Page 68 of Blade's Battle
The candles lining the wall outside the cells flickered as Callen walked out of the cave, and then back in again, clenching and unclenching his fists at his side. “I don’t want to lose you. None of us do. Do the damn blood-bond and save yourself.”
“No.”
Callen disappeared again, leaving Blade with only his wolf for company. His wolf was prancing, gloating. He knew it was only a matter of time before Blade lost all control.
“Blade?” Anna’s voice echoed through the cave.
“Anna?” He was shocked that she’d come to see him, or that they’d let her. He was still a danger to her.
With a flashlight in hand, she found her way to him. She was shivering, her eyes darting from ceiling to floor. Drake had kept her prisoner in a cave much like this one. She had to be terrified.
“Callen!” he yelled.
Callen’s wolf bounded in and then he shifted. Anna stood there, pale as could be.
“Get her out of here!” Blade jumped to his feet, agitated like the wolf caged inside of him.
“Everything’s fine,” Anna said, her voice shaky but strong. “I survived three months in a cave like this. I can certainly survive a few more minutes.”
“Shit. I wasn’t thinking.” Callen offered her a hand, to lead her out, but that enraged Blade’s wolf to such an extreme that he tried to grab Callen through the bars. Callen moved fast, jumping out of his reach while pulling Anna clear of the bars.
“He doesn’t want you here,” Anna said to Callen.
“More like, he doesn’t want me touching you.” Callen removed his hands from her and stepped to the far wall. “But I’m not leaving you alone with him.”
“There areiron barsbetween us,” she said as she threw Callen a pleading look.
“Doesn’t matter.”
If he wanted to hurt me, he would have back at the cabin.”
Callen bent his leg back under him, planted his foot flat against the stone wall and leaned back, arms crossed over his chest.
“Go,” Blade repeated his earlier demand to Anna.
Anna plopped herself down on the floor, next to the bars. She wasn’t leaving either. He was surrounded by stubborn people.
“Give me your hand, Blade,” Anna demanded, holding her hand out for him to grasp.
Blade locked eyes with Callen. “No blood-bond.”
Callen nodded, and Blade relaxed. Callen wouldn’t let him down.
“This is foolish!” Anna shouted at Callen. “You said it yourself earlier. He should have blood-bonded me back at the house when I offered.”
“He’s made his choice. I won’t let him be forced into the bond.”
“Even if it saves him?”
Callen’s lips thinned. “I won’t betray his trust, Anna. I can’t.”
“But—”
“Even if I did, forced blood-bonds rarely work, and when they do, they are weak shadows of what the blood-bond should be.”
“You’d let him go feral. . .” Anna said in disbelief.
Blade closed his eyes, no longer able to see the torment in her face. “Enough, Anna. Don’t blame, Callen. This isn’t his choice. It’s mine.”
