Shackled (The Lord Series) by Amy T

125. Jasper

Despite the cold December day, sweat rolls down Tyson’s back, his muscles flexing as he lifts another hay bale. Running a farm is a lot of hard work, but it has always been my dream, and five years ago, at twenty–eight I finally made it happen. My plan has always been simple–buy a piece of land, build a house on it, have some animals, and wait for my demon to consume me as the hope of having a family died together with Samir and lago–my first blood- brothers–the day they were killed during a surprise attack from the Dukes, I almost died myself that day, but by some twist of fate, I only ended up with a few scars and a shattered knee. Many operations later and a lot of physical therapy regained my mobility.

I would have died alone if not for Ruchen. For months he pestered me about joining him and his blood–brothers. I refused him many times as I didn’t want to go over the same heart–wrenching pain I felt when the link connecting me to Samir and lago had been shattered and their demons had to find solace in the catacombs below the Blood Lodge. But Rueben is not a man who takes no for an answer and somehow he made me say yes to becoming one of his blood- brothers.

My new blood–brothers not only accepted me as one of them but they also gave my life a new purpose.

I finish grooming Juniper and 1 straighten my back. “Let me help you feed Speckles and Artax so we can join the others for breakfast.”

Tyson puts another hay bale on top of the others, his chest glistening with his sweat, and he takes out the t–shirt he has tucked in the waistband of his pants and wipes his forehead with it. I don’t understand how he is not cold, but he is from a small town in Alaska and claims the winters there are harsher than here. “Do you think Mose is making his special breakfast?”

Mose’s parents are from Korea and

Ved to the States when Mose was two years old. They had big plans for him, wanting him to become a doctor, but not only did he go to a culinary school but he also became an assassin.

“Before I left the house I saw him tasting the kimchi,” I let Tyson know. He loves the kimchi Mose makes.

“Kimchi.” I can practically hear him moan.

I chuckle. “Let’s feed the horses so you can have your kimchi.”

over to Artax’s stall while I take hay to Speckles. I walk slowly as I don’t want to scare the mare. The animals on the farm are usually rescued after years of being abused and mistreated by their owners. Speckles was brought in two months ago, but she is very wary of humans, as her previous owner abused her so badly, her black mane is spotted white from whatever that sick bastard

stall and she immediately gets

not wanting to make her even more nervous and slowly put the hay in the

+10

Bon

02:”

her that not all humans are evil. It is a slow process and she only tolerates me long enough to feed her and take her to the paddock. She

strokes Artax’s mane and takes out a sugar

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125. Jasper

I chuckle as Artax takes the sugar cube from

do,”

is our very first horse. It took a lot of failures to finally gain his trust. There have been a few others after him, who found

than irritated for having to spend the winter inside the stable instead of her pen–Tyson and I go to the house and enter

a serving plate of spiced tofu and boiled

rare to see them home during the mornings as they have a bounty–hunting business and they are on the road more than they are home. Mose owns a Korean restaurant, Tyson writes romance books for women, while I am the only one not working, as my knee bothers me most of the time. Not contributing financially makes me feel like a

over

away. I named her Miss Teapot because I found her thrown in the garbage, stuck in a broken teapot, while I was doing some grocery shopping. Unfortunately, she lost her left front leg because it