Page 26 of Shadow Bonds

He tilts his head to Theon. “Theon will sense any type of… pleasure you may feel. And we can promise you that it won’t finish with a happy ending.”

Knox glances down at me with a smug smile. “And once I figure out how this really works, you can bet any little secrets you have, will be mine.”

A bolt of panic rushes through me at finding out what happened, and I catch Theon narrow his eyes on me.

I take a step back from them and try to think of something else. Something that won’t reveal my every worry and fear.

Malakai cross his arms. “So, try as you will. But if we’re stuck in this hell. So are you.”

“Well see,” I tell them while giving them a wicked smile, making them lose a little bit of their confidence while I feel absolutely none.

I turn and head to my room, trying to lock down and contain my panic while I think of a way to block them all out. For good.

CHAPTER 9

Block…It’s the first thought that comes to me as I open my gritty eyes with a groan.

Knox kept me up all night, talking to me in my mind about anything and everything he thought would annoy the hell out of me. And it worked.

It went on for hours. And then he started singing. It turns out he has an amazing voice. But as soon as he figured out I liked it, he stopped.

He then moved on to tell me every single moment of the movie he was watching. And he must have chosen the worst movie known to man because it was beyond terrible.

He eventually fell asleep a couple of hours ago, but by the time I was able to fall sleep, it was already time to get up. And now I have to go to training and class.

I trudge to the bathroom and have a quick cold shower to try wake myself up. Getting out, I throw on my clothes and head downstairs.

Malakai, Theon and Cyrus are already up. Their eyes veer to me the moment I walk down the stairs.

“You feel a little frustrated this morning,” Theon says with a smug look.

“And exhausted,” Cyrus says but with a frown as if he’s actually worried.

I ignore them and then my tired brain finally wakes up and realizes something. The bond isn’t a one-way thing. Knox could hear me talk to him. Which means if they can do it, so can I. I just have to figure it out first.

I smile, and their smug looks start to drop.

“Game on, boys.”

After another entire afternoon wasted in the labyrinth that is the library, I’m no closer to figuring out this mate connection between us.

Heading back to the house and straight to the shower, I strip and get in, hoping it will ease some of the frustrations rushing through me.

My mind is thankfully blank, which can only mean Knox is asleep.

I take my time showering, thinking about how I can learn how to block them out, especially Malakai, when my vision blurs and shifts.

No longer am I in a plain white shower but a gray and black one.

I glance down and gasp when I spot a six… noeightpack. Muscles upon muscles, tight, corded and fucking lickable.

Large hands run up and down, lathering soap over every inch.

My core clenches, and it takes a minute for me to snap out of my shock—and lust—to realize I’m seeingthroughMalakai’s eyes.

I’ve been practicing for two days now with no luck, but apparently all I needed to do was clear my mind and focus on him.

I glance down at my body and my vision flickers from my wet breasts and stomach to his.

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