Page 55 of Shadow Bound

Landing safely on the other side of the beast, I drop into a crouching position and watch as the wolf tries to figure out where the hell I went. Skidding across the gravel, he turns. His head drops and his lips pull back, revealing his sharp as hell fangs, for good measure I bare mine, showing him I’m not afraid of him. He’s big and he’s angry, but I’ve seen worse. While he stares me down, my fingers wrap around the device I’d stashed in my pocket, I had a feeling I would end up in this position when I showed up at Ryker’s home.

Ryker’s wolf is vicious, but Ransom’s wolf had a more unhinged vibe about him. I get the impression Ransom’s done such a good job at hiding it, his family has no idea how ferocious his wolf actually is.

The black wolf charges me again, his huge paws digging into the dirt. I can’t fight the smile, because he’s doing exactly what I want. I need him close to use the device in my pocket. He’s halfway to me when a flash of silver and gray tackles him to the ground.

Ransom’s wolf attacks Ryker’s, they twist and turn in a fury of teeth and claws. Each time Ryker gets the upper hand, Ransom’s wolf reverses the roles, putting Ryker right back on his back. Pained sounds come from the heap of fur, from which wolf I’m not sure. The smell of their blood floats through the air. The scent of Ransom’s rich blood instantly makes my mouth water.

Looking at their family members, I find them all surprised, their eyes locked on the silver and gray beast. I circle around them as they continue to battle with each other, my heart picks up, worried that Ransom’s going to get severely hurt. His fur is streaked with blood, both his and Ryker’s.

I make my way closer to his family. Ryker sees me moving and tries to lunge at me, but Ransom is quick to pull him back, his teeth sinking into the black wolf’s flank.

Remington eyes me. “What happened to him all those months away? When did he become so—?”

“Strong?” I offer, cocking my head at her.

“That wasn’t the word I was going to use...”

“It should be. Nothinghappenedto Ransom. He’s always been this way; you just never saw this side of him.” Pride rises in my chest, the side they’re seeing of Ransom right now is the side that calls to me.

“He hides it well.” Winslow gives me a knowing look. Ransom has told me about how Winslow misses nothing, her two-toned eyes see more than just the dead. She sees the secrets and parts of us we try to hide.

Ranger nervously clenches and unclenches his fists. “There was a couple of times when he snapped when he was younger. We just thought it was his adolescent wolf, thought he’d grow out of it.”

I don’t like the look on his face as he watches his twin tear into their older brother. “That look on your face is why he hid it. You’re looking at him like there’s something wrong with him. His wolf lives closer to the surface than yours. That makes him stronger and more dominant than you and honestly, probably even Ryker. He has to fight daily to keep his wolf at bay, so no one sees his true nature.”

“You did,” Remington pipes in, a look of astonishment on her pretty face. “You saw him.”

“We’ve both struggled with controlling our dark sides,” I offer vaguely. The sound of a wolf calling out in pain behind has me turning. “Okay, enough of this…” I march forward, intending to put an end to the madness. A hand wraps around my shoulder and pulls me back, whirling around to growl at the person who’s stopped me, I find Ransom’s twin standing there.

“He wouldn’t want you to get hurt.” A look I don’t understand crosses his face, making me frown. I feel like they all know something that I don’t, that they’ve figured something out and I’m still in the dark.

I scoff at him. “I’m not going to get hurt.”

Shrugging him off, I pull the baton from my pocket, I whip it out to my side, extending the shaft of it. Pressing the button on the side, it zaps with electricity. Tasers are nice, but this baton packs a bigger punch and I’m going to need that to disable the angry black wolf.

Whistling sharply to get their attention, the black wolf, who’s getting his ass kicked by Ransom, turns my way. The gray wolf does the same, the growl that comes from him isn’t one of anger, it’s a warning to stay back. While the gray wolf is distracted, the black wolf wiggles free and jumps at me. I’m prepared and press the baton to his side, sending a couple thousand volts through his body. This voltage would kill a human, but a powerful shifter like Ryker will survive. It’ll just make him writhe on the ground for a couple minutes and hurt like a bitch.

The black wolf drops to the ground, a pained sound coming from his convulsing body. Ransom’s wolf, covered in blood, turns on me and gives me a pissed-off snarl. His silver eyes rake over me and I freeze in place. Our last encounter didn’t go well, but something has shifted in the wolf, the aggression coming off him in waves isn’t directed at me right now.

Someone shifts behind me, coming up behind me.

Ranger.

When he’s within two feet of me, Ransom’s head snaps in his direction and his lips pull back in a growl. Turning, I throw a hand up, halting him. “Don’t come any closer.”

His eyebrows pull in confusion. “I’m his twin, he knows I’m not going to hurt you.”

A growl comes from the wolf in response.

“I’m not so sure about that, White Fang,” Winslow says skeptically. “Do what she says.”

Hesitantly, Ranger takes a step away from me, the growling dies down but doesn’t stop. Returning my attention back to my wolf—my wolf?Fuck—I drop down low. He watches me warily and when I put my hand out, beckoning him to me, he freezes.

“Isabeau…” Ranger chides. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, he’s not himself right now.”

He doesn’t know it, but this is exactly who Ransom is. He’s strong and a little out of control, but that’s what makes him,him. The guy Ranger’s known all his life has only been half the man Ransom is. They know the relaxed, laid-back side, but they haven’t truly met the side of him that makes him so strong. And that fact makes me sad.

“You’re wrong, this is who Ransom is,” I tell him over my shoulder. “He doesn’t scare me.”

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