people throw me into the psych ward again, I’m going to be pissed.”

That’s the second time she’s mentioned being in a psychiatric hospital now, I’m going to have to find a way to broach the subject without sounding like a dick, because right now all I want to say is,“You were in the looney bin? I knew you were crazy.”But that doesn’t seem very nice.

“Girl, if you don’t spit it out…” Remi growls impatiently.

“Ugh fine!” Winslow huffs. “Ten years ago, Poe ran into my bedroom window and broke his neck. I ran to the backyard as fast as I could, but he was already dead. I was only eleven years old, so it was really sad for me. I cried over his little body and told him I was sorry. At one point I touched him, and I felt this rush of energy leave my body. Poe suddenly woke up, his bones snapped back, and he flew away like nothing happened,”

“You…” Pru starts. “Brought him back tolife?”

“Yes…” Winslow cringes, like what she did was something wrong and not the miracle that it really is. “At first I thought he was just stunned or something, but I saw the way his neck was bent—it wasbroken.”

“Not only can you see dead people, but you can bring them back from the dead,” I scan her over, “But you’rehuman.”

“No shit.” She glares at me. I don’t think she’s over me locking her in the room last night.

“But what if she isn’t?” Pruitt asks. “She smells human, but what if she’s…something.”

“Well there is one way to find out for sure.” Remi jumps off the stool she’s been perched on, already dialing the phone number.

“Esme,” Pru and I say at the same time.

“Who the hell isEsme?”

* * *

Winslow wouldn’t willingly leavethe house or get into my car. So, I ended up having to throw her over my shoulder to carry her out. After tossing her in the back seat of the SUV, I sent a silent thank you to the creators of child locks, because without them, Winslow surely would have jumped out by now, and from what I already know of her, I’m sure she would have done it while the car wasmoving.

“Try as you might, you can’tactuallyglare holes into the back of my head.” I smirk at her through the rearview mirror.

She sniffs. “I’m not trying to glare holes into your head. I’m trying to picture where I’m going to put my new wolf skin rug.”

“Last night you said you were making me into a hat,” I remind her.

“I’ve decided to think bigger.” She glowers at me, her thin arms crossed tightly across her chest.

I make a note that we have to go find this girl more clothes. She borrowed a clean shirt from Pruitt, but it’s too big. Pruitt isn’t exactly big herself, so I have to wonder if Winslow wears children’s sizes. I make another note to stop and get her a cheeseburger and extra-large milkshake—the sight of her too-thin body is eating at me. I don’t know much about her past, other than her ghostly abilities, but I don’t get the impression that Winslow has had it easy.

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