Bound (4 page)

Kira held her hand to her throat as she tried
to catch her breath and make sense of what she’d seen. Too
terrified to decipher the confusing thoughts that were bouncing
around in her head, the change in his eyes flashed in her mind and
she couldn’t shake it. Who was this guy and why wasn’t Lydia afraid
of him? She pulled the sides of her jacket together with trembling
hands.

“Who did this to you?” he asked, crouching
before Lydia.

“I didn’t recognize them, but they were
Shandira’s men—scouts, I think. They came out of nowhere.” Tears
trickled down her face. “I lost it. I couldn’t control myself and
now she knows where we are.” Her fragile voice changed to a
whisper. “Kira saw me . . . transform.”

“If Shandira had our location, she wouldn’t
be dispatching scouts—you know this. Which way did they go?” The
muscles in his back seemed to swell as he waited for her
answer.

“They didn’t
go
anywhere.” Lydia
motioned to the area on the other side of the creek. “But you might
want to tie them up.”

He shook his head, his long hair barely
brushing the tops of his shoulders. “You are not making my life any
easier by fighting them. I
am
your guardian, remember?” Then
he grabbed the huge knife strapped to his side, bolted across the
bridge, and behind a thick stand of trees.

Kira had never seen anyone move so quickly.
Before she turned her head to follow his movement, he’d gone.
“Lydia. What’s going on, and . . . who
was
that?”

“Octavion’s my brother.”

“Brother? But you told me you’re an only
child. And who’s Shandira?”

Lydia hesitated for a moment before
answering. “My sister.”

“Great.”
Psycho siblings.
Kira’s
stomach twisted into a knot. And Kira thought
her
family
life sucked.

Lydia’s hands no longer pressed against the
wound in her side, but lay at rest in her lap. The bloodstain had
spread to her jeans and there was no sign of it stopping. If Kira
couldn’t take her to the hospital, she’d have to do the next best
thing.

Kira walked to where Octavion threw the
knife, and wiggled the blade from the bark. Her fingers slipped
around the bloody handle until they found a firm grip. She fought
back the bile that rose in her throat and went to Lydia’s side.

“We need to stop the bleeding,” Kira said.
“Get mad if you want, but I’m doing this.”

Lydia nodded.

Kira cut the clean sleeve from Lydia’s
sweater, turned it inside out to reveal the smoother fibers, and
lifted the shirt just enough to expose the gash in her side. It
wasn’t just a small puncture like she’d hoped, but a jagged
four-inch gouge that ran just under Lydia’s rib cage. Kira
swallowed hard. She wadded the piece of sweater and pressed it
firmly against the wound. Lydia cried out, pushing Kira’s arm
away.

“I’m sorry, but we have to stop the
bleeding,” Kira said.

Lydia’s fingers dug into Kira’s skin as she
tried to apply more pressure to the makeshift bandage. “Kira,
stop,” Lydia begged, just as Octavion came back into view.

“Do not touch her,” he yelled as he swung his
arm in Kira’s direction, brushing her aside.

The force behind his blow wasn’t heavy, but
it caught Kira off guard and she stumbled back, tripped over a tree
root and landed against the rock she’d been sitting on. As if stuck
in the metal jaws of a vise, her arm caught between it and the
forward momentum of her body. She slumped to the ground. The last
time she’d been hurt like that was when Paul came home drunk after
losing big in a poker game. She couldn’t imagine Lydia being mixed
up with a guy like that—brother or not.

She clenched her fist and bent her arm at the
elbow. She didn’t think it was broken, though the pain was almost
unbearable. Her instincts told her to run, but how could she leave
Lydia? Instead, she scooted closer to the tree to stay out of the
way, and cradled her arm against her tender ribs.

“Jerk,” she mumbled under her breath.

Octavion showed no sign that he’d heard her.
He was too busy examining Lydia’s wound again. This time Kira had a
better view of his face. His strong chiseled jaw tightened as the
crease between his eyes furrowed. “This is deep.” He ran his
fingers through his wavy brown hair. “How am I to protect you if
you do such foolish things?”

Lydia’s bottom lip quivered. “I’m sorry. You
know how she gets. I . . . I’ll be fine, you’ll see.” She gave him
a half smile.

Their eyes locked for a long moment before he
slipped one arm behind her back and the other under her knees,
lifting her from the ground. Lydia relaxed against his chest, then
turned her head to look at Kira.

“He won’t hurt you. Trust him—it’ll be
okay.”

Kira nodded, but inside she questioned
everything, especially whether or not Octavion would hurt her. Her
throbbing arm already testified to his inability to control his
temper.

Octavion adjusted his hold on Lydia, making
her cringe and moan in pain. “Forgive me,” he said. “Are you
ready?”

“Yeah. You’re coming back for her, right?” It
was more a request than a question.

“Yes, I am.” His next words were directed to
Kira. “You will
not
move. Do you understand?”

Kira was too afraid to speak, so she just
nodded, again.

Octavion carried Lydia a few feet into the
forest then disappeared, leaving a thin white mist in their place.
It hung in the air for a few seconds before melting into the cold
forest floor. Kira blinked hard, thinking she’d imagined it, but
when she heard no footsteps leading away, she pulled herself up
from the ground and ordered her legs to move. Regardless of his
warning, there was no way she was waiting around for another dose
of his temper.

She turned down the narrow path that led to
the car and quickened her step, taking Lydia’s keys from her
pocket. The car was in sight. A few more steps and Kira would be on
her way home. With the door handle mere inches from her fingers,
she heard Octavion swear and the heavy weight of his hand clamped
over her shoulder, pulling her back. He spun her around, grabbed
her arms, and lifted her to sit on the hood.

“I told you not to move,” he scolded.

“Let go of me.” Kira tightened her fingers
around the keys and took a swing at him. He caught her fist before
it made contact with his face. The keys pinched her hand as his
strong grip pressed them into her palm.

“Stop! You’re hurting me.”

He loosened his grip, but didn’t let go.
“Calm down and I will release you.”

But Kira wasn’t about to give in. Instead,
she started kicking her feet until one connected with his knee. He
simply pushed her legs to one side, shoved them against his solid
thigh, and held them with the spread of his fingers across her
knees. Both of his hands were occupied, but she still had one
loose—she doubled her fist and swung at his face again. He ducked
and twisted his body just before she hit, sending her knuckles into
his rock-hard shoulder.

“
Ouch
!” Kira pulled her hand back and
tried to shake away the pain. “Why did you do that?”

He raised one brow and grinned. Two deep
impressions appeared—one on each cheek—dimples. “
You
hit
me
,” he said. “Are you finished?”

“No!” Kira tried to squirm loose.

He let go and took a step back, folding his
arms in front of his chest. “When you stop acting like a child, I
will take you to Lydia.”

“Just leave me alone.” Kira pushed herself
half way across the hood of the car, only to have his strong hand
wrap around her arm from behind, pulling her back across the hood
and onto the ground. Her feet slid on the gravel and she almost
lost her footing, but his hold kept her upright. He leaned forward,
pressed her body between his and the side of the car, then brought
both her hands in front and held them with one of his.

“Let go. You’re hurting me.” The strength of
his grip made her fingers ache. She tried to wiggle free from
between the cold metal and glass of the car, and the heat of
Octavion’s body, but he just leaned more of his weight on her,
making it harder for her to take in air. “Stop!”

“Kira, I am not trying to hurt you. Be
still.” He took the keys out of her hand, slid them into his vest
pocket, and readjusted his grip.

With his free hand, he reached into a pouch
that hung from his belt and retrieved a small, brown bottle no
bigger than his thumb. He bit down on the cork, pulled it out, and
spat it onto the ground, then took in a deep breath. As he brought
the bottle up between them, a fine white powder spilled out,
distorting her view. He blew the substance into her face, then
stepped back.

Free from the pressure of his body pushing
against hers, Kira drew the white powder into her lungs with her
first breath. The trees began to sway and her focus blurred right
before her knees collapsed out from under her.

Octavion scooped her into his arms. “Close
your eyes.”

“Why? What are you . . . doing?” Kira’s eyes
drooped to thin slits as every muscle in her body went limp. She
was paralyzed. She felt the warmth of his touch and his strong arms
around her, but she couldn’t move.
How can that be?
She
tried to speak again, but now her lips wouldn’t move either. She
groaned.

“You are safe with me. Do not fight it, Kira.
Close your eyes.” His smooth, deep voice hung in the air like a
thick fog as the other sounds around her faded away. She wasn’t
sure if it was the warmth of his breath rushing over her or the
effects of the powder that made her melt into his arms, but his
embrace felt . . . comforting. His natural musk mixed perfectly
with the earth and pine of the mountain. The combination engulfed
her senses. She closed her eyes and took it in.

Octavion’s arms stiffened and a horrible
roaring sound filled her ears. It felt as though they were sucked
through a tunnel, racing between its cold stone wall and a speeding
train. It only lasted a few seconds, but the effect left her
gasping and fighting for her next breath. A strange, floating
feeling came over her as the stale air she tried to bring into her
lungs turned fresh and clean. She inhaled deeply.

“You can open your eyes now,” Octavion
said.

Kira forced her eyelids to part, blinking
several times until her eyes focused. He stood in the center of a
thick grove of trees, their branches so dense the area was almost
completely enclosed. In the middle, a fire crackled, surrounded by
several large rocks. The tiny flames licked at the night air,
sending sparks into the sky.

Octavion lowered her to rest on something
soft. “You must stay here.”

Kira still felt a little dizzy—her eyes
moving in and out of focus—but the movement in her fingers and
hands had returned, so she tried her voice. “What did you . . . do
to me?”

“The effects of the V’Larian will wear off
soon. Can I trust you to stay here or shall I bind you to that
rotten log?” He motioned behind her, but she didn’t look. She
couldn’t have moved anyway.

“I’ll stay, but . . . you said I could see
Lydia.”

“It will be easier on both of you if you stay
here for now. You are safe here. I will come for you soon.” Then he
walked across the clearing and into the shadows of the forest.

Octavion discarded Lydia’s bloody clothes
near the cave entrance and helped her slip into one of his long,
white tunics. He rolled up the sleeves so she had more freedom to
move her hands.

“Is that better?” he asked, while dabbing her
forehead with a damp cloth.

“Yeah.” She moaned as she tried to adjust her
position under the wool blanket. “What are you gonna do?”

He sat back on his heels and ran his fingers
through his hair. “I do not think we have a choice. I know of only
one way to heal this wound.”

“What do you mean? You know if I go to the
hospital, they’ll find me.”

He looked into his sister’s eyes and tried
not to show the emotion that was seeping from his heart. There was
only one way to save his sister’s life without putting her in more
danger. And she wasn’t going to like it.
He
didn’t like
it.

Lydia’s eyes widened with sudden realization.
“No! You can’t!” She grasped Octavion’s wrist and pushed the cloth
away from her face. “Promise me you won’t involve Kira. Give me
your word.” The outburst seemed to draw all the energy from her at
once. She let her hand fall to her side. Tears welled up in her
swollen eyes. “I would rather die than live with the guilt—”

“I took an oath to protect you, even if that
means another’s death.” His words sounded harsh, even to him. But
he had no choice. If he was to save his sister, he’d have to use
every means necessary, even if that meant the death of her friend.
The very thought made his heart twist and his stomach wretch. He’d
have to keep his feelings for Kira in check or he’d never be able
to do this.

Octavion dropped the cloth into the washbasin
and used the flame from one candle to light two more. He stood and
went to the table across from where Lydia lay. He’d retrieved clean
linens from a trunk in the back of the cave and used a combination
of herbs to make a poultice to help stop the bleeding. So far it
hadn’t helped much.

He scanned the shelves of multi-colored
bottles before him, but nothing would help heal a gaping knife
wound. He’d never felt more helpless. He glanced back at his sister
with her pale features and dark eyes. She was running out of time.
If he didn’t do something soon, she would surely die.

Octavion was right about the paralysis. It
only took a few minutes for Kira to regain the full movement of her
limbs and push to a sitting position. Covering the ground beneath
her was a large animal skin she guessed to be bear. She ran her
fingers through the long, dark fur, finding comfort in the way the
warmth of the fire soaked to its depths and took away the chill.
She rubbed her eyes, then gathered her hair to one side and swept
her fingers through several strands, littering her jeans with the
tiny pieces of leaves and pine needles that had caught in her
tangled hair.