Page 10 of Shadow Bound

Vance and Alexandre stand in the middle waiting for them to arrive while I stay back in the shadows.

I can practically see my brother bouncing with excitement at the prospect of getting to kill again as we wait. My gut tells me this isn’t going to end well for any of us.

I’m pondering what it’ll be like to kill Vance. I hate everything about him and would love to know what it feels like to crush his windpipe in my hand. I also know it’d mess up Sterling’s plans if Vance was gone and knowing that is the cherry on top.

Again, I could never do it because Alexandre would stop me, but it’s nice to have dreams.

I hear them enter the garage before I see them. My body stiffens in anticipation as they come into view. The girl I saw leave with the baby is with a large dark-haired man in a bloodied suit. He positions himself in front of her, protecting her from us.

When we’d left the penthouse, we’d found twelve of our guards dead in the hallway. Their bleeding bodies had been the source of the blood I’d smelled earlier. I tilt my head and look at the man. He looks strong and I can smell that he’s not human, but how did just one man take out our highly trained guards?

Vance and Alexandre order them to turn over the baby, but they refuse.

The woman glowers at the pair, her eyes are two different colors and are partially hidden by the thick bangs covering her forehead. She’s brave. I’ll give her that.

“If we don’t make this sale tonight, we’re going to be out hundreds of thousands of dollars. And we’ll have a pissed-off boss on our asses. So, just hand her over so we can kill you and then get back to our event.” Vance waves his gun at them in warning.

“I don’t care if Sterling is mad at you.” She shrugs indifferently. “I actually think it would be awesome if he killed you. One less of you for us to hunt down—it’ll save us some time.”

They’re planning on taking down Sterling? My lips twitch at this. They have no idea what they’re up against, but I appreciate their tenacity.

I frown when I see Alexandre’s eyes light up at the girl. He looks at her like she’s his next meal. “You’ve got a mouth on you,” he comments. “I like it.”

Alexandre’s attention is not something you want—it’s usually a death sentence.

She smirks. “Thank you, it’s one of my more redeeming qualities.”

Deciding I’ve spent enough time in the shadows tonight, I step forward with the mask I wear firmly in place. They’ve worked tirelessly to create an emotionless monster and for the most part they’ve succeeded. I’m overly careful to hide away the piece of me they haven’t destroyed. “Don’t get too attached, Alexandre.” I warn my brother, my voice even and cold. “She won’t be here much longer.”

The pair watch me, confused by how I was able to melt into the shadows. Fae are a rare breed and not many people know about their powers. Hardly anyone has heard of shadow walking.

Vance waves his Glock at them again. “Bring me the fucking baby.”

His attempt to seem intimidating makes me want to roll my eyes. He cried like the little baby he is just a few months ago when he was shot in the leg. The bullet had justgrazedhim. It was embarrassing to witness him break down like that.

The man’s eyes flare silver and an animalistic growl leaves his throat. Ah, he’s a shifter. I’ve always been intrigued by wolf shifters, something about them just called to me. One of the coolest things I ever got to witness was a young wolf shifter changing into his wolf form for the first time. “If you want her, come and get her,” he snarls.

He may be strong, but he’s no match for Alexandre or me.

“You won’t win this fight, boy,” Vance echoes my sentiments. “You have no idea what you’re up against.”

I can sense the hunger coming off of Alex in waves. He’d just eaten earlier this evening, but because of his overwhelming bloodlust, he’ll never be satisfied. It doesn’t matter how much blood he consumes; he’ll always need more. I want to say I’ll never give into my nature. That I’ll stay strong and stay in complete control of my hunger, but I know it’s a promise I can’t keep.

One day I’ll snap.

I just hope someone is there to take me out when it happens, because I know the damage I’ll cause will be catastrophic. Alex’s time is coming, I can feel it in my bones. It’s like a stopwatch on a bomb and everyone in his blast radius will be dead before they can blink.

The sound of the radio on Vance’s hip cuts through my thoughts. A muffled voice comes from it. “There’s a third one. He’s on level two of the parking garage. I don’t think he’s human, I need some backup.”

I eye the people across the garage from us. They’re smarter than I thought by not coming here alone.

Vance’s hand grips the radio, his knuckles turning white. He lets out a harsh curse before raising the radio to his mouth. “Sending Isabeau.” His dark eyes cut to me and he nods once. “Go,” he snaps his order at me.

I don’t want to leave Alexandre—I never do. Someone has to be around to keep him in check and that person can’t be Vance. But I know that I can’t disobey Vance’s order. My teeth grind as I swing my eyes between the two groups facing off. I know in my gut that when I return, someone will be dead.

“Very well,” I relent before walking back into the shadows.

I make my way up to the other level of the parking garage as quickly as I can, not wanting to leave my brother unattended for long. I’m hardly his sister anymore. My role in his life is now his babysitter and I know one day I’ll be his executioner. I’ve been training since I took my first breath to be a killer, and now I will have to use those skills to kill my own flesh and blood.

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