Free A Cursed Embrace (WG 2) by Cecy Robson Page A

made me tougher. “Do demons drink blood?”
    “As they consume flesh and organs, yes, but they would have left bite marks.”
    The image of the woman’s body hit me like a sack of rocks. She’d been gnawed on by her babies. Okay. I was officially done with my questions then.
    The wolves and I whirled around, growling at the sound of approaching steps. “It’s just us,” Koda snarled from the front. Our not-so-happy feelings and the aroma of mutilated-demon-consumed body parts had peeved his wolf. And he’d yet to get a gander at the bodies. Good times.
    “Keep the girls there,” Gemini ordered. “We’ll come to you.”
    That was Taran’s cue to storm out of the house of decomposing corpses. I chased after her, more out of worry than anything. The presence of the four wolves eased my tigress’s fury, but not her vigilance. And every sense I possessed told me my sister needed me. “Don’t go outside without us,” Koda warned.
    Taran did anyway, followed by Emme and Shayna. Taran didn’t stop until she reached the center of the path. She bent forward, placing her hands on her knees as she took in huge gulps of air. The air continued to carry the heavy scent of death, but paled in comparison to the bowels of the mill. Shayna knelt in front of her, her blue eyes wide as she took in Taran’s pallor. “Dude. Are you okay?”
    Taran’s glare knocked Shayna back on her butt. “No, dude . I’m not okay. Fighting evil is horseshit!”
    Emme covered her mouth and glanced over her shoulder. She probably worried Taran’s oh-so-accurate description would offend the wolves. They’d all returned indoors with the exception of Gemini’s furry half. He sat on the porch, his coal eyes bright as he watched over us. Shayna stood and dusted off. I placed my hand on Emme’s elbow and nudged her forward. “There are a few dead bodies inside. Try healing Taran’s emotions; it was a lot for her to take in.” Hell, it was a lot for me to take in. But bless my tigress’s heart, she had a way of helping me through pain, and in this case, revulsion. My urge to bolt and shriek lessened with each passing breath. Still, that didn’t mean I desired to hang with the wolves within the confines of the mill.
    Emme cautiously stepped forward. She continued to watch me as she placed her palms on Taran’s back. “A few dead bodies?”
    I nodded. Shayna veered toward the porch, fast enough to make her long black ponytail whip behind her. “Koda probably won’t let me see.” Her grimace trained on Taran. “Not that I really want to. How many were there, Ceel?”
    “Four men drained of blood and a young woman . . . naked with her uterus torn open.”
    Emme’s pale yellow light receded from her hands as she took in my words. Her power sputtered as she took a breath. She closed her lids tight. “D-d-did you say her uterus was torn open?”
    Taran dropped her head lower. “She’d given birth, Emme. To twin demons. They freaking ate their way out of her belly.”
    Shayna unzipped her blue jacket and alternated fanning each side out like a cape. Her fingers skimmed over the hilts of the eight daggers fastened around her leather belt. Shayna often counted her weapons to soothe her. Or in this case, to make sure she had enough to kill whatever could burst a stomach open like a rotten tomato. “Um. Uh. Did you kill—you know—the twins?”
    I only told them because I wanted them to stay sharp. “No. We didn’t find them yet.”
    Once more she counted her weapons. This time, she unsnapped the holsters keeping them in place for easy access. “So, what do you want to do about dinner?” she asked with an underlying tone of hysteria to her voice.
    Taran homed in on her like a hawk on a band of bunnies with broken legs. “I’m seriously trying not to puke all over my new shoes. Do you really think I want to talk food right now, Shayna?”
    I stepped in front of Shayna. If Taran had the ability to shoot laser beams from her eyes,