Page 64 of Bound

My heart warms to see them like this, with their guards down and relaxed, but instinct tells me something’s missing.

I move down the hall and step into Gage’s room, only to find it empty. That probably means he’s downstairs, researching. Does that man ever sleep?

The need to find him and make sure he’s okay has my paws already taking me toward the stairs.

As I near the first floor, I can see that the only light on is a lamp in the living room, and the soft glow from Gage’s laptop reflects on his face. His head lifts, and his eyes meet mine as I walk over to him. Immediately, he closes his laptop and puts it on the coffee table as he sits forward and watches me approach.

“Hey, what are you doing up?”

As I move closer, he lifts his hand and I butt my head against it, my entire body relaxing when he takes the bait and starts to pet me. I press against his legs, encouraging him to stroke me more as his cinnamon and brown sugar scent wraps around me.

I reluctantly pull back so I can look up at him. I tilt my head in question, hoping he can guess what I’m asking.

“What is it?”

I push my nose against his hand, then tilt my head again.

“Are you asking why I’m down here?” I dip my head in response, and he almost grins. “You’re more human in your wolf form than most shifters are in their human form.”

I nod again, and this time his lip twitches, as if he’s amused.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he finally tells me as he glances at his laptop. “I went down a bit of a rabbit hole about Starfall Haven, but I’m not sure I’m any closer to finding its location.” He sighs, leaning his head into his hands.

I take a moment to study him as he pulls his hands down hisface. He has dark circles under his tired eyes, his black hair hangs limply down his forehead, and he’s hunched over. He looks exhausted.

How long has it been since Gage shifted, outside of the run? Come to think of it, I don’t think he has since I first met him. He’s been stuck with his nose in a book or computer for weeks. That can’t be good for him. He needs a little fun in his life too.

An idea forms in my head, and I back up a few steps, then lower my front half, my tail wagging as I look up at him eagerly.

Come on, take the bait.

He just blinks at me, as if confused by my actions. I leap past him, run around the couch and the coffee table before taking the same position again, egging him on. One thing I remember from my youth was when one of my sisters or I did this, the others couldn’t resist shifting and playing with us. I’m not sure if that’s a sibling thing, or a female thing, but right now, I’m just hoping it’s a wolf thing.

I’ve been dying to get him, and Bain, to play with me. The need to wrestle with their wolves is a new sensation, and I think it’s because I’ve been touched-starved and pack-starved for so long that my wolf is trying to soak up as much as possible.

I run to the kitchen and back again, as fast as I can, and barely resist the urge to bark at him. Only the desire not to wake the others keeps me silent.

My tail wags a little faster, and I let my butt wiggle a little as he watches me with a look of amusement.

“You want to play, do you?”

I answer with a noise that’s half huff, half sneeze, and he stands, pulling his shirt off as he smirks at me. I turn in circles in excitement, trying to avert my eyes as he strips down and shifts.

His nose presses into my side, and I try to keep myself calm, letting our wolves say hi first. He rubs his head down my side, trying to cover me in his scent, and my heart swells with happiness.I do the same back to him, then, when I can’t take it anymore, I try to pounce on his large black body. But he doesn’t budge. He just looks at me with those piercing blue eyes as if I’m amusing and not a deadly wolf.

I nip playfully at his feet, not wanting to hurt him, but wanting him to take me more seriously. He lifts a paw to try to roll me, but I jump over the coffee table and onto the couch, my tail wagging in amusement. He might be bigger and stronger, but I’d bet I’m faster now that I’ve fully recovered.

He still just watches me as if waiting to see what I do next. Does he not remember how to play?

I find a small cushion and whack it, making it hit him in the face. He shakes his head, looking a little surprised, and when I cock my head in challenge, that seems to be the final straw.

He leaps over the table with surprising speed, and I jump over the back of the couch before running back around to the front. I don’t know how he gets to me so quickly, but suddenly he’s rolling me. I put up a good fight, moving with the roll until I’m not underneath him, then jumping up and moving away, trying to nip at his back legs.

Somehow, he keeps catching me easily, and I think the only reason is that being inside doesn’t give me enough time to get any real speed. I bet he couldn’t catch me outside.

Our game of tag continues for a while, until he pins me on my back and lies across my body, not letting me up. I try to wiggle away, but I grow tired, and when he starts to groom me, licking up my neck and cheek, I stop trying to escape and instead start to relax into it.

Getting to play with him has soothed something inside my chest. It might be my wolf side, but we’re so intermixed I feel it all the same. It relaxes me and has me closing my eyes until I feel his weight lift.