Ransomed to the World

by Stacey Brutger

  He gave a sigh of relief, his eyes shiny. “Thank you. These mean more than you can imagine.”

  “I’ll work on more once I get my strength back.” She lifted the last coin in her hand and held it out to him. “This one is for you.”

  Valen hesitated, then reached out and took it, gazing down at it silently, and she was suddenly uncertain. “It’s more permanent than the others. You should be able to cross over at any time…if you want to visit.”

  “I would be honored.” He cleared his throat, tears glimmering in his eyes. “Okay, time for me to leave you in the capable hands of your men.” He shot her a wink, then disappeared in a swirl of smoke.

  Silence reigned in the room, the guys staring at her like a ghost they expected to vanish at any moment. That they weren’t furious with her left her floundering, and she eyed them suspiciously, then braced herself. “Go ahead, let me have it.”

  Camden quirked a brow at her, his green eyes warm. “We’re not mad.”

  “You’re…not?” Annora glanced around at them, deflating a bit.

  “Of course.” Logan kissed her neck. “I mean, I’m not happy you jumped into battle, but your sense of honor and justice is also one of the things we love the most about you.”

  Xander linked his fingers with hers, rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand. “We don’t want to change you. We know you’ll always be attracted to danger.”

  “And run headlong into it,” Mason grumbled, his expression both amused and pained, the way he usually looked around her.

  “That’s putting it mildly. You practically wave your arms to get its attention.” Logan huffed in amusement, his arms cradling her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder.

  “We realize now that it’s literally in your nature.” Camden’s lips quirked, and he rocked back and forth on his feet. “It’s one of the reasons we love you.”

  “But?” Her heart threatened to break her ribs it was thumping so hard, her chest tightening with anxiety.

  “No buts.” Edgar’s voice was firm. “You took us into battle with you. It’s all we wanted—to share your burden. You’re not alone in this anymore.”

  Tears burned her eyes, and she blinked them away, her throat tight as emotions threatened to drown her.

  “We know there’s no way to stop you from finding trouble.” Mason lifted her foot and rubbed the bottom, the massage dragging a groan out of her. “We would never stop you, we just want to be by your side next time it finds you.”

  Xander raised her fingers, kissing the tips. “Some days, you’ll save our lives, and we’re going to rail and rage at you. Other times, we’ll bitch at each other for putting you in danger, but only because we adore the shit out of you.”

  “And you’ll do the same when we try to protect you.” Camden flashed her a crooked half-smile. “You’ll grouse and bitch, but you won’t be able to stop us from following you into danger, any more than we can stop you.”

  Their acceptance of her—without reservation or recriminations—made her heart swell with emotions.

  “That’s why we’re going to train harder as a team.” The undertone in Xander’s deep voice hinted at how much he relished the prospect, and he gave her a smile she could only describe as evil. He reached into his back pocket, then pulled out a familiar feather.

  She snatched it out of his hand, her breath catching as she ran her fingers lovingly over the edges. She thought she’d lost it. She gave him a nod of thanks, then tucked it down the front of her shirt, keeping it safe until she had time to place it with the grimoire, where she couldn’t lose it again and no one could take it away from her.

  “No more heroics on your own.” Edgar gave her a pointed look, his expression chiding, but he quickly became distracted by the hand that was still tucked down her shirt.

  She quickly yanked her hand back out and smirked at seeing him so easily diverted.

  Mason gently tucked her foot back under the covers, drawing her gaze. “We all want one thing…”

  “Pack,” Logan whispered in her ear, his voice husky. “Now that we’ve found it with you, we’re not letting you go, not even to death.”

  “We’re family now.” Xander spoke without hesitation. “That means we’ll fight.”

  “And argue about who’s in charge.” Edgar gave her a wry grin.

  “And take you out on many, many dates.” Camden winked.

  Annora cracked a smile, and the other guys chuckled.

  “It won’t be easy.” Mason straightened to his full height. “We’re all assholes, so there will be plenty of heartache and headaches.”

  “We’re driven by one thing.” The humor fell away from Camden’s face, his eyes darkening. “Our love for you. No matter what happens, that will never change.”

  Logan nuzzled her ear. “We won’t ever give up, ever stop fighting, not when we’re fighting for what we love.”

  Annora was still a bit concerned about Logan after what he’d recently went through, afraid that what happened might have set back his progress

  She couldn’t bear it if he retreated back into his shell again. She twisted to look at him, biting back a groan when pain rippled through her side. “You sure you’re okay with this?”

  “I’ll always be a hundred percent on your side. You guys are my family now.” He brushed his cheek against hers, then grimaced. “Once the truth of phantoms becomes known and my family finds out just how much power you wield, they might try to demand a groom price from you.”

  He fussed with smoothing out the wrinkles in the covers, avoiding her gaze.

  “Let them.” Annora met his look steadily when his eyes flashed up to hers. “I’d relish the challenge and the opportunity to show them just how displeased I am at how they’ve treated you over the years.”

  She leaned up and kissed his cheek.

  Then Annora smirked up at the rest of the guys. “Anyone else ready to sneak off the island before they decide not to let us leave?”

  The guys snorted, but Edgar just nodded. “I already contacted the captain for passage. He’s ready to depart as soon as we arrive.”

  As the others began to gather their things and figure out an exit plan to avoid being spotted, Mason lingered by the bed. “Sure you don’t want to stay and learn about being a phantom? I know you wanted to discover more about your heritage. You could learn how to control your abilities from them.”

  “Nope.” Though she was tempted, it ultimately wasn’t worth the cost they would demand in return. “I don’t think they’re the best people to ask, especially since I basically ripped apart their world.”

  “As the heir to the House Daxion, you can claim your seat on the council.” Edgar paused his discussion with the others and glanced over at her. “You’d be well within your rights.”

  Annora cringed and shook her head. “I’ll leave that in more capable hands. Valen and the phantoms are more than welcome to the job. Maybe taking over House Daxion will give them equal standing with the council.”

  Relief shimmered in Edgar’s blue eyes, and she cradled Prem close, her fears easing at knowing he didn’t want to remain on the island either, her heart full that he gave her the option to choose her own future.

  But she already had exactly what she wanted.

  Her pack.

  The guys had taught her to live without fear, taught her she needed to be brave to get what she wanted.

  And taught her the true meaning of love and family.

  She couldn’t wait to discover what the rest of the world had in store for them.

  Epilogue

  Annora stood at the ship’s starboard railing as it pulled into port, the rest of the guys gathered around her. Camden stood at her back, his hands gripping the railing on either side of hers. He bent and kissed the scar on her neck, and she shivered at his nearness, craving to feel his hands run over her body. She snuggled closer with a hum of pleasure.

  He was no longer afraid of touching her, even going so far as to seek he
r out. He was hesitant at times, but she enjoyed learning the new boundaries with him.

  He leaned closer, his breath tickling her ear. “Would you do me the honor of having lunch with me?”

  Annora lifted her brow and looked at him over her shoulder with a small smile. “A date?”

  “A date,” he confirmed, his voice deep and warm.

  “Yes.” Her heart leapt with excitement, his nearness making her stomach flutter. “I can’t wait.”

  “There’s a crowd,” Xander growled, and the rest of the guys tensed.

  Annora whirled to see that there were indeed about twenty or so people waiting on the docks, and she grinned when she easily recognized Loulou standing front and center, the rabbit bouncing with excitement. Lionel dutifully trailed behind her, ensuring she didn’t fall over the edge. And Willa was with them, stuffing her face with food. The witch looked tired, but at home with the wolves at her side.

  “We’ll be docking in five minutes.” The captain strolled over to them, stopping next to her, and looked out over at the port. He bobbed up and down with the boat, the wind blowing his hair, tiny lines fanning out from his eyes as he squinted off in the distance. “What will you do now that you’ve survived?”

  “I’d like to go back to the university. I have a lot more to learn about the world.” She gave him a wry smile. “It all depends on whether they’ve lifted my suspension.”

  “Why am I not surprised to learn that you stir shit up wherever you go?” The captain winked, flashing her an amused grin. “I’ll have to stop by some time and see what trouble we can find.”

  He seemed to be asking for permission, and Annora nodded. “I think I would enjoy that.”

  A sailor called for him, and the captain rapped his knuckles on the railing. “I look forward to it.”

  Logan groaned and put his head in his hands. Prem grabbed the kitsune’s hair to keep himself firmly planted around his neck. The two had been inseparable since she regained consciousness after her injuries, and she giggled at the thought of what antics they were going to get up to next.

  “If she keeps on collecting people, we’re going to have hundreds of them following us around like the fucking pied piper,” Logan groused.

  Xander grunted and Mason nodded, but no one appeared truly troubled by the idea. As soon as the plank was lowered to the dock, they were the first to depart.

  As they walked onto the docks, she spotted Greenwood in the crowd and stopped dead. Even at his age, he was a dapper man, wearing a suit tailored to hug his form. She knew he was probably hundreds of years old, but he looked no more than fifty or sixty. When he spotted her, a big grin split his face. He was the man who took her off the streets and introduced her to the team, and she loved him for it.

  “Welcome back!” Greenwood closed the distance between them and crushed her to his chest, his evergreen scent making her realize how much she’d missed him.

  Annora hugged him back, then found herself squished when Loulou darted forward and squeezed her from behind.

  “Sorry, but I couldn’t wait,” her bunny friend chirped.

  Greenwood let out a deep laugh and wrapped them both tight in his arms. Only when he noticed that they were blocking the gangplank did he release them and pull Annora off to the side. The guys and Loulou followed…and practically everyone else on the docks.

  “I knew it!” Greenwood snorted at the entourage and gave her a smug smile. “You’re going to make a fine alpha.”

  Annora resisted rolling her eyes, shooting him a wry grin instead. He’d warned her people would be attracted to her power, that it was instinctual in the supernatural world. As much as she wanted to deny that she was an alpha, the people around them would prove her a liar. “I’m going to try.”

  “That’s all I ask.” Pride radiated from him, and he bobbed his head. “I also want to inform you myself that your standing at the university has been reinstated.”

  “That couldn’t have been easy.” Not with the number of people who were after her when she left.

  “There were some complaints that had to be investigated.” Fury burned in his eyes until they glowed a bright yellow. “Some wolves wanted vengeance for you killing their alpha. They were arrested when it was discovered they put a hit out on you.”

  “You said complaints…as in more than one?” Camden and the guys had their arms crossed, each an imposing warrior as they glared down at Greenwood.

  Annora shifted to ease the ache in her side. Healing slowly sucked. “Let me guess…the other complaint was from the witches?” Her eyes shot to the right, toward Willa. “No offense.”

  The girl gave a bright smile and leaned against a tall wolf behind her. “None taken.”

  “Some of the students thought they could earn their place in the coven by bringing you in by themselves. They called a hunt without the rest of the coven being aware of it.” Greenwood shook his head at the sheer stupidity. “When it was discovered, the coven was not happy. They immediately voted that the suspension be lifted. They’re worried that they might have ruined their only chance to study phantoms up close.”

  “About returning to the university…some changes need to be made.” Camden’s voice was hard, and she was glad he decided to bring it up instead of her. “If the phantoms want to join, they need to be better protected. The university would have to be marked as a safe space for them. They need time to prepare for the real world and learn how they can use their abilities to keep the world in balance. They—”

  “I’m way ahead of you.” Greenwood held up his hands, as if to hold back the spew of words. “Phantoms are free to enroll in the university under the same terms as Annora. I’ll be in charge of the program, so it will be my sole responsibility to make sure they’re safe and protected. I’m hoping you and your team will help with that.”

  Camden exchanged glances with the rest of the guys, then offered Greenwood his hand. “You have a deal.”

  As they shook, a cheer went up through the crowd. To her shock, despite all they’d sacrificed, Sadie and Cedwyn had decided to follow them, refusing to be left behind. No matter how much Annora protested, they said they were pledged to the House Daxion and that was now her. More than two dozen other phantoms did the same, mostly those who had been branded and forgotten. They were seeking new opportunities and wanted to help her set the world right.

  Thankfully, Livia had managed to convince the council to remove the brandings before everyone boarded the ship. More than a few phantoms had disappeared from the island, and Annora couldn’t help but wonder what kinds of troubles they would cause. She couldn’t blame them for escaping at the first opportunity, knowing exactly what the lure of freedom was like after a lifetime of imprisonment. She just hoped they were careful, because more than a few paranormals would be willing to pay very well for a chance to acquire their special talents.

  With a smile, Annora glanced around at the combination of wolves and phantoms as they mingled together. Their future was uncertain, trouble was on the horizon, and life wasn’t going to be easy, but she wouldn’t change one thing.

  The guys stood proud and strong at her side.

  There was no more need to run.

  She was finally home.

  The End

  Acknowledgments

  To all the readers who love their book boyfriends…the alphas, the psychos, the omegas, and the nerds.

  Never settle for second best when you can have them all!

  About the Author

  Stacey Brutger lives in a small town in Minnesota with her husband and an assortment of animals. When she’s not reading, she enjoys creating stories about exotic worlds and grand adventures…then shoving in her characters to see how they’d survive. She enjoys writing anything paranormal from contemporary to historical.

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  OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR:

  A Raven Investigations Novel

  Electric Storm (Book 1)

  Electric Moon (Book 2)

  Electric Heat (Book 3)

  Electric Legend (Book 4)

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  Heart of the Assassins (Book 2)

  Claimed by the Assassins (Book 3)

  Queen of the Assassins (Book 4)

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  A Phantom Touched Novel

  Tethered to the World (Book 1)

  Shackled to the World (Book 2)

  Ransomed to the World (Book 3)

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  Daemon Grudge (Book 1)

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  A Druid Quest Novel

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  Coming Soon:

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