to bind himself to someone.”
They all left the room. Jade closed the door behind them. She turned to Shade. “Do you understand now what I meant? I know he managed to affect you with his words.”
“The only way he managed to affect me was by surprising me with how he thinks. I feel sorry for him.”
Jade took a deep breath. “Good.”
Shade grabbed Phoebe's hand and pulled her toward him. When he felt her hand on his bare arm, he felt a pleasant chill go through his body. He loved this, feeling her touch and the warmth of her body against his. He would never grow tired of this. He couldn't understand why Silver didn't want this. It was beyond him.
Chapter 15
Phoebe put down the last t-shirt in her bag before she closed it. She straightened her back and smiled to herself. “There, all packed.”
She turned around to see Shade standing by the window. He watched the outside world with a serious gaze even if not much was going on. It was the same thing every day. People and cars passing by as they headed in different directions. He had stood there many times the last few days. Leaving MedAct was becoming more and more real for him, and today, that day had finally arrived.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
Shade didn't look at her. “He was right, you know.”
“Who?”
“Silver.”
She gulped. “What do you mean?”
“About the bond.”
A cold chill went through her. “What?”
“I understand his point of view, and to him, what he said about the bond, is true. He wasn't lying. He really believes that the bond is a curse.”
Phoebe stood as if frozen. She had many times regretted letting Shade talk to the Fighter. Shade had changed after that. He had been thinking a lot, about what, she hadn't been able to tell because he didn't want to tell her. But now, she realized this might have been it.
“And what do you think?” she asked.
Shade grinned. “Don't look so worried, Phoebe. Just because Silver believes the bond is a curse, it doesn't mean that I do.”
Phoebe nodded and relaxed. She decided to trust him. “Have you thought about it? What it would be like to be without the bond?”
“I have evaluated it. Silver believes I won't understand, and that is true. I only have my side of the story. I don't know what it's like to be without the bond, but looking at Silver, I doubt it's a nice life. Even if he would never admit it to himself, Silver is miserable. Deep down, I think he wants to be bounded again. He wants the safety the bond gave him, but he is stubborn and believes he will lose his freedom.” Shade snorted and turned to Phoebe. “Being bound to you is freedom. What he has is not freedom. He has misery. He has pain. He allows his pain to rule him. He is unstable because of it, and that is also what makes him dangerous.”
Phoebe smiled but felt sadness in her heart. Shade grabbed her hands.
“Deep down,” he went on, “I think the other Fighters are just like him. They are lonely.”
She wrinkled her forehead. “How can you know for sure?”
“I can't be sure, but I suspect. I have gone through the information about them on the Internet, and a lot of it points to that one thing. They are lonely, and they know it, but they refuse to let go of their freedom. They were lucky to survive when their bonds broke and being bound to another woman means risking the loss of her as well. Do you see their dilemma?”
“They choose to suffer, to be lonely instead of bonding themselves to someone again.”
“That is what I believe, but to be sure, I would need to talk to Silver again.”
“I doubt Jade will let you.” She placed her hand on his arm. “Let it go, Shade. Please. Don't let them get in the way of our happiness.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Why would the Fighters get in the way of our happiness?” He grinned. “I love you, Phoebe, but your logic is sometimes confusing.”
She blushed when she realized that she had obsessed about it again. Her mind went in a
They all left the room. Jade closed the door behind them. She turned to Shade. “Do you understand now what I meant? I know he managed to affect you with his words.”
“The only way he managed to affect me was by surprising me with how he thinks. I feel sorry for him.”
Jade took a deep breath. “Good.”
Shade grabbed Phoebe's hand and pulled her toward him. When he felt her hand on his bare arm, he felt a pleasant chill go through his body. He loved this, feeling her touch and the warmth of her body against his. He would never grow tired of this. He couldn't understand why Silver didn't want this. It was beyond him.
Chapter 15
Phoebe put down the last t-shirt in her bag before she closed it. She straightened her back and smiled to herself. “There, all packed.”
She turned around to see Shade standing by the window. He watched the outside world with a serious gaze even if not much was going on. It was the same thing every day. People and cars passing by as they headed in different directions. He had stood there many times the last few days. Leaving MedAct was becoming more and more real for him, and today, that day had finally arrived.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
Shade didn't look at her. “He was right, you know.”
“Who?”
“Silver.”
She gulped. “What do you mean?”
“About the bond.”
A cold chill went through her. “What?”
“I understand his point of view, and to him, what he said about the bond, is true. He wasn't lying. He really believes that the bond is a curse.”
Phoebe stood as if frozen. She had many times regretted letting Shade talk to the Fighter. Shade had changed after that. He had been thinking a lot, about what, she hadn't been able to tell because he didn't want to tell her. But now, she realized this might have been it.
“And what do you think?” she asked.
Shade grinned. “Don't look so worried, Phoebe. Just because Silver believes the bond is a curse, it doesn't mean that I do.”
Phoebe nodded and relaxed. She decided to trust him. “Have you thought about it? What it would be like to be without the bond?”
“I have evaluated it. Silver believes I won't understand, and that is true. I only have my side of the story. I don't know what it's like to be without the bond, but looking at Silver, I doubt it's a nice life. Even if he would never admit it to himself, Silver is miserable. Deep down, I think he wants to be bounded again. He wants the safety the bond gave him, but he is stubborn and believes he will lose his freedom.” Shade snorted and turned to Phoebe. “Being bound to you is freedom. What he has is not freedom. He has misery. He has pain. He allows his pain to rule him. He is unstable because of it, and that is also what makes him dangerous.”
Phoebe smiled but felt sadness in her heart. Shade grabbed her hands.
“Deep down,” he went on, “I think the other Fighters are just like him. They are lonely.”
She wrinkled her forehead. “How can you know for sure?”
“I can't be sure, but I suspect. I have gone through the information about them on the Internet, and a lot of it points to that one thing. They are lonely, and they know it, but they refuse to let go of their freedom. They were lucky to survive when their bonds broke and being bound to another woman means risking the loss of her as well. Do you see their dilemma?”
“They choose to suffer, to be lonely instead of bonding themselves to someone again.”
“That is what I believe, but to be sure, I would need to talk to Silver again.”
“I doubt Jade will let you.” She placed her hand on his arm. “Let it go, Shade. Please. Don't let them get in the way of our happiness.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Why would the Fighters get in the way of our happiness?” He grinned. “I love you, Phoebe, but your logic is sometimes confusing.”
She blushed when she realized that she had obsessed about it again. Her mind went in a
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