Page 78 of Tethered to the World
“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 charged 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 werestrong. 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.
You have to get out of there now.
But he could feel her stubbornness through the connection.This is the perfect way to catch them and stop them once and for all. I could find their base of operations, and—
No!
He could feel the rest of the guys echo his sentiment, all of them yelling at once, leaving a weird, painful echo in his head.
When Annora remained stubbornly silent, fear carved open his chest until he couldn’t breathe.
Xander’s gruff voice filled his head.If you go, they will take one look at Loulou and kill her outright.
Annora’s heartbeat stopped, her resolve wavered, and he wanted to cheer.
Hold on. We’re almost there.Camden’s voice brooked no argument.Ghost. Now!
He nearly dropped to his knees when he felt a tug from the darkness she loved so much.
Then he watched Annora and Loulou hit the road and roll.
