Free Unbound by Elle Thorne Page B

business about royalty though? She’d have to ask someone — but who? She had no friends in the ivy shifter world. “Does Mary know about this?”
    Sara frowned. “Not yet. Perry doesn’t want to make it public yet. Don’t worry, Glory, Perry won’t let them kill you.”
    Sure he won’t.
    “Why kill me? Why not just have it annulled?” Glory flexed her hands, hoping to release the binds. “And what makes you think we’re royalty?”
    “That’s not how it works,” Perry scoffed.
    Sara scratched her head. “Didn’t your parents tell you? Before your father’s father was exiled, your family was next in line to rule the Irish ivies.”
    Has she lost her mind?
    Glory thought of all the stories her mother used to tell her about a young prince whose father had lost the crown. Bedtime stories, when she and her sister were young. Was there a measure of truth in her stories? She always stopped telling them when their father would come in to kiss them goodnight.
    That can’t be.
    And yet, it looked like it was.
    “Then I don’t understand, if my father’s father was exiled… how is it that…” Her head ached from the effects of the tranq. Putting her thoughts together was difficult. She didn’t seem to be able to draw a line between two points.
    “Your father’s family was reinstated back to power. And you’re the only heir.”
    B ehind Perry two of the shifters began to cough. He gave them a dirty look. “What’s your problem?”
    The two shifters glanced at each other.
    “Nothing. Sorry,” one said.
    And yet the shifters didn’t look apologetic.
    “So if I’m…” Glory didn’t want to use the word dead. “So if I am not around, my nearest relative…”
    Perry nodded and indicated Sara with a flip of his wrist.
    “He’s using you,” Glory warned Sara.
    “No he’s not. He’s not using me, are you?”
    “Of course not, dearest.” Perry put his arm around Sara. “Let’s get you away from this damp forest. I can’t have my lovely bride catching a cold.” He gave the shifters a pointed glance. “Take care of her,” indicating Glory with a nod.
    He turned away from Glory and guided Sara into the woods.
    “Surely you’re not okay with this!” Glory yelled toward Sara’s departing back.
    Her shifter hearing picked up Sara’s question. “You’re not going to let them kill Glory, right?”
    “Right.” Perry glanced back at Glory then looked at the shifters once more.
    Glory was certain Sara couldn’t see Perry’s eye roll.

13
    B asil approached Glory , a menacing look on his face, features drawn down in a scowl, yellow teeth bared. His badger was very definitely beginning to make an appearance.
    “You killed Abel. You’ll pay.”
    “It’s not like you planned to let me live, anyway.” Glory fidgeted with the binds fighting to release herself, calling for her ivy to come forward, but to no avail.
    Her ivy remained absent.
    Was it the tranq that had rendered her unable to shift?
    “We can’t let Basil have all the fun,” the shifter called Morton said. “Come on, Bill.”
    Bill let out a laugh that reminded Glory of a hyena. His eyes traveled over Glory in a way that made shivers run over her spine. She couldn’t hide the shudder that racked her body.
    Catching her response, Bill released his scavenger giggle again. “Aw, don’t worry little ivy shifter, we won’t hurt you.” He winked. “Too much. How do you like the way that tranq takes your shifting abilities away? Did the same thing to your sister.”
    Fury plunged Glory into an abyss of anger. “Let me loose, you bastard.” She had no idea what she could do to them without her shifter powers, but she’d try to kill them with her bare human hands for hurting her family.”
    More of Bill’s laughter, then the other shifters joined in his mirth.
    A roar shook the forest, silencing the laughing thuggish shifters.
    Glory’s pulse began a beat, synchronizing to another heartbeat nearby, one she was familiar with.