by Sariah Skye
I grumbled, grabbing at the mug. “Bitch.” I snarled as she took her rightful place behind the counter—away from us. Away from Bash.
Summer let out a low whistle, and she stifled a laugh as she sipped her drink. “Damn! Why don’t you just pee on him, Avie? A bit territorial?”
I gave her a dirty look. “Ha.”
From underneath me, Bash’s chest rose and fell with laughter. I glared at him now severely.
“It’s the incubus thing,” Bash explained, with a bland shrug. “Women are just drawn to us. Why do you think we stick mainly with animals? The curse can cause outright fistfights!”
“Hmph,” I said, blandly, remembering when that slutty girl was fawning over Xander in the club. When he ignored her for me, she became angry, and spilled her drink down my back on the dancefloor.
But just before that, Xander totally made out with me on the dancefloor—so, there was that. The thought secretly pleased me, and I grinned to myself smugly.
“Is there no way to control it?” Summer asked in seriousness.
“Well, as you’re aware, unless you’re just totally not attracted to us, then no—no way to control it,” Bash said, with a sigh. Summer did know that because they definitely weren’t her type (men in general, not just incubi).
“That’s too bad. Because here comes another.” Summer nodded at another woman who’d just entered the lobby from outside, wearing a smart maroon pantsuit, and carrying a slim laptop bag. As she walked towards the counter to place her order, high-heeled pumps clicking rhythmically on the tiled floor, she slowed down when she neared Bash.
I rolled my eyes. “Not again,” I groused.
Bash patted my shoulder once. “Let me just—” he rose slowly, hinting that I should slide off his lap. Reluctantly, I did. He motioned to his vacated seat, urging me to sit. He nodded once politely at the businesswoman, who’d halted completely. She stared over her black-rimmed glasses at him, her eyes trailing over his body with obvious desire.
“Ma’am,” he said. “The cashier is up there?” He pointed to the glass counter in the center of the lobby.
She shook herself out of a daze. “Right.” She began walking once more, her gaze still fixated on Bash, especially as he turned around, and faced me. He leaned over slightly, his taut ass hugged by the worn blue jeans, his face just inches from mine. “I think I’ll be better off across the room, hiding behind a newspaper. So you ladies can chat, okay?” He winked once at Summer, before sliding his hand under my chin, tipping my face upward. Our eyes met, and he bent lower to kiss me sensually on the lips. Not too hard, not with tongue, but with just a little nip of my bottom lip.
I choked back a wanton moan and resisted the urge to press against him because just as it started, it was over. “Let me know when you’re ready to leave, babe.” He said softly to me.
I watched him with appreciation as he crossed the room and set himself in a sofa that did not face the lobby. A newspaper sat on a nearby table and he reached for it, lifting it high enough to block his face.
The repressed business-bitch scowled at me, before she finally placed her order at the counter.
I scoffed. Raising my eyebrows at Summer, I said, “You see what I have to deal with?”
Summer’s mouth hung agog in disbelief. “Yeah… I do. Props for him not using the word ‘bae’ though.”
I laughed loudly. “A perk of dating dudes not of this time.”
Summer chuckled, then shook her head in amazement. “That’s just…wow. And you have to deal with that four times?”
I growled into my coffee, the sound echoing off the sides of the mug, making me sound even angrier. “Yep. We don’t go many places.”
“Hmm…” Summer drummed her fingers against her drink thoughtfully. “Maybe you need to claim them.”
My eyebrow quirked. “Claim them? We’re not werewolves, Summer. We’re incubi. The sluts of the supernatural world.”
“Right, but maybe the idea is the same. Your magic like, gets all over them and others sense it and just back off?” She suggested, with a shrug. “You know, like animals and shit. They do that, right?”
I considered this. “Maybe. I’m not sure it’s quite that simple. Maybe other supes could sense it but these are human.”
She winked at me over her drink. “Hey, and if you’re wrong, at least you had a good time, right?”
I laughed. “Right!” The hot awareness between my legs agreed. Evil witch on my tail, or a hunt for an ancient sword with odd powers? Not as important as figuring out how to get into the pants of four incubi.
It was all about the priorities, right?
Summer had to leave for work about thirty minutes after the incident with the wanton business-bitch, so Bash and I left shortly after. I had to really focus my energy on not razing the place, because women came in off the streets just to catch a glimpse of and lick their lips at Bash. I felt triumphant climbing on the white motorcycle behind him, wrapping my arms tightly around his waist as women scowled at me. I flicked them off as we sped away, driving home to Wild Township.
Around fifteen minutes later, we pulled into the driveway to the large house, designed as a rustic lodge on the outside—but a modern male wonderland inside, complete with state-of-the-art appliances, all the latest technology, and comfortable bedrooms for everyone.
But I was baffled by Mathias, Xander, and Trystan standing in a line in the yard in front of the house, waiting for us and looking smug.
Bash parked his bike and shut off the engine, and he helped me to slide off the bike to my feet. Since that first ride together, I’d gotten more comfortable on the contraption, and actually enjoyed it now. Mostly because I got to smash myself against a hot guy, but also because it was freeing and fun.
The three guys stood there all innocently. They were clearly up to something.
“Oh balls, what did you do?” I crossed my arms over my chest and gave them all a once-over. “You break my car?” I asked, directly to Xander, crossing the distance to glare at him closer.
Xander’s face was wounded. “How could you think that?” His lower lip trembled, as he pretended to sob.
I punched him gently in the arm. “Ha ha,” I said wryly.
Mathias nudged Trystan, with a stifled grin on his face.
“Aye,” he responded. “Sierra!” He called, facing the east side of the yard, towards the barn.
“Did you steal my dog?” Bastard! I knew it! She followed him around like a little lost puppy recently. Trystan swore it was because she just liked getting to know new people. Ha. No, it was literally because Trystan could communicate with animals, and she could get him to do her bidding.
I just knew it.
Trystan just smirked, gesturing with a jerk of his head towards my dog; a large, white Great Pyrenees, as she trotted out from behind the house.
“What did you—” I started, when behind her a handful of paces, bound two smaller balls of fluff—one pure white, one with gray ears. I covered my gasp with my hands, especially as another, somewhat larger white dog followed (probably an older pup), and then the largest one of the bunch.
Three. Great Pyrenees. Puppies. Plus, an extra—by his large size, I guessed he was a male.
Trystan whistled loudly, and all five animals came over to us.
“Where—where did they come from!?” All my normal smart-ass remarks evaporated from my tongue. I knelt, scratching Sierra behind the ear as she sidled up to me, tail swishing from side to side. That was excited for a Great Pyrenees; in my experiences, they were always the masters of subdued emotion.
The two smallest puppies though—and when I say “small,” really, they were probably about thirty pounds already. One let out a little bark and jumped up on my calves. She came up to my knees when she stood on two legs. I melted. “Aww!” I picked her up under her front legs, and lifted her to my chest, wrapping my arms around her.
The other two pups yapped and started ambling in and out of the guys’ feet. Th
e large male left behind cautiously sniffed me, then Bash, before snuffling out of his large snout, and taking a seat next to Sierra.
“Do you like them?” Mathias asked, barely able to contain his shit-ass grin.
I couldn’t even answer him; I was too busy being pelted with puppy kisses. Xander and Trystan were scratching and petting the other two pups, totally oblivious to anything else.
“I got a call the other day about a puppy mill being run about fifty miles of here,” Mathias said to me. He reached out to pet the back of the bigger pup’s neck as he spoke. “Most of the other dogs found homes, but as you know, Great Pyrenees’ get so huge, there is not a lot of people with space for them.”
I giggled, as the puppy sniffed my cheek and let out a peal of puppy barks.
Mathias continued. “I’ve been wanting to expand into more domestic animals—we hadn’t before because we were afraid of… you know,” Mathias hinted. I knew what he meant; the natural predators like the bears and wolves might want to make a quick snack of one of the domesticated dogs. “But Trystan said, after warning everyone, that he thought they would leave each other alone.”
“Aye, I’ll be watching,” he said, eyeing the large gray wolf, Nessie, who emerged from the tree line in the distance. “That, and they behave better with a woman around,” he said, flashing me a wink. The older pup began jumping at Trystan’s legs, so in true Trystan fashion, he plopped on the ground and let the pup play, with all the nips and licks typical of a puppy. By the large grin on his face, he loved every second of it. “Och, don’t worry, Nessie. You’ll always be my one true love!” He called to her, as she circled the group and sat warily at the edge of the driveway, letting out a small whimper.
“She okay?” I asked him.
After staring at her for a moment, probably doing his animal-telepathy thing, he nodded. “Aye. She’s just watching from afar. The pups are bit wary of her still, so she’s giving them time to get used to her.”
I turned to Sierra, who was sitting by my feet, ears perked, still wagging her fluffy tail. In normal circumstances, the two of them would be enemies, but over the past couple weeks since we’d been here, they’d become best friends. “You’ll make sure she’s okay, right?” I asked her.
She sneezed, bobbing her head. I took that as a “yes.”
“We wanted to have something here, for you. You know, make you feel more at home,” Mathias said to me, over the barks and sniffing sounds.
I raised a brow. “You mean, the designer bedroom wasn’t enough? You guys—I’m fine here!” I insisted.
“I’m glad, but… it just felt like the right thing to do. They needed a home, you’re currently… a little lost?” Mathias said, after a moment’s thought. I smiled subtly; he wasn’t wrong. “I thought it was a good match.”
The puppy in my arms barked and wiggled excitedly. I nuzzled her next to my cheek, rubbing her soft fur against my face. I looked at Mathias and beamed. “It is. Thank you.”
Chapter Five
Most of the rest of the day was spent settling in the new arrivals, and it was well after dusk before they finally calmed enough to relax.
The adult male I was now calling ‘Rocky,’ had the hardest time adjusting. Trystan said that he’d been kept in a kennel for most of his life; only used as a breeder. My heart broke hearing that—apparently, so did Sierra’s because she paid extra special attention to him too.
They had warmed up to Nessie after a time, and between Sierra and her they managed to keep the three pups in line.
Too busy to cook, Mathias had sprung for delivery—Italian food—and we were still grazing of the generous spread well into the 10 o’clock hour. Bash had disappeared to his technological dungeon first, wanting to do his daily search on the void web for anything new and bizarre. Xander was next, saying that he’d had enough excitement for one day. Trystan, Mathias, and I remained.
Trystan sat crossed-legged on a large pillow on the ground; he appeared to be having an intense telepathic conversation of sorts with Rocky. He still wasn’t too keen on being pet, yet—but he was slowly warming up.
The older pup was a male—Mathias named him Percy. Short for Percival, he said—one of the Knights of the Round Table. The two littlest pups were female; I named them Frankie and Lizzie. No real reason, I just liked the way they sounded together. Lizzie sat between Mathias and I on the sofa; Frankie pawed around on the floor with a ball, before collapsing in a furry heap next to Sierra, who snoozed on the floor.
I looked up at Mathias and beamed widely. “The dogs, that was a very sweet thing to do.”
He shrugged modestly. “It’s what we do. I know—as much as you don’t want to admit it—there’s something going on with you. Besides the butt-kicking magic.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but he raised a palm, shaking his head. “I’m old, Ava. I’m old-fashioned at times, but I’m not naïve. How could something not be going on with you?”
I sighed heavily, avoiding his probing brown eyes. I reached out, gently stroking one of Lizzie’s outstretched paws. “I…”
What did I say, really? Words failed me. How could I describe how alone I felt, even in a house full of four men, and dozens of animals on the property? How could I put into words how broken-hearted I was that my mother had only given birth to me—the only family I’d ever known—just so she could have a vessel for her insidious plans. I didn’t even realize until now those things were bothering me, but I wasn’t sure I was ready to voice them yet. For reasons I didn’t understand.
Rocky let out a low growl as Trystan held out a hand to pet him. Tears pricked in my eyes as I watched his stand-offish behavior. Suddenly, I could relate to the poor dog; only being used as a sperm donor to make money. I had been used too, just not in the same way.
“I get you, Rocky…” I said so quietly, I don’t think anyone could hear me. Rocky’s ears perked up some and glanced my way. His sad eyes were heavy, but he tilted his head to the side slightly.
“The puppy mill owner apparently was male.” Trystan shook his head sadly. “I know he understands that we’re not going to hurt him, but he is still having a hard time trusting.” Trystan raised a brow at me.
“My whole life has been a lie…” I sniffled, shying away, staring at my hands folded in my lap.
Mathias sighed from the other side of the sofa. “Ava…” was all he said. Through teary eyes I thought I saw him reach out for me, but hesitated.
A large shadow sprawled out next to me, as Trystan had risen and crossed the room to me. A rough cheek nuzzled my forehead as Trystan leaned over, gently kissing it. “Avie… you’re not alone. Okay?” He stood, and I looked up at him briefly, offering a quick, half-hearted nod. Trystan clasped my shoulder in solidarity. “I’m off to do the rounds.” Trystan winked at me, before turning to all the canines in the room. Nessie lifted her head; they were having a conversation. What would it be like to live in Trystan’s head? I wondered. “Everyone should behave for a bit. I’ll be back…”
“We’ll be fine, eagle-man,” I retorted, and he flashed me a wide grin before he disappeared out the front door to do his rounds for the night. Most of the animals on the property were pretty independent, but I think Trystan needed his time alone.
Mathias and I were left; the silence left behind was awkward for a few moments before Lizzie sneezed, waking herself up from a nap. I chuckled at her silly puppy antics, and she dove off the couch, pouncing on Frankie. “It’s good that they’ll never know what it’s like to be betrayed.”
“Hopefully not.” Mathias stretched his arms out and upward, before raking his fingers through his hair. He still wore his gray slacks and button up shirt, but the shirt had been half-unbuttoned, the sleeves rolled half way up his thick arms. My sadness was momentarily forgotten, as I eyed how the buttons once again strained across his massive chest. A shudder crashed through me, part aroused and part something I couldn’t describe. I knew it was the Avalon power waking up, as it always did whenever I
thought anything remotely sexual.
Mathias seemed to sense whatever I was feeling. “You seem… bothered.”
I snorted derisively. “You have no idea.”
Mathias full pout set into a firm line. “It’s the Avalon magic, isn’t it?”
I exhaled, as Mathias reached for me, grasping my hand in his. “Just talk to me, Avie. If not me—someone. Anyone.”
“Well… I talked to Summer but unfortunately, beyond girl-talk, there isn’t much she can do,” I said sadly.
“What about me? Can I do anything?” Mathias’ voice was hopeful, as he slid closer to me on the sofa. “Look, I get it. My… power is somewhat like yours, I think. It rumbles inside of me, even when I am not using it. It took many, many years for me to quell the rage inside me. Many years. If I even give into it in the slightest…well…” he said pointedly. Yeah, I did know; he’d nearly killed the bouncer at the Stargazer when he’d made a lewd comment at me. “And I’m not even full-strength with this incubus curse in me.”
“What would have happened if you were?” I asked, swallowing nervously. Although I was pretty sure I knew the answer to his question.
Mathias breathed out slowly. Looking pained, he glanced away, embarrassed. Not by his emotions though…I’d quickly come to learn that Mathias was a complicated, emotional man. He may have appeared gruff and intimidating, but he was really gentle and kind-hearted. He regretted his violent past more than anything. “I’m a murderer, Avie. A killer. I would have added him to the long list of men that have had their lives ended by my hands.”
It was my turn to slide closer to him. The regret of his past ebbed off him in tidal waves. The magic coursed through my veins, muddling my thoughts, but not my intent. I didn’t quite know why, but this time it was a pleasant sensation like a summer’s evening breeze. I recalled it was similar to what I felt after “healing” them after they were injured, saving me from the ritual weeks ago. So, the magic wasn’t all bad, but still very unpredictable.