“You’d better.” But it was enough, and she found herself moving toward the exit once more. Prem loped at her side with a small chitter, like asking for permission. “Go, keep them safe.”
He gave a chirp and dashed off into the darkness.
As she neared the entrance, a wisp of fresh air flooded her lungs. She quickened her pace, and the guys had to scramble to catch up. She inhaled deeply, the anxiety of being trapped underground easing like a boulder had been lifted off her chest. She burst out of the tunnel, raising her face to the sun…and a shadow dropped out of the sky.
Before she had a chance to open her mouth and yell a warning, a body plowed into the three of them, and they crashed hard against the ground in a tangle of arms and legs.
Chapter Thirteen
Annora pushed herself up off the ground, feeling blood trickling down the side of her face where her head hit the ground. She blinked to clear her vision, but even as her eyes came into focus, it still looked like Mason was staggering around drunk.
Xander was on the ground, a man standing over him, pounding the shit out of him. The gryphon lifted his arms up, but his movements were slow and ineffective. When he tried to strike back, he almost seemed to move in slow motion, missing the attacker’s face altogether, becoming weaker with every second.
What the fuck is happening?
She staggered to her feet, shaking her head to clear the cobwebs away and grabbed her knife from the back of her pants. Yelling erupted from behind her, but she ignored it and charged. She was the closest and could get to Xander faster.
She tackled the man, sending both of them rolling. She landed on top for a heartbeat and tried to shove the blade into his chest. Before it could make contact, he flipped them both, landing on top of her hard enough that she grunted at the impact, knocking the air out of her, and she lost her knife in the process.
She eyed the blade just beyond her reach, then dismissed it and focused on her attacker instead, ready to drag his ass into the afterworld and away from the others.
Then she saw him clearly for the first time—and froze.
He was an armored lizard like Camden.
The similarities between the two of them were startling—same green eyes, same build. His hair was longer, the iridescent color slightly duller. A tiny pattern rippled across his skin, his armor more red than black.
He took advantage of her gawking, placing his hands around her throat, and grimaced. “You’re a pretty one. It’s a pity you must die.”
Alarm pierced her when his hands tightened around her neck.
Prem shot out of the cave, and latched onto the guy’s hand, sinking his teeth deep into his flesh, snarling like a rabid dog, albeit a tiny Chihuahua.
The fucker grunted and swore but didn’t release his grip on her neck.
Knowing she wouldn’t be able to break his hold in time, she thrust out her arm, driving the base of her palm right into his nose. Cartilage cracked, blood gushed, and he lurched back with a yelp, grabbing for his face.
Prem released him and plopped down next to her, tugging on her arm, trying to get her to move. Before she could strike at their attacker again, Logan tackled him, both of them rolling and throwing punches.
But once again, something went wrong. Logan slowed, his movements clumsy, then he dropped to the ground, unable to keep his feet under him.
The neurotoxins…they were hitting him hard.
The guys must have heard the fight and come back.
She jumped to her feet, shaking off the effects, feeling only slightly unsteady. She took a step toward the fight when Camden launched himself at the attacker and took him down first. Letting them fight, Annora grabbed Logan and dragged him out of the way, dropping him down next to Xander and Mason.
The three of them were awake, but barely. And none of them were able to speak, much less stand under their own power. They tried to grab on to her and drag her down with them to keep her safe, but she evaded their grasp.
As she backed away, Xander crawled toward her, swaying and falling flat on his face with a grunt. “Don’t. Go.”
Her gut wrenched at his plea. He ordered. He demanded. He never pleaded. She nibbled on her lip, then gave him a nod. “I will stand back for now. That’s all I can promise.”
She scooped up Prem and held tight when he went to dart back into battle, his tail bristling, then she dropped him down on top of Logan’s chest. “Protect them.”
His tail twitched in agitation, then he sat down and sulked.
She straightened, everything inside her rebelling against standing idle on the sidelines. She fucking hated feeling helpless and had struggled against the hopelessness of it for most of her life. A tremor went through her, muscles locking against the need to move, and she watched the battle with her hands clenched at her sides. Her neck throbbed, still able to feel the asshole’s hands around her throat.
Edgar had drawn his sword, taking swipes where he could, popping in and out of existence to evade his attacker.
“Anthony. Stop.” Camden wrestled with the man but wasn’t able to pin him down. They both wore full armor, trading blows, but neither would back down.
“Sorry, cousin, but there’s a contract out on her.” The skinnier man, Anthony, spit out a mouthful of blood and smiled, his teeth stained red. He wasn’t as good a fighter as Camden, a number of nicks and cuts already decorating his body, but there was a cocky confidence to him that warned of danger.
Something in his lifeless expression screamed killer.
He had a taste for it and enjoyed his control over death.
Long, dangerous spikes, more durable than any diamond, extended out from his armor. One strike, and he could hurt or even kill Camden. The two men circled each other warily. Anthony snapped off one of his spikes, holding it like a blade, venom dripping from the tip. It didn’t take more than a few seconds before the stump at his elbow began to stretch and grow back, as lethal as ever.
“I can’t let you harm her. She’s my mate.” Camden ducked under the slash, whirling to slam his fist into Anthony’s side, right into the tender ribs under his arm. “If you make me choose between you, I will always choose her.”
Anthony laughed, his arm tucked close as he circled and shook off the pain. “Impossible.”
When Camden didn’t join him, he dropped his hands on his hips and jerked his head toward her. “Prove it. Bite her.”
Camden recoiled, his mouth tightening, and he shook his head. “This will have to do.” He pulled up his sleeve and showed the mating tattoo. Annora held out her arm, showing him the same mark.
“Not good enough, cousin.” Anthony snorted, twirling his spike between his fingers. “You know the rules. The only way the others will accept her as a mate and call off the contract is if you can prove your claim. Bite her, and I’ll cancel the contract myself.”
He crossed his arms, the cocky bastard so sure of himself that he smirked.
Annora huffed and rolled her eyes. “Just do it.”
Anthony chuckled, but Camden whipped his head around to glare at her. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”
“We don’t have time for this.” She threw up her hands in exasperation. “Are we mates?”
“Of course.” He scowled, a stormy expression darkening his face, as if she was questioning their bond.
“Then it’s no big deal.” She stepped toward him, tugging up her sleeve and offering him her arm.
Anthony chuckled again, amusement dancing in his eyes. “Did he tell you nothing about his family?” He clicked his tongue, not waiting for an answer. “The bite, witnessed in front of another, is the only way to prove your claim. It will either show that you really are mated…or you die, because our venom is so potent, it turns your insides to liquid. The last hours of your life are lived in agony as you throw up your guts.”
“Just do it.” Disgust curled her lips as she scowled at the asshole, but she wasn’t even a little worried. Her uncle had done much worse to
her.
“You’re not afraid.” Anthony sauntered toward her, curiosity sparking in his expression. When Camden growled, he politely stopped three feet away. “There are less than a handful of successful matings to other species recorded within our annals.”
The amusement faded from him the longer he gazed at her, his words barely above a whisper. “I hope you’re right and know what you’re doing.”
Annora shot him a defiant, commanding look, and Camden shook his head, his jaw clenched tight, everything inside him churning at the thought of his venom coursing through her veins.
Killing her.
He couldn’t take the risk. “I won’t do it.”
Anthony lunged forward, dragging Annora in front of him, his poisonous spike like dagger at her throat. Not touching but too damned fucking close for his liking. He reached out, approaching slowly, a vise clamping tightly around his chest. “Just let her go.”
Anthony hesitated, then his face hardened and he brought the spine closer. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have any choice, and you know it.”
Camden went cold, dread clawing down his spine. His eyes locked on Annora’s confident, almost defiant face. Her fingers twitched, wisps of darkness weaving eagerly between them, and his breath lodged in his throat.
His heart stopped beating, and he gave a quick, subtle shake of his head.
She wouldn’t be fast enough.
And even if she somehow managed to kill Anthony, they would only send more.
He could petition their council to call off the contract, but even if he could convince them, which was highly doubtful, it’d take time that they didn’t have.
Maybe if he turned himself back over to them—
“Camden…just do it. I trust you.” Annora’s dark eyes stared at him so trustingly that his gut clenched. “Remember what we discussed in the tunnels.”
Pack grá.
She was telling him that she could handle it, but the risk made bile rise up in his throat. If he was wrong…if they were wrong…he wouldn’t be able to live with himself.
Even though the bonds were new, he very much doubted any of the guys would be able to survive if they lost her.
He glanced at them—this wasn’t a decision that he could make on his own.
He expected resistance, and was totally shocked to see each one nod his approval.
Mason and Logan answered immediately, but Xander and Edgar were slower to respond. Even though they were aware of the risks, they agreed anyway. Camden wasn’t sure if he was thankful or wanted to kick their asses.
As he stared into Annora’s dark eyes, his resistance melted at the complete conviction in her gaze. He couldn’t help wondering if the terror that infected his very being was what she felt when she used her powers around them.
She believed in each of them—in him—without reservation.
Maybe it was time he did the same.
She said she could handle it, told him over and over that she wasn’t afraid, but he’d been terrified enough for the both of them.
She fought back, overcoming a lifetime of conditioning to be with them. Maybe it was time he took a leap of faith and trusted his heart.
She was his mate.
His pack grá.
He believed it to the bottom of his soul.
If he allowed himself time to think about it, the overwhelming urge to claim her for his own threatened to consume him. He’d just been too afraid to do anything and risk losing the one woman who had come to mean everything to him.
The one woman who held his heart in her tiny hands.
Heart hammering against his ribs, his resolve caved, and he did what he’d wanted to do since he first locked eyes on her in the auditorium so many weeks ago…he allowed his beast free to claim her for their own.
“I’ll do it.” His voice emerged barely above a whisper. Misgivings faded as the need for her sizzled through his veins and settled into his core.
His beast tore free of his control and roared in victory, the possessive sound echoing in his head. The demand to claim her surged through him, and he clenched his fists against the need to leap the distance between them.
Every second, more and more of his rational thoughts vanished, leaving one thought repeating over and over…Mine!
A change swept over Camden, his pupils dilating, his nose lifting as if scenting the air. The signs were subtle, but the Camden she knew was gone.
Anthony must have seen the same thing. He gulped so loudly she heard it. He released her instantly and took a giant step away, dropping the spike and holding his hands in the air.
The movement drew Camden’s attention, and he whirled in their direction, his eyes locking on hers. A growl vibrated in his chest, so low she shouldn’t have heard it. It reverberated along her nerves, but instead of fear, heat suffused her, saturating her insides until she was practically panting from it, and she rubbed her arms at the almost uncomfortable sensations.
“Don’t run,” Anthony muttered, taking great care to not even twitch and draw attention to himself. Not even his mouth moved. “Whatever you do, don’t run.”
Instinct warned her not to turn, not to even acknowledge that anyone else existed. Camden stalked toward her, moving in a way that shouldn’t have been possible for a human, all sinuous and graceful.
She waited for nervousness or unease to strike, but the rest of the world fell away when she saw the raw desire that sparked in his eyes. It tempted her closer, begging her to come out and play.
“It’s a pheromone to lure in his prey,” Anthony murmured so low she barely heard it, her whole focus centered on Camden as he tracked her with a single-minded intensity that made her shiver.
Then he was in front of her.
He leaned forward, nuzzling his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply. His nose brushed along her neck, sending a shiver down her spine, and her lungs stalled as she waited for what he’d do next. He pulled back slightly, his eyes drifting over her face before dropping back down to her neck. He carefully pushed her hair back over her shoulder with a single finger, his mouth dropping open, revealing two canine teeth that were longer and sharper than before.
Fangs.
Her heart hiccupped in surprise—a second before he struck.
His teeth locked on her neck, breaking skin and sinking deep. Pain streaked up her neck and down into her shoulder, and she sucked in a sharp breath. When she shivered, he pulled her close, his arms banding around her like steel until she wasn’t sure she could pull away.
Not that she could try without ripping out her own throat.
Heat bloomed under her skin, the tingle spreading from the bite until it began to burn along her veins. She moaned, unable to stop herself from wrapping him in her arms as the pain turned to pleasure. She closed her eyes, feeling woozy in a way that made her legs go weak.
There was an almost inaudible snick as his fangs retreated, leaving her gasping and clinging to him. He pulled away, licking at the wound, making her shudder, enhancing the pleasure dancing along her nerve endings.
Unable to hold up her own weight, she leaned heavily against him. Her skin tingled, over sensitized to the point where even the slightest brush of air was arousing. The only thing that eased the ache was Camden’s touch.
“Annora?” Devastation coated Camden’s hoarse whisper. “What have I done?”
He clutched her to his chest, then slowly sank to the ground, settling her on his lap, then pulling her tight against him and rocking her back and forth. The rest of the guys gathered close, concern coating the air as they hovered over them, blocking out the morning light.
Feeling shy, Annora buried her face against Camden, feeling like she was floating on a cloud. She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder, stretching to nestle her face against his neck, loving the rough texture of the scruff along his jaw.
She inhaled deeply, giving a dreamy smile, and tipped her head back. “You smell of some wild, exotic flower.”
She sn
ickered at the mental image of Camden stripping down and rolling around naked in a flower bed.
“Did she just giggle?” Logan’s beautiful blue eyes widened, a bemused smile breaking across his face as he glanced at the others. She reached for him, but he was much farther away then she expected. She fumbled, her hand fell to his shirt, and she grabbed the cotton in her fists, dragging him close.
With a surprised oomph, he collapsed on top of them, the smell of fresh snow saturating her senses, and she looped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a broad smile. “Manwich!”
Chapter Fourteen
“What the fuck is wrong with her?” Xander roared, grabbing the back of Logan’s shirt to haul him off.
Edgar ignored the tussle and crouched next to her, tipping her head to the side to inspect the bite. There were two small puncture wounds. A trail of clear liquid wept from the wound, tinged red where it mixed with a drop or two of her blood, and he refrained from touching it. While she might be immune to poisons, he certainly was not.
“Wait! I want to know where she heard the word manwich.” Logan resisted Xander’s pull, and Edgar hated to admit, even to himself, that he was curious as well.
Heat tinged her cheeks, a blush that he found charming. She busied herself by looking anywhere but at them, plucking at a tear in Camden’s shirt. “Uh…” She shrugged one shoulder, and the combination of curiosity and innocence had him swallowing hard. “Girl talk.”
Mason, Logan, and Xander all looked at each other, then spoke as one. “Loulou.”
None of them looked comfortable about knowing the two girls had been discussing their sex lives.
Annora pouted, her bottom lip pushed out, and Edgar barely resisted the urge to nip at it. If she ever tried to seduce him, he’d be in big trouble. He’d been holding back, giving her time to get comfortable with him again.
They might be mates, but he wanted more from her.
He wanted her love.
He grabbed his self-restraint in a white-knuckled grip, then tipped up her chin and angled her face so he could see it better. Her huge brown eyes latched onto him, joy making them sparkle, and she gave him a big, dopey smile that made his insides soften.
Ransomed to the World Page 13
