Read Online Bound to Shadows by Keri Arthur - Free Book Online

disappointment.
“Told you she’d say that,” Rhoan murmured, then leaned forward, his arms crossed on the table.

“We’re starting a new pack. The Jenson-Moore pack, which currently consists of three werewolves

and one vampire. Said vampire will be expected to play uncle and change diapers along with

everyone else.”
“Said vampire,” Quinn said dryly, “seems to be getting the raw end of the deal. No surname

involvement and excrement duty. Do not expect joy at the

prospect.”
“You did get off midnight bottle duty, even though you’re usually awake,” Rhoan said, glancing at

me. “Well, what do you think?”
“I think I’m too shocked to actually think,” I muttered, then leaned forward and studied the two

of them. Though it was good to see the two of them so excited—so happy—the sick fear churning my

stomach wouldn’t let me give in to that same happiness. Maybe because I’d been right where they

are—had my hopes up for something good, only to have it pulled out from under my feet—and I

didn’t want them to go through the same sort of pain.
“You do know this won’t be easy,” I said slowly. “My eggs are viable, but no one can say what

effect, if any, the drugs Talon once gave me will have had on them.”
“We’re aware of that, Riley,” Liander said, twining his fingers through my brother’s. “We’re

willing to take the chance.”
Yeah, but was I? Those drugs were still changing me, and no one had any idea where or if it would

end. Did I have the right to put any child of mine through that sort of uncertainty?
And yet the eggs couldn’t remain on ice forever. The doctors had already warned me that there

were no guarantees that they would remain viable after more than a few years. If I ever did want children of my own, this might be my one

opportunity.
But was I ready for a child? Was I ready for the heartache that might just come with it? Because,

right now, those eggs represented hope. What if we went through with the surrogacy, only to

discover that the eggs weren’t strong enough—or had been changed too much by the drugs that had

been forced on me—to ever become a living entity?
Confusion and hope and fear swirled through me. I didn’t know what to do. I really didn’t. And I

was clinging so hard to Quinn’s hand I was probably on the verge of crushing his fingers, and yet

it felt like a lifeline.
“We’re not asking you to make a decision right here and now,” Rhoan said softly. “We know this

has probably hit you like a ton of bricks. We just want you to think about it, and let us

know.”
I took a deep breath and released it slowly. “Have you asked anyone else about donating eggs

yet?”
“No, but we have several options. As I said, don’t feel pressured into this if you’re really not

comfortable with it. We’re okay if you say no.”
Yeah, but would I be? “But another donor would make the child of your line, not yours and

Rhoan’s.”
“In the end, the bloodline doesn’t matter, only the child,” Rhoan said. Then a grin split his

lips. “Of course, we could imitate Talon and try the whole cloning issue, but setting up the lab

and finding a willing scientist could get messy and expensive.”
I smiled, as my brother had no doubt intended. “When do you need an answer?”
“My sister reckons she’ll be good to go in a couple of months. Her own pups will be past the

diaper stage by then, and she’ll have more energy for the pregnancy.”
“And you’ve sat her down and explained the dangers?” My gaze jumped between the two of them.

“Does she really understand that this may not be a regular pregnancy in any way, shape, or form,

simply because no one knows what my eggs will do once they’re fertilized?”
“She knows,” Liander said, face somber. “I wouldn’t risk my sister’s life by not giving her all

the facts, Riley. But she really wants to do this for us.”
Then she was a