The Arbiter: Divinely Damned Book One

by K. B. Ladnier

  “You don’t understand, Larkan. I’m a Succubus. I—”

  I cut her off. “I understand perfectly fine, Nocturna.” I release her hands from her back and palm her face between my hands. “And I don’t care. I’d rather it be me than anyone in there. So just, take it.”

  She still doesn’t move as her hungry gaze flicks back and forth between mine. I can feel her power amping up beneath her flesh and dancing across mine. It tingles rather than sparks like before. Almost like her power wants mine. And by the Creator, I fucking love it.

  I don’t wait for her to decide. I throw away the reasons we are even here and make up her mind for her by slamming my lips down against hers.

  Her hands immediately grab onto my jacket, her nails digging in hard.

  Her mouth opens, and I slip my tongue in. An electrical current vibrates across my tongue as it touches hers, making it feel like I am licking a live wire. It’s strange yet feels fucking amazing. I can taste the mixture of Divine and Damned power within her; her Damned half having almost a spicy taste, and her Divine sweet.

  I know this is a bad idea, but I can’t stop now. If anything, I need more. I know she needs more. As she said, she’s a Succubus. There’s only one way to feed a Succubus this starved for energy.

  I bend at the knees and slip my hands down her thighs, then grab the sides, and hoist her to wrap her legs around me.

  As hot as it is kissing her in the rain, I don’t think I’d like giving the people who happen to see us out here a show. Thank the Creator for tinted windows.

  I don’t stop kissing her as I walk us to the SUV, only peeking out around her to watch where I’m going.

  She pulls away, so I can get us into car, smiling coyly at me as I do. I open my door and slide in backwards into my seat, making her straddle me before closing the door and claiming her mouth once again.

  The SUV is hot and sticky feeling from the humidity, but I barely notice with her in my lap. Her hands tear at my jacket and shirt, trying desperately to get them off me. The material clings to my skin as she struggles to pull the shirt over my head.

  I help her, sliding my shirt off. But she stops when my bare chest is displayed.

  Her eyes slide across my skin to the many X’s that are branded there. One for every Damned that I’ve had to send back to Damnation. Her glowing eyes seem to flash with recognition of what they are. She looks to me, then back down, before slowly sliding her finger across a few of the raised marks.

  She doesn’t say anything, though. Instead, her eyes turn heated back to me, and she brings her mouth back to mine. Her hands begin to rapidly explore the rests of my torso, sliding and scratching up and down.

  I reach between us and tear her shirt down the middle, swiping it off her arms as fast as possible.

  My blood is on fire with lust as I reach around and undo the lace bra she’s wearing with the snap of my fingers. I shake with desire when her wet skin slides against mine. I waste no time in threading my fingers into her hair and tugging her head to the side to taste the sensitive flesh of her neck. I work my way down, licking and nipping to her chest. I take one of her succulent nipples into my mouth and nip it just a bit, earning a moan of pleasure from her.

  Her hand reaches beneath her, and she undoes my pants, slipping her hand in and grabbing a hold of me. I bite down onto her neck with a groan, shuddering at the feel of her hand.

  It’s been so long since I’ve been touched, I’d almost forgotten how this felt.

  I take back her mouth and ravage it with my own. I feel a pleasurable burning sensation in the pit of my stomach and open my eyes to see a stream of light flowing from my mouth to hers.

  So, this was what being fed from feels like.

  “Damnation!” she shouts as she breaks the feed and looks directly in my eyes. “You need to get inside me right now Larkan.” Her tone is filled with a growl of need.

  I smirk at her and reach down between us and under her skirt. Without giving her any warning, I rip her underwear and panty hose.

  She gasps softly and stares at me with lustful and expectant eyes. Without even taking a breath, I slip into her hard and fast. We both let out a loud moan of pleasure.

  By the Creator, she feels like the purest sin!

  Her hips rock into me fast and hard. Heat rises between us as we move, to the point the windows of the SUV begin to fog.

  I feel that same pleasurable burn in my stomach as she begins to feed from me again.

  When I start to feel it even more intensely, I know she’s getting even more now that this has escalated. Her moaning is the most beautiful fucking sound I’ve ever heard.

  Just as I feel us both getting close to climax, things begin to heat up. Literally. Not just around us, but her whole body feels like it’s beginning to burn.

  Behind my closed eyes, I can see a blinding white light is building between us, growing brighter by the second. I’m too caught up in this feeling with her to really care what it is. I just want more.

  When we do finally reach our climax, I feel an explosion rock my body unlike any orgasm I’ve felt before.

  My eyes open at the last second and the light consumes us. I can’t see her, even though she’s still there. I cover my eyes until I feel everything begin to cool down and the bright light fades out as fast as it came.

  When I finally open them, Nocturna looks completely different than she had just moments before.

  “Uh… Nocturna?”

  Her breathing is labored as she lifts her hands and looks at her appearance.

  “What the fuck?” She exclaims in confusion, before looking to me for an explanation.

  I reach out with my power and feel something completely familiar about hers. The Damned part is muted, but her Divine half is almost full force.

  I shake my head in wonder. “I think you have a third form. And this is it,” I gaze at her in wonder.

  Her hair is completely white, her skin has a pearlescent glow with a hint of sparkle to it, and most interesting of all, she now has four-foot black, flame wings coming from between my shoulder blades that almost look shaped like feathers; only they aren’t corporeal.

  “Again. What the fuck?” She says, louder this time.

  Nocturna

  I look myself over and cannot believe there is yet another fucking form.

  Wasn’t it enough I was already having an identity crisis with two? Why’d the Creator have to go and give me a third?

  I reach my hand over my shoulder to feel the ghostly, black wings, but my hand goes right through them, sending a shudder down my spine when my fingers brush them.

  I pull my hand away quickly. Best not to do that at the moment. I like how it feels, but it is akin to someone tracing a finger across a ticklish spot on your ribs or stomach.

  What the fuck is happening to me?

  “This might be my fault,” Larkan says, still staring at my appearance as I have a silent freak out while straddling his lap.

  “Why am I glowing? This is weird as fuck,” I say, pausing to look at him. “Wait, your fault? You think cause we just…”

  He nods, “Yeah. I felt our power connect right there at the end. My guess? Mine helped unlock this new form. You are half Divine after all.”

  I raise a brow in confusion, “But Rites don’t have second forms.”

  Larkan bites his lip, and his brows lower, giving him a look that screams guilty. I squint my eyes at him in suspicion.

  “You do have second forms, don’t you?” I ask in accusation.

  He doesn’t respond for a moment, but finally inclines his head just a fraction.

  “Great! This is awesome,” I say, sarcasm dripping heavily from my voice. “You know how to put this form away? It’s weird and feels a bit uncomfortable.” I look over my shoulder at the weird flaming wings. Surprisingly, it looks like they’re being smashed against the roof of the SUV. I wonder why when I touch them it’s like they aren’t there, but them touching something else they become a physi
cal thing that can move. I can actually feel where the wings are touching the roof.

  He puts his hands on my shoulders and starts rubbing them up and down my arms. “You have to relax. You’re not only still amped from the sex and feeding, but you’re freaking out. You have to calm your mind and body, then your power will respond.”

  I sigh, “I don’t know if I can get that calm right now, Larkan. I never expected this.”

  “No one ever expects a lot of things in life, but they learn to deal anyway. Just close your eyes and breathe in and out slowly. Think of something that makes you happy.”

  I don’t really think it’ll work, but I trust him not to steer me wrong. So, I do as I’m told and close my eyes. I know imagining sex, which I very much like, won’t help, because it’ll just get me all excited. Instead, I think about sitting comfortably in my chair in the club, watching my people dance and have fun. I think about dancing with my girls to one of our slower songs as the soft beat moves through me.

  I don’t stop until I start to feel less uncomfortable and my body relaxes. I open my eyes and smile when I see everything is back to my human form. I peer behind me to make sure the wings are gone and let out a sigh of relief.

  Larkan chuckles, “There you go. See? Not so hard. However, if you don’t put clothes back on, something else will be.”

  I snort and cross my arms over my bare chest. “I would, but seeing that someone ripped my clothes, I’m shit out of luck.”

  He helps me shift back into the passenger seat before reaching into the back. He pulls his hand back and hands me a shirt.

  “It’ll be a bit big on you, but it’ll cover you until I can get you home.”

  I thank him and slip into the black tank that falls to about mid-thigh on me. “It’ll do. Though, I’m pretty sure I’ll be getting some questions if anyone sees me.”

  Larkan turns the key and starts the engine, then looks over at me with a smile, “Good thing you have your own personal staircase then.”

  I scuff, “Yeah. We’ll see about that.”

  “Mon Cher, how was the stakeout?” Monroe asks, startling me as I walk into my loft.

  I yelp pathetically from the scare. “Damn it! I didn’t even see you there.” I say with a hand over my heart. Usually, I’m not easily frightened. But with my mind was still wandering through the events of the evening. I won’t admit which one had more of my attention.

  Who am I kidding? It was the sex.

  I’m still reeling over my third form, obviously. But after feeling Larkan’s hands all over me, and then the sweet kiss goodnight he gave me before I walked up to my loft, I can’t think of much else.

  His brows pinch in concern, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” He stands from the couch in the living room area where he’d been reading. His eyes stray to my state of undress as he walks over, and a knowing smile graces his lips. “Or should I say, take you away from thinking of a certain Rite?”

  I snort and slip off my boots, setting them by the door. “That obvious, huh?” I ask sheepishly.

  He shrugs and taps his nose, “Us Striges have a decent sense of smell, Mon Cher. I can tell. But, I also don’t think you’d look quite so dreamy eyed right now if your clothes had been shredded in a fight.”

  I quickly school my face, “I don’t look dreamy.”

  Monroe chuckles and thumbs my chin. “You do. But that’s alright, Mon Cher. I like this look on you, whether it was me who put it there or not.” He finishes his sweet words with a kiss to my nose.

  I can’t help the grin that stretches across my face. Because Monroe is an Infernal, I know he can be as vicious and cruel when called for. But this Monroe, he’s kind and understanding. He has a sweetness to him that not many Damned possess. It warms my heart in places that haven’t felt that beautiful heat that comes from affection. Enoch had moments where he warmed me like that; never to this magnitude, though. I may act about ninety-five percent Damned most the time, but there’s still that five percent that is Divine and craves gentleness.

  Who’d have thought I’d get that from a Strige Liege?

  “You’re amazing. You know that?” I ask him breathily, then softly press my lips to his.

  He wraps me in his arms, lingering in this moment with me for a short bit.

  When he lets go, he places a chaste kiss to my forehead and steps back, his expression falling a bit, “Now, I know you’ve just had yourself a wonderful evening, but I’m afraid I’ll have to ruin it a little.”

  “What’s wrong?” I ask seriously. If Monroe’s not smiling, it can’t be anything good.

  He takes my hand and pulls me towards the couch to sit. “I received word one of my people has been taken. His wife came to my mansion in the middle of the night in a panic when her husband didn’t come home. She found a large patch of blood on the lawn right outside their home and could smell it was his. They need me and Raphael back home to help find out what happened and question some of the men that were on patrol that night.”

  My hand covers my mouth in horror. I couldn’t imagine what that poor woman must be feeling. What is happening to our people?

  “Should I come too? I can help find out what happened,” I supply, eager to help him in any way I can.

  He shakes his head. “No, Mon Cher. You should stay here and look into the matter where it’s safe. I don’t know who to trust back home right now. I need to know you’re here around those who would protect you while you learn your new power.”

  I huff with aggravation. What’s the point in being all powerful if I’m not able to use the powers for what they’re meant for. I am more than my power. I can fight through a hoard of Damned like a bowling ball through pins.

  He palms my face tenderly. “I know that look. I know you’re not some timid child who is powerless. You are a powerful woman without your Arbiter abilities, Nocturna. You are also irreplaceable. No Arbiter that would come after your untimely death could fill the shoes you have on your beautiful feet.”

  I sigh, “You’re right. About the needing to be here thing, not the other stuff. One day, I might agree to the rest of that.”

  Monroe chuckles and leans forward, kissing me hard and deep.

  While I had totally agreed with Monroe the night before that staying here was best for everyone, namely me, the more I thought about it the more pissed I became.

  I am the fucking Arbiter. It’s my job to deal with shit like this, not his. Even if it is one of his people. What is the point of being what I am if I’m not going to start doing my job? I can’t just sit around here the whole time. I’ll never learn that way, and the Infernal will never take me seriously if I just hide away in my club.

  I didn’t want to be what I am, but if I don’t embrace it, I’ll certainly fail. Or worse, I’ll end up dead. I can tell the Infernal already see me as weak. Damnation, I’m over two-hundred-years-old! Even before I got this power whammy, I was settling disputes between races like a pro.

  Ugh! Why does everyone try to make decisions for me?

  I at least got to make the decision on my own that Enoch didn’t have to leave. I didn’t entirely want to be around him, but with everything going on, I knew he probably needed to stick close by. At least then I could keep an eye on him. The conversation had been pretty lack luster when he approached me about an hour after Larkan and I had returned. I thought back to it, surprised at how calmly he had spoken.

  “I get you hate me and I don’t deserve your consideration, but I’m not going anywhere because I’m here to look out for you,” he said, his voice cool and soft.

  “Fine. I’m too tired to argue, so you can stay,” I replied with a sigh, but then decided to add, “But fuck up again, and I’ll send you with a one-way ticket back to the bowels of Damnation where you were created.”

  He smiled then gave a bow of his head before retreating from the room.

  That was pretty much it. Hopefully things wouldn’t be so awkward for a bit. I had enough to handle right now.r />
  I stomp my way down from my loft and head to the bar on the second floor. Cedric is sitting there with a drink in his hand. When he sees the look on my face and the general vibe of ‘fuck you’ that I probably have floating around me, he frowns.

  I huff and sit down in the stool next to him, reaching over the bar and helping myself to the tequila.

  “Uh oh, what happened?” he asks.

  “Men are stupid,” I reply without hesitation, before throwing the bottle back and taking a big swig.

  He snorts and sips at his drink, amusement lighting his face. “Yes, we can be. But pray tell who you are speaking of in this instance.”

  I take another swig and slam the bottle down. “Quite a few specific men, actually. I’ve already had the highest level of Enoch I can handle. Larkan won’t take me on another stakeout anytime soon I bet. And, Monroe has decided that I should stay here while he goes prancing off to deal with some missing Strige back home. It’s my fucking job to handle this stuff. Why should he decide whether I stay or go?” I look over at Cedric and almost laugh.

  Cedric’s eyes are wide as saucers.

  I sigh. Yeah, probably shouldn’t have unloaded on him like that. He’s not used to me blurting out guy troubles. I usually have Jamie for that.

  “Sorry,” I mumble and take another drink. “I had that all welling up inside me over night and I found you before I found your wife.”

  Cedric finally relaxes and smirks. “Don’t worry about it, Mistress. I don’t mind. I’m just not entirely sure what to tell you. Sounds to me like they just have your best interests at heart. Well, apart from Liege Enoch.”

  I nod, “I know they do, but my life isn’t their decision. They haven’t been around me long enough to see that I’m not as frail as I look. They haven’t seen me handle myself; except when my Arbiter power decides to schitz out and whoosh people backwards. That’s not the same, though. That’s power; not fighting skill. I can handle investigating a disappearance.”