Page 47 of Hunted By Her Demon Wolves

Her gaze shot to Cadmus. “No.” Tension coiled around her spine at the mention of her mother. “My sister and her mates pardoned her.”

His top lip pulled back in a snarl. “Why in flames would they do that?”

“Because that demon is my mother,” she spat.

“Your mother?” His head snapped back as if she’d slapped him. “No. You were created by Elria when we asked her for a mate.”

“That’s how I came to be?” Daeva and Hecate had never told her that. She felt a stab of betrayal. She’d asked them to tell her everything about her past life. Why had they hidden that secret from her? And what a big secret it was!

“Tell me, do you know what happened to our mother?”

“She is well.” Of course, he was concerned about his mother, but she was still mulling over her creation. Had she been some sort of Frankenstein’s bride, pieced together for her shifter mates? She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

“Well? She survived?” His eyes widened. “I could’ve sworn she’d been obliterated by the Vindictus, but my memories of the attack are still hazy.”

“She was, but she was resurrected and lives as an Amaroki healer.” Though they didn’t have official confirmation Eilea was the resurrection of Elria, Phoenix was sure of it. She didn’t want to tell him that Eilea had rejected her demon past and refused to come to hell or offer them any help. No use in upsetting him.

A slow smile split his face in two. “Her spells worked.”

“What spells?”

“She put them on all of us.” He jabbed his chest with a thumb. “They ensured we’d someday be resurrected if we were ever obliterated.”

“Your mother is very smart.”

“She is.” He turned his gaze to his brother, who had finally straightened with a groan, wiping salt water from his lips. “If only Aunt Hecate would’ve listened to her and fortified the city. Our mother can sense when evil is brewing.”

“I’m sure your aunt has learned her lesson.”

“A harsh lesson to learn, one that we all suffered for.” He stared blankly at his brother. “Tell me about your resurrection, your Amaroki parents.”

“When I was resurrected, I was born to the demon djinn, Jezebeth. She mated with an Amaroki pack to make me.”

He shook his head, snickering. “Mother or not, they should’ve fed her to the beast.”

Fire shot through her blood. “Good thing it’s not your decision.”

He gave her a quizzical look. “Are you angry with me?”

Boy, his skull was thick. How could he not understand that an insult to her mother was an insult to her? If anyone was to talk badly about her mother, it would be her, not a stranger. “You’re speaking about my mother. Yes, I know she’s an evil, selfish demon, but she’s still my mother.”

“I’m sorry,” he relented, dragging a hand down his face. “I’m having a hard time with this reincarnated Bennu.”

“I can tell,” she huffed. Then she nudged him hard when she noticed Tigress and Damon were engaged in a staredown, and if they didn’t act soon, Tigress could be the zombie’s next meal.

Cadmus jumped to his feet, manifesting a blast of wind so powerful, she could see the narrow shape of it, like water shooting from a fire hose, as it picked up salt crystals on its path and hit Damon’s chest.

The zombie flew into the river with a howl, then sank like a stone under the fast current.

“Damon!” she cried, racing toward the river.

When a large black wolf ran past her and dove into the water, it took her a moment to realize Cadmus was that wolf. The zombie and wolf grappled in the water, howling as they floated away.

Phoenix was barely aware of Tigress calling after her as she ran along the water’s edge, the embankment a soft wall of salt that broke apart into the river behind her. One misstep and she knew she’d slide into the water, too. She screamed when the river dipped and turned and then disappeared into a cavern, Cadmus and Damon still grappling, slashing each other open like two rabid eagles soaring through the sky.

She had no choice but to dive in after them, gasping huge gulps of warm salt water while fighting to tread the slide from hell. She caught glimpses of light through the coral tunnel walls that sparkled like diamonds and could see enough ahead to know they were about to be dumped into an underground lake.

She landed hard, going under for several moments. The water got much colder, much darker the further she sank down, and she stared into what appeared to be a bottomless, black pit with dozens of pairs of glowing green and yellow eyes blinking up at her. She felt as if she was sinking into an infinity of depression and despair. Thin tendrils of icy water wrapped around her ankles, pulling her deeper, deeper, into the well of sorrow as the sounds of splashing and growling above her faded into the distance. What was happening?

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