Bound by Prophecy (Bound Series Book 3) (6 page)

H
er screams didn’t end
. She thrashed to the point where I called in Micah and Elias to hold her down, and all the while, I was completely helpless. I couldn’t touch her, I couldn’t help her, I couldn’t give her anything to make it easier. Her cries were raw, guttural admissions of pain I not only heard, but saw. Each bind Baleon placed welted across her skin and slashed through her aura. I watched the violet and green smoke enveloping her glow bright, dim, and then brighten again as she pulled more from Cole. Tears streamed from her eyes and pooled in the curve of her neck, eventually spilling over to the pillowcase.

Cole gave her final permission and he slumped further and further over her, until he was draped across her chest. He gripped her hand in his as he paled and his breathing became more shallow. I wanted to pull him away, but knew they were close. Then Baleon shouted and Amelia’s cries became more than I could take. I struggled to maintain human form as my wolf battled me to get to her, to protect what was ours, no matter the cost.

I took two steps toward the door when Cole bolted upright and roared, a bellowing scream that turned every head in the room. Charlie bayed uncontrollably and Cole tried to let go of Amelia’s hand, to free himself, but Baleon latched his hand over theirs and forced him to stay the course. He fought and screamed and tried to make words as he whipped his head back and forth, only able to wail, “NOOOOOOO!”

The seconds dragged on until his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He fell over her body again and Baleon let go, sitting back in his chair. The room was too quiet. The terror of the last hour silently echoed as we all stood staring at each other without directly looking anyone in the eyes. Finally, Charlie whimpered as he tried to nudge Cole, and then licked Amelia’s cheek.

“She has taken it all from him. I feel nothing.” Baleon stood, picked up Cole’s motionless body, and gently laid him next to Amelia. “He will recover, but he will never be the same. He gave all of himself to her, but it is done. The Keeper is contained. For how long, I do not know, but for now, she is whole.”

Charlie leapt onto the bed and squeezed his massive frame between Amelia and Cole. He rubbed his head against each of their faces before settling, small whimpers still escaping. The sound of nails clicking and feet pounding down the hallway alerted us that Onyx would soon follow. He burst through, his black eyes wild and barrel-chest heaving. Sweat coated his fur. Without hesitation, he joined Charlie on the bed, bowing the mattress down as he stood next to Cole and leaned over to nudge his brother. He settled on Cole’s right and laid his head on his shoulder.

“They will both sleep for some time,” Baleon said, answering my question before I could ask.

“Th-thank you, Baleon,” I managed to stutter. My voice came out a loud whisper, my throat tight and jaw still clenched. I cleared my throat and tried again. “Truly, thank you.”

The giant Hunter dropped his head in a small bow and then turned to Micah. “We should go, Prince Mikail.” Micah stood, still looking dumbstruck, as I’m sure I did. “Yes, of course, Bale. She needs to rest. And so do you, Aidan.”

I shook my head more violently than intended. Elias found the words I could not.

“You need to run, Aidan. I can feel him prowling inside you. You need to free him. Let him feel her through your bond and know she’s okay. The dogs won’t react. You can shift here and I’ll stay with her. The women are with Nell and I’ll be able to tell you if she wakes.” Elias maintained eye contact with me as Baleon and Micah left the room. Then he turned and released the window, pushing it wide open. “Shift now and use the window. She is your mate, Aidan. You cannot stop this part of you. Just give him the reassurance he needs —
you
need.”

I didn’t bother taking off anything but my shoes. In one explosion of cellular rearranging, I dropped from two legs to four and let out a deafening howl. The Danes chimed in with deep bays and Elias’s eyes lit blue as he fought to maintain his human form against the natural instinct to respond to my call.

Howls erupted from all over the area as fellow AniMages confirmed they were there, they would protect her with their lives, and they were ready to run. I paced the perimeter of the bed and finally buried my nose in the crook of her neck, pushing under her hair so I could trace a path from her collarbone to her hairline. I could feel peace within her that hadn’t been there in as long as we’d known each other. Her breaths were even, the heartbeat in her jugular was strong and steady, and her power was calm. She would be okay. We had succeeded.

“Go, Aidan,” Elias growled. If my friend was going to be able to hold to his word and stay with Amelia, I had to get out of there.

Thank you, Elias. I won’t be gone long.

He nodded stiffly and I leapt out the window, vaguely noticing Bethany standing in the doorway of the barn holding Rynna’s hand. Both women cried silently as they stared at me, wanting answers I couldn’t give them yet.

I
opened
my eyes and was struck by how warm I was, even though I could feel the breeze across my skin. A dry tongue scratched against my cheek and a whimper whined in my ear. I realized Charlie was the heater lying next to me. I reached across my body to scratch his head and just as I felt the coarseness of his short coat across my fingertips, it all came flooding back.

The Keeper. The binding. Something happened, but what? My mind couldn’t find the information, but the gnawing in my gut told me it was bad.

I bolted upright, only to sway back and forth as dizziness took over. When my eyes focused, I found Aidan sitting in the chair in the corner. His posture was stiff, but he leaned slightly toward me, his lips parted and eyes questioning. He looked at me like he wasn’t sure if I was real, like he needed permission to move.

“Hi,” I said cautiously, the room still slightly swaying. Or maybe I was. In a second, he was next to me, on his knees as he wrapped his arms around me. Aidan still hadn’t spoken, but I held his head against my chest and allowed those few seconds of silence. I was here. He was here. We were in the same place, together, for the first time since this had all started.

Finally, Aidan pulled away and my eyes traced up his arms, to the tattoos peeking out from his shirtsleeves, continuing up to his strong jaw, thin lips, and emotion-filled eyes. Eyes the color of a foggy mist. I was struck by how much I’d missed seeing his human eyes.

I put my hands on either side of his face and smiled, then I leaned down and kissed him. A brief touch of our lips ricocheted sensations through me and cemented the reality that this was not a dream. We were interrupted by a massive dog head-butting me in the back. As I turned to scold Charlie, I saw Cole lying between him and Onyx.

“Oh, God. What happened?” I asked as I took in my brother’s limp form on the bed. Aidan quickly stood and helped me to my feet.

“He’s okay, Amelia. He’s still recovering,” Aidan said as he steadied my wobbling limbs. I hadn’t actually stood on my own volition since Cresthaven.

“Define okay,” I demanded weakly as I pulled away from him and walked slowly around the bed. I looked down at Cole and the rational part of me knew this was my brother, but he felt wrong. Even sleeping, I should have felt his power — his calming, serene power. I should have seen his aura and been able to feel his health rebuilding. I felt nothing.

I looked up at Aidan. He tried to speak and then stopped. He lifted his arms and then dropped them again. “Aidan, you’re scaring me. What is going on?” My voice wavered and I fought to search my memories for what had happened, but the binding was fuzzy. I couldn’t pull a single clear memory from the haze.

“He told you to take what you needed,” Aidan started quietly. “I heard him, and so did everyone else. And then you did. But…you took too much. You…Amelia, you took it all. You took his power. He’s human.” Aidan’s mouth snapped closed as he said “human”, like it was a bad word he wanted to take back.

“No,” I argued. “No, Aidan, that isn’t possible. I can’t do that. No one can
do that
.” I turned back to Cole, his body lying so peacefully in front of me. The argument that this wasn’t possible, that he would wake up just as he was before the binding, was stuck in my throat.

Hysteria gripped my lungs and my chest felt concave, leaving me no room to draw a breath. As quickly as it came, I felt my internal response. The slow build and spread of a power that wasn’t mine, a power I’d always found comfort and calm in. Cole’s power unfurled in my system and while my mind reeled, my breaths evened out and my heart rate slowed.

I stared down at my brother as the truth settled over me. A dark cloud of doubt cast over what was supposed to be a day of celebration. When I woke up today, I was supposed to be free. Instead, I found myself a thief of the most epic proportions. Cole’s power acted like a sedative, lulling me back to simple contemplation and the realization that even the best laid plans have complications.

I turned to Aidan with tears in my eyes. They pooled there, filling me up with the same sadness enveloping my heart. He reached for me and pulled me to him. I wrapped my arms around his chest and tucked my head under his chin. We stood there, unmoving except for his hand gliding slowly up and down my back.

“Will he be okay?” I finally asked. Aidan pulled away and I looked up at him.

“He will,” he reassured me. “Baleon said he will wake up and feel fine. He won’t have magic, but he will otherwise be healthy.” Aidan settled his hands at the small of my back and we continued to stare at each other. Our eyes moved up and down, scanning the other continuously.

I started with his hair. It was grown out — too long, actually. The dark locks were curling at the ends, covering the tips of his ears. The front dipped low onto his broad forehead and I brushed it off his brow so I could look deeper into his eyes. As I ran my fingertips down his cheek, Aidan smirked and his dimple appeared. I stared at his thin, pink lips and brushed my thumb over them. I pushed onto my toes and pulled him to me, unable to stop myself. I needed to feel his lips on mine. I needed confirmation that we were here, together, finally.

The kiss was a slow build. It started out tender and sweet, but as our power swirled together and our hands explored, it became urgent. Aidan was everywhere. His physical body wrapped around mine, his hands constantly shifting, gripping, trailing over my skin. His power was intricately laced with mine and I felt him in my mind and heart.

I leaned back, the closeness of him suddenly overwhelming. My breaths came in shallow bursts as I looked up at him. His eyes were bright, the blue of his AniMage side shining down at me. His hair pointed in multiple directions from my hands running through it. Even now, his shirt was clenched in my fists. I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to pull him to me or push him away.

Aidan didn’t allow me to choose. Slowly, he drew his hands up my sides and trailed them over my arms, his gaze never wavering from mine. Gripping my hands, he looked at me with a mixture of passion and concern. He had to see the conflict brewing inside me, but he didn’t address it.

Gently pulling my fingers apart one at a time, he locked our hands together, lowered them to my sides, and surprised me by tucking my hair behind my ears. “I want to see you. I want to make sure you’re okay and prove to myself you’re real.” His words were gruff, heavy from our exchange, but filled with emotion. I nodded slowly, giving him permission, but for what, I didn’t know.

Aidan gripped the hem of my tank top and slowly pulled it up, his eyes on mine, clearly watching for any hesitation. My arms rose willingly and the top fell to the floor. I was standing in front of Aidan in a bra and jeans. I thought he would kiss me. The darkening of his eyes and spike of power told me he wanted to, but instead, he leaned down and kissed my collarbone. Trailing his fingers down my ribs, he kissed that spot, too. It wasn’t until he crouched, his fingers running directly over a welt from the binding, that I understood. He kissed each welt, each burn, and each place the binding had hurt me, sending his healing energy with it, easing the pain.

Aidan stood and circled me. He nuzzled into the space between my shoulder and neck, his breath warm, tickling my skin. I let my head drop and closed my eyes, relishing in this sweet and beautiful torture he put me through. For a brief moment, I had wanted space, but now, I couldn’t imagine taking a breath that hadn’t just been his. As Aidan kissed his way down my back, he dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around me. I closed my hands around the ones now circling my hips.

“I love you, Amelia. You’re finally here. You’re whole. There’s so much to come, but for right now, all that matters is you and me and this moment.” His words both elated and gutted me. I felt so much when I was near him. I couldn’t pull myself away from him. I couldn’t imagine not being next to him. But, was that us or something else? I wasn’t sure. There was so much wound around the prophecy, the mating and everything someone else had set into motion.

Until I was really sure, I could only reply with, “You and me and this, it is everything, Aidan.”