Page 27 of Tethered to the World
All of the guys shook their head. “Pack is a place of honor and respect. No one ever leaves their pack willingly.”
She frowned at them. “Not even when they mate?”
They hesitated, and Logan spoke, giving her a pointed look. “Not usually.”
He was talking about the pack grá. “Why is pack grá so different?”
“It’s the one exception to the rule. If a group of shifters form a connection, there is no breaking it. It’s rare. While the connection strengthens the group, not having the full power of a pack behind you also makes you vulnerable. They either have a choice of building their own pack quickly or pledge their loyalty to a larger pack.”
She pushed away her plate, sighing in pleasure at the feeling of a full stomach. “The kids taken…they are different kinds of shifters?”
Xander nodded.
“So why would someone take a bunch of shifter kids when they know the power of multiple packs would be after them?” She mused out loud.
“Fight rings, black markets, pack rivals, breeding, slavery…it could be anything,” Camden sounded grim.
Annora shivered, her food turning sour in her stomach at the mention of slavery. She picked up her plate, then began collecting the others around the table, avoiding everyone’s eyes. When she turned to go into the kitchen, she nearly slammed into Mason, his big body blocking her escape. He gently plucked the dishes out of her hands, the large plates looking like tea saucers on his massive palms.
“Annora…if your uncle is after you, we need to know why so we can protect you.” Camden spoke softly from behind her, but there was an edge to it that said he wouldn’t be put off any longer. “Why do you think you’ll die if we kill him?”
A bitter laugh escaped her, and she turned to glare at him. “Because the one and only time I tried to kill him, I was dragged into the afterworld with him. The only way I could return was to bring him back with me.”
The room was silent.
“I think I found a way to unlink us. I’m stronger now, so I just need to find a way to get close to him. After the first time, he took precautions to make sure it wouldn’t happen again.” She pressed the ends of her nails into the fleshy part of her palm to help control the anger brewing inside her, the minor pain calming the darkness that wanted to take over.
“Precautions?” Xander’s voice was a low rumble. His teal eyes were harsh. Even as she watched, his black hair seemed to stiffen and stand on end, the white tips bristling.
Everything inside her resisted telling them what type of hell she lived. She didn’t want them to look at her differently…well, any more than they already did.
Xander slowly pushed back his chair, then stalked over to her. It took everything inside her not to back down. She had a feeling that if she ran, he would easily catch her.
He didn’t stop until he was right up in her face. Then he cupped her chin, forcing her head back until there was only him. “Tell me.”
She was on the verge of telling him to fuck off when she saw the shattered look in his eyes. Whatever had happened to him in his past, it had been horrible. “Please don’t make me.”
His teal eyes softened slightly. He reluctantly released her, his fingers trailing lightly against her face, then he stepped back. But instead of retreating, he rolled up the edges of his long-sleeved shirt, revealing strongly muscled forearms covered with a dusting of dark hair that made her mouth go dry.
Then her eyes caught on the two-inch-wide swath of twisted scar tissue wrapped around his wrists. Shackles. Her stomach churned at the horror, but before she could even form a coherent sentence, he turned his back to her, grabbed the back of his shirt, and pulled it over his head.
Silvery strips crisscrossed his back, hundreds of them, until every inch of skin was covered.
Familiar marks.
She lifted her hand, her fingers tracing the scars, unable to help herself. “Who whipped you?”
He glanced at her over his shoulder, and she’d realized she’d given herself away by recognizing the scars.
“I’m a whelp my mother brought home. To punish her, my father punished me.” He yanked the shirt back over his head, then turned to face her, silently demanding her answer.
Tit for tat.
She licked her lips, then ran a tired hand down her face. Telling them her story would also reveal a weakness that they could use against her. She gazed up in his teal eyes, saw his need for justice burning in them, and she took a leap of faith. “You saw how I was able to move from one spot to the next? After trying to kill him, my uncle placed me in a new industrial cell with electrified bars. Apparently, if the voltage is high enough, I can’t pass through without being electrocuted.”
She gave him a tight smile. “After a few tries you get used to the pain, but he buried me a couple of stories underground. I can’t seem to pass through that much solid matter. I was never fast enough to escape and make it to the elevators before his minions found me and tossed me back into my cell.”
The silence in the room was deafening, and she lifted her chin. “I won’t go back to that prison. I’m stronger now. If I can get close to him and drag him into the afterworld with me, I think I should be able to finally kill him permanently. If anyone else tries to kill him first, I’ll be pulled into the afterworld with him. We’re connected somehow. The only way for me to return to this world is to heal him and return with him.”
