Demon Day by Penelope Fletcher (best novels in english .TXT) 📕

allI’ve been through speaking my mind is better than lying down anddying.” My frustration bubbled over and had a familiar tide ofstupid rising in me and had me blurting, “You shouldn’t give up,the right to hope for a better future, I mean. You tell Conall howhard it is to keep your people safe, but it’s a problem everyonehas, not just you. If you give up your enemies win. Your territorywill be invaded and your Pride obliterated. Is that what you want?I am sure your daughters are waiting for you, hoping their Alpha isgetting ready to save them. If they saw you now they would beashamed.”

The older man seemed to suck in enoughair to fill the lungs of three men. His chest expanded, and hiseyes changed shape. They glowed. “So be it, little fairy. You willhelp me get my daughters back and I will help you track down yourrogue lord.”

I blinked. Then my face creased inpanic as I held my palms up. “Wait–”

“This fire in my belly wasof your making. You best prove you are as fierce as your wordswould have me believe.”

I shot a look at Conall who bobbed hishead. Breandan was exasperated, but he too inclined his head givinghis support.

It seemed simple. Save theshifter-girls from the Temple and return them to their Pride. Icould see no major downside to this deal. It would win us the besttrackers nature had to provide. Devlin would be mine and I wouldhave my revenge.

“Agreed,” I said moreconfidently than I felt.

“A fairy’s word is law,” heannounced satisfied. “You will help me get my girls back homesafely, I feel it.”

Grimacing, I thought now was not thetime to mention I still had some wiggle room on that particularrule of magic.

“And now to deal with theblood spilled,” Byron continued. “I understand why you have come soclose. Do you know that unlike my Pack mates I can partially shift?Will you still do what you came to?”

Meaning was I aware that if he – agreat hulk of a man – wanted to, he could turn his meaty hand intoa paw, and scratch half my face off in one swipe? Yeah, I was alltoo aware of that and hoped that these shifters were politelyignoring the stench of my fear no doubt radiating off me in waves.In answer, I took a deep breath, and stepped forward.

“Your Pack Brother tried tomark me.” I said. A surge of anger rumbled down the bond, and acouple of rapid breaths helped to calm my nature’s instantresponse. I lifted my head back to expose my throat to Byron. Thegesture was simultaneously submissive and defiant. “I have beentaught shifters are master trackers. No other being, human or demoncan match you. I can prove my life was in danger. Your Brothertried to suffocate me and take my innocence. If you don’t believethe bruises, which hurt like hell – thanks for asking – believewhat your own senses tell you.”

Byron did not waste any time. Hewrapped his large hands around my upper arms and yanked me forward.He buried his nose in my hair, sniffed down my neck. Then, insteadof bending down to smell my thigh where the shifter had straddledme, he simply lifted me up high above his head, and sniffed thespot.

Satisfied, he carefully set me downand stepped away.

“The male’s scent lingers,”he announced loudly in a voice that brooked no rebuttal. What foolwould try to defy a proclamation from their Alpha anyway?Squirming, I felt in need of a hot bath. “From the marks on herbody he tried to take what was not his. Attacked her from behindwhich is not behavior worthy of a Pack Brother. The fairy istelling the truth. It was a fair kill.”

I exhaled.

“But it was not hisplace.”

I spun round. Seriously, there was afool dumb enough to take it there? Sabine, whom I was fastrecognizing as troublemaker, piped up again. “Their laws are notour laws. You will let these demons from outside the Pack flauntthemselves and dishonor our way?”

A grumble of agreement rumbled fromthe watching Pack. Pressure, even I felt it. These people were hispeople and if they were unhappy, the Alpha must listen.

Byron nodded, if somewhatreluctantly.

“But you know Breandan wasonly trying to protect me,” I said, frustrated with their narrowmindedness. “I belong to him of course he would react thatway.”

I struggled to think of another way tosalvage this situation. I needed these shifters to help me trackDevlin, and so there had to be a way to resolve this. I did notwant Breandan and Conall to start killing them for that wouldachieve nothing, and we would be back where we started. And I wasstarting to like it on the Pride.

“That is true, so I havemade my decision. The fairy Breandan, shall fight a champion chosenby the fallen ones kin.”

I started. “Uh, that’s it?” If Byronwanted Breandan to kill another of his Pack that was fine byme.

“You look happy,” the Alphasaid to me, cocking his bushy eyebrow.

I shrugged. “Your loss, notmine.”

“Oh?” He looked at me withpity when he called over his shoulder. “Sabine, I relinquish myright as Saul’s Alpha to name the champion. This burden falls toyou. Which male do you pick to champion your father?”

The skinny girl marched forward andgrinned wickedly. “Alec,” she said loudly. “I choose Alec our Omegaas my champion.”

“What?” I blurted,incredulous.

A thundering roar of the Packhollering Alec’s name barely registered in my mind.

I turned and darted back to where he,Conall and Breandan stood. They seemed calm, as if they hadexpected this.

Alec sent me a weary look and spun onhis heel. As he walked his body twitched then he fell to his knees.I turned away, no longer in anyway curious to see him Change, butas is with all gruesome things I couldn’t help but keep turninguntil I faced him again to watch.

Face contorted in pain, Alec bowed,convulsed once then his spine cracked and a long length of bonejutted forth. Skin wrapped around the new appendage as a thick anddark sweep of hair sprung from the new pores. His hands thickened,wicked sharp claws snapped out, and his head whipped back. A feralsnarl tore from this throat as