Page 26 of Shadow Bound

Sawyer is in and out of consciousness as we carry—drag—his large body down the mountain. Each of us has one of his arms thrown over our shoulder, his feet and legs dragging behind him. A couple of times I look over at Isabeau to find her jaw is clenched so tight I swear I can hear her molars grinding. She never looks back at me, opting to keep her eyes locked straight ahead. The pained look on her face and her still chest leads me to believe she’s trying her best to hold her breath.

I admit, I struggle at times with controlling my wolf. He’s the beast inside of me just like Isabeau’s bloodlust is the beast inside of her. My beast is hungry for control and a little destruction. Isabeau’s is simplyhungry.

When was the last time she fed? If I’m right, not recently. Or at the very least, not enough.

Isabeau is probably always the smartest person in a room. She’s quick and she’s clearly clever, surely, she had means to get her hands on some blood.Hell!There are billions of humans at her disposal, why isn’t she feeding off them?

“Stop staring at me,” she snaps at me abruptly, pulling me from my thoughts. She doesn’t even bother turning to look at me when she issues her order. “I’m not going to hurt him.” She thinks I’m watching her because I’m expecting her to attack Sawyer again, which isn’t the case.

“Did I say I thought you were going to hurt him?” I raise a single brow.

“You keep looking at me like you’re expecting me to take a bite out of him.”

Sawyer’s head lolls to the side. “He’s just jealous because he wants you to take a bite out ofhim.” His voice is groggy, and slightly slurred, but I don’t care. I’m just glad to hear him talking. Shifters are strong and incredibly fast healers, but there is some head trauma even we can’t heal from. Bones and cuts are one thing—brain trauma is another.

Isabeau’s eyes briefly slide in my direction.

“Dude, I will leave your fucking ass on the side of this mountain,”

Finally, we stumble down the last bit of rocky terrain. I’ve never been so happy to see my truck in my life. Parked on the mountain’s secluded back road—if you could even call it that. It’s a bumpy dirt path just wide enough for a vehicle. We didn’t see a single car pass us as we made the drive out here. It’s so secluded, I left my keys in the ignition. Don’t exactly have pockets when I shift into my wolf form.

Shifting Sawyer’s weight more to Isabeau, I open the back seat door to the cab. Our duffel bags that we have been living out of for the past four months are still on the seats. Uncaring if they get a little dirt on them, I pull them out of the truck and let them drop to the dirt road. “I’ll get in first and pull him in.”

Sawyer helps as much as he can with his good arm, pulling himself into my raised truck. Isabeau helps shift his long legs in with gentleness I straight up didn’t know she was capable of.

With Sawyer settled, I jump out, shutting the door behind me. I feel her eyes on me as I dig through my bag, pulling out two cleanish T-shirts. Without looking, I toss one at her before tugging the other one over my head.

When I finally do look at her, she’s standing there, staring down at the shirt in her hand. “It’s a T-shirt,” I offer.

“Yes, I’m aware.” She tilts her head to the side, looking at me oddly. “Why are you giving it to me?”

Damn, this girl ishellasmart, butsodense sometimes.

“You’re standing in the middle of nowhere in nothing but your lacy bra. I thought you might be a little chilly and want to cover up.”

She looks between her bare chest and the T-shirt. “Does my bra make you uncomfortable?”

I snort before I can stop myself. “No, sweetheart, I’m a big, big fan. I just didn’t wantyouto be uncomfortable.” I already knew Isabeau had a killer body.Literally. The tight as hell leather clothes she wears doesn’t exactly hide what she’s packing under them either. But seeing her standing here in her lace bra and leather pants with knee-high lace-up boots is like seeing my fantasy come to life. I didn’t even know I liked girls with tattoos, butdamn. Isabeau’s have my mind running wild with impure thoughts.

Despite the fact I would like nothing more than to tear those leather pants off her body, I opt to be a gentleman instead, offering her a shirt. Plus, I get the idea that if I tried, Isabeau might skin me alive right here in the woods.

Isabeau’s chin tilts up so she can look me in the eyes. Skepticism mars her features, as she eyes me warily.

“It’s not going to bite; it’sjusta T-shirt, Beau.” I smirk. “Besides, you’re the one who bites around here—well, and me occasionally, but I’ve got to be in the mood.”

She waits a beat before finally pulling the shirt over her head. Not surprisingly, it engulfs her lithe frame. Oddly enough, my wolf perks up at the sight of her in my clothes. A peculiar sense of satisfaction rumbles in my chest knowing she’s going to smell like me now.

“That’s the second time you’ve called me Beau,” she comments as she pulls her long as hell hair out of the collar.

I shrug a shoulder. “You don’t look like an Izzy to me.”

Emotion crosses her face briefly, but she’s quick to cover it up. She’s good at that, keeping her mask firmly in place. “I don’t like nicknames.”

“Tough shit.” My hand waves her forward. “Come on, let’s get the hell out of here.”

Beau shakes her head, snorting. “I’m not going with you.” She even goes as far as to take a step away from me.

“Mmm, pretty sure your ass is getting into this truck. Whether it’s voluntarily or by force is up to you.” My lips curl into a grin. “Please—I beg you—give me a reason to put my hands on you again.” That electric feeling that occurs when I touch her has become a little bit of an obsession for me.

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