Page 67 of Tethered to the World
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 myservicesout 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 keepingussafe.” 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.
