Page 83 of Tethered to the World
Ignoring him, she released the darkness and watched their surroundings gradually brighten, until her eyes ached. Without saying anything, each of the guys searched her for injury, not speaking until they were completely satisfied that she had all her limbs.
Her bruises and cuts stung as they slowly knitted shut, while her body pushed the last bit of the drug out of her system, a parting gift as the darkness withdrew. The pain left her skin tingling, and she relished the way it left her body hypersensitive and ready to fight.
The youngest prisoner began hacking, gasping for breath, thrashing to be released from his bindings. Ignoring everyone else in the room, she stopped in front of him.
The kid immediately stilled, lurching back against his chair to get away from her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Don’t send me back there. I’ll do anything.”
Florescent blue tears trickled down his face as he sobbed.
“I’ll take it from here.” Rufus placed a hand on her shoulder and nudged her away, then glanced at the guys. “Take her home. Make sure she gets some food and rest.” He looked down at the kid, who was practically peeing in his pants, and smiled. “I’ll let you know what I find out.”
The guys took the dismissal and immediately headed for her. Annora backed up to allow them to exit first. When her back was pressed against the bench, she slipped one of the vials into her pocket.
Something about the drug was vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on why. She was determined to figure it out, positive the answers to who was behind everything rested in her pocket.
Chapter Twenty-one
The ride home was silent, everyone lost in their own thoughts. Logan and Mason sat in the back with her, each of them touching her every few seconds to reassure themselves. Camden would glance at her every once in the while in the rearview mirror, while Xander didn’t even pretend he wasn’t watching her as he sat sideways in his seat.
“Give it over.” Xander held out his hand.
“Whatever do you mean?” Annora did her best to pretend ignorance.
His lips quirked, his teal eyes heating with challenge, and he raised a single, imperious brow.
She heaved a sigh and rolled her eyes, then dug the vial out of her pocket and slapped it into his outstretched palm.
Logan and Mason didn’t react, but Camden stiffened, his vivid green eyes hardening. “Why did you take that?”
“Not for the reason you think.” She clicked her tongue in annoyance. She watched the color in the vial slowly slide down the glass, her brain stumbling over the mystery. “That color…I know that color.”
Then her eyes widened, and she lurched back in alarm. The pack connection was flung wide open at her panic, and the guys all went on alert. Xander grabbed a gun from the glovebox, Camden slammed on the gas, Logan swiveled to glance out the back window, reaching behind the seat to pull out a heavily kitted out rifle, while Mason used his body to block the window, gently pushing her down as he studied their surroundings.
She couldn’t speak as they went into action, their moves smooth and practiced, and she couldn’t help wondering how often they came under attack. Not wanting to distract them, she kept quiet until they arrived back home five minutes later.
The guys exited the vehicle first. Camden and Xander secured the area, Logan darted toward the house to clear it, while Mason tucked her up against his naked torso, using his body once again to protect her as he ushered her into the house.
Xander and Camden quickly followed, the two of them systematically clearing the ground floor. Mason guided her in the kitchen, then took up guard duty. In less than a minute, all the guys gathered around the table.
The guns were gone.
Xander produced the vial, placing it on the counter, and all eyes turned toward her.
“You figured something out,” Logan murmured.
Uncertain how to explain it, she blurted out her theory. “We were right. They’re killing off shifters to produce the drug.”
Camden stalked forward and gripped her shoulders until she saw only him. “Are you sure?”
She nodded, then glanced at Mason. “Do you remember the butterflies in the afterworld?”
His brows scrunched up. Instead of nodding, his eyes widened, and he glanced down at the vial. “Someone is harvesting their life force.”
The other guys glanced at each other in confusion, and she lifted her hand, allowing a few particles from the afterworld to slip free. She whistled gently, and a single black butterfly floated into view, landing like dandelion fluff on the counter. Its wings flapped slowly, almost hypnotically.
Not willing to have it feed off of any of the men, she grabbed a knife and quickly slashed her palm before the guys could stop her. They yelled, reaching for her, and she hurriedly backed away, slipping to the other side of the counter. “Watch!”
They paused, the inaction clearly costing them. Camden’s skin rippled, Logan had smoke rising from where he gripped the back of a chair, Mason began bulking up, while the white strands in Xander’s hair were standing on end.
