All Chapters of BOUND BY ECHOES : Chapter 51 - Chapter 55

Lena ran.Her boots slammed against roots and damp earth, breath ragged, knife still gripped tight in her sweaty palm. The howls kept coming behind her, low, answering each other, closer with every heartbeat.The bond with Vance pulled hard at her chest, frantic now, like he was only steps away but still not close enough.She didn’t look back.She couldn’t.The hunger rode every stride with her, teeth aching, mouth watering at the faint scent of blood still riding the wind. She hated how her body leaned into it.A root caught her foot.She stumbled hard, shoulder slamming into a thick tree trunk. Pain flared sharp across her arm. She caught herself, gasping, and pushed off again.Lights appeared through the trees.Not firelight.Warmer. Golden. Flickering like candles behind glass.Lena slowed without meaning to.Music drifted on the air, low strings, laughter, the clink of glasses. Civilized. Wrong.She broke through the last line of trees and froze.A grand stone building stood in a

The figure didn’t let go.His hand stayed firm at Lena’s waist, steady as the music slowed around them. Jax turned her slowly, keeping her close enough that their bodies brushed with every step. His silver eyes held hers through the mask, calm but intense, like he was reading every small reaction she tried to hide. Lena’s breath caught for half a second. She hated how steady his hand felt on her waist, like it already belonged there.He didn’t speak at first. Just danced with her, smooth and controlled, guiding her deeper into the shadowed edge of the garden. Every turn pressed them closer. Lena felt the warmth of his palm through her dress and the way his thumb brushed once, slow and deliberate, along her lower back. A shiver ran down her spine before she could stop it.She looked up.His gaze didn’t waver.The howls outside cut off sharply, like the trackers had hit an invisible wall.They didn’t cross.They stopped at the edge of the garden, dark shapes hovering just beyond the

Jax’s mouth stayed on hers, slow and sure, like he had nowhere else to be. Lena’s back pressed against the closed door. Her fingers curled tighter into his shirt, pulling him closer even as her mind tried to catch up. The kiss wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t rough. It was deliberate, like he was learning the exact way she tasted, the exact way she breathed when he tilted her head just so. She shivered. Not from cold. From the way his hand slid up her side, thumb brushing the underside of her breast through her dress. The touch was light, but it sent heat straight down her spine. Jax pulled back just enough to look at her. His silver eyes were dark now, pupils blown wide. “You’re still fighting it,” he said quietly. His voice was rough, but controlled. Lena swallowed hard. Her lips felt swollen. “I don’t know how to stop.” Jax’s thumb brushed her lower lip again, slow and deliberate. “Then don’t stop.” He kissed her again, deeper this time, tongue sliding against he