Page 81 of Shackled to the World
He bent and picked up the pelt that lay at his feet and swung it around his shoulders. She watched in fascination as it wrapped around him, fur spilling down his chest and arms until he dropped down onto all fours in the shape of a raging, half-ton brown grizzly bear.
He lifted his head and let out a giant roar that vibrated in the air, his mouth opening wide enough to crush skulls. He was both majestic and beastly, a monster born to kill. Then he charged into battle, grabbing one unfortunate soul by the leg, snapping it in half and flinging the poor sod a good twenty feet to land in a heap.
She’d never seen a skinwalker in action, and she hoped she’d never have to come face-to-face with one in a fight. Knowing he’d do his best for her men, Annora turned toward Erickson, just in time for him to grab her by her throat, his claws digging into her flesh until blood trickled down her neck.
He lifted her off her feet, leaving her dangling off the ground like a fish on a hook. She grabbed his wrists, kicking her legs, but didn’t try to escape.
Not yet.
It was too soon, especially if she only got one chance to bring him down.
She inhaled through the pain, letting it flood her system, feeling her senses heighten.
He inhaled deeply, his eyes dropping betrayingly to the fresh wounds, and he licked his lips. “By the time you wake up you’ll be completely mine.”
His very own fucking cornucopia. She’d never run dry, never die…at least not permanently.
He pulled her closer, tipping his head to lick at the blood along her neck, his tongue feeling like a slug crawling across her skin. She grimaced, everything inside her rebelling at the thought of being a snack. When his breath touched her skin, repulsion made her shudder, and she couldn’t stop the way she squirmed to get away, shoving at his shoulders to put distance between them.
Then all thoughts of her plan scattered when she saw the wreck of what was once Logan as he staggered across the muddy battlefield.
It looked like he'd crawled out of hell.
And he was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.
But her joy was short-lived. Something was horribly wrong. As she studied his blank expression, she saw nothing of her Logan remaining in his faded blue eyes. He looked neither right nor left, as if the only thing he could see was Erickson.
The shifters on the battlefield fought like good little brainwashed monsters, none of them even bothering to attack Logan, and she realized Erickson hadn’t rescinded his order for Logan to remain unharmed while under his care.
Thank fuck.
She’d needed a bit of good news.
Erickson lapped at her wounds, the feel of his wet tongue sliding along her skin making her gag. He dug his fingers into her flesh, squeezing hard to keep the blood flowing, so consumed with his hunger he was oblivious to everything else.
Fear turned her stomach sour.
There was no more time to stall.
If Logan got any closer, Erickson would kill him if for no reason other than to punish her. Annora lifted up her legs, planting her feet against his chest, doing her best to shove off him.
Only his grip remained unbreakable.
She was too weak, allowed him to take too much blood.
Black spots speckled her vision, and she blinked slowly, struggling to remember the plan.
Dark particles nipped along her skin, setting every nerve ending afire with the urge to kill. As agony pierced her, rational thought returned, along with her determination.
Eyes locked on Logan, she pulled on the afterworld. It licked hungrily at her flesh, slowly healing her. No matter how hard she tried to push it into Erickson, it refused her demand, determined to see to her wounds first.
Just as she was beginning to feel her heart sputter, Sadie appeared next to them with her sword raised. She brought the blade down on Erickson’s arm hard enough to cut through his flesh. The edge became wedged securely into the bone, his enhanced body making him stronger than other shifters.
Annora landed on the ground, barely strong enough to keep herself from collapsing, the breath knocked out of her.
Erickson roared in pain, his huge fangs flashing, and he backhanded Sadie across the face. She sailed a few feet away and landed with a thud, too dazed to move, stuck at Erickson’s mercy.
Annora could do nothing while she watched Erickson yank the blade out of his own arm with a grunt, then swing it toward Sadie.
