Page 116 of Ransomed to the World
“As the heir to the House Daxion, you can claim your seat on the council.” Edgar paused his discussion with the others and glanced over at her. “You’d be well within your rights.”
Annora cringed and shook her head. “I’ll leave that in more capable hands. Valen and the phantoms are more than welcome to the job. Maybe taking over House Daxion will give them equal standing with the council.”
Relief shimmered in Edgar’s blue eyes, and she cradled Prem close, her fears easing at knowing he didn’t want to remain on the island either, her heart full that he gave her the option to choose her own future.
But she already had exactly what she wanted.
Her pack.
The guys had taught her to live without fear, taught her she needed to be brave to get what she wanted.
And taught her the true meaning of love and family.
She couldn’t wait to discover what the rest of the world had in store for them.
Epilogue
Annora stood at the ship’s starboard railing as it pulled into port, the rest of the guys gathered around her. Camden stood at her back, his hands gripping the railing on either side of hers. He bent and kissed the scar on her neck, and she shivered at his nearness, craving to feel his hands run over her body. She snuggled closer with a hum of pleasure.
He was no longer afraid of touching her, even going so far as to seek her out. He was hesitant at times, but she enjoyed learning the new boundaries with him.
He leaned closer, his breath tickling her ear. “Would you do me the honor of having lunch with me?”
Annora lifted her brow and looked at him over her shoulder with a small smile. “A date?”
“A date,” he confirmed, his voice deep and warm.
“Yes.” Her heart leapt with excitement, his nearness making her stomach flutter. “I can’t wait.”
“There’s a crowd,” Xander growled, and the rest of the guys tensed.
Annora whirled to see that there were indeed about twenty or so people waiting on the docks, and she grinned when she easily recognized Loulou standing front and center, the rabbit bouncing with excitement. Lionel dutifully trailed behind her, ensuring she didn’t fall over the edge. And Willa was with them, stuffing her face with food. The witch looked tired, but at home with the wolves at her side.
“We’ll be docking in five minutes.” The captain strolled over to them, stopping next to her, and looked out over at the port. He bobbed up and down with the boat, the wind blowing his hair, tiny lines fanning out from his eyes as he squinted off in the distance. “What will you do now that you’ve survived?”
“I’d like to go back to the university. I have a lot more to learn about the world.” She gave him a wry smile. “It all depends on whether they’ve lifted my suspension.”
“Why am I not surprised to learn that you stir shit up wherever you go?” The captain winked, flashing her an amused grin. “I’ll have to stop by some time and see what trouble we can find.”
He seemed to be asking for permission, and Annora nodded. “I think I would enjoy that.”
A sailor called for him, and the captain rapped his knuckles on the railing. “I look forward to it.”
Logan groaned and put his head in his hands. Prem grabbed the kitsune’s hair to keep himself firmly planted around his neck. The two had been inseparable since she regained consciousness after her injuries, and she giggled at the thought of what antics they were going to get up to next.
“If she keeps on collecting people, we’re going to have hundreds of them following us around like the fucking pied piper,” Logan groused.
Xander grunted and Mason nodded, but no one appeared truly troubled by the idea. As soon as the plank was lowered to the dock, they were the first to depart.
As they walked onto the docks, she spotted Greenwood in the crowd and stopped dead. Even at his age, he was a dapper man, wearing a suit tailored to hug his form. She knew he was probably hundreds of years old, but he looked no more than fifty or sixty. When he spotted her, a big grin split his face. He was the man who took her off the streets and introduced her to the team, and she loved him for it.
“Welcome back!” Greenwood closed the distance between them and crushed her to his chest, his evergreen scent making her realize how much she’d missed him.
Annora hugged him back, then found herself squished when Loulou darted forward and squeezed her from behind.
“Sorry, but I couldn’t wait,” her bunny friend chirped.
Greenwood let out a deep laugh and wrapped them both tight in his arms. Only when he noticed that they were blocking the gangplank did he release them and pull Annora off to the side. The guys and Loulou followed…and practically everyone else on the docks.
