Page 41 of Bound

Chase ducks his head and pulls back, making my stomach clench with unease. I don’t want him treating me like glass. I might be broken, but him playing with me isn’t going to break me any further. In fact, having someone want to be close to me, because they seem to genuinely like me, and not because they want something from me, is something I didn’t realize I was missing. It’s something I’m starting to crave from these five men.

I push to my feet and step over to him, rubbing my head along his neck, letting him know I’m not upset. And I take a few extra seconds to smell his smoky cedar and honey scent.

He presses his face against my neck, and I secretly hope he’ll leave some of his scent behind, knowing it helps to calm me.

When we pull apart, I notice the other three have moved in close in their wolf forms. I glance up at Hunter, the only one in human form right now. “We’re heading home now. Are you still tired? Or do you think you can run for a bit? We’ll be able to go faster if we’re all in wolf form.”

Home? Their home? I look in the direction we’d been heading as nervousness fills me. They haven’t mentioned anything about where they live. Who will I stay with? Are there others there?

Knowing they are waiting for me to make a decision, I decide I’m too anxious to be carried, and that running might help me relax a little. I bark, bouncing on my feet, and he nods before he takes his bag off and starts to undress. I quickly turn away before I can see anything, and Chase lets out a chuff of laughter.

I feel the energy from Hunter’s shift and turn back to seehim picking up something small with his mouth. Is that a phone? He’s left his backpack hanging on a tree branch, apparently okay with leaving it there.

Bain presses his head to my side, telling me to get going. Maddox leads the way, followed by Gage, and I fall in behind him with Bain at my side and the twins flanking us. We set out on a slow run, the pace steady and even.

After about an hour, I start to slow from exhaustion. I’ve been pushing through for the past twenty minutes, not wanting to let them down or seem weak, but I’m not sure I can go on much longer, and it’s not like I can ask if we’re close.

I hear several howls in the distance and skid to a stop, my heart pounding with worry as I start to back up. Bain stops beside me. He’s so massive compared to my unusually small frame that he’s able to step over me like a shield.

Maddox returns a howl of his own, but I don’t sense a warning there. It feels more familiar, like a greeting.

Does he know the other wolves? Are they friendly?

Another howl pierces the forest around us, then Maddox turns to me and nods. I think he’s telling me everything’s okay. Bain moves off me, moving to my side as we follow Maddox at a much slower pace. The twins are so close I can feel their warm breath on my legs, bringing me a sense of safety.

When we come to the edge of the forest, I peer around Maddox and Gage, noticing a large house about a quarter mile away. Some lone trees and a gazebo fill the open space between us and the house.

Maddox shifts to his human form, and I cast my gaze down, not wanting him to think I’m ogling him, as much as I’d like to. They all start to shift, and eventually, two feet appear in front of me. Whoever they belong to is wearing jeans, so I raise my head and see Maddox, fully dressed in a tight, deep green T-shirt and blue jeans, staring down at me with that intense gaze of his.

“Alright, sweetheart, are you ready to see our home?” I swallow nervously. They live here?

Glancing around, I notice all the guys are fully dressed now, each wearing jeans or sweatpants and the same T-shirt in different colors.

Where did they get those from?

Looking around, I notice a small storage box off to the side. They must keep clothes in there for occasions like this, when they return from a run. Smart.

“Do you want to walk there, or can I carry you?” Maddox asks, making me tilt my head at him. He didn’t ask if Ineededhim to carry me; he asked if hecould. My heart hums in approval, appreciating the way he phrased that to give me an easy out.

But I don’t want to burden them anymore, as much as I like being held. So I take a step backward, hoping he’ll understand.

He nods. “Okay, come on then.” He motions with his arm for me to follow him as he starts walking across the clearing, which I realize is actually someone’s backyard.Theirbackyard.

As we move across their property, I try to take in everything around us. There’s a large swimming pool with a small waterfall, and the closer we get, the more I realize it actually looks more natural, like a pond, but the water is clear like a pool. It appears to be some sort of hybrid between the two.

As we get closer to the house, I take a moment to admire how beautiful it is. It isn’t exactly a mansion, but it’s still impressive. A large wraparound porch spans across the back and both sides, with a gazebo attached to one corner. It’s two stories, and it’s been painted a lovely mid-toned blue. It’s a beautiful home.

Movement catches my attention as a pair of wolves come running from around the side of the house, heading straight for us.

They’re coming to take me back!

Part of me knows that they aren’t from the facility, since I never saw any shifters there, but I press backward anyway, my rear meeting Bain’s legs.

“Angel?” he asks in concern. Fear has me in its grasp, and that one word from Bain has me desperate for his protection. I turn to him and leap into his arms, praying he’ll catch me. He doesn’t disappoint. He holds me tight against his chest as the twins step in front of us, blocking me from the two new wolves as I tremble in fear.

A warm feeling moves through me, and it’s so foreign, it takes me a moment to place it.Safety.

As I shake against Bain’s chest, I realize that he doesn’t seem very tense. Does that mean he knows them? That they’re safe? I don’t know anybody else in the world besides these five men. I don’t even know how to tell a friend from an enemy.