His eyebrows shot up. “You wish you never met me?”
I shook my head. “No, not that. I wish I didn’t have to hurt your feelings.” Tears welled in my eyes. I sucked at this. “I’m a terrible succubus. I shouldn’t care but I do.”
The puzzled look was back on his face. “Zur-Sin told me you were different.”
“What?” My tears vanished in a flash of fury. “He told you that?”
Nik rubbed his chin as he looked me over. “He told me you were a pain in the ass and I’d do better with one of your sisters.”
“Fucking asshole, I’m going to eat a bucket of garlic the next time he feeds from me and give him indigestion.” I crossed my arms and stared out the window. Pain in the ass. He was a pain in my ass.
Chuckling, Nik stroked his hand down my hair. “Zur-Sin also explained your lack of suitors.”
“He told you about my suitors.” Heat scorched my face right to the roots of my hair. “That’s private,” I whispered not sure if the driver could hear through the glass. Suitors were an old fashion tradition practiced ages ago. I hung my head and hid my face. Basically it’s something a family did when their stupid succubus daughter didn’t feed properly. Even with all my good intentions lately to accumulate more suitors, I hadn’t signed up one extra guy.
Spreading my fingers apart, I peeked at Nik much like what John had done to me earlier. “You wouldn’t want to become one would you?”
Aside all the herd talk, I liked Nik. When Sin had barged in on us in the coat room, Nik had covered my nudity with his jacket. I couldn’t think of any time someone had cared about my dignity. I don’t think even Val would have thought to do the same. To be honest, I hadn’t thought to do it either. It was cute. Not necessary but cute.
“For curiosity’s sake, what does it entail?”
“You’d be contracted to feed me depending on my schedule.”
“And in return for this act?”
“Uh, I don’t know. What do you want?” I rested my hand on his thigh. Nik would be a fine addition to my suitors if I could convince him to sign on the dotted line. “My demon and wolf shifter are satisfied with just the regular fantastic sex.”
Nik chuckled. “You forgot to add modesty to your list of traits.”
“I’ve never heard anyone complain except to say don’t go home yet, Pia. Sin takes my blood when I feed. What could you possibly want? You said you had everything.” I could kill two birds with one stone with this deal except there was one thing I couldn’t figure out. “Why do you want me?”
It was his turn to blush.
I crawled onto his lap so he couldn’t avoid meeting my gaze. “Come on, tell me.” I laughed as he grew redder. “Now, I have to know. What did I do that you liked so much?” I would take note and see if Val liked it as well.
“You took charge,” he whispered.
“Oh,” I whispered back. “You want a Dom?” That wasn’t a role I played well. I laughed too much. Mostly at myself but subs didn’t take it well when I did that. Adele did the Dom thing often. Maybe she could give me a few pointers.
He shook his head. “Not like that.” Chuckling sheepishly, he rubbed his chin again. “Well, not mostly like that. Females of my kind are bred to be docile.” He ran his hands over my legs and pulled me against him. “None of my wives would have boldly crawled on me without asking first.”
“That’s boring.”
His smile grew wider. “Yes, it is.”
“You do realize there’s more to this world than your herd, right? I mean there are human women out there who’d trip over themselves to be with you.”
“I’m glad you think so.” He tapped his hooves against the floor. “We don’t have glamor to hide these. How would I explain my legs? That I’m a freak of nature?”
“Excellent point.” I scooted off his lap and returned to the bench. “Sign the contract, be my suitor, and we’ll have some sexy time together. Maybe we can figure out exactly what you’re looking for.”
“Just like that? No strings attached.”
“The less strings, the better.” I sighed. “Well, there are two. First, I’d like you to reconsider working with Val and Sin. Second, if I find I’m caring too much about you or the other way around, the contract will be nulled.” I held up my hand to stop the questions. “You didn’t have any trouble speaking with Sin about me before so go ask him about the gritty details. I’ve had enough of a rough day without skipping down memory lane.”
Nik nodded thoughtfully. “I will give your offer serious consideration but if I refuse to work with them after meeting with Val is the contract off the table?”
“No, I still want you.” Everyone kept harping on me to get more suitors. I found one. If they didn’t like my choice then we’d have some serious issues to resolve. I wasn’t going to orgasm with just anyone.
He held out his hand. “Deal.”
I shook it. Who should I ask to draw the contract my father or Val?
Nik undid his jacket. “When do we start?” I did like my males eager.
“I just fed.” Anger flooded my tone, not at Nik but at Amel. “It’s complicated and I have such a headache from all this stress.”
He maneuvered us until I lay with my head in his lap. “Talking it out sometimes makes the problems less devastating.”
Firm fingers massaged my temples easing the ache in my head. “My demon lover lives in the apartment building where you snatched me. After sex his brother grabbed him and they poofed into thin air.” I closed my eyes and tried to relax. “Sin owns the brother. How am I supposed to tell Sin I lost his pet demon?”
“Zur-Sin keeps a demon?” I heard the awe in Nik’s voice. “Either way, Pia, keeping the thing isn’t your responsibility. If Sin didn’t want it to run away, he should have taken better measures to control it.”
I fingered the necklace. Sin had made it so Amel couldn’t kill me. “I should call him.” Even if he was asleep. Pulling my phone out, I left a message on Sin’s answering service this way when he woke he could summon Amel again like the first time. I shivered. Sin would be so pissed.
“Which restaurant would you like to eat at?” Nik’s hands had moved from my temples to my shoulders.
“I am going to my car then back to my parents’ home for supper.”
“And Valerio Hunan is there?”
“No…”
“I would assume that your fiancé would want to meet any potential suitors before a contract is drawn?”
“You assume right. I’ll have Val’s people call your people to schedule a meet and greet.”
Nik stopped massaging me. “I was led to believe you weren’t this agreeable.”
“Lies, all lies. Especially if it came from Sin.” I glanced at Nik’s broad chest and recalled all those rippling muscles moving over me. Oh baby. No touchy until Val said it was fine though. The shipment of vials couldn’t have arrived at a better time. I’d get a new suitor, maybe take him on another test drive, and patch up the deal I destroyed when I jumped Nik.
Things were coming together. Now, if only Amel and John would return before Sin woke, my life would be perfect.
Chapter Nineteen
Nik dropped me off at my car, which I’d left in town yesterday before Amel took me for my first non-airplane flight. Luckily, the VW Bug hadn’t been towed away.
Plucking a slip of paper off my windshield, I let loose a string of un-lady like words. I didn’t escape a fat parking ticket.
Rolling down the window, Nik signaled me to come closer. When I did he plucked the ticket from my hand. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Wait, I can afford—” But he had already rolled the window closed. I waved as Nik’s vehicle pulled away and pocketed his business card. As I waited for my car to warm up, I called Cecile and told her what John discovered about the packages.
“I want his head shipped to me, Pia.” She sounded so much like my sister Adele over the phone. It almost warmed my heart.
“
He didn’t know Val and I were engaged. It wasn’t a personal attack. At least not by John. The incubus in Harper City, I can’t defend.”
She made a thinking noise. “You have a point. Collar the demon and we’ll get what information we need from him first. I’ll look into this Harper City bastard.”
“Take care, Cecile. He practices dark magic.”
“I’ll ship another package. It’s all I have left. The others are working on making more. I’ll overnight it and use a different company for shipping.”
“I hear minotaurs have a good company.” I was stretching the truth and fishing for info at the same time. Go me!
“They’re good for big shipments but maybe for this one I can get them to do a special delivery. Good thinking, Pia.” She hung up before the glow of her approval could sink in. She’d said something kind to me and I didn’t have a witness?
Either way, by this time tomorrow I should be warm and cozy with Val continuing to educate him on human interaction by watching bad reality television.
Before I could return my cellphone to my jacket pocket it rang. “Hello, Hoel.” I recognized his number.
“Valerio got away from me.”
I straightened in my seat at the sound of strain in his voice. “What?” Oh come on, karma. Why couldn’t she give me a break? “What do mean got away? When did he become a prisoner?”
“Last night, he asked me to chain him until the package arrived today.” He swallowed. “He didn’t trust himself. His hunger has a hold of him,” Hoel spoke very softly as if he didn’t want anyone else to hear him. “I’m afraid he might hurt the first succubus he comes across.”
Cold claws of fear pierced my spine. “We need to alert the charm.” Not all incubi could afford wives. They fed by using the art of seduction and some got quite skilled in bed so they could lure succubi to them. From time to time things didn’t go their way and the hunger got hold of an incubus. My father had organized a phone alert to warn potential prey, namely the succubi of Lake City. For as long as I’ve lived it’s only happened once and it was a rogue incubus who had wandered into our city.
It had taken all the males of our charm to track and secure him. Unlike humans who grew weak with hunger, our race grew stronger and more beautiful to attract prey. We burned bright until the end. Once the rogue had been well fed, by volunteers and under supervision, they banned him from the city. Losing control was considered shameful.
I couldn’t imagine Val in this state. The vision didn’t seem possible. My charm would ban him and I’d be faced with a terrible choice. Leave my city or leave him. I shook my head clear of these thoughts. “Didn’t Sin bring you my vials last night?”
“Yes, but it wasn’t enough.”
“By all that’s holy, how many vials does Val need a day? I mean, I filled five, Hoel.”
“A vial of energy isn’t the same as feeding directly from the source. He usually requires ten to fifteen a day and a visit from a wife every week.”
“Wow.” None of his wives had been visiting since I’d moved in. Three months divided by seven days that roughly gave him fourteen direct feeds. I hadn’t fed him that often. Actually he hadn’t fed from me at all since I lacked enough suitors. I swallowed the lump growing in my throat. “He’s been living off only vials for the last three months, hasn’t he?”
“Yes, that’s why his stores are depleted and things are so rough at the moment.”
“We’re beyond rough. We’ve jumped out the plane without a parachute.” A hungry incubus was a dangerous thing for a succubus and Val sounded starved. What had his wives been thinking not coming to feed him regularly?
Cecile seemed to take Val’s care seriously when I spoke to her about the vials. She even sounded impressed when I explained how I solved what had been happening to the shipments. Growling, I hit the steering wheel with the palm of my hand. They probably thought I’d been feeding him.
He never told his wives I wasn’t capable of doing it. He risked his life so his wives wouldn’t null our unofficial engagement. All this time, I’d been stalling the announcement so I wouldn’t have to wear his bracelets and make it formal. They couldn’t touch us once the engagement became public. It would be bad for business. No wonder Val seemed so impatient and angry whenever I found another reason to hold off. I had wanted more time to make sure we were making the right decision while he starved in silence.
Someone should have just spelled it out for me. I would have stopped acting like a spoiled brat. I hadn’t been thinking of Val and his wives or keeping track of his feeding. Geez, I had enough trouble watching my own diet.
Hoel sounded out of breath on the end of the phone.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m running. I have his trail. He’s headed toward the park.”
“Okay, I’ll meet you there.”
“No!”
I hung up and dialed my father’s private cell number. “Daddy?”
“Yes, sweetheart.” He sounded distracted.
“We have a bit of a problem.” How could I get around this without getting Val banned from my charm. “Someone reported a rogue incubus in the city.”
“What?” I sensed his attention focus on our conversation. “Who reported this?”
“Can you just send out the alert? I don’t have any other information yet.” Lying to my father twisted my gut however I needed my charm on defense. I wouldn’t forgive myself if an innocent succubus was killed and I didn’t even try to help. This way if my plan didn’t work, and I ended up dead, my people were warned.
I shut off my phone before he could intimidate me into answering or use the GPS signal to follow me. The park wasn’t far, maybe a five minute drive. I parked on the street and waited by the main entrance dressed for the cold weather. All logic dictated I stay away from Val but unlucky for me matters of the heart didn’t care about logic.
Love didn’t give a shit about safety. It was an unselfish emotion, stronger than fear, and more reckless than hope. Val had loved me enough to sacrifice his feeds to save our engagement. I couldn’t think of any way to save Val but to feed him myself.
The sun had set and I could have called Sin for back up but I didn’t want to be that little girl anymore, crying for someone to rescue me. Val and I had created this problem. Together we’d solve it.
Hopefully Hoel would help or I’d be a dead succubus.
Not long after, the fallen angel jogged out of an alley half a block away and approached me, dark circles under his bright blue eyes and his golden hair a mess. “You should go home. I can’t promise to keep him off you. He’s grown too strong.” He struggled to catch his breath. “And he’s gotten faster too.”
I shook my head. I’d never seen the fallen angel so tired. “You really care about him, don’t you?” I don’t think anyone outside my family would go to the same lengths to save me. Maybe Sin. Maybe.
“Of course I care. He must be in the park already.” Hoel grabbed my shoulders. “Go to Sin’s. He’s strong enough to fight him if I fail.”
Cupping his exhausted face in my hands, I shook my head. “Val is hungry and I just fed. We’ll save him together.”
Hoel jerked from my touch. “He’ll kill you.”
“Not if you’re there to referee.”
“Are you insane? The Val who fed from you the other day is tame compared to the creature in the park tonight.”
“And if he’s caught by my charm, he’ll be banished from the city forever, or worse he’ll be caught after he’s killed someone, then he’ll be executed.” I gripped Hoel by the collar and pulled him kissing close. “We do this together and we do this discreetly.”
He met my stare. “What if he escapes us?”
“My father knows there’s a rogue incubus in the city just not who. He should have warned our charm by now. Soon every succubus will be under guard.”
“Except you.”
“You’re my guard. Time to flex your angel muscles.” I released him and heade
d toward the night shrouded park.
Hoel blocked my way. “Pia, he kicked my ass. That’s how he escaped. I’ve never seen him this far gone. I had to chain him this afternoon to keep him from hunting. Cecile said she shipped a package yesterday but it still hasn’t arrived. He snapped the fucking three inch thick chain.”
I rubbed my stomach as the acid inside bubbled into a beautiful case of heartburn. “About that…” Grimacing, I glanced over Hoel’s shoulder at the street lights burning away the dark. “The package won’t be arriving. I discovered the shipments have been diverted to New Harper city to another incubus. Long story short, the problem is temporarily fixed and Cecile is sending another super-sized shipment but it won’t be here until tomorrow.”
Hoel’s shoulders slumped.
“Look. Val was starved when he escaped and he wants a succubus. You have one for him now. He won’t be running away from us. He’ll be hunting us down. All you have to do is pull him off me when it goes too far. Let him feed enough then daze him.” I shoved Hoel out of my way and crossed into the park before I lost my nerve.
Hoel’s footsteps crunched the snow as he followed behind me. “This is the worst plan I’ve been part of. It’s totally irresponsible of you to risk your life. Your father is going to carve out my heart…”
I stopped listening and watched the snowflakes float to the ground. How many romantic walks had I taken in this park? None. I’d lived here my whole life and not one single guy thought to bring me here. I was more likely to end up in their backseat than anywhere else. Some women would envy my life. Sex with hot men at least every three days no strings attached but my life had been empty until I met Val.
And I’d fight to keep it.
This plan was irresponsible I guess. The big girl thing to have done was to report Val and help secure my charm. I’d been trying to be more like Val’s other wives to get them to accept me but I’d never been known for my maturity. The persona didn’t fit.
Sinful Cravings: Erotic Paranormal Romance (Lake City Stories Book 2) Page 13