Page 76 of Hunted By Her Demon Wolves

He bent over her, narrowing his eye. “Hello, there. Do you know me?”

When she jerked back, looking at him with distrust, he knew he’d have to act quickly. He pulled that amethyst out of his pocket, stringing it around her neck like a noose. Clutching her jaw with a bruising grip, he whispered a binding spell, and she hissed when the necklace fused onto her skin, burning an imprint onto her collarbone. The only way to get it off would be to cut it away with a blade. Then he shoved her onto her side and used ropes of dark magic to bind her wrists.

When he released her, she snapped at him like a wolf, though she did not shift. She could not shift with the amethyst attached to her.

His lips pulled back in a snarl. “Now you can’t use your magic on me, pretty witch.”

She snapped at him again, her bark of rage sounding too human.

He made a face of disgust when he smelled the filth still in her hair. “We’ll get you cleaned up,” he grumbled. “You smell like your lecher dogs.”

Leaving her on the floor, he went to a cell, releasing two of the winged volucri. They flew out with terrified squeals, though they didn’t get far with the heavy balls and chains that dragged behind them.

He nodded toward the girl. “Bring her into your cell and bathe her there.”

They shared frightened looks before lurching for the girl, dragging her back to their filthy cell. This was a ritual they had performed before on other unfortunate demons that had stumbled into Gorgo’s lair. He preferred his meals clean before he feasted.

They got to work, filling buckets of water from a nearby pump and dumping them into a wooden tub along with crude bars of soap and sea sponges. He relished her screams when they dumped her in the soapy water. He turned up his chin when she snarled and glared at him. Let her stew in her misery. She deserved it for being so difficult to catch.

He wrapped his talons around the cell bars, his nails clanking against the rusty metal. “You should savor this bath, pretty witch,” he purred. “For when you’re finished, I will enjoy stripping the flesh from your bones.”

The rich color drained from her face, and her eyes widened before she sank beneath the water. He snapped his fingers at the volucri. “Don’t let her drown, or you will take her place.”

They yanked her back above the water and furiously scrubbed her clean.

Licking his lips, he savored her cries, his shriveled member twitching in response. Ahh, he was going to have so much fun torturing her.

* * *

DAMON HAD NEVER KNOWNsuch knee weakening relief as the moment Tan’yi’nug landed and his beautiful mother disembarked along with his cousins. There was another witch with them that he didn’t recognize, but her scent was familiar. He knew she was a witch because she reeked of magic. Phoenix’s mother?

Cadmus stood beside him, mouth agape, and then they were both stumbling toward their mother.

He threw his arms around her. “Mother!” She smelled just like he remembered, of lavender, and also mint, which meant she was using celaris magic to conceal them.

“Damon!” She let out a wail, holding them both close to her chest. “Cadmus!”

He held her tight, mindful not to crush her. “You’re here.”

“I am.” She pulled back, looking them over with a frown, smoothing her fingers over his chapped lips and healing them in an instant.

She stepped back and let out a whistle. His cousins, Horatiu and Lucian, were there, wrapping them in robes. He didn’t know what to say to his cousins. Last he’d seen them, they’d beat the crap out of him and imprisoned his mother in her temple. Damon smoothed his dirt-crusted claws down the fine fabric. He remembered once when he’d been a prince he’d worn such luxurious clothes, but that had been ages ago. Right now, he didn’t feel deserving of them, even if the cool material soothed his dry and scarred hide.

“Keep an eye out for threats,” his mother said to his cousins.

They obediently nodded and shifted into wolves, creeping toward the top of the dune before disappearing on the other side.

Damon gave his brother a look.They won’t be able to see the entrance.

But they will smell the lechers,Cadmus answered.They will know to keep hidden.

“Where’s my daughter?”

That other witch stood behind their mother, looking over her shoulder with brows drawn and lips twisted in a scowl. Tan’yi’nug hovered behind the witch, mistrust in his eyes as he glared down at her like a cat waiting for a mouse to leave its hole.

He swallowed back his emotion, looking to Cadmus first. His brother hung his head, and Damon could feel the shame radiating off him. Though it wasn’t Cadmus’s fault, he knew his beta brother would never forgive himself for losing her.

“You’re Jezebeth?” he asked her. Though she was pretty and looked more human than demon, he knew she had to be his mate’s mother.

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