by Heather Long
SUCCUBUS BLESSED
SHACKLED SOULS 3
HEATHER LONG
CONTENTS
Paranormal Prison Collection
Succubus Blessed
Author’s Note
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Epilogue
Afterword
Taste of Karma Sneak Peek
About Heather Long
Also by Heather Long
Copyright © 2020 by Heather Long
Cover by Christian Bentulan
Editing: Bookish Dreams Editing
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
To everyone who always asks, the answer is yes.
This is totally about you.
Welcome to Nightmare Penitentiary
Siren Condemned by C.R. Jane and Mila Young
Delinquent Demons by K. Webster
Conveniently Convicted by Raven Kennedy & Ivy Asher
Noir Reformatory by Lexi C. Foss & Jennifer Thorn
Blindly Indicted by Katie May
Wraith Captive by Lacey Carter Andersen
Stolen Song by Autumn Reed & Ripley Proserpina
Prison Princess by CoraLee June & Rebecca Royce
Succubus Chained by Heather Long
Siren Sacrificed by C.R. Jane & Mila Young
Succubus Unchained by Heather Long
SUCCUBUS BLESSED
SHACKLED SOULS BOOK 3
There might be something to this new life of mine.
Being mated to Maddox and bonded to Alfred isn’t so bad. Rogue is stealing his way into my heart and Fin already had part of it. If I were to be totally honest, I think they’ve all taken pieces of my soul.
Choosing them was the scariest thing I’d ever done, until now.
Someone has stolen my dragon and my druid. They’re locked in the last place I’d ever want to see again.
But I’ll do it.
I’ll walk right into the belly of the beast, confront the warden and anyone else who gets in my way.
Yeah, sounds a lot braver than I am. But they wouldn’t leave me there and I won’t leave them.
Even if Rogue and Alfred forbade me from going.
Pfft.
What’s the worst that could happen?
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Sometimes, I don’t know what to say. Funny when I’m the author, right? Except, here, this is very true. Almost a year ago, I was invited to participate in a collection of paranormal prison stories along with a few other authors. Initially, I wasn’t sure what I would do. Then I remembered a blurb I’d written like five or six years ago.
True story, I can’t write a book without having a title and blurb for it. Even if I ultimately end up changing them, I need to have them beforehand so I can make space for them on my mental bookshelf. I also need the blurb to intrigue me so I want to write it, a lot like how blurbs invite us as readers to want to read the book.
But I digress.
The thing was, I had this blurb I’d written years earlier, but never used. Oddly, I had the heroine and the villains pretty nailed down, but nothing else. Literally twenty minutes after I was invited to the project, Fiona’s guys crystalized for me.
Yep, I’d had Fiona in my head for years, but never her whole story or where she was going. But from the moment Fin, Maddox, Rogue, and Alfred appeared, I had it.
When I started writing, Fiona was so loud and maybe a little obnoxious. All right, no maybe about it, but damn I love her. I don’t think I’ll ever have another character as brassy, bold, snarky, and without an ounce of self-preservation. Her journey has taken her from prison to transition to anger to running away to coming back and fighting and somewhere along the way she fell in love.
It’s not a feeling a succubus is terrifically comfortable with, but then, she’s not really a succubus anymore. She’s changed and this has very much been her story.
Now that we dive into this third and final book, I worried it would be bittersweet and I would not want to let her go.
But just like she came into my world, she’s leaving it the same way: on her terms.
Thanks for coming on this trip with us. Now buckle up, because like Fiona says, here she comes.
CHAPTER 1
“I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.” - Alexander the Great
What the hell made him so great, anyway? Dude died when he was like thirty-something and not even in battle. Nope, he died from a disease. Or maybe someone poisoned him. Be kind of sad if he died by poison…well, for him anyway. Points to the poisoner, because you couldn’t beat the asshole in a battle. Sneaky fuck for the win.
As it was, I stood outside the gates to Nightmare Penitentiary. Of all the gin joints in all the world… “Here I fucking am,” I called. “Open sesame.”
Nothing happened. Because of course it didn’t. The locations to access the penitentiary moved. Or so said all of Alfred’s sources. Rogue and he had discussed this at length. Fin had tracked it before. Fin had cracked it like an egg. Fin had been the one to send him the coordinates when he asked for his help.
Unsurprisingly, the entrance was not where it had been when they ‘rescued’ me. Not that I recalled much of the actual location. Rogue had been too busy racing me out of there for me to see much more than a puke-worthy blur.
Foot tapping, I eyed the alleyway. Of all the places for the prison entrance to be, a little used footpath in the center of a London park was not where I would have put it. First of all, it was a pain in the ass to even get in the country—okay, it wasn’t that bad. But according to ‘sources’—and I used that term loosely because no one was talking so much as Alfred and Rogue had to tear it out of them—they had sped up how often the entrance moved.
There was no guarantee it would be here…
I kicked an empty can, and it flew down the damp, dark alley, then bounced off something and came flying back at me.
First, I forgot how much force there was in my kicks. Second, fucking yes because there was something there. I dodged the aluminum projectile and danced forward, hands extended. It was one thing to hit the field with a can, it was another to crush my face into it.
When my palms encountered it, there was a buzzing sensation that radiated all the way down to my bones and up into my teeth. Fucking bizarre feeling. But it didn’t hurt. Magic was so bizarre. Okay, I’d called in a few favors—ha, they thought they were the only ones with friends—but the witches I consulted told me three things.
One, no one could find the penitentiary and I was fucking nuts to even consider it. Well, no shit, but I was looking anyway.
Two, the prison was designed to keep creatures in, not out. Side note, did you know I qualified as a “creature” now? Check that out. So, it was designed to keep me in, not out. Since I needed to get “in,” that worked for me. Besides, I was supposed to be in there, right? Inmate?
Ex-inm
ate.
Escaped prisoner?
Whatever.
Three, and the final little thing worth mentioning, people who voluntarily go in have more options for getting out. It was part of the magic of the place. I hadn’t been there as a volunteer before, but I was all about it now.
Because on the other side of that field was my dragon and my druid. I wanted them back, dammit. I didn’t tell anyone they could take them.
I applied some pressure to the field, and it seemed to stiffen under my touch. Huh. I knocked, and the air hardened to wood. Retreating a step, I studied it. There was nothing discernibly different. I mean, other than me doing a damn mime impression. I was still standing in this filthy, smelly little alley with the distinct odors of rotting food perfuming the trash and the damp, moldy kind of mildew that stone got.
What? It stunk back here.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I sucked in a deep, smelly breath and then gagged.
Fuck that.
New plan.
I held my breath.
Better.
The more force I applied, the more resistance I met.
“You will not go after them,” Alfred ordered me. “Do I make myself clear?”
“The words ‘fuck’ and ‘you’ come to mind,” I responded. “I can’t leave them there.”
“Little sváss, I know you’re worried. But they will be fine. If I know them, and I do, they will free themselves.”
Rogue’s words helped.
For three days.
Then the dreams grew darker and bloodier.
By day five, I was crawling the walls and Alfred locked me in my fucking room.
Day seven, I was out and on my way. I paused only long enough to let the bones in my legs heal—kinda no choice there—and to steal a phone.
Fun fact, I could survive a sixty-foot drop and do a superhero landing.
Not such a fun fact, I broke both of my shins doing it.
Sexy? Yes.
Fun? Not so much.
I half-expected Rogue or Alfred to swoop in and drag me back inside, but I healed within an hour—yay—and was on my way an hour after that.
The speed thing was going to take some getting used to. I slammed into one tree and broke it. I hit another, and it nearly broke me.
Baby steps, I supposed.
But… I eyed the alley again, still not breathing. So far so good. I didn’t want to pass out, and the smell wasn’t making me wish I was dead.
It had taken me three days to make my way to London. At the moment, it was nearing a month since I’d seen them at all. Too damn long in my opinion. Even thinking about how long it had been distracted me.
Shaking it off, I focused as I squinted down the alley. I eased forward a step, and the resistance pressed back against me. But it stretched.
Oh, so it wanted foreplay.
I could do that.
I rolled my body forward, not stepping so much as sliding, and the field flexed and the view of the alley warped as I eased forward with agonizing slowness, step by step. But the field stretched with me, elongating the alley, and I had to fight the urge to shove or rush.
Seriously, I possessed patience. Alfred was so full of shit on that. I’d waited days, despite his ordering me to stay put.
Oh, I kinda wished I could have been a fly on the wall when he discovered that no, he couldn’t compel me. I hadn’t made that shit up when I said I wasn’t worried about what my maker could or couldn’t do. They’d tried to order me around. So had that dick Isaac.
Guess what?
I really did have an obedience issue and problem with authority.
So suck it Alfred.
The tiniest bit of guilt niggled at me. I’d left them a note. But they had to know I couldn’t leave Maddox and Fin here. Yes, Alfred needed to protect me. It was violently sweet in a kind of psychotic way. Angelic way.
Psycho-angelic?
Yeah, I liked that.
Rogue? He definitely wanted to protect me, and I loved them both for it.
That thought froze me mid-step, and I just sort of stood there as the field was all kinds of warped around me.
I loved them.
I loved all four of them.
I loved them so much it hurt.
Huh.
The field popped with enough force, it was worse than the pressure of a plane on ascent or descent. Fucking ow.
I clapped my hands over my ears as the gates to Nightmare suddenly loomed above me. The darkened metal and twisted stone a thing right out of a…well, a nightmare.
Triumph slid between the cracks of dread those gates inspired, and I ran a hand over the front of the coat I was wearing. Lowering my hands, I took a tentative breath and some of my lightheadedness passed. Apparently, I could really hold my breath a long time.
Cool.
The air smelled more of mossy rocks and forests. There was a hint of something long-closed away. Kind of like sawdust and disuse, but it was hard to pinpoint. The path wound between huge boulders and led right up to the gates themselves, which might as well have been affixed into the side of a mountain.
I craned my head back. No might as well about it. It was definitely on the side of the mountain.
Okay, that would almost be neat, but I wasn’t here to sightsee.
I half-expected the guards to rush out and grab me, but guess what? It was deader than a doornail out here. No birds. Barely any sunlight. It had been dark back in London, but we were definitely not in England anymore.
Another breath, and I rolled my shoulders back.
Apparently, I had to do everything myself. They weren’t even going to capture me and drag me inside.
How damn inconsiderate of them.
Marching up to the gates, I glanced around for their version of a doorbell. If I had to actually break into the prison itself, I was going to report them all to the management.
Rolling my head from side to side, I gave a little shudder and shook off all the apprehension. The sudden influx of nerves wouldn’t help anyone. And I had to find Maddox and Fin. I needed them more than I needed my next breath.
The moment I thought of them, the tug was unmistakable. Maddox was inside those gates. I closed my eyes—don’t look at me like that, no this is not the best place, but I still needed to check—and the sense of him pulled me forward almost unerringly. I could find him in the dark without even trying.
I could follow that pull to the other side of the world if I had to.
I may never have asked to be a vampire or their mate, but…they were mine, dammit. I wasn’t giving them up.
Ahh, Beautiful. You have no idea how glad I am to hear that.
Tears flooded my eyes as I jerked them open. But all I saw were the gates. Dammit.
Go back, Fiona. Yes? Go back for us and let Rogue or Alfred come. Or better yet, just wait for us. We’ll get out of here sooner or later.
Are you insane? I demanded. Seriously. I did not just jump out of windows, climb down a mountain, break every single nail I had, and figure out how to compel some schmuck so I could get clothes to cross a continent to get to London—where, I might add, I wouldn’t have found if several witches didn’t owe me a lot of favors—so I could just leave you here.
I love you, too.
The declaration took a lot of wind out of my temper. But it didn’t change facts.
I’m not leaving without you.
He didn’t growl at me, but he did go quiet for so long, my heart squeezed.
All right. This is a terrible idea.
I’m very good at terrible ideas.
Yes, you are…
I could almost hear him grumbling, even as his eyes flashed with amusement. As much as he might complain… You like it when I’m contrary.
Yes, Beautiful, I do. I have from the very beginning. You’re perfect just the way you are. Are you sure I can’t persuade you to turn back?
I won’t leave without you. I couldn’t. The very thought was like a gaping hole in
my chest. No, not only could I not leave, I wouldn’t.
Beautiful, I plan to hold you to that for the rest of our unnaturally long and decadent lives.
Yeah?
I almost grinned, despite standing in front of these grim and gruesome gates.
Yes. I have a great many bad things I want to do to you.
And some good things, too, I hope. Because Alfred and Rogue are probably going to spank me until I can’t stand, queen or not.
His mental laughter suffused me with such warmth.
I’ll be sure to bring a balm for your rosy cheeks.
Ass.
But I was still grinning.
Deal.
Now, let’s get you inside and that means…
Even as he filtered his ideas through, I could almost taste his weariness. He hid it beneath a veneer of cheerfulness and play. The flintiness in his voice though couldn’t quite disguise the pain. Another reason I wouldn’t leave him.
I wouldn’t leave either of them.
Okay, so…I needed to make some noise. Gripping the metal gates in my hands, I began to shake them with all the force I could muster.
The metal actually screamed in protest, and metal shavings rained down on me. Magic suffused these gates, but thankfully, it didn’t burn like those shackles Maddox slapped on me day one.
Hell, I’d almost forgotten about them.
I paused a second, and the sudden silence was almost jarring.
“Seriously?” I yelled. “What do I have to do to get a fucking guard out here? Hello! Dorran!” I slammed a fist against the gate and then yanked. The metal shrieked as it split, and I tore off a whole bar.
Oops.
A soft mental chuckle stroked against my senses. Just figuring out how strong you are?
Shut up. I broke a damn nail and my shins jumping out a window. If I’d known I could have punched my way out of the door, I’d have done that.
We’ll teach you, Beautiful. Though in all honesty, I think we’ve all been waiting to see what you could do.
Yeah, I guessed they had. I gripped the gates and pulled, bending the metal as it screamed, and the magic buzzed like so many bees stinging at my skin, but it rolled off me more like a nuisance than a real irritation.