Page 104 of Ransomed to the World
Edgar shook his head. “No, love, you were already beautiful. This just enhanced what we see every time we look at you.”
She melted against him, a blush stealing into her cheeks. “Charmer.”
“No.” He cupped her shoulders, his gaze possessive as he looked down at her. “I only speak the truth.”
He reached down and tucked her medallion into the heart-shaped bodice. The straps of the dress were just a gauzy fabric that cupped her shoulders, more for looks than to hold the dress up. The gown was a dark purple that clung to her curves, floating around her as she moved.
She touched the bracer on her wrist. It didn’t match the delicate dress, but she’d rather walk naked into the ceremony than remove the bracer.
“Come.” Edgar backed away, a shutter falling over his face, the intimate moment gone. “The guys will want to see you before Daxion comes to collect you.”
She sobered up.
Edgar stood at the door, hand on the knob, waiting for her. She inhaled deeply for courage, then nodded. He opened the door and stepped back. She peeked out, more nervous about her guys seeing her than about being paraded around at the ceremony.
The guys’ opinions were the only ones that mattered to her.
Logan was the first to notice her. He was bouncing a ball against the wall…and missed. The ball smacked him in the face, but he didn’t react at all. “Holy fuck.”
Mason stopped pacing, turned toward her, and froze, his eyes wide, and he swallowed hard. Camden and Xander whirled, both of them stopping dead. Camden was the first to react, coming to stand in front of her, blocking out the others.
“You’re stunning.” His gaze landed on the scar on her neck, seeming pleased by seeing his mark, his bright green eyes practically glowing. “None of them can compare to you.”
She replied with a rueful chuckle. “Now I know you love me…it’s made you blind.”
Instead of laughing with her, he shook his head, dead serious. “Love has made me see more clearly.”
Her heart melted. Seeing her speechless, he grinned and stood aside. Xander quickly cut in line when Mason and Logan began to jockey for place. He studied every inch of her, his gaze like a heated caress, his fists clenched at his sides. “He’s right—you’re gorgeous.” He leaned forward with a growl. “And I can’t fucking wait to put my own mark on you.”
“Do it.” Annora wasn’t ashamed of her mates.
“Soon.” He breathed heavily in response to her invitation, then reached into his duster and pulled out a large white feather. He meticulously wove it into her hair, then stood back and nodded, satisfied with the addition.
Logan darted around Mason, catching her around the waist and spinning them around the room. She stumbled at first, then relaxed in his arms and followed him trustingly, her dress swirling around them. “You look sexy all dolled up, but I must confess that I love it when you wear jeans too. And I like it best when you wear nothing at all,” he murmured close to her ear, his voice husky.
He stopped spinning them until she was just standing in his arms. “You’re going to knock them dead. Literally. If they touch you, kill them. For me.” He flashed her a fierce smile, his teeth a little sharper than normal.
She gave him a quick kiss on the lips and nodded.
He stepped back, his strides stiff, as if it hurt to send her off without protection.
“I’ll make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.” Mason spoke at her side, and she turned to look up at him. His troll was riding him hard, his shoulders bulked up, his face fierce, his features more exaggerated.
And she adored both sides of him.
“Thank you!” She gave his forearm a quick squeeze.
His gaze dropped to her bracer, and his hair perked up and began to weave back and forth. “I want to run away with you so no one else can see your beauty. They’ll want to take it for their own.”
Annora smiled up at him, not concerned in the least. “They’ll find out fast that some beauty can be deadly. I have teeth and claws, and I’m not afraid to use them if anyone tries to take what’s mine.”
He gave a huff of laughter, then pulled her close. “You will come back to me.”
It was an order.
The rest of the guys gathered around close. Camden stopped in front of her, then tipped her face up, his expression unforgiving. “We’ll be watching you the whole time. If you run into any trouble, just let us know, and we’ll get you out.”
They would run straight into danger for her.
