Page 30 of Hunted By Her Demon Wolves

She discarded the pouch. Where had her crystal gone? Had the demon cat stolen it? Or perhaps she’d dropped it when she’d landed, and the jorogumo had taken it. Panic iced her limbs. That meant the jorogumo would bring her crystal to Gorgo. A crystal in the evil demon’s hands meant he could terrorize every dimension!

She stumbled back, clutching Amarok’s claw, when one of the zombies lurched for her, his arm making a violentsnapwith the movement.

Before she could call on her magic, gray smoke poured from her hand as if of its own volition, surrounding them in a thick haze. Despite the haze, Phoenix could still see clearly. The zombie wolves cried out, waving their hands in front of them as if they’d been blinded. She looked in the direction Tigress had run, but the demon cat was gone. Another wave of dizziness, either from the fall or the sweltering heat, washed over her, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to run far. Her best bet would be to hide; she didn’t think the clumsy zombie wolves would be able to climb into the hole without snapping their necks. As quietly as she could, she crawled back into the hole behind her and slid down the tunnel, falling on her bottom with a wince.

How long would that gray magic last and where had it come from? She looked down at Amarok’s claw, whisps of gray pooling at the tip. Eilea had said the claw was for protection. Could it summon masking magic at will? Perhaps the claw was more than just a worthless relic.

She threw off her jacket, flattening it beneath her palms, just in case the crystal had cut a hole through the pockets and wedged somewhere else. She jumped back when a sickening thump, followed by several clacks, rattled her bones. She gasped when one of the zombie wolves rolled right in front of her, sprawled out on the slate floor with a groan. She squeezed the claw and gray smoke filled the air again.

The zombie rolled on the floor like a turtle flipped on its shell, moaning while struggling to get up. Phoenix swallowed back dust and grit and summoned the courage to approach him. What if he could be saved? Would her magic be strong enough? Even though she was terrified of the creature, she knew she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try. She reached for his ankle, gasping when his skin fell away, revealing a porous bone.

The zombie cried out, trying to shake her off as she held on tighter and summoned her healing magic. Sparks flew off her hand, encompassing his leg. He moaned louder and kicked harder, but she refused to let go as her magic flowed through her like a fire hose dousing a burning building. She held tight even when he snarled and snapped those sharp teeth. When the magic lit him up like a falling comet, he lashed out again, that massive maw grazing her knuckles. She screamed in agony when he tore open her skin. Then the white light shot out of the claw she held in her other hand, hitting his face like a laser beam. He fell back, flopping on the ground like a fish out of water.

When the light finally subsided, she was exhausted beyond belief and her knuckles burned as if she’d stuck her hand in the fire, but the pain was worth it, because the zombie wolf was gone, and in his place was a naked demon with silvery skin, shorn, dark hair, and dark tattoos swirling over his arms and chest.

A beta, instinct told her, for he was slightly taller than average height with narrow hips and wiry, lean muscles.

Cadmus. Cad for short.

She couldn’t look away from his beautiful naked body, drinking in the sight of his impressive appendage like a woman dying of thirst, and he was a tall glass of water.

She gasped, sitting back on her heels when his eyes flew open. Her heart beat a thunderstorm in her ears as she watched with bated breath, waiting.

Your mate. Your mate!

He blinked at the ceiling for a long moment, his skin shining like diamonds even in the cave’s low light. His legs twitched, then stretched out and flexed, muscles waking from slumber. Then he stretched his arms, flexing his fingers as if he was squeezing clay in his hands. Finally, he dragged a hand down his face with a groan.

When the demon finally sat up on his elbows, and their eyes locked, all coherent thoughts flew from her mind. He was absolutely beautiful, with long, thick lashes, sweeping brows, high cheekbones, and full, kissable lips.

He looked at her a long moment, awareness slowly dawning in his dazzling golden eyes. “Bennu?” he rasped, referring to her by her demon name from her past life. She wondered if he knew what had happened to her, if he remembered what had happened to him and his brothers. They had a lot of catching up, though she feared he wouldn’t believe her wild tales.

Unable to speak, Phoenix clutched her throat, her exhaustion and burning knuckles just an afterthought as she felt inexplicably drawn to this demon.

Cadmus. Your mate.

Against all odds, she’d found him, and she’d saved him. Unable to contain her smile, she scooted close enough that their knees touched.

“Yes,” she whispered, her throat raw, fatigue slurring her words, “but I go by Phoenix now.”

He gave her a funny look. “Phoenix?”

“Long story.” She reached for him, longing to touch him, though an awkward unease made her clench her hand into a fist. “Tell me what happened to you.”

“I-I don’t know,” he said on a sigh. “I feel as if I’ve been living in a waking dream.”

“Do you remember anything at all?” she pressed.

He leaned into her, and she pulled back her knee when she felt a spark between them. She silently cursed herself. For over a year she’d longed to be reunited with her mates, and now she was acting like a pre-pubescent girl with her first crush. But in her defense, this crush was totally naked, his demon windsock on full display.

“I remember your wicked smile.” He reached for her, tracing her jaw with a clawed finger. “The way you’d scrape your claws down my back when we made love.”

“Oh.” The breath expelled from her lungs as she had a sudden vision of him on top of her, his hips gyrating in fast, bruising strokes while she clawed at his back. A strange feeling twisted low in her belly. Instinct told her this was lust, but how could she be turned on at a time like this? She forced herself to put all thoughts of animalistic sex from her mind. But what else were they supposed to talk about? Oh, yes. “Do you remember how you got here?” she blurted.

“No.” He arched away from her and looked around the room. “Where is here?”

“You’re in the second dimension of hell.”

His eyes widened. “And my brothers?”

---