by Liz Meldon
“Demon. Yes. Lust demon, specifically.” He grinned, head cocked to one side as his hand hung between them. “Still so keen on my help?”
She nibbled her lower lip for a moment, then flinched back when he blinked and revealed his true eyes. Practically tripping over her own two feet, Moira scrambled to the other side of her bed.
“Well?” He held his hands out, then rotated in a slow, gratuitous circle, reveling in her distress. When he faced her again, Severus fluttered his lashes and bit back a laugh. “Does this change anything for you?”
Slowly, Moira forced her arms to her sides, then cautiously shuffled back to him, not stopping until she was about two feet away.
“Are you going to hurt me?” she asked. The inner demon was positively beside himself at the thought.
“Not unless you ask me to.”
He thought he’d seen her blush before—but the ruby-red flames licking their way across her face now were just delightful.
“I’ll hold you to that,” she said in a deliciously shy tone. He suspected she meant she would hold him to not hurting her—but Severus preferred to acknowledge the other implications.
“See that you do,” he purred, offering his hand one last time. “So, that’s it then? Partners?”
“Until we find my dad,” she slipped her hand into his, grasping it firmly enough to make his inner demon sing, “partners.”
He watched them leave the house with a clenched jaw and an air of rage boiling around him. Invisible to all eyes, he stood on the sidewalk corner, stiff as a statue, as they descended the rickety porch. At the bottom, his child, the mistake none of the others knew about—could ever know about—touched the demon’s arm and held out her phone. The creature took it, then offered his in return. Swapping phone numbers. Humans did it all the time these days, didn’t they? To the unobservant, the gesture was innocent, unimportant.
But he knew better.
He had been watching her for years. Watching her grow up to look like her mother, the wretch who had weakened his resolve just enough, that one time, that he took her to bed. He had watched the girl change in the wake of that woman’s well-deserved death.
He had seen her start to show her true self, the other side, fearing that the others would detect her, a half-breed in a sea of this, that, and the other. An abomination sired from his own loins.
Accursed Nephilim.
The very word made his lips curl into a sneer.
They were handing back each other’s phones now, his daughter eyeing the demon warily. With a curt nod, the beast strode down the front walk, then made a sharp turn to the left, carrying him away from the university campus. He watched, enjoying how the incubus shuddered when their paths crossed. He was invisible, yes, but the cockroach would feel his presence. The beast stopped briefly, taking a cigarette and a silver lighter from his pocket, before hurrying on up the street.
Attack a human. Feed from her before mine eyes. Give me a reason to slit your throat, beast.
Wishful thinking, of course.
He dragged his gaze back to the daughter, the child, the girl he should have smothered in her crib. She stood at the end of her walkway, her expression unreadable—until she lifted those eyes, the same eyes as his, and stared directly at him. Across the street, a few houses over, he held his breath. Invisible to the human eye, yet she wasn’t exactly human, was she?
For a moment she continued to stare at him, perhaps into him, until those eyes lifted upward, then darted from side to side, her brow pinched. Good. She might sense him, the eyes that had watched her all her life, but she still couldn’t see him.
And if he had it his way, she never would.
The demon complicated things. He had never seen the creature before, but the agency was aware that several incubi and succubi used the escorting profession as a means to steal essence from innocents. Thus far, no one had died from their little games, but give it time. Demons simply couldn’t control themselves.
His nails bit into his palms. Control. Even angels lacked control under the right circumstances. He burned his gaze into the middle of her back, watching her go, another wool cap on her head, as she headed toward the university at a good clip.
Did she know?
Had the demon told her? They were rather good at that—telling humans things they shouldn’t, whispering the sweet secrets of the universe in their ears, secrets humanity wasn’t ready for, under the guise of liberation.
If she knew, she would seek him out.
And he couldn’t have that.
Yet he couldn’t kill her himself. The others would know—they’d see the blood on his hands, the darkness in his soul.
It was time to call in a favor. A favor from one who lived in the darkness, who relished the opportunity to spill and drink and bathe in blood.
He looked to her one last time, waiting on a street corner a hundred yards away, watching a car pass. A gentle breeze sent her loose hairs, the ones poking out from under the cap, tickling across her skin. Moira brushed at them absently, a curious sort of smile on her lips.
Yes, smile now, daughter of mine. For I promise your days of smiling are numbered.
He would see to that. One way or another—the darkness would have to take her.
To be continued in PREY, the second novel in the paranormal romance series, THE HUNT. Look for it March 23, 2018!
Author Newsletter
Never miss out again – sign up for Liz Meldon’s newsletter!
Want to stay updated on pub news and get review copies before everyone else? Sign up for either one of Liz Meldon’s mailing lists to be in the loop!
Standard Monthly Newsletter – for pub news, recommended reads, and updates on all things Liz Meldon.
For pub news and book deals specific to a subgenre:
Contemporary Romance/Erotica Newsletter
Paranormal Romance Newsletter
Fantasy Romance Newsletter
Release Day Newsletter – for notifications about new books only. No monthly updates or book deals.
VIP Review Team – for more frequent updates, a guaranteed copy of any of Liz Meldon’s books (as long as you review actively), and exclusive giveaways of book swag, paperbacks, and more.
Thanks for reading!
Thank you so much for reading my little novella! You’re amazing. Seriously. Go treat yo’ self for being such a fabulous human being.
I really hope you enjoyed the opening chapter of Severus and Moira’s story! THE HUNT is one of my favourite series so far—it’s made me fall back in love with writing, believe it or not, and I’m super excited to share the rest of the journey with you!
If you enjoyed PREDATOR and want to support THE HUNT, please consider leaving a review at the retailer of your choice, including Goodreads. Reviews help indie authors thrive. I also use reviews as a way to gauge what series to work on next. If paranormal romance is your thing, let me know!
Best wishes,
Liz
Connect with Liz on social media:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Tumblr
Pinterest
Instagram
About the Author
Liz is a Canadian author who grew up in the Middle East. She has a degree in Bioarchaeology from Western University, and when she isn't writing about her own snarky characters, she is ghostwriting romance novels, loitering on social media, or taking care of her many animals.
As a freelance ghostwriter, she has written over a dozen books ranging from romance to horror, full-length to novella-sized. A handful are currently on the market, and she stalks their "authors" with fiendish delight. She loves writing realistic characters in fantastical settings.
More from Liz Meldon
Contemporary Erotic Romance
Erotic Short Shorts – an Erotic Short Story Series
Happy Hour (2016)
Holiday Hell (2017)
Bliss (2018)
All In Trilogy
Finn (#1)
Cole (#2)
Skye (#3)
All In Trilogy: Book Bundle + Bonus Content
Paranormal Romance
The Hunt – a Demon Romance (2018)
Predator (#1)
Prey (#2)
Stalker (#3)
Killer (#4)
Lovers and Liars: Immortal Wars – a fantasy and paranormal romance series based in the Lovers and Liars Universe
Court of the Phantom Queen (2017) – Book #1 (fantasy romance, novella)
Apollo’s Priestess (2017) – Book #2 (shifter paranormal romance, novella)
To the North (TBD) – Book #3 (fantasy romance, novella)
Lovers and Liars – a Modern-Day Mythology Romance Serial
Manhattan (2014) – Book #1 (FREE)
Vancouver (2015) – Book #2
Westwick College (2016) – Book #3
Tuskin Island (TBD) – Book #4
Games We Play – a (Vampire/Hunter) Duology
The Fool (2015) – Prologue
The King (2016) – Book #1
The Queen (TBD) – Book #2