Free Unbound by Elle Thorne

looks of it. She was still in the forest, thankfully. For some reason it gave her comfort to know she was still near Woodland Creek. Still near enough for Dane to save her.
    If he comes for me.
    Why would he come, though? He’d have no reason to. Not really, since she’d slunk away like a thief in the night, without as much as a word. Why would he want anything to do with her after her actions?
    Her hands and feet were bound, she was leaning against a tree on soft ground. Soft, except for the rock that was poking in the middle of her ass cheek. It felt more like an arrowhead. She wanted to move. She couldn’t. That wouldn’t do. That’d give away she was not unconscious.
    The four shifters were seated on boulders, talking in low voices. She heard occasional words but they were careful for the most part to keep their voices below the preternatural shifter threshold of hearing. She kept her breathing and pulse even so they wouldn’t notice she’d awakened.
    Of the shifters, she recognized the one named Basil, who’d been with Abel, the one she’d killed. She also recognized the one who’d held the pistol that tranq-ed her. The other two had been with the one that shot her. Were there more of them? Could her ivy take four shifters? She wasn’t convinced she could, especially not if they were going to tranq her again.
    She’d give it her best try though. She pushed her ivy to shift.
    Nothing happened.
    She pushed once more.
    Again, nothing.
    What the hell is going on, she asked her ivy.
    Her ivy had no answer, but she was there.
    Why couldn’t she shift? Was it something in the tranq? Had it ever been used on an ivy shifter? Her guess would have been no, since ivy shifters remained private and did not mingle with other shifters.
    Don’t panic, she instructed herself. Don’t panic.
    The last thing she needed was to freak-out and set her pulse to racing and give herself away to the thugs around the fire.
    What did they want with her? They were clearly the same ones that killed her family. Why were they back? Was there some reason for them to go after her family?
    She heard her name and held her breath to hear what they were saying.
    “… Kill… now…” This came from Basil.
    Grumbling sounds came from another shifter.
    “He said…” a third shifter began, before the rest of his sentence trailed off into indiscernible mumbling.
    “No.” Basil’s voice was loud. “I don’t care what he said. She killed my brother.”
    That explained the resemblance. Abel was Basil’s brother. Too bad she hadn’t killed him too before they’d tranq-ed her.
    She heard the sounds of branches crackling.
    Dane! Who else could it be!
    She lost control of her heart rate as it sped out of control. Dane would help her get free and he’d kill these bastards.
    She reined her pulse in. The sound of footsteps and leaves rustling grew closer.
    But it sounded like more than one person.
    Perhaps Dane had reinforcements.
    Even better.
    The wind blew, blowing scents of shifters her way. She inhaled deeply to pick up Dane’s reassuring scent.
    Except that wasn’t Dane’s. There was one. Male. Unfamiliar.
    And there was another scent. Familiar. Sara?
    Sara was with Dane? Here to save her? No, wait. That wasn’t Dane’s scent. Did Dane send someone out here? Was Dane behind them?
    A form shot forward from behind the trees and bushes then collided into her.
    “Glory. Thank goodness we found you.” Sara hugged Glory.
    “Oh my God, Sara, be careful. There are…” She’d been ready to warn Sara the rover shifters were there and now she’d be in danger when another form stepped out of the shadows.
    Glory had never seen him before but she knew right away who it was from his picture.
    “Perry Moore?”
    His smile was tight-lipped. “Glory.”
    “You’re in danger. You don’t understand.” The words came tumbling out of Glory’s mouth.
    At the same moment, the four shifters walked up, standing next to Perry.
    God, they’re going