Binding Ties Read online

  As her cells rejoiced at the fuel she fed them, she pulled in a deep breath through her nose.

  The difference in her sense of smell was like the difference between jumping through a backyard sprinkler and shooting down a three-story water slide at an amusement park. Everything was amplified, nearly choking her with the potency of it.

  She gagged on the stench of demon, but forced herself to take another breath.

  Eric. His scent was everywhere. And now that it was amplified, she could smell something even more familiar than her own brother.

  Herself. Parts of his scent were identical to hers, thanks to their shared maternal blood.

  She dropped to the ground and sniffed again. Eric hadn’t been here for the battle. There wasn’t enough of his essence here for him to have fought to protect the young here. He’d been taken from somewhere else.

  Lyka pulled in more of Joseph’s power, revving up her senses even more. The animal in her was unfamiliar with what she was doing, and that made it uneasy. Fearful. Angry.

  She felt her teeth lengthen, her skin tingle and itch, her fingernails grow and thicken into sharp claws.

  “Lyka?” Joseph’s voice was filled with worry. “Are you okay?”

  Her voice sounded odd, coming out around too many teeth. “You’ve been in my head, Theronai. You know what I am. What I can do.”

  “Yes, and I accepted that, but this is not . . . normal. Even for you.”

  She looked down at her hands. Her fingers were short and thick, tipped with sharp claws. A fine layer of golden fur covered her skin. She’d seen some of her kind shift this far into their animal forms, but she’d never been able to do so. Until now.

  Joseph’s power. It had to have something to do with her sudden change.

  She looked up at him, seeing surprise and a huge helping of worry in his hazel eyes. He tightened his grip on his sword as if she might lunge at him at any time.

  Lyka tried to tell him that she wouldn’t hurt him, but the wind shifted, and she caught scent of something.

  She took off toward the woods, ignoring Joseph’s worried voice behind her.

  A few hundred yards into the dense woods, there was a clearing. In that clearing was the nexus of smells she’d been hoping to find. Eric, several children, fear and determination. Plenty of demon blood.

  This is where he’d fought the demons to protect the young. And based on the bloody drag marks through the brush, this is where he’d fallen.

  She took off, following that path at a dead run. The sound of her clothes ripping distracted her, but she didn’t slow down. Thorny branches tugged at the loose fabric, but she didn’t dare stop, not when she was hot on the right trail.

  There wasn’t enough blood lost for Eric to have died. And the young were mostly unharmed. She couldn’t smell much of their blood, though she could detect the distinct stench of fear next to the sweet innocence on every leaf and twig that had grazed one of the young’s skin.

  The trail went on for a mile through the woods before it emptied out onto an old farmer’s road. She’d lived in this area long enough to know the terrain, and this road hadn’t been used in years. Deer had woven a narrow trail along the road, but there were small trees growing up to reclaim the path. Those trees had been knocked down recently, and the tire marks of some kind of all-terrain vehicle were visible in the mud. She could smell exhaust fumes and rubber tires trampling over the scents of grass and trees.

  Joseph ran out of the woods behind her, breathing hard. He came to a dead stop, his jaw slack with shock. “Lyka? Are you in there?”

  She had no idea what he meant for a second. And then she saw one of her hands. It wasn’t a hand anymore. It was a paw. A big one. She had four of them, along with all the other parts of a tiger.

  A little streak of panic lit through her. She tried to open her mouth to ask him what had happened, but all that came out was a mewling growl.

  “It’s okay,” said Joseph, sheathing his sword. “I can feel you freaking out, but I’m sure this is all completely normal. Just keep those claws and teeth to yourself, and everything will be just fine.”

  He reached through their link with a timid kind of reluctance, as if he worried what he might find on the other end. When his thoughts touched hers and that instant flare of recognition lit between them, his shoulders drooped in relief.

  “Okay. That’s good. My girl is still in there.” He moved toward her slowly, hands lifted in front of him. “Can you change back?”

  She wasn’t in control of such things. Even when it was only her teeth and fingernails that shifted, they would always go back to normal when they wanted, not when she did.

  Lyka tried to convey that information to him. It must have worked, because he nodded.

  “Then we’ll wait. No worries.” He stroked her head, sliding his fingers through her fur.

  His touch felt good, reminding her just how much she loved feeling his hands on her. The purr she let out was beyond her control.

  Joseph laughed. “You know, when I pictured what my life would be like when I found my mate, this was not at all what I imagined.”

  That made two of them.

  “I saw the tire marks,” he said. “I’ve heard of demons using vehicles lately, but it could have been humans. Dorjan.”

  Lyka had never seen one of the human blood servants the Synestryn sometimes used to do their dirty work. Unlike demons, Dorjan could move about in the daylight, making them a useful tool to have.

  But that’s not what happened here. There was no recent scent of human around, even one who fed off the blood of demons. At most she detected a faint hint of human, likely coming from whoever had once owned the vehicle.

  It’s not like Synestryn could walk into a dealership and fill out loan paperwork. Chances were they’d killed whoever had owned it and taken it from them.

  She shook her head, hoping he would understand.

  “We’ve been seeing this for a while,” he said. “The demons have been stealing human children and altering them so they can breed with them. There are more and more sightings of human-looking Synestryn all the time.”

  Lyka had heard rumors but wasn’t sure they were true until now. This knowledge was the kind of thing that could cause a panic among humans and Sentinels alike. If a demon couldn’t be recognized on sight, then that gave it more time to get close enough to kill.

  Do you think that’s how those things were able to attack us before the sun had set all the way? she asked through their link. She hadn’t even stopped to think that it wouldn’t be possible for him to hear her, which made her realize just how much her instincts were running the show right now.

  “I do.” Joseph kept idly stroking her. His fingers worked magic along her neck, lingering over the luceria as they passed. Every time he touched it, crackling shards of power sank into her skin, making her tingle. “And I have to admit, it’s more than a little creepy knowing that we’re no longer safe in the daylight.”

  Slowly, as her body relaxed and the adrenaline rush of the hunt faded, she felt the animal in her subside. The change was fast—faster than she would have thought possible. One minute Joseph’s hand was sliding over her fur, and the next he was stroking the bare skin of her back.

  She was on all fours, naked except for the luceria. Her hair fell around her face, hiding her blush.

  “Guess I lost my clothes along the way,” she said, remembering the sound of tearing fabric and the feel of the bramble tugging away the shreds.

  She sat up and covered herself with her hands.

  Joseph wrapped his fingers around her wrists and pulled her hands wide. His eyes had gone dark with desire, making her wonder if this man would ever be sated.

  “Don’t,” he said. “You’re too beautiful to hide from me. And when it comes to you, there is no such thing as getting my fill.”

>   Her skin began to heat under his gaze, but she tried to play it cool and not let him know just how much she liked the way he looked at her. “This mental-connection thing doesn’t leave much room for privacy.”

  “Maybe not, but it does come in handy in a fight. One day, when you’ve had plenty of time to practice wielding my power, you’ll know what I mean.”

  “Does that power include being able to magically fabricate clothing?”

  He grinned and stripped off his shirt. His bare chest was such a thing of beauty, she forgot all about being naked. Her hands were on him, stroking his lifemark, before she even had time to question the sanity of such a move.

  Small, fuzzy buds lined the once-bare branches.

  “Your leaves are coming back,” she said.

  “Because of you.” He wrapped the shirt over her shoulders and used the open edges to pull her toward him. The journey ended at his mouth and the hot, sweet kiss that awaited her there.

  Since when did she let him kiss her whenever he wanted? Then again, how had she gone so long without this exact thing?

  She spent so much time overthinking it that by the time he pulled away, she’d hardly had time to enjoy the ride. She felt cheated and would have gone for seconds, but there were people counting on them.

  “What was that for?” she asked.

  “Because there was no other option. I see you and need to kiss you. I’ve been holding that back for way too long to keep it in check now. I hope you understand.”

  She did. She felt that way now—like she had to hold herself back from taking what she wanted.

  What was it about this man that ignited her? She’d always been curious about him, but she’d thought it was because he represented the thing she feared most about herself. Now that her secret was out, she didn’t have to fear him—at least not that he’d out her—anymore.

  He slid his finger along her brow. “There’s way too much going on up there. I think it’s time we plan our next move so you can stop worrying. I say we follow these tracks and see where they lead.”

  “Just like that? No discussing what just happened to me?”

  “You shifted into a tiger. I didn’t expect it, but I’ve adjusted.”

  “How is that even possible? I haven’t had time to adjust, and I’m a Slayer. Nearly everyone I grew up with would die to be able to do what I just did.” For generations, Slayers had bred with humans, diluting their bloodlines until their powers faded and only a very few could even display animal traits. About a hundred years ago, the Slayer council decided to create breeding laws that were designed to strengthen the best genetic traits. Lyka’s mother was one of the strongest Slayers born in generations. So was the man she’d married. Both of Lyka’s brothers had shifted into their animal forms, though neither could control it.

  She knew now exactly what that was like.

  “I think we’ve found another of your gifts, kitten.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You used my power to amplify your Slayer abilities, not diminish them. That’s got to make you feel better about that pesky Theronai blood in your veins.”

  She hadn’t thought about it that way, and, truth be told, she was getting used to the idea of being able to sling magic around. If she was even half as good as some of the women in the stories she’d heard, walking around attached to a magical battery wasn’t going to be all that bad.

  Especially one built like Joseph, with the skills to make her purr.

  “As much as I like where your train of thought is headed,” he said, “I think we need to get moving. We’ll go back to the truck and grab a change of clothes for you so you don’t freeze.”

  “I’ll be fine as long as I keep moving. Let’s just go while the trail is hot.” She buttoned up his shirt, which protected her all the way down to her knees. He’d found her shoes a few yards back in the woods, but they were shredded almost beyond use.

  “You’re going to be a bit high maintenance in the clothing department, aren’t you?” he asked.

  “For all I know, shifting was a onetime anomaly. I may never be able to do it again.”

  “Don’t you want to?”

  “It’s not that. I’ve spent my whole life wondering if my father’s genetics had ruined me as a Slayer. Now that I know that isn’t the case, it makes me wonder if my mother’s genetics ruined me as a Theronai. What if I can never wield your power the way another woman might have been able to do? I’ve bound us together, so you’re stuck with me. That kind of sucks for you.”

  He grabbed her arms and pulled her close so she had no choice but to look at him. “Listen carefully. Despite your motives at the time, what you did when you bound us together was save my life. You took away my pain. You got me out of that damn office, so I can remember what it’s like to be a warrior again. Whatever else you are, however you may compare to other female Theronai, I will always be grateful to you for what you’ve done.”

  She’d always thought of the Theronai as the enemy. Power-hungry, egotistical jerks who thought they were mankind’s salvation. She’d never considered that they would hurt or dream of a different life. And she sure as hell hadn’t thought that one of them would lay so much gratitude at her feet, as if her mere existence were the best thing to ever happen to him.

  Her throat tightened with emotions she dared not name. Her eyes burned as she fought against tears. She couldn’t speak. All she could do was nod and pull away before she humiliated herself.

  Joseph let her go. Maybe he could tell she was on the verge of tears and decided to take pity on her. Whatever the case, she was able to pull herself together once she wasn’t looking into his eyes.

  “The trail leads this way,” she said, stating the obvious.

  Light trickled through the trees. Another day was passing, and her loved ones were still in harm’s way. Nightfall would be here soon, and with it, another night of terror for the young.

  That was what was important. Not her recent ability to shift. Not her feelings for Joseph or vice versa. Everything else going on in her head was just going to have to sit back and wait for its turn.

  His warm hand settled on her shoulder. “We’ll find them.”

  She closed her eyes and nodded. “Soon, Joseph. We have to find them soon. I don’t even want to think what will happen to them if we don’t.”

  “Then lead on, Lyka. Find me something to kill.”

  Chapter 30

  Ronan was beginning to understand how crazy felt.

  His mystery woman had no sooner stopped moving away from him when she started coming back toward him again. He had no idea why she’d run like she had, but he was tied to her closely enough to know that the only reason she was coming back now was because she was in pain.

  That was something Ronan could not tolerate.

  He’d headed toward her as fast as he dared, stopping only when he ran out of fuel or when the sun was high and robbed him of all ability to drive safely. The last thing he needed was to crash his van, break the magically enhanced glass that blocked the sun and accidentally summon a Warden to kill him while he lay pinned or unconscious—an easy target.

  The drive exhausted him, but not nearly as much as it did her. She rarely stopped and never for more than twenty or thirty minutes. She didn’t sleep, didn’t slow, didn’t veer off course.

  He wasn’t sure exactly where she was coming from, but she moved like death itself was nipping at her heels.

  Then she stopped. A huge flood of fear spilled out of her, followed closely by disgust and, finally, resignation. Acceptance.

  She was tired. Hungry. Hurting.

  Ronan followed his instincts, taking as many back roads as he could to reach her. She had left the interstate miles ago, moving north on country roads, right before that spike of fear had slammed into her. He had followed, heading west toward her.

&nbs
p; The magically treated glass in his van kept him safe, but it did nothing to ward off the weariness from being awake during the daylight. If not for the potential prize at the end of this ride, he would have found a nice, dark cave and slept in it until sunset.

  She was close now, barely a mile away. He didn’t let up on the accelerator until he saw her car. A rental with Arizona plates, right inside a metal outbuilding.

  That’s where she’d gone—a place with so much sun, he’d never survive.

  Ronan doubted her destination had been an accident.

  There was a giant metal barn with a door large enough for a tractor to pull through. It was open. She was inside. He couldn’t see her, but he could feel her.

  She was afraid of him. Her heart was pounding, and fear was leaking into her veins. She was hiding something, but he had no idea what.

  He pulled his van through the opening, adjusting his vision to search for any potential traps she might have laid for him.

  The pair of windows on the western side of the building was boarded up. As soon as he cleared the threshold, the retractable door slid down behind him. The building went dark, but he could still see well, despite his powers being muted by the sun’s rays.

  She was there, standing next to her car. She opened one of the back doors to activate the dome light, which cast a pale glow over a body even more beautiful than Ronan had remembered.

  The first time he’d seen her, he hadn’t exactly been at his best. He’d been nearly dead, starving for blood, animalistic in his hunger. He’d attacked her, fed from her, held her against her will.

  It was no wonder she was afraid of him now.

  He took in the curly black hair that fell just past her shoulders, gleaming in the dim light. Her skin was a deep tan that made her silvery green eyes stand out like faceted gemstones. Signs of weariness stained her face but made her no less lovely. All those marks did was increase Ronan’s need to see to her care and safety. If she was his, she’d never suffer again. He would make sure she was rested and fed, comfortable and warm—whatever she needed, he would provide it.