A Curse of Shadows - Page 70

“Estee, stay with me,” he pleads with her. “I can’t lose you again.”

“I don’t deserve…” Her frail voice fades as I get next to her.

“I’m here,” I tell her. “And none of this is your fault. I know what happened. I know you stabbed me, and even if we don’t know why, I know you didn’t mean to hurt me. We’re going to find the asshole responsible. Don’t make me do this on my own.”

Her eyes flutter open and closed, unable to stay in one position for long. “I hurt…you.”

There’s no way I’m going to let her suffer like this. As much as I want to strangle her for leaving me, I know I would have done the same if the roles had been reversed. Still, I’m not going to let her go.

I turn around, thankful when I find Asher right behind me. “Your blood.”

He’s already on it, a cut on his wrist, open and ready. I move over and tilt Estee’s head back. “You’re going to live and the hurt is going to go away, Estee. Someone did this to us and I need you by my side to make sure they pay.”

She doesn’t make any other sounds as Asher feeds her his blood that should help heal the wounds she’s inflicted upon herself. It looks like she was trying to tear her heart from her chest and I hate that I didn’t go find her before. Yes, I was annoyed that she left me, but I should have known better.

Estee has never been selfish. Everything she’s done has always been for the betterment of others. She must have thought I would be better off without her, but even before I knew who she was to me, I knew I never wanted to do life without her.

Seeing her holding the dagger that took me out doesn’t change that. Not in the slightest.

As the wounds on her chest start to stitch themselves back together, I vow to make sure she knows that first and then I’m going to make her furious with the person who took away our lives, and then…

We’re both going to get murderous.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

ASHER

No longer having a pack connection to Isla and Estee is something I’m determined to change tonight. Instead of utilizing my alpha command, I find myself shouting at Estee, desperately trying to get her to swallow my blood, hoping her primal instincts will kick in.

Isla remains unnervingly calm, a stark contrast to my growing frustration. She gently pushes me aside once I’ve given enough blood. “You’re going to be okay, Estee. I promise.” Her voice is a soothing balm in the chaotic setting.

Sure enough, Isla is right. While I was preoccupied with force-feeding Estee, I didn’t notice that she was already beginning to heal. Perhaps she wasn’t as close to death’s door as she appeared, considering how quickly she’s recovering now.

I step back, allowing Isla some space, and it hits me that my mate is hardly dressed. Oddly, my usual possessiveness doesn’t flare up. The bond we’ve forged seems to be steadying my emotions, instilling a deep-seated knowledge that she is unequivocally mine, and I am hers.

It shouldn’t be possible, given we didn’t have a proper ceremony, but I’ll send a request to meet with one of the gods after we get through tonight’s full moon run. Not only to confirm the bond with Isla, but to find out what they know about who killed her.

They’re not always willing to share information, but their blood runs through my veins and I’ll use the power they gave me against them if it means getting the answers I so desperately need.

Isla’s continued silence is beginning to unnerve me. She’s always been that way when she’s most furious. A yelling, loud Isla is the one I prefer. Tranquil Isla is deadly, and I can’t stand the thought of her putting herself in danger, but something tells me that I won’t have much of a say now that she’s starting to piece things together.

Being bonded will help matters, though. I’ll at least be able to find her and communicate with her moving forward, no matter where either of us is. That small sliver of peace will have to be enough until we uncover more answers.

A cough breaks my reverie. Estee, tears streaking her face, manages to speak through her sobs. “I’m so sorry, Issie. I don’t know why I would have hurt you. Yet I can’t make the image of me jamming a dagger in you go away.”

Isla shakes her head, cradling her sister’s head to her chest. “It’s okay. You weren’t in your right mind. I could see you, see your eyes. Everything is fine. We’re going to figure this out and you’re never allowed to leave me again, for any reason.”

Estee’s sobbing subsides, but the fear and confusion linger. “I wasn’t trying to die,” she admits with a whimper. “I just wanted to feel a different kind of pain, anything other than thinking I could have possibly betrayed you in any life.”

“Shh,” Isla says, closing her eyes as a few tears fall down her cheeks as well. “I know and I’m going to make sure you know as well. You never betrayed me and you never will.”

Grayson, silent till now, signals me. As we step away from the emotional reunion, his expression is grave. “You’re bonded with my daughter.”

“Just as I always should have been,” I confirm with pride, despite the unconventional circumstances.

“How?” he asks. “How did you do this without…?”

“It wasn’t intentional,” I explain. “I brought Elyn, an elder shifter from Selaris, here to help Isla remember and it just happened.” Gods, having a conversation about having sex with this man’s daughter isn’t what I thought I was going to do today. “There wasn’t even a god present to bless the bond.”