Page 43 of Tethered to the World
“Keep the drinking to a minimum.” Camden gave Logan a pointed look. Aside from a slight wrinkle on his forehead, he didn’t object.
“What are we looking for, exactly?” Annora cast a curious look at each of them.
“I’ve been checking the dates, and it looks like kids go missing on party nights.” Xander downed his glass of water, then shoved away his plate and rested his arms on the table. “We need to discover if it’s someone at the party doing the abducting, or if someone is lying in wait for the unsuspecting students after the party shuts down.”
But something about the whole situation bothered her.
“What is it?” Xander’s sharp eyes caught her frown.
“Doesn’t anyone else find it odd that there’s no crime scene? No witnesses? Or even a body or two?” She glanced up from her plate to find the whole table watching her. “You’re supernaturals, you’re trained fighters—hell, you’re supposed to be able to sense danger—but apparently no one bothered to put up a fight. Not even a single drop of blood. Doesn’t anyone find it even the little bit suspicious?”
Camden shoved back his chair and began pacing. “They’re organized.”
“It’s more than that. She’s right. They’re hunting students.” Xander leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “We’ve found no clues…which is a clue in itself. No human could pull this off.”
“And it has to be someone you’re used to seeing around campus, so they don’t attract suspicion,” Annora noted as she began to clear off the dishes. When she turned back to the table, she skidded to a stop to see all the guys staring at her. “What? I had a lot of time on my hands growing up, and it’s not like I had a lot of visitors. Plenty of time to plot my escape and the many ways I could get away with murder.”
Xander raised an eyebrow, seeming more intrigued than freaked out. Logan seemed genuinely amused, while Mason looked ready to find her uncle so he could rip him in half. Camden just studied her like she was a puzzle he couldn’t quite figure out…a look Rufus often wore when he watched her.
The dishes were cleared away quickly, the guys immediately getting up to help.
“We should do one quick sweep of the campus before we head out.” Camden leaned back against the kitchen counter, his arms crossed. “I think you should remain behind. You were recently injured, and—”
“I’ll stay back to change her bandage and go over a few self-defense moves to use if she should find herself in trouble.” Xander began to stretch his arms over his head, his shirt lifting up to reveal a delicious glimpse of satiny masculine flesh, his muscles so chiseled she couldn’t imagine anyone would be stupid enough to challenge him to a fight.
Mason and Logan grumbled, but headed for the door and slipped on their shoes. Camden didn’t move, watching them closely for a moment, almost like he regretted leaving her behind. Xander smirked, which only made Camden scowl harder.
Xander came to a stop next to her, and they watched the others leave in silence.
“Come.” Xander carefully walked around her, but instead of heading up the stairs, he turned down the hallway to the door she’d been using as target practice. She was a few paces behind him when he opened the door, flipped on the light then jogged down into the basement.
Everything inside her froze.
The hallway stretched out before her, the floors and walls seeming to tip. Air became thin, and her lungs seized tight. It was all she could do not to retch on the spot. She reached for the wall, tripping over her feet as her vision began to dim.
The ominous thud of footsteps on the stairs jerked her out of her paralysis, and she scrambled down the hall, clawing at the wall as pure terror overtook her. She flew around the corner, skidding into the kitchen, reaching for the knives when a set of strong arms wrapped around her from behind.
A scream of pure terror was ripped from her throat. The darkness inside her exploded outwards, allowing her to fall through the rough arms holding her. She lunged for the knives again, then cursed when she had to go solid to grab them.
“Annora!”
She whirled, brandishing the blade, then blinked when she saw it was Xander. He lifted his hands, then slowly edged closer and gently caught her wrist, prying the knife out of her numb grip.
“You’re safe. I’ve got you.” He dropped the knife on the counter, then tugged her close, until she was wrapped in his arms. “Breath in my scent. Put your hands on me. Know that I’m not him.”
His gruff voice was soothing, while she panted, struggling to breathe.
“Listen to my heartbeat. Match my breathing.” He tightened his hold, wrapping himself around her, blocking out the world, leaving only the two of them. “Nothing will take you from me.”
It took a good five minutes for her senses to return, and she felt foolish. “I’m sorry.”
Xander’s arms loosened, and she immediately pressed her head against his chest, not ready to face the world.
“The basement must be a trigger.” He cupped the back of her neck firmly and held her in place, his fresh sea breeze scent helping to banish the nightmare.
“I can’t go down there.” She was terrified she would never surface again.
He bent, reaching down to lift her behind the knees, sweeping her up in his arms. He walked down the three steps into the living room, then sat in the recliner and settled her on his lap, tucking her head under his chin. “We’ll begin training you early tomorrow morning in the backyard. It’ll take a while, but you’ll learn to function without drowning in your emotions.”
