Free Made By Design (Blood Bound Series Book 2) by J.L. Myers

Holding onto my rage, I tried to pull free. When that didn’t work, I kicked out, my feet hitting the fireplace one last time.
    Rumbling rose all around us as the rocks began to fall. The ground below quaked violently, as if earthquake tremors were ringing out. The capturing hands holding me back let go. Caught off balance I fell to the ground. Between the crumbling rocks and the creak of charred wood, I heard a splintering crack. Complete quiet followed for an eerie second.
    Then the ground beneath me opened up like the jaws of hell.
    ~
    “Amelia!” Ty shouted above me somewhere, his voice muffled by debris being ripped away. “Amelia, can you hear me?”
    “I’m—” I gasped in a breath and felt weight push back against my chest, crushing my lungs. Everything was dark and the air tasted of charcoal. My lids fluttered through the dust, and I felt grains across my eyeballs. There were more shouts from Ty and Kendrick. My lips parted to call out, but choked closed as sharp pain struck my chest.
    “Screw this,” I heard Kendrick say. “I’m going down.”
    Creaking vibrated around me, the debris threating to release as more than one person descended into this dark cavern. There was a sharp crack, and I followed the sound. In the darkness, I saw Ty had half fallen through the staircase’s decrepit remains. Ty grunted, but couldn’t lift himself from the small landing he’d fallen through.
    Kendrick stepped before him and held out a hand. “Here.”
    Even in the lack of light Ty’s grimace was clear as he swung a hand up to clasp Kendrick’s. “Don’t think this means I owe you,” Ty grunted as his body came free.
    The aroma of his blood bloomed on the thick air. A second later I knew why. The jagged wooden planks he’d fallen through had rent a long gash in his side.
    “Ouch,” Kendrick said. His mouth watered and he almost ran down the rickety stairs. “Bloody werewolf.”
    For a moment I laughed. Kendrick was drawn to Ty’s blood too. Not as bad as I was, but with how much he detested him, it was still funny. The silent vibration of my laughter caused me to cough. Fresh bolts of pain tracked outward from my chest.
    “Amelia?” Ty called out again, but it was Kendrick who reached my side first, feeling his way through our bond to the heap of debris I was prisoned beneath.
    “Found her!” Kendrick began tearing the concealing layer off me. A split second later Ty was there, his hands helping to make light work of the debris. With each piece removed, the weight against my entire body lessened. Still the pressure against my chest didn’t fade.
    When my body was free Kendrick frowned at me. “Are you okay?”
    I reached for my chest and gasped. A splintered plank of wood protruded from my ribs, poking up and underneath them. “I—” I coughed and winced at the lance of fresh pain.
    “The wood’s pierced your lung,” Ty said, kneeling at my other side. “We need to get it out so you can heal.”
    I nodded through the pain as Ty leaned over me. My free hand found Kendrick’s. “Squeeze as hard as you want. Break a bone or two if you need.”
    Ty watched me as I glanced back to him, his face a stiff mask. I bit my lip and nodded, as if to say,
I’m ready.
    Ty wrapped his broad hands around the thick splinter of wood as it rose and fell with my uneven breaths. Then he yanked it free. Crimson spurted from the gaping hole, spraying out to splatter across Ty’s T-shirt. His hands came down to press against the opening.
    I gasped at the jagged bolts striking through my chest, and pinned my lids shut. Red and white flashes danced across the backs of my eyelids as my vision rolled, my head becoming light. I was about to faint.
    Willing against the sensation, I focused on the smells of my own blood mixed with Ty’s in the air, fighting my way back to consciousness. My gums prickled and my mouth became as dry as hot sand. Then there was nothing but the smell of
his
blood.
    And I was starving.
    Without