Page 44 of Surrendering Hope (The Hope Legacy)

Aaden, Zee and Jed are spread out on the sofas. “Is this an intervention?” I ask, parking myself next to Jed as he hands me a plate stacked with one of his awesome sandwiches. “And you are trying to sweeten my mood with food layers.”

“Is it working?” Jed asks as Duncan sits on my other side. He’s triple stacked the bread and toasted cheese on the top. My mouth waters.

“Give me a woman who wouldn’t be swayed by this epic sandwich.”

Jed snorts. “Most women refuse to eat anything but salads in front of men they’ve just met.”

I chew the doughy, cheesy goodness. “One, I’m not giving up my love of food for any man, and two, we met a while ago.”

“On your first meal with Archan, you ordered an extra spicy burger and fries.”

“Fair point, but I wasn’t trying to impress and like I said, food first everything else is secondary.”

Zee slaps a notepad on the coffee table between us. I lean forward and spin it towards me. He’s noted the various problems this afternoon’s escapades have revealed, including his own changes.

I hand the pad to Jed. “Zee being bonded to me means he can feel my emotions and is driven to protect me?”

Jed nods. “Both are true, but he was already a protector, so it will boost that instinct.”

“Would he endanger himself?” Please say no.

Jed grimaces. “Yes.”

“How can it be undone?”

Zee huffs. “Is it a bad thing being bonded to me?”

“No, Zee. But I don’t want to affect your freewill. It’s bad enough thinking you guys are driven to protect me because of some Jar.”

Jed shuffles on his ass. “You chose the protectors before you disappeared.”

“Oh, so previous me was a selfish bitch who felt the need to surround herself with people instead of facing her foes head on?” I hate my previous self.

“It’s a working theory but Nathan believes you chose to be reborn when you were needed the most, and because you would have no memories of who you were, you wove into your rebirth a team of people who would have your best interests at heart until you learnt your purpose.”

My fingers thrum against my temples. “Okay, but this has made it worse. Is there any way we can undo this part?”

Jed rubs my back in soothing circles. “I will look into it. We need to watch the bond, it’s new and still developing.” My hands shake as something occurs to me.

“Are our lives linked?”

Jed stares between me and Zee, who places his elbows on his knees and leans forward.

“No,” he says. Zee and I let out a simultaneous breath of relief. “At least not yet.”

“What?”

“Like I said, it’s developing.” I stare at Zee in panic. I have the literal King of Monsters and Prince of Violence at my throat. Zee’s life can’t be linked to mine. I turn to Duncan.

“Find a way to undo it.” Duncan nods, a flash of fear passing through his eyes as he recognizes my worries regarding my own life.

Aaden frowns at something on his laptop. “Why do you think Typhon found you?”

Jed runs his hands through his hair. “That’s my fault.”

“How?”

He flops back on the sofa. “When I teleported you out of the office, I had to push through the wards. I think it might have weakened your shields.” I cringe. Ice picks in the brain are painful.

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