The driver, who is the same man I saw earlier, throws the car into gear and presses on the gas as soon as my captor shuts his door. They don’t speak. Neither one of them look back at me as I’m sprawled out in the seat. When the car stops at the next red light, I rearrange myself into a more dignified position in the back and remove his jacket. I contemplate throwing it at the back of his head, but I place it in the seat next to me instead.
We hop on the interstate and take off at a high rate of speed. I bite my lip and keep from making a wisecrack about getting pulled over by the police. We drive for twenty minutes and take the exit. It’s dark, but I can tell we are in a more rural area outside of Nashville. I don’t even have any sense of direction to tell which way we went.
The driver turns into a driveway and stops at a huge iron gate, rolling down his window to punch in a code. I try to see the numbers he presses, but he’s too fast for my eyes to track. Again, I’m still wearing the silver shackles, and I don’t have super speed, strength, or my magic to defend myself. Instead, I’ve been reduced to a five-foot-seven, one hundred and twenty-five pound female being taken to a secret incubus lair.
Fuck!
The gate opens and we drive up a small incline before the driveway dips again and turns to the right. I can see lights up ahead, and once we pass a cluster of trees hanging over the driveway, a mansion appears before us.
It’s fucking huge.
“How many lonely, rich women did you have to feed off of to afford this?” The one who captured me lets out what sounds like a mix between a grunt and a laugh. The other male turns off the car and exits. My captor reaches in and pulls me out a little too roughly. “Hey, asshole! I have no powers right now. You could actually hurt me.”
“You’re fine,” he barks as he walks me through the front door.
Inside the foyer, I see the other male now. He’s twice the size of the guy who likes to jerk me around. He’s older than me, making me think he’s around thirty years old. His eyes are emerald green, but they look like they’ve seen many things.
My gaze swings to the male holding my upper arm. He’s covered in tattoos, and I’m sure he was in an eighties band before he was turned. That long, black hair falls in ringlets, and the tattoos on his skin look like they are from another time, but they’re not ugly. No, in fact, had we met under different circumstances, I might’ve tried to flirt with him.
The home is elegant. There are beautiful paintings in the foyer, and I shift nervously on the Moroccan-style black and red rug beneath my feet. To my left are two teak double doors and to my right is a set of stairs leading to the second floor. The room in front of me looks like a living room, but the walls are decorated in flowy drapery, and I see another male straightening a vase on a table by the back door. He doesn’t look up, and I have a feeling he’s a gargoyle who works for the incubi.
I jerk when the double doors open and another male walks out. He’s dressed in a suit, and he’s old enough to be my father. His salt and pepper gray hair and matching beard remind me of the sexy man with the deep voice on beer commercials.
“Come in my office,” he groans and disappears.
I’m pulled through the door and directed over to a chair that sits in front of the antique desk the older male is standing behind. He’s looking out the floor to ceiling windows and doesn’t turn around until my ass is planted in the seat.
“What’s your name?” he orders.
“Depends on who’s asking,” I retort. I’m not stupid. I know my maker is looking for me, and I don’t trust these males. The one who captured me moves closer, and I can feel the heat from his body through the material of my dress even though he isn’t touching me. I can scent him again, and I try to calm my fucking hormones.
“Salvatore Reed.” He offers his hand, and I reluctantly shake it. “The man behind you is Cassius Snow, and the one who drove you here is Victor Knight.”
“Well, it’s been real nice, but I should be going,” I say as I try to stand up, but Cassius places his hand on my shoulder, pushing me back into my seat. “Damn.”
“Who are you and why are you in Nashville?” Salvatore asks.
“I can’t tell you,” I hedge.
“You’re hunting without permission in my territory,” the older man snarls, slamming his hands on his desk and leaning forward.
“Yeah, about that…” I blush, feeling a bit of remorse. “See, I’m just passing through, and I was in need of some blood and energy.” I shrug, hoping they’d take my plain ass excuse, but obviously they were serious about people being in their territory who don’t belong.
“You still haven’t told me your name,” he reminds me, relaxing enough to take a seat behind the desk.
“I really can’t do that,” I hiss.
“Are you wanted?” Cassius asks from behind me. His hand touches my shoulder again, but in concern and not in anger. For a split second, I relax and feel a shiver roll through my body.
“I would rather go back to my motel, pack my things, and be out of your territory in the next hour,” I beg. Fuck, I’ll suck them all off if that would get me out of here without exposing who I am.
“You’re not leaving here until we get some answers,” Salvatore exclaims.
“Then I guess we will be here for a long time.” I turn my head to look up at Cassius, but quickly turn away when his eyes narrow. The movement causes my hair to flow over my shoulder, and I quickly push the strands in place to keep my back covered.
I begin to stand again, and this time Cassius doesn’t push me back into my seat. Instead, he snarls and grabs me by the shoulders. “What the fuck is this?”
I gasp and try to break free from his hold. It’s no use. The other male, Victor, grabs a handful of my hair and pulls it away from the back of my neck. I hear them both let out a string of curses as my eyes water and lock on Salvatore. He is up from his chair immediately and comes to inspect.
“Who did this to you?” Cassius roars.
“I can’t tell you,” I say through gritted teeth. “I really need to get out of here.”
“Fuck that,” Salvatore says. He changes immediately from the pissed off territory leader to a softer, kinder male. His hand cups my chin gently, and his eyes change over from a deep brown to a blood red with his emotions. It doesn’t scare me. If I wasn’t shackled, I’m sure mine would do the same.
“It looks like a weird Celtic knot,” Victor observes aloud.
“Sweet child, tell me the name of the monster who branded you,” Salvatore demands, but his voice is softer, more concerned. I feel a sense of calm come over me, and I shake my head to get my wits about me again.
“If I am found, he will take me back…probably to kill me for fleeing,” I whisper.
“Who did this to you?” Cassius repeats the question. Victor steps closer to me in a protective manner. Once Salvatore releases me, Cassius takes my hand and pulls on it until I turn around to look at him. He’s searching the depths of my eyes like he can pull the information from my brain.
“Kieran Wylde,” I breathe out, closing my eyes and inhaling Cassius’s unique scent.
“The territory leader from Pittsburg?” Victor snarls, breaking the hold Cassius has over me with his incubus scent. God, he’s strong, his scent unique and potent. He must lure in a lot of women.
“Yes,” I say, clearing my throat and taking a step away from Cassius. “I really don’t need to stay in town. I just wanted to feed and go on my way.”
“Where are you running to?” Cassius asks, his voice trailing off on a growl.
“I don’t know yet.” I shrug. “One thing I do know is that he’s looking for me, waiting for me to slip up so he can find me.”
“Have you ever killed a human?” Salvatore asks.
“I killed them all the time when I was in his dungeon,” I reply, shivering from the memories. “He’d bring them to me to keep me strong. I’d never been out into the real world until two weeks ago when I ran away.”
“He kept you in a dungeon?” Cassius says in shock.
“Ah, yeah,” I nod. “I was to be his queen after I learned the ways of being a succubus. I didn’t want to be changed into one, but he forced it on me.”
“How old are you?”
“I’m twenty-six,” I reply with a frown.
“How long have you been twenty-six?” Cassius asks.
“Nine months,” I answer, watching blood seep into their eyes when I frown.
“He should be killed!” Salvatore yells and slams his fist on the desk. “You will stay here. Cassius will show you to an available room, and we will protect you.”
“I can’t ask that of you,” I protest, but none of the men in the room are going to accept my refusal.
“Too late, little one,” Cassius says, reaching for the silver bracket on my wrist. “You are under our protection, and no one will come for you. Now, tell us your name.”
“My name is Ashera Andrews,” I offer as he fumbles with the latch.
“Have you killed a human since you ran away?” Salvatore continues with the questions as I rub the spot where the silver touched my skin. It didn’t burn, but it did leave a weird sensation of pins and needles where it was clasped.
“No,” I answer honestly. “I stayed in the forest mostly, feeding on animals for blood. I found a man in a truck stop in Ohio for energy about three days ago, but I didn’t kill him.”
“Are you in need of a feeding right now?” Victor asks.
“I’m okay right now.” At this point, my weakness from not feeding is making me sleepy. I will accept their hospitality for the night, then be on my way after finding someone to feed off of tomorrow morning.
“Come, let me show you to a room,” Cassius says as he directs me to the staircase.
The stairs leading to the second floor take more energy out of me. I’m fading fast, and I’m hoping a long sleep will reenergize my body enough by morning. It probably wouldn’t hurt to eat soon, too.
There are several doors down the hallway, but Cassius takes me to the third one on the left, opening it wide and leaning in to turn on the light. Inside is a four-poster bed with a fluffy, dark green covering. I don’t even kick off my heels before face-planting on the bed.
“Thank you,” I mumble.
“When was the last time you fed?” Cassius asks from the doorway. I turn my head to the side and notice he’s perched against the threshold, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.
“I don’t know…about a week ago. I had a deer for the blood,” I say, resting my cheek on the bed. “I think I just need to sleep.”
I blink a few times, and when I reopen my eyes, Cassius is stripping off his shirt and walking over to the bed. His chest is bare, and his abs ripple as he prowls in my direction.
“You can feed from me tonight,” he offers.
“No,” I gasp and sit up quickly. The rush of adrenaline causes me to sway, but I catch myself before I fall off the bed. “I won’t feed from you, and we sure as fuck are not having sex.”
“You’re a succubus, it shouldn’t matter,” he teases, but I see concern in his eyes.
“Yeah, ummmm…no,” I scoff. “I’m sorry, but your manhandling of me doesn’t bode well for you fucking me tonight.”
“We don’t have to fuck,” he says, but betrays himself when he starts to unbutton his pants. I hold my hand out in a silent plea for him to stop, and he does. “You can have some of my blood, Ashera.”
“Fuck,” I whisper.
“No fucking,” he teases and drops to one knee in front of me. His head is level with mine, and I can scent him again. I don’t know if my body will obey me and not prime itself for him when I take his vein. “Drink, then you can rest.”
My fangs grow and I lick my lips when I see the vein in his neck pulse. I’m frozen; conflicted about the right thing to do. I have never fed from an incubus before, and I’m sure what I’m about to do won’t taste like any human I’ve ever had.
I strike his neck with the speed of a cobra, hitting the vein. The rich, coppery taste of his blood slides across my tongue and I greedily swallow it down. My arms wrap around his shoulders when he stands, and my body betrays me as my legs wrap seductively over his hips. I feel the hardness of his denim-covered cock pressing against my panties. His scent swirls around me, and the next thing I know, his hands are on my breasts.
Chapter 3
Cassius
The moment I touch her breasts, she rips her fangs from my neck and flies across the room, hissing at me. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You’re not going to hurt me,” I frown. The succubus is nothing like I’ve ever seen. She’s fearful of her nature, and I don’t understand why she isn’t accepting of my blood.
“I could kill you,” she huffs. Her expensive dress has twisted around her body, exposing her long legs. The gargoyles were right when they said she was beautiful. There’s something about this female that piques my interest to know more about her.
“You didn’t get enough blood, Ashera,” I scold. She has the scent of a succubus, and it’s enchanting. I knew giving her my blood would cause sexual need between us, but what I didn’t expect was for her to stop feeding shortly into the exchange.
“It’s enough,” she promises, her shoulders dropping. “It’s plenty. I’m sorry. I should shower.”
“Not until you tell me why you stopped feeding from me,” I demand, walking slowly toward her. She doesn’t cower from me, and I take that as a good sign, but she does watch me with weary eyes. Something about her expression tells me she’s strong, but her actions tell me she’s somehow wounded. “We are not going to harm you here, and you need to trust us to help you.”
“I don’t trust anyone,” she insists.
“If Salvatore gave you his word that he would protect you, his word is good,” I promise. Salvatore gave me his word about keeping me from offing myself many years ago, and he’s never failed me through all of my hatred for what I am. He loves this life, and he wants me to love it as well. “Now, tell me why you stopped feeding.”
“I liked it too much,” she admits, a soft blush painting the tops of her cheekbones. It’s endearing, and reminds me she is new to this life.
“An incubi’s blood and scent is addicting for a human,” I admit, immediately frowning because she shouldn’t be overcome by my scent. “You shouldn’t be feeling the calling toward me.”
“It is. And I do,” she nods, sliding to the floor. “I’m so confused. This is all new to me.”
“I’m sure it is.” She’d never fed properly during her time with her maker. He never taught her the ways of a succubus, and that’s completely against the rules. I can’t even imagine what she went through. “Please, trust us to help you.”
I approach her, holding out my hand. She hesitates for a moment before sliding her fingers across my palm. I close my hand and give her a slight tug to get her to her feet. She straightens the dress and frowns at its condition.
“I liked this dress,” she sighs, and swirls her finger around her head like a ballerina. Her outfit changes from the expensive dress to a blood red robe that hangs to her ankles. “Can I have a moment to shower?”
“Sure.” I clear my throat. The overwhelming urge to pull the sash to expose her body throws me for a moment. I’ve never met a female who intrigues me like this one. “I’ll take my leave to get you some food from the kitchen and bring it to your room shortly.”
“Thank you, Cassius,” she says, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I won’t be long.”
I pull the door closed as she waits for me to go. It takes me a moment to leave the hallway. Once I hear the water turn on in the adjacent bathroom, I step away and turn for the stairs. Victor is waiting for me when I reach the foyer.
“You fed her?” he asks, his gaze darting toward the top of the stairs.
“I did,” I say, reaching up to touch the spot where she fed. It’s already healed, and there will be no scar. “And now,
I will make her a plate of food. She’s starved for far too long.”
“Salvatore wants her protected,” Victor says, crossing his arms over his chest. He’s worried for me, and I can see it in his eyes.
“And she will be,” I vow. Something tingles in the back of my mind, but I shake it off. I don’t even know this succubus, and somehow, the demon that rules me wants to protect her.
I duck my head and walk toward the living room, turning left for the kitchen. Our housekeeper and resident gargoyle, Fagan, is preparing this evening’s meal. He’s been with us since the beginning, and he looks nervous.
“She’s staying here for a while, Fagan,” I announce as I grab a plate from the stack on the counter. I didn’t mention anything about him adding an additional setting to our usual stack of three, so I’m surprised to see the extra plate. “Treat her as you would treat one of us.”
“Aye, Sir.” He nods and steps away from the stove. “May I set the table for you and our guest tonight?”
“Please set it for the three of us,” I state, taking a piece of chicken from the baking pan. “Ms. Andrews will be eating in her quarters tonight. She’s tired and needs her rest.”
“As you wish,” he acknowledges and moves the plates and cutlery to the table. I finish with making Ashera’s food and grab a bottle of wine from the fridge. I’m sure she could use a little drink to help relax her after the night she’s had. I should probably have a drink of my own.
When I return to the room, I knock softly and wait for her to open the door. She’s back in her robe, but the sash isn’t closed. She’s wearing a long, silky gown beneath it, and it matches. Her breasts are more or less covered. The swells are exposed, and I have to look away before I do something that might get me punched like the man at the bar.
“I hope you like white wine,” I say, setting the plate on the dresser by the door. She walks over and closes her eyes as she scents the hot plate of food.
“I do,” she says as she picks up the plate. I uncork the bottle and pour her a glass as she climbs on the bed. She takes the glass of wine and sets it on the bedside table. “Thank you.”
Thirst (Incubus Tamed, Book 1) Page 2