Page 29 of Bound

I lift my paw and drop it to the floor, then repeat the action four times. They exchange quick glances, then Hunter asks, “Five weeks?” I shake my head and hear the twins gasp in unison. Bain looks… angry, and Maddox looks like he’s in pain.

I look at Gage, he’s the only one who doesn’t look upset because he’s still trying to get to the real answer before he reacts. Carefully, he asks, “Five months?” Slowly, I shake my head once.

Bain curses as Gage asks, “Five years?” his voice catching on the last word. I nod once, then Bain jumps up with anger on his face and storms out of the cave, Chase hot on his heels.

I’ve upset them.

“They’re upset,” Gage says, confirming my fear. “Not with you, with whatever you’ve been through that’s caused you to stay as a wolf for so long.”

How can they be upset at something that happened to me before they even met me? They barely know me. They don’t know my human form at all. My eyes dart to Hunter, who looks devastated. I squeeze my eyes shut. I can’t see that pained lookon his face. He’s too pretty, no,too good,to ever have to look that sad.

I want to comfort him, but I’m still convinced I need to leave them, for their own good. I avoid Maddox’s gaze. I don’t want to see the pain that’s likely there too. I tuck my head back under my tail and take deep breaths. There’s some rustling as they all leave, then the cave is quiet.

Eventually, I drift off into a fitful sleep. Alone.

Chapter 15

Chase

“Did she just tell us she’s been stuck in her wolf form for five years?!” I ask, pushing my pink hair back from my face as I drop onto one of the logs surrounding the fire. “Have you ever heard of anything like that before?” I turn my gaze to Gage. If there is any info out there on a wolf shifter being stuck and unable to change back, he would have read about it.

“No. It’s unheard of, at least without being completely feral,” Gage answers, his head hung low as he leans over his knees. “The average wolf who goes even a single month without shifting loses anywhere between sixty to ninety percent of their higher cognitive control, depending on environment and stressors. By six months, the regression is so complete that they no longer recognize their own kin, and they turn completely feral. Five years without shifting and still maintaining human thinking? By every account I’ve studied, that should be impossible.”

“There isn’t an ounce of feral in her,” Maddox says, frowning at the fire.

“Not only that, but she’s the sweetest wolf I’ve ever met.Most wolf shifters, even females, have more aggressive tendencies in wolf form. But she seems so… tame,” Hunter says thoughtfully.

“Do you think someone kept her as their pet? And she escaped?” I ask, worried about the answer. “Is that why she was wearing a fucking muzzle?” Being kept as a pet for five years would be one of my worst nightmares.

“Fuck, I hope not,” Maddox grumbles, scrubbing a hand down his face.

“Even if that’s the case, it doesn’t explain why she hasn’t gone feral,” Gage says thoughtfully.

We sit in silence for a few minutes, and I imagine their thoughts are going down the same rabbit hole as mine, wondering who put that muzzle on her, and what they did to keep her from shifting.

I see fur sprouting on the back of Bain’s hands, his claws already fully extended. A deep rumble has my head whipping toward Maddox, who’s staring at his own claws in confusion. I’m not surprised at his reaction. I’ve never seen him partially shift before. He’s the most in control wolf shifter I’ve ever met.

“How do we fix it?” I ask, hoping that the distraction of a plan will help them pull back control. I’d hate for her to see them losing their shit like this. It's likely to terrify her. “How do we help her?”

“I think we keep doing what we’ve been doing,” Gage says, his body on edge as his eyes bounce between Maddox and Bain. “Take it slow, let her warm up to us.”

“But how long will that take? Why did she start pulling away tonight? I don’t understand,” I grumble, running my hands through my hair, confused by her change of attitude.

“I’m not sure,” Maddox says, shaking out his claw-free hands as he finally gets control of his wolf. “She seemsto be blaming herself for not shifting, and that’s causing her to put distance between us. Not because it will help, but because…”

“Because she thinks she’s broken and doesn’t deserve to be around us,” Gage finishes for him. My eyes widen in horror as I stare at him.

She doesn't think that,does she?

“Shit,” Hunter and I swear in unison.

Is that how she sees herself? Broken?No wonder she can’t shift.

“All we can do is keep reassuring her that she’s doing everything right, and it will come with time. She needs to relax,” Gage tries to reassure us, but I don’t buy it. I heard what he said earlier about how she should be completely feral by now.

Why isn’t my mate bond helping her shift?Is she not my mate after all?Everyone seems to be acting like she’s theirs, although nobody’s spoken about it out loud.

Maybe it is time to change that.