Page 45 of Ransomed to the World
He took a few steps, then paused by a crack in the wall. He tapped the chipped surface that was near her shoulder. “See these markings?”
Markings?
Annora squinted and leaned closer to get a better look, brushing her fingertips against the cold stone and feeling the tiny ridges. “You mean the scratches?”
“Exactly.” Mason smiled down at her. “The half circle means dead end, while a full circle means it’s a passage. Slanted lines mean elevation, either an increase or a decrease depending on which way they’re turned. Wavy lines mean water.”
“That’s amazing!” Annora smiled up at him. “Were these tunnels here before the trolls?”
Camden raised his torch and widened his stance. “I’m sorry, but we need to keep moving. We have to pass through the mountain and put distance between us before the witches realize we’re gone.”
Mason nodded, the animation leaving his face as the task of getting them to safety settled back onto his broad shoulders. He turned and began to follow the path again, and she sighed.
Until he spoke again.
“Yes, most of the tunnels were here before us. We mapped them out, then expanded them as needed.” He dipped down to fit under a small arch, his voice fading as he went, and she didn’t want him to stop.
“How?” She reached out and touched the walls. They weren’t smoothed out by machines, but rough and jagged in spots. She passed under the arch without having to duck, once again amazed by the sheer size of him.
To her, he was just…Mason.
The troll smirked at her over his shoulder, then stooped and picked up a rock. Xander gave an amused quirk of his eyebrows, then stood back so she could see.
“With a lot of blood and sweat.” Mason held a rock the size of a basketball. Without even blinking, he crushed it in his fists. It practically exploded under the pressure. Rock chips rained down. He tipped over his hand and dropped the crumbs, then ran his palm down his shirt to brush away the dust.
He did it without even flinching.
“Some might think trolls are big, dumb beasts. While our size makes it difficult to kill us, our survival instincts are sharper than most.” He shot her a wink, turning back to the task before Camden could order him to keep pushing forward.
Annora couldn’t stop her frown. “You’re not dumb. You’re one of the smartest people I know.”
Mason cast her a startled look over his shoulder, his pink hair perking up, a slight blush on his cheeks, and her chest warmed to see the pleasure that sparked in his purple eyes.
Silence fell among them, and a familiar itch built once more under her skin as her nightmares began to stir. The shadows began to dance again. She reached forward, grabbing the belt of Xander’s duster and squeezed her eyes shut.
The warmth of him seeped into her gradually, relaxing her a smidge, but not enough to keep her imagination at bay. She stumbled over stones and rocks, barely resisting the urge to growl. “Someone talk to me.”
Then Logan was there, running his hand up and down her spine soothingly, shuffling closer until she was practically sandwiched between the two men. Her breath hitched, and her body hummed in recognition of her mates.
They both calmed her and excited her at the same time.
Logan’s chin brushed her shoulder, and he whispered in her ear. “What do you want to know, Annora?”
Everything.
She barely held back her instinctual reply. Though she knew the basics about the guys, she was desperate to know more. Unfortunately, now was not the time.
“Explain pack grá to me.” If she was supposed to protect them, she needed to understand how it all worked.
Logan retreated, and she reluctantly fell back into line. Silence reigned for a few moments, and she reached forward to poke Xander.
He stiffened, catching her hand, then nibbled at the tips of her fingers, brushing them against his lips, and her heart thundered in her chest. “I’m sorry, but I’ve never met one before you.”
Annora glanced at each of the guys, and they shook their heads.
Well, shit.
“None of us come from very good backgrounds,” Camden commented, his voice devoid of emotions. “We’ve only heard about them, but they haven’t existed in our packs for decades.”
