Zurlo, Michele - Riley [Daughters of Circe 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by Michele Zurlo Page A

buried her face in his shirt. She wasn’t sure whether she was more hurt or angry, but she didn’t like either feeling.
    “He’s going to try to take it back.” Teigh’s hand soothed a path down her spine, but she wasn’t fooled into thinking he was unaffected.
    “Take what back?” Even as she asked the question, the answer presented itself. He wanted her power, a power she didn’t yet possess. She closed her eyes against the truth. “Crap. His demons are back. How is that possible? Torrey killed them.”
    A short, humorless laugh hissed from Teigh’s mouth. “There are hundreds of them. They overwhelmed us, Circe. It was a sneak attack. You woke screaming, having had a vision in your sleep. They killed our girls before we even knew they were on the island.”
    The image of fire and people running in terror caused Riley to close her eyes. That wasn’t how it happened. It had been quiet. She had slept while her daughters and their lovers were murdered. Were there grandchildren? Horror washed through her body, and she shivered. That question would remain unasked.
    “Where was this island? Why did I make Caiden a spirit and Soren a wolf and you…I don’t know what you are.” Riley shivered, and his arms tightened around her. She breathed in his reassuring masculine scent.
    “You did the best you could, baby. It was night and you only had so much power to use. You had to corral our daughters’ souls and tie them to Caiden. Soren went out to watch over their lovers after you disguised them as shape-shifters. You wanted me to be able to liaise between them, to keep everyone together.”
    But he had lost Soren. Too many reincarnations and too much time had passed. Riley didn’t question how her mind was able to fill in these blanks. “All these years, and you never lost faith.”
    He eased her face away from his chest and wiped the wetness from her cheeks. His somber eyes easily penetrated her soul. “Never.”
    Though she expected the kiss, she couldn’t have predicted the way the sweetness would explode into hungry passion. She needed this affirmation of their love even though she didn’t completely remember their relationship. It seemed like she knew more now than she did a few hours ago.
    “It’s the sex.”
    Riley opened her eyes and blinked at Teigh. His lips lingered an inch from hers and she wanted them back. “What?”
    “Your memories are beginning to return. So are your powers.” He grinned as she rose to her tiptoes to try to achieve her mission.
    “Why? I thought we had to wait for the ritual.”
    Teigh shook his head. “The transfer began the moment you first made love with Soren. Each time he’s with you, more and more shifts to you. I gave you most of what I have already. Caiden has also transferred a bit to you.”
    “Then why is this ceremony-ritual thingy so important?” Riley was more than willing to use the rhythm method. Her men were damn good lovers.
    “You’ll need back what the girls have in order to bring Caiden home and defeat those demons.” He gripped her shoulders. “Circe, those are the souls of the men who attacked us. You cursed them and damned them to this existence. Only the most powerful beings can hear them. Soren came by more power than you gave him when he stole it from some of our witch descendants. It was self-defense, but he wasn’t meant to be this powerful. That’s how he can hear them.”
    She nodded solemnly. “We can’t let them destroy our family twice.”
    He sealed his forehead to hers. The thick locks of hair springing from his head blocked the existence of the rest of the world. “No, baby. We can’t.”

Chapter 6

    Riley prowled the rooms in her two-bedroom ranch rental taking stock of exactly what she would leave behind. She harbored no illusions she would have the chance to return to this little house.
    It had come furnished, which meant a lot. It meant she didn’t have to sleep in a sleeping bag until she could purchase a