Made By Design (Blood Bound Series Book 2) (2 page)

With great effort I capped a lid on my emotions and tried not to resent Kendrick as I made my way to Ty. Inside I wanted to sprint through the students and parked cars until I could leap into Ty’s arms. But I couldn’t. Kendrick’s emotions were pulling me down, and despite my irritation I didn’t want to hurt him.

Ty’s focus shifted to Kendrick as I neared, then became cocky as he pushed off his car. His arms wrapped around me, rough hands squeezing my sides as he lifted me up and spun me around. His actions gained a parking lot full of gawkers as he breathed into my neck. “God, it’s good to see you.”

Ignoring the ogling students, I hugged him back before he lowered me to the asphalt. I wanted to say how much I’d missed him, even though I had seen him the other day. I wanted to tell him I loved him. Even more than that, I wanted to drink him in with my eyes, touch his chest, and lean up on my toes and take his lips between my teeth. Instead I smiled and took his hand. “I missed you, too.”

I sensed Kendrick approaching from behind as Ty directed a stunning yet cocky smile his way. Feeling like I’d done something wrong, I went to step back.

Ty caught me by the waist and planted a hungry kiss against my lips. The world around us disappeared and my toes curled at the taste of his mouth and the scent of his irresistible aroma. My hands shot around his neck, pulling him closer and holding tight. Ty’s arm became a crowbar against my back, forcing our chests and racing hearts to meld together.

Sudden anger spiked through the bond from Kendrick.
Jackass,
he mumbled without speaking.

The world returned with a crash, like a shattering mirror breaking a beautiful view’s reflection. I cursed and broke free from Ty, failing to control my breathing as I frowned at Kendrick.
Be nice, pleeeease.

He’s the one pushing it,
Kendrick shot back.

Knowing Ty’s kiss had been his way of laying claim on me, I shook my head.
You can’t blame him. He knows everything.

That doesn’t mean that I have to be happy about this.
Kendrick folded his arms over his chest.
If you want to be with him, fine. I can’t stop you. But you know when it comes to you, I can’t control the way I feel.

It was the hard, honest truth. He couldn’t control his love for me or the emotions that spiked when he saw Ty and me together. I reached out to grasp Kendrick’s hand.
Sorry. I’m not trying to hurt you.

“Huh hm.” Ty cleared his throat, his hand on my waist falling away. “Am I interrupting something?”

I jumped at Ty’s sudden voice. It was so easy to get lost in Kendrick’s mind where everything around me could disappear. I forced my gaze up to Ty. “Sorry…” Thinking back to the plane trip home, I’d predicted I would be saying that word a lot. I hadn’t been wrong. Sadly, this was just the beginning.

Kendrick coughed purposely, cutting me off by extending an arm toward Ty. “Truce?”

Hushed whispers erupted around me. Almost every remaining student’s lips flapped at the surprising scene. But I didn’t take any notice. I stared at Kendrick as if he’d suddenly grown a second head. What was he up to? Searching his mind I found nothing but a genuine gesture. An unselfish need to make the development of our bond and friendship as far from a burden as possible.

Ty lifted a single eyebrow, head tilted at Kendrick’s hand as if it could turn into a striking snake at any moment. His golden irises lifted, peering over the black frame of his Oakley sunglasses. “Sure,” he said with a shrug. “What could it hurt?”

“Not Amelia,” Kendrick said. “And that’s the point.”

Ty shook Kendrick’s hand with a tight grip I could feel through the bond. “Then we have a truce.”

The bell rang and Kendrick gave me one last strained look before walking away. I watched after him as he bled into the cluster of students heading for the main building. Somehow I felt relieved and terrible all at the same time.

Ty’s hot calloused hand clasped mine, tugging me forward. I resisted and yanked him to a standstill. Emotions fired through my heart, responding to more than Kendrick’s selfless gesture. I knew my reaction to Ty’s enthusiastic kiss had hurt Kendrick, but I also knew Ty’s display hadn’t been for my benefit alone. Holding onto anger that sat like a hot poker in my gut I said, “That wasn’t very nice.”

Ty shot me an innocent
I don’t know what you’re talking about
look. “What?”

“You know what.”

“Hey.” Ty shrugged. “Just showing him where I stand.”

I began to walk, all the while expecting Ty to chase after me. “And where might that be?”

Ty took an exasperated breath as he caught up. “With you and by your side.
Always
.”

My anger fizzled and my stalking steps stalled. This was harder on Ty than his cocky attitude let on. He knew I had almost died, that Kendrick was the one who’d saved me. Doing so had bound our souls, making us soul mates in a non-romantic but everlasting way. And Ty still wanted me, only me. All of this was hurting him too. “I’m sorry. This is new to us all.” I took his hand and squeezed. “It’s going to take some getting used to. But we’ll get through it, right?”

Ty curled a hand around my neck and dropped his forehead against mine. “Together we can get through anything.”

~

I left the warmth of the main building, meeting the freezing cold of a winter’s day. I scanned left to right, back through the glass doors, then over at the gazebo. Ty wasn’t here yet. Without any real time together, we’d agreed to have lunch alone.

I sighed, tearing open my chocolate bar and taking a bite.

Light rain fell from a deep gray canopy of growing clouds. In my wannabe biker jacket I could hear each drop patter as it landed on my shoulders. I sidestepped a puddle, one that in the past would have surprised me by soaking my Vans and jeans. Evidently my vamp senses and awareness were developing.

As I reached the gazebo centering the grassed space between the main building and art center, I looked around again.

Then I froze.

A blade of cold slid down my back and my vamp senses shot into overdrive. The amethyst pendant around my wrist blazed like a hot coal, a warning of approaching threat. Someone was watching me.

Fear hammered through my body as the hairs rose across the back of my neck.
It can’t be him. Not Caius. Not already.

That two-faced creep hadn’t accomplished his goal to steal my immortality, but Marcus had insisted Caius was lying low for now, far away in Alaska.

So if it wasn’t him, who was it?

The color drained from my face. The thought that Caius had sent someone to finish what he’d begun was paralyzing. Still, I wouldn’t give in easily.

Heart pounding, I spun on my heels to meet the threat. If someone were here to take me, I’d fight like my life depended on it.

Behind me there was no one, not a soul, just the art center and a lush thicket of trees beyond that.

I squinted, trying to make out anything through the thick greenery as the sky darkened to purple-black. Sharpening every one of my senses I spun around. There, a dark figure edged the corner of my vision.

I whirled, eyes wide. But the space between the trees was empty. Nothing but moving shadows created by dancing treetops in the escalating bluster of wind.

A footstep from behind had me turning around, only to find Ty heading over from the main building. Paranoid much?

I forced a smile and waved, about to walk over to him, when a bright flash of light boomed like an explosion behind me.

My supernatural reflexes kicked into action. In a millisecond I spun.

Lightning had struck the solid oak a few yards from where I stood. A large branch split from its trunk and hurtled my way.

There was no time to move. I braced for the punishing impact. Something rock solid slammed into my side. The hot and powerful mass wrapped around me as we crashed to the ground. We connected with the pavement as the branch flew over us, grazing my cheek as it passed.

I tried to move but was locked in an iron grip. “Are you hurt?” The grip around my body loosened. Rough hands scoured my flesh, inspecting me.

Ty’s face was panicked, the look easing as the stinging gash on my cheek healed. I moved to sit up. “I think I’m good.”

Puddle-splashing footsteps raced up behind us. Kendrick knelt in the mud, clutching my wrist. “Amelia, are you okay?”

The concern in his expression, voice, and mind overwhelmed me. I nodded and glanced at my hero. “I’m fine. Thanks to Ty.” I frowned at Kendrick. “What are you doing here?”

“I was walking across the oval and felt your fear.” Kendrick cast his eyes down. “I-I got here as soon as I could.”

“Not to break this bond moment,” Ty said, getting to his feet. He held out his hand and pulled me up, putting his arm around me. “But what the hell just happened? I’ve never seen lightning like that in my life. And we get some pretty wicked electrical shows when training in the forest.”

“The lightning isn’t the issue.” Kendrick got up, ignoring his muddied jeans while dislike for Ty struck through the bond at how close Ty held me.

“Are you delusional?” Ty’s irises flashed gold and he released me, stepping closer to Kendrick. “That lightning almost decapitated Amelia.”

I darted between them. “No, Kendrick’s right. I mean that lightning was freaky, but there was something else. Someone was watching me…I think.”

“Caius?” Ty’s body became instantly taut with power, ready to fight. His eyes darted.

“No,” I said, resting a slow-moving hand on Ty’s forearm and feeling cords of muscle bunch underneath. “He’s still in Alaska.”

“That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have eyes watching.” Keeping his gaze locked on Ty, Kendrick swiped at the mud on his jeans.

“I don’t want you to be alone,” Ty said suddenly, voice sharp and demanding. His eyes became lasers on mine. “You should always have someone with you.”

“What?” It took a second for his alpha-like command to register. My expression became incredulous. “You want me to be chaperoned?”

As much as I’d rather not agree with his Neanderthal demands,
Kendrick began through the bond before continuing out loud. “He has a point. This is for your own safety.”

“It’s to keep you alive.” Ty clutched my shoulders. “I can’t lose you. Not again.” His eyelids squeezed shut for a brief moment then opened. “I’m not trying to control you. I just couldn’t live with myself if I let someone get to you. If I let someone…kill you.”

My heart ached at the true fear in Ty’s eyes and the matching feelings from Kendrick through the bond. For my safety and happiness they were willing to set aside their differences and endure each other.

I took Ty and Kendrick’s hands and sighed. “Then we’re in this together.”

“Ready?” Dorian smiled at Kendrick and me.

There was a light of excitement in his silver irises and I wondered what was behind it. I headed for the other side of the parking lot and the entrance to Mt. Major. “Let’s go.”

Dorian took off toward the thicket of trees and we sped after him, darting around trunks, boulders, and ditches with ease. It was freeing to be able to run like this as the world flashed past in a blur. And with the shelter of countless trees, it was the perfect place for Dorian and Kendrick to evade direct sunlight. All royals felt uncomfortable when exposed, which included Dorian after what Caius had done to us. Though for some reason, I was still immune.

I tried to shut off the internal dialogue plaguing my mind about everything Caius could be up to, and concentrated on maneuvering past the lush green and snow-speckled scenery.

“Who’s faster now?” Kendrick shot past me and jumped off Dorian’s back. He launched himself into the air and landed on a thick tree trunk, then leapt down twenty feet ahead of us.

Letting the exertion distract me, I sped up with Dorian, closing in hot on Kendrick’s tail. I bounded over a crackling river and passed my brother as I caught up to Kendrick. I pushed myself forward, the feel of the cold wind across my face exhilarating as I took the lead.

When we entered a clearing by a stream that had begun to freeze in from the edges with the onset of winter, I pulled to an abrupt stop. The icy water reflected the sky, showing every ripple and dark swirl from the clouds above. I’d been here before, at this exact location. Through my bond with Kendrick I received brooding confirmation. He had been here too, the day Ty had transformed in front of me and Kendrick had caught us. That event had changed my life forever.

“So this is our spot?” Dorian asked from beside me, pulling me out the beginning of a bucket load of painful memories.

Kendrick nodded, his rising guilt covered by his words. “As good as any. Let’s get started.”

Our trip deep into the forest hadn’t just been for fun or to help me get away from Mom. With the last school day before winter break now over, my excuses to avoid her were running low. No, we’d come here because Dorian had something he wanted to show us. And from the look on his face it was epic.

I elbowed Dorian in the ribs. “So we’re here now. Let’s have it.”

“Yeah,” Kendrick said. “What’s the big secret?”

Dorian blew out a breath, rolled his shoulders back, and cracked his neck side to side. He said nothing as he crouched before Kendrick where a single tiger lily stood firm through a break of snow. Slight wilting showed at the tips of its orange petals. Dorian’s hand rose over the flower, not quite touching it, just hovering, fingers splayed and tense. “Check this out…”

I stared as his fingers began to tremble, the veins across the back of his hand bulging. But nothing could have prepared me for what came next. There was no sound apart from the whistling wind through the forest, rustling leaves and creaking tree branches. But there
was
movement. At first it was slight, and if I hadn’t been staring so avidly, I would have missed it. A tiny drop of water emerged from one of the six petals, turning plump and glossy before rolling down the petal and dripping onto the snow.

“You can manipulate water,” Kendrick breathed. “You have a Pure Blood ability.”