Bound Together: A Holiday Novella: Bound Series, #3.5

By Stormy Smith

After weeks spent on the road tracking down Immortals still in hiding, Amelia and Aidan are finally ready for some down time. Holed up in a cabin at the base of Mt. Shasta, they prepare to celebrate their first Christmas together.

While Aidan makes secret plans for the celebration, he and Amelia create their own holiday traditions, finding surprises around every corner as they embrace each other and their future together.

Enjoy this short novella (40 pages) and celebrate the holidays with your favorite characters from the Bound series.

**Make sure you have finished Bound by Prophecy before you read this, it will contain spoilers.***

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stormy Smith
• Release date: Dec 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9780996347761

Book preview

Chapter 1

This won't be awkward .

This will not be awkward.

I sat on the edge of the bed — our bed — and kept repeating the phrase. Aidan and I had been on the road for over a month. Right after Micah's coronation, we packed up and left Cresthaven. We were in search of other AniMages and had spent the last five weeks scouring North America. Now, we were home, and it was almost Christmas.

My knee bounced up and down and my eyes tracked across the room. There were items here that were ours. Aidan's faded Superman T-shirt was thrown over the top of the dresser and my mother's cuff was on the side table. Both had been discarded when we arrived late last night and stumbled into bed, exhausted. But now, in the morning light, as I heard Aidan banging around the kitchen making coffee, this place felt foreign.

Logically, I knew it should; we had never been here. The beautiful log cabin hidden in the woods near Mt. Shasta had been a gift from Micah. It was one of many properties he owned, and it was a place where we could have some time alone. Eventually, we would find our own house, but for now, this was it.

Still, nervous anxiety balled in my stomach for the first time. I had never had a home to speak of. While my father was bound by Rhi, life had been pretty terrible, my apartment with Bethany was only mine for a few months, and since then, I had been a nomad of sorts. I was always with Aidan, but now we were in a house. Like married people. Only, we weren't married. We were bound. We were soul mates. We were tied together by the will of Mother Earth and the pledge we made to each other. But, we were also nineteen. An Elder and King of the AniMages—still, nineteen.

Will you just stop already? Aidan shouted from the kitchen.

My eyebrows drew together and I scowled, making a face at him. Some days, I hated our connection.

I saw that, he countered, his voice muffled as he searched through cupboards. Micah assured us the essentials were stocked, we just had to find them.

You did not! Liar! I responded, sticking out my tongue.

His bare feet slapped against the wood floors, and then, he was in the doorway. Wearing a cocky smile, his chest bare, and his hair a disheveled mess from sleep, I couldn't help but rise off the bed and walk into Aidan's waiting arms.

His skin radiated heat and my anxiety lessened as his arms folded around me. Aidan was my anchor, and I loved the feel of his power layered over mine, soothing away the stress.

What exactly seems to be the problem, doll? he asked, pulling back to look down at me.

The red creep of embarrassment traveled up my neck and into my cheeks. It's dumb, I mumbled, tucking my head against his chest.

Probably, he teased, his laugh a rumble in my ear.

Hey! I protested, and jabbed him in the ribs. Knowing it would both hurt and tickle, I put a little power behind it and he squirmed away from me.

Aidan twisted and turned as

Reviews for Bound Together

[Jennifer Hurrell Grap · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved being able to experience all my favorite characters again during my favorite time of year. The love Aiden and Amelia have for each other is simply breathtaking to read. I can't wait for more stories like this!