Soul Bound [Book Three, Lady and the Wolf]

Chapter Three: Human

Three Years Earlier

"Human?"

She nodded. "You'd be free, Van."

"I don't think you understand what free means, Vera," he snapped back.

She touched his arm gently and as he looked down, a flash of Aira came to his mind. He had taken her for granted, never knowing how much he would miss her until she was gone... truly gone.

"It was all for nothing," he whispered, putting his hands against the wall as he looked down at the ground.

Markus couldn't control them. Everyday Aiden and Ronan fought, killing whatever stupid follower Markus dare send in to them. It had been several months in this hole, and yet, it felt like an eternity had passed. Aiden was only starting to feel the pain of losing Lillya, and soon, he would fall victim to the same fate as Drake.

And then there left him and Ronan. There was the pain every now and again, but that was the pain of being separated from Celeste and Aira, and Van wondered if they survived. He prayed that Aira was alive, and that she was safe. She had come back to save him as a child, surly that meant she lived.

But was it a life worth living? He remembered the look in her eyes when she had saved them as pups, and it had haunted him into his adult life. In the end, she had been wounded, and Van suspected she had died going back to her world – wherever that was.

"I know they killed for nothing, Van. But now you and your brother's have a real chance at freedom," Vera urged as she tucked a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear.

"But I have to give him Konstantin," Van finished as he pushed back from the wall.

Looking over at Drake, Van cringed as he watched his brother toss and turn in a cold sweat. He had been in pain for months and soon, the madness would set in, and Van didn't have the energy or strength to contain him. He would let Drake tear this place apart and kill everyone.

"It'll save Drake's life. It'll save Aiden. Please, Van," she begged.

Human... he had spent his life running humans into the ground, and yet, here he was given the chance to become one. In all honesty he knew a part of all Lycan's and shifters were human in some way, it was what built their personalities, but what sort of human would he be?

Weak. He'd be a weak human without a clue, and he would never be able to find Aira. He had tried to stay with her, but in the end, he had been weakened and dragged away, but not before he managed to tear the heads off the people who had dared to take her from him.

It was just more blood that stained his hands, but he'd do it again. For her, he would have done anything.

"Will we forget?" he asked as he looked down at his hands.

"I can't say for sure," she answered, a little nervously.

He watched his knuckled turn white as he fisted his hands. "Where will they keep them?" he asked, referring to their lycan's.

"They'll still be inside of you, Van, just dormant – sleeping, almost. When he thinks he can control you, they'll be let back out."

Van chuckled as he looked at the girl, smiling cynically. "He thinks he can control me?"

He could do whatever he wanted, no one controlled Konstantin.

And after what happened to Aira, Van was sure he wouldn't be able to even control himself.