Free Blood Twist (The Erris Coven Series) by Bonnie Wheeler

ready to explode.  Imagine what she could do if she was one of us? ”
    Liz batted Riley’s touch from her skin. “ I’ll pass.”
    “Well,” he whispered, “maybe I can change your mind.” Bending forward, he kisse d her temple . His cold lips left behind an odd awareness on her skin . “After all, I hear no claim s that you ’ r e fated to my brother.”
    “Thanks , but I love having a pulse too much for that. L et’s hurry this up. ” Pull ing away, she pretended his suggestion didn’t bother her. How could he tell she wasn’t bound to Braden ? Lexie and Torin had and they were the same age. It was possible .
    Accept Braden deserves someone amazing…someone sweet and lovable without baggage like me.
    Feeling claustrophobic , Liz wanted to get Riley’s little show over so she could get back on a pl ane to the states. Only hours before she was dis appointed they weren’t going to Ireland. Now she thought even Canada was too far away.
    As far as the vampire’s invitation to turn her, Liz hoped he wasn’t serious. If so, he needed a reality check. She was no Bella Swann and Riley sure in hell was no Edward Cullen.
    I’ll pass, thank you very much.
    Riley’s eyebrows went up, “Right this way.”
    Entering a large room , Liz swallowed the dry lump in her throat . As much as she could pretend she wasn’t scared, her beating heart and parched mouth showed otherwise.
    The source of glowing red light came from five small heaters dotting the floor. Huddled around them were human forms . With tangled limbs, it was hard to tell where one draugr ended and an other began . Some were dressed, others were not. Some stared at her with thick black eyes , others looked right t hrough her as if she wasn’t even there.
    It’s the dining room .
    The realization made her stomach turn. A stack of chairs ran across the back wall, blocki ng the swinging doors that lead to a commercial kitchen.  Three tables were shoved in front of the only outside exit. The picture w indows were now blackened with thick paint.
    A room that once allowed visiting families a place to share a meal was now home to a little more than twenty demons. Some of them loo ked human, like Riley, but most did not. They lacked a quality that was hard to define . W hat remained was chilling.
    Unsettling were the piles of clothing, shoes, and accessories that littered the hardwood flooring. As she glanced a round, it was clear the items were remnants of other lives. Scattered about were wa llets, Blackberries, eyeglasses, l ittle things that someone would have in their pocket, backpack, or tool chest.
    How many victims stopped by here to check on the state of disrepairs and never came out ?
    Liz noticed tw o males wedged between a laughing female just to the left of the doorway . N one of them wore cloth es . Viewing them felt strangely intrusive, like she was walking in on a private moment. They appeared agitated, but not because of Liz and Braden . With spines arched and teeth bared, they pulled on the female pinned between them . The eyes of the woman were as black as night. Hallow and gazing off to an unknown dist ance, Liz wondered if she even fe l t them fighting over her.
    “Everyone, t his is my brother and his companion . They aren’t to be touched.” A guttural hiss erupted from a few spots in the room, but Riley didn’t seem concerned.
    Liz tucked herself under Braden’s arm, his warm body her only life line on reality. The way the creatures huddled together in filth and on the floor, reminded her of a National Geographic special . Their behavior was animalistic and base – lacking any humanity. Braden’s people in Erris were a family. There was no comparison.
    Strix came in from behind , carrying a sack over his shoulder. If she saw him on the street, she would assume he was about to go do laundry, until she realized there was movement in the bag.
    Nothin g was as it appeared. The creatures could pass as human on the surface , but not if