Page 50 of Bound

“Oh god.”

“I get my morning Brody lecture every single day when he texts in his lunch order,” Dallas said over one shoulder, flipping the burgers. The fragrant scent of flame-kissed meat wafted over the patio. “Am I staying clean? Does Lacey need anything for the baby? Did I read that article he sent on crib safety? The hard ass thing is just how he shows he cares. He came over every day he had off this past spring to help us finish up renovations to get the house ready for the baby. You can’t let it get to you when he goes into big brother mode.”

“It’s different with us, and you know it,” River said, an edge to his tone. “He’s been pissed at me ever since—”

He trailed off.

Dallas and I exchanged a look. Everything had gone to hell between Brody and River shortly after our dad had been abducted. August and River had been at UT that summer, August studying engineering and River computer science. When August got sick and needed one of the high-powered infusions that were one of the few tools he had for controlling his episodes, River drove him home. No one knew the details, but something had gone down between River and Brody that night. And the following day, our dad had gone missing.

“For frack’s sake.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I don’t care how much Brody tries to pull the tough guy act. He feeds Major an all-organic, dye-free diet. They pose together in matching Christmas sweaters for the first responder calendar every year. No one messes with the hell hound.”

“Which is why no one is telling him about the hotdog from earlier.” Dallas shut the smoker with a screech. “Be right back.” He pointed the tongs at me. “Don’t touch anything.”

“Okay, Dagnar.”

The patio door clapped shut. River rolled his eyes. “Whatever. The idea that you think I’d ever do something like that is telling.”

I shut down my phone screen. “The thing about you, Riv? You’d never hurt Major. In fact, if some bloodsucker roared in here and sheared off the end of his tail, you’d probably fry him on the spot just for scaring the little guy. Which makes it that much crueler that you’d ever allow the possibility, no matter how remote, to linger in Brody’s mind that you might go through with it.”

My phone buzzed with a text.

Topher: WTF? Did you know Dallas made Hayden and August go to every fast-food place in town and steal to-go bags from behind the register?

West: Spoiler tags, please. And I’m pretty sure August flirted his way in.

Topher: Whatever. Your family is crazy.

West: On that topic, did you take my copy of Eragon again?

Topher: For someone whose life goal is convincing me of the virtues of dragons, thou doth protest too much.

Topher: Or are you upset because I put it by the other quest novels, disrupting the fanatical West Caldwell sorting hat system?

West: We’ll discuss your punishment later.

Topher: Okay, Mr. Grey.

Through the bond, I felt his mental caress, his wolf rubbing its head in the scruff of my neck. My wolf arched with pleasure, straining in the cage of my bones, wanting its mate—

River glanced back towards the house. “The other day I accessed some of the Council’s restricted files and performed a search for information on Omega wolves.”

My heart kicked in my chest. “You what?”

“August talked to me.” River absently traced the scar that ran along the edge of his jaw. “He was worried. Said you’ve been experiencing uncontrolled attacks, that they’re getting worse.”

“If anyone finds out, thinks to connect the dots—”

“I covered my tracks. And I may have found information that could help.”

“Fine. Listening.”

“Omega wolves draw down moon energy at a far greater rate than most shifters. It’s why you can manipulate bonds and call people to your wolf. But that power comes at a cost.”

“We go mad trying to slave entire packs to our will?”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.”

“Bite me.”