by L M Adams
Sheba.
Her black-as-night hair is free and curling around her beautiful porcelain face; her hair is so long and full, reaching down to her ass almost. Eyes a piercing violet; she always would remind me how the deep purple of my own eyes shows how muddied my blood is. Even her black eyebrows are gracefully arched. Long black eyelashes sweep over her eyes as she blinks slowly. Full pouty lips.
She’s wearing a very tight white pencil skirt, white jacket, no shirt beneath. I see a peek of black lace from her bra skim the creamy smoothness of her breasts. Long legs, perfectly shaped, black pumps gleam in the night, the bottoms as red as fresh blood. There’s no part of her my tongue has not tasted. I think I know her body better than I know my own. I can’t help that my body tightens at the sight of her. It takes all I have to not drop to my knees in supplication.
I feel her power on my skin like a lover’s caress, and now I know why the power signature at Mr. Williams’ house felt so familiar. But why couldn’t I place it? Why didn’t I know?
Denial is a wonderful coping mechanism.
I didn’t see it because I didn’t want to see it.
She orders the guards to lift Big Mike’s body into the back of the van. It takes all five guards to manage the task; Big Mike is a huge wolf.
Lucien shakes me, I guess I have not been responding, completely bespelled.
That answers that, I’m not fit to attack; somewhere deep inside of me I am still her slave still.
Always.
I turn to look at Lucien shaking my head no. I’d just end up getting everyone killed. I back away quietly and still a little dazed.
Chapter Forty-three
Escaping my prison – The Succubus of Jaevia
I stumble, blindly walking back through the woods. I’m not sure of where I’m going or where I’ve just come from. Because what I’ve just seen cannot be fucking real. I trip and fall to my knees with a thud; I don’t even try to catch myself. I kneel there, unable to move, unable to think.
Lucien walks over to me, standing beside me.
“Jae, I don’t know what to say. I just don’t.”
“Nothing you can say, nothing anyone can say.”
“Let’s get you back to the house. We can figure it out from there. We’re still too close, we need to move, love.”
I don’t move, I can’t move. I can’t force my body to go forward because it’s taking everything I have to not go back, to not beg her for her forgiveness, to not beg her for her punishment. What’s the point in running?
She’ll find me, and I’ll be punished for running. She’ll take her retribution inch by inch from me. I had no right to leave her. I belong to her, heart, body, and soul. I had no right to deny her my body to punish and use, I’ve left countless slaves untrained for her pleasure. What was I thinking? What in goddess’s name have I been thinking?
“I have to go back.” Barely a whisper on the wind.
“No, Jae, you can’t. You’re not thinking straight right now, let’s go.” Lucien voice is stern. But I don’t care.
I get up and turn to make my way back to Sheba, she is my Mistress. This foolishness has gone on long enough. I’ll take whatever punishments she deems appropriate and I’ll fucking be happy about it and always beg for more.
Lucien grabs my arm harshly, I try to yank away. When he still doesn’t release me, I turn with a fist, aiming for his chin. He easily grabs my wrist forcing both arms behind my back. My breasts are pressed against him, my nipples harden, between my legs still wet and ready as Sheba commanded me always to be.
A growl comes deep from Lucien’s chest, vibrating against my tits.
“Jaevia Knightley, you are not thinking clearly; you hate that bitch.”
“And what does that mean? That she does not own me? That I have the right to be here with you? That I do not deserve to be punished for my disloyalty?”
“Jae, you are your own woman. You do not owe her anything, you do not belong to her, you belong to me.”
Then his lips are on mine. I don’t move, he lets go one of my arms and reaches a hand beneath my shirt and bra easily finding my tightly puckered nipple.
He begins pinching, the pain courses through my body, he increases the pressure until I open my mouth. He drives his tongue into my mouth, his other hand comes up to hold the back of my head, pressing us together. My senses are flooded with sunlight smelling of shea butter. My arms come up to wrap around his neck. He releases my nipple finally and begins squeezing my ass harshly. I’m caught in the feeling of Lucien and my body and heart remember him. I remember a time before Sheba, before her torture; that he is the man that laid his claim first upon my heart, body, and soul. That I have belonged to him long before Sheba and that I will always belong to him.
He chases back whatever twisted hold Sheba still has on me, at least for now, and I yield to him. I yank back from the kiss, breathless and dazed.
“I’m fine Lucien, I’m ok now.” He moves to my neck, ignoring the taste of sweat my skin is coated with. Heat radiates from him in waves, it’s dizzying almost.
“I don’t want to stop, I’ve never needed you so badly. It takes so much to stay away, Jae. Just let me pleasure you if you still can’t take me to your bed. Let me taste you again, that’s all, that’s it. I’ll be happy for the taste of you on my lips once more.” Lucien is a dominant man; for him to beg to eat my pussy, to give him anything at all, any scrap will do, it breaks my heart.
“We have to get back; we have to warn the wolves. But the rest of the night and day belongs to you, my body belongs to you.”
“No Jack,” he demands.
“No Jack,” I repeat. I feel him shudder, folding the heat of his passion back into himself.
He lets me go, taking a step back. He’s rock hard pressed against his pants. I can’t keep my body from squeezing in desire, imagining him forcing himself inside of me, it’s been a long time. It will hurt, deliciously so. It always hurts with Lucien.
He reaches down his pants to rearrange himself. He turns to me his eyes burning in the night. Burning with barely leashed desire and danger. He nods his head. I turn and we are off making our way back to Big Mike’s place.
Jack, Tabari, and Peter, still in his wolf form, are all there. I feel the magic of the Moon Goddess begin to wane as she begins to set, giving way to the sun.
“How’s Peter?” I ask as I reach them, skidding to a halt in the gravel of the parking lot.
“He’s fine, Jae,” Tabari responds tightly. Guess he’s still mad I interfered and in turn made him interfere. Well, I’m mad at you for being a power junky, so we’re even. I cut my eyes at him.
“Sheba is here,” Lucien gets right to the point.
I watch Tabari’s face closely. Not an ounce of fucking shock.
“You knew,” I whisper in horror.
“No Jae, I didn’t know. Sheba left the Kindred soon after you left. I didn’t know where she ended up. Or what she was doing, but tracking you down didn’t seem to be a bad guess. As long as she didn’t set eyes on you directly I knew you’d be safe. The spelled gem I made for you kept you safe, and will continue to keep you safe if you aren’t seen by her.”
“She has Big Mike, Tabari! I have to go get him, of course she’s going to fucking see me!” I’m so agitated, the smell of citrus pours from me; I don’t even attempt to fold my power back into myself.
“Who has my mate?” Annette’s voice is soft, but filled with an iron will.
I turn to see her stand from a crouching position behind Tabari’s crossover. She’s covered in dirt, her hair is matted and filled with dead leaves and small twigs, she looks like a wolf-woman that’s had a good fucking time on the full moon.
I blow out a breath, sorrow fills my voice. I tell her what I’d seen from Big Mike and Peter chasing the small group of wolves and how I found Peter to Lucien and me tracking Big Mike.
“All I know is that the CNAE has him, Annette. There was just too many of them for us to get him
safely.” I lie through my teeth so smoothly. And there it is, kiddies, one Jaevia Knightley is still Kindred loyal to the core. No way am I even going to hint that the Kindred have anything to do with this shit. Not until I have more information. But unless the Kindred gave Sheba her contract back, letting her leave the Kindred, which I seriously doubt. Then the Kindred more than likely know what’s going on here. Which begs the question; why the fuck would they order me to look into it? More importantly, what the fuck are they doing?
“Without scent, is there any way you can track him?”
“Not with the moon gone, I felt him pull away. I felt his distance, I just thought he wanted to run alone. He’s been going off on his own a lot. With what happened with Jesse…” Annette weakly lifts her arm, gesturing slightly back towards the woods, her voice sounds hollow, as if the wind has been knocked out of her.
“I promise you I’ll find him, Annette.” I rush forward, grabbing both her hands in my own.
“I’ve known for some time he would be leaving me. But, not like this, not like this.” She pulls away and makes her way to the bar. Her lack of faith in me is disheartening.
“Let’s go,” I say quietly as other wolves begin breaking through the tree line in their human form. Their mood still light and jovial; they don’t know. But they will soon. I’d rather not be here when a pack of wolves finds out their Amarok has been kidnapped, and you were the last person to see him.
“Jack, you drive Peter’s car.” It takes some time to even find Peter’s clothes and his keys, me becoming more agitated by the second.
Lucien rides with Jack back to the house without complaint. I ride in the back seat of the crossover with Peter still in wolf form; he starts his change back to human right in my lap. It’s a long and excruciating process. His body is using all available power to heal his body, there’s nothing left to ease his transformation. Nothing anyone can do. I should’ve let Lucien fuck me in the woods, at least then I’d have some power to give Peter. Something to help him. I’m feeling horribly inadequate.
We pull up to the house with Peter screaming in pain as his body finally reforms to human; his skin is dirty, bloodied, and sweat slicked. I pet his leaf and twig ridden hair, trying to soothe him.
“Tell me it won’t be like that every time, Jae, please?” Peter passes out before I can respond.
I run in the house and get a blanket to wrap around Peter’s naked body. We wake him up enough to get him into the house. It’s slow going, his joints ache with every movement, the bites and claw slashes are just starting to knit, and the new skin pulls and re-tears in places.
Minx isn’t here, not that I expect her to be, thank goddess for that. Hopefully I won’t be within a fifty-mile radius of the house when she does find out the sorry state I’m returning her wolf-friend in. I don’t know where she goes to run on the night of the full moon, but she won’t be back until midafternoon, at the earliest. I will make sure Peter’s healed well before then.
I grab a beer from the fridge and call everyone to the living room after we get Peter settled in his and Minx’s room. We look ragtag and tired, everyone except for Lucien. His eyes glow with desire and heat.
He’s all predator and with an acute awareness, I know I am his prey. I feel like that fucking deer in the woods, no chance in hell of escape. I hope he doesn’t like his meat bloody and rare.
My succubus moans in desire.
Or maybe I do hope he wants his meat bloody and rare.
“How can we find Big Mike?” I ask to the room in general.
“Do we know if he’s even still alive?” Tabari asks.
“I don’t catch my prey and go kill it somewhere else. They want something from him.” Lucien responds, it makes sense.
“They needed the power of the lone wolf to complete whatever spell they are casting onto the gem. The gem. Who has it?” I’d forgotten all about it.
“I do,” Tabari pulls it from his pocket.
In the light it actually is quite beautiful, each gem bleeds into the next so smoothly, ruby to diamond to emerald, it looks like a heart, somewhat. It’s dead and powerless now, just a chunk of rock. We don’t have the word or incantation to activate whatever spell is embedded.
“Find out what you can about it, Tabari. We have to hope that Rabbit can give us something off the laptop that will help us find Big Mike. They’ll probably be looking for the gem. They probably assumed Peter is dead, and the gem is lost in the woods. They may come back to look for it.”
“I’ll call Annette to warn her,” Tabari says, getting up and moving to the kitchen.
“Before you go.” He pauses in his steps and looks at me. “Promise me you knew nothing of Sheba being here!” I demand from Tabari, staring into his eyes looking for any hint of a lie.
“I did not Jae, I didn’t know. I saw no point in bringing up my unfounded suspicions. She is here without the Kindred’s permission. But she is a pure succubus. She is not daemon, she owes no true loyalty to the Kindred. And even if she is still loyal to the Kindred, they give her a long leash.”
“You don’t have to tell me.” I can’t help the venom from dripping from my voice. They let her do whatever she wanted to me. And then congratulated her on a job well done.
Tabari looks at me with sadness for another moment and walks from the room. I stand, looking at the empty doorway and wonder for the first time in my life if I can trust my brother.
“We still have the appointment with Brandi Greene’s human fiancé tomorrow, noon, at a bookstore in the Fringe. There’s nothing we can do now. We all need to rest. We have about six hours,” Jack says, breaking the silence.
“Ok I’ll still go tomorrow, maybe he’ll know something. I just wish there was something we could do now.” I say sadly. How can I rest with my friend kidnapped, and Sheba somewhere out there?
“I will get a shower,” Lucien says getting up from the sofa. He’s giving me time to explain to Jack that I’m about to sleep with Lucien.
I’m left alone with Jack. I just look at him. A plan is beginning to formulate in the back of my mind, but I’ll need Jack’s help and I can’t tell him. I can’t tell anyone. Everyone will hate me when it’s over. But there’s only one thing I can do to get close to Sheba.
I have to go to her, voluntarily, and not empty handed. This must come to an end.
She must die.
And I am the only person that can get close enough to see the deed done.
No matter the cost?
No matter the cost.
“My father knows nothing of any vampire purebloods missing, or their offspring that haven’t been turned.” Jack says, shaking me from my dark thoughts. Be normal, act normal, everything is fine.
“Well that’s good at least.”
The silence is awkward, me not really wanting to tell him I’m about to go fuck Lucien, a man I swore to never have in my bed again. What’s the proper way to say, hey you know that guy I said I hated? I’m about to go do the dirty with him. I’ll probably like it a lot.
“You want him in your bed tonight.” Jack states plainly; there’s no hurt or shock in his voice.
I look at Jack, shocked. “Yes. How did you know?”
“I can cut the tension between you two with a knife. I knew the time would come.”
I just nod my head slowly, the steady graphite blue of his eyes swirl with power, but he’s not using his magic to cool his anger, he’s just really being understanding about this.
“Do not worry. I will return in a few hours, if that is ok with you?”
He doesn’t want to be in the house. I can understand that. I don’t remind him that Lucien has been here while we fucked. No need to compare them. They are allowed to deal with the situation whatever way they choose.
“I just need to feed.” He tries to explain when I say nothing.
I feel like a complete shit for what I’m about to do to this man, who loves me, really loves me. Why is my life shit? Why can I never have a good thing
without destroying it?
Is there any other way? I ask my succubus before I commit to this plan.
You know her price will be high, what do you have that equals the value of giving her a Blood Lord?
Nothing, nothing at all.
Then either we fight or we run.
We fight.
I let my succubus come forward in my psyche, I can’t torture Jack without feeling regret but, I can. He can’t know it’s you, we can’t tip our hand. Agreed.
“Oh, no I understand,” my voice is low and dangerous filled with the power and psychotic thought process of a succubus. If Jack has any common sense, he will run.
Instead he gets up from the sofa smoothly. I look up to him as he moves close, our bodies not quite touching. Like he’s drawn to me.
He is.
“What’s happening?”
He obviously has no common sense. I grab the waistband of his black jeans yanking him closer. I unbutton and unzip them smoothly, no underwear, he hardens quickly in my presence like a good boy. I grab him at his base and close his Sacral Chakra.
He sucks in a breath at the feel of my power. “Please Mistress, don’t leave me like this tonight. I’ll stay home if that is your desire. I’ll do whatever you like.”
“I know,” I trickle my power into him, amplifying his desire and lust, the tip of him pulsates, reaching begging for release.
“You promised you wouldn’t flood me with power again, Jaevia.”
“Are you telling me I can’t do what I please with your body, Jack?” I ask him softly.
“Jaevia?”
“This is what I want, either I am your Mistress or I’m not. Decide now.”
“You know that you are.”
“Good! Now I remember last time I did this, you burned my power out of your system connecting to Vayrá. So, you are not allowed to tap the conduit to the Blood King without my explicit permission. I am the only one that can ease the torment, not anyone or anything else. Understood?”
“Yes Mistress,” his voice is hoarse, and filled with pent desire.