All Chapters of Shattered Bonds: Chapter 281 - Chapter 290

The next morning, I make sure I spend enough time downstairs where everyone is having breakfast before I pack up and head out, just in case anyone finds my dead man. Now that I know I’m close, and that at least one of my father’s men is there, I’m anxious to find this dwelling. The snow from last night has stopped but the sky remains overcast and dreary. The roads have been cleared and I begin walking north again, this time staying on the road. In this part of the world, there are more horses and horse drawn carriages than there are motorized vehicles. If a vehicle does pass me, it’s a four-wheel drive with chains on the tires, able to make it through these heavy snow drifts. But only one of those passes me as I make my way. The roadway begins to incline. I look up to see where I’m headed and that’s when I see it. I instantly know that it’s my grandfather’s place because it looks exactly like a haunted mansion from a human horror movie. I’m not sure who in my family tree had a sense

After getting the letter from my grandfather, I began searching through the house. I had Demetrius slowly start sell the old, antique, gothic furniture starting with the hideous chandelier above the dining room table. I carefully go room by room, searching for hidden passages, hiding spots or secret doors. Each day, I come away with nothing more than what I got from the letter, which Demetrius said he got from the safe when he arrived. When I asked, he pointed me to my grandfather's room where the safe, whose door now sits open, the inside empty, resides. Although Leana said she would contact me every night, it is not the case. Part of me begins to feel gloomy, wondering if, now that she’s away from me, if she has forgotten me. Or worse, if she’s realized that she doesn’t want to be mated to a vampire. What if she fancies a werewolf? Well, I'll just have to kill him. I periodically get text messages from her, letting me know she’s okay and asking how I’m doing and on occasion, we ta

I can’t believe the difference in how I feel now that Leana is back. The night has turned to day, the sun is shining on my face, I’m no longer thirsty and I feel almost human again. What little humanity I have has returned. “Does my wolf mate want to go for a run around the estate with me, see what there is to see?” I ask. I’m instantly rewarded with Leana’s sage green eyes turning gold. “Yes,” she purrs. Since I feel good and I know how my mate loves a challenge, I take a step away from her. “Do you think you can keep up with me, my mate?” I ask, taking another step. She growls low and just as she leaps to shift, I take off running. Rather than looking around the estate, we take a couple of hours to play, chasing after each other, Kella nipping at my heels when she gets close enough and me pinching her flanks when I’d catch up with her. Her howls of enjoyment go unanswered in the surrounding forests, so I begin to howl back at her which only makes her more excited. When we fin

I take another day before deciding it's time to leave so I can research the area where we were going. It’s a very small town, one that I’m surprised is even on a map, although it’s possible that my grandfather actually drew it onto the map for me. What little I can find out about the town let’s me know that it’s very small, less than a thousand people. That’s it. That’s all there is about the town. No sights to see, no hotels to stay in, no restaurants advertising for travelers to stop in for a bite to eat. Nothing. I let Demetrius know that we’re leaving, and I have no idea when I’ll be back. I tell him to protect the estate and to let no one in who is aligned with my father. “We need to be careful,” I say as we pack up her car. “Aren’t we always?” she asks. “If this is a town of witches and warlocks, we’re going to be outnumbered,” I say seriously. I’m still not thrilled that she wants to fight beside me, but no matter how strong I am, or how strong she is, one thousand witches,

I come awake slowly to the sounds of snarling, growling and hissing. My body feels like it’s been hit by a truck and I have the healing capacity of a human. What happened? As I try to get my bearings, it comes back to me. I had come down here to rescue my sister. I found her, talked to her, had even gotten the door to her prison cell open, and then she had blasted me with magic, slamming me against the wall and knocking me unconscious. I shake my head, tasting Leana’s blood in my mouth and that brings my senses into sharp focus. What have I done? I open my eyes and I see Kella fighting against three vampires. The space in here is narrow and they are using her much larger size and their numbers to corral her against the wall. As I watch, they surround her, pinning her against the cell wall. All three have their fangs out and they are obviously willing to share, all three wanting to feed on my mate. I watch as she leaps at the throat of one of the vampires, tackling him against the