Ravenous (Lake City Stories .5)

by Unknown

  “Survive?”

  “Accidents happen.” He shrugged. “Samuel has been with us for four years. He’s the oldest of my fledglings. He’s more vampire than human. I think his flesh even burns under the sun now. Feed from him.”

  “He just came.”

  Sin raised an eyebrow. “You’re not up to the challenge?”

  “You didn’t just say that.”

  He gave me a serious look. “I thought your body pumped fuck-me pheromones when you were hungry. I’m definitely not being affected by anything at the moment. Not like at the motel.”

  “I’d been starving for seven days when you found me. The room was full of the pheromones. I probably could have gotten a boner from a eunuch.”

  “Now?”

  I shrugged. “This is the way I am on my regular day three. That’s the day I should always feed on.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m still in control and pick my lovers instead of the demon riding my ass like in the motel.”

  “So you’re not strong enough to get a rise out of my fledgling? Good to know. I thought you were stronger than that.” He stretched as if bored. “Let’s get this over with. I want to sleep.”

  I got to my feet and undressed, tossing him a glare over my shoulder as I crossed the room toward Samuel the fledgling. I wasn’t weak. I was picky. Like it or not, I had to feed. Better to take Sin’s challenge, then go pout in my room until the demon took over again, and I found myself playing hide the salami with Rat.

  Samuel lay resting on the pillows, his eyelids drooping in satisfaction. Vampires didn’t age after they were made. He looked around the same age as us. His dark brown hair hung disheveled as if too many hands had run through it already. A sheen of sweat coated his pale skin that was dotted with bite marks in different levels of healing.

  My heart pounded as I drew closer. Feeding from Sin and Cooper had rejuvenated my body. I could see that my ribs no longer striped my sides and the veins on the back of my hands were once more cushioned in flesh. I was starved, not ravenous. My demon didn’t ride me like at the motel. I could walk away from this room.

  By tomorrow, I’d be crawling back, though.

  I had to accept what I was, which meant I had to feed from this young man, turning into a vampire. Kneeling next to him, I set my hand on his bare thigh. “Hi, I’m—”

  He pulled me against him and rolled us until he was on top, pressing me into the cushions. His mouth trapped mine in an urgent kiss of soft lips and demanding tongue. He grabbed my wrists, pinning them above my head with one hand. The sharp tip of his baby fang caught on the corner of my mouth and the metallic taste of blood spilled onto my tongue. Samuel made an animal-like noise and licked at the small wound.

  I could barely breathe or move.

  Samuel spread my legs with his inhumanly strong hand. Sin was right. Samuel was more vampire than human. Did baby vamps know how to control their strength? Succubus power came from our beauty, not our muscles. I didn’t want to be torn apart. He pressed his thighs between mine, his cock no longer limp. I wish I could say it was succubus powers and snub Sin, but it wasn’t; my demonic nature lay partially satisfied. It wouldn’t stir for another day. Samuel was just a horny boy.

  I wished I could feed by just lying there and letting him have his way. Much like Sin had the first time he’d taken me. Achieving an orgasm when emotionally I was a train wreck would prove to be the biggest challenge of the day.

  I couldn’t do this. With a twist of my hips, I struggled to push Samuel off. The baby vamp ignored me and tried to push his cock inside my pussy but he had poor aim.

  Large strong hands encompassed ours and pulled Samuel’s off mine.

  I opened my eyes to thank Sin and met a stranger’s gaze. Well, sort of a stranger. He was the guard at the entrance who hadn’t liked seeing the chaffing around my wrists from the manacles.

  He caressed the raw skin with a frown. “Easy, boy. You’re not supposed to break the master’s toy.” The guard wasn’t handsome. It looked as if someone had used his face to break cinder blocks but his rough hands held my arms so gently they barely touched. He still wore his jeans but his shirt, shoes and socks lay in a pile by the door next to mine. His delicious muscles held a sharp edge that came from hard work, not gyms.

  “Finished with work?” It sounded obvious as soon as it came out of my mouth but his smile was worth it.

  “Sun’s up and I don’t tan well. The wolves cover the day shift.” He lay next to me and ran his hands over my arms.

  Samuel shook his head. “Mine.”

  “There’s enough for both of us.” The guard set Samuel’s hand on my breast. “Gentle. Don’t mind him. At this age we’re all cock and fangs.”

  The almost-vampire molded my breasts in his hands, pushing them together to lick and suck without moving his head much.

  I gasped and rested my head on the guard’s chest. “Do you have a name?”

  He watched Samuel’s play intently and I could tell he enjoyed it by the bulge pressing against my thigh. “Joshua.”

  I was doing it again. I was picking the nice one over the jerk. How could I stop the madness? Samuel wouldn’t be able to feed me. He hadn’t been turning me on until Joshua with the kind hands came along. I shouldn’t have ever asked his name. That was mistake number one. I’d learn. First, I had to feed. Raising my head, I met Sin’s stare from across the room. I mouthed Can I have him too?

  He rolled his eyes and nodded.

  I gave him a fake smile. It felt so unnatural on my face. The grin probably looked more like a grimace. I ran my fingers through the younger man’s hair and gave it a sharp tug, pulling his attention off my breasts. “We’re switching places.” I’d had sex three times already today. If I was going to reach orgasm, we’d have to do things my way now.

  Samuel nodded as I rolled to face Josh. The human pressed along my back, sandwiching me against Josh’s broad chest.

  I ran my hands over the bigger vampire’s close-cropped military haircut and brushed my lips along Josh’s. Tingles ran over the sensitive flesh and my hunger uncurled in my lower abdomen. Oh yeah, this was better. The moans around us grew louder again. They caressed my libido, igniting my appetite. I let go of my angst before it tainted the energy that sex created for my kind, making it a bitter pill to swallow instead of a sweet feast.

  I was a succubus. I fuck, therefore I am.

  Samuel ran his hands over my hips. They traveled in between me and Josh when I sensed him undoing the other man’s pants. I liked men who knew exactly what they wanted and Josh didn’t seem to mind. This would be more fun than I’d hoped.

  Both males ground their hips against me. I let one of my hands trail down to join Samuel stroking Josh’s cock. Two hands were always better than one.

  Josh crushed me to his chest and claimed my mouth, pressing our lips together and thrusting his tongue inside as if it were a promise of what he would do to my body later. He seemed to agree with my two-handed theory.

  I squirmed and wiggled my way between them as I crawled my way lower. I left a trail of kisses in my wake. Every time I glanced up, Josh’s stare had never left me.

  Samuel seemed to understand what I was wanting instinctively. He set me between Josh’s legs so I faced his cock.

  I took a quick lick, listening to his hiss of pleasure.

  The almost-vampire guided me onto my knees, stuffing pillows under my hips to raise my ass in the air so he could grip me properly. The hunger had me in its firm grip so I purred and tipped my hips. I was very ready for him.

  Taking Josh’s cock in hand, I circled the head with the tip of my tongue. I wanted to see the much larger, stronger vampire unravel and surrender to little old me.

  My sisters made men beg. Their lovers gifted them with cars and jewelry. They took what they wanted from their men and dropped them like trash once they were done. I was tired of being weak and helpless. I needed that power. I needed to be heartless.

  Slowly
, I slid his tip just past my lips.

  Samuel, on the other hand, was not so gentle with me. His fingers dug in my hips as he positioned his cock at my entrance. He panted with eagerness and thrust inside me with a blissful burn.

  I groaned around a mouthful of Josh and raised my hips even higher to squeeze Samuel with my secret muscles.

  The young man made the most exquisite noises. It must have been him I’d heard earlier when I’d been in my room, so full of desperate passion and need. He pumped his hips with urgency.

  I swallowed Joshua’s cock as far as I could and matched Samuel’s rhythm. Sliding Josh in and out, fast and hard, desperate to taste him.

  Josh tangled his fingers in my hair, his back arching as he thrust his hips, fucking my mouth. His lips moved in silent ecstasy.

  I let them take over and floated in my own bubble of salacious delight. It had been a while since I’d worked two men into a frenzy and the empowerment was heady.

  Joshua came, my name falling from his lips over and over as his seed hit the back of my throat. I clenched my mouth around him, sucking him deeper, making it last.

  I was on the precipice of joining him, the sweet, heavy feeling of climax on the edge of crashing over me.

  Samuel thrust so hard, his cries crested and it sent me over the edge into my own orgasm. I bucked against him, meeting his demanding need until he collapsed on my back.

  As I lay sandwiched, my head resting on Josh’s stomach, their flavors mingled inside of me and I couldn’t separate them. I tasted violence and blood and bubble gum. I blinked. It was an odd combination.

  Samuel rested his head on my back. “Keep?” He hugged me tight.

  “No keeping. She’s mine.” Sin knelt next to us and untangled me from the men. He scooped me into his arms. “Full yet?”

  I nodded. Even if I wasn’t, I didn’t think my body could take much more sex. “I don’t think I’ve ever fed three times in one day.”

  “So you can feed from both of them at the same time?”

  “Sure. Why would I have bothered if I couldn’t?”

  “For pleasure?”

  I laughed quietly. He didn’t understand. Sex for my kind was never about fun. It was about survival. I would have thought a vampire would understand. “When I orgasm my body creates energy and it uses the sexual energy of my partners. No matter how many, but it still counts as just one feeding.” I frowned. “There’s no cheating when it comes to demon nature.”

  Sin carried me into my room and tucked me into bed. “Stay in your room until nightfall or I come and get you. I haven’t had a chance to introduce you to the shifters guarding the upper floors. I’d hate for them to mistake you for a snack.”

  “Thanks, Sin.”

  He sighed. “Zur-Sin.” Brushing my hair from my face, he kissed my cheek. “Will you need to feed tomorrow?”

  “No, not for three days. Now that I’m topped off I’ll only have to feed every three days.”

  Chapter Six

  Day Three of my cycle

  Smoke billowed out of the toaster oven and set off the fire alarm. The piercing noise stung my eardrums as I turned on the water full blast and aimed the sink sprayer at the small flames consuming my pizza.

  A stranger rushed to my rescue, waving his arms, and knocked the sprayer from my hand. He then unplugged the toaster oven, pulled out my burned breakfast, and blew out the flames. “Are you trying to kill yourself?” His glasses were out of whack and tilting to the left. Big green, angry eyes stared at me through them.

  I reached out and straightened his glasses. The least I could do for my hero.

  “You never spray water on an electrical appliance when it’s plugged in. You’re lucky you didn’t get electrocuted.” He held out the blackened disk and grimaced. “Are you the one setting off the fire alarm in here the last few weeks?”

  I crossed my arms. “I did a few times. I can’t be responsible for all of them.” Come on, I couldn’t be the only one setting fires in the nest.

  Gigi stuck her head in the kitchen and rolled her eyes. “Again? You’re a fire hazard, Pia.” She eyed the man and gave him a shy smile. “Hi, John.”

  “Hey.” He absently tossed my breakfast in the trash.

  I watched my meal vanish. It was my day to feed and Sin had been busy with meetings all evening so he hadn’t assigned me anyone to feast on yet. Food helped stave off the sexual hunger pains. Bye bye breakfast.

  Gigi left before either of us could say another word. I sighed. She was so submissive that it was bringing out my inner alpha male, but Sin said I couldn’t touch her. No matter how much I had begged. “Thanks for saving me.” I’d been living in the nest for three months now. Every three days Sin would tell me who I could feed from. I didn’t like feeding from someone I’d already used. I found it hard to meet their gazes as I’d pass them in the hall. They learned quickly that no matter how many gifts or poems or attention they lavished upon me, it was Sin who controlled my feeding habits. It helped ease some of my guilt. Some of it…

  Suddenly, I lost my appetite. It must be the thick smoke in the kitchen.

  “Breakfast at 11:30 PM? I guess you’re vampire bait.” He sounded less than impressed.

  “No, but since I live under their roof I follow their rules.” Most of the time. I had gone to the upper levels one afternoon to look at the wolf shifters and almost got my nose bitten off. Sin hadn’t said anything to me about it yet. I slept during the day and was up all night. It was an amazing way to avoid my family.

  He leaned against the counter. “I’m John.”

  I grinned. “I gathered that when Gigi called you by name.”

  He blushed to the tips of his ears. “I work for Zur-Sin. I’m his IT guy. The computers said there were an unusual amount of fire alarms the last three weeks.”

  “Only the last three?” What a coincidence. I’d been bored enough to try cooking as a hobby these last few weeks. John had the whole geeky package going for him, right down to the pocket protector. “So are you vampire bait?” I didn’t see any bites but I knew from experience that necks weren’t the preferred source for feeding.

  He shook his head. “Vampires don’t like to feed off my kind.”

  Sin stormed into the kitchen. “Stop setting fires!”

  “Sorry.”

  “You’re banned from the kitchen. Someone will make your meals from now on.” He hit his chest with both hands. “We tend to be flammable.” His gaze traveled to John. “You’re not feeding from the demon. Get dressed. I’m taking you to Cleaver tonight.” He left without giving me a time frame, which meant he wanted to leave now.

  I blinked at the skinny, messy-haired man in front of me, who examined his worn running shoes as if they were the most interesting thing in the kitchen. Demons didn’t like my kind. Most would have killed me on sight. I gulped and took a step back.

  “I heard he was keeping a succubus in the nest. I thought it was just rumor.” When he glanced up at me I didn’t see anything but pure curiosity. “My mother told me to stay away from girls like you.”

  A hysterical laugh escaped my mouth and I clapped my hands over it. Mocking demons was suicidal. I hurried toward the doorway, knocking my glass of milk off the counter with my elbow. The plastic cup bounced on the floor and the milk exploded everywhere. “Shit.” I grabbed a roll of paper towels and bent to clean it at the same time as John grabbed a dishtowel.

  We knocked heads on the way down and I landed on my ass in the milk. I rubbed the bump forming on my head. “Ouch.”

  He knelt in front of me. “Are you all right?” Touching my sore head, he made it hurt more.

  “Ow, ow.” I laughed again. “Are you the demon of kitchen mishaps?”

  He gave me a shy smile that curled my toes. His glasses were crooked again. If he were anything but a demon, I’d stuff him in my pocket and take him out to pet as needed.

  “I thought fire and brimstone was the in thing for demons.”

  He glanced down at
his torn jeans and short sleeved button-down shirt. “I’m not much of a fashionista.” John didn’t inspire fear like Sin did. If anything, he seemed harmless.

  I listened for anyone outside the kitchen. At this time of the night most of the nest was empty. The vampires went out to hunt or work for Sin, and the humans had chores to do before the vamps came home. I’d been a good succubus for Sin, feeding when told and with whom he chose. I had kept a smile pasted on my face for months even though my insides rung with emptiness and I talked about nonsense, not wanting to dwell on anything that might spark my memories. On the outside, I seemed like the old me. On the inside, I was shattered and vulnerable. It was late on my day three, I was hungry, and John’s rescue chimed all my buttons. Sweet, shy, and cute. A deadly combination.

  Sin had me feeding off gorgeous vampires and shifters so full of their own beauty that they tasted like Twinkies. Artificial and unhealthy. I needed meat and potatoes. John interested me. He had made me laugh. I couldn’t remember laughing for real since I’d arrived here.

  Without a second thought, I leaned forward and gave him a chaste kiss.

  His eyes went wide. “Zur-Sin said no.” Oh my god, if he got any cuter I was going to drag him to my room and have all I could eat night. I would have thought the cold milk soaking my panties would have cooled me off.

  “Do you do everything Sin tells you?” I got to my knees and slid in the liquid as I pushed John to sit on the floor against the counter. I straddled him and pulled off my shirt.

  “Y—yes.” His gaze stayed riveted on my bra and he licked his lips. “He’s going to kill me.”

  “For feeding me?” I undid his jeans. “He’s late in providing me any candidates and I don’t think I can wait any longer.” I really didn’t. Hunger coursed through my veins, setting my teeth on edge. Maybe John’s mother was right. He should definitely avoid girls like me. I slid my hand inside his jeans and wasn’t disappointed by what I found.

  He closed his eyes. “Pia, there are cameras in this room.”