by C. M. Owens
His eyes get darker for a moment, and his lips twitch. “It’s worse than Drackus ever thought about being.”
I shiver, but he winks at me as though he’s joking, even though I can tell he’s not.
“Don’t worry, Kimber. I’ve had myself under control for a really long time.”
My fingers skate over waistband of his jeans, threatening to touch uncharted terrain, but now he’s staring directly into my eyes without waver.
“What happens when you lose control?”
I only catch a glimpse of his smirk before my breath collides with my squeal, and I end up on my back, staring up into the eyes of the cocky dark user. My hands are pinned above my head, my chest is rising and falling rapidly, and my head is almost spinning too wildly.
“If that happens,” he says, leaning down until his lips are above mine and hovering just out of reach, “then I strongly suggest running. Very far. Very fast.”
He leans down closer, and my eyes close involuntarily as I wait for the touch of our lips, but instead of coming closer, he pulls back instead. So frigging frustrating.
“Dice and Karma will be back soon. They went shopping.”
His random comment has me scrambling to keep up with his whiplash-change. “Oh. Um. Why did they go shopping?” I ask lamely.
My fingers ride up to my necklace that he gave me, and I toy with the unique metal.
“We’re crashing a black-tie affair tomorrow. We needed the threads to fit in,” he answers while pulling his shirt on and avoiding eye contact as he stands in the middle of the room.
“I have another question. I um… I’m sorry, but it’ll get under my skin until I know the answer.”
I look down, my lips tightening as I stare at the protective designs.
“Sure,” he says, but I can tell he’s wary.
“Who did you really make this for?” I hold up the necklace, and his eyes drop to it before his jaw tenses.
With a reluctant sigh, he comes to sit back down on the bed beside me, and he reaches over to touch the necklace with a delicate graze. He stares at it as though it pains him to think back to why he created it.
“You don’t have to answer,” I finally say when the silence mounts.
He forces a tight smile before looking away. “I can only imagine the intrigue this piece has caused.”
He drops his hand but then scrubs his face with it before groaning. “You know how I said you stop having many new experiences after you’ve lived so long?” I nod, and he continues. “Well, history starts repeating itself. Alyssa isn’t the first girl I fell for that chose someone else. At least Alyssa chose someone that was meant for her. The first was a girl who served in slavery with me. She’s the reason I gathered the courage to break us out.”
He seems lost, and I feel like shit. Reaching over, I lace our fingers together. “Seriously, I can deal with this mystery. I shouldn’t have asked.”
He strokes the back of my hand with his thumb and looks down to our connected hands.
“It’s fine, Kimber. I just haven’t exactly thought about this in a while. Those wounds healed a long, long time ago. I promise. It was one of those instances where I trusted someone I shouldn’t have, and in the end, it cost me the girl. One who never really loved me.”
He takes a breath, and then he squeezes my hand a little tighter. “I made that for her after we broke free from the coven, but she never wore it. She made one for herself. She wasn’t strong at all, even with all her powers. She was a dark user, like me. However, she was from a weak bloodline. I did what I could to keep her safe, but in the end, she put her life in the hands of someone far less concerned with her well-being.”
Alyssa and Kane were quite literally designed for each other. But to know that Gage has been hurt twice…
“She didn’t deserve you, then.”
A smile breaks across his face, and he looks at me from the side. “You barely know me.”
I clutch his hand tighter and scoot in closer, putting my face just inches from his.
“I know that you chose to tell me this even though you never share secrets. You cared enough about me to upset your comfort. So if she chose someone else because she was too blind to see what she had, then she didn’t deserve you.”
His eyes flit down to my lips, and I feel my breath go shaky just before he crushes his lips to mine. His hands go to my hair as he devours me hungrily, as though he’s been holding back since he got in here, and I grab his shoulders to kiss him back with just as much fervor.
In one move, he has me on my back again, settling himself between my legs, and when he grinds against me, a carnal moan escapes my grasp.
“Gage, I need—whoa!” Thad’s voice breaks through the spell, and I consider tossing him through a portal.
Gage finally warms up just in time for the changer to ice us.
Gage’s lips move away, and he presses his forehead against mine. “Your timing is as fucking impeccable as it always was,” he says dryly.
“Sorry for the interruption,” Thad says insincerely, “but I’ve been calling for you for the past two or three minutes and got no response. Soundproof spell?”
Gage mumbles a yes, and Thad continues as though this isn’t awkward. “Alyssa is on the phone. We need to work on our stories to keep the troops in the dark about where we’re going so that no leaks can be an issue.”
Groaning, Gage strums my cheek with his thumb, keeping his forehead pressed against mine.
“I’ll be right there.”
Thad chuckles while walking away, and I try to slow down my erratic breaths. He studies my eyes for a long minute, and then he kisses me again. This time it’s a slow, sensual kiss that has me wanting him even more. Our tongues flirt with each other, and he breaks the kiss to trail a few kisses down my neck.
“I need to deal with this,” he says in a hushed tone, and then in a blink, he vaporizes from the room.
My fingertips absently rub over my tingling lips, and I grin while dropping back down to the bed. I still feel the cool steel of his lip rings pressing into my lips.
This is either going to be really, really good, or it’s going to be really, really bad.
Chapter 12
GAGE
No sleep for me last night. Nope. Not one fucking wink. Why? One word: Kimber.
She’s in my head, under my skin, wrapped around me… She’s consuming me.
“So now you’re ignoring her? You’re worse than a moody chick,” Thad says as I step out of the car.
“I’m not ignoring her. I just had a lead to follow in town, so I spent the night there instead of coming back to the safe house,” I say, only partially lying.
“Sure,” he drawls, rolling his eyes. “When I walked in, you were mauling her, and then you disappeared the second you got a chance. What gives?”
Tugging at the collar of my shirt, I feign indifference. “We were talking, things got really personal… You know how that shit goes. You’re laid bare for a moment and something inside you just… gives in.”
“Whatever you need to tell yourself. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re afraid of having to meet the father.”
Flipping him off, I walk away, heading toward the enormous house that hosts the party.
“So did Dice get us in?” I ask him, taking in all the elegant and extravagant dresses and décor. We haven’t even made it inside yet, and already I feel as though Gatsby would envy this party.
Dice is standing outside the door, wearing his leather jacket and a bright red shirt. Leave it to the incubus to break dress code.
“Ah, there’s the coward who leaves a woman dripping lust,” he taunts, winking at me while nodding behind me.
Dreading what I’m about to see, I turn and let my eyes fall on the blonde that is fucking torturing me. I bite my lip so hard I almost bring blood when I see her short dress that stops just barely in time.
She’s talking to Karma as they get out of a cab, and her long, tan legs a
re showcased with a sleek golden sheen. Her hair looks alive as she walks, smiling over at Karma who looks oddly happy, considering how paranoid she normally seems.
The dress Kimber is wearing is strapless, silver, and made to fucking slay me.
“Did I mention I’m damn good at buying dresses?” Dice muses as Kimber nears.
“I think you’re trying to make me break something on your body.”
Thad snickers as Kimber and Karma finally reach us, but the blonde wrapped in silver doesn’t acknowledge me. Obviously I fucked up.
“You both look positively… edible,” Dice drawls, eyeing Karma like she’s most definitely on the menu. Again.
I’ll be casting a soundproof spell around them the second we get back.
Thad rolls his eyes, turning toward the door, and Kimber continues ignoring me while joining him at his side.
“We should be on the list,” Thad says. He gives the guy our names while I let my eyes roam all over Kimber’s back.
“Sorry,” the gruff man says. “You’re not on here.”
As one, we all turn our glare on Dice.
“Calm down,” he says, shrugging. “I wanted to show up and surprise Liza. Tell her that Dice is here.”
The guy turns his attention on Dice, narrowing his eyes. He mumbles the message over a sleeve microphone, and then he crosses his arms over his chest, making sure we don’t try to bypass him. Little does he know I could easily veil his mind and make him happy to oblige us.
“Well, well, well,” a feminine voice says from behind the burly man. “This is a lovely surprise.”
He steps aside for her to step into view, and Thad’s eyebrows hit his hairline. I have to admit, even for our world, her beauty is definitely startling.
“She’s out of your league, mate,” Dice tells Thad, slapping him on the back while stepping up and kissing the woman on the cheek.
She tosses her dark hair away from her face and narrows her eyes on Dice. Karma looks uncomfortable now, probably not enjoying the fact Dice and the woman I assume is Liza have history.
“Come on in,” Liza says, motioning inside. “I’m sure my friends are dying to meet you after all these years.”
Karma shoots me a questioning look, and I shrug in response. I’ve never heard Dice mention this woman before. As we all walk in, Dice takes Karma’s hand in his, threading their fingers together, and she seems to relax somewhat. But then I feel it. The stifling power of seduction sinks its teeth in, and I immediately regret wearing a tie.
“You don’t seem too surprised to see us,” Thad says, tugging at his collar the second he feels the heat.
“Of course not. After all, I’m the one who dropped the hints you needed to find me. You’re going after the rings, are you not?” she asks quietly, escaping the ears of most, and the others are too wrapped up in other… things. Damn. The seduction in here is too thick.
“You baited us?” Kimber asks her, surprised, but Dice just smirks.
“Perceptive little one, aren’t you?” Liza mocks, turning her eyes back toward us before opening a door off to the side.
We all go in, and she shuts the door on the loud party just outside. The second the door seals, all sounds disappear.
“Why did you bait us?” I ask, suddenly feeling a little toyed with.
Liza turns her dark smile on us, and she measures Karma, eyeing her with mild curiosity. That starts to put me on alert, until Liza finally speaks.
“Because you have my son on your crusade. And I’d like for him to stay safe.”
Everyone looks to Dice, confused, and he takes a bow as though he just finished a show. “Yes, the amazing Liza Berlow is indeed my mother.”
And apparently she’s a very strong succubus, because this is apparently a feeding party.
“Can you turn down the heat, Mrs. Berlow?” Thad asks, now fanning himself.
I curse under my breath when I notice Kimber pushing her thighs together and squirming while flushing, proving she’s affected as well. That’s really not the sort of thing I need on my mind right now.
“Sorry. I have numerous friends here who are feasting on all the sexually charged energy right now. The younger ones are insatiable. So you’ll have to endure the heat. Just know you’re feeding some very hungry little ones.”
She winks at Thad before biting her bottom lip, and Thad leans in closer. “Any time you want, blondie.”
Thad winks at her, and Dice rolls his eyes. “Great. My mother is going to sleep with yet another one of my friends.”
Liza looks younger than Thad. To be honest, she actually looks a little younger than Dice. But her eyes hold the years she’s endured.
“So why not just call us in if Dice is your son and you want to help?” Karma asks, clearly not having much experience with a succubus.
“What would be the fun in something that obvious?” she asks, grinning.
Dice smirks as though he’s amused, and he leans back.
“Well, you have our attention, Mother,” he says.
Unfortunately, Kimber has my attention. All of it. Because now her motherfucking aura is practically dripping lust and singing to me like a damn siren. I really hate the power of seduction.
“Good. Because I’m going to give you the information you need to stay alive. You’re idiots if you think any of you are powerful enough to storm the rings and walk out intact. But I have a teeny tiny solution to all your problems that will keep your wild hearts pumping.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Dice groans. “We get it. You’re about to save our lives. How is that exactly?”
“Always so impatient, my dear Dicera.”
Dicera?
My eyebrow cocks up, and I glance over at Dice who is now texting. Just as I’m about to mock him, all of our phones go off.
Dice: #NotOneFuckingWord
A few laughs escape, but Kimber’s is the one that starts crawling over my skin. We really need to get out of this house and away from this spell before I really go and fuck up.
“Here’s the deal,” Liza says, drawing my attention back up, but her gaze is trained on me. Then her eyes shift to Kimber. “Each ring has a seal inside the front door. Witches created it for these rings. They were forced against their will to create it. It’s to keep anyone from escaping. But, force a witch to do something, and they tend to add a little something extra.”
She walks around, drawing out her suspense. A succubus always has a flair for the dramatic.
“All you need to do is spill light or dark user blood on the seal, and fire an orb into the center.”
“What will that do?” Kimber asks, shifting her weight as sweat beads up on her glistening skin. She’s so young that she’s probably suffering the succubus effect far more than me, and it’s hitting me pretty hard.
“All of the beings in there will be bound to their own cells by individualized magic. But by spilling the blood and striking the center with an orb, you essentially unlock every cell’s magic. The only thing that will be holding them in will be iron bars and unremarkable chains. Even a newbie can break out of that.”
I’m not really sure if that’s good news or not, but it’s not something to address right away.
“And you’re sure this will work? Who’s your source?” Dice asks.
Liza rolls her eyes. “As if I would risk giving you faulty information. One witch informed me, and I’ve spent the last week gathering information. As you’re well aware, I’m very old and very powerful. Very few people can resist my charm, Dicera.”
“That’s actually very true,” Dice says, motioning toward her while talking to us.
“I need a drink,” I mumble, moving over toward the three liquor bottles I see.
“Actually, the two of you need to stop with your denial. You’re suffocating my room right now,” Liza says, motioning between Kimber and myself.
Kimber turns a pretty shade of red, and I smirk. Until she speaks.
“Gage isn’t one to ever finish what he starts, Mr
s. Berlow,” Kimber snarks.
Thad and Dice snicker to themselves, while Karma bites back a grin. Then Liza gets a look in her eyes that I know all too well.
“Don’t,” I caution.
“No worries, dark user. I won’t have to do anything.” Liza turns her attention on Dice. “Stay here and wait for a little while. I need to collect the spell you’ll need to fully release the captives. Just the orb and blood might not be enough for the larger rings. And my friend hasn’t arrived yet.”
“Ah, yes, Mother dearest. Who is this dear witch friend of yours?” Dice asks, drinking a glass of vodka. He’s the only one not affected by Liza’s air of seduction.
Liza’s eyes flit to Kimber for a moment, and her smile falters. Both actions strike me as more than curious, but she answers quickly with a steady voice.
“She wishes to remain anonymous, but she can be trusted. She was once a victim of circumstance. She has done things she’s not proud of, and now she’s atoning for her sins. Just know this; if she hadn’t given me this knowledge, it would have never been known.”
“I really need a drink,” Kimber says, echoing my words.
Her eyes meet mine for the first time, and I groan when I see the longing. “We can get some air,” I say as she brushes past me to grab something to drink.
“Air won’t do any good and you know it,” she hisses.
“You could have warned us what kind of party this is,” I say, glaring at Dice.
He shrugs unapologetically while wrapping his arm around Karma.
“I need out of this room,” Kimber says while walking out, moving far away from me.
I have no choice but to follow, because this party will be full of others feeling the exact same way.
“Seems like we’ve been here before,” Thad says, coming up to my side as Kimber moves to the far side of the crowded room.
“Once upon a time,” I mumble. “No unique experiences these days.”
“True, but the last time we were at a party hosted by a succubus and incubus, I walked in on you and Alyssa when you were about to—”
“Perfectly aware of the details and the very painful withdrawal symptoms that followed when I didn’t take advantage of her.”