Bound (World of Shadows Book 2)

by Kensie King

  “Stay back for a minute,” I told her. I didn’t feel stable. I felt like I could combust at any moment.

  “Link,” Gage began.

  I straightened and waved him off. “Check on Audrey.”

  He turned to his sister. Her face was full of wonder and shock. “It worked. I’m sure it worked. I can feel it.” She stood and tossed her arms around me. “Tell me you felt that, too, Link.”

  “I did,” I said, voice low. “I felt that, too.”

  “Thank you.”

  I smiled, but it was wobbly. I stumbled to the bench.

  “Link,” Audrey said.

  Gage sat next to me, rubbing his hand on my back. “You used too much energy.”

  I leaned over and put my head between my legs. “Just…make sure, okay? I know Audrey thinks it worked but make sure. Have her go to the doctor. I don’t want her to think everything is fine if it isn’t.”

  “Everything is fine,” Audrey said, voice firm. She smiled again, looking down at her arms, and then standing and turning around in a circle like she was testing a new body. “I can tell. I feel energized. I’m not tired anymore.”

  “It could just be the effect of the fire. That’s how it makes everyone feel,” I mumbled.

  Gage kept rubbing my back. I sat up straighter and met his eyes. “I need to go in.”

  “Of course.” He stood.

  I shook my head. “No, please. Stay out here. Enjoy this—you deserve it.”

  He turned back to Audrey as I walked to the house. I heard her talking excitedly and smiled. I was almost positive I healed her. Or at least improved her circumstances some. I could feel the healing, her body repairing itself.

  Upstairs, I debated leaving while they were having their moment. Grace could come get me and I could make a plan for finding Savannah’s Book of Shadows. But I couldn’t just walk out on Gage. We’d already been through too much together.

  So I took a shower instead, letting the hot water relax me as my body built its strength back up. Audrey’s pain was fading, but I could still feel it lingering inside of me, taking its time to vanish. Now that she was healed, what would she do? Help us with the spell? Try to figure out a way to leave?

  She was young and vibrant, and it would be wonderful to see her enjoying that. Maybe Grace and I could take her out to celebrate. Once my energy returned.

  When I stepped out of the shower, the bathroom was foggy. I heard a soft knock on the door.

  “Gage?” I asked.

  “It’s me.”

  I opened the door, and he was standing there, arm resting on the frame. His eyes were hooded like he was fighting off emotion, and he stared at my face so long, I stepped back.

  “What?” I clenched the towel tighter around my waist.

  He reached in and grabbed my hips, pulling me in to trap me against him in a tight embrace. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  He shook his head. “Really. You don’t—” He stopped, voice thick. He swallowed and tried again. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  He brushed my cheek with his thumb. “You look tired.”

  “I kind of used a lot of energy back there. I’ll be fine soon.”

  He scooped me up in his arms, and I let out a short yelp of surprise.

  I smiled when he carried me to the bed and said, “How about you relax, and I’ll take care of the rest?”

  “The rest of what?”

  I tried to sit up, but he shook his head. “Relax, close your eyes.”

  I did what he said, so happy to be resting for a moment, I sighed. And then he took off my towel and I opened my eyes again. “I’m not lying,” I whispered. “I don’t have any energy right now.”

  He pulled off his shirt. “You don’t need any.”

  My eyes were tired, but they focused on his chest, the strong muscles in his arms. Then he took off his pants, and my energy went up a few notches.

  “You stay right there,” he whispered, climbing onto the bed with me.

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  His first kiss is frantic, urgent to go deeper and deeper. His warm body covered every inch of mine. “You’re the most selfless person I’ve ever met,” Gage said.

  He trailed kisses down my neck and over my jaw, each one soft and filled with passion. His lips moved lower, whispering over my chest before he kissed down to my abdomen.

  My body quivered. “I want you now,” I told him.

  He gave me a lazy smile. “You’re supposed to be relaxing.”

  He glided his hand from my ankle, up my calf, to the inside of my thigh, before brushing it between my legs.

  “Gage,” I said, voice hoarse.

  He smiled and situated himself between my legs, hands caressing my thighs. Then he wrapped his lips around the head of my cock. My whole body turned to liquid, melting into a puddle while he took his time sucking me off. A lick here, a soft stroke there. His fingers fondled my balls while he hollowed his cheeks and pulled me to his throat.

  I squeezed my hands on the comforter, trying to hold back the orgasm. I wanted more. I wanted everything right now, and Gage—the last person I ever expected—was giving it to me.

  “Lincoln,” he whispered, using my whole name. “Are you okay?”

  I gave a jerky nod. “I just want to forget everything right now.”

  “Then let go.”

  He put his mouth on me again, and I squeezed the sheet tighter, letting go and releasing all my fears and tension in a grunt when he made me come.

  Chapter 20

  “I’m coming with you,” Audrey said, following me and Gage outside to his car. There was skip in her step and she flashed me a smile.

  “You really feel better?” I narrowed my eyes at her face. There weren’t shadows under her eyes, and she didn’t look tired anymore. She looked…almost like a different person.

  “I feel better. I feel like nothing was ever wrong in the first place. It really worked, Link.”

  I glanced at Gage, whose eyes shone with love for his sister. “I don’t want to be pessimistic, but maybe you should still check in with a doctor.”

  “I’m making her go tomorrow.” Gage smiled. “Just to be sure.”

  Audrey rolled her eyes. “I’m sure.”

  “Please,” I said. “It would make me feel better.”

  “Since you asked nicely,” she said, “no problem. But I feel good. And it’s because of you.”

  I shook my head. “I didn’t really do anything.”

  She wrapped me in a hug. “Yes, you did.”

  There was strength in her grip, almost tight enough to make me wince. She had to feel better for her to have changed this much.

  When she pulled away, I reached for the car door, but the earth started trembling. It was small, a slight rattle like a low-scale earthquake. But it was big enough Audrey gripped my arm and looked at me with wide eyes.

  I held onto the car and waited for it to pass. A whip of wind shot through me and then the shaking stopped.

  Gage hustled around the car. “Are you okay?”

  It was heavy, that feeling like something huge had happened and that something had changed. I looked around. Yes, something had definitely changed, I just didn’t know what.

  “Link.” Gage stepped in front of me, making me meet his eyes. “Are you okay?”

  I nodded.

  “Just so I’m clear,” Audrey said, “we all felt that, right? Little earthquake—tiny tornado?”

  I nodded again.

  Gage frowned, looking around just like I had. “What was that?”

  Audrey’s phone rang. She pulled it from her purse and answered. Her eyes traveled to me. “It’s Grace.”

  I forgot my phone was still ruined. I took the phone from Audrey and said, “Did you feel that?”

  “Yep,” Grace answered. “I was calling to ask you the same thing. Dylan’s here, he felt it too, but no one else in the library did
. It’s a supernatural thing.”

  Gage’s eyes were locked on mine, full of questions.

  “Why?” I asked her, turning away. Gage looked like he was about to take the phone from me.

  “It’s probably something we should discuss in person. But…I felt something else just after.”

  My heart started pounding. It didn’t sound good—especially because she was not her usual upbeat self. “What was it?”

  “I think someone else is here—another paranormal,” she said. “Can you meet us at the library?”

  “Sure. I’ll come there now.”

  I passed Audrey her phone back.

  “What’s going on?” Gage asked.

  “I need to get my car so I can go to the library.”

  “I can take you to the library. Link,” he said, stopping me before I could get in the car. “What’s going on?”

  “Grace and Dylan felt it, too—but it’s just us. Descendants from the original four, I guess. She says…she thinks someone else might be here. Another paranormal.”

  Gage shared a look with Audrey and some of the energy faded from her eyes. He sighed and nodded to the car. “We should stay together. Let’s go to the library first.”

  “You don’t have to come with me,” I said. “Dylan’s there.”

  “I don’t care. If someone else is out there, we have to be careful.”

  I caught his arm. “Do you know who it is?”

  He ran his free hand through his hair. “No. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be careful.”

  “Are you keeping something from me?”

  “No.”

  I didn’t believe him, but I let it go. If he knew who it was—or knew something helpful—he’d tell me soon enough.

  “We’re in this together now,” Gage said, holding my gaze for a moment. “I’m on your side and I’ll do whatever it takes to help.”

  He knew exactly the right thing to say—what I needed to hear. We needed Gage and Audrey on our side if someone else was here, and it was a huge relief that he was there with no questions asked.

  We rode in the sunshine to Main Street. People were out shopping and walking, pushing strollers with no idea that something more sinister might be going on in their small town.

  “Well,” Audrey said as we got out on the sidewalk next to the library, “I’m not going to let this ruin my day. I haven’t felt this good in a long time.”

  “We should celebrate.” I turned to her with a smile, trying for both our sakes to inject some normalcy into our day. “Go out tonight and do it right. Maybe do dinner or something.”

  Gage lifted his eyebrows.

  “What?” I playfully pushed his shoulder. “Would you rather head out to the cave and try to find the Book of Shadows?”

  He snagged me around the waist before I could go into the library. “Not happening.”

  I lifted my chin to meet his eyes. “It’s happening eventually. Have you forgotten what happened last night?”

  His jaw shifted but I couldn’t see his eyes behind his dark glasses. “We should talk to your mom. Maybe she knows a way to stop Savannah.”

  “I already know a way.”

  “Link—”

  “No arguing.” Audrey pulled me away from Gage and lead me into the library. “Let’s talk about celebrating first.”

  “Celebrating what?” Grace asked from her desk. She stood when she saw all of us, and Dylan turned from the window.

  Audrey held out her hands. “Link healed me.”

  Grace’s mouth dropped open and she came around the desk. “Really?”

  Audrey nodded

  “You’re not sick anymore?”

  “No.” Audrey was so enthusiastic and cheerful, she went in for a hug. And Grace accepted it, looking genuinely happy for her. She laughed when Audrey kissed her loudly on the cheek. Then Audrey turned to Dylan and tossed her arms around him, too.

  His eyes meet mine over her head, and I smiled. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, too, and it looked like he couldn’t decide whether to run or keep going with it.

  Gage groaned and looked away. “Audrey, really? A werewolf and a shifter? This shifter?”

  I smacked Gage’s arm. And maybe just to make Dylan mad, Gage took my hand in his. Dylan’s eyes dropped to our linked fingers and then flicked up to my face again. His expression was completely blank, and I had no idea what he was thinking or not thinking.

  “I think we should talk about what happened,” Gage said. “Link says you felt that, too. The earth shaking and the wind.”

  “Have any of you ever felt something like that before?” Audrey asked.

  Everyone shook their heads. Grace slid on her glasses and perched on the edge of the desk. “I think it’s because we’re all here. Because the first part of the spell has been reversed.”

  “But something triggered it,” I said.

  Grace nodded. “I think someone crossed the border into Knob Creek.”

  “How do you know?” Gage asked.

  Grace rolled her eyes. “Because I can feel him. Like I can feel all of you. Vampire, vampire, shapeshifter, witch. And I could sense a werewolf if that’s what came through the border.”

  “But that’s not what came through the border,” Dylan said, folding his arms.

  He met my eyes, and a ball of dread formed in my stomach. “A vampire,” I whispered.

  Grace nodded. “It was a vampire.”

  Gage’s hand tightened on mine. “Are you sure?”

  “I can tell,” Grace said. “I could feel it just for a minute. But it was enough to tell.”

  “Can you feel it now?” Audrey asked. I glanced over. Her face looked hard, but there was concern in her voice.

  Grace shook her head. “No.”

  “Would you know it if you felt it again? Could you tell where this person is?” Gage asked.

  “Maybe.” Grace frowned. “Do you know who it is?”

  His jaw shifted and he shrugged.

  “Maybe it’s just some random vampire who happened to come here,” I said. “Maybe he has no idea he’s a vampire—or the significance of Knob Creek.”

  “It’s possible.” Audrey met my eyes. I could tell she wanted that to be true just as much as I did, though that would have to be a pretty big coincidence from where we stood.

  “Let’s not assume anything,” I said. “We already have too much else to deal with.”

  “Like what?” Grace asked. “You healed Audrey—that was our biggest thing. I think we deserve a break. I’m totally in for celebrating, by the way. I just got a new dress and—”

  “I tried to kill Gage last night,” I blurted out.

  Everyone froze and looked at me. Gage rubbed a hand over his eyes and paced away, mumbling something to himself.

  “Nice job?” Dylan offered when no one else said anything.

  Audrey shot him a glare, but Grace chuckled. “Okay,” she said, hopping off the desk. “Since you clearly didn’t and you’re still alive as well, I take it this wasn’t your fault.”

  “It was Savannah,” Gage growled, turning back. He stared at me with barely veiled anger. “And I wish you’d stop acting like this is your fault.”

  “It is because I shouldn’t be near you. I can’t hurt you if I’m not around you—"

  “Why were you around him then?” Dylan asked.

  I couldn’t help when my cheeks flushed. When I didn’t answer, I figured everyone got the idea pretty quickly.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Audrey said. “It wasn’t his fault.”

  I wished I could believe her, but I still feel guilty. And I wished Gage would listen to me and keep his distance. It would make not killing him a lot easier.

  “See?” Gage said. “It’s not your fault, Link.”

  “You’re not the one who walked down to the kitchen and grabbed that knife.” My voice was thick, and I crossed my arms defensively. “I attacked you—don’t you get that? Don’t you see—”

  I stopped talki
ng. I couldn’t keep going like this. Gage didn’t understand what it felt like to literally try to end someone’s life.

  “I need some air,” I whispered. Gage reached for me, but I shook my head. “Please, don’t.”

  “Come on,” Audrey said, “give him some space.”

  I didn’t wait to hear what else they said because I was already halfway out the door. When I was full in the sunshine, I closed my eyes and tilted my face to the sky. The flames of Savannah’s power were buried deep inside. I figured she kept retreating because she was using so much power. She needed to rest just like I did. But it felt like her power was getting stronger and stronger—almost like she was feeding off of me.

  My eyes stayed closed when I heard footsteps. I wasn’t surprised when Dylan spoke.

  “It’s a nice day,” he said.

  I nodded. “Too bad we’re spending it in there arguing.”

  “Everyone’s tense.”

  I opened my eyes. He looked tense, too, with his hands tucked in his pockets, eyes searching the street.

  “Gage told me his brother wants to end the curse. Do you think he’s here?”

  Dylan’s jaw shifted. “His brother? I seriously don’t want to deal with any more of this guy’s family. Shit.” He scuffed his foot on the sidewalk. “Do you think that’s who it is?”

  I nodded. “He’s a vampire. And it seems like too much of a coincidence for it to be someone else.”

  His eyes searched the street again. “Maybe we should go back in.”

  “And make a plan,” I said.

  He smiled. “Why doesn’t it surprise me that you said that?”

  I smiled back. “Maybe because Savannah’s a lunatic and I want to get her out of my head?”

  “Did you really try to stab Gage?”

  I winced and leaned against the brick of the building. “I couldn’t stop it. It was like…like she was possessing my body or something. I was aware of all of it, but I couldn’t do anything about it.”

  Dylan ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry. That sucks.”

  I blew out a breath. “It does. I want it to stop.”

  “And I’m willing to bet you have an idea.”