Dark Obsession: Bound to the Shadows, #2

By E.L. Jones

She looked at me in horror.

Blue. The sexy, sharp tongued manager of a new hotel in Gray Hills.

It wasn't long ago that we bumped hips and steamed out her office.

Now she wants nothing to do with me.

Both panther and wolf tribes have been slaughtered by an unknown enemy.

It'd only been a few weeks since I spoke to the wolf alpha and now he's dead.

Blue has skipped town and just as well.

I'll find out who's behind this mess.

Until they decide to step forward and take Blue.

• Language: English
• Publisher: E.L. Jones
• Release date: Sep 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215982198

E.L. Jones

Elizabeth Lauren (E.L.) Jones is a mother to one little terror who keeps her on her toes. She's always loved books and have a soft spot for paranormal romance and fantasy genre. She is an introverted soul and on her spare time, loves to read various books, go on adventures with her little terror and her much taller husband, such as horse riding, snorkelling, kayaking and rock climbing, as well as watching different genre movies. She loves her coffee with no sugar and sitting by her deck taking in the soft breeze and fresh air.

Book preview

Chapter One

Stefan

W hat are we going to do now, boss, Andy asks.

I look up to Vincent. There are veins traversing the sides of his head. The crimson glow on his face shows that he’s just one step away from letting his animal side out. He growls.

Isn’t it obvious? We walk up to the wolves and start tearing shit up.

Now, that’s pure madness. The wolves have been in Gray Hills almost as long as we have, but they’ve got something the jaguars don’t. Numbers. The wolves outnumber us three to one, and a population like that isn’t something you want to be walking into like you’re James Bond. It doesn’t matter if you’re strong. Vincent will probably tear through the lot, but we’ll be without a leader at the end. I know we’re at loggerheads, but I’m still part of the shadow. And my duty as a member remains to the shadow.

I step forward.

I don’t think that would be wise, Vincent.

He stares at me, nostrils flaring.

Why?

I look at Jimmy’s mutilated body. We don’t know what this is. It could be an isolated incident.

Or it couldn’t, Andy says.

Yes, that’s true. But it could be. We can’t just go charging at the wolves with blind rage. We have to understand what exactly is going on here.

They took blood from us. I want blood back, Vincent says.

I get that. We have to get back our pound of flesh. But I need to know if our grievance is with the entire pack, or a group of dissenters who hold no value for the treaty.

Vincent stares into the distance. If I listen hard enough, I can almost hear the gears turning in his head. This – diplomacy – has never been his strong fort. He’s always been let’s-do-this-now-and-get-on-with-it kind of person. If he decides to charge the wolves, there’s nothing I can do about it.

Please, listen to whatever whispers of reason still remain in that head of yours.

Vincent’s shoulders slouch and I almost exhale with relief. He’s finally come over. He looks me in the eye.

Very well. But I’m not going to pretend that I give a fuck about the details. You do. Find who did this to Jimmy so I can bite out his damned throat.

He turns and stalks out of the woods. A few seconds later, the roar of his bike punctures the silence in the woods. Then it vanishes gradually.

What was that? Andy asks.

What, I face him.

What I walked into back at the manor.

O, that. I sigh and look at Jimmy’s corpse again. I can only imagine the pain he had to go through. I need a shovel. He can’t stay up here like this.

Shouldn’t we take him back to the manor?

No, I shake my head. It’s going to be far easier burying him here than taking him all the way back.

Okay. You didn’t answer my question.

I look up, and Andy’s staring straight into my face. He’s not budging. He wants answers. Of course, I’m not mandated to give them, but this is Andy. He’s been my buddy since I was a child. We’ve been through the ugly stuff, and the stuff that no one cares to talk about. Blindsiding him like he was just one of the shadows, isn’t exactly a good idea.

Fine, I fold my shoulders. You walked into a fight.

His eyes grow wide. Tell me it’s not what I think it is?

It’s exactly what you think.

Vincent? You wanted to fight Vincent?

It wasn’t deliberate, Andy. Vincent isn’t the kind of jaguar you want to willingly challenge to a fight. He put me in that position.

How?

Well, I crack my knuckles. He wanted to take some of the boys and go after Blue.

Who’s Blue? Andy frowns.

What?

You said Blue. Who is Blue?

It’s the name of the woman who dropped by the store the other day.

O, the one that got into a row with Greg?

Yes, that one.

Wow, he arches his brows, I had no idea you two were on a first name basis. Great. He shrugs a tad indifferently. She’s an awesome catch.

Shut your mouth, I say playfully. Then I chuckle. There’s no point in lying to myself. Blue has rubbed off on me. I think she did that the first time I saw her. It’s hard to not think of her now. I can tell myself that she’s not worth it; that apart from coming in from Chicago, she’s