Page 51 of Ransomed to the World
“What the fuck is wrong with her?” Xander roared, grabbing the back of Logan’s shirt to haul him off.
Edgar ignored the tussle and crouched next to her, tipping her head to the side to inspect the bite. There were two small puncture wounds. A trail of clear liquid wept from the wound, tinged red where it mixed with a drop or two of her blood, and he refrained from touching it. While she might be immune to poisons, he certainly was not.
“Wait! I want to know where she heard the word manwich.” Logan resisted Xander’s pull, and Edgar hated to admit, even to himself, that he was curious as well.
Heat tinged her cheeks, a blush that he found charming. She busied herself by looking anywhere but at them, plucking at a tear in Camden’s shirt. “Uh…” She shrugged one shoulder, and the combination of curiosity and innocence had him swallowing hard. “Girl talk.”
Mason, Logan, and Xander all looked at each other, then spoke as one. “Loulou.”
None of them looked comfortable about knowing the two girls had been discussing their sex lives.
Annora pouted, her bottom lip pushed out, and Edgar barely resisted the urge to nip at it. If she ever tried to seduce him, he’d be in big trouble. He’d been holding back, giving her time to get comfortable with him again.
They might be mates, but he wanted more from her.
He wanted her love.
He grabbed his self-restraint in a white-knuckled grip, then tipped up her chin and angled her face so he could see it better. Her huge brown eyes latched onto him, joy making them sparkle, and she gave him a big, dopey smile that made his insides soften.
A smile she usually reserved for the other guys
His heart thumped painfully with regret for hurting her and losing that closeness.
“Edgar!” She grasped his wrists, then trailed her fingers down his arm, the touch so delicate that gooseflesh erupted all over his body. She leaned against his hand, as if seeking more, and he couldn’t stop his thumb from brushing along her jaw, the need to touch her irresistible.
Phantoms weren’t touchy-feely like shifters. They had rigid rules to follow, and even bumping into someone could have severe consequences. The only exception was combat training for the soldiers and breeding rights when a woman came of age.
Any public displays of affection were something only the lower class were permitted. They didn’t have the same restrictions, since their powers weren’t as strong, which was why they were considered the lower class.
Every kid indulged, but the older they got, the more restrictions were placed on them. Virginity wasn’t a prize. Everything relied on bloodlines.
Edgar never understood why some phantoms rebelled against the rules…until he met Annora. From the first moment he saw her, his palms itched to touch her, wanting to see if her skin was as soft as he imagined.
He shoved away his raging hormones and allowed the darkness she loved so much to come to the surface. It surged out of him, called to her simply by her nearness. She had an affinity for the afterworld that scared him. He’d never seen anything like it.
The dark smoke splashed gently against her face, seeping into her skin, and he closed his eyes, following the path, seeking out any injuries or sickness.
And found nothing.
He scanned again, digging deeper, pushing harder, only relaxing when her few bruises smoothed away. The poison burned through her system, not destroying, but melting away, leaving her with the aftereffects.
He pulled back with a silent chuckle.
“She’s drunk.” The darkness faded away, the tension leaving him so suddenly, he nearly landed on his ass. “She’ll be fine in a few hours.”
The rest of the guys gaped at him, baffled for a full minute, then Logan snickered. “I know what to do next.”
The kid crawled forward, dislodging Edgar’s hand, and he backed away to give Logan room. The kitsune lifted his palm up—and the temperature dropped, snow beginning to fall around them.
Annora gasped in delight, her eyes round with wonder. Logan tipped his head back, catching a snowflake on his tongue, and his heart flipped over when Annora mimicked him with a little giggle.
Edgar never expected to find his mate or be forced to share her with anyone else, much less an entire pack. He was a possessive asshole, but watching her with them, he felt none of the jealousy he expected. She needed them,allof them, to survive, and that made it easier to accept the others.
Logan pulled Annora to her feet, then spun her around in a circle until she was laughing, her head thrown back as the snow fell thicker and thicker. Prem danced around them, throwing himself on his back in the snow and rolling around in it. A moment later, Logan reached down and formed one snowball after another, pelting the little critter until he disappeared under a pile of snow.
Annora gasped, but Prem just dug himself out and stalked to her side with a stiff stride, chittering at her like mad. She nodded, lifting her head to find her prey, her look promising retribution as she collected her own ball of snow, and the fight began in earnest.
Edgar had never seen her so carefree, and his heart warmed at knowing her past hadn’t destroyed her.
