by Jaye Shields
He still sat on the bed with a grim expression on his face. He looked…weak.
“Thank you for helping me last night.”
He nodded. His sudden deflation made her hesitate, she began aching for some strange reason, but she took her leave anyway. Time to tell Zahra about her epic night.
* * * *
Axel sat on his bed and pondered everything he’d learned about Sephina Antara. She had a dark past and a rough addiction. He also learned she loved her sister Zahra very much. No matter how blasé the girl tried to be, he detected a deep affection for her family and compassion for others. And sex demons were really as sensual as their breed implied. Thinking about her seeking out someone at Nymph’s Hideout made him want to punch something. No—make that destroy something.
His body ached with weakness. Curing her had been worth it, but it’d only be temporary. She’d need more quetzalem blood to continue to fight off the effects of the withdrawal. Unless he could find someone to help him through his heat, he’d be too weak to supply her with the blood she’d need to survive the withdrawal. Axel realized he needed to find someone for his heat, fast. He wanted it to be Sephina, but clearly, she had other plans. The only good news was that now he realized he no longer had to find a quetzalem female, but that a succubus would do as well.
Stepping out into the sunlight of morning, Axel breathed in deep and his embers fanned slightly. Good, they were still there. Commanding his wings, the bones broke through tiny slits in his back and the ten-foot wing span stretched toward the sky. In a swift move, they flapped once and thrust him high into the clouds. As air rushed around him, he gazed down at the tiny town and the pink-haired girl making her way through it. His heart pounded in response. He hadn’t been lying when he’d offered to make her breakfast. The odd desire had taken him off guard, but she’d quickly shrugged it off. As he flew over the village, he caught the end of a conversation with some of the city dwellers and came to a full stop. He jetted back to the ground.
“Did you see the succubus whore that arrived in town? I recognized her right away by the yellow eyes.”
“You mean that tiny, leather scrap of fabric and corset didn’t give her away? I’d like to rip it off her and fuck her until she begs me to stop.” The friend laughed in response. Axel’s blood boiled to the point he thought fire would combust through his skin.
“Succubi love that shit, they need us to survive. Maybe we can both find her later and—”
Axel turned the corner and smashed his fist into the nearest face. A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the alley as crimson poured from the broken nose. The second villager’s expression displayed pure horror. Before he could run from Axel, the quetzalem sprang forward, grabbed him by the shoulders, and slammed his face against the brick wall. The man was barely conscious when he hit the cobblestone street.
“I’ve left you both conscious for one reason and one reason only—to heed my warning. Speak of a succubus—no, a woman—in that way ever again, and I’ll make sure you have nightmares of me killing you every single night of your life until you never shut your eyes for fear of death.” He kicked the worm writhing on the ground with a broken nose before continuing on his way out of town.
Axel clenched his fists and quickened his pace. He was going mad. Sephina’s bright, amber gaze had put a spell on him, and perhaps it’d be the death of him—or any villager who dared speak of her in such a way ever again.
He had two days to find another female before his heat began. Making his way toward the city lying in the distance, he realized that no woman would ever measure up to the one night he’d spent with Sephina. Although his brimstone was thinning, the succubus had already set fire to his veins.
Chapter 6
Making her way to the meadhouse, Sephina smiled through her sensual buzz. Axel had been an incredible surprise. Yet she’d fled his home like the plague. Just because she was a succubus didn’t mean she didn’t have a soft spot for romance. Yep, not falling for a sexual, kind demon like Axel would be hard. Which was tricky since sex demons and monogamy generally didn’t go together. She’d seen what happened to a sex demon when they were left behind. Her father had become a desperate man. And with desperation comes darkness.
Entering the bar, she quickly shrugged off thoughts of her past life in Sprecia. Spotting her sister wasn’t a difficult task. Zahra’s long, raven hair fell in thick waves. Paired with a corset and yellow eyes that glowed in the dim establishment, Sephina’s sister looked like a gypsy vixen. Emphasis on the vixen part. But Zahra’s days of being a paid concubine were long behind her. Another reason Seph vowed never to get into debt with drug-dealing wizard thugs again. It was a good thing this town’s dealer was a stud with a conscience as big as his…biceps.
“What are you grinning about, doll?” Zahra leapt out of her chair and pulled Sephina into a hug.
“Let’s just say I’m digging this town.”
“I think you mean digging a demon, am I right?” Zahra winked and flashed a wicked smile.
“All right, which man do I have to kill?” Lennox stood from his chair and wrapped Seph in a bear hug. “When you didn’t come home last night—”
“He nearly went on a rampage.” Zahra threw an arm around Lennox and gazed lovingly up at him. “He’s so hot when he goes all fierce-protector. I knew you were just taking your time at the whorehouse, so I distracted your overprotective brother-in-law.”
“Oh yeah, you really took a bullet for me on that one.” Sephina rushed her sister with ten fingers worth of tickles. Zahra bucked and threw her head back in response as the two girls’ laughter erupted as one.
“Hey, hey.” Lennox coughed. “You girls are going to start a riot.”
“Don’t complain. All of our drinks are going to be free,” Sephina teased the tall blacksmith who still hadn’t quite gotten used to the attention that two sex demons attracted. After all, they were the only females in the establishment dressed in tight leather corsets and barely-there attire. Hey, it wasn’t their fault succubi bodies ran hot.
“Did I hear the word drinks?” The female bartender approached. “What can I get you?”
“It’s you!” Sephina nearly fell back on her chair. “Zahra, Lennox, this is Catrina. Her level of oh-la-la far surpasses any other sex demons I’ve met.”
Zahra tossed her hair behind her shoulder and stuck out a hand. “So you’re an honorary sex demon, then?” She flashed a smile and once more Sephina was in awe at her sister’s beauty. The red-haired siren across the bar wasn’t bad either.
Motioning toward Lennox at Zahra’s side, Sephina continued the introductions. “And this is my brother-in-law who so graciously treated me to your services.”
“A man talented in the trade of gift exchange. Your first shot is on me. And you, fine demons?”
Zahra and Seph smiled at each other and nodded. “Troll Tears!”
“All right, I dig a girl who knows how to party. I’ll be right back.” Catrina left in a woosh of red hair and a sway of the hips that only a sex demon could truly admire.
“Oh my gods, Zahra. She was incredible.”
“I hope so. You were gone all night.”
“Actually…”
“Tell me about him.”
Lennox coughed. “I’ll be in the knife throwing den.”
Paying him no heed, Sephina leapt at the chance to tell her beloved sister about the man-dragon come true. “Light blue skin, like steel. So smooth, and yet, he—”
“Commanded scales, I know, I had one as a client pass through Sprecia once.” Zahra smiled knowingly.
“Did he feed you his blood?”
“No. It was more of a wham-bam-thank-you-demoness kind of thing.”
“Ah yes. Anyway…I’ve never felt so good, Zahra.”
“This sounds serious. Are you addicted already?”
Sephina flushed at her sister’s wording. Her heart plummeted deep into her stomach so that her hollowed chest demanded honesty. “Zahra. I... I
just want to thank you for everything you did back in Sprecia.”
“Don’t.” Yellow eyes turned into an amber storm, a rare anger that Sephina didn’t often see, even when she’d been using every day. Zahra had always been nothing but patient with her. “We may not be blood, Seph, but you know that you are more than a sister to me. You are my life. I would gladly sell myself once more if it would save you.”
“Lennox would kill both you and me if he heard you say that.”
“Lennox loves you like a little sister as well.”
“I will never put you in that position again. But I need to get something off my chest.” Her sister’s gaze immediately flashed with worry, but Seph went on. “The other night, I relapsed.”
Catrina returned to them with two tall shot glasses of a swamp-green liquid. Dark purple smoke billowed from the top of the drink. “Bottoms up, ladies.” The bartender smiled, but realized the mood had changed when neither succubus reached for the beverage. Catrina departed as quickly as she came and took orders from the next patron.
“Zahra, my body ached so bad. You can’t know—”
“Don’t tell me that I don’t know what it feels like to wither away from the inside out.”
Sephina flinched at Zahra’s abrupt words. What was worse, Seph knew it was true. Only a month earlier, Zahra’s kidnapping had resulted in near-death, a slow, painful weakening that she’d only barely survived. “I’m not as strong as you are. But I will be. I got help last night.”
“The quetzalem. So it’s true then, the rumors?” Zahra’s eyes flashed with curiosity.
Sephina eyed the still smoking beverage. “This is gonna be a long story.” She gripped the glass tightly and raised a brow at her sister.
“With a happy ending?”
“We’ll find out.” Together they chugged the tall shots of steaming Troll Tears, a beverage designed to both energize and intoxicate to the maximum. “We’ll find out…”
* * * *
Axel cut through the thick clouds as he made his way to the town lying to the east. Each billowy piece of sky turned into Sephina’s face, and no matter how fast or high he soared, her image plagued him. Gods, she was beautiful. She was funny, sensual, and apparently she had better things to do than to be his partner in heat. His jaw clenched in response, and he commanded himself to calm. He’d just have to search for another woman who could help him when the time came.
Finally, the village of Libhua came into view and he landed on the outskirts to walk into town. His wings retreated into his back, disappearing from view so that no one would recognize him as a quetzalem. His own village guarded his identity since he kept them protected and healthy with his blood and knowledge of herbs and medicine. The quetzalem were a hunted breed though, and their home realm had become overrun by human dragon hunters who’d turned the quetzalem race into nothing more than blood slaves.
Walking into Libhua, Axel decided to first explore the local meadhouse. Surely, there’d be lots of females there. The building looked similar to most others in the realm—brick and lazy stucco topped with a black thatched roof. A strange architectural mix indeed, but after all, it was a realm of mixed ages. Striding through the front doors, Axel inhaled the sour scent of demon brew. Suddenly thirsty, he approached the bar. “Mead, please.”
The troll bartender snorted in response and wiped slimy, green mucus from his nose with a long, crooked finger. His gray skin stretched over a gangly body and Axel recognized him as a mountain carving breed instead of a ground dweller. Not good, since the same kind of troll could be found in his home region of the quetzalem. Axel shrugged off the possibility of being recognized. The troll didn’t look very sharp or sober.
“There ya go,” the troll grunted in English and sloshed half the beverage onto the bar.
Axel didn’t hesitate before chugging it down. “Another.”
The troll turned to refill the mug with the foamy amber colored liquid. The color of her eyes… Axel chastised himself for thinking of her and looked around the room.
“Hi there, newcomer.” The voice from behind him was sticky sweet. Too sweet.
Axel turned to find a blonde-haired human with a flowing, white dress that made it seem obvious she was a goddess-groupie, although she’d probably never met one. Few had unless the gods were spotted venturing outside of the Olympian realm. And who the hell would want to visit the Aerion realm?
“I’ve come looking for someone. I’ve heard there is a succubus living in this town.” A lie, but he hoped it would both let down the female and reveal the existence of a possible sex demon. And a quetzalem, if there was one, he’d scent her so close to his heat.
The girl’s face soured and another voice uttered from Axel’s right. “You’ve found her.” The voice rasped with pure sex, and before he saw her, her clawed fingertips were on his shoulders, directing him her way.
The troll returned with the second mead and Axel instantly pounded the drink rather than meet the succubus’s eyes. When the foamy beverage was done, he relinquished himself to the femme fatale awaiting his recognition.
The yellow eyes of a sex demon gazed at Axel, but they were neither as bright, nor as mesmerizing as Sephina’s. “You look like you’re thirsty,” she purred.
“Can I buy you a drink?”
She eyed his body, lingering on every inch of him. Axel realized he was a hunk of meat for the succubus’s insatiable appetite. He only wished Sephina had been as hungry, but she’d spent the day in a whorehouse.
The sex demon before him leaned in to whisper. As she did so, her tongue traced his earlobe. “I’d like for you to do more than buy me a drink.”
He met her ready stare. “Does this mean that you’d be willing to have sex with me for days on end until heat and smoke is cast from our skin?”
“Order me a Dragon’s Breath and let’s get out of here.”
Axel pondered the strange beverage choice named for the heat of the potent drink. He ignored the aching in his gut that came with her proposal. Instead, he focused on his fortune. The heat would be upon him soon and he’d be ready.
Chapter 7
In a Troll Tear-induced haze, Sephina passed out to dreams of Axel. Thanks to the quetzalem blood coursing through her veins, she was about to be body slammed by erotic dream number two.
Nearly as real as his true image, Axel stood before Sephina in her new bedroom in Zahra and Lennox’s Orescia home. A thin, black shirt stretched over his well-muscled chest. Sephina strode toward him and fingered the fabric at his neck. With a strong yank, she tore the material in half and revealed his long, hard abdomen.
Axel’s strong hands met her chest, pushed her back, and she stumbled onto the bed. He smiled and opened his mouth wide. Sephina leapt back to avoid the flames that spouted toward her. The inferno engulfed her, but as soon as it came, it was gone. The bright, orange blaze disappeared and she beheld Axel’s smiling image once more.
He leapt toward her and tore off her skirt. The space between her legs immediately went hot and her stomach swarmed with tiny fairies. The thin lace covering her womanhood served as a reminder that everything was just a dream, for in real life, she never wore such hindrances.
“I’m going to taste your liquid fire.” He knelt between her legs and gazed at the lacy barrier.
Gods, just take it off already. In her dreamland, she commanded the thong to disappear, but it didn’t. Axel’s mouth hovered inches away from the puny fabric as his palms spread her thighs. The undergarment barely covered her and Axel’s tongue met her flesh for the first time, tracing the outline of the lace. Anticipation swelled inside her. She imagined what his tongue would feel like against her clit.
This time, Axel’s tongue drew a line up her core over the top of the thong. Her skin soaked up the wetness through the barely-there material. She ached for him. Ecstasy tingled its way from her clitoris to deep within her slit. Finally, he yanked it away and his lips descended upon her bud, suckling until she exploded.
&nbs
p; The orgasm hit her hard, her body trembling under its sudden impact.
Sephina lurched upright in her bed, once more finding herself in sweat-soaked sheets. How could she have turned away such a man? Her intention hadn’t been to forsake him in his heat, but she didn’t want to spend even more time with the man she’d already begun falling for. After all, he’d saved her life, or at least from withdrawal or furthering her addiction. On top of that, he’d given her one of the most exhilarating sensual experiences of her life. And that was saying a lot coming from a succubus.
No, she definitely couldn’t afford to fall in love with Axel. The throbbing reminder of her recent dream climax couldn’t be ignored. Perhaps tomorrow she’d make it up to him with breakfast and sex. Emphasis on the sex part.
* * * *
The next morning, Sephina stood in front of Axel’s home. The windows were dark and the door locked. After sitting on his doorstep for all of three minutes, she was already removing the thick earring from her lobe and maneuvering the pointed end into the lock. When it clicked into place, her heart rate spiked in excitement.
Entering the vacant home, Sephina was thrilled to explore the hot mystery man’s abode. Her first stop was the bedroom, and gods, it still scented of him. A subtle, smoky aroma filled the room, and Seph was reminded of the many campfires she’d had during her travel with Zahra and Lennox to Orescia. She loved the scent of fire. It was both wild and nostalgic, reminding her of its warmth and its mystery. Just like Axel.
She collapsed onto the bed and recalled the last time she’d been there. She’d been aching and he’d taken care of her. She’d only been a stranger, and yet he’d cradled her like a hundred-year-long lover. Lover. Axel’s body was made to be worshipped. She’d done a pretty damn good job of it too. His cock had been hard for her, and yet he’d insisted only on pleasuring her. She’d taken that issue into her own hands and savored the most delicious flesh on earth. He’d tasted both clean and smoky against her tongue. She’d traced his solid manhood and fantasized about what it would feel like filling her.