Page 80 of Bound

I let out a soft bark, and he frowns in frustration, making me chuff.

Yeah, me too.

“I tracked your scent to a tree. Did you go to lie down there?” Maddox asks as he dries his hands and moves back over to stand in front of us. I nod.

“Do you remember anything else?” Gage prods.

I think for a second, then shake my head. That’s the last thing I remember.

“A man—a human, took you,” Maddox says, surprising me. “We tracked you through the woods and found you within minutes over his shoulder. Obviously, we got you back, but you were unconscious, so we don’t know what he did to you.”

“Does your head hurt?” Gage asks, and I shake my head. He frowns then asks, “It could have been drugs, do you remember a strange smell or a small prick?”

My head shoots to him as I remember feeling a small bug bite on my neck. I lift my back leg and scratch behind my ear, hoping he’ll understand.

“You felt a prick?” he asks in excitement, and I nod. “On your neck there?” he asks, pointing to the spot I just scratched. I dip my head again. “Let me take a look.” He starts to sift through my fur as I watch Maddox.

He looks more tense than I’ve ever seen him. I wish I could ask him what he’s thinking, but more importantly, I want to know why he had someone else’s blood on his fingers. I chuff at him, and Hunter, thankfully understanding, translates for me.

“I think she wants to know about the blood, Mad.”

Maddox presses his lips together, as if he doesn’t want to share, so I tilt my head, hoping it will encourage him to tell me.

He sighs, then runs a hand through his shoulder-length hair that’s come undone from his usual messy bun.

“The rogue mysteriously escaped from Kane’s guards, even though he was cuffed. So Bain and Chase brought the human back here for questioning.” He glances at the others, looking apologetic. “He told us that Kane hired him to release the rogue as a distraction so he could get you out of there and kill you.”

Hunter wraps his arms around me and pulls me into his side. It takes me a moment to realize I’m whimpering, and I quickly silence myself as I lean into his embrace.

“I’m sorry,” Maddox says with a sigh. “I killed the human, but you never should have been put in that sort of danger.” He shakes his head. “I brought you into our pack and promised you safety. I’m sorry, Red.”

“It’s not your fault,” Chase tells him from where he’s sittingby my feet. “None of us have ever trusted Marcus, yet we all chose to stay here.”

“He has to be stopped,” Gage says as he stares at Maddox, who nods solemnly.

“I know. Right now, we have a slight advantage. He doesn’t know we captured the human and found out his involvement, but it won’t take long for him to grow suspicious when he doesn’t hear from him.”

“So, what’s the plan?” Chase asks, glancing between the two of them.

“We should tell Red about the note first,” Hunter says, and I pull back to look at him in confusion.

He leans forward and grabs a rose off the coffee table, and I swallow in apprehension. As he pulls it close, I can smell the lingering burned vanilla smell and know instantly who it’s from.

Hunter clears his throat before he reads it.“Your fur is red, your eyes are blue, I will kill them to get to you. Yours forever, Blaze.”

I swallow heavily as I stare at the rose. A deep sense of worry fills me. Blaze is clearly referring to my pack, these five alphas. He’s going to try to kill them?

I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if one of them got hurt because of me.

As my worry presses forward, I feel the need to move, so I jump off the couch and head to the kitchen, scratching at the patio door and letting out a small whine.

“You want to go out?” Bain asks as he comes to stand beside me, frowning down at me in worry. I let out a small whine, and his lips press together in worry. “You’re not going to try to run, are you?”

I shake my head. Even though I don’t want them hurt, Iknow I can’t just run away from them. If last time was anything to go by, they’d be on me in seconds.

Bain steps outside before me and lifts his nose, sniffing the air before he steps aside and lets me out.

I move to one of the few trees to relieve myself, then wander through the yard, sniffing the ground and feeling the grass between my toes. The connection with the earth helps to ground me, and having the large open sky above me makes me feel relaxed.