Blood Twist (The Erris Coven Series)

7



DEATH





Death chewed each knuckle and tendon, grinding his teeth against the sinew and bone until he could extract the sweet marrow from within each delectable bite. The grease and fluids ran down his chin, pooling onto his crisp white shirt. The twitching body beneath him had long since silenced.

He loved spilling hot crimson over tile flooring. The way the blood collected in the grooves around each square fascinated him. He would wait until it thickened with knotty little clots before running his tongue along the grout, licking it clean.

Closing his eyes, he pretended it was the damphyr beneath him. There was nothing like the blood of a half breed. His pallid skin shivered with the fantasy, sending desire through his torso and down into his groin.

His stomach was full of flesh, blood, and cartilage, but it was his throat that constantly burned for more. Pulling his victim’s other hand to his mouth, his teeth stripped the salty skin from the fingers quickly, getting to the delicate meat underneath.

The damphyr finally called. He had been waiting for him to come as promised. He had been fantasizing about the scenario that would finally bring the two together and joyfully anticipated tasting the boy for twelve long years. His sexual appetite was heightened just thinking of the pleasure to come.

He rocked against the cooling corpse. The hedonistic pressure of his weight rubbing against the stiff body filled him with joy. More blood flowed from his meal’s gaping wounds, running in rivulets down the wan skin.

The moment he had been waiting for was coming. Tipping his head back, his guttural moan reverberated against the walls around him.

Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.





8



LIZ





Liz wasn’t averse to flying, but waking up at the butt crack of dawn wasn’t her favorite thing either. She barely climbed out of bed when Braden knocked lightly on the front door. Fortunately, she had packed the evening before, so when he asked if she was ready to leave, she just yawned and followed him out to his truck.

At the airport, the lines were long and she just wanted to get situated on the plane. Thinking longingly of coffee, she pushed her legs to keep up with the damphyr’s quicker stride. After collecting their tickets and watching her squirm through security, Braden led Liz through the airport’s terminal at a break neck pace. As he moved with purpose, she couldn’t help but notice the tension behind his illuminating blue eyes.

Maybe he’s uptight about the time.

When they arrived at their boarding gate, she was surprised to see the plane was destined for Vancouver, Canada and not Ireland like she had expected. She gave him a questioning glance, but he just proceeded to hand over their boarding passes to the agent who was calling their row to be seated.

Riding in first class was a novel experience. When she mentioned paying for her own airfare the night before, Braden wouldn’t hear of it. She expected to be sitting in the economy section where her knees bumped the seat in front of her, but there was plenty of room to stretch out. Even as tall as Braden was, the damphyr had leg room.

Her joy was complete when the perky flight attendant took her breakfast order and brought her coffee. She didn’t appreciate the goo-goo eyes the bleach blonde was bestowing on Braden, but the coffee was good and made a peaceful bribe.

Wonderful, delicious, hot coffee…

Once in the air, Liz began fidgeting with a nervous excitement. She liked her window seat, but was more interested in what was going on around her. Unsure if it was due to the caffeine she slurped down or the bisque colored rubber eggs, she needed entertainment.

Liz turned to face Braden. He was sitting upright and staring straight ahead with a pensive expression.

“Was there a reason you told your family we were traveling to Ireland instead of Canada?” she blurted. Braden didn’t flinch. “You could have at least mentioned it to me. What if I had a strong hatred against Canadians or was banned from entering the country or something?”

“You could have refused to get on the plane,” he answered simply.

“So, is being cryptic your vampire power or something?”

Braden cocked his head to meet Liz’s gaze. “Do you have to talk so loudly? We aren’t the only passengers on this plane.”

Liz edged her face closer to his. “I really don’t think anyone cares what we are talking about.”

She sat back and studied him, “You know – you aren’t exactly what I expected of a vampire.” She caught his eyebrow go up. “Excuse me, damphyr. You’re a bit on the preppy side.”

Leaning his head back against his seat, he sighed. “I’m sorry to disappoint.”

Liz bit on her lip. Braden wasn’t a disappointment. He was actually…cute. As far as the male species went, he had every physical feature a girl could desire and then some. He was over six feet tall, muscular, and had a handsome face. But more than that, Braden had integrity. She could see it in the way he spoke to others. Not just to his family, but to the airport personnel and to her. It wasn’t a quality she often found in other people. Especially in guys who were naturally big and strong. Somehow, he skipped the big jock ego trip. It was refreshing.

Plus he smells amazing.

She didn’t know if he had discovered the world’s best cologne or if it was natural, but she couldn’t help but notice he smelled really good. Kind of woodsy, kind of like peppermint. Whatever it was, it mixed with his chemistry and she found it alluring.

The flight attendant swooped over him, her ample chest bouncing unnecessarily close to his face as she pretended to adjust his headrest. Liz noticed Braden stiffen as his mouth tightened into a straight line. Instead of gawking, he quickly averted his eyes to Liz’s. His face appeared stripped down, almost vulnerable.

He’s hungry.

Maybe Braden was more of a vampire than she gave him credit for.

After the woman moved on to her next victim, a man in a stylish grey suit in front of them, Braden visibly relaxed.

Liz had learned the night she met him that the coven didn’t drink from humans, only animals. Watching the serious damphyr beside her, she realized for the first time it was a choice.

Liz leaned back over, this time keeping her voice a hushed whisper. “You don’t.”

“Don’t what?” he asked.

“You don’t disappoint,” she said honestly. “You’re just different than I expected.”

He smiled, causing her heartbeat to hasten. “What did you expect?”

She didn’t know whether to look in his eyes or at his perfect mouth. “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I guess someone dark and dangerous.”

Braden’s hand snaked out and caught her wrist. Surprised with how quick he moved, she sat frozen and just watched as he trailed his fingers along the vulnerable flesh of her inner arm. His fingers left a wonderful warming sensation trickling deep into her skin.

“I can be dark and dangerous sometimes,” he whispered, his intense blue eyes holding her in place. The slight huskiness of his voice made her breath catch, but she gently pulled herself free from his hold.

Liz swallowed; completely stunned by the physical reaction she had to his touch. He wasn’t the first attractive guy she had ever been around, but he was the first to make her melt with a single stroke of her skin.

For a moment, she thought he would kiss her. What shocked her more was that she would have let him.

What was it about Irish guys? The only guy she allowed herself to fantasize about was Danny O’Donoghue, the lead singer from The Script. But he was unreachable and safe to have a thing for from a distance. Braden was right beside her and leaving her acutely aware of his presence.

Sitting back in her seat, Liz willed her heart rate to slow down. The damphyr was full of surprises.

As sexy as he was, she had to keep focused. “So, what is the cure?” she asked, breaking the moment. “Is it an actual medicine or more like an herb?”

“I don’t know,” Braden said, sounding suddenly tired. “Someone my father used to know has access to it though.”

Liz’s mind hummed in wonder about Braden’s father. She had noticed while staying in Erris, that his parents were the only ones she hadn’t met.

From snippets of conversation, she had gathered that his mom stayed in the little guest house above Teagan’s folk’s garage despite owning her own sprawling house on the same secluded street as the others. The last one on the left, the place sat empty, although no one would notice walking by. Like the other coven member’s homes, the lawn was lovely and kept perfect.

“Where is your dad anyway,” she asked, twisting a strand of her ink black hair with nimble fingers.

“He passed away when I was six. He left to buy my mother a Christmas gift and never came back. All we knew was that he was supposed to be gone for the weekend.” Braden’s haunted eyes rested on her. For a moment she just stared back, taking in the beauty of his irises framed by thick golden lashes.

“Are you sure he died?” she asked, thinking how her mother also left, but by choice.

“When his life ended, the fate-partner bond he and my mother shared broke. That’s how we knew he passed on.”

Liz glanced away. Braden’s admission was startling. In all of her preconceived notions about his glorious life, she hadn’t considered what would happen if one of the damphyrs died.

If Braden was eighteen, he had been living with this sadness for twelve long years. He would have remembered having his Dad as a part of his life. Liz resented her mother for leaving her as an infant, but at least she didn’t grieve what she never had.

“I’m sorry,” Liz offered softly. “It’s hard growing up without a parent around. My mother left me and my father when I was a baby. Not that I blame her,” she shrugged her shoulders, “the Captain is a tool. But it would have been nice having a mother, especially each time we moved to a different Naval base and I had to start over again in a new place and with a new nanny.”

Braden placed his hand over hers. His touch once again sent disquieting tingles through her. “You aren’t a disappoint either. You’re much sweeter than I expected.”

“Well, sweetness isn’t my strong suit, but after all you’ve done, I figured I’d spare you my usual cantankerous ways. You’ve figured out how to save Lexie’s mom. I can’t thank you enough for that.” As the words came out breathlessly, she tried ignoring the pleasure of his caress.

“I haven’t saved her yet,” he whispered.