Soulbound

26. Dani

It was nearly midnight by the time Marco and I loaded up the last of my belongings into his truck. It was a little easier this time around considering I haven't really had the chance, or felt comfortable enough, to unpack anything and settle in since the last move. After learning that this was actually Catalina's apartment, perhaps that was for the best.

Ashe, to her credit, stayed out of our way for most of the night.

“That the last of it?”

I nod. As Marco lifts the tailgate my eyes sweep up the length of the building. “Has she always been this way?”

He follows my stare, frowning at the silhouette of a woman leaning up against the balcony nineteen stories up. She raises a bottle to her lips as a puff of smoke circles her head and his scowl deepens. “She's gotten worse.”

“She told me once that alcohol helps 'tame the beast', that she drinks to hold back her anger.” I feel my shoulders sag as I say the words aloud. Is it because of me? Of the situation I've put her in? The danger I've put us all in?

“It does, but it's not the only reason.” Marco meets my gaze, concern smoothing over the worry lines in his forehead. “Maybe it's better if we don't talk about this.”

“No, Marco. I want to know. For God's sake, I'm soulbound to her and I feel—” The words catch in my throat and, frustrated, I lower my head. What exactly did I feel?

We've shared a few moments here and there, stolen several glances when we thought the other wasn't looking, but that's been the extent of it. It's not like we sat down and had a roundtable discussion on whatever this weird attraction was between us—at least, the fascination on my end. I still wasn't sure if she felt anything at all for me, and not knowing was driving me crazy.

With a sigh I wring my hands, absently tracing the pad of my thumb over the cool metal of Ashe's ring. The sapphire band sparkles under the lights of the visitor's parking lot, winking up at me with unspoken promises.

'Do you even know what it is you control?'

I gnash my teeth against Catalina's words. “I want to know what it is I'm dealing with.”

The bear drags a hand over his face with a guttural groan. “Dani . . .”

“Ashe won't talk to me, Marco, and I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with all of this right now. Now, you said I could trust you and I do. So please, trust me.”

He stares at me for a long moment, weighing my pleas against the knowledge that he carefully withheld. Finally, he relents. “Ashe has lived a long life, and that kind of living doesn't go by without leaving scars. She's been alone for most of it—”

I scoff. “Alone? Marco, she's shared her bed with Catalina almost every night since I moved in!” I couldn't even think about how often they were together before I accidentally entered her life without my stomach knotting. I didn't want to think about it at all if I could help it.

“I told you, they have history. But I never said it was a good history.”

My brow furrows. “Does she have something on her?”

It was the only thing that made sense as to why Ashe would put up with that devil in the first place. This could just be wishful thinking on my part, but in every one of their interactions that I had the displeasure of observing it looked to me as if Ashe was merely tolerating the vampire.