Blood Bound- Book 1 of the Bonded Series- Complete

Chapter 1

“Good girl” he cooed once again as she took the last drops.  “You’ll be better in no time” he said pulling the source of the liquid away.  “You will never be sick; you will never get hurt my sweet.  You shall lead a healthy life.  When you turn twenty one, I will return to you my sweet.  I will come and take you home.”

Shelby stilled as she slowly opened her eyes.  It took some time but when she was finally able to focus on the man who had been so nice to help her she gasped.  It was her Knight in Shining Armor.  He was very handsome with his raven black hair and dark midnight eyes.  He also sounded funny too she thought to herself, like he wasn’t from around here. 

 “But who…who are you?” she asked him scratching at her head.  She was still a little dizzy but amazingly she felt almost as good as new.  At least until she glanced down at her own clothing and Shelby could only scrunch up her nose in disgust.  Her new jeans were ripped clear up the side and her shirt was covered with blood and dirt.  Mommy and daddy were going to be really mad now, she mused.

“I am Leonardo Risso but you may call me Leo my sweet” he said to her with his lips curling up into a hint of a smile.

Shelby wasn’t sure what to make of the handsome man standing in front of her.  He had helped her just like he said he would.  Then he told her that he was coming back for her when she was twenty one.  That was a really long time from now; a whole eleven years and she would be really old by then.  And how would he even find her after all that time?

“I have my ways” he answered her aloud as if he had just read her mind.  “You are mine now my sweet.  You are mine forever and always because we are blood bound.  When you are of age I will complete the ceremony and gift you with something greater than life itself”.

Shelby stared back at the nice man.  Even though he was friendly enough she had a funny feeling that maybe he was a little loco as her mom would say.  He wasn't making any sense to her and that was just a shame because she really liked the nice man.

“Would you like to come home and have dinner with me?” Shelby asked suddenly remembering her manners. 

As soon as the question was out of her mouth bright headlights appeared as another car was heading in their direction.

“Not this time my sweet” he told her and kneeled by her side.  “Soon though, very soon” and with those words he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.  Shelby closed her eyes enjoying the way his cool lips felt against her warm skin.  When she opened her eyes he was gone.  Just vanished; no where to be seen.

Shelby jumped up in her queen sized bed and gasped loudly for air.  Her night shirt was soaked clean through with sweat and her hair was stuck to her face in complete disarray.

“That damn dream again” she muttered under her breath.  It was the same dream that she has had night after night for the last eleven years.  The accident, the mysterious man and his promise.  His promise to take her to his home.  It was a bunch of crock she had surmised over the years since then and she held no illusions that this man would really show. 

She had long since moved away from her childhood home and there was no way this Leo character would be able to find her now.  She was in another country for Chris sakes.  So why did she continually have that God awful dream?  

Knowing that it was useless to try and go back to sleep Shelby threw the covers off of her and got out of the bed to stretch.  Rolling her neck and hearing the satisfying cracks she moved towards the balcony and stepped out into the early morning air.  It was still dark outside and the city was oddly quiet.  In just an hour or so the City would come to life.  Paris, the City of love. 

She moved to Paris instead of going the typical College route.  Shelby took the money that each of her now divorced parents had saved for her higher education and flew to a whole new continent in order to start a brand new life.  She never did quite fit in back at home.  She always felt different somehow and none of the boys ever showed the slightest bit of interest in her.   Shd didn't understand it; she knew that she wasn't ugly but yet she had never even been asked out on one single date.

Shelby had hoped that by coming here she could start fresh and maybe even finally have that little love affair she had yet to experience. She wanted to be kissed, to be held and pleased in every way that a woman could be pleased.  Was that really to much to ask? 

With only two days until Shelby’s twenty first birthday her future was looking pretty dismal.  No handsome man in her life, no warm kisses to greet her when she walked in the door.  All she had that was certain was those damn dreams.  The dreams that involved her incredibly good looking Knight in Shining Armor and an empty promise that he made to her.  It was a stupid little girl promise that she knew better than to hold on to, but it was a promise none the less.

Blowing out a breath in aggravation Shelby turned on her heel and stomped back into her apartment.  Promises were to be taken with a grain of salt.  Her parents had made her all kinds of pretty promises about how much they both loved her.  They loved her alright, they both loved her so much that after the divorce they both completely ignored her.  She was left to go through her adolescent and teen years alone.  Yea promises, she snorted at the thought of the word just plain out suck.