Tethered to the World: A Phantom Touched Novel

by Brutger, Stacey

  “They’re a menace! They opened the bathroom and stole my clothes when I was still in the shower.” He awkwardly backed up the stairs, and she couldn’t help but appreciate the view when he finally turned and scrambled back toward his room, grumbling all the way. “This means war!”

  She watched his naked backside disappear, leaning against the counter as she wiped away tears of laughter.

  When she turned, she saw the other three guys were grinning. They quickly went back to their work, but the tension among them had dissipated. One of the ferrets dropped Logan’s shirt in front of her like a prize, and she couldn’t resist patting him on the head. She scooped up the shirt, pulling it over her head, pleased when the scent of fresh snow enveloped her.

  “I suppose you want a reward.” The ferret bobbed his head, then scurried toward the fridge, and she obediently opened the door. The other two ferrets appeared as if by magic, climbing over each other to form a ladder until they reached the bottom shelves, then one of them scrambled inside, rummaging through the food for the perfect prize.

  He shoved containers over the edge, where the other two waited on the floor and deftly caught their treasures. It wasn’t long before they were shoving their hoard across the floor and disappearing with their prizes. She closed the fridge and noticed Mason watching her thoughtfully. Instead of reprimanding her, he smiled. “I’ll stop by and pick up an automated feeder and some food for them.”

  He held out her usual chair, and she accepted it gratefully. “Thank you. I’ll pay you back for—”

  “My treat for the free entertainment.” He flashed her a bright smile, chuckling as he took his own seat, then grabbed her plate and began filling it with breakfast foods.

  Logan joined them a few minutes later, his dark hair slicked back, the deep red making it look like the tips were burning. He sauntered into the kitchen and kissed the top of her head before taking his seat, his eyes heating when he noticed she was wearing his shirt. She stopped chewing, startled by the casual affection, but he didn’t seem to notice as he filled his plate.

  She peered at Camden from under her lashes, but there was no reproach in his gaze.

  Instead, he wiped his face with a napkin and leaned back in his seat. “What would you like to discuss first?”

  “The case,” she replied immediately, not wanting to admit to the random sexy images and thoughts that kept popping into her head when the guys were near.

  “Who gave you the drug?” Camden kept his face neutral.

  “I didn’t take any drugs,” she snapped, stiffening at the implications. She pushed away her plate, her appetite suddenly gone.

  “Of course not.” Mason folded his huge arms on top of the table to gain her attention, casting a quick scowl at the others before he turned back toward her. “What he meant to ask is did anyone besides us give you anything to eat or drink?”

  She shook her head, then stopped abruptly. “Vicki…” She waved her hand. “One of her wolves was handing out drinks. I didn’t think anything of it.”

  “Vicki?” Xander’s brows lowered ominously. “She’s the one who attacked you at the party.”

  Annora absently scratched her neck, gazing over his shoulder to the forest beyond. “Actually, she was picking on Loulou, and I objected. There might have been a little scuffle.”

  A chair scraped back, and she swung around to see Mason rising to his feet.

  “I’m going to kill that bitch.” His form seemed to bulk up, the space around him shrinking as he began to pace back and forth.

  She couldn’t help but smirk. “I beat the crap out of her in front of her wolves, and I don’t think she was happy about it. When she came to confront me about it later, Terrance interceded, and we toasted to my victory. That’s when Logan found me.”

  Mason scanned her face, as if looking for traces of the injury, only relaxing slightly when he found none. He didn’t resume his seat but leaned on the wall next to the window and crossed his arms, the scowl on his face completely intimidating—and kind of cute.

  The grumpy look suited him.

  “I’ll head out and question her about the drugs.” He glanced at the others, daring them to deny him, but no one protested.

  “I don’t understand why you didn’t just flush the drugs out of your system last night.” Xander downed the last of the green sludge he called a power drink, watching her over the rim of the glass.

  A shiver worked down her spine, her whole body going cold. She quickly shot to her feet and began to collect the dishes…only to have Logan slowly rise as well, blocking her exit.

  He calmly took the plates and set them back on the table. “I’ll take care of them later.” He collared her wrists, then eased her backwards until her legs hit the chair, toppling her into her seat. Then he leaned against the counter next to her. “Speak.”

  She bit her lip, running her fingernail along the edge of the table so she wouldn’t have to look at them. “When I ghost, my body goes to a different world, what I call the afterworld. It’s a place saturated with darkness and death. Most of the time it’s not bad, even quite beautiful.”

  She peered up at them from under her lashes to see each of them watching her expectantly, and she sighed, knowing they weren’t about to let it go. “I’m connected to this afterworld. It’s where my powers come from. It allows me to heal, and keeps me from dying. I can use my gifts in small measure without trouble, but when I linger too long…”

  She leased a pent-up breath. “Something’s waiting for me on the other side. Stalking me.”

  “What?” Mason growled.

  “Shit!” Logan straightened abruptly, his hands fisted at his sides.

  “Fuck!” Xander carefully set down his glass, looking ready to reach across the table to strangle her.

  “Why didn’t you say something sooner?” Only Camden sounded calm.

  All the guys spoke at once, and she lifted her hands in surrender. “The stronger I get, the more I use my powers, the faster he seems to be able to find me in the afterworld. Last night, while the drugs were enhancing my gifts, I could practically feel him watching me. I don’t know what he wants, but I do know everything in the afterworld is deadly. Whatever he wants with me can’t be good.”

  “You’re not to use your powers again.” Logan demanded, bending to shove his face right up to hers. “Understand?”

  But she was already shaking her head. “I can’t promise that. My powers are what have kept me alive this long.”

  Logan growled, but Xander spoke before he could say anything more. “She’s right. Avoiding her powers won’t help. She’s been avoiding them for too long. She needs to train. The longer she waits, the more her powers will become uncontrollable—like our beasts when we deny them their freedom. They will eventually rip themselves free and take control if we don’t learn to get along.”

  The guys fell silent, none of them appearing happy with the decision.

  “You will practice with your powers, but you will always take one of us with you when you ghost.” Xander’s gaze was implacable.

  She was already shaking her head. “No way in hell. There are things there that would kill you in a heartbeat. I won’t—”

  “We’re connected.” He ruthlessly cut her off, leaning forward to get right in her face. “You showed me a little of what you can do last night. This darkness is a part of you, and you would never hurt us.”

  He sounded so convincing, she almost caved, but she couldn’t risk them that way. “I—”

  “And we can protect you from whatever is waiting.” Camden nodded, as if in complete agreement, and the others quickly followed suit.

  “No. Absolutely not!” She shot out of her chair before the others could stop her, nearly tripping down the stairs to the living room in her need to escape. She dragged her hair back from her face, her fingers tangling in the strands, ready to rip them out in frustration. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”

  “Then show us.” Camden shoved ba
ck his chair, and held out his hand toward her. “Let’s decide what to do as a team.”

  The rest of the guys came to stand next to him, signaling their agreement.

  She paced back and forth, the urge to run storming through her veins, and she halted in front of Camden. “Why don’t we deal with the case first?”

  He opened his mouth to protest, but something on her face must have made him pause. “Why do you think Vicki roofied you?”

  “Besides beating her up in front of her friends?” Annora breathed out a sigh of relief that he’d allowed the change of subject, even if temporary. “She was after Loulou to teach her a lesson about dating wolves. I think she was assigned to bring Lionel into the pack, and he was resisting because of Loulou.”

  But Logan was already shaking his head. “While some of it might have been payback, my guess is she was pissed and wanted to teach you a lesson.”

  “It’s more than that,” Xander said quietly. “The latest designer drug for shifters is relatively new. The school thinks it’s harmless. It’s supposed to enhance a shifter’s abilities, makes them more aggressive, so even the weakest shifter can feel like an alpha for a few hours. She wanted to trick you into revealing yourself and use it against you.”

  Annora blanched, blood draining from her head, and she nearly tripped over her feet as she backed away from them, her ass slamming into the couch behind her. The ferrets bounded into the room, immediately surrounding her, hissing at the guys like they were the threat.

  Camden approached her slowly, his eyes slightly lowered, his head tilted, his arms stretched out from his sides. “We swear we’ll protect you. What you are doesn’t matter to us.”

  A bitter laugh spilled out from her as memories of her controlling uncle flashed through her. “You say that now, but my own uncle couldn’t resist selling my services out like a fucking whore when he found out the truth.”

  She shook her head, glaring at them for even asking. “If the truth ever got out, I would be hunted by everyone—even my own father. I can’t risk it. I won’t go back to that life.”

  Her heart slammed against her ribs so hard it threatened to break them. She panted as if she’d run a mile, struggling to hold her form as the darkness swirled to life inside her. She watched as thin smoke rose from her skin to engulf her form—until Camden lunged forward to wrap her in his arms.

  “Don’t go.” His arms tightened, as if he would take her pain. He buried his face against her neck, and she reached out to pinch his side to get him to release her, only the bastard was all muscle, without an ounce of fat.

  “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.” Even as she took him to task, she could feel the toxin in his system soothing her nerves, and instead of retreating, she clung to him, burrowing against his chest like he was the only thing holding her together.

  Knowing she couldn’t hide forever, she slowly lifted her head to meet his gaze. “If the truth gets out, my father will come for me, and there is nothing you can do to stop him.”

  Camden narrowed his eyes, and she saw the rest of the guys stiffen behind him, each one convinced he alone could keep her safe. “He would kill you to get to me.”

  “Why?” Camden whispered, slipping his fingers up into her hair so she wouldn’t look away from him. “You can trust us.”

  The need to tell someone the truth crawled along her insides.

  She was so tired of always being alone.

  The rest of the guys gathered around them, each placing a hand on her until her chest warmed, and she blinked up at them in a daze. “What are you doing?”

  Logan grabbed her hips, twisting her until she was facing him, then rested his forehead against hers. “You’re our pack grá. Whether you want to admit it or not, you chose us. What you’re feeling is the connection growing between us. Every time we touch it will strengthen our bond.”

  She shook her head, wanting to pull away, but there was nowhere to go. Her lips were numb when she spoke. “What will happen to you when I leave?”

  Not one of the guys so much as flinched. It was Mason who spoke. “We’ll follow you, no matter where you go.”

  She opened her mouth, then closed it again when no thoughts formed as she drowned in emotions.

  * * *

  Xander felt like his heart was ready to burst, her panic nearly bringing him to his knees. He growled at the others, using his alpha voice to make them obey, “Release her.”

  He caught her close when the others backed up, the guys clearly pissed at him for using his alpha abilities to enforce the command. He only had a few seconds before they took back control.

  He pulled her to the floor with him, settling her astride his lap. He threaded his fingers in her hair, jerking back until she hissed in pain. The guys protested the roughness, but he could see her eyes clearing of panic.

  “You don’t get to run away this time. You are part of the pack now. Being our pack grá means you’re our alpha. It’s literally your job to keep the pack together and guard our backs. You’re the one who’s in charge of keeping us safe.” He forced her head back when her eyes dropped. “You don’t get to hide behind your fears anymore. Do you want to be free of your uncle and father?”

  She immediately nodded, her back straightening, her beautiful dark eyes clearing more. “Yes.”

  “Then stop being a pussy. Your childhood sucked. So did ours.” He tightened his grip on her wispy dark brown hair, enjoying the way the thick strands clung to him and urged him to keep touching her. He watched the way her eyes dilated, the pain an addiction she needed to help her focus. “Your uncle did you one favor…he conditioned you to never give up. Use it to your advantage. Don’t give up on us—don’t give up on yourself.”

  She rested her hands on his shoulders, and his cock immediately tented his sweatpants. It was all he could do not to pull her close and rub against her, imagining her riding him.

  “What if this was all a mistake? What if I’m not strong enough?” The spark of hope was nearly doused by fear, and his heart ached.

  “You watched me in the shower this morning, didn’t you?” Xander tightened his grip when she squirmed, his cock throbbing as he remembered how the phantom touch of her nearly dropped him to his knees with the biggest orgasm of his life.

  “That was real?” A blush burned her cheeks—not from embarrassment, but fascination, and he swallowed hard against the increasingly powerful urge to lean back and let her ride him.

  “It’s called casting. In fact, it’s how we know this is not a mistake. The connection only forms between true mates, and it will continue to grow stronger. You should be able to open the link and connect to all of us or just one of us, or close it down if you need privacy.” Fuck it, he jerked her closer, letting her feel his hardness between her legs, loving her little gasp of hunger, nearly spilling his seed at the sound. “Now, I want you to get up. We’re going to go to the arena, and I’m going to turn you into a killer, so when your family comes for you, they’ll get what they deserve—death by your hands.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Everyone decided to walk over to the arena together. The guys fell into formation around her, scowling at anyone who looked at her too long. Training lasted for three hours. Xander taught her different maneuvers, while Mason would pick her up and literally toss her to teach her how to fall. Logan showed her how to fight dirty, while Camden gave her step-by-step instructions on how to break out of different holds.

  By the time they called a halt, she was sweaty and aching pleasantly, pleased by her progress. As the guys walked off the field, she yanked the ponytail holder out of her hair. “I’ve been thinking…my uncle gave me a number of drugs. While some of them might have muted my abilities, none have ever given me a boost. What makes these drugs different?”

  “We need a sample.” Camden eyed her speculatively. “No drug should be able to enhance a shifter’s ability the way you described.”

  “But Xander and I both saw the effects on others
at the party, so it wasn’t just me. It was almost like they were infected with something.” She ran her fingers through her hair, then smiled when she caught Mason and Logan watching in complete fascination.

  “But you managed to stop the drug, managed to control yourself.” Xander rubbed his jaw as he observed her critically. “The others at the party didn’t have that control. They gave themselves over to their darker side without a fight.”

  “It’s because she’s an alpha.” Camden glanced up from where he was rubbing down with a towel. “Even drugged, her other nature would never leave her vulnerable.”

  Annora glanced between them. “So where does that leave us?”

  Camden sighed, looping the towel around his neck. “I’ll find a sample.”

  “I’m going to find Vicki.” Mason rumbled, his lavender eyes darkening.

  Xander shot a glance at Logan. “We’ll stay with Annora and help her learn the extent of her abilities.”

  Dread burned through her at the thought of them anywhere near the afterworld. She cast pleading eyes toward Mason, but he only leaned over and kissed her forehead. “You can do this.”

  Then he was gone.

  Camden brushed the backs of his fingers along her jaw, then his face hardened, and he growled at the other two. “Protect her with your life.”

  “Of course.” Logan sounded annoyed that Camden would doubt him.

  “My word.” Xander just bowed his head, like he was taking an oath.

  Camden cast her one last, lingering look, almost as if he regretted leaving her for even a second, then disappeared into the tunnels without a backward glance. After a quick cleanup, she was heading out of the locker room when Loulou bounded into view.

  “I thought I might find you here.” She pushed the edge of her toe around on the cement, subdued, almost shy for a second, before she took a deep breath. “Did you mean it? Do you want to hang out and get a coffee or something?”