Page 75 of Shadow Bound

“I don’t know,” I tell her honestly.

She uncrosses her arms and walks closer to me. “Let me ask you this, do you want her to be?” she asks softly, no judgment in her eyes.

I scrub my hands over my face before threading my fingers through my already mussed hair. There’s a battle going on in my head, a part of me is afraid of being too honest, that if I admit this to my mother, I’ll have to admit it to myself. But I already know the answer.

“Fuck,” I curse. “Yeah Mom, I do. There is just something that’s called to me since the first time I saw her. Even when I wanted her dead for hurting Pru, it was like her soul called to mine and a bond was formed that night. I went ten months without seeing her, but I still thought ofher every single day. She became a part of me that night and now that I’ve spent real time with her, gotten to know her as the woman and not the assassin, I’m even further connected to her. I don’t know how it happened or how she did it, but she’s crawled under my skin and the only way she’s getting out—the only way I’m letting her leave—is if she cuts herself out of me with one of her knives. And even then, I’ll go after her and drag her back here by her hair. I don’t care if that makes me seem like a barbaric asshole, I’ll do it.”

My mother’s soft hand reaches up and caresses my cheek. “That’s not being an asshole, that’s called being in love, Ransom.”

Love? Fuck. Am I in love with her?“If this is love, why do I want to kill her as much as I want to kiss her?” I’m still pissed she left and put herself in unnecessary danger.

“Yes, son, this is definitely love.”

Goddammit. The woman who’s made of leather and shadows has gone and made me fall in love with her.

“Now the question is, does she love you back?”

“I couldn’t tell you,” I admit, my throat feeling tight.

“You’ll know when the mating aura appears.” Mom smiles reassuringly at me.

“Ifit appears.”

My mom looks through the window of the glass door, looking at my vampire. “I don’t know, son. I’ve been around a long time and I’ve learned to trust my gut. It’s telling me now that this girl is going to be sticking around. Just be patient. From what I’ve heard, she doesn’t know what it’s like to be loved. Just love her like she’s already yours, Ransom.”

“That’ll be easy.” I can’t stop the smile. “Sheisalready mine; she just hasn’t figured it out yet.”

Pruitt is coming home today.

Ryker had gotten word from Jax that they’re about six hours away. The complete and total one-eighty in attitude and mood in the male wolf was an astonishing thing to witness. It was like someone had finally turned on the light in his soul after being consumed by darkness for ten months. While I’m nervous to face Pru after what I did, I’m also finding myself…happy? For Ryker. He deserves to live a quiet, happy life with his mate.

With Nessa out of the way, he’ll be one step closer to getting that. I want to give this family the peace they deserve. They did nothing wrong, just like I did nothing wrong. I was just born into a shitty situation out of my control. I’m slowly learning and accepting that none of this is my fault.

I hate to admit it to myself, because it just further proves that Ransom is now the most important thing in my life, but he’s slowly shown me that I can find peace in myself. That I can find the strength to forgive myself for my sins.

Needing a break from the chaos of the Winslow’s house, since our meeting yesterday with the whole fucking family people have been in and out of the house all day. The constant chatter and noise are driving me crazy, so I escape outside with my headphones. Perched up in a tree on a branch, I listen to whatever music I was listening to last.

I’m lying flat on my back, my feet dangling off the branch, trying my best to distract myself from the growing hunger. Esme was right, after throwing up twice more last night, something I was able to do solely because Winslow distracted Ransom when I bolted to the bathroom, I started to feel better. The pain in my stomach and head are now just a dull ache, but the tightening in my throat and throbbing gums and fangs tell me I’m starting to grow hungry. Each day I go without blood, the weaker I become.

Being around Ransom has proven more and more difficult now that I know what he is to me. What hereallyis to me. All I can think about when he’s near is his blood and how it was made for me, and only me. I find myself staring at the veins in his neck, the sight is enough to make my mouth water. Behind the hunger and lure of his blood, there’s another emotion starting to bloom in me. It’s another one that I’m unfamiliar with, it feels foreign and odd, but I also don’t hate it.

I’m still in shock that I’ve started an irreversible bond with him without either one of us knowing. It makes sense now why even after being apart for ten months his handsome face and the taste of his blood still haunted me.

The sound of a twig snapping beneath has me flying into a sitting position. Looking down, I find Ranger and Winslow standing beneath me, each wearing a worried look. Dread pools in my stomach. Popping one earbud out, I frown at them. “What now?”

Winslow worries her bottom lip between her teeth and doesn’t speak up until Ranger nudges her with his elbow. “Tell her,” he urges.

Shaking the nerves off and standing up straighter, her shoulders back, she meets my eyes. “I have to ask you a really odd question.”

“Okay,” I drawl.

“What happened after your brother died? What did they do with his body?” she asks as quickly as possible, her eyes shining with guilt afterward. “I hate to ask you this—please know that I’d never pry if it wasn’t important, but I need to know.”

Finally taking the other bud out of my ear, effectively ending my peaceful break, I ponder her question for a second. “The last time I saw him, he was in the morgue at the New York facility. They told me they were going to cremate him. Sterling isn’t big on leaving evidence around to be found or dug up. Why are you asking me this, Winslow?”

“I want to preface this by saying I thought I was doing the right thing by not telling you, but now I know that I was wrong…” she babbles.

“Spit it out, witch.”

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