I crushed my lips to his. The sensation of floodgates opening flitted through me, and I was drowning in his essence the next second. Every muscle in my body grew languid as I gave in to the moment. I fisted his hair and pressed his face closer to mine, worried he would break our contact to trail his beautiful lips along my throat in an effort to add to the pent up sexual tension pulsing through the air surrounding us. I didn’t want that.
All I wanted was his lips right where they were, locked on mine.
Unexpectedly, warmth spread outward from my spine. It was a stark contrast to the iciness that had swam through every vein in my body the entire night, reminding me of the wraith’s presence. It didn’t take me long to figure out what was happening. Pins and needles slipped along my spine, fanning out until the area between my shoulder blades grew numb. For a brief moment, I wondered if I should release the guy, but then he slipped his finger behind the fabric of my panties. Desire pooled in my lower belly. I skimmed my teeth over his bottom lip, biting as I scraped my nails along his back. Tiny stabs of pain prickled across the skin along my spine, and I knew something would happen any second now.
In the span of a heartbeat, my wings burst free.
There was a soft ripping noise. I wasn’t sure if it was my skin giving way to the pressure of them coming through, or if it was my shirt as it did the same. Either way, the strange warmth and numb sensation I had been experiencing disappeared. Soon it was replaced by an uncomfortable feeling. I realized then how small the closet we had hidden inside actually was.
My wings seemed pinched and folded as they jammed against the walls of the tight space. Pain and pleasure, two things some seemed to think went hand-in-hand, rippled through me. If I had to base the truth of the statement on this moment alone, I would agree, because there was no amount of pain that would make me step away from this pleasure. I weaved my fingers through the guy’s thick hair and forced his lips to remain pressed against mine.
Chapter 28
“This. Is. Amazing,” Mr. Muscles muttered between kisses. His fingers trailed along the black feathers of my wings.
“Mmm-hmmm,” I agreed.
While I had always enjoyed the feeling of taking energy from a lustful male, nothing had compared to doing so as a full-fledged succubus. The power and seduction that seemed to pulse through me was unlike anything I had ever experienced before.
This was me in my primal state. This was me as I was truly meant to be. I understood that now. With my wings extended, I couldn’t deny what I was.
There you go, my sweet. Give in to who you are, to what you can do, the wraith coaxed me, reminding me of his presence. Embrace your succubus nature.
Heat rippled through the feathers of my wings as Mr. Muscles continued to touch them. They were a part of me. I could feel the coolness of the wall pressed against my right one, and the hard bristles of an upright broom brushing against the other with each inhale I took. I was alert, and buzzing with energy. I had never felt more powerful than I did in this moment.
Bliss engulfed me, until I opened my eyes.
His aura was transforming into a scary shade of gray, one that meant death was growing closer. It was too soon. I didn’t want to stop. I was enjoying the taste of him splashing across my tongue. The feel of his fingers caressing my feathers faded. His hands dropped to his sides, lifeless.
Death was coming for him if I didn’t release soon.
Just a little more. You can stop after a couple more pulls, the wraith persuaded. He reminded me of the cartoons where there was always a little devil perched on the main characters shoulder, trying to get him to do something horrible.
The wraith was my little devil.
My eyes grew wide as one of the dots of gray melded with another, creating a large spot the size of my fist. It was time. My fun was over.
Gathering all the will power I could muster, I released him from my grasp and forced space between us. Mr. Muscles slipped against the section of wall behind him with a dazed expression falling over his face. I wasn’t sure why, but because he had known what he was getting into by kissing me, I assumed he would be immune to the zombie trance that always seemed to help my victims reboot after a session with me.
Apparently, that wasn’t the case.
I wondered how long it would be before he stumbled out of this closet, searching for another supernatural to feed from him. He was too good looking for that, and he harbored a genuine, good-natured soul. He might be boldly confident, but that didn’t mean he deserved to be fed from every night by a variety of supes. Didn’t he have any self-confidence, any self-worth?
Don’t go getting all high and mighty, my sweet. Weren’t you the one who chose to come here and feed? You are no better than the others.
“That doesn’t mean I can’t balance things out,” I muttered.
Shifting my full attention to a comatose Mr. Muscles, I thought hard on what I wanted to push into his mind while he was locked in this fragile and impressionable state. It had been far too long since I’d done something of this nature.
Sam. Sam had been the last time I tried to correct a wrong and ease my conscience after a feeding.
It was time I went back to my roots with this one. I cupped his cheek and leaned in closer. He would hear me, no matter how much space remained between us. He was connected to me right now. I could feel him. His essence coursed through my body as I digested what I had taken from him.
“Leave Club Lure, and never come back. You’re too good for this type of life,” I insisted. My words might have been soft, but the impact behind them was not one to take lightly. “Marry, have a family, travel the world, land your dream job, anything but this.”
I kissed my fingertip, and then placed it against his warm lips to seal the deal. As I did this, my wings retracted. The feel of them moving back beneath my skin sent tendrils of relief spiraling through me. My fingertips skimmed the area where they had been, searching for any telltale sign of their presence. I found nothing. No raised skin. No slits. Nothing. It was as though I never had wings at all. All that remained were twin holes in the back of my top. The magic interwoven in to the supernatural world would never cease to amaze me.
“Well, that was easy this time,” I muttered to myself.
I have no doubt it will get easier each time, the wraith added.
I was so tired of hearing him in my head. It would be nice when my mind was my own again. Hell, it would be nice when my body was my own again.
I twisted the knob on the narrow door to the closet and stepped out. Closing the door behind me, I left Mr. Muscles tucked inside. He would be zoned out for a while, but I didn’t have any qualms about leaving him there until he recuperated. I was sure I wasn’t the only one leaving a victim behind in this state. There were more succubi under the roof, as well as many other supernaturals, who were taking what they needed most from the humans between these walls.
The hall hadn’t thinned any as I made my way through it. People were still standing around in various forms of lust, feeding from one another in a magnitude of ways. Music pulsed through the air, luring me back downstairs. I could feel the notes of the song wrapping around me, urging me toward the dance floor. The energy I had just siphoned buzzed beneath my skin, making me feel as though I were floating down the stairs. The moment my feet reached the last step, Darius stood in front of me as though he had been waiting.
“My, my, don’t you look satisfied, love.” His lips hooked into a handsome grin as his eyes continued to appraise me. “I could have done you one better though.”
“I’m sure.” I gathered my long hair off my neck and draped it over my shoulder, allowing the air in the club to cool the heated skin. I didn’t care if someone noticed the holes in my top my wings had made.
“The fact that you don’t doubt me is quite enjoyable, I must say.”
I rolled my eyes as a grin spread across my face. Darius’s arm snaked out and wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer to him. His scent
invaded my senses. It was masculine and enticing, while oddly hinting at sex all the same. The feel of him against me sang to my insides, luring the wraith to the surface, and causing black dots to spot my vision.
The wraith wanted him. He wanted him unlike any energy I had ever forced him to be around.
Kiss him. You’re still hungry, my sweet succubus. You want more, and he is who you will obtain it from, the wraith hissed.
A rumble of hunger twisted through my gut. Even though I knew it was the wraith’s mind tricks at play, it still didn’t dim down the realism of the sensation.
“I need to go.” I wiggled free from Darius’s arms and took a step back. Distance was the only way I would be able to keep my lips to myself when it came to him. “Leaving so soon?” Darius smoothed his hand against his chin and stared at me. His unreal eye color pinned me in place. “I assumed when I saw you tonight you would give me the dance you owe me, especially now that I upgraded your car.” He winked.
“I didn’t ask for you to do that.” I tore my eyes away from his solid chest. It glistened in the dim lights of the club, begging my eyes to wander over it. “I need to go.”
I walked to the exit. If he followed, I didn’t know, because I never looked back.
It was daylight when I pushed through the doors of Club Lure. The shock from the sight of the sun jolted my brain, erasing any traces of Mr. Muscle’s energy. There had to be some sort of spell cascading over the place that caused a person to lose track of time. I was sure it was why there were so many humans inside. I didn’t think it was from the desire to be fed from by a supe, per se, but more along the lines of a spell that made time stand still while inside the doors.
Not knowing how long I was inside caused panic to bleed through my veins. Had it been hours or days?
I darted to where I had parked Darius’s gift, wondering where my old car was. I didn’t see it, and didn’t have the time to search for it. Anxiety chilled my insides. I needed to get home, and talk with Lexy. The ritual was supposed to happen tonight. I just wasn’t sure when.
I unlocked the doors on the convertible and slipped behind the wheel. As I cranked the engine, I prayed to God I hadn’t missed the waning moon.
Chapter 29
I’d spent too much time in the clutches of Club Lure, but not enough to miss the waning moon, thank goodness. My cell said it was almost lunch when I glanced at it to check the date. The waning moon was tonight. There were too many emotions raging through me from the realization to label what I felt.
While I had been looking forward to this night and the freedom it would bring me, I was also scared shitless that something could go wrong and I would be dead for good.
When I finally made it to my apartment, Lexy wasn’t there. I wasn’t sure where she was, but figured she was out with Kace and Kyra preparing for the ritual. My theory was confirmed when I headed to my kitchen for something small to eat and spotted a Post-it note from her on my fridge. I plucked it off and read her message.
Went with Kyra and Kace to help set up for the ritual.
Be back to get you later.
Lexy
Her handwriting was more girly than I thought it would be. The Y’s seemed to loop back through other letters. I stuck her note to my kitchen counter and continued in my search for lunch. There wasn’t much to search through; I couldn’t remember the last time I’d stepped inside a grocery store. Ordering delivery from somewhere was the only option. It didn’t take me long to decide where from. Lucky Duck.
The last time I had eaten there was when Bree had popped in for a surprise visit right before my trip to Avalon Bay. She had invited Randal to join us, and it was the first time my two worlds had collided with one another. A smile tugged at the corners of my lips at the memory of the enchanted expression that had swept over Bree’s face when Randal first walked to our table. I didn’t think I would ever get over how shocked she was by his handsomeness. God, I missed her. Worry I wouldn’t be able to make it to her wedding darkened all of my thoughts.
Before, I had worried I would be overtaken by the wraith when it came time to see her walk down the aisle; now I was worried I wouldn’t exist at all. I wasn’t sure which was worse.
I picked up my cell and punched in the number for Lucky Duck I knew by heart, while thinking about how much I needed to talk to her. The need to hear her bubbly voice burned through me. I wondered if now would be the time to tell her everything. Part of me wanted to ask her to hop on a plane and see me through this ritual. She was my best friend, and I hadn’t even told her there was a chance I might not pull another breath into my lungs after tonight.
It wasn’t right.
She was important to me. She deserved to know. If the situation were reversed, I would want to know.
“Hello, thank you for calling Lucky Duck.” The Asian lady who always stood behind the desk near the door of the place answered after the second ring.
“Hi, I’d like to place a delivery order,” I replied.
“Go ahead.”
Once I placed my order, which was practically a buffet for one, I hung up. There was a gloomy feeling pressing through the space inside my apartment, one that brought thoughts of this being my final meal to mind. At least it would be one I enjoyed.
Before calling Bree, I decided I should call Arabella and check on Randal. She hadn’t tried to get a hold of me since we left Sage’s hideout so I knew there was most likely no change in his condition, but I still wanted to check. It killed me that I wasn’t by his side this entire time, but I knew I couldn’t be. There was too much going on in my head to be trapped in a room with him, waiting for him to open his eyes and sit up.
I poured myself a small glass of wine. While it may have only been noon where I was, it was five o’clock somewhere. After taking a sip, I scooped up my cell and headed toward my couch to call Arabella.
“Kenna, hi,” she answered. While her voice was light and whimsical, as always, I’d talked with her enough to know that she was nervous about something. Her anxiety wavered in her voice. “I was expecting you to call at some point today.”
Was it nerves that I heard ringing through her words or exhaustion? The realization of the time dawned on me. Crap. It was practically her midnight. I wondered if she had been sleeping before I’d called.
“Did I wake you?”
“It’s okay. I wasn’t really sleeping.” She yawned into my ear. I felt horrible. “I keep thinking, once I fall asleep, Randal will wake and leave the house to hide from us. Silly, I know.” She chuckled at her admittance.
“No. You’re worried is all. I understand.” I chewed my bottom lip. “So, there still hasn’t been any change in him since last night?” Disappointment deflated me. Even though I knew the chance of some good news regarding him was slim to none when I called, I couldn’t deny how much I had hoped for something from her.
“Nothing. He still looks to be locked inside a peaceful sleep.”
“I wonder how long this will last.”
“Kyra said he could remain in this state for a few days,” she said.
I sighed. “I know. Will you call me when something changes?”
“Of course.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” She hung up then.
I took another sip of my wine and ran a hand through my hair. God, I wished Randal would wake up. Even though I knew he wouldn’t agree with the new ritual, it would be nice to be wrapped in his arms again. My cell rang, startling me. I could feel my heart pounding in my throat. The thought that it might be Arabella calling me back, saying my wish had been granted and Randal had woke up surged through me. The excitement died shortly after, because it wasn’t Arabella calling me. It was Bree.
“Hey,” I answered. “I was just thinking about you.”
“Great minds think alike.” It was nice to hear her chipper voice. I couldn’t remember the last time we’d talked. “What have you been up to? I feel like I haven’t talked to you in forever.�
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“The feeling is mutual.” I chuckled. Now would be my time to tell her. It had to be a sign that she had called, right? My mouth grew dry at the thought. How would I begin a conversation like that? “Nothing much.”
I needed time to think of how to word everything. I couldn’t dump what I was and what I was planning on going through on her during the first minute and a half we were on the phone together. This was a delicate subject matter, and I didn’t want to make Bree think I was certifiably insane.
“Oh no, don’t you ‘nothing much’ me,” she scolded. “I know there’s something going on in that hot city life of yours. Has to be, especially with that sexy man you call your boyfriend.”
Her way with words never ceased to amuse me. “Um, well Randal is actually out of town at the moment. He’s been gone for a while actually.” It wasn’t a total lie, but it did have me second-guessing myself on being able to tell her of the details surrounding my life she knew nothing of.
The right words wouldn’t come. Panic was the only thing that did it seemed.
“For business or something?” she asked.
“Yeah, something like that.”
“He seems like the business type.” She took a bite of something crunchy. I realized then she must be on her lunch break. “Why didn’t he take you with him?”
“I had to work at Spark. We’re short one bartender lately.” Again, another partial lie. It was always the best when talking to Bree to stick to even tiny shreds of the truth.
“Did someone quit or get fired?”
I wasn’t sure how to answer her question, because I wasn’t one hundred percent on what would happen to Sage once Randal found out what she had done to him. I was positive he wouldn’t be happy about it. He’d most likely ask her to leave town.
“Quit,” I said. It seemed like the best answer.
“Any juicy gossip floating around with the reason why?”
Succubus Kiss The Complete Series Page 64