AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You’ll need to be more specific,” he said, throwing my word back at me.
That was more difficult, because if I failed to ask the right question, then I could get myself into a shit deal. I didn’t know what all the possibilities were, which was a problem when negotiating.
Go with something simple, Dastien said.
Okay. “Will I be able to say no to you?” That was non-negotiable. Free will wasn’t something I was about to give up.
“Of course.”
“Will I be forced to do favors or acts of any kind?” Because I wouldn’t be forced.
“No. I’ll do no forcing, but I reserve the right to convince you.”
“Because of the blood?” Compelling me was also a hard pass.
“No. I’ll be able to convince you with words like any ordinary human. Just sound reasoning.”
Which probably meant that he could deliver threats. His grin widened and I knew I’d hit the nail on the head. He definitely wasn’t an angel. “Does the blood let you hold sway over my decisions?”
“No.”
That was a relief. At least I could say no and argue my point if I didn’t like whatever he was asking me for. “So, what? It’s just magical low jack? Tell me specifically, because I’m a little ignorant here.” When he said, nothing, I started to get pissed. “Don’t be an asshole. Just tell me. Why do you want to be tied to me?”
Dastien geared up for a fight the second the word “asshole” slipped from my lips, but Eli only laughed.
“Fair enough. I enjoy honesty. It’s why I like you so much. So, I’ll give you a dose of honesty back.”
Finally we were getting somewhere.
“I can’t act without a tie. There are rules I can’t break, and before you ask again—no. I can’t tell you what they are. That’s one of the rules. Let’s just say that I’m bored and want in on the fun.”
I almost laughed. “You’re calling this fun?”
“I enjoy a good fight, and there are more fights coming. Little ones. Big ones. And I want to play. The tie with you will not only give me that ability, but it will also allow me to get you to play in some battles you wouldn’t previously have been aware of.”
Now that was laughable. “You decimated a field of demons without spending much effort. What on Earth would you need my help with?”
“The tie will allow me to bend the rules, but there will still be rules for me. And I can hear the question starting again, so one more time—no. I’m not telling you the rules.”
“If I knew what the rules were, I might understand what you’re asking of me.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
Eli had some messed up sense of what fun meant.
“The bond will be less than what you have with Dastien, but more than what you have with your fellow pack members. Let’s just say it’s insurance. I want to know where you are and make sure you’re alive. I’m not here to harm you or hold you back. It’s to my best interest to keep you alive. Because the second you die, the balance in this world is thrown off again. I don’t like that. I want this world to stay settled. I helped build it, and if it gets destroyed? Well, then my life will get even more boring.”
I glanced at Dastien before looking back at Eli. He was handsome and seemed likable and he’d saved my lif
e once already, so I wanted to trust him. But I also wanted to be clear. “If I do this, your goal is to keep me alive?”
“Yes.”
I didn’t have a problem with that. Having someone as powerful as him motivated to keep me alive was a good thing. “And the people I care about? They’ll stay alive to?”
“Sometimes. I’m not God and I cannot predict the future.”
I growled in frustration. “What about Dastien? He stays alive.”
