His gaze flickered to Axel before he seemed to shake himself. “Fuck, sorry. It’s just a bit of a shock, considering you hated him not long ago.” His expression morphed into one I recognised, welcomed. His easy smile, settling the prickliness inside me. “But whatever happened between now and then, I’m happy for you. Axel’s right. It does look good on you.” He pulled me into a fierce hug, and I melted into it.
Talis’s acceptance meant the world to me.
When he let me go, I grimaced at the door. “Now, I need to let Sasha know, then the rest of the pack.”
Talis laughed. “Good luck with that. You know she’s going to be pissed off you didn’t do it properly.”
Tradition dictated that a soulbond required a bonding ceremony in front of the whole pack. I’d never been one for adhering to traditions, but Sasha liked to stick to as many as we could.
“Better get it over with, then.”
Talis patted me on the shoulder, then opened the door for me and I led the way inside.
GABRIEL
Bonded.
No matter how many times I said it in my head, it didn’t quite seem real.
I had a soulbond with Rys Calder.
The same Rys Calder who up until a couple of days ago didn’t want anything to do with me.
Fuck me.
After leaving Tombs’ hunter group, I thought I’d be on my own forever. Not willing to trust anyone enough to let them in.
But Rys was different.
Always had been.
Now I knew why.
I pulled into the car park of the paranormal police building, slamming on the brakes two seconds later. Pain blossomed in my chest, dull but sudden enough to make me gasp. Rubbing at my chest did nothing to alleviate it, and it took me a minute or so to collect myself enough to park the car.
What the fuck was that?
It took me an embarrassingly long time to recognise the dull ache was in exactly the same place I’d felt the rush of warmth when I’d woken up next to Rys.
The bond.
Of course.
I sent a quick text to Rys.
Gabriel: It hurts.
I knew pitifully little about soulbonds. Had never thought I’d need to. His reply came almost immediately, confirming my theory.
Rys: I know. I’m sorry.
Gabriel: It’s not your fault.
We’d both jumped into this without a thought for what came after. I refused to regret it, though. Rys had been everything I ever wanted at nineteen, and I still felt that way at twenty-nine.
And now he was mine.
I knew he had questions. I had my fair share too. But first things first, I still needed to find out who the fuck was poisoning non-humans. If it wasn’t Blake Tehlin, then who?
