by Liza James
"You can feel it coming. It builds in your mind, under your skin before it slips across your eyes. It's subtle, but it's there. So, you'll know ahead of time in order to hold it back. Clearly, you'll know pretty quickly when something is turning you on, you just have to catch the phase before it fully connects." One of his hands slips into my hair, wrapping a few strands around his fist before he sharply pulls my head back against his shoulder.
Done. Ghosted. I fucking feel it.
"Fuck." I say, frustration lining my tone when he releases me and steps back. I shake my head several times, his light laughter echoing in the background before I turn to look at him with clear eyes.
"Again," I demand, and he immediately steps forward, jumping into my space with his large and intimidating stance.
"Pay attention. Feel it before it happens, Stella. It's thick and heavy, it rumbles just below the surface before rising to the top." His hand darts out as he grabs my jaw line, pulling me toward him when our bodies collide together. I fight the surge, feeling it billow just slightly underneath the toxic wave of lust that rides through me. It's hardly tangible, something so mild but distinct enough for me to feel. "Good," he says, a small smirk tugging at his rosy lips. But as he pulls my face closer to his, he leans forward and nips my jaw with his teeth before kissing along my skin.
Ghosted.
"Mother fucker. You haven't even known me a week and you basically have me figured out," I say, pulling out of his reach and burying the palms of my hands into my eyes until the fog clears.
"I've been an Incubus for a lot longer. I've fucked around for a hell of a lot longer. Besides, I can pick up on your kink pretty easily." He steps towards me, not giving me another second’s break before he starts in for a third time. "Again."
This time, one of his knees comes between my legs as his hands roughly grip my waist and he pulls me against him. A hand reaches up and fists my hair, pulling my head backwards and exposing the long column of my neck. I feel the surge immediately, building under my blood and begging to take over my sight but I push back, just as his lips connect to my throat and coast towards my jaw.
"That's it, you can still feed from this without phasing. Push back with your mind while your Succubus draws from the interaction." His words come out low and raspy against my skin, lighting more of me on fire while his other hand trails up my stomach and towards my chest.
"I'm going to lose it," I say quickly, feeling the thick fog breach the outer edge of my eyes. His hand pauses its pursuit, but his knee shifts between my legs instead, causing a delicious friction to grind against my core. "Leon," I start, but my voice cracks just a bit as my hips rock forward against him.
"Keep fighting, Red. You can do this. Pull from me while you hold your barriers in place." He releases the grip on my hair and drops it to the nape of my neck, pressing his forehead against mine with open eyes. He watches me intently while he works his leg between my thighs. One hand grips my hip as he drags me along his the span of his leg and I struggle to fight the fog from slipping over.
I can't help it, a quiet moan falls from my mouth and I drop my hands to his chest, fisting his shirt and pulling myself against him even further. I take a tentative breath in, seeking him out, his essence while I maintain the fragile hold on my barriers. I'm barely holding everything together, but it's enough to let me take a taste from his chi, breathing it into my lungs and feeding from our sexual tension.
A smile begs to pull at my lips and Leon laughs in response, our mutual success lightening this experience and dissolving some of the heat that was radiating between us. I break off, stepping back and taking a second to catch my breath when Leon slips his hands into the pockets of his dark wash jeans.
"Good job, Red. Now that you know how it feels, we practice until it's second nature for you." I look up to meet his gaze and find the challenge in his eyes, he's enjoying this, clearly. And I have to admit that I am too.
I step forward first, moving into his space, directly against his chest and speak the word that puts us back into motion.
"Again."
I fight the fog back, pushing it away and breathing in at the same time that Leon moves against my body, his hands wrap tightly around my waist as he grinds against me to the beat of music blasting around us. We realized pretty quickly that music turns us both on—the beat thrumming through our veins while our bodies move against each other to the rhythm.
When the song ends, I step away, pride filling my mind and spiraling through my chest. We've been working at this for a couple of hours and I think I'm really starting to get the hang of it. But I'm exhausted, emotionally, physically, and mentally.
“Oh shit, I forgot I had something for you,” Leon says as he pats his hands across the pockets of his dark jeans. I’m caught off guard at the fact that he has anything for me, we’ve hardly known each other long at all. “Ah—here it is.” His hand slips into his left pocket as he pulls out a dark, black velvet choker. It’s seductively narrow and showcases a gorgeous purple amethyst that drips from the center.
“What? Leon, you don’t need to give me this,” I say as I step back, putting a hand in front of myself to stop him somehow. I don’t know the significance of this, and all of a sudden, my usual cautious nature forces herself to the forefront.
“Oh, shut the hell up, it’s nothing special. Esme gave it to me and we both thought of you.” He steps forward, coming directly in front of me and wrapping it around my neck without giving me another chance to refuse. “So, think of it as a gift from the both of us.”
Esme. Her and I have always gotten along, since day one when we met at Elijah’s party and she drove my drunk ass home. I know she would never do anything to hurt me, I do trust her. And I do love this fucking choker. It’s gorgeous.
“All right, in that case—thank you. I really do love it.”
Leon isn't finished though. He nods in acknowledgement and steps backwards.
"All right, let's step it up a notch," his voice is heavy with subtlety, hinting at something he must have hidden under his sleeve.
I sigh. "Step it up? How much higher can we go? I'm already dying to fuck," I say breathlessly. My body is heightened with strain and frustration, even through the exhaustion, I'm craving that connection and release I've been denied through this training.
Leon steps out of the living room, moving toward the staircase before he lifts his hands to frame his mouth. I know he's about to yell, so I quickly run up behind him to stop whatever he's going to say. "Nathanial!" he shouts just before I throw my hand over his lips to cut him off.
"What the hell are you doing? I don't want to do this with him," I whisper loudly, tugging at his arm and pulling him away from the stairs.
"You have to do this with him though," he urges before turning back and yelling again, "Nathanial. Get the fuck down here."
My heart begins hammering in my chest for several reasons. Partly, because there's no way in hell I'm going to be able to fight off the haze with Nathanial, but I'd be lying if I said I didn’t want to know if I could.
"Ah, there you are. Come on Nate, we have work to do," Leon beckons as he turns and drags me back to the living room by my elbow.
"Don’t call me that," Nathanial sounds bored, but reluctantly steps down the stairs and follows us into the living room. He maintains a safe distance away, keeping to himself in the far corner of the room. I turn to face him, and his eyes fall to the choker on my neck. They narrow briefly, darting up to meet my gaze as if he wants to say something, but decides against it.
"Leon doesn't listen to anything anyone says," Amelia chimes in as she follows down the stairs, annoyance written clearly on her rolling eyes and stiff frame. She steps into the living room and leans against the wall, watching us all interact.
"First, if I'm not calling you Nate, I'm calling you something colorfully descriptive and I doubt you'll want that." Leon's gaze darts to Nathanial and taunts him. "Secondly, Millie. As if instructions, or directions, or la
ws ever resounded within your nature as well. Don't kid yourself."
"Well, well, what's going on here?" Elijah rounds the corner, another goddamn apple in his hand while he drops to the couch and casually leans back. Luna follows shortly after, wrapped in a big thick, tan blanket that falls around her shoulders.
"Jesus, Lun. A blanket? It's hot as Hell in here," I say, surprised at how she could possibly need one.
"I'm always cold," she explains as she takes a seat next to Elijah and presses directly into his side, snuggling into his warmth in addition to the blanket.
"It's also definitely not hot as Hell in here, Red. Sorry to break it to you," Leon's low demonic voice interjects as he comes up behind me and lays his hands on my waist.
My attention is quickly caught by Amelia as she turns to leave the room silently, assumedly not wanting to partake in this dreadful fucking display.
"Don't even think about it, Millie. Sit your ass down and enjoy the fucking show." Leon's gaze snaps to her, effectively locking her into place with surprised eyes and tight shoulders. I watch as she sucks her bottom lip into her mouth for a second, chewing on it while clearly considering her options before she finally submits and takes a seat on the far end of the couch.
"How long have you and Amelia known each other?" I ask, hoping to delay this even further and curb the conversation into a different direction.
"Too fucking long," I hear Amelia mutter under her breath as Leon simply looks at her. His expression is toxic though, filled with rage and disgust while she avoids his gaze all together.
"Anyways, Nathanial. Stella is doing a pretty great job at not slipping into her phase, but I need you to push her even further. Let her fight against giving into it again." Leon steps back and releases his hold on me, motioning for Nathanial to take his place.
"You don't need me for this," Nathanial says as he starts to turn and walk out of the room. My heart sinks in my chest just a bit, but is quickly replaced with relief at not even having to attempt refusing him.
"I think you know that you are needed for this. Unless you'd like me to fuck her myself and I'll push her—" Leon grips the back of my neck and pulls me toward him, angling his face so that our lips are only inches apart. "—all the way on my own." His voice drops a few decibels as he dips his head closer to mine when both Amelia and Nathanial move in separate directions.
In one instant, I'm roughly pulled out of Leon's grasp and hauled backwards against Nathanial's chest. But Amelia is quickly leaving the room just as Leon turns and launches for her, catching her long blonde hair in his fist and yanking her back. She's quick, and turns in his grasp, even though it stretches and pulls her scalp in what must be incredible pain. Her hands wrap around his throat, but he doesn't seem put off in the slightest, in fact, a dark smile spreads wide across his face.
"Where do you think you're going, Millie?"
"Bite me, Demon," she spits at him, attempting to push him away and gain a bit of space between them. She struggles, and he eats up the entire thing, smiling and dragging her back against his hard body.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you? Fulfill some fucked up fantasy you have about getting off with a Demon?"
He grips her by her neck and pushes her back down to the couch, slowly crouching in front of her while she breathes heavily. "Sick fuck."
"Well, even though this looks like an absolute blast, I'm definitely leaving," Luna states flatly, clearly uncomfortable with the chaos taking place. She quickly stands and walks out of the room, Elijah hot on her trail while they leave the four of us alone.
I'm so caught up in Leon and Amelia's dark interaction, that I've hardly noticed the way Nathanial's hand has continued resting possessively against my hip this entire time. But I notice it now that Leon has stood and turned back to face us.
"Now where were we, yes. Nathanial, make her fight for it."
"Wait, I'm not going to be able to do this with hi—"
Nathanial's fist quickly slips through my hair from behind, tangling his fingers in the strands as he wraps it tightly around and yanks my head back against his shoulder.
"Fucking Hell—" I start, my voice jumping in pitch at the pain that sears through my scalp.
Asshole.
"Not your turn to speak, baby girl." His voice is hard and low as it grates across my flesh. It ignites a new blaze inside of me, something stronger and more feral than I experienced before. This is why it's so hard for me to fight it with him. He's different. We're different. And I'm not sure how to overcome it.
His other hand reaches forward to grab my wrist in his and he pulls it around my hip, bringing it towards my other so that he can firmly brace both of my hands at the small of my back. I'm arched for him, completely at his mercy and that thick, heavy surge starts vibrating under my skin.
"Fight it, Red," Leon breaks through my fog and reprimands me.
"Yeah, fight it, baby girl. You going to let me break you?" Nathanial's lips skim my ear, dropping lower to the sensitive skin at my neck.
"No," I say quietly, pushing with all of my strength to keep the fog at bay. But my body reacts differently, seeking out more of Nathanial's hard and demanding tone.
"Excuse me?" His voice dips lower and the grip he holds in my hair tightens even further as he stretches me out for him. I'm momentarily distracted when Nathanial releases my wrists briefly, reaching around to snag something from Leon. However, I suddenly realize what it is when I feel the thick band of leather wrap tightly around my wrists, replacing his hands at my back. The belt pulls as he works behind me, wrapping it several times until it's biting harshly into my skin and he can secure the buckle.
"I said, no," I repeat myself, playing into this insane tension that's working through my body on every level. I'm so fucking ready and willing to feed from this, but I'm shoving all of my strength at the phase in order to hold it back. "Is that a word you don't hear often?" I push harder, dangerously curious to see where Nathanial takes this.
"Wrong answer," he snaps, and his hand comes down hard on my ass in punishment. "I'm seconds away from ripping these pants off of you and showing you exactly what the word no will get."
"Apologize," Leon's command rips from this throat as he casually sits back on the arm of the leather chair. He slides his hands into his pockets and watches us intently.
"What?" I ask, confused as to who is he is talking to.
"You. Stella, apologize to Nathanial."
"You're kidding, right?" I ask, astounded at his conclusion that I should be the one apologizing. However, my Succubi nature perks up with the heat erupting from the command.
Nathanial laughs darkly behind me, his chest rumbling against my back as his fingers slide across the front of my stomach and he pulls me against him. "Did you hear that? Say you're sorry like a good little girl and maybe I'll give you something you want."
He’s tempting me. Dangling that drug in front of my face because he knows I’ll bite. Lust and hunger collide inside of my chest, dripping and seething through my blood as it infects every part of my body. I'm wet, I know it and I can feel the heat through the thin fabric of my leggings.
"I'm sorry," I say quickly, just as Nathanial's hand travels up toward my chest. I want to look down and watch his fingers as they trail across my skin, but he has his hold so firmly on my head that I can't look anywhere but at his harsh face.
"Good girl," he whispers as his lips fall against my shoulder and begin drifting up my neck. My heart thunders, rushing so loudly that I swear he must be able to hear it. He stands soundly though, as if he's hardly effected by this encounter. I don't know what to make of it, but I'm working my ass off to take everything I can from this without giving into the phase.
If I give in, if I ghost over, I'll lose this moment with him.
His lips continue working over me until they reach my ear, and he sucks it into his mouth before biting down on the flesh. An indulgent whimper escapes my lips and I attempt turning my face closer to his, but he doesn't
allow it.
"Say something to her," Leon instructs. "Push her farther. She needs to hit that edge."
Surprisingly, for a split second, I see a flash of hot rage come across Nathanial's face as he looks up at Leon. It's dark and possessive and I know he's fighting something in himself as well, something he's forcing back and out of this moment.
"Enjoy this now, because it's the closest you're ever going to get to having any sort of control over Stella and I,” he speaks harshly, venom and authority emanating from his entire demeanor. It’s clear that he’s simply allowing Leon this moment, permitting him to offer any sort of instruction on what’s going on between us.
Nathanial returns his attention to me as he releases my hair and brings both hands to my narrow waist. He resumes sliding one upwards, brushing his thumb against the underside of my breast as he speaks quietly in my ear, so only I can hear what he’s saying.
“You know who’s actually in control, right Stella?” he asks, that same authoritative tone sweeping through me. My flesh heats up, warming to his touch and aching for more.
I nod helplessly, losing myself to this moment but holding on enough to continue fighting the phase.
“Say it, baby girl. Tell me who is in control.”
I submit to his demand, amazingly withholding the phase from breaking through. But my strength is dwindling, and I feel a new sort of wave wash across me. It’s hardly there, incredibly subtle, but it vibrates parallel to the phase that also seeks release.
“You. You’re in control,” I whisper, just as his hand moves over my breast and he kneads me. My breaths become sloppy and erratic, releasing in uneven patterns while that ache twists tightly inside of me. I need more, need the relief that so many different aspects of my body are craving.
“That’s right, good girl.” He rewards me as his lips move along my jaw line, nipping and biting before his tongue soothes the same spot. My skin is on fire, goosebumps break out across my shoulders as my hands strain against the binds at my back. I arch into his chest, urging him to touch me more, give me fucking more.