Page 90 of Hunted By Her Demon Wolves

Phoenix didn’t know what to say when Tor took her in his arms.

He brushed a strand of hair out of her face, his fatherly love reflected in his glossy eyes. “It seemed just yesterday you were still a girl playing with your rabbits and dolls.”

She laughed at that, though she didn’t know why it was funny. He was right. She’d been a child not long ago. Now she was a resurrected ancient witch with four demon mates.

He squeezed her shoulders, his brows pinching. “I still don’t like the idea of leaving you in hell, but you’re a young woman now, capable of forging your own path.”

She swallowed hard. Was he finally letting her go? For so many months she’d longed for this, but now she was feeling melancholy for the simpler life she left behind. “I am.”

Tor gave her shoulders one more squeeze before handing her over to Helius. “Protect her.”

“With our souls,” Helius said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

Though she hardly knew him, she felt at home in her mate’s embrace.

“We’ll see you soon, Mother.” Damon jutted a foot forward, looking as if he might chase after her. “We hope we can see our little brothers and sister, too.”

Phoenix could tell by his wobbly smile that it was taking all his willpower not to fall apart.

Eilea grimaced. “I’ll have to work on their fathers on that. I’m not sure they’ll forgive me for leaving, much less let me take their children to hell.”

“I have a message for your mates.” Drakkon let out a low rumble, like a bear waking from hibernation too soon.

Eilea’s jaw dropped. “What?”

“If they don’t treat you like the goddess you are, I will claw my way out of hell and personally curse them.”

Eilea threw back her head and laughed. “I don’t think that will win them over. They’re very stubborn.” She gave him a knowing look. “Especially the alphas.”

“If they fail to understand how special you are,” Hecate said, “and how much your family in hell loves you, then they don’t deserve you.”

Her statement was followed by an awkward silence as all eyes turned to Eilea, watching and waiting for her response to the sister who’d betrayed her.

“Thank you,” Eilea said, the words sounding stiff. Obviously, there was still tension between them. Phoenix hoped it wouldn’t take another three thousand years for them to make up.

“Phoenix, could you do something for me?” Eilea asked her.

“Anything,” she said, feeling honored that her mother-in-law would ask a favor from her.

“Tell Tan’yi’nug I’m sorry”—she paused, expelling a long breath—“and that I’ll return to him as soon as I’m able.”

She swallowed back a knot of dread at the thought of telling Tan’yi’nug his queen had left him. Her dragon wasn’t going to be happy. Phoenix hoped he didn’t take it out on her. After experiencing it once already, she wasn’t fond of having the skin melted off her bones, but she would do it for Eilea. “I will.”

She smiled wryly. “And remind him that I can’t return unless he helps you find the crystal.”

“He’ll help us,” Cadmus said. “He’ll do anything for you. We all would.”

She cupped Cadmus’s cheek, motherly warmth radiating from her gaze. “I don’t deserve such sweet sons.”

Amara took Eilea’s hand. “Are you ready?”

She swiped tears from her eyes. “No, but I’ve been gone long enough.” She draped an arm across her chest. “If I don’t nurse soon, I think I’ll explode.”

Eilea turned to go with Amara when Hecate lunged for her sister, snatching her hand. “Weren’t you going to say goodbye, sister?”

Eilea nodded toward Amara, who still held her other hand. “I’m out of time.”

Tears welled up in Hecate’s eyes. “But I have so much to say to you, so much to atone for.”

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