Unbound (Bound To You sequel)

Chapter 20 - Different

A/N: I've been having major writer's block and general feeling super unmotivated to do anything. But I managed to write this, so I thought I'd post it while though while I try to work through this 'blaaaa nothing is fun, I have no inspiration'  feeling I've gotten stuck in.

Different

Growing up in a big family and being an alpha's daughter meant I'd always had someone around. Old people, adults, kids and babies. Part of what I'd wanted in finding my mate had been to recreate that. Another part had been to escape from it.

To be part of a twosome rather than just one of many. Because sometimes even when I was surrounded by people I did feel alone. And I wasn't sure if that was normal. Wolves were supposed to love packs. Groups. But my best times were when I spent time with just Sorelle or just Rose or even just my mom.

With Lucy too.

"What if we just go to Boston now," I said to James as we parked next to Dante's truck. We were in a small parking lot next to an apartment building made from red bricks. "We could find Lucy and then deal with St. Claire."

I know we'd agreed that letting St. Claire plan is revenge wasn't smart. But neither was leaving Lucy in the clutches of the witches that had taken her.

"You said an alpha takes care of their pack. That means Lucy," I said when he cut the engine but said nothing. "Right? What if this goes wrong? What if St. Claire wasn't behind the whole kidnapping? What if Dante's plan to burn the police station down worked? What if they don't know we're here. We might be wasting time."

"We might be," James said, glancing out at Robin and Dante who had gotten out of their car. "But even with all of those Ifs, taking out St. Claire is the priority right now."

"But-"

He turned his green eyes on me. "St. Claire dies today. Tomorrow the witches. Then everything goes back to normal."

I held his intense eyes for a few seconds. There was almost something pleading there. I didn't quite understand it. Yet I did. Because even if the normal we'd had until a few short days ago wasn't perfect, Owen was still alive. Lucy hadn't been taken. James knew that. He also must know Lucy might not come back the same. Yet he wanted, badly, for me to agree.

So I did, with a nod.

He smiled then, just a small one, but a real one just as the sun came through the clouds. My wolf was pleased we'd made him smile. That we'd given him some comfort or peace, even if it might not be true.

He reached out and brushed some hair behind my ear. His eyes held the strangest sparkle, better than even the way they shone when he smiled."You know, sometimes when I look at you I don't quite believe you're real."

Not sure how to respond to that, I glanced down. I think that might have been the strongest compliment he'd ever paid me. And his eyes, something about the way he'd looked at me just then. No one had ever looked at me like that before. Not even James himself.

He pulled his hand back. "Let's go see what Dante got stashed away at his place."

I nodded, still feeling weirdly shy, which I knew was a bit stupid. He'd seen me naked, been inside of me, stared into my eyes as we made love. But this had been different.