Unbound Read Online Free PDF
Author: Elle Thorne
“I’m glad you could make it.
She shook it, noting that his was warm and her own must have felt icy. As icy as the coating that surrounded her heart.
“I’m not sure why I had to be here.”
“Well, it’s the conditions of Frank Forester’s will. And I’d like to know that I did my best to fulfill his final wishes.”
She nodded, but the whole time her senses were tuned into Dane, behind her, approaching, his footsteps silent in his snow leopard stealthy way. She made to take a seat but found the chair being held out for her by Dane.
Glory had one brief second to weigh if she wanted to be a bitch and move to another chair or fake graciousness and accept his offer for a seat.
That’s all I’m accepting.
His fingertips brushed her arm as he pushed the chair in. She jerked away reflexively. Her skin was on fire with the heat a thousand suns where his flesh touched hers. Glory ran her fingers through her hair, feeling that it must be springing into the curls it was wont to yield to when she didn’t indulge herself in hours of taming the auburn mass.
She studied the table’s woodgrain pattern while she waited for Mr. Shelby to say his piece. Then she could get the hell out of here. She had no business being here. She didn’t know what he meant by “it’s in your best interest.” But she did want to know.
A cup of coffee was set in front of her. She nodded her thanks, recognizing Dane’s fingers. His hand. The scar over the knuckle on the middle finger. They’d been together when he’d earned that scar.
He’d cut his hand when he’d punched a tree in anger, on a different day, the day he’d told her was his father’s birthday. She knew that scar too well. She’d been the one who’d doctored it.
“So,” Dane’s voice huskier than it had been when they’d seen each other last. It was deeper even than it was in the movies where he played an action figure, super spy type. “What was it that my uncle wanted by having this…”
When Dane didn’t finish his sentence she looked up at him.
Dane’s eyes were on her. “This reading.”
“I have two letters. Both identical. He wanted them to be read at the same time with both of you in the same room, or not at all.”
“And if we hadn’t agreed? If one of us wasn’t here?” Glory had to ask.
“Then neither would see it, and Frank’s property would be turned over to a developer.”
Glory gasped. She’d thought Frank Forester loved the property. “What in the world would possess him to do that?”
“I’m instructed to read it aloud.”
“Uncle Frank seems to be a control freak, right about now.” Dane’s tone was agitated.
“Perhaps you should let me finish first, young man. Just because you are a shifter doesn’t mean you know everything.”
Glory bit back a sound of surprised.
Dane’s eyes narrowed the slightest bit. That was his only reaction to the statement the older man knew he was a shifter.
“Oh yes.” Mr. Shelby nodded. “I know. And I knew about Frank, and all of you. There are some humans who know about shifters. Some humans mean shifters no harm, the others, those are hunters. To be avoided at all costs as they know how to subdue and incapacitate a shifter.” Mr. Shelby took a loud sip of his coffee. “Are we ready?”
Glory nodded. When Mr. Shelby didn’t begin, she looked at Dane expectantly.
He was unmoving.
“The sooner you let him start, the sooner I can get out of your hair.”
Forever.
Again.
“Ready,” Dane said, but he shook his head, as if denying something.
Denying what, she wondered.
7
G lory and Dane ,
I ’m glad you both agreed to be in the same place at the same time. I wasn’t sure I could make this happen.
I’m dead now, so there’s no way I can know for sure, but I’m hoping that the past has enough pull to bring you both here for this reading.
I’m going to try to cover a lot of history in as short a letter as I can. I’m going to ask one thing only, after the
She shook it, noting that his was warm and her own must have felt icy. As icy as the coating that surrounded her heart.
“I’m not sure why I had to be here.”
“Well, it’s the conditions of Frank Forester’s will. And I’d like to know that I did my best to fulfill his final wishes.”
She nodded, but the whole time her senses were tuned into Dane, behind her, approaching, his footsteps silent in his snow leopard stealthy way. She made to take a seat but found the chair being held out for her by Dane.
Glory had one brief second to weigh if she wanted to be a bitch and move to another chair or fake graciousness and accept his offer for a seat.
That’s all I’m accepting.
His fingertips brushed her arm as he pushed the chair in. She jerked away reflexively. Her skin was on fire with the heat a thousand suns where his flesh touched hers. Glory ran her fingers through her hair, feeling that it must be springing into the curls it was wont to yield to when she didn’t indulge herself in hours of taming the auburn mass.
She studied the table’s woodgrain pattern while she waited for Mr. Shelby to say his piece. Then she could get the hell out of here. She had no business being here. She didn’t know what he meant by “it’s in your best interest.” But she did want to know.
A cup of coffee was set in front of her. She nodded her thanks, recognizing Dane’s fingers. His hand. The scar over the knuckle on the middle finger. They’d been together when he’d earned that scar.
He’d cut his hand when he’d punched a tree in anger, on a different day, the day he’d told her was his father’s birthday. She knew that scar too well. She’d been the one who’d doctored it.
“So,” Dane’s voice huskier than it had been when they’d seen each other last. It was deeper even than it was in the movies where he played an action figure, super spy type. “What was it that my uncle wanted by having this…”
When Dane didn’t finish his sentence she looked up at him.
Dane’s eyes were on her. “This reading.”
“I have two letters. Both identical. He wanted them to be read at the same time with both of you in the same room, or not at all.”
“And if we hadn’t agreed? If one of us wasn’t here?” Glory had to ask.
“Then neither would see it, and Frank’s property would be turned over to a developer.”
Glory gasped. She’d thought Frank Forester loved the property. “What in the world would possess him to do that?”
“I’m instructed to read it aloud.”
“Uncle Frank seems to be a control freak, right about now.” Dane’s tone was agitated.
“Perhaps you should let me finish first, young man. Just because you are a shifter doesn’t mean you know everything.”
Glory bit back a sound of surprised.
Dane’s eyes narrowed the slightest bit. That was his only reaction to the statement the older man knew he was a shifter.
“Oh yes.” Mr. Shelby nodded. “I know. And I knew about Frank, and all of you. There are some humans who know about shifters. Some humans mean shifters no harm, the others, those are hunters. To be avoided at all costs as they know how to subdue and incapacitate a shifter.” Mr. Shelby took a loud sip of his coffee. “Are we ready?”
Glory nodded. When Mr. Shelby didn’t begin, she looked at Dane expectantly.
He was unmoving.
“The sooner you let him start, the sooner I can get out of your hair.”
Forever.
Again.
“Ready,” Dane said, but he shook his head, as if denying something.
Denying what, she wondered.
7
G lory and Dane ,
I ’m glad you both agreed to be in the same place at the same time. I wasn’t sure I could make this happen.
I’m dead now, so there’s no way I can know for sure, but I’m hoping that the past has enough pull to bring you both here for this reading.
I’m going to try to cover a lot of history in as short a letter as I can. I’m going to ask one thing only, after the