Bound By Blood (Bound 1)

“What is the meaning of this, Morganna?” The first guy demanded, an old-school English accent dripping from the words.

“We’ve got a problem,” she said, not glancing back. “He thinks you tried to kil me today.”

Silence.

Morgan blinked and, this time, she did look back over her shoulder. “Tel him it’s not true, Devon,” she demanded. “Tel him you didn’t—”

“Try to burn her to ash while she was stil in my bed,” Jace finished, his claws stretching. It would be so easy to kil that bastard. One stroke from his claws, and the vampire’s head would hit the ground.

“We merely…tested,” Devon said quietly as he shrugged. “It was necessary.”

Morgan rocked on her heels, then spun around and caught the vamp bastard by his throat.

“Run that by me again.”

Devon blanched. “Ah, Morganna…”

“You tested me? With fire?”

He tried to talk, but no sound emerged from his lips.

“She’s startin’ to remind me of someone…” Louis murmured from beside Jace.

“Morgan?” Jace cal ed out.

Her hold tightened on the vampire.

“I don’t think he can speak,” Louis shouted, probably in what he thought would be a helping way.

Morgan’s hold eased a bit.

Oddly enough, the other two vampires didn’t move to restrain her. Smart of them, because if they’d touched her, Jace would have ripped them apart. They just waited.

Watched. One even glared at Devon Shire, Council-fuckingextraordinaire-member.

Jace had come across Devon before. Almost kil ed him twice. Third time will be the charm.

“You drank his blood.” Devon’s voice held a distinct wheeze now. “We had to see

…had to make sure it was making you stronger…”

“So you set me on fire?”

But Devon didn’t back down. “If you’re going to shut the doorway to hel , you have to be able to withstand the heat, Morganna. We have to test your skin, see how it’s holding up against the flames—”

She punched him, a hard right cut that took the vampire down.

“Looks like your strength’s improving, Morg,” one of the other vampire’s said, lips twitching.

Fuck this. “Kil them,” Jace ordered.

Morgan whirled around, eyes wide. “Wh-what?”

The wolves were already shifting.

“Come.” He held his hand to her. “No sense in you watching them get ripped apart.”

The smiling vampire lunged forward then. A tal bloodsucker, with pale green eyes and a sloping scar that wrapped around his chin. One made, not born, or he wouldn’t be sporting that scar.

The blond made the mistake of putting his body between Morgan and Jace. “We’re not your prey,” he snarled.

Morgan put her hand on his shoulder. “Paul…”

Fury pushed through Jace’s body. There was something between them, he could see it. Smell it.

Morgan’s blood, in the vampire. She’d made him.

Oh, the f**k, no.

His claws burst from his fingertips as he prepared to attack. The wind whipped around them, blowing hot and hard. Wait, hot?

He glanced up at the sky and saw the creatures coming. Flying toward them.

Fucking flying in daylight.

Demons.

“They are the ones we need to fight!” Devon screamed as he scrambled to his feet. “Not each other!”

This from the ass**le who’d torched his place?

But then Devon surprised him. The guy grabbed Morgan and hauled her back toward the house. “You’re not strong enough yet. We can’t let them get you!”

Now the ass**le was protecting her?

Jace’s men spun around, snarling at the new threat. A threat that smel ed of brimstone and death. The demons looked like humans, for the most part. Their faces appeared human, their bodies shaped like men. But they had claws that sprouted from their hands, claws even sharper than a wolf’s. Big and strong, demons had eyes that blazed as red as hel and skin that was twisted and marked with scars that sliced across their flesh. Demons could fly. Demons could control fire. And, most days, demons could kick ass. Not today.

His gaze met Morgan’s. A vampire in the sunlight. Even with his blood, how strong could she be?

He shoved back the one she’d cal ed Paul. “Get inside.”

Paul didn’t move. “We fight, we don’t flee, we—”

The demons hit the ground and came running. The wolves turned, holding their line, not attacking, not yet.

Not until Jace gave the word.

“I’m the one who gets to rip you apart,” Jace promised. “Not them.” Demons…

“Now get Morgan inside. ”

“Jace!”

He didn’t turn at her cry. He grabbed Louis, stopping his friend before he could change. The heavy metal door swung shut behind the vampires.

The demons were smiling, showing fangs as sharp as a vampire’s.

“Guard the door,” Jace ordered. “Nothing gets to her.” No one. Louis nodded.

“Send them back to hel ,” he told his men as his bones began to shift. The change didn’t even hurt, not anymore. Al he could think about now was the battle. “In pieces.”

The wolves attacked.

***

“They’re fighting for us,” Devon’s voice trembled. “They’re actual y honoring the agreement.” Morgan paced. She’d quickly changed once she’d entered the compound. No longer overexposed in Jace’s shirt, she now wore jeans, a t-shirt, and her boots. As she paced, the sounds of battle seemed to burn her ears. Howls. Screams. “We need to be out there!”

But Paul shook his head. “The demons came at us in the daylight. They knew we’d be weak.” The sun would set soon, just not soon enough for them.

“They didn’t know we’d have the wolves with us!” Devon was al but crowing. “The bastards can fight and kil each other off, and when night comes, we’l be stronger than them al .”She was tired of the Council leader’s bul shit. Jace had fed her twice. He had to be weak from that loss, and now he was out there, fighting, while she stayed safe inside?

No.

“What if I’d died this morning?” She’d never forget waking to that blaze. The bastard must have planted one of his bombs. She knew he’d taken out other enemies that way over the years.

Am I an enemy?

“It was merely a test, Morganna. Merely—”