Page 74 of Demons of Eden

“Ash!” I scold, quickly glancing nervously at my brother, his husband, and my parents, worried they’ll attack him.

My mother raises her hands, looking ready to do just that, but I move to his side. “I need him! Unless you have thought of a different way to feed my vitav? Plus, I told you all already, he isn’t a danger to any of us.”

“I can tell by the horrified looks on your faces that you haven’t,” Ash remarks, looking way too smug.

“Let me through already,” Rio growls, and the fire in his eyes makes my heart race. “Or I’ll destroy this stupid barrier.”

“Rio,” I gasp, eyes wide. “My parents and brother won’t hurt me.”

“Don’t care, Eden.” Rio’s jaw is tense, and he clenches his fists beside him.

“Are you alright?” Daion asks but keeps himself back by a few inches. He looks concerned, but he’s the most relaxed of the hunters.Could he pass through the barrier as easily as Ash did?

Torrin looks murderous. I’ve never seen him so aggressive and distraught. His eyes are fixed on me, a storm cloud brewing in his stony stare. I guess my getting kidnapped twice in such a short span of time has gotten to them all.

“Of course I am. This ismy family.My parents would never hurt me.” I’m trying to reassure them, but they really don’t seem convinced.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” my usually very sweetly spoken mother hisses. She raises her hands, murmuring a few words, and the barrier comes down so the guys can all step through.

They immediately start on some temporary warding spells to keep demons out, not taking any chances, even if it won’t be as secure as the extensive protection they have set up at their place.

Well, Torrin and Daion start on it. Rio charges right at me.

“Stop. Disappearing. Away. From. Me.” He practically growls as he pulls me into his arms and firmly against his chest. My arms wrap back around him instinctively. “Stop fucking scaring me. Stop getting taken from us. I will handcuff you to me, you little demon.”

“I…wait. Little demon?” I question, pulling out of his hold to glare up at him.What the hell sort of nickname is that?I can’t help but think he’s getting revenge for all of the nicknames I’ve had for him since we met. Though, at least half of those had only been in my head.

“Be careful, Eden. He might bend you over his knee one day,” Torrin says quietly with a wink as he passes me, heading over to greet my family. Who are thankfullyjustout of earshot of that comment.

The laughter coming from the shifter who married my brother sayshewasn’t, though.

“What?” I squeak.

“If you keep getting taken, I will cuff you to me. I promise,” Rio vows, and then in a shocking move that renders me utterly speechless, he bites my neck. Hard. In a way that feels so good I shiver. It takes me several long seconds to process what he’s done. Then, he just releases his hold on me, casually walking off to join Daion and Torrin in greeting my family.

What. The. Fuck.

Ash takes my hand, a sly smirk on his lips like he’s about to say something, and knowing my luck, it’ll probably be embarrassing for me.

“Not one word from you,” I grumble before he can open his mouth. “And don’t think I missed that you could have spared the three of them the stress of smacking down the barrier. Mr. It-doesn’t-work-on-demons.”

Despite my threat, Ash leans down and whispers in my ear, “Wasn’t it worth it to see their reactions, though, little witch?”

CHAPTER THIRTY

I’m sweating. Almost every inch of my body feels constricted, and I gasp as I try to fling my blankets off my legs. It feels like I’m trapped in a furnace; it’s so damn hot. I struggle harder, trying to break free from my scorching prison.

“Ow. What the hell…? Ow, fuck,”a sleep-roughened voice grumbles as I kick my legs about. I relax slightly as some awareness returns to my brain at the sound. The restriction to my body is only another person lying mostly on top of me, thankfully avoiding pressure on my belly at least. That makes sense. It’s still too hot, though. I sigh, silently vowing to free us from the blankets trapping all the heat in…as soon as I can find the willpower to do it, anyway.

“Aim for less valuable assets, Hellfire,” Rio complains sleepily a moment later.

I snort at his joke, immediately going to crack one back, when the oddity of the situation hits me like a brick and my mouth snaps shut.

Rio is in my bed. Not only is he in my bed, he’s coiled himself around me like a damn boa constrictor! I renew my wiggling, this time with a new goal in mind. After a few more moments, I finally manage to twist myself around into a better position. Iflick my fingers in the direction of the bedside lamp, switching it on with a silent command of my magic. The dim lighting illuminates the space just enough to see Rio’s face. He’s staring at me with a grumpy look of indignation for having been woken up.

“What are you doing here?” I question, almost immediately breaking off into a yawn. Damn it. It’s too early for this…or too late. I actually have no idea what the time is. One of the spells worked into the windows blocks out natural light with a press of your fingertip. With no sun to tell me, it could be two in the morning or seven. I’ve been waking up so tired recently that it’s truly impossible to tell.

“The others are out strengthening the barriers and painting sigils all over the property while your brother frowns at them for ruining his ‘homely country aesthetic’, as he put it.” He snorts, then adds, “That putsmeon Eden protection duty.”

---