by L M Adams
He sighs irritated, but only says, “Ok.” I guess he’s also learned when not to push.
It felt so good what I’d done, letting loose like that. The power sang in my veins. I liked it very much, too much. My succubus is quiet inside me, I don’t feel her presence just beneath the surface like usual.
We are still here.
Oh yes, I know, you evil little bitch.
She laughs a laugh that runs a shiver through my body.
I’d started visualizing my succubus as a separate entity during my time with Sheba, telling myself it was her that loved to torture the slaves at Sheba’s command, it was her, and not me, not Jae, not the real Jae. I was only letting her do these things so I could survive. Now my succubus won’t go away.
Worse even, the vision of what Jack saw, how he sees me. That isn’t me, that is my succubus. He says he loves me, but does he just love the succubus? I blow out a breath, how did my life get so complicated? I try to pinpoint the exact moment my life went to shit. But the list keeps going from one calamity after another.
We speed along the city streets and make it to the gate we’d come through in decent time. My heart stops a little when the guards walk up to the car. Do they know what we did in the elevator? Did someone run our DNA? Results take how long? I have no idea. I let out a breath when they scan our wrist and wave us through.
I look out the window and the side-view mirror for signs we’re being followed. But I don’t see anyone. It really doesn’t matter, they obviously know who I am, it wouldn’t be that hard to find me. Still, I watch for an attack.
Nothing happens and we pull to the back of the house without incident. I get out, pull the fence open and let Jack pull in. I walk in, pull the gate closed and lock it. I go to help him with the bags.
Jack shakes his head at me. “Go, get a shower, we’re short on time. I’ll fill the guys in on what happened. Not to mention I need to do something about the sweater you ruined wiping jiz off an elevator floor. Even if I find a way to clean it, Lucien isn’t going to want to wear it now.”
I look to him wide eyed. I’d wiped up Jack’s and my ‘jiz’ with Lucien’s three hundred credit cashmere sweater? I make a pained noise in my throat. My stomach drops out. Over the money? Over the fact that Lucien is going to go ape-shit if he finds out? I don’t know why but the Lucien part scares me more.
“Don’t tell him, Jack. Throw the sweater away. He can wear a black T-shirt or something. Don’t you dare fucking say anything either.” I walk over to him hissing.
“Yes, Jaevia.” He bows his head and gathers all the bags together. I stomp off towards the house.
“And wash your hair!” I hear him yell from behind me. Bossy Blood Lord masochistic horny vampire.
I walk through the kitchen yelling names as I go, no one is home yet. I check my tablet; they still have an hour before we’d agreed to meet back here. I don’t have any missed calls or messages. So I guess things are ok, but I send out a text to Minx and Peter; Tabari and Lucien don’t have tablets yet.
BE ON GUARD NOT-WOLF FOLLOWED ME. SAFE AT HOME NOW.
As soon as I send the message, I begin counting down: five, four, three, two, my tablet ring. It says Peter but I know its Lucien’s voice I’ll hear when I accept the call, “There’d better not be a scratch on you or I’m killing the bloodsucker!” Lucien yells. He doesn’t disappoint me.
“I’m fine, Lucien, he didn’t even get close,” I lie.
“We’ll be there in forty-five minutes at most,” he says.
“Bye Jae,” Peter chimes in and the line goes dead. Forty-five glorious minutes of peace.
I use a whole twenty in the shower. Washing myself over and over again then letting the hot water beat down on me. Finally I get out and grab a towel, wrapping it around my body. I grab all of my stuff from the floor.
When I make it to the bedroom, Jack is already there, hairdryer and leave-in conditioner in hand. He’s brought a dining room chair upstairs; it sits in front of the dresser. I dump my clothes and tablet on the bed, letting my boots hit the floor with a thud. Jack jumps at the sound. He’s nervous or on edge. I dry off and slip into my deep purple robe with the lace trim.
I walk over to the chair and take my seat quietly. He begins working in the conditioner; I watch his movements through the mirror. He’s still graceful, but worry pinches the corners of his eyes. He’ll say something when he’s ready. He turns on the blow dryer and begins drying my hair, careful not to poke himself with my horns. I need to get caps for them or something.
I hear Lucien and Peter come in. I don’t know its Lucien from the sound of his footsteps, but because he’s yelling my name like a madman. I don’t answer, exasperated. I told the silly man I was fine.
He bursts through my bedroom door moments later. I watch him through the mirror. He’s breathing heavy, staring at me. I hold up my hands, palms to the sky.
“What?” I ask.
His eyes cut to Jack.
“Nothing happened, we just were followed a little. I glamoured us into old people and we got away. Nothing to get all crazy over,” I say in a placating tone. There’s a scary wild look in his eyes.
“Jack, give us a minute,” I say when Lucien still doesn’t respond.
Jack sighs, but puts down his comb and goes out the door.
“I’m fine, Lucien.” I stand up and turn to him.
He walks over and pulls me into his chest, hugging me. I let him hold me, not really understanding what’s going on.
He moves back a little and tilts my head back bending to kiss me. I open my mouth to him; desire curls low in my body. It’s the desire of just a woman that’s attracted to a man. No succubus.
He grunts and pulls back.
“I’d take you if we had but the time, Jae. I want to feel your naked skin on mine. I want to hear you cry out the words. But I would not be quick, and you have to seduce a Blood Mistress tonight. So I’ll go without for the greater good,” he says low.
I smile up at him; he nods his head locking that lust away so easily, he turns and walks out the door. No ranting or raving demanding for me to stay in the house. The man really has grown since I’ve been back home. But he really does have too much control. I shake my head, smiling.
Time to get back to turning me pretty. I don’t mind the blow drying but I officially hate curling. It irritates me. It takes forever. I have these huge rollers pinned in my hair now. I just hate all of the bother.
“How do you know how to curl hair?” I ask, looking at Jack thorough the mirror as he rolls the last section of my hair onto a roller.
He shrugs his shoulder. “Ari liked to have her hair curled.”
I don’t ask any more questions after that. Jack pulls out bottles of skin creams and tells me to lotion down every inch.
“I laid your panties, the fishnets and the skirt out. I’ll have to help you with the corset. I need to get the guys started and then I’m getting a shower,” he says, all general directing his troop’s voice. Then he’s out the door.
I take my time lotioning down. The body cream is thick and smooth as I spread it on my skin. It smells of – I sniff it – it smells like vampire, cinnamon and dark chocolate. The mix of the scents with my citrus succubus smell and the strawberry leave in conditioner make me smell like a god damn French dessert. Come eat me, it screams. What is the man thinking?
We need her to want us.
I know her words to be true so I just sigh and decide to not stomp off to yell at Jack.
I pull out the collar I’d bought for him. Give it to him or not? It symbolizes a lot. More than I’m willing to give. I just don’t have the love words in me to give. I may never have them. Would giving Jack the collar be making a false promise to him? Or is keeping it from him being selfish?
Selfish. Ugh.
I stuff it back into my messenger bag. I set my mind to the task at hand with a force of will.
I slip into the purple lace panties he’s set out and then the fishnets.
They have the very small holes with the line running up the back. Damn, even I feel sexy with them on. I slip into the leather skirt. It’s tight but not horribly so, and its knee length which makes me feel better about it. The door opens, it’s Jack with a towel wrapped around his waist. Water still glistens on his skin, beading. Lightly muscled chest and arms, a hint of a six pack. The towel hangs low enough for me to see where his waist turns into that delicious V a man can have. It’s like an arrow pointing to the Promised Land. I lick my lips in appreciation.
“I love it when you look at me like that.” He closes the door behind him and drops the towel. He has a semi.
I smile at him. “No time for that, horny vamp boy. Come strap me in this corset.” I stand up turning my back to him.
He walks over and picks it up from the bed. I hold the corset in place as he pulls the stays. He rubs up against me, teasing me, inviting me. I keep still after he ties off the stays right above my ass I notice my breasts are pushed up so high I can probably balance a cup on them. I look at myself in the mirror. My small waist is clenched smaller. It’s not easy to move in, but it makes my back ramrod straight. I look like I have confidence. I’m really starting to feel like a succubus in her own right. For once I feel thankful that Jack has gone through all this trouble. I turn and say thank you. He only nods his head and moves to his own pile of clothing. He pulls on his underwear, black boxer briefs and a pair of leather pants.
I walk over to my messenger bag and clear my throat, pulling out the collar.
“No, thank you. For being everything I need when I need it.” I take a breath as he turns and sees the collar in my hand. His eyes widen and a blush comes to his cheeks, realizing it’s the one that was in the case.
“It’s not as fancy as…” I stop my words as he walks over and falls to his knees in front of me.
“Jae, please, it’s wonderful. It could be a bit of string for all I care.” I smile as warmness spreads through me. I bend over and wrap the collar around his neck.
“Move your hair,” I say low. He rushes to move it. I buckle it and run my hand over it.
“I don’t want you to wear it all the time, maybe when we play or occasions like tonight, or go to places where you need to be claimed so horny little vamps won’t rub up against you?”
“Yes Jae, thank you. I love it and you.” My hand stills hearing the words.
“Stand up let me see you.” I say, backing away, smiling. I wish he’d stop saying that. Is there a maximum amount of times he can say it without me saying it back before I become a complete shit?
The black collar looks good against his skin, his eyes are happy and at ease. He wasn’t sure? Is that what’s been bothering him? That I’d give him back to Madame? A one hundred- and fifty-year-old, kick ass Blood Lord vamp was feeling insecure. Are such things possible?
“You are mine,” I say simply. His face splits into a grin. “Well don’t you still need to do my make-up or some such?”
I sit on the bed as he pulls out all manners of make-up. I don’t really wear much of the stuff, and when I say not much, I mean I’ve been known to rub some cherry lip balm on my lips from time to time. The eyeliner is the most difficult. “Stop blinking, Jae!”
“It feels like you’re going to poke my eye out,” I say back, agitated.
“I will if you don’t stop moving. Hold still.” He says. The threat is enough for me to finally be still. He finishes the eyeliner quickly. He uses a multitude of eyeshadows to do a smoky eye, whatever in goddesses’ name that’s supposed to be. He only puts a bit of a glimmer lip gloss on my lips. He stands up and starts pulling the rollers from my hair, tossing them on the bed. He finger combs my hair, it feels poofy. I just know it’s poofy. I sigh as he steps back admiring his work.
“Now look” he says in a happy voice.
I stand up and go over to the mirror. I blink a few times looking at my reflection. My hair is gorgeous; large tumbling curls fall a bit past my shoulders. But my eyes, their purple color is highlighted by the black eyeliner, he has hints of purple in the corners of my eyes. Black sparkling eye shadow on my eyelids and a sparkling golden color up to my eyebrows make me look older, sexier, wiser; more woman. I step back, taking in the whole outfit.
“Hand me the shoes,” I whisper. He hands them to me. I sit down in the chair and put them on. I rush out of the bedroom to the bathroom with the full- length mirror that hangs on the door. The corset, stockings, heels, leather skirt. Oh my, I look fucking good. I turn around, looking at my ass. I look like a succubus, finally.
I walk back to the room. Jack is putting on his black cashmere sweater. It’s just tight enough for me to see the sleek muscles underneath it. He let his hair air dry and it hangs around his face framing his strong jaw line and deep metallic blue eyes. The collar looks perfect. It screams mine. The leather pants hang low on his waist with a leather belt in the loops. Instead of boots, he’s wearing leather lace-up, dress shoes. It gives the whole outfit a classy, not trashy, feel. I watch as he walks over to the dresser and pulls out his signet ring. I’ve never seen him wear it before. I watch as he takes a deep breath and slips it on. To say I watch a dark cloud form over his head wouldn’t be true, but I feel it there, hanging over him. He really doesn’t want to be a Blood Lord.
“Why wear it then?” I ask quietly.
“Not wearing it doesn’t make it not be true,” he says and smiles at me. But it’s a sad smile.
I stand there, not saying anything. I have no comfort to offer. Me working so hard to not be a succubus, to become a Reaper, had not made me being a succubus any less true. I wonder again, do we have any control over our lives? Is it all predestined to be what it is, no matter what we choose? Heavy questions for a night already filled with heavy questions.
He goes over to the bed and packs everything else, the crop and whip, my knives in their sheaths and my wrist tablet. Zipping up the bag, he turns and hands me the box with the Madame’s collar in it. I don’t like being so far from my knives, but Jack says, logically, “If you need them we are dead anyway.” I have to agree, but still I don’t have to like it.
We make our way out my room and down the stairs. Everyone is lounging around in the living room talking. They all seem to turn when they hear me coming down the stairs.
Tabari is the first to say something. “Oh wow.”
No shit, strongest Magi of our generation. Your sister is hot, I think smiling at him. Lucien just stares like he’s never seen me before. Not like this. Peter grins up at me; Minx curled in his lap just blinks.
I take a seat next to Lucien on the sofa and lean on him; the heat radiating off him is wonderful. He’s wearing the black slacks, leather shoes and a black button-up shirt. He looks almost civilized.
The eyes, however, glow with barely leashed death and destruction. He smells of shea butter. His long locks are pulled back into a pony tail at the nape of his neck. I wish he’d wear them down but I know he won’t. His features are strong, unrelenting and harsh. He’s one of those men you could only call handsome, never ever cute.
“So I couldn’t find any trace of the coven, anywhere. All of their shops are closed up.” Tabari says, clearing his throat.
I nod my head tearing my gaze away from Lucien, I’m not surprised about the coven.
“Yeah, they’re in hiding, probably. They know we know they have something to do with the missing Bâtardi.”
I don’t know what our next move should be. Sit on a Bâtardi’s house and see if they get abducted? What if we pick the wrong house to watch? Accusing Jesse is still out; there’s no evidence to link him to the missing Bâtardi either. Now I’m doubting that thought, what does he get out of doing such a monstrous thing? I can’t connect the dots. A thought is on the edge of my mind. I just don’t know what it is.
“Talking to the families on our own is still out?” I ask to the room.
Tabari speaks up, “I’d say so. We don’t mind the risk, of course. But Jesse is threatening them. It c
ould turn out very bad for them if they did talk to us and he found out. Not to mention we have no authority with inner species relations.”
“All of this power as a Grigori, and it’s not helping us one bit.” I say aloud, irritated.
The Kindred doesn’t care what a wolf does to another wolf, or a vamp to another vamp. But a wolf attacking a vamp or vice versa will bring our wrath. No fighting between the species, it would threaten another Great War. Do not make our presence known to the humans. Outside of that, I have no authority.
“Nothing says we can’t talk to the human side of the family though, right?” Peter says.
I smile at him. “Nope, nothing at all. We’ll do that first thing in the morning. Maybe it will give us a clue or something. Catching a not-wolf that can still talk would be awesome to.”
My thoughts flash back to the not-wolf from the Veranda. “The not-wolf that followed me today was the same man from the other night in the alley by the way, the smaller one. He smelled human then, today he definitely smelled like a not-wolf.”
“So he was a Bâtardi, and was changed.” Peter says. I nod my head.
“There’s got to be a record of him coming in the city,” I shout, standing up.
“Peter, you remember what the smaller guy looked like right? He had to have followed us into the city so check for records at the gate we went through a minute or two after us. He still would’ve had to scan his wrist,” I say, excited to have a lead, any lead.
“Yeah, I can do that. Me and Minx will look into it while you guys are gone.” He’s nodding his head, already thinking.
‘Me and Minx’, he really is falling for the cat. I grin to him, he looks away, smiling sheepishly.
“I don’t really have time to deal with a moody Madame. I should be hunting,” I sigh out; juggling all of this is tiring.
“You can’t, Jae, she could call the contract as unfulfilled. Then the Elders would have to get involved. And we all know you carry no favor. It would not turn out well for you,” Tabari says plainly.
He’s right, I’m sure the Elders are just looking for a reason to order me home and collared again. I have yet again acted against their wishes. I can’t fuck this up, it’s not an option.