Eclipse Bound

CHAPTER 3

The first thing I noticed wasn’t the light. It was the smell.

It was everywhere. It smelled like expensive leather, cold rain, and something spicy—like cinnamon mixed with woodsmoke. It was a heavy, masculine scent that made my stomach do a weird little flip.

I opened my eyes and immediately closed them again. Ow. The light wasn’t even bright, just a dim glow from some lamps on the wall, but it felt like someone was poking needles into my pupils. Everything was too loud, too. I could hear the hum of an air conditioner three rooms away. I could hear the steady drip-drip-drip of a leaky faucet somewhere down the hall. It sounded like a drum beating in my ears.

I tried to sit up, and my body felt… different. The ache in my side from the warehouse was gone. The stinging on my neck where Kael had bitten me was just a dull, warm throb. I felt light, like I was made of springs instead of lead, but there was a heaviness in my chest that wouldn't go away.

"Finally," a voice said.

I bolted upright, my heart slamming against my ribs. I looked toward the corner of the room.

Kael was sitting in a high-backed leather chair. He had a book in his lap, but he wasn't reading it. He was just watching me with those calm, golden eyes. He looked like a statue—perfect and terrifying.

Then I saw Kai. He was leaning against the doorframe, spinning a silver coin over his knuckles. He gave me a lazy grin that made me want to punch him.

"You’ve been out for six hours, Detective," Kai said. "I was starting to think we broke you."

"Where am I?" I rasped. My voice sounded different to my own ears. Clearer. Lower.

"You're safe," Kael said. His voice did something to my skin. It made the tiny hairs on my arms stand up. "This is our home."

The Eclipse Syndicate’s home. I was in the lion's den.

Everything came rushing back. The rain. The trap. Vance falling from the catwalk with a hole in his head. The betrayal. Rage flared up in me, hot and sudden, like someone had tossed gasoline on a fire.

"Safe?" I spat the word out. I swung my legs off the bed, feeling a weird surge of strength. "You bit me. You kidn*pped me. My partner is dead because of your people!"

I tried to stand up, but the world tilted. My senses were screaming. I could smell the sweat on Kai's skin from across the room. I could see the tiny pulse in Kael's neck. It was too much. It was too much information for a human brain to handle.

"Careful," Kael said. He stood up slowly, moving toward me. "Your body is still adjusting."

"Adjusting to what?" I snapped. I backed away, my heels hitting the edge of the plush rug. "I’m a cop. I’m going to walk out that door, and I’m going to bring every federal agent in this city back here to burn this place down."

Kai let out a short, bark-like laugh. "I’d love to see you try. Really. But you might find the 'walking out' part a bit tricky."

I didn't listen. I turned and lunged for the door, but Kael was suddenly there. He didn't run. He just… appeared in front of me.

I didn't think. I just reacted. I balled my fist and swung at his face with everything I had. I expected him to duck or block me.

But as my fist got close to him, something happened inside my chest. It was like an invisible leash snapped tight. My muscles locked up. Instead of hitting him, my hand drifted off course, my fingers brushing against the soft fabric of his shirt.

My heart didn't feel like it belonged to me anymore. It felt like it was trying to jump out of my chest and into his hand. I didn't want to hit him. I wanted to… put my head on his shoulder.

I recoiled, my eyes wide with horror. "What did you do to me? Did you drug me?"

Kael looked down at where I’d touched him. His expression didn't change, but his eyes darkened. "I didn't drug you, Rhea. I saved your life. You were dying in that alley. The bite… it changed things."

"What things? Tell me!" I shouted. I felt like I was going crazy.

"You were a human yesterday," Kai said, stepping closer. He looked at me with a mix of hunger and amusement. "Now? You’re something else. You're part of the pack. Our pack."

"I’m not a wolf," I hissed, even though my teeth felt too sharp for my mouth. "I’m a woman. I’m a detective."

"You're a shifter," Kael corrected. His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. "And you aren't just any shifter. You were turned by an Alpha. That creates a… connection."

He didn't say the word mate. He didn't explain the golden threads I could feel pulling at my soul. But I could feel him avoiding it. It made me even angrier. He was keeping secrets while my world was falling apart.

I turned toward Kai, looking for any way out. "Let me go. If you let me leave now, I’ll tell them you saved me. I’ll keep you out of the report."

Kai leaned in close. He smelled like something wild and free. "You don't get it, do you, little bird? You can't leave. Try it. Walk toward the door."

I glared at him and did exactly that. I marched toward the hallway.

I got five feet away from Kael.

Suddenly, a sharp, stabbing pain blossomed in my chest. It felt like my heart was being squeezed by a cold hand. The further I stepped, the worse it got. It felt like I was being torn in half. My breathing got shallow. My vision started to blur.

I stumbled, clutching my chest.

"Stop," Kael said.

The moment he spoke, the pain eased. He walked over and put a hand on my shoulder. The touch felt like a shot of morphine. The pain vanished instantly, replaced by a warm, tingly feeling that made me hate myself.

"It’s the bond," Kael whispered. "Your soul won't let you stay away from us. Not yet."

I looked at his hand on my shoulder. I wanted to scream. I wanted to bite him. I wanted to run until my legs gave out. I was a prisoner in my own skin.

"This isn't real," I whispered, tears of frustration pricking my eyes. "It’s some kind of trick. I don't belong to you."

"You belong to the Eclipse now," Kai said. He wasn't smiling anymore. He looked almost sad for a second, but then the mask was back. "And the city is a dangerous place for a new wolf who doesn't have a leash."

I shook Kael’s hand off and backed into the center of the room. I felt trapped. The walls were closing in. I could hear the wind howling outside the window, but underneath the wind, I heard something else.

It was a low, guttural sound.

Grrrrrrrr.

It wasn't coming from inside the room. It was coming from the hallway. It sounded big. It sounded hungry. And it didn't sound like it liked me very much.

I froze, my eyes darting to the shadows beyond the door.

"What is that?" I whispered, my voice trembling.

Kael and Kai both looked toward the door. Kael’s jaw tightened.

"The rest of the family," Kai said, his voice dropping to a low hum. "And they’re waiting to see if you’re a miracle… or a mistake."

I stared into the darkness of the hall, and for the first time, I saw eyes. Dozens of glowing, amber eyes, watching me from the shadows.

I wasn't a cop anymore. I was a target.