Voracious Vixens, 13 Novels of Sexy Horror and Hot Paranormal Romance

by Travis Luedke

  “Okay, fine. Let’s try it again. Aaden, would you like to fuck?” she replies crudely.

  I march up to her and lean in; I can tell by her wide eyes, she’s thrown by how near I am to her. She thinks it’s about to happen. We are about to have sex. Instead I reach past her shoulder, grab her jeans, and hand them to her.

  “Put your pants on,” I order firmly.

  She rolls her eyes and I look away as she steps back into her jeans.

  “You’re such an asshole,” she snaps.

  “Why, because I don’t want to take advantage of you?”

  “Because I need you right now and you aren’t there for me,” she barks.

  “I am the only one who’s here for you. There’s no one else around.”

  “Too bad there isn’t. Then maybe I could get some,” she says.

  “Well, I’m sorry okay, but even if you weren’t in mourning I would never fuck you.”

  “WHY?”

  “BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT THE KIND OF GIRL I’D FUCK; YOU’RE THE KIND OF GIRL I’D...” I don’t finish my thought because it’s pointless. She doesn’t need to know how many times I’ve thought about being with her. She doesn’t need to know that she’s my first and last thought every single day. And she certainly doesn’t need to know what even the thought of holding her hand does to me.

  “The kind of girl you’d what?” she asks.

  I can’t make eye contact with her. She moves in closer and tries to get me to look her in the face.

  “Aaden, help me out here. I thought you and I...we used to be close. And now it’s different. What happened?”

  “Things that I couldn’t control. Now isn’t the time to get into all that. Just please trust me when I say that us having sex isn’t going make your pain go away,” I reply.

  “How do you know?”

  “I just do. Sex takes all the bad stuff away but only for an hour or maybe even two. Then it all comes back; the black hole that was threatening to swallow you gets even bigger,” I admit.

  “It’s just as well. I’d probably be really bad at it,” she confesses as she plops down on the bed.

  “Why would you think that?”

  “Because I’m not like Key or Swoop. They know stuff. I’d get it all confused and put things places they don’t belong,” she says, only half joking.

  I smile despite myself and sit down beside her.

  “That’s crap. Whoever gets to be your first is damn lucky.”

  “I wouldn’t even know where to start with him. I’d be clumsy and uncertain,” she adds, mostly to herself.

  “He would be the same,” I reply.

  “Why?”

  “Because he’d know what to do with other girls but you’re not like other girls. The wonder and sparkle in your eyes would pull him in so deep he’d never be able to look away. When he leaned in to brush a stray hair from your face, he’d inhale your scent. And the fragrance would give him a peace he’d never been able to find, even in the light. And if he ever got the chance to lay with you...he’d fumble and his hands would shake like an idiot because he just couldn’t believe that kind of grace would be granted to him.”

  I didn’t even realize I had run my hand through her hair while I was talking. I had no idea that I had placed my hand on the nape of her neck. Her eyes had lured me in and distracted me from the fact that we were inches away from kissing and getting closer.

  I then did the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life; I pulled away from Pryor.

  “Gonna check for ...demons. Make sure the area is safe,” I lie.

  I run out without waiting for a reply. I head to the small shed a few yards from the cabin. Once inside, I lock the door and gasp as the pain in my chest pulsates and then spreads throughout my body. The agony is so severe I’m brought to my knees, panting. The pain lasts for only a few minutes, but it’s enough to make me wish I were dead.

  I crawl over to the tool table and grab a piece from a mirror I had broken awhile back. I aim it at my chest so I can get a good look at the damage: The black mark carved into my stomach had been extended nearly two inches because of my encounter with Pryor a few moments ago. Had I kissed her, the carving would have extended even further. Had we made love like I wanted to, it would have brought me that much closer to The Center. And this time, they would surely kill me...

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN: THE LAST HUMAN

  She’s the first thing I see when I open my eyes. Something is different about her this morning. There’s a smile on her face. I look at her with suspicion and she points towards the window.

  “It stopped raining. I think my mom’s doing better. Also, I talked to the team. They’re waiting to hear about the last human. After that, we can come home.”

  “How bad is the last human hurt?” I ask.

  “He’s in intensive care. But I think he’ll make it. Please, Omnis, let him make it,” she begs.

  “I’m sure he will,” I reply as I turn my attention towards the sky.

  “I can’t stay in this cabin and worry all day. I was thinking maybe we could test our wings,” she says.

  “Are you sure you’re up for it?” I wonder.

  “What’s the matter? Scared if we race I’ll beat you like I did when we were kids?”

  “I’m sorry, the mixtures must be playing with your memory. I was always a faster flyer than you,” I remind her.

  “Yes, but I was better at defensive flying. Anyone can fly in a straight line,” she teases.

  “You really want to challenge me?” I ask.

  “Yes, and just so you know, I won’t go easy on you simply because you’re a boy.”

  “Wow, really? That’s how you want to play it?” I ask.

  “The very first Seller shop we see, we go in and loser buys,” I tell her.

  She doesn’t even give me a chance to get out of bed before she takes to the sky. I rush into the air and call her a cheater for taking off before me. She laughs and says we’re going to Italy and back.

  Once in the air, I can tell her mother really was feeling better. Not only had the rain stopped, the sun was actually bursting through the clouds. Also the winds are calm and no longer raging. This in no way meant that her family was over the loss of Sam. It just meant that Death was able to rein in her emotions.

  What’s even better is that Pryor’s flying has improved greatly. Her wings have healed up well. Her flying is smooth and controlled. But don’t think for a second I’m going to let her win. She’d kill me if she thought I wasn’t giving it my all in the race and allowed her to be victorious. In fact, her competitive edge is one of the things I love about her.

  She cuts through the air with impressive speed. We have always been pretty close in terms of our speed, but she’s really far ahead now. Damn her. I pick up the pace and she turns and finds me on her heels. She decides that no matter what happens she is not losing this race. I decide the same thing.

  She heads for the United Kingdom and zips through Stonehenge like it was a ride at an amusement park. She then flies to France, where she grabs hold of the Eiffel tower and swings around several times, mocking me.

  I’m closing in on her as she goes to Italy. Once there, she starts to straighten out the Leaning Tower of Pisa. But she sees I’m gaining on her and she quickly heads back to Ireland. Whoever gets back to the cabin first gets eternal bragging rights.

  Finally, we’re neck and neck. She picks up her speed, but it doesn’t stop me from getting ahead of her. She tries even harder and now it’s a dead heat to see who will make it to the cabin first. Just as we are about to land, she dips down to the valley below. I follow her and she signals to the humans down below.

  There’s a family stranded in a jeep on the side of the mountain on a narrow makeshift road. The wheels of the car keep turning, but the truck won’t move. The man and his wife exchange worried glances. They have two girls about Sam’s age in the truck and this isn’t the ideal place to get stuck.

  Things get worse when a
n animal howls somewhere in the distance. That causes the girls to start crying. Their mom tries to get them to calm down but it’s not working. We land a few yards away behind a large rock formation and approach them.

  I speak to the father and Pryor goes over to the mom. It would have taken only seconds to lift the car with my bare hands, but that would bring about questions from the humans. Instead I pretended that getting the car out of the muddy ditch is hard. She starts to make fun of the intense look on my face to keep the girls from crying.

  Soon both the father and I were making silly faces while we work so that the kids don’t get scared. It works all too well. The girls jump out of the car and right into the mud because it looked like their dad and I were having so much fun.

  We got the car out of the ditch, but by then we were all soaked in mud. I can’t say who started it for sure but we somehow got caught in a mud fight. It was boys versus girls. The boys never stood a chance.

  The family was very kind and wouldn’t let us go until we agreed to have dinner with them. So we all get into the truck and head into town. Once there, we clean up and join them at the dinner table.

  There are moments when I think it would be easier to be human. For example, this family doesn’t have a lot but judging by their interaction with the little girls, they’re happy. No one is pushing them to be good or bad. They just expect that they are humans and they have the capacity to be both good and bad at times. In the end I’m not really sure which of us got the worst deal from Omnis; angels or humans.

  When dinner is over we thank them and head outside to the cobblestone streets. The night air carries with it a cool breeze that makes the leaves sway. There are only a few humans around: couples. They stroll hand in hand, enjoying the change in the weather.

  “I think Natasha had a crush on you,” Pryor says.

  “Is that the one with the two braids or the ponytail?” I ask.

  “Braids,” she replies.

  “She had a nice laugh. I mean it’s been a while since I heard anyone actually giggle,” I admit.

  “So you’re gonna give her your Rah?” Pryor teases.

  A Rah is a red liquid encased in a shatterproof crystal that represents an angel’s heart.

  Giving someone your Rah is the equivalent to marriage. The two angels would place their Rah side by side. The Rahs would then be bound together, then placed somewhere on earth.

  If later one angel wanted to end the relationship, they would ask for their Rah back.

  Here’s the messed up part. If one angel isn’t ready to move on from the relationship and doesn’t want to let go, the Rahs will not separate.

  Okay, so what, right? Well, you can’t kiss anyone else while your Rah is bound to another. If you do you are sent flying through the air. I mean you literally cannot kiss anyone else. Your body repels anyone else’s kiss except for that of the angel to whom your Rah is bound.

  There are some mixtures that can help you get around that by tricking your body into thinking the angel you’re with is the angel you married. But the truth is it’s a pain in the ass to find. So just make damn sure you give your Rah to the right angel.

  “Does that stuff ever really work out?” I ask her.

  “Giving your Rah to someone? Yeah, of course.”

  “Are you thinking of giving it to someone?” I ask, dreading the answer.

  “No, not really,” she replies softly.

  I wanted to tell her right then. I wanted her to know everything that had happened to me and why I wasn’t around. I want her to know that no one had my Rah, but if she wanted it right at this moment, she could have it. In truth, my Rah always belonged to her.

  “Pry, there’s something I’ve been meaning to say,” I begin.

  “Me first. I’m so sorry and embarrassed,” she replies.

  “For what?”

  “Hello? I bit you,” she reminds me.

  “Oh, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it,” I assure her.

  “No, seriously, you’ve been so helpful these past few days. Thank you.” She hugs me.

  The hug is quick and so relatively painless. Once we’re back in the sky there is nothing preventing me from telling her about my past.

  So why are you flying in silence?

  *******

  “Aaden, stop it! You’re killing me!”

  Startled, I open my eyes and find Pryor backed against the wall, with my hands around her neck with her feet dangling in the air. I let go of her immediately and kneel down beside her.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to...I’m sorry,” I tell her frantically.

  She coughs for a few moments and that’s when I see the flames dancing around the room. I did it again. I summoned up flames while I Recharged to protect me from the horror I was seeing in my mind’s eye. I put out the flames and go check on Pryor.

  “What the hell happened?” she asks.

  “I’m sorry. Sometimes I can’t control my secondary powers. Ever since the—never mind.”

  “You were screaming while you Recharged. I’ve never seen anything like it,” she says.

  “Look, just forget about it.”

  “What were you seeing that terrified you so much?” she pushes.

  “It’s nothing.”

  “No, it’s something. Aaden, what’s going on with you?”

  “I’m fucked up. That’s what’s going on,” I snap.

  Argh! Damn it! I never wanted her to see me like this. Now she thinks I’m a nutcase.

  “Aaden, you were trembling,” she says.

  “It happens sometimes but it goes away.”

  “Aaden—”

  “I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!”

  She doesn’t reply. She simply starts picking up the mess from the fire.

  I feel like a complete ass now. She was just trying to help. How could I push her away like that?

  Pushing her away is what kept you alive this long...

  “Pry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to...”

  “It’s cool,” she lies.

  “Some things are hard to talk about and better left alone.”

  “If that’s what you want, then okay,” she says as she sorts through the burned books and papers.

  “What’s this?” she asks, unfolding a piece of paper with her name on it.

  “It’s nothing. I’ll take it,” I offer quickly.

  She doesn’t hand it over. Instead she reads it and looks back at me with wonder.

  “You remembered my Ha-Ha list?” she says.

  “Yeah, I added some stuff to it. It’s silly. Stupid. Whatever. Throw it away,” I say.

  “No,” she says, hiding it behind her back.

  I dive across the room and get the drop on her but she manages to wiggle the papers away. In order to get it from her I scoop her up from behind and lift her into the air. She flares out her body wildly as she starts laughing. I can’t help but join in. I put her down and then we realize yet again, just how close our bodies are.

  Why is this shit so hard?

  She calls out my name.

  “Yeah?” I reply, trying not to give in to my impulses.

  “I know something bad happened to you. And when you’re ready to talk, I’m ready to listen. Okay?” she says.

  I nod as I begin to help her clean up. I’m so grateful that she let the subject drop that I don’t even see the trouble ahead.

  “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask, who made the mixture to heal us?” Pryor inquires.

  “Key told me what to get,” I reply.

  “Yeah, but there were a few mixtures. Key couldn’t have made the one to hide us from the Omari. You would need a Specialist for that.

  “Aaden, who? Do you know a Specialist?” she pushes.

  “Um...yeah. Kind of...”

  Crap.

  “Who is it? I’d like to thank them for helping us,” she offers.

  “No need.”

  “C’mon, tell me. Who helped us out?” she asks.

  �
�Ruin.”

  She looks at me with shock and confusion. She marches over to the radio and turns it off. Now the only thing her face is showing is anger.

  “Tell me you didn’t go to a Kaster for help,” she demands.

  “I didn’t want to, but I had no choice. She’s a good Specialist.”

  “SHE KILLED MY BROTHER!” she bellows.

  “That wasn’t Diana. It was Harm.”

  “Diana? So you’re on a first name basis with a Kaster?” she accuses.

  “Like I said, it’s complicated.”

  “No, it’s not. You put us all at risk. What if she went back and told the other Kasters where we are?” Pryor shouts.

  “She wouldn’t do that.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because I know her,” I reply, trying to keep my voice calm and even.

  “How could you do something so stupid?”

  “If you really think I could put your life in danger after everything I did to save you then you don’t know me,” I snap.

  “Well, finally we agree on something, Aaden. I don’t know you. You let me lay here knowing full well we could be under attack at any given moment.”

  “For the last time, Pryor, Diana isn’t going to attack us.”

  “Oh and why is that? Because she’s in love with you?” she says sarcastically.

  I don’t reply or look her in the eye. She studies me as I put the records away.

  “Wait a minute, Ruin is in love with you?” she asks.

  “I told you it’s—”

  “I swear to Omnis if you say it’s complicated I will rip your damn wings off!” she threatens.

  “WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?” I demand.

  “Answers Aaden! I want answers.”

  “Fine. Diana and I were together once. It wasn’t a formal thing but yes we hung out. I hadn’t seen her for a while. Yes, she is dangerous. Yes, she would attack if push came to shove. But I chose to call her because she’s the best Specialist there is and we needed her. If she were going to alert the other Kasters, she would have done so already. She may attack down the line, but as of right now we are safe, so please calm down.”

  “Don’t tell me to calm down like I’m a child. You put my team at risk,” she accuses.

  “I did what I thought was best at the time. You were knocked out, that made me the leader. And I made the decision I made. Period.”