Thirst (Incubus Tamed, Book 1)

by Theresa Hissong

  “Tell Kieran I’m coming for him,” I snarl and yank at the silver on my neck. The gargoyle has wrapped it around me, and there are tiny razor-like points in the wire. I hiss as I try to pull it away, but when I unstick one sharp point, another imbeds in my skin.

  The gargoyle is moving around now, and I take off at a dead run down the alleyway. It stretches the block, and I can see a road up ahead. When I look behind me, he’s on his feet, healed from my attack.

  I can’t drop the knife, nor can I replace it in my clothing as I run. I need to find help, or at least a human who will stop when he sees a helpless female running from a bald thug with tattoos and a peacoat.

  I’m feet from the road when a gun goes off and I am knocked to the ground. The pain in my back is nothing compared to the inability to feel my legs. I’m numb. There is nothing below my waist, or at least the sensations are missing. I know he’s shot me directly in my spine. Whatever he shot me with, it worked to his advantage. I scream when I realize I am paralyzed and can’t heal due to the silver chain imbedded in my neck.

  I crawl with my arms, but I can’t make it to safety no matter how hard I try. The sound of footsteps gets closer and closer the more I try to struggle. My breathing is starting to fade, and the silver around my neck keeps me from at least starting to heal my body.

  “You fucking cunt!” The gargoyle rears back with his booted foot and kicks me in the jaw. Stars bloom in my vision, and I blink to keep myself aware, but it doesn’t work. He kicks me again, but this time, everything goes dark.

  Thick fangs in my neck wake me. My eyes blink to clear the confusion, and it takes me several seconds to realize I’m on my back, staring at a ceiling I remember. I’m weak, but alive…for now.

  His stench is overpowering, and I feel tears leak from the corner of my eyes. There are no sensations below my waist, and right now, I am thankful. Without feeling, I am numb to everything he’s doing except drinking from my vein.

  Taking my blood, I can handle. That’s nothing compared to what else he has in store for me. My only prayer is Cassius finds me in time. I don’t want a real death. I want to live, and I want to live eternity with my incubus mate.

  I bring up a picture of him in my mind. I need to see his smile to remind me there is good in the evil of our lives. Demon or not, I love him, and I will serve my time in Hades if Lucifer sees fit. I will accept my fate even if I don’t agree with it. At this point, I have nothing else to hope for if Cassius doesn’t come. I am a vessel for my maker, and he will make me suffer before killing me.

  “Oh, my queen, how I’ve missed you,” Kieran growls as he rips his fangs from my neck.

  His eyes are blood red; my energy is now his. There isn’t anything more for me to do other than shut down. It’s time to close myself off to the world and pray I’m killed quickly. My brain goes dormant, protecting itself, as I close my eyes and fade away.

  Chapter 16

  Cassius

  Every part of my body is on fire. They’ve taken Ashera from me, and I’m on edge without her by my side. Victor paces the room, and I want nothing more than to take my anger out on him. The demon inside me wants blood, and I won’t stop until Kieran Wylde is burning in Hades.

  “Memphis is bringing more gargoyles,” Victor announces after looking at a message on his phone.

  “How many?” I ask, my voice flat.

  “Five,” he replies and continues pacing. Memphis left before dawn, stating he was going to gather help. I didn’t want to wait, but his argument was valid. If I’d gone in there with the anger of her kidnapping, I was bound to get us all killed.

  As much as I hated my extended and immortal life, Ashera has giving me a reason to live again. If anyone could tame the incubus inside me, it’s Ashera Andrews. Over the past few weeks, my disgust at living hasn’t been at the forefront of my mind. Feeding isn’t as depressing as it once was, and I owe it all to her.

  Even though I’ve only heard of a handful of matings, I know it isn’t all hearts and fucking flowers like the human marriages. Being demons, we need sex and blood to survive, and living off of your succubus mate won’t keep you alive for long. We must find willing bodies, and jealousy isn’t a part of our essential makeup. The only anger we posses is when our mates are taken against their will.

  I won’t allow Kieran to harm her again. It’s no secret he violated her and slit her throat to change her. I will kill him for that alone. We don’t know the others who were changed that night with Ashera, but I’m betting he did the same to the women and possibly the man.

  “They’re here,” Victor announces and heads toward the door.

  I’ve been in a trance. My body has basically shut down, storing its energy reserves for the impending war. I should feed again before we leave, but I don’t have time to hunt for a human. It’s too important I get to my mate.

  Memphis enters with five gargoyles, and I blink when two of them are women. Victor makes the introductions, and I try to keep up. They’re from the Washington D.C. area, and one of them is Xavier’s brother. Their territory leader, Caspian, sent them as soon as Salvatore called in a favor. What that favor was, I don’t know, nor do I care at this point.

  “Shai, Roan, and Laran will be going with us,” Memphis says as he takes charge of our mission. I’m too lost without Ashera, and I cannot think about anything other than finding her and bringing her home.

  “Laran brought you two of their gargoyle females for energy and blood,” Xavier says, nodding toward the two females. “Briley and Lacey will be available should any of us need it.” Gargoyles survive on blood alone, and fortunately for them, they can feed on their females and survive.

  “Thank you.” I nod, knowing I may need them once this is over. The three other gargoyles stand at attention against the wall. Victor speaks to them as he gives them the plan. I’m ready to go. I don’t want to wait much longer.

  “We know the area well,” Laran informs us. I try to listen as he explains the area, but the more we wait, the more my body begins to tremble. “The mansion is surrounded by forest. It’s going to be easy to reform in a hidden area I remember seeing not far from the back entrance to the home. He has four gargoyles who care for the property and four incubi on his payroll.”

  “Where are they keeping Ashera?” I ask. That is the only question I need answered.

  “The basement dungeon can be accessed from behind a bookcase in his office,” another gargoyle answers. “I can get us down there.”

  “What are we waiting for?” I growl and reach for my jacket.

  The gargoyles explain the layout of the home to Xavier, so I head toward them. It’s time to go, and I’m going to figure out how to transport there by myself if they don’t get ready to go in the next two minutes.

  “You need to calm the fuck down,” Victor says as he grasps my elbow. I feel my fangs extend, and I bear them in his direction. Before I can say anything, his eyes darken and blood seeps into the whites of his eyes, causing vein-like streaks. “We don’t need you going off all half-crazed. You’re having withdrawals from not having Ashera here, and you need to recognize that is a sign of not having your mate close. I know you have no idea about incubi matings, but this is a fucking sign. If you don’t get it together, I will silver your ass and leave you here.”

  “There’s no fucking way you are leaving me here,” I snarl.

  “Everyone gather around,” Xavier announces.

  I jerk my arm out of Victor’s hold and stand next to Memphis. The three other gargoyles stand in the center of a circle we’ve created, and we place our hands on their shoulders. I blink, and I’m standing just on the edge of a forest-like area, looking across a small clearing. Beyond that is a home as large as the one we have in our territory. There are no guards, no one ambling around. There are two cars in the circle drive, and from the looks of it, things are quiet.

  I close my eyes and use my enhanced hearing to try and listen for Ashera, but it’s quiet. I don’t know if I should
take that as a good sign since we know she’s in the basement of the home. She told me of the things he’d done to her while she was captive once before, and I fear he’s already touched her.

  He’s touched what’s mine.

  Mine.

  Mine!

  “I’m going in,” I growl.

  “Cassius, no!”

  Too late. Their voices fade as my body disintegrates into thin air. I transport myself across the lawn, reforming at the back door. One well-placed kick to the glass pane and it shatters. My body has swollen; my fangs are present. Claws have erupted from the tips of my fingers, and I know my face has taken on its demon state.

  Two gargoyles come around the corner and attack. Laran and Xavier are on them before I can take them out myself. My taste for blood is at the forefront of my mind. I don’t know where this office is, but I will tear down this house with my bare hands to find her.

  “Go!” I hear Memphis behind me. Victor places his hand on my shoulder, silently telling me he has my back.

  An incubus appears in the hallway, his expression similar to my own. His eyes are black with fury, but I am running on anger. He rushes me, but I slash my claws against his throat until blood spews out of him and he gasps for air. Victor catches him when he falls, and twists his head until it comes clean off his body.

  “Turn right,” one of the gargoyles calls out as we continue. Ahead of me is a living room and another hallway. Shai points toward the hallway and presses his finger to his lips, telling us to go quietly.

  There are doors on each side of us, and Laran holds out four fingers, then points with one of them to the right, telling me that’s our destination. I pause to listen, and when I hear nothing, I take a deep breath and move on. When I reach the door, I try the handle and it opens softly.

  “Be aware,” Victor warns. “It’s too quiet.”

  “Well, well, well,” a voice says from my left as soon as I enter. “Come for my whore, Cassius?”

  “She’s not your whore,” I snarl. I don’t even recognize my own voice. Seeing Kieran Wylde at his desk with Ashera on her knees, collared like a dog, sends me into a feral rage.

  “Ah, ah, ah,” he tsks, producing a hunting knife and pressing it to her throat. “If you even think about killing me, I will send your bitch straight to Hades.”

  “I’ll kill you if she dies,” I shout. There is a silver shackle around her upper arm, stripping her of any power she might’ve had to escape him.

  “And I will have her for eternity,” he laughs.

  Ashera looks straight ahead. There is no emotion in her gaze, and I swear she’s looking right through me. She isn’t even aware of my presence, and that scares me. I take a step forward so I can see her better, but Kieran presses the blade harder against her neck, nicking her skin. A lone trail of blood appears, rolling down over her collarbone and onto her naked breasts. I do everything in my power not to rage when I see healing bruises all over her body. There are scabbed-over knife marks on the tops of her legs and forearms. With our healing abilities, they have to be only an hour old.

  What else has he done to her over the last twelve hours?

  “Here’s what’s going to happen,” Kieran begins. “You and your merry bunch of assholes are going to leave my house before we kill you.”

  “I’m not leaving until I have Ashera and you are burning in hell,” I reply.

  “Not going to happen,” he says, taking the knife and running it across her neck, cutting only a few layers of skin. It’s enough to bleed, and she still doesn’t respond.

  Behind me, I know Victor is to my left and Laran is to my right. Directly behind me is Xavier, but I have no idea where Memphis, Shai, and Roan are, and I hope Kieran doesn’t realize there are more of us.

  “Release her,” I demand, taking a half step to the right.

  “She’s mine,” he insists. “I made her, so she belongs to me.”

  “She’s my mate, asshole,” I snarl. “She belongs to me.”

  There is a silence that falls over the room. My face bubbles with anger. Ashera still isn’t reacting to anything, and I fear she has completely shut down. My beautiful mate will have to be saved. There is no way she will be able to fight her way out of this.

  “I guess we both want that pure blood,” he states.

  “Whatever you’re jabbering about is nothing,” Victor snaps from beside me. “There is no such thing as a pure blood succubus.”

  “Oh, I beg to differ,” Kieran chuckles and stands. He pulls on the leash and Ashera stands. She is completely nude and the blood from the cut to her throat has now reached her belly. Little drops roll off the ends of her nipples, and I can scent her from across the room. Her succubus scent is alive, and it gives me hope. She still stares at me, but it’s blank.

  “How so?” I ask, jutting my chin toward Ashera. “What is so special about her that you kept her chained to your dungeon for nine months?”

  “You really don’t know?” he gasps. “You really are fools. You don’t deserve her.”

  This incubus is working on my last nerve. As soon as I find an opening, I will go for his throat. This kill belongs to Ashera, but she is in no shape to react. The silver prevents her from defending herself. She can only rely on her human strength, and that is no match for a demon.

  Nine months. Nine fucking months she was chained in that dungeon and subjected to his sick pleasures. Even among demons, we have rules and standards. Never take more than you need, and never force yourself upon your food.

  Never.

  How she managed to stay sane in the time she spent with him, I will never understand. Nine months is a long time to be chained and violated. He’d fed her with humans, demanding she kill them. He wanted her fed, and you’d think he was caring for her for those…nine…months.

  “You wanted to breed her!” I roar, my body vibrating with anger. “She’s a pure blood because she can still have children?”

  “Took you long enough,” Kieran says, rolling his eyes. “The first time I tasted her, I knew. There have only been a few before her, and they all come from the same bloodline. You see, your mate here is a queen of our race, and a queen among the succubi. She will hold power over the world, and I made her specifically to help me rule.”

  “She is not your queen, nor will she ever be,” I remind him.

  “Unfortunately, she wouldn’t bear a fucking kid during those nine months,” he spat. “Even when she was fertile, I couldn’t impregnate her. She’s worthless. I should’ve just killed her, but I need her bloodline.”

  “It’s probably because you can’t perform enough to impregnate a female.” I taunt him. I know I am, but I need him to pull the knife away from her throat and come at me. I want to make him so raging mad that he releases her. “Your cock just ain’t what it used to be, huh?”

  “Are you shooting blanks in your old age, Kieran?” Victor teases, taking my lead. Victor and I have been friends for so long, we sometimes know what the other one is thinking, and I’m thankful now is one of those times.

  “Fuck you,” Kieran snarls. I see the blade ease away from her neck. I wish I could communicate with her and tell her to run when I attack him, but even pleading with her by a look alone isn’t working. She’s still as a statue.

  “How do you even feed?” I continue. The knife drops another half of an inch, and I feel my body wanting to coil for the long jump across the room. I’m primed, and I will get my mate if it kills me.

  “With my fangs buried in your whore,” he answers, setting me off.

  The muscles in my legs coil, and I fly across the room. I make impact with Kieran as he yanks the blade across Ashera’s neck. My guttural cry echoes throughout the room as voices explode behind me.

  “You bastard!” I yell as I wrap my fingers around his throat.

  The hot slice of his blade catches my face, and I hiss from the pain. Ashera’s gasping for air, and I am torn between caring for her and killing this motherfucker. With my other hand, I
grasp his wrist and slam his hand onto the ground beneath us. The blade falls away, but he isn’t giving up that easily.

  He pushes against me, our bodies raise into the air, hovering as I increase my hold on his wrist and throat. I feel the cold, rough skin of his fingers as one hand closes over the wrist of the hand at his throat. His other fist makes contact with my jaw as I fly across the room, slamming his body into the far wall. A painting explodes and pieces of the frame scatter, one of them impaling into his back. The scent of his freshly spilled blood urges me on.

  Behind me, I hear grunts and hisses from the men who’ve come to protect their leader. Kieran grabs for my throat, but I dodge him, reaching for the six-inch piece of wood impaled in my shoulder. With speed and precision, I slam it into the side of his neck and grit my teeth as he shrieks. The more I twist the thick mass, the more blood spills.

  Our bodies fall to the ground, and the air rushes out of my lungs when he strikes me in the sternum. I will not let him best me. My need for his death is too strong.

  “Die, motherfucker,” I snarl and dig my claws into the other side of his neck, feeling the flesh and muscle tear. Hot liquid pours over my hand, and his eyes go vacant from the blood loss. I know I have him. He’s knocking on Lucifer’s door.

  We roll twice, stopping when I straddle his waist. With every ounce of energy in my body, I push my fingers into the open wound on the side of his neck, wrapping them around his vertebra. His eyes bulge as I tighten my grip. Kieran’s body goes lax as a loud popping sound signals I’ve paralyzed him. If I don’t kill him now, he will heal.

  “This is for hurting what’s mine,” I rage, tearing his head from his body. A roar wrenches from my throat as I toss his head to the side.

  I despise the demon that lives inside me for wanting more blood. The incubus part wants to destroy every living thing that poses a threat to him and the succubus that owns what’s left of his human heart. She is his, and no one will ever take her from him again. My thirst for vengeance will never be tamed when it comes to Ashera.