Page 54 of Shadow Bound

“I’m ten minutes away from the house,” he tells her, looking at me. My body heats as his blue eyes look me over. “I also brought someone home with me.” I don’t miss the way his hand on the steering wheel tightens.

There’s a long pause. “You brought Isabeau home with you?”

“Like I said, it’s a long story, but yes, Isabeau is here with me.” Isabeau… not Beau or Tink. Fuck, I never thought I’d miss those nicknames that he gave me, but I do. “I never got around to telling Ryker about her, and assuming you all kept your promise and didn’t say anything, Ryker has no idea who I’ve been working with.”

“No one has said a word…shitRansom. He’s going to bepissed.” There’s panic in Winslow’s voice. “You’re bringing the girl who shot hismateto hishome.Dude. Remember how he reacted when he found me in his house? That was bad and I didn’t do anything to Pru. He’s going to—”

Ransom cuts her off again. “That’s why I need everyone there to be backup.”

“I don’t need you to protect me from your big brother,” I tell him.

Winslow snorts, clearly hearing what I said through the speakerphone. “Honey, Ryker’s been a hot mess since Pruitt left. He already had a short fuse before she was gone and now—girl, I’m just saying, I hope you’re fast because you better start running now. He’s not going to be happy to see you. Ransom, do you really think this is a good idea, what if he hurts—”

An animalistic growl rips through Ransom’s chest and his eyes flash molten silver. His wolf’s presence fills the truck as he violently pushes to the surface. “No one is fucking touching her, Winslow. Especially not Ryker. If he tries, he’ll learn quickly what a mistake that is.”

His claws have descended from his fingertips. Without thinking, I reach across the middle console and rest my hand on his thigh, squeezing lightly. It’s a gesture unfamiliar to me, but the sudden need to calm him took over.

Ransom’s body goes rigid at my touch and he shoots me a look of confusion. Feeling like I’ve made a mistake, I go to move my hand away from him, but he stops me, covering my hand with his bigger one. He keeps it there on his thigh.

“Alright, damn, Cujo, I hear you loud and clear.Message received,” Winslow utters, I swear I hear a smile in her voice. What the hell would she be smiling at? “I’ll round up the troops and meet you at Ryker’s.” She hangs up without saying goodbye.

“Is your brother really going to try to kill me?” I find myself asking.

“He might try, but I won’t let him.” His hand grips mine harder. “No one is going to hurt you.”

“You don’t have to protect me, Ransom,” I remind him.

“I know I don’t have to.”

He’s quiet the rest of the drive, a heavy silence sits around us. A couple tree-lined, winding roads later, he stops at a large iron gate that he opens with a remote control. I instantly sit up straighter and prepare myself, having recognized it as the one that leads to Pru and Ryker’s modern lake house.

The driveway is long and covered in gravel. It makes sense now why all of them drive such large SUVs; a compact car would not do well on roads like this. After about a mile, the house comes into view. It’s a white, mid-century modern home that has been recently redone. The last time I was here, it was full of life and had a warm glow to it, but it sits dark and cold now. Pruitt was the light of this home, and without her here, it sits dark. Ryker needs his mate back.

Parked in front of the house is a black Mercedes Benz SUV. Winslow is leaning against the driver’s side door with her mate standing tall next to her. Remington stands off to the side, tapping the toe of her heeled boot impatiently, her arms crossed tightly in front of her. Their heads all swivel to watch us pull up beside them, nervous looks are on each of their faces. There still isn’t a sign of Ryker anywhere, but I know he’s close by. They wouldn’t be this nervous if he wasn’t.

Ransom turns off the car and we sit there, unmoving for a second too long. Not wanting to hide from my problems or enemies, I reach for the handle to let myself out, but Ransom’s voice stops me. “I mean it Tink, no one is going to hurt you.”

I can’t help it; a smile pulls at my lips. “I’d like to see them try.”

The sound of him growling in disapproval fills my ears as I exit the car. When we’d stopped at my storage unit in Wyoming, I’d grabbed multiple changes of clothes. I no longer wear the Vans and hoodie. I’m back in my usual black and leather attire. I’d also restocked my knives and weapon supply. There are holsters on both my leather-covered thighs now, one holds a knife like usual, but the other holds a Glock. I still don’t like to use guns, but if Nessa is headed our way, I need to be prepared for anything.

I push the hood off my head as I walk to meet Ransom’s family. Winslow, like the last time, is the most welcoming. She practically bounces on her toes when I come around the car to greet them. Ranger is still guarded, but there is less hostility in his eyes this time which I appreciate. Remington eyes me up and down, a look of approval on her face when she eyes my weapons.

“I see you returned him in one piece,” she muses, referencing the threat she gave me before she left us in Colorado.

“I told you I wasn’t going to hurt him,” I respond tightly. I don’t miss the knowing look Winslow passes to Ranger. My eyes narrow in the direction of the witch, when she catches my look, shewinksat me. “You don’t have to threaten me with bodily harm anymore.”

“Wearen’t the ones you need to be concerned about anymore.” She points between the three of them. “My big brother, on the other hand? Well, let’s just say he’s been eating bowls ofBitchy O’sfor ten months straight and he’s in amood. When he sees you standing in his driveway, he’s going to lose it.”

Ransom comes up behind me, his shoulder bumping mine as he stands at my side. “Remi enough,” he snaps at her, making her frown. “Where is he?”

“He’s inside.” Ranger juts his thumb toward the dark house.

As if we summoned the devil himself, the sound of glass shattering pulls our attention to one of the huge floor to ceiling windows near the front door. A wolf, black as midnight, flies through the glass. His eyes, a blazing liquid gold color are full of fury as he barrels toward me.

I hear Ranger yelling at Winslow to get in her car and Remington yells at the black wolf. Ransom is bellowing something at my side, but I’m not sure what, I’m focused on the wolf that is charging right at me. Ransom’s fingers just barely clasp around my forearm, his intention to pull me back behind him, but I’m already sprinting away from him and toward the black wolf.

He roars my name, but I don’t stop. An angry growl comes from the wolf and he picks up speed. I could easily pull a weapon and take care of the problem, but I’m not going to cause harm to Ransom’s brother, even if his intentions now are to kill me. Just as our bodies are about to collide with one another, I launch myself in the air, flipping over him.

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