Page 54 of Bound

The scent of smoky maple reaches my nose right before the bed shifts. My head shoots up to see a large blond wolf looming over me.Bain.

My heart races, but not from fear, from proximity. He liesdown at my back, his larger body practically surrounding mine. I rest my head back down and close my eyes, letting myself bask in his scent and his presence.

Instantly, I feel the tension dropping away. The thoughts that were plaguing me just a few minutes ago are already fading from my mind.

The bed bounces a little, and I open my eyes to see two gray wolves jumping up.Hunter and Chase.They both curl up against my front, right against me, as if they have no sense of personal space at all.I love it.

My head ends up curled into Hunter’s neck, and his pine and citrus scent has me relaxing even further. Is it normal for your pack’s presence to soothe you this much? I’d always felt comfortable with my family, but it’s not like we ever slept in our wolf forms. Nor did I actively crave their presence like I do these five.

I decide it must be a normal pack thing. If one of them was my fated mate, then I would know, wouldn’t I? I mean, I know we don’t officially know until we’re both in our human forms, but wouldn’t I feel a deeper pull to one of them more than the others?

And they would know for sure. If one of them felt it more than the others, surely they wouldn’t all be so affectionate with me. Which means they must see me as a pack member, and nothing more.

I snuggle ‌a little deeper into Hunter’s neck, determined to enjoy this for as long as it lasts.

The soothing timbre of Gage’s voice wakes me from my sleep. I try to tune into what he’s saying, but it takes me a minute to orient myself.

I’m still lying in my new bed, but nobody else is in their wolf form anymore. I can feel I’m lying against someone’s leg, with my head in their lap as they gently stroke my head and neck. From the strong smell of cedar, leather, and ash, I know it must be Maddox.

“I know it’s just about legends,” Gage says, “but I’m out of options. I’ve literally read every book I can find on shifters.”

“Well, she is a shifter, right?” Chase asks from somewhere close by. The room goes silent for a few seconds before he speaks again. “I’m just saying, she isn’t a human who’s been cursed by a witch or something?”

Witches are real?

I decide it’s time to let them know I’m awake. Besides, I can clarify that question. Lifting my head, I find Chase sitting at the end of the bed and shake my head at him.

He smiles in amusement, then reaches out to stroke my lower back. “Born a wolf shifter, huh?” I nod.

“Are your parents wolves too?” Gage asks, and I turn to look at where he and Maddox are sitting in my bed, leaning against the headboard. Gage has a giant book in his lap and just watches me patiently. I nod again.

His eyes dart to Maddox, and suddenly, I feel the tension in the room ramp up for some reason. They must be speaking through the bond.

Maddox licks his lips before carefully asking, “Are they out there somewhere? Your parents? Do you think they’re looking for you?”

A small whine leaves me, almost inaudible, at the thought of the loss of my family. Then I shake my head and rest it back across Maddox’s lap. His hands, and several others, start to gently soothe me.

“Do you have any family that you know of?” Maddox asksgently. I manage to give my head a little shake. “It’ll be okay, Red. We’re your family now.”

I squeeze my eyes tightly shut as a stray tear rolls down my cheek. I have the strangest mix of sadness and hope pooling in my chest, and I’m not sure how to feel right now. Losing my family, the way I did, still haunts me, but knowing that I have a place with them, even if I’m never able to shift back, it means more than they’ll ever know.

I take a few moments to let my emotions out, then I take a few deep breaths, tired of feeling sorry for myself and determined to start acting strong. Opening my eyes, I notice the book in Gage’s lap again and lean forward, nudging it with my nose.

His eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “You want me to read this?” I give him a single nod, and he opens it up. “Is there something in here that will help us?” he asks.

I have no idea. I just want to change the subject, and since I can’t do any research of my own, I’m going to need their help to do it for me. I try to lift a shoulder in a shrug, and Chase bursts out laughing.

“Oh my God, Blue, you’re adorable.” He hasn’t called me Blue in a few days. I like the nickname. I glance at the others. Hunter is sitting beside him, at the end of the bed, and Bain is sitting in the armchair.

All of them look tempting, like I could curl up in any of their laps and be completely comfortable. But how could I choose who to go to? In the end, I decide to stay with Maddox. I stand up and shake out my body then gently step on his thighs. His brows pinch in confusion for a moment as I climb onto his lap and sit down, leaning my body against his torso, my head fitting perfectly below his chin.

His arms come up to surround me, and he kisses the top of my head. I watch Gage, waiting for him to read. His lip twitchesin what I think is amusement before he starts to read from the book.

“A Supernatural History of Legends and Myths,” he says, reading the title.

“The creatures and ideas in this book have not been confirmed. However, legends start somewhere, and may be an example of what existed long before our time.”

He flips the page as Maddox’s fingers gently stroke through my fur.