Claimed by Her Demon by Lili Detlev Page A

sounded like the fireplace beside her was crackling, and sconces along the walls were suddenly glowing with flame. A dark shape loomed in front of her. She could only discern that it was big, and seemed to have some kind of cape. As her vision cleared further, she saw luminous green eyes set closely over a snout full of long fangs. And what she’d thought was a cape spread out into a pair of leathery black wings.
    Melinda gasped. Her stomach clenched and roiled, and she tried to squeeze herself into the wall behind her.
    The monster spoke again. “I asked you a question. I do not like repeating myself.”
    She worked her mouth, trying to get a sound out. “Who-what are you?”
    The monster roared.
    Melinda couldn’t help shrieking as she cover her ears. Her body shook so badly that, if she’d been standing upright, she surely would have collapsed. As it was, she was teetering on the edge of passing out.
    “Puny human. How dare you question me? I should flay your skin from your bones and feast on you organs!”
    As quickly as it’d risen up, the fear washed away, replaced instead by indignation that swelled into anger and threatened to explode into rage. Melinda pulled herself upright and stared into those wicked eyes.
    “Are you fucking serious? I mean really? Are you fucking kidding me? If you live here, you know damn well I was brought against my will. If you want to feast on someone’s organs, go hunt down the shitbags that kidnapped me. Hell, I’ll be happy to hold those fuckers down while you gut them. Give me something bigger than the pocketknife lying around her somewhere, and I might even help.”
    She saw the eyes blink, and then the creature roared again, lunging at her. Melinda didn’t even have time to scream. Her throat was grabbed in a crushing grip, her body pushed hard into the wall behind her. She gagged under the force of it.
    The creature snarled, it’s fangs dripping mere inches from her nose. She drew in a gasping breath, trying to push the air down into her lungs. Her head swam again. She clenched her teeth. “Fuck… you,” she hissed. With the last of her strength, she drove her fist up into the creature’s snout. Darkness crept into the edge of her vision as the thing bellowed in response. She waited for the crack of her throat being crushed, or the searing pain of teeth ripping into her. Maybe the claws on those devastating hands would puncture her neck, severing arteries and veins. But before the blackness swamped her, the pressure at her throat released. Melinda exhaled, coughing, and finally took in a lungful of air.
    The creature studied her as she blinked the stars out of her eyes. She tried to focus enough to stare defiantly back. It’s lip curled in a snarl that spread into a wicked smile.
    “Most people in your position would be begging for their lives,” it said. “I can feel you trembling. I can feel your fear. Yet you do not cower. Very curious.”
    She tried to stop her legs from shaking, but it was no use. Melinda sniffed and forced herself to answer. “I was kidnapped. I had a bag thrown over my head; I was tied up and tossed into the trunk of a car. For all I knew, I was going to be raped and murdered. For all I know, I actually was, and now I’m dead. So you tell me: why should I bother cowering?”
    It loosened its hold further; but as it did so, thick chains rattled out of the wall and floor, fastening around her wrists and ankles. The creature stepped back. “I assure you, my lovely, that you are not dead.”
    “Then what are you, and what do you want with me?”
    It didn’t answer. Instead, it walked out to the porch of the house. When it came back in, she recognized her backpack clutched in its claws.
    “While you were freeing yourself from their ropes, I dealt with your kidnappers. I found this in the trunk of their car. You have some interesting things in it.”
    It opened the bag and pulled out her books, her tablet computer, her phone and wallet. He