She gazed into his eyes but didn’t see an ounce of hesitation or doubt.
“You will use your powers to protect yourself.” He rested his forehead against hers.
She searched his blue eyes, getting lost in their depths. “If other phantoms discover me, they will come to investigate. If my father comes to claim me, I’m not sure I’ll be strong enough to stop him.”
“You’re no longer alone.” He straightened, brushing her hair behind her ear. “Not to mention that you’re a lot stronger than you think. If he comes for you, I have no doubt you’ll defeat him or anyone else stupid enough to go up against you.”
He seemed so sure of himself.
She wanted to believe him.
Badly.
The rest of the guys appeared just as resolute.
A knock on the door sent the guys shooting to their feet. Logan leapt over the counter, placing himself between her and the door. Mason grabbed her, pushing her behind his bulk. Xander stepped into the living room, pressing his back to the wall, his fingers tipped with claws, lying in wait.
It was Camden who skirted around them, his skin rippling in a pattern, like something was pushing out from beneath. He casually picked up a knife from the counter as he passed, then calmly sliced his palm, splotches of blood hitting the floor as he moved.
She gasped, struggling to get to him, but Mason took a step back, pinning her to the wall with his body, then whispered, “The toxin in his blood is stronger. One touch and they will go down.”
She stilled, letting the fight go out of her. It felt unnatural to be hidden and protected. She’d spent her whole life fighting her own battles, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about having her choices taken away, even if they were trying to protect her.
When Camden opened the door, the whole room tensed.
“Is Annora here?” Loulou bounced into the kitchen with a bright smile, completely ignoring the looming threat of the guys. Lionel walked in right behind her, quickly slipping an arm around her waist and snatching her back, twisting and hunching over her protectively.
“I’m here.” Annora jammed her fingers into Mason’s side until he grunted and finally stepped aside. She skirted the guys, almost running to the door, eager to get out of the house—anything to avoid facing them at that moment. “I’m ready to go.”
She grabbed her backpack from behind the counter, then hastily shoved Lionel and Loulou out the door, calling over her shoulder. “Sorry, Mason, we’ll have to postpone our outing till tomorrow.”
“Annora.” Camden’s voice sounded rough.
She had one foot out the door and froze. She couldn’t turn and face them, not yet. “I…I just need a few moments. We’ll be at the coffee house on campus.”
She waited for the guys to protest, waited for someone to haul her back into the house. When a full minute passed in silence, she slowly closed the door behind her, letting out a sigh of relief.
Loulou was waiting for her at the bottom of the steps, her face knitted in concern. She studied Annora from head to toe, then shook her head. “You’ve had a rough time of it today.” She grinned, then bounded up the steps, looping arms with Annora, dragging her away from the house. “You’re doubly lucky I came to rescue you.”
Laughter burst out of her, and Annora hesitantly patted the hand looped around her elbow. Lionel remained still as they passed, gazing at the house with no expression on his face, his wolf peering out of his brightly lit eyes.
Loulou hauled her away, rolling her eyes. “Lionel insisted on coming along as an escort but promised to keep his distance.” The bunny glanced at the wolf over her shoulder. Instead of terror, she practically batted her lashes at the beast. Lionel’s gaze lingered on Loulou for a second, his expression softening, then he went right back to protector mode and watched the others around them.
Behind him she caught the quick flash of tail…or tails. A small fox peered at her from behind a bush, his crystal blue eyes glowing as they locked on her. His inky black coat helped keep him hidden in the deepening gloom, but she could see the deep crimson undercoating when the wind ruffled his fur.
She should be pissed that he followed her, tracking her like a prized possession, but the way he kept his distance made it seem like he was watching over her instead. She’d never had anyone care enough to want to keep her safe until them.
After a few minutes, Loulou cast a look at Lionel with her big blue eyes. The wolf heaved a sigh, then fell back until he ended up strolling next to Logan. The kitsune had shifted after she spotted him and donned a T-shirt and sweats from one of the many clothes bins around the campus when she didn’t order him home. Then Loulou bounced on her feet, whirling to walk backwards, a big smile on her face as she rolled her eyes. “What with the wolves and missing shifters, Lionel refuses to let me out of his sight.”
“He’s smart.” Annora couldn’t help but agree. While she normally wouldn’t think a rabbit would be a target, Loulou was different. Believe it or not, Annora sensed power from her—pure determination. One day, if she believed in herself and kept pushing, Loulou would become an alpha in her own right. “You’re his mate. He loves you. Of course he’s going to protect you.”
Loulou’s smile fell and she completely stopped, her eyes tearing up, making them appear bigger and bluer. “You think?” Her words were barely above a whisper.
Annora walked up and nudged her with her shoulder to get her moving. “No wolf would pursue a rabbit without an excellent reason.”
Her nose scrunched up, and she mumbled under her breath, “We’re prey.”
“But instead of hunting you, he’s following you around in front of the whole university, staking his claim and protecting you. There might be a thrill of the chase, but the hunger between you is not for food.”
“Really?” A bright blush filled Loulou’s cheeks as she peered over her shoulder, trying to gauge the truth for herself.
Lionel heard every word of the conversation. Though she directed the question at Annora, Lionel was the one who answered by giving a piercing wolf whistle. Loulou fluffed her hair, her smile back, a seductive sway to her hips as they continued toward the café.
As she pulled open the door to the café, Loulou leaned in close. “Thank you.”
Annora nodded and entered first.
“But you need to be careful. Other shifters will see your kindness as a weakness.” Loulou didn’t say anything else as she approached the counter and placed an order for both of them. “My treat.”
The guys entered behind them and sat at the other end of the café. While the chatter was loud enough to drown out their conversation, the guys made no pretense of doing anything but watching them.
Loulou handed her a hot chocolate and a muffin almost as big as her palm, then led the way to the opposite side of the room, where they sat in a booth. Loulou nibbled on her food and took a sip of her drink before finally leaning over the table. “So tell me, which of the guys have you slept with so far?”
Annora nearly choked on the sip of hot chocolate she hadn’t swallowed yet, her eyebrows climbing to her hairline. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” Loulou smirked, shoveling a large bite of muffin in her mouth. “Some of the girls think it’s a competition to see who can bang them all. No one has gotten all four, but I bet you’ll change that.”
Annora lifted her cup to hide her shock, but she must not have done a very good job when a devilish smile stole across Loulou’s face.
“Shifters love to fuck. We’re very need-driven creatures.” She shrugged like it was no big deal. “I’m assuming since you’ve been paired with that gang of assholes and they didn’t run you off, you must be their mate.”
“I—”
“Oh, you don’t have to say anything.” Loulou nibbled on her muffin, completely oblivious to Annora’s discomfort. “I can see it in the way they look at you.”
Her discomfort changed to curiosity, and Annora perked up, casually glancing toward Logan. “What
ever do you mean?”
She realized her emotions must have opened the connection to the guys when she found Logan staring directly at her with an extremely interested expression on his face.
“It’s obvious in the way they worry about you. They welcomed you into the house without a fuss, they guard you from anyone who even looks at you funny, and, even more telling…they’re actually training you.” Loulou took a sip of her coffee, blithely continuing without paying attention to what secrets she was spilling. “They changed the locks on the doors on the last guy, beat the living hell out of him and called it training, and often went days without speaking to him, treating him like he was invisible.”
Annora winced, infinitely glad they weren’t the same jerks she met the first night. Though it would be easier to pretend they didn’t exist, she couldn’t go back to that lonely existence.
They changed things for her.
Made her see there was more to life than just surviving.
Loulou continued, completely oblivious. “The girls brag if they can land two of them. They say Logan is a man-whore, but his talents more than make up for it.”
Annora nearly swallowed her tongue. Amusement from the guys carried to her. Logan was both proud of his skill but appalled, and he couldn’t quiet meet her eyes when she peered at him, his cheeks dusted a deep red.
“Then you have Mason. He’s more selective. Girls throw themselves at him, wanting the beast. Whispers say that because of his size, he makes the girls scream with pleasure before taking his own, until they’re willing to do anything for more.”
Mason’s embarrassment trickled through the connection at having his past transgressions aired in front of her. He wasn’t ashamed, but he didn’t like the idea of the girls talking about him.
“Camden is into kinky shit.” Loulou popped another piece of muffin in her mouth.
The amusement travelling through the connection broke off abruptly, but Annora couldn’t make herself ask Loulou to stop. She was too fascinated.
“He likes to tie the girls down so they can’t touch him. And he wears gloves. No one is allowed to touch him. If you break his rules, even just try to kiss him, he cuts them off and pretends they don’t even exist.”
She couldn’t imagine going through life without being able to touch anyone. Instead of being worried, she was actually glad he discovered a way to find some comfort, if only fleeting.
The connection between Camden and her quieted, then she’d swear she could actually hear him speak in her mind.
You’re different from the other girls.
You matter.
“Then don’t forget about Xander.” Loulou fanned her face, then leaned across the table and whispered, “That man is intense. I can only imagine what he’s like in bed. Rumors have it that he hires professionals so no girl will get attached. Others say it’s because he’s horribly deformed.”
Annora knew the truth…his scars had nothing to do with it. He didn’t want to get close to anyone else because of his father and childhood.
Or I was just waiting for you.
Her heart hiccupped in her chest when she received that stray thought from Xander. There was nothing but contentment and a low simmer of heat from him.
Afraid where the conversation would lead next, Annora downed the rest of her hot chocolate, then shoved the remaining piece of her muffin toward her backpack, startled when a ferrets’ greedy little hands yanked it out of her grip then disappeared with its prize back inside the bag. “Look at the time. I believe the guys and I are due to patrol the grounds tonight. I should be getting back.”
Loulou smiled brightly, then bounced to her feet. “Of course! We’ll have to do this again.”
But when she glanced at the guys, Loulou stilled for a second, then whirled and grabbed her hand and hustled her out the door. When Annora would’ve turned to look behind her, Loulou shook her head.
“Don’t.”
But it was too late.
Surrounding the table was a pack of beautiful, giggling girls fawning over the guys. Lionel looked pissed, while Logan looked bored, neither man really paying attention. The girls were blocking the view, so the guys didn’t even notice them leaving. One girl spun, then seated herself on Logan’s lap, completely missing the way he tensed.
Then she slipped her fingers around the back of his neck, preventing him from escaping and slammed her lips against his. She was so focused on seducing him she completely missed the way he stiffened.
“Annora, we should go—”
“Wait.” Annora shook out of Loulou’s hold, part of her wanting to rescue him. She should be jealous, suspecting the girl was a past lover, but her connection with Logan made it clear he was actually pissed off.
She couldn’t help but tease him, not liking the darkness of his thoughts.
Enjoying yourself? She whispered through their connection.
His response was instant.
He jolted to his feet, dumping the girl on her ass, his eyes wild as he looked toward her booth.
Laughter bubbled out of her, and he immediately swung toward her as if he heard the sound over the noise. When he saw her through the window, he calmed. Then he narrowed his eyes, promising retribution, and began to shove through the crowd, Lionel only a few paces behind.
“Okay, now would be a good time to go.” Annora backed up, dragging Loulou with her, excitement flickering to life as he gave chase.
Loulou giggled as they turned and raced down the sidewalk. “You knew that would happen.”
“What?” Annora glanced back over her shoulder to see the guys had gotten hung up at the door and only just managed to escape. Darkness had fallen, the streetlamps barely illuminating the path, but there was something in the air that made her want to scurry back inside. No matter how hard she searched, she couldn’t pinpoint what was making her uneasy.
“How did you know he would choose you?” Loulou insisted. “You didn’t doubt him for even a second.” Then a beautiful smile lit her face. “You knew because you’re mates! I knew it!” She fist pumped both hands in the air, doing a little shimmy dance. “He doesn’t want anyone but you.”
Annora opened her mouth, then closed it, not sure how to respond. Before the guys had a chance to catch up with them, the boy from the party stepped out of the shadows, and she stopped short, suddenly leery despite they guy making no move to approach them.
The ferret struggled to get out of the bag, but she held the zipper shut.
“It’s not safe for two girls to be alone.” When she retreated a few feet, he lifted his hands and gave a shy smile. “You met me at the party. My name is Terrance.”
A bright flash of headlights hit her in the face, and she instinctively shoved Loulou behind her. The car swerved up on the sidewalk, crashing into Terrance and sending him flying. Annora lunged back and grabbed Loulou, allowing the darkness to explode out of her. The vehicle passed through them, the metal tearing through her flesh and dragging her back into the world, throwing both her and Loulou to the ground.
Shouts sounded, footsteps pounded on the payment. As she struggled to stand, a needle was jabbed into her neck. Chemicals burned through her flesh, setting her veins on fire until her entire body felt like she’d been struck by lightning. Her backpack dropped to the ground from nerveless fingers.
Rough hands grabbed her, and she was tossed into the air, landing hard in the trunk of the car. Seconds later the dead weight of Loulou landed squarely top of her, knocking the breath out of her. Then the trunk lid slammed down, stealing the last of the light.
There was a scuffle outside, the sound of vicious swearing and flesh hitting flesh. She tried to move, but couldn’t make her body respond. Then the car squealed as it took off, knocking her around the small space, her stomach rebelling as the car lurched into motion.
Chapter Twenty
Logan’s heart stopped beating as he watched the car bump over the sidewalk and pull away with the girls trapped inside the trunk. He char
ged after the vehicle, Lionel only a second behind him, but he knew they would never catch them in time.
When he exited the café and saw the car careen toward the girls, he ran like his life depended on it, pushing his beast for more strength, only breathing again when he saw her ghost through it.
Through the connection, he felt a flash of pain, like her flesh was being ripped from bone, and his heart stopped when he saw her hit the ground. He was ready to rip the face off the driver when the doors were thrown open and four people piled out of the vehicle.
Fucking wolves!
Two of them went for the girls, while the other two tucked low and charged at Logan and Lionel. One wolf collided with him, and it felt like he’d hit a brick wall.
The fuckers were strong. He should’ve been able to go through them, but the scrappy wolf managed to latch himself around him like a demented monkey riding his back, trying to rip off his head. Lionel wasn’t faring much better, but what caught his attention was seeing the remaining two guys pick up the girls like they were trash and toss them into the trunk of the car.
The kitsune flared bright in pure rage, startling a yip out of the wolf who had managed to drag him off his feet. The stench of burned flesh clogged the air, but the fucker refused to let go. Only when the car began to pull away did the two wolves release them and jump into the still-open doors of the car before it sped away.
He saw one of her ferret’s leap through the door and attack the men inside, leaping from one to the other, trying to slow them down, and his annoyance with the creatures vanished as he watched the car swerve madly.
Just when his heart threatened to burst through his ribs, he felt her touch.
I’m okay.
But it was a lie. He could feel the pain in her voice.
The assholes fucking drugged her, agony like lava moved under her skin.
Baby, you have to ghost.
He would promise her anything to get her to listen as he watched the taillights of the car turn the corner. In another five minutes they would be gone forever.
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