Page 72 of Bound

The action is surprisingly intimate, and the way my body reacts confuses me. I’ve cuddled with them in wolf form many times, but something about this feels more intense.

He pulls back and his nose twitches, then he glances at the others before he lets out a small bark and starts to trot back to the house.

I stay there, frozen in confusion, until Hunter nudges me. When I look at him, he points his head toward the door, and I start to move, unsure what just happened.

Once we’re inside and everyone is dressed, Hunter and Chase start to make breakfast as Maddox pulls out a seat at the head of the kitchen table and beckons me over. “Do you want to sit at the table and eat with us?”

I tilt my head in question. They’ve always fed me on the floor, which makes sense since I’m stuck in wolf form, but the idea appeals to me, so I move over to him and jump up into the chair. Luckily, I’m small enough that I fit perfectly in the chair.

Maddox takes the seat on my right and steeples his fingers together as he stares at me. “We thought if you start doing more human things, it might make it easier for you to shift.”

It’s a good theory, and I hope it works. Lord knows I’m tired of being in this form. I’d love to be able to do something as simple as hold his hand or touch his face. He’s wearing his brown hair up today in a messy bun at the top of his head. Is it soft? Would he let me touch it?

“I hope I didn’t scare you outside,” he says, reaching out to rub the fur on my chest. “I wondered if being around all five of us in wolf form would help you somehow.”

Oh, so that’s what that had been about. I’m willing to try pretty much anything at this point, and I really appreciate that they are still thinking of new ways to help me shift. I just hopethey don’t get upset if they determine I’m stuck like this forever.

I wasn’t trying to shut them out earlier; I just got in a funk. Not being able to shift is starting to take its toll. When I’d been at the facility, I never wanted to shift. But that isn’t the case anymore.

“We’re just having some oatmeal and fruit this morning, Red,” Hunter tells me. “There’ll be lots of food at the BBQ, so we don’t want to fill up too much on breakfast.” He places a bowl of warm oatmeal under my nose.

Right, the BBQ at Alpha Kane’s house. How could I have forgotten? Kane made it clear we all needed to attend, and since Maddox doesn’t want anyone to know we’re leaving town, we had to go along with it.

I stare down at the bowl of oatmeal. There isn’t really a way to eat it without making a mess, but I do my best, licking up small mouthfuls at a time. It’s got a nice sweetness to it and tastes better than I expected. Between mouthfuls, Bain offers me pieces of banana, which I take happily.

“Alright, get cleaned up, then we'll head out in forty-five minutes,” Maddox tells everyone before turning to me. “Red, would you like to take a bath? In the tub?”

A bath?I tilt my head. So far, they’ve only cleaned me up in the pond. I wouldn’t have to worry about drowning in a tub like I do out there. The idea has me excited, and I dip my head in agreement as I jump off my chair and wait for him to lead the way.

“Come on then,” he says, running his fingers up my neck as he heads toward the stairs. I hear the others heading into their own rooms, going about cleaning up and getting ready as we head into the main bathroom upstairs. I haven’t actually been in it before, and as soon as I step inside, I see the giant tub. It looks big enough for at leasttwo full-grown men, and definitely more than big enough for me.

Maddox goes about filling the tub, adding in some sort of bubble bath that smells like vanilla. I sit beside him and watch as he keeps testing the water and adjusting the temperature until the tub is three-quarters full.

“I’m going to lift you in,” he says right before he scoops me up in his arms and slowly lowers me into the tub.

The water is warm and relaxing, and immediately I get the urge to sink myself down into it, but I know it’ll be over my head if I lie down.

“Sit down,” he instructs and I do as he asks. “Good girl.” A shiver runs down my spine from those words, confusing me, but I’m quickly distracted when he grabs a small jug and starts to pour the warm water down my back.

“I'm going to wet you down, then shampoo you, rinse that out, condition your fur, then one final rinse, before I blow dry you, okay?” I appreciate him explaining what he’s doing. I duck my head in a quick nod as he continues to make sure all my fur is saturated in water.

As he shampoos my fur, my body starts to relax, enjoying the way his fingers massage me. This is always my favorite part whenever they’ve bathed me in the pond. He takes time to carefully wash my face, avoiding getting any in my eyes or nose, then lifts each leg to fully clean them. He uses a washcloth to clean below my tail and between my back legs. The whole thing is less awkward than I expected, and I find myself relaxing even further, approaching his level of detail and care.

I wonder if looking after me is an alpha thing? Or a Maddox thing?

“Try to stay awake, sweetheart,” Maddox chuckles, making me open my eyes.When did I close them?I rest my chin on the edge of the bath, and he kisses my nose, smiling at me.

“You’re being such a good girl for me. We’ll have to do this more often. Would you like that?” I let out a sigh in agreement, making him smile even bigger.

When we finally finish in the tub, he lifts me out so I don’t slip and gives me a soft towel dry before grabbing a brush and the blow dryer, then we head into his bedroom.

He takes his time to brush me while drying my fur, and I slowly melt into his bed, lying down and rolling when he instructs. By the time he’s done, I feel more relaxed than I’ve felt in over a decade, maybe even my whole life.

“There, now don’t you look beautiful?” he asks as he runs his hand up and down my belly.

“She always looks beautiful,” Hunter adds from where he leans on the door frame.

“Yes, but now she’s practically glowing. Look how bright her fur is,” Maddox comments, stroking me. “And soft.”