Wicked Webs

by CoraLee June

  I have a job for you, Miss Coven.

  His words from earlier echoed in my head.

  I knew it was going to be dangerous. As soon as he made me test my lure on him, I knew that whatever job he had planned wasn’t going to be easy or innocent. Right before I was dismissed, he told me that I would receive the details for my mission after I met with his team of women to get groomed. Those were his words. As if I were a dog to be primped and showcased.

  Belvini didn’t need to spell it out for me. I had a pretty good idea of what he was going to make me do, and the thought had me freaking the fuck out.

  I dunked my head under the water again, letting out a scream beneath the water. Crow’s and Tomb’s faces swirled in my mind. The way they’d tried to protect me earlier, the way they’d stood by my side, it made my heart swell. I wished that I had more time with them to explore this connection between us. I felt safety in their presence and an instinctual connection that couldn’t be denied. But I wanted to know them. Their pasts, likes, dislikes. It was strange knowing my spider had picked them for mates when I truly didn’t know much about them.

  I just hoped that I’d have the chance to know them better before Spector ruined us all.

  I emerged from the water and gnawed on my lip, anxious about everything that was going to happen.

  “Psst. Motley?” a familiar voice called. I whipped my head to the side and stared wide-eyed at Stiles’s back. Where had he come from?

  “Cover up, will you?” he said, his tone rushed.

  “Oh my gods. Why are you freaking in here?” I hissed, scrambling for a towel.

  “Trust me, this is fucking awkward for me too,” he snapped, his shoulders tense. He was practically kissing the wall, standing as far away from me as possible and keeping his face nearly smashed against the wallpaper. “This this is the only chance we have to talk alone.”

  “What do you want to talk about?” I asked before stepping out of the bathtub and wrapping myself in a fluffy robe.

  He still didn’t turn around, but answered me. “I heard you got put on a mission. I wanted to make sure you weren’t planning on doing anything stupid, like trying to defect.”

  I walked over and tapped him on the shoulder, letting him know it was okay to turn around. He flinched at my touch but finally faced me, and I gasped at what I saw. He had two black eyes, what had to be a broken nose, still with blood caked to his swollen nostrils, and greasy hair. My brother always seemed so put together and refined, but right now he looked utterly beaten.

  My heart gave the slightest twinge.

  “What happened to you?” I asked.

  “I don’t have time to get into that. Let’s just say I got an unimpressive demon and our father expects only the best,” he said in a dead voice while shaking his head. “Look, we probably only have five minutes at best. I’ve tried coming to see you before, but they have you on lockdown, and Dad doesn’t like it when I mingle too much with the other hybrids.”

  I assessed him with a frown, not sure why he was even bothering. I remembered what Cheryl said, about Stiles not liking some of the things Spector was doing. Maybe she was right. “Okay...So why are you here?”

  “I’m here because I want to make sure you do whatever they ask you to do, Motley.”

  “Why?”

  Stiles sighed and scrubbed his hands down his face. “I’m working on something, okay? And I’m so fucking close to figuring out how to do it. I just need more time. Then you, me, and Cheryl can get the fuck out of here. Play the game, do what you need to do, and don’t give them any more trouble. Please.”

  My mouth dropped open in shock at the pleading look on his face. Stiles had always seemed like he was a daddy’s boy, following in his footsteps with a grin on his face and money in his pocket. “Why are you doing this? Why do you want out? I thought you were a part of this.”

  Feminine laughter came from the room next to us, and he flinched at the sound. Grabbing my hand, he led me toward the other side of the bathroom. “Because this place is fucked up,” he said quietly. “Because what they’re doing is fucked up. Because I did my best to keep you away from all of this, but you still got sucked in anyway.”

  “I’m surprised you even care. It’s not like we’ve had a normal sibling relationship, Stiles. You’ve made it clear I don’t belong.”

  His face fell. “I know. I know, okay? But I need you to trust me. I need you to keep your head down until I can figure this out. And once we’re out of here, I’ll explain everything. I promise.”

  I doubted his intentions, but there was no mistaking the genuine worry shining in his blue eyes. “Alright,” I said with a nod. “But I’m not doing it for you. They threatened Aunt Marie.”

  Stiles grimaced. “I know how much she means to you.”

  “She’s my family,” I said, probably with too much bite behind my words. But Stiles didn’t argue that he was my family too. He simply nodded.

  “Be careful,” Stiles warned before giving me an awkward pat on the shoulder.

  “You too,” I replied.

  Stiles’s head turned toward the door as if he were listening. “Time’s up. Open the main door for me to flash through,” he said in a whisper.

  Before I could answer him, he flashed to other side of the room, and then hid himself inside the small bathroom closet where more robes were hanging up. The second after he clicked the door shut, the bathroom door swung open and the twin vampires came in.

  “Finally,” the twin on the left said to me. “You’ve taken ages. Come on, we need to get you primed and then try different looks on you.”

  I followed the pair of them back into the main room, stealing one last glance to the closet before facing forward again. I walked straight over to the main door and yanked it open.

  “What are you doing?”

  The shifter with the long hair strode over to me immediately, a frown marring her pretty face. Before she reached the door, I felt a rush of air breeze past me, and Stiles’s blurred body raced past me and down the hall.

  “Nothing,” I said innocently, turning toward her. “Just wanted some fresh air.”

  The shifter’s eyes narrowed. “From the hallway?”

  I shrugged, and she slammed the door shut and rolled her eyes. “Come on.”

  With a tug on my arm, she brought me to a plush white ottoman and sat me down. From there, the four of them proceeded to shove different fabrics in my direction, holding them over my skin and hair in order to envision my “color palette.” Once they narrowed the clothing options down, I was given midnight blue lingerie that consisted of a strapless bustier and matching panties.

  I looked at the three of them, clutching the skimpy lace in my hands and feeling more and more awkward by the second. “You want me to put this on right here?” I asked.

  “Obviously,” the elemental drawled. “You can’t try on the dresses until you’ve got your knickers on.”

  At my distress, the shifter rolled her eyes. “Please, we’ve dressed hundreds of women for President Belvini. You don’t have anything we haven’t already seen.”

  Pursing my lips, I turned my back on them and de-robed, blushing at the fact that I had to get dressed with an audience. Honestly, I was surprised I had any modesty or embarrassment left, considering all the public feedings Spector was forcing me to do.

  I tugged on the lingerie as quickly as possible, feeling incredibly stupid as I turned around. “Well?” I said, lifting my arms up before they landed against my sides again.

  The twins came forward, and to my absolute horror, they reached inside my bustier and lifted up my boobs before tightening the lace straps at the sides. “There,” Twin One said. “I had to plump up the goods.”

  My face was on fire. “Umm, thanks?”

  After that, they forced dress after dress onto me, each one nitpicked and torn to verbal shreds for all the reasons it looked terrible on me. Until finally…

  “This is the one!” the shifter beamed. The
twins nodded, and the elemental gave a resigned shrug. From her, that was practically applause.

  I looked down at the tight black cocktail dress I was now wearing. It had see-through lace on the arms and the back, ending just above my ass. The front had a sweetheart neckline that dipped down slightly and showed off the massive amounts of cleavage I was now sporting thanks to the bustier plumping the goods.

  “Perfect. Now slip the robe back over it so nothing gets on it while we do your hair and makeup,” Twin Two said.

  After I did as told, the twins led me over to a makeup table and plopped me down in front of the lighted mirror. I winced at my pale, tired, disheveled reflection.

  “Mm-hmm. Our thoughts exactly,” Twin Two said.

  “Gee, thanks,” I drawled.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll get you looking good in no time.”

  While the twins started tackling the cosmetics, the shifter began to rub my legs down with lotions and then began to paint my nails. Meanwhile, the elemental got to work on my hair, first sucking all the water out of it using her powers, and then tackling my horrid tangles and using a curling iron to form long loose curls in my tresses.

  I don’t know how long it took for my grooming. I was so thoroughly combed and tweezed and painted and primped that I lost track of time. I sort of just zoned out, not really seeing or feeling anything as the four women went to town, while I marinated in my worry.

  Belvini needed to know if my lure worked on a demon. And now he’d ordered me to have a full makeover. It didn’t take a genius to see what direction my job was heading. That fact, added with Stiles and Aunt Marie...it meant that anxiety was bubbling through me like acid.

  “There. You look absolutely adequate,” the elemental said with a nod as the four of them stood me up and placed me in front of the full-length mirror.

  “She’s better than adequate. She’s gorgeous,” Twin One said with a fanged smile.

  I stared at myself in wide-eyed surprise, taking it all in: black heeled boots paired with the dress that hugged my curves and ended mid-thigh, lace that gave me a sexy but still covered look, and makeup that made my features pop. Perfect shimmery eyes and pouty lips, and my red ombré hair that was downright ready for a runway. I looked chic. Sexy. Like a godsdamned model. I barely recognized myself.

  Victor swept into the room while I was still gaping at the mirror. “Thank gods,” he said dramatically. “Come on, Miss Coven. You’re already late.”

  He gave an air kiss to the girls, and I waved awkwardly at the four of them, not knowing what else to do. I wasn’t sure what the correct protocol was. Were you supposed to thank the people who made you pretty so that you could lure someone against your will because a nefarious demon was forcing you to?

  Luckily, I didn’t have to decide, because Victor pulled me out of the room and escorted me down to the elevator. We were accompanied by a pair of guards, and I didn’t miss the way their eyes slunk over my body.

  Victor was tapping furiously over the tablet in his hand, completely ignoring me as I fidgeted beside him, watching the numbers go up as we ascended.

  “So are you going to tell me what I’m supposed to do?” I asked, a little more bite to my tone than necessary. I really was going to listen to Stiles, but that didn’t mean I had to like it.

  Victor hummed under his breath. “Mmm, yes. There is a high level demon that President Belvini would like to collect. He’d be very valuable to Spector. A top asset, if you will. The success of this mission would open many doors for you, Miss Coven.”

  I grimaced. He made it sound like I should be excited about the opportunity. If I’d learned anything about this experience, it was that demons were volatile and deadly. Luring one didn’t sound like an easy job.

  “So how exactly would you like for me to collect him? Seduce the bastard and trap him with my magic hybrid cunt? My skills are pretty limited.” My spider bristled. She didn’t like the idea of me thinking her incapable. I knew that I’d grown substantially stronger since arriving here, but that didn’t mean I wanted to test my skills out on a high level demon.

  “You just need to get him alone,” Victor began as the elevator doors opened. We both walked out, and he paused to fish something out of his pocket. He put his tablet under his arm and then grabbed my wrist. His ice-cold fingers dug into my skin as he lifted up a shimmering bracelet and clasped it on me.

  “See this?” he asked while pointing at a charm. “Press it when he’s alone, and we will take it from there. Use whatever methods necessary to get him alone,” he said pointedly. “Understand?”

  I looked down at the bracelet and ran a finger over the charm he indicated. “And why do you need me? What are his powers?”

  Victor rolled his eyes, as if my questions annoyed him. “He is a risk demon. The second we get too close, he amplifies his powers, and it becomes a game of chance we can’t win. We need him...disarmed. We have it on good authority that he has a weakness for pretty faces. Just amp up those powers and do your thing.”

  Do my thing? Do my fucking thing? The nonchalant way Victor spoke made me want to gouge his eyes out with my freshly painted nails.

  “Fine.”

  Victor nodded, like my lack of enthusiasm was good enough, then led me toward a wood paneled door. “Your portal is here. Try to get this done quickly, yes? We’re on a very tight schedule. You’ll be going alone. He can...sense us. But don’t even try to run. We’ll be watching your every move.”

  I nodded and reached for the handle, but he stopped me with his next words. “You look the part of the Black Widow,” he said, looking me straight in the eye. “But be sure to act like it tonight as well. You understand?” he asked carefully, and for the first time, I got the feeling that Victor might not like everything that went on in Spector.

  Tapping a finger against the hem of my dress, I read between the lines. “Don’t worry, Vick. I know how to own my sexuality and use my...assets to my advantage,” I said with a smirk.

  He nodded, and then his mask of busy obliviousness came back on his face. “Good. I’d hate to have to inform President Belvini that you acted like a silly blushing schoolgirl and failed the mission. That makeover would be such a waste,” he tutted.

  I snorted at his backhanded way of trying to prepare me for the job. “I won’t disappoint you,” I told him wryly. Then I realized I still didn’t even know who exactly I was looking for. “Wait, how will I find him?”

  Victor huffed before handing me a purse. I could see bright green cash stuffed inside of it. “Just make a bet, Miss Coven. We have faith he’ll come to you,” he explained before opening the door.

  I stared at the money, not quite understanding what he meant. But before I could question him, Victor reached up and shoved me through the portal.

  Fuck.

  Chapter 15

  After just several seconds of staggering through clammy magic that clung to my skin like sweat, I was pushed out through the other side, only to land on a toilet.

  I was barely able to catch myself before falling ass-first into the water. “Fucking gross,” I hissed before using the grab bar to my left to haul myself to my feet. At least no one had been using the damn thing before I landed on it.

  I quickly opened the stall door and walked out, teetering on my heeled boots as I went. I froze immediately when heads turned in my direction. Just heads. Because their bodies were currently pointed at the wall, where there was a neat row of urinals.

  Did they have to put me in a godsdamned male restroom? Fucking misogynistic pricks probably thought it was funny.

  “Uhh, sorry,” I stammered, quickly making my way to the exit. “Carry on.”

  A few of them chuckled, and I nearly ran into another man coming in when I wrenched open the door. He blinked down at me in surprise. “Well now, I didn’t know these bathrooms had happy endings.”

  “They don’t for you,” I said with a pleasant smile before tapping him on the chest and slipping past him.

 
Once I was out of the male restroom, I took a deep breath and looked around to gather my bearings. I saw a smoky haze, blinking lights, and people everywhere.

  “The make a bet thing makes more sense now,” I mumbled to myself as I looked around the crowded casino. Still semi-hidden in the bathroom’s alcove, I reached in my dress and re-plumped my goods just in case. Then I steeled my spine, arched my back, and strutted my ass like I wanted people to look. I needed to play the part.

  Since signing my life away to Spector, I learned to compartmentalize what was happening to me. I was just a girl at a casino. I was meeting a man and luring him. Easy.

  I could feel the amusement of my spider. She wasn’t fussed about being out of Spector and luring a man. If anything, she was excited for the opportunity to prowl. I breathed in the smoky scent of the casino and stared at all the flashing lights. People cheered and clapped, while some of them cursed and sucked on cigarettes.

  There was so much energy here. Sex, power, addiction, and greed. My spider felt right at home.

  “Drink, miss?” a cocktail waitress asked while holding a tray toward me. She had bleached teeth and hazel eyes. Her long legs were accentuated with stilettos, and she looked totally bored, already scanning the crowd around me.

  I grabbed a shot and downed it whole, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand before offering her a shaky, “Thanks.”

  I walked around the casino, staring at each of the machines and observing everyone. I knew Spector wanted me to hurry, but I was enjoying the freedom. It was tempting to walk out the doors and run for my life, but the threat of Aunt Marie hanging over my head made me stay. By the looks of it, I was in Vegas, which was four hours from her home. Even if I managed to portal there somehow and whisk her away, Spector would probably find me before I got there. Then there was Tomb and Crow. My spider was absolutely repulsed by the idea of leaving them behind.

  No, I wouldn’t be running anywhere until I could bring them with me and ensure that Aunt Marie was safe. I couldn’t forget about Cheryl, either. I’d spent so much of my life as a loner I didn’t know what to do with all these people to worry about. Even Stiles.