Bound (World of Shadows Book 2)

by Kensie King

  “You were following me.” I stood on the other side of the coffee table, my voice lower now, as he leaned his head back on the cushion and closed his eyes.

  “You were with Gage. It’s my job to look out for you. He’s a little unpredictable, in case you’ve forgotten.”

  Truth be told, he hadn’t been that unpredictable, except for kidnapping me—and I knew exactly why he’d done that. Otherwise, he was a lot more predictable than Dylan so far.

  “He’s trying to help us now,” I reminded Dylan. “And he’s being open.”

  Dylan snorted. “You know why that is. He likes you. He—”

  “What?” I asked when Dylan stopped. He opened his eyes and met mine. “That doesn’t have anything to do with the bigger picture.”

  “Neither does my shifting,” he said point blank. And fuck if he wasn’t right. “What happened at the house today? Did you pass out?”

  I swallowed, hating that he’d seen that. Hating that it kept happening. Savannah had far too much control over me, and it wasn’t sitting well.

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” I told him.

  Dylan sighed and ran a hand over his face. Then he stood. “I guess I deserve that. Listen, I just want to be here for you. It’s my job to make sure you’re safe.”

  “You are here for me,” I told him. “You’re renting me this house and you’re checking in to see how I am. Hell, you’re even following me around when I’m with other people. I think you’ve got it covered.”

  The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them.

  He walked around the coffee table but shoved his hands in his pockets instead of reaching for me like he used to, putting a gap between us.

  “You know that’s not what I meant,” he said quietly.

  What did he mean? A relationship? Or at least more of whatever we’d started before?

  “It’s Gage, isn’t it?” he asked before I could respond. “There’s something there—something going on between you two.”

  I couldn’t deny it because he was right. There was something, and it was a big something. Something that was putting the brakes on what Dylan and I had started. Not to mention that he listened to me, really understood where I was coming from.

  It was something I hadn’t had a lot of in my life.

  “You know where I stand,” Dylan said. This time, he did reach out, taking my hand and stepping up close enough I could feel his breath on my cheek. “I like you. I want more time with you. And I’m not a vampire so I have to get points for that, right?”

  I couldn’t help the quiet laugh. But it faded quickly. “I appreciate you being straightforward, but I think I need some space. Time to figure out where I fit here. And I really need to focus on helping Audrey.”

  He gave a short nod. “Okay. I can accept that. Just remember that I’m here and I want to help. Let me know if you need anything.”

  I nodded. “You should get home and get some rest.”

  “Yeah.” He ran his hand over his face again, then brushed his lips briefly on mine before heading to the door. “Bye, Link.”

  “Bye.”

  When he was gone, I called Grace.

  “Hey, you sexy witch,” she said, which had somehow become her normal greeting for me. “You disappeared on me this morning. What’s going on?”

  I laughed, already feeling better at her joking tone. “There’s too much testosterone in my life. I figured you could help.”

  “I’m in. All the way in. What do you want to do? Go out? Stay in? Drinks, of course.”

  I considered this, remembering how quiet the house was and how easily Savannah could reach me here. “Go out,” I told her. “I need a distraction.”

  “Perfect. Come to my place because I need time to get ready.”

  “Done.”

  #

  After Grace got ready, wearing a tight dress and looking like every single guy we saw that night was going to pick her up, we headed to Riverside Bar.

  I couldn’t deny that it made me feel good to take a break. Even though I was stuck in Knob Creek, I could still narrate my own day. I wasn’t a slave to it.

  “See?” Grace said. “We’re not too busy fighting evil to forget that we’re still young.”

  “And hot,” I told her with a grin. She smiled back, but it faded when she followed my gaze. “And stalked.”

  She spotted Gage and Audrey at the same time I did, sitting at a corner booth. Audrey was also dressed up and she looked like she was feeling better.

  “I guess technically they were here first,” Grace said.

  I muttered an agreement, not mentioning that it derailed my plans slightly. After all, part of keeping Savannah out of my head was staying away from Gage.

  “There isn’t anywhere else to go in town anyway,” Grace said. “Come on, let’s just pretend they aren’t here.”

  It seemed like a good plan, but I could tell the moment Gage realized I was here. I felt his eyes on me all the way to the table like they were burning a hole right through me.

  Grace sat at the table and crossed her legs. Then she flipped her hair over her shoulder before leaning in. “Oh my God,” she whispered, “Gage will not stop looking at you. What’s going on—and where were you this morning?”

  I pointed to the bar. “I need a drink first.”

  Music blared in the background, hopefully covering up our conversation enough that Gage couldn’t hear. Grace beckoned a waiter to take our order, giving him a flirtatious smile.

  Once she’d ordered, I told her, “You two need a room.”

  “So do you and Gage. I thought you had a thing with Dylan—what’s up with that?”

  “I bet no one’s ever accused you of sugar-coating things.” I shifted in my seat, but I could still feel Gage’s eyes on my back.

  Grace shrugged. “Life’s too short.”

  She had a point. “It’s not as straightforward with Dylan,” I told her.

  And I was starting to wonder if our attraction was more about the circumstances than the fact that we really had anything in common. We were two, wholly different people.

  He was sexy as hell, but I couldn’t find much more beyond that to indicate there should be a relationship. That was fine with me, though it sucked not being able to just have a sexy fling because Gage was involved as well.

  “But it is straightforward with Gage,” she said.

  “You know what? Let’s not talk about this. First, it’s Dylan, then Gage, and all that shit with Savannah—”

  “Wait, what about Savannah?”

  The door to the bar opened just as the waiter delivered our drinks. “Well, shit,” I said. I grabbed my beer and took a long swallow.

  Grace glanced over her shoulder and repeated what I’d just said.

  Dylan stood there, looking tall and sexy. Gage noticed him at the same time, his shoulders tensing. Then he stood abruptly and headed straight to our table.

  “I think we’re going to need shots, too,” I told Grace.

  “For sure.”

  I thought Dylan was supposed to be at home relaxing. Or sleeping.

  I took another long swallow of beer, making the mistake of looking up at the same time. I met Gage’s eyes and couldn’t look away. His lips curved, and my stomach dropped. Desire shot through my veins.

  When Gage reached our table, he held out his hand. “Dance with me.”

  The low timbre of his voice made excitement race through me. Made my body ache to be near him.

  I opened my mouth to answer and spotted Dylan heading in this direction as well. My heart beat hard in my chest.

  Gage leaned in, blocking out everything but him. “Just one dance. Please.”

  I put my hand in his. “Just one.”

  Chapter 9

  The music was full of bass and soul, slow enough that it made sense to be close to dance. Very close. And dammit, it was right where I wanted to be. It felt right. Gage’s hand was strong on mine, his cologne reminding me of an
exotic night in the forest.

  But I knew how wrong it was. Not only because I didn’t entirely trust Gage yet but also because I knew just how quickly Savannah could swoop in and ruin it all with her words of death.

  There were other couples on the dance floor with us. A few glanced our way—they probably didn’t see two men dancing together often. But mostly, everyone minded their own business, lost in their own budding romances.

  I wished I could enjoy that, wished I could lose myself in Gage. He turned me to him and settled one hand on my waist, keeping his other hand firm around mine. He tucked it close to his chest.

  “Relax,” he said, lips close to my ear, making me shiver.

  I spotted Audrey over his shoulder and surprise of all surprises, she was smiling. A genuine happy for her brother—and me—kind of smile.

  “You’re not relaxing,” Gage murmured.

  “That’s because this is a bad idea.” But I wasn’t moving away from him. I couldn’t help it. I craved this contact—needed it as much as the air I was breathing. He ran his hand down my spine in such an intimate way, I murmured his name in warning.

  “What?” Gage asked, smiling as he met my eyes. “It’s hard to dance with you like this—be this close to you—and not want to touch you.”

  “Try,” I whispered.

  “I don’t want to.”

  He said it so petulantly I had to fight back a smile. “I know for a fact you actually do possess some self-control.”

  “Is that so?”

  I spotted Dylan staring at us out of the corner of his eye. He looked angry and jealous—a bad combination. Gage just swiveled us, so I faced the other side of the bar.

  “That’s so,” I reminded him. “You said when I was trapped in your house that you wouldn’t kiss me unless I wanted you to. That I had to make the first move and that you wouldn’t take anything I didn’t want to give.”

  “You’re right.” His voice lowered, turning husky. I had to lean in to hear him. “I wanted you to make the first move. And I’ll wait this time just like I did before if that’s what you need, though it’s not easy.”

  “You think I’ll give in eventually?”

  His eyes didn’t leave mine. “You know as well as I do that there’s something between us, Link.”

  Then the flames started flickering inside. I stopped dancing, instantly missing the brush of his thighs against mine. Savannah was here—inside of me. She snuck up on me way too fast for comfort. It was a mix of emotions racing through me. Anger, longing, even fear. But mostly, because of Savannah, there was rage.

  A murderous rage aimed at Gage.

  I swallowed and glanced around to other couples, to where Dylan sat with Grace. And then the exits. “I need to go.”

  I tried to pull away, but his hands tightened on me. “Link, what’s wrong?”

  “Gage.”

  Go to the kitchen. Find a knife.

  Gage peered into my face. “Link, tell me what’s going on.”

  “Please let go.” I pushed away from him and held up my hands.

  “Link,” he said, glancing around this time like he wasn’t sure what to do. “Please, just tell me what’s happening.”

  I took another step back. “Stay there.”

  But he wouldn’t listen. He just kept reaching for me, trying to touch me. Blood red flashed behind my eyes, images of Gage lying on the floor of the bar with a knife in his heart.

  My stomach twisted.

  Dylan appeared in front of me, placing himself between me and Gage. “Link, you don’t look well. Let’s go.”

  Gage stepped around him.

  “Something’s going on,” Gage said, completely disregarding Dylan’s presence and peering into my face. “Link.”

  Dylan’s jaw clenched but before he could do anything else, Grace and Audrey were there.

  “You’re such a lightweight,” Grace joked with me.

  It was such a welcome distraction, I had to laugh. Especially because Savannah was still making images shoot through my mind. This one was a picture of Gage lying on the forest floor, his throat slit.

  I grimaced and turned to both Gage and Dylan. “Everything is fine.”

  “Something’s going on,” Gage said again and actually sent Grace a glance like she might tell him what to do.

  Grace waved him off. “This is supposed to be a night out—away from our troubles. You two are getting in the way.”

  Dylan crossed his arms and looked just as unhappy as Gage.

  “Audrey,” Grace said, turning to her, “you’re a…relatively normal person.”

  Audrey rolled her eyes. “If you’re trying to compliment me, you’re doing a shitty job.”

  “I think she means you should come with us,” I said, nodding my head toward the table. “We’re supposed to be celebrating here.”

  She angled her head, looking curious. “Celebrating what?”

  “Youth, sexiness,” Grace said, grinning. “Cute guys.” She looked pointedly at Dylan and Gage. “Cute guys who keep their distance.”

  Dylan shoved his hands in his pockets and turned away. Gage returned to his table, but I could still feel his gaze on us.

  When we sat again, Grace pointed to the shots on the table. “Let’s start here.”

  Audrey looked doubtful, but Grace pushed a shot glass into her hand.

  “Listen,” Grace told her. “You’re stuck in Knob Creek now. And it’s going to get old staying cooped up in that stuffy old house forever. Might as well live it up while you can.”

  Audrey sighed and then nodded. She clinked glasses with us and drank her shot. Then she grimaced and looked at me. “What was all that about on the dance floor?”

  “I echo that question,” Grace said.

  The waiter came and Grace ordered Audrey and drink and more shots. I let her have her fun. She was right. We might as well live it up. Besides, distracting myself with this was making Savannah leave me alone for the time being.

  “Tell us what happened,” Grace encouraged.

  I had to appreciate that she went with the flow—and that she was including Audrey, who seemed to appreciate it.

  “Fine,” I said, lowering my voice. “Savannah won’t leave me alone.”

  “You mean ghost ancestor Savannah?” Grace asked.

  I nodded. “That’s the one.”

  “Is that why you ran out of the house this morning?” Audrey asked. Grace’s eyebrows shot up.

  “That isn’t what it sounds like,” I told Grace, finishing my beer and giving a smile when Grace waved for the waiter yet again. “Gage took me to Savannah’s house—”

  “The hotel?”

  “No,” Audrey said. “The family’s original house before the hotel was built.”

  “And Savannah was there,” I continued. “She looked real this time. She’s everywhere I go. And…she keeps saying things in my head. Telling me to do bad things.”

  Audrey leaned in. “Like what?”

  I frowned. I didn’t want to tell her because I knew she wasn’t going to be happy. I looked to the table where Gage sat in the corner. His eyebrows were drawn low and he was staring straight at me. He mouthed three words: What’s going on?

  I took a deep breath and looked back at Grace and Audrey.

  “What is it?” Grace asked, reaching out to set her hand on my arm.

  “Savannah still wants revenge.”

  Audrey angled her head. “What does that mean?”

  “She was in love with your great-great grandfather, Lawrence, but he chose your great-great grandmother instead. Savannah cursed him to turn him into a vampire and then convinced the coven to make the spell against all paranormals. She’s…” I gratefully took a sip of the next drink the waiter brought over. “She’s still angry. She wants to take it out on your family—particularly Gage.”

  “Take it out on Gage,” Audrey said. “What does that mean?”

  I glanced to the bar where Dylan was sitting and nursing a beer. Gage kept
looking in our direction. I wanted them to both leave and let us forget all this for the night.

  “Link,” Grace said. “You don’t seem like yourself.”

  “I can barely even think half the time with Savannah in my head. She whispers things to me. Or yells them sometimes.”

  The band started up again with an energetic number, heavy with drums and an electric guitar.

  “It makes sense.” Grace nodded and gave Audrey a swift glance when she looked unsure “It does. Your mom says you’re connected to her now. And she’s right, isn’t she? You had to contact her to‒what’s the word?” She shrugged. “Commune with her spirit. You have a connection. She’s linked to you now.”

  “But she’s dead,” Audrey said. “She can’t make you do anything right?”

  “I don’t want to give her that chance.” I swallowed and intentionally kept my gaze from Gage. “That’s why I have to stay away from him.”

  Audrey frowned. “But how are you going to do that? You live in the same town. You’re helping us. I think we should tell him.”

  “No. It’s not a problem. I’ll just keep my distance until the connection fades.”

  “How do you know it will?” Grace asked.

  “It has to.” Before she could protest or ask another question, I shook my head. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. It’s our night out. I’m going to dance.”

  Grace’s eyes widened as if to say that dancing was nowhere near as important as the conversation we were having. But Audrey hopped off her seat.

  “He’s right. It’s our night out. Let’s dance.”

  Chapter 10

  I had no clue how Grace managed to get us to drink so much while staying sober herself, but two hours later, I realized she’d only had one glass of wine and the shot we did in the beginning. Audrey and I’d both had several—of basically everything.

  When she said she’d drive to my house to sleep over, it sounded like a great idea. Audrey and I leaned on each other, trying to hold each other up as we followed Grace to her car.