Blood Twist (The Erris Coven Series) (17 page)

There was still a touch of hurt in her voice. It was there, beneath the
surface. Liz sank against him;
her body fit so perfectly against his. He needed her to hear it – the truth, how he felt.

“I didn’t know she was a shifter. When she kissed me, I thought I was kissing you.”

“She’s a shifter,” Liz repeated, the information sinking in. Suddenly, her
head popped up and her eyes met
his. “
You thought we were kissing? 
In your bed?”

Braden nodded
guiltily
, not sure how to ex
plain. Still holding her to him
, he hoped she wouldn’t pull away.

A sheepish grin crossed her face as she snuggled closer. “Did you want us to be kissing in your bed?”

Every cell in his body was in overdrive just because he was near her, and she had to ask that? Pressing his lips against the top of her head, he mumbled, “Hell yeah.”

“Then
what are you waiting for? Kiss me.
”
Beckoning him closer, she tilted her chin.

He could feel her pulse under her skin. Racing and warm, it mimicked
his own
. Bending forward, his lips brushed her, tentatively at first, before his need took over, and he couldn’t hold back. With her body against his, h
e drank in the taste of
her
.
Every cell sang with energy as his mou
th moved against hers
. The inside of her lips were sweet, sweeter than he could imagine.

“I hate to break up your cuddle time, but we need to jam,” Riley said rolling his eyes. “As long as there is
no more cutesy talk, you can ri
d
e
with us.”

Braden looked at his brother. For the first time since their arrival in Canada, he didn’t want to tear his throat out.

“Speaking of talks, you and I still need to have one,” Braden said, setting the record.

Tossing
the keys in the air, and
catching them
again
,
Riley wagged his eyebrows
. “Night’s young, brother.
Wouldn’t miss it.”

1
9

L
I
Z

Back at the rest home, the draugar were fully awake when
the Porsche
pulled into the parking area
.
As soon as they disembarked from the car, hoots and screeches from the doorway and rooftop signaled
to those inside they
return
ed
.

Despite a few of the demons sitting in the darkened corridor, like the n
ight before, they m
ainly huddled in the
former dining room. Tonight the floor plan
was laid out different. The kerosene heaters were in full force, but rather in spots around the room, they were lit in a straight line and running down the length of the great room. Parallel to the heaters were rectangular folding tables with dozens of
chairs
.
Someone had taken the assortment of clothes and gadgets that littered the floor, and swept them to one side.

Shivering at the strange setting
, Liz clung tight to Braden’s side
.
After seeing them so at ease the night before, t
he arrangement
was
weird
and although she didn’t understand the draugar intentions, her brain warned for her to be on the alert.
As Liz and Braden
stepped further into
the room – it was Riley’s
sig
nal to halt that first told Liz
it wasn’t just her active
imagination. S
omething was wrong.

“Riley,” Garrick’s voice boomed from his usual spot in the alcove. “You did not inform me you were taking our guests out.”

A
s Liz scanned the leader’s make
shift throne, she noticed something different.
Maze was
n’t sitting on his
lap
,
instead, she was laying on the floor, curled into a ball, unwilling to make eye contact.

Braden’s broth
er stood perfectly still. After
a moment’s hesitation, he spoke, “It was agreed that Braden and his female were mine to do as I see fit. They are off limits to all others.”

Garrick slid to the edge of the table an
d hopped down. Standing tall
, any of the warmth he e
xhibited the night before was clearly missing
.
With three long strides, he reached them.
“Are you challenging me?”

“No, but
I
…”

“Are you challenging me?” Garrick repeated
. With his face only inches from Riley, the blackness of his eyes were terrifying. “Think wise before you answer boy. I haven’t ruled this nest for sixteen years being a push over.”

Not giving Riley a chance to answer, Garrick turned away, facing the draugar that stared up from their se
ats. “Why the somber looks? Tonight is for celebrating
.
Fe
ed and fuck – do what we do best
.
” Striding to the end of the table, he grabbed a chair, yanking it back. Whipping his head around, he glared at Braden and Liz. His eyes were pure black now, not a shred of color remained. “Sit down!”

Edging forward, her legs felt as heavy as cement.
Liz clung to B
raden. His body was her lifeline, anchoring her to real
ity.

We should have left
when we had a chance. Why did I insist we stay?

Braden was like a stone beside her, ready
t
o defend if anyone dared ge
t aggressive
.
With his hand locked in hers, he gave a gentle squeeze.

It’s okay. He’s okay.
We’ll leave and never return.

Riley stayed on their heels, unwilling to let them wander fro
m his reach. His fingers remained on
the back of her shoulder, l
etting her
know he wouldn’t forsake them
.

She wanted to run, wanted to scream – anything at all to get the hell out of the room. After fumbling with the chair, she sat down next to Braden. Riley stayed standing
, just at her back.
Strix cam
e through the kitchen’s double doors
. Shaking his head apologeticall
y, he set a box on the table before backing
away.

“Since my damphyr guest doesn’t feel man enough to drink from humans like the rest of us, I’ve arran
ged for something more accustomed to his palate
,” Garrick hissed. Grabbing the
box, he whipped it over to where
Braden sat.
Reaching in, the draugr pulled out a mewling cat.
Skinny with short yellow hair, t
he creature hissed and twisted,
trying to escape
. Thrusting it in Braden’s fac
e, Garrick glared down at him
. “Eat,” he commanded. “Eat!”

Braden refused to budge. Tilting his chin towards Liz, she could see
the
tension
behind
his
expression.

“No?”
Garrick leaned down, his teeth fully extended into sharpened knives.
“So maybe your tastes are a little more manly than that.
Maybe you have balls after all?
”

“Let Liz leave and I’ll be happy to show you,” Braden said coolly.
Refusing to submit, h
is tone was as sharp as Garrick’s – and just as lethal.

Garrick straightened;
a mean smile toyed at the edge of his lips. “Well, sweet Liz can’t
go anywhere Braden. This is a
wedding banq
uet, what would it be without my
bride?”

Braden lurched up in his chair, but Garrick anticipated the move and grabbed him from behind in a headlock.

“You’re not going to touch her,” Braden said, gasping for air.

“Why ever not?
You had my woman in your bed, now I get to have yours in mine.” Garrick strained to hold him still. With a nod of his head, two other vampires
clambered
over.
As they
seized Braden’s
arms behind his back, Garrick was able to let go.
“Kind of a tit for tat if you ask me.”

“Maze
pretended
to be Liz,”
Braden
countered
.
“I would never have allowed her
in my room.”
His eyes fell
on Liz
, still tortured about
what happened
.

Panicked, she wanted to help but didn’t know how. “It’s true,” she said, struggling to find her voice. “I walked in
on
them. It’s not what you think.”

Garrick whipped his head around
at her, “Well aren’t you brazen.
So, I’m wrong? I don’t know my own female? Or are you saying you don’t want to be my bride?
”

A
muttered curse from Riley told Liz
she wasn’t helping Braden’s cause.
As Garrick’s cruel eyes bu
rrowed into her
, s
he bit back a curt refusal.

“Well, if there is no rejection, then you better go get ready.” Turning
back
to Braden, Garrick spit in his face. “Throw him in the cell. I can’t have him leaving before the festivities begin.”

As the vampires dragged Braden out of the room, Liz tried in vain to follow.
Scrambling after him, she wa
s blocked by one of the draugr
guarding the door.

Liz’s head was spinning. For the first time since the whole mess
started, she feared they might
die
.

Sinking to her knees on th
e cold, hard floor, she cried
Braden’s name
over and over
until Riley
scooped her in his arms and carried her up
the back
stairs
. 

20

BRADEN

Braden opened his eyes. Pain lanced through his head
and his mouth was as dry as parchment
. Touching his left temple, the inky remains of blood stuck to his hair.

He stared around him. He was in a small room, completely free from outside li
ght. A narrow
counter ran ar
ound the perimeter with a
sink on the back wall.
The seat he was in reclined, but it was as hard as a rock. Bump
ing his elbow on the arm rest, he quickly understood. When Sunnydale Rest Home
was operational, administration kept the space
available for visiting dentists. From the sounds of the creatures behind the door, he understood its new purpose.

It was a cell.

Outside the door, he heard a familiar voice arguing with the two beings that threw him in there. From what he could hear, Strix wanted entrance but the others were telling him to go eat ra
ts. Finally, after offering to dispose of the remains of their
next
kill, they unlocked the door, allowing him in.

B
r
ade
n stood as slowly as
he could possibly get away with. His head was still dizzy, but even now, he could feel
the flesh knitting itself together
. The old vampire didn’t look as though he came to fight, but Braden didn’t expect Garrick to have a change in heart about his presence
,
either.

Strix stood before him. Hunched over, the vampire must ha
ve been pushing sixty when sir
ed. “I brought you food,” he said, clutching a bag in one hand.

Braden’s jaw clenched. The thought of the cat from upstairs made him sick. He was a hunter, not a psychopath who killed people’s pets.

“I eat animals, t
oo,” Strix explained, holding the sack out in front of him like a box of pizza. “I’ve never fared well with humans. Like your brother, I’ve found ways to exist without killing the innocents.” Pushing the bag forward, he said, “Eat, eat. You need strength. You
want to save your woman
, right?”