Page 2 of Fire Bound

Groaning, my stomach heaving and head spinning, I pull myself out from under the fluffy down comforter. My neck cracks when I glance down at my clothes. The short glittery dress I put on before going to the club clings to my body. The straps are hanging off my shoulders and the hem has ridden up to an—inappropriate—length.

I tug it back down because I don’t need my newest sister-in-law seeing my bright pink thong. We are notthatclose yet.

With a glance at the mirror above the desk, I find that the dark makeup I’d applied last night is smeared all over my eyes. Walking to the door on unsteady feet, my fingers wipe at ruined mascara and eyeliner.

Opening the door, I lean against the doorjamb, blinking rapidly at the bright lighting in the hallway.

Eyes, the lightest—coldest—shade of blue I’ve ever seen stare blankly at me, and there’s an equally unimpressed look on her face. “This is a good look on you,” she comments dryly. “Trying something new with your makeup?”

My lips purse and my eyes squint at her. Deciding to play along, I tell her, “Yeah, I was going for ‘hot mess Barbie’meets ‘sexy raccoon’. I think I nailed it.” Shrugging, as I attempt to wipe more of the makeup from my face, but I know it’s no use. “What are you doing here, Isabeau?”

Of all the people to come showing up at my hotel room, she would be last on the list. My mother or Pruitt would be at the top, but I’ve been ignoring both of their texts and calls, maybe they finally got the hint?

“You’ve missed the past four training sessions.” Beau cocks her head, her stare unrelenting. “I’m here to collect you since you’ve decided to act like a stubborn child and ignore all the phone calls.”

I frown at her. “You didn’t call me.”

“No, I decided a more—direct—approach would be better. It’s harder torejectme when I’m standing in front of you.” The corner of her mouth tips up cockily. “You have ten minutes to get ready before I drag you out of this hotel by your hair.”

“You wouldn’t.” I narrow my eyes. Isabeau is a highly trained assassin, being discreet is her thing. Surely, she wouldn’t do something that would draw that much attention to her.

She takes a step forward, hand behind her back. Of course, she’s dressed in head-to-toe black, a leather corset cinched tight around her waist. There’re roughly five hidden weapons on her at all times. I’ve never met someone as lethal as her.Wait. That’s a lie. There may beoneother, but I don’t want to ruin my day by thinking of him. “Wouldn’t I? These training sessions are important and they’re mandatory for all pack members.”

Four months ago, Pruitt and Ryker gave Beau the beta female position of the pack. Seems the vampire is taking her new job very seriously.

Steeling myself, I shake my head. “I’ll come to the next one, I don’t feel good today.” I already feel ten times better than I did when I first woke up, but still not well enough to go spar and train with my other pack members.

“Nope, that’s not an option. You’re coming today.” Beau is completely unmoved by my compromise. “And you only have nine minutes now before I forcibly remove you from this building.”

“Beau,please. I really don’t want to go.” I know who’s been lingering around still. Why won’t he just leave? He’s never stuck around this long before.

“No, Remi.” Isabeau’s face hardens. “You know who’s coming for us. We have to be prepared. This isn’t up for discussion. Now go get cleaned up. Take a fucking shower, you reek of booze and cheap cologne. We don’t need any bloodshed if you show up smelling like this.”

“What? You think my brothers will lose it if I smell like a man?” That’s ridiculous. They know I’ve been in a relationship before.

Cold eyes clash with mine. “It’s not your brothers I’m worried about.”

My stomach rolls again, but this time it’s not the booze.

When I’m slammed into the mat for the third time in a row and the air momentarily leaves my lungs again, I decide I’m over this bullshit. I’m this close to either snapping at Isabeau who stands over top of me with an arrogant look on her face or getting up and stomping away like a toddler. The only thing stopping me from doing the latter is I’ve already been called a stubborn child today and I don’t want to add any more fuel tothatfire.

“I came here to train, not to have the shit beat out of me,vampire,” I grit as I pull my aching body into a sitting position. My body now hurts from the absolute pounding I’ve gotten since I arrived back on pack property for the first time in a month. What was once my brother’s backyard is now a vast training area. Various padded fighting mats sit among the forested area, different groups practice sparring with each of them. Across the way is the firing range Ransom built Isabeau, and Winnie is sitting there with a shockingly large rifle pressed to her shoulder, firing at a target fifty yards away.

I’m a wolf shifter, a pack animal by nature. I should feel at peace being surrounded by the chaos and noise of my pack, but instead I feel antsy. Antsy because I knowhecould show up here at any minute. I’ve gone a month without seeing him. While it hasn’t been a great month by any means, it’s been four weeks since I’ve felt the soul crushingguiltI experience when I lock eyes with Jax.

“You shouldn’t have missed a month of training.” Isabeau offers me a hand to help pull me up, but I brush it away, standing on my own. “You wouldn’t be so rusty if you’d been here,wolf.”

“Like that would do me any good fighting againstyou.” I wave my hand lackadaisically in her direction. Beau has been trained since birth how to fight. Her first kill was at five years old. She had a much different upbringing than me.She can take on someone three times her size without much effort. Meanwhile, I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus. It doesn’t matter how much I train; I would never be able to beat her. Which is endlessly frustrating.

“This is true.” She nods once. “But you’re not even trying.”

“I told you I didn’t want to be here.” I yank the hairband from my shoulder-length hair, my ponytail has come loose from the ass-beating I’ve endured.

The hair I’d been trying to smooth out is abruptly messed up again when a hand ruffles the strands. Snarling, I whirl around to find my brother standing there, a stupid grin on his face. “Look who’s risen from the dead.” Ransom chuckles. “Are you finally done hiding from us?”

My fingers tangle in the newly formed knots in my hair, too frustrated to deal with it, I give up. Sneering at my brother, I snap, “I wasn’t hiding. I was taking some time for myself and there is nothing wrong with that. If I recall, you went on a rogue wolf hunt for months and no one came and draggedyouhome.”

“I was a thousand miles away. You’ve been stashed away in some hotel thirty minutes away from home.”Thirty-five minutes, but who’s counting. “I was also doing a job. You’re running away because of what happened. I know you’re grieving Gage but Remi, this isn’t—”

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