Shackled to the World: A Phantom Touched Novel

by Brutger, Stacey

  Ignoring the shouts of protest, Annora grabbed the door handle and addressed the shifters. “Give us five minutes to get settled, then Camden will come out to hear your…petitions.”

  Giving into the need to run, she wrenched open the door and shot inside.

  Only when the door snapped shut behind her and the guys was she able to finally catch her breath. Sadie immediately pulled Edgar aside, and Annora had to work on biting back the sting of jealousy at seeing their two heads so close together.

  She brushed the pad of her thumb over the slightly raised tattoo on her wrists. Warmth instantly flooded her, leaving her skin tingling. Edgar lifted his fathomless blue eyes toward her as if sensing her attention, his gaze warming from its usual biting chill, and he smiled at her.

  Logan distracted her by giving her a kiss on her forehead, then disappeared into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Mason gathered her close, giving her a quick hug, rubbing his large hands soothingly up and down her back before he kissed the top of her head and went to help Logan.

  Xander cupped the back of her neck and pulled her close. “I’ll get things set up for our training session.”

  “Umph.” Annora leaned into him, her head dropping forward to rest against his chest, her body already aching at the thought of his training.

  It was pointless to ask him to go easy on her.

  He gave her hair one last tug, then pulled away. As he headed for the basement, she noticed Kevin and Terrance were waiting off to the side. Xander gave them a sharp look, noting their battered appearance, then sighed and opened the door. “If you’re going to live here, you’re going to have to train harder. You’re no way in shape enough to train with the elite teams.”

  He disappeared down the stairs. The brothers looked at each other, grinned like fools, and followed him down into the darkness.

  Camden ran a single finger along her jaw, then bumped his knuckle under her chin before he dropped his hand. “I’ll just be outside if you need me.”

  Edgar turned from Sadie, bowing slightly toward Annora. “I’ll go collect Willa and be back shortly.”

  It was both a warning and a promise.

  He didn’t wait for her response, simply disappeared outside by way of the door.

  Annora headed up the stairs, stopping when she noticed something was slightly off about her room. The air smelled different. Odd. Slightly dark and earthly, and she cursed.

  Witches.

  The fuckers searched her room, no doubt looking for the book.

  Her eyes darted across the room to the closet. Even though she knew the book wouldn’t be there, she was drawn anyway. As she reached for the door, the afterworld curled around the edges without even being called.

  The doorknob was cold against her palm, then warmed as if recognizing her touch, welcoming her home.

  She was floored when she opened the door and saw the book was waiting for her.

  “Annora?” Sadie was standing at the top of the stairs, scowling as she surveyed the room. Then her gaze locked on the closet door, her eyes widened almost comically. “What—”

  Annora slammed the door shut, dispelling the afterworld, tiny grains of sand drifting down like rain, only to vanish in a puff of smoke as they hit the floor. She lifted her chin and looked at the cool, beautiful princess. “Are you here to kill me?”

  Sadie’s attention snapped toward hers, then she shook her head and chuckled. “I think even if I tried, it wouldn’t be possible, would it?”

  Annora wasn’t sure any longer and answered honestly. “I don’t know. You might have better luck than most if you use your sword. Nothing lives forever.”

  Sadie heaved a sigh, the tension draining out of her. “To answer your question, no. I have no intention of harming you.” She ran her fingers through her hair, looking conflicted and confused. “I no longer know the right path anymore. Nothing is as I’ve been told.”

  She straightened, as if she’d come to a hard decision. “But I do know that your Edgar is no longer my Alcott. He’s changed. For the better.”

  She looked down and played with her fingers, her shoulders slumping. “I used to think he was the answer to all our problems. Now I know I was right—because it led me to you. After what you did last night, the sheer power you were able to gather…I only know one other person who could do such a thing.”

  Annora’s stomach tilted wildly.

  She already knew the answer. “My father.”

  Sadie nodded, her face grim. “And he won’t be pleased. He’s stronger and faster thanks to years of practice, but you rival him for sheer power. Given time, I think you’ll surpass him, and he won’t be happy. If he can’t control you—”

  “He’ll kill me.”

  But Sadie was shaking her head. “He’ll try to break you first. He’ll go after you where you’re the most vulnerable.”

  The guys.

  Fury rose in her hard and fast, dark particles seeping from her skin at the threat.

  “The bindings—the tattoo connecting you to the others—might be the only thing that saves you and them. You can draw power from them but also send power to them. If their lives are threatened, you can keep them alive.”

  “By draining myself.”

  “Yes.” Sadie cocked her head, studying her. “But I suspect you already know that, or you wouldn’t have agreed to it.” The phantom touched her own wrist, a slight movement that Annora almost missed.

  “You’re envious. Why?” It wasn’t jealousy or anything so simple, but maybe Annora was wrong. She still wasn’t very good at reading people.

  Sadie grimaced, quickly dropping her hands, but she didn’t deny it. “Phantoms used to mate for life. It was said to be one of the greatest honors to be chosen. The markings don’t show up unless you find your perfect match, someone who will love you beyond life and into death. That was taken from us when it was decided we’d be stronger devoting ourselves to our race and not one person.”

  Annora slumped, not needing to guess who ordered such a thing. “My father again.”

  “Actually, no.” Sadie shrugged when she caught Annora staring at her. “But he upholds the laws made by the council ruthlessly and without mercy.”

  “Do you think they’re wrong?” Annora shifted on her feet, not sure why the answer was so important to her.

  “Before today, I would’ve said no. I didn’t know any different until now.” Sadie looked out the window, as if she couldn’t bear to look at the future that had been denied her. “But after meeting you and seeing your men…I don’t know anymore.”

  Footsteps pounded up the stairs. Sadie quickly sidestepped, going into warrior mode, seeming to snatch her sword out of thin air, the afterworld still clinging to it.

  Only to have Edgar and Willa barge into the room.

  Annora glanced beyond them, then raised a brow and smiled. “Don’t trust the others?”

  “Not even an inch.” Willa snorted, her green eyes bright, and she lifted her chin, the humor vanishing. “In case you’re not aware, I’m only a half witch. Most witches are fanatically loyal to their covens, while we mixed bloods are assigned to them like heifers at an auction. My coven isn’t happy about my little rebellion. They’ve demanded loyalty and threatened to banish me if I didn’t take them with me today. I’m sure they’ll think of something unpleasant to do to me as punishment, but I refuse to bend to them, not when I finally have a choice and the power to enforce it.”

  “We’re more alike than I thought. I’m not very good at taking orders either.” Edgar and Sadie both snorted, and Annora glanced at the two phantoms who stood off to the side. Neither of them protested her training Willa in the forbidden dark matter magic—something so dangerous it would mean an immediate death sentence if other phantoms discovered the truth.

  She studied them a moment longer but couldn’t detect any reluctance about her training an outsider. Annora took that as a giant step in the right direction. She lifted her hand, then called up a ball of churning smoke
and held it out toward Willa. “You won’t be able to conjure the dark matter, but let’s check to see if you have an affinity to using it.”

  She tossed the ball up in the air, letting it hover between them. A true smile crossed Willa’s face, determination to master this new ability sharpening her stare.

  It was an hour before lunch was called, but it was enough to leave Willa swearing and sweaty. While the witch could use dark matter, it was taxing. She couldn’t cast using the dark particles directly, but she could use them to boost her own spells. The destructive force was awe-inspiring, the proof leaving Annora’s room covered with feathers and splinters of wood when the spells went awry.

  As they headed down the stairs, Annora nudged Willa. “Want to join us for dinner?”

  Though she looked tempted, Willa ultimately shook her head. “I’d better not. The longer I’m gone, the more restless the coven will get. If I don’t show up soon, they’re going to storm the house.”

  Annora grimaced at the thought.

  The witches gathered like sharks scenting blood.

  “You’re welcome to sneak out the back,” Annora offered. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, the kitchen was empty except for Mason and Loulou. The troll was leaning casually against the wall, patiently waiting for her, while Loulou was partially hanging out of the fridge, her backside wiggling and bobbing around while she dug around for something.

  Willa hesitated at the offer, then sighed in defeat. “No, it’s better to face them on my own terms. They’ll only track me down later and make me pay for it.”

  She headed toward the door, then hesitated. “You’re not what I expected.”

  Annora lifted her brows, not sure whether that was good or bad.

  “I don’t like many people, but I find myself liking you.” Willa sounded grumpy and resigned as she turned and exited through the front door.

  Annora stared at the door, a bit bemused and flustered by the backhanded compliment when Loulou popped up next to her. She had her hands full of so many drinks that they threatened to spill out of her arms. Then Annora noticed Loulou had a carrot tucked in one of her hands, and she had to suppress her chuckle.

  Loulou squinted at the door, still and silent for once, then heaved a sigh. “I hate to admit it, but she’s not bad. For a witch.”

  After her grudging approval, Loulou bumped Annora’s hip with hers, then scooted out the kitchen toward the back door, practically skipping to a tune only she could hear, not missing a beat as she juggled the drinks while chewing her carrot stick.

  Mason grabbed Annora’s hand and dragged her toward the living room after the rabbit. “The guys decided to have a barbeque.”

  Annora stopped in the middle of the room when she saw the deck and backyard were packed. She wasn’t used to being surrounded by so many people, and barely managed not to back away and bolt back to her room. Some of the shifters were the ones who’d been waiting for them out front when they returned from battle, the ones Camden must have approved, but she recognized more than a few of the others as pack leaders by the power radiating from them.

  Alphas.

  There was nothing remotely human about the group. They were pure predators in human form, ready to kill anyone who threatened them.

  She wasn’t foolish enough to think they were her friends.

  If she became a threat, they wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate her.

  It was the way of their world.

  But at the moment she was the lesser of two evils, the only thing standing between them and the phantoms who could destroy them on a whim if they so chose.

  But not all the people on the deck were strangers.

  A few people she would consider friends mingled in the crowd, allies who would fight alongside her through anything. They were standing with her men, watching the rest of the group for any sign of trouble.

  * * *

  Mason didn’t like the stillness around Annora, the way she retreated into her shell where he couldn’t reach her. He gently nudged her toward the couch. “Sit.”

  She obeyed without protest, blinking up at him until awareness flooded back into her eyes.

  He took a seat next to her, then reached over and picked her up, placing her on his lap so her back was to him. She let out an adorable, startled squeak, and he had to suppress his smile. That she didn’t get up and leave or ask him what he was doing warmed his heart.

  She trusted him.

  He gathered the long, silky strands of her dark brown hair into his hands and began to comb through it with his fingers, enjoying the way the wispy strands clung to him. He could almost pretend she was like him, and her hair revealed her emotions.

  She melted with a sigh, her head falling forward, giving him free access.

  After a moment, he broke the silence. “Want to tell me what’s wrong?”

  She gave an elegant shrug with one shoulder and waved her hand at the window without looking. “I thought I was getting better at being around people, but the moment I saw the crowd on the deck, the need to run and hide came flooding back. My uncle is dead. So why am I still so afraid?”

  “You’re not afraid.” She sounded so disgruntled, he slipped his hand around her neck, sliding it up to cup her face and turned it gently toward him. “You were never afraid of us, not really.”

  Annora rolled her eyes and tsked. “You guys are different.”

  His cock throbbed at her husky tone, and he stifled a groan. It seemed that any time she even breathed in his direction his body reacted the same way. He brushed the backs of his fingers against her cheek, unable to keep himself from stealing the touch. “Damn right we are. You knew from the beginning that we’d never hurt you. Being cautious around others is normal. It’s called self-preservation. But we would never let anything happen to you.”

  She sighed, turned sideways and snuggled against him, her slight weight delicious against his chest. “I know you wouldn’t. I just thought that after a time I would be…” She shrugged, looking down and fiddled with the hem of her shirt.

  “Normal?” He easily guessed what she wanted to say.

  Her one shoulder lifted in a shrug, but she didn’t look up.

  “If you were normal, we would never have met.” Her eyes snapped up, an adorable scowl on her face. “If you were normal, you would’ve run from me and the rest of the guys the first chance you got.” Unable to resist, he leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose when she opened her mouth to protest. “We’re broken in a way that only you can make whole, because you know what it’s like to be so wrecked it’s a struggle to survive. You know how to find the pieces of us and put them together again.”

  Like a cat, Annora squirmed until she was wrapped around him, her little claws kneading and petting his chest to soothe him. Unsurprisingly, his troll calmed at her touch, giving a little rumble of approval. His hair settled around him, almost subdued.

  When her stomach grumbled, he chuckled, then scooped her up and stood.

  Instead of jumping at his touch, she leaned into him. It took all his control to deposit her back on the couch when what he really wanted to do was take her back to his room and show her how much she meant to him.

  He leaned forward to brush his lips across her forehead. She took advantage of the situation and tipped her head back, her lips meeting his, a silent demand to be kissed. He squashed his smile, his heart light at knowing his plan to make her fall madly in love with them was working. Every day she was becoming closer and closer to the guys.

  When she tried to deepen the kiss, his dick throbbed painfully. He nipped at her with his fangs, then pulled back at her throaty moan, refusing to give the people on the deck a show. He had no problem sharing her with the team or watching them pleasure her. Making her happy was a job they shared equally.

  But no one else had the right to see her that way.

  That privilege was reserved only for them.

  He straightened, stifling a groan when his cock stood at attention, nearl
y level with her heated gaze. She looked up at him from under her lashes and licked her lips, and he’d swear all his brain cells shut down.

  “You’re hungry.” He stumbled away from her, struggling to remember why he released her in the first place.

  Annora folded her hands demurely in her lap, her eyes trailing up his body, the heat of them leaving flames licking along his skin, and it was all he could do not to lunge for her. He reached down, unconsciously cupping himself, watching as her eyes dilated with lust.

  The sound of laughter broke the spell, and he swiped the sweat off his forehead, backing away from her. “For food. I’ll get you food.”

  * * *

  Fresh air swirled through the room as Mason made his escape. He headed straight for the food, clearly on a mission, and she chuckled when he began to stack food on a plate. When he was only halfway through the line, he scowled at the plate, then went back for another one, hesitated as if debating with himself, and gathered two more before he headed back to the line, obviously determined to make her try everything.

  Her heart softened at having the big man fuss over her.

  The others seemed to know she’d only allow that from him.

  While Annora knew Mason wasn’t sexually inexperienced, his reaction to her made it feel special—like she was the only woman who mattered.

  Everything was new and fresh.

  She wasn’t some weeping virgin. She felt no shyness or shame when she was around the men, not anymore. The knowledge that they were hers made her feel bold. She’d never felt desire before them, never yearned for a kiss or wanted to be touched.

  With them, it was different.

  Each touch, each kiss made her feel more alive than ever before.

  Like they were awaking her from a horrible dream.

  They were the real world.

  They were her life and future.

  With that thought, needing to be close to them, she got to her feet and made her way toward the sliding doors. She was no longer afraid to face the others on the deck, not with her men at her side. It was where she belonged.