Demon Dreams

by Misha Paige

  A strong body was against my back. My legs spread open as a warm, wet tongue licked its way up my inner thigh. I keened and arched toward it, wanting, needing his mouth on my pussy.

  The flash of the dream was so intense I felt my panties dampen. Samuel’s eyes turned gold and glowed. Alec’s nostrils flared as his chest rumbled in a low hungry growl. “That was real, wasn’t it? The first night I was here, you both touched me.”

  “You had a bad head injury. Your brain was bleeding and swelling.” Samuel met my stare steadily. “I held you while Alec used his mouth on you. Using the pleasure you both felt I managed to stop it before permanent damage was done.”

  Alec dropped his gaze. “That was all I did.”

  I stared at them. “That first night, was it the only time?”

  Alec slid his gaze to Samuel as they exchanged a guilty look.

  “So the other night, when I watched Alec dreaming, that wasn’t a dream either?” I covered my mouth as they shook their heads. “Were you ever going to tell me? Or were you going to keep letting me think I was having freakily real wet dreams?”

  Alec shook his head. “We weren’t going to touch you again until you knew the truth.”

  “You gave us permission,” Samuel said.

  “Because I thought it was a dream!”

  “We didn’t realize that at first. Maybe we didn’t pay close enough attention but after all those years of waiting for you…” Alec hung his head. “I’m sorry.”

  “Why were you waiting for me? What exactly am I to you?”

  “When I chose to be Samuel’s familiar, his protector if you will, I was given a stronger body and an animal form that matches who I am. A wolf in my case.”

  My eyes widened as every shifter book I’d ever read smacked me in the face.

  “You’re Alec’s mate,” Samuel said before his lips twisted wistfully. “And since he is my familiar that means you are mine, too.”

  * * * *

  Well, Becca, what now?

  “I don’t know.” My whisper was lost in the spray from the shower. I lifted my face into the cascading water as I tried to assimilate what I had learned through the day. They had been so patient with me, letting me ask questions when I was ready and staying quiet when I needed it.

  An incubus was a rare supernatural creature, Samuel had explained, much rarer than the more common shifters and vampires. I had to take a breath as I remembered that piece of information. Focus on the ones in the next room! You can wonder how true to life a Bailey Bradford book is later!

  The highlights were that Samuel had his soul, he would only lose it if he used his abilities to drain the energy from someone until they died. A familiar acted as safety valve, the incubus—Samuel—could feed off Alec’s pleasure, removing the risk of losing himself to the hunger and draining the source. But he would never be able to feed well enough to achieve his full strength. He would still be immune to aging and disease.

  “So you can’t die?”

  Samuel had met my gaze steadily. “If you destroy my heart or take my head, I will. Or if you imprison me where I couldn’t feed, then I would starve and finally fade into death. But only then.”

  I had only been able to stare at him, shocked that he had given me such trust.

  The benefit to the familiar was the gift of strength and a secondary form. Alec would also live as long as Samuel, and he would only resume aging if their bond was broken by Samuel’s death.

  It was almost unheard of for an incubus to give his faith and form such a bond with another.

  “Why did you limit yourself?”

  “My mother was discovered. She was greedy and drained one too many villagers. When they came for her she chose to leave me behind because I would not stop crying. A human man stumbled across me and instead of seeing a monster, he saw a child that could've been his son.” Samuel glanced at Alec. “He took me home to his wife and they raised me.”

  Alec smiled. “They loved you as a son and I’m grateful they gave me a brother.”

  The water chilled suddenly, snapping me out of my thoughts. I thought I understood the bond between them now, the intense love I had sensed. As I readied myself for bed I wondered, where exactly would I fit in?

  I didn’t quite understand how being Alec’s mate would also link me to Samuel and make me the one human he could feed from without losing his soul.

  “Alec, if I’m your mate, how can you share me? I thought wolves were possessive?”

  “I am, never doubt that.” Alec’s eyes flashed and for a moment what looked at me was not human. “But Samuel is a part of me and you are as much his as you are mine.” He held up a hand to cut off my angry sputter. “I don’t mean you’re a possession, never that. As you are the one woman for me, you are the same for him. How could I deny my brother the same happiness I wish for myself? If you decide to accept us it will be up to you how we deal with the logistics.”

  I climbed into bed and thought about that. After years of dreaming of finding an ordinary man to love me I found something far different. Two men, both breathtaking in their own way, who wanted me forever, however long that might last.

  I was incredibly drawn to both of them. The sexual chemistry wasn’t in doubt at all but what about emotionally? Could I give them both enough to make them happy? Could I deal with outliving everyone that I cared for in my human life?

  I remembered the way they had protected me, how gently they had held me. No one I had taken to my bed before had ever touched me with such reverence.

  I closed my eyes and prayed for sleep. Maybe I could come closer to a decision tomorrow.

  * * * *

  Laughter poured from me as I watched the wolf roll in the dry grass, wriggling around as he scratched his back on the rough ground. “You’re such a goof!”

  My jaw dropped open as his fur rippled and his limbs lengthened. Moments later I was staring at a very naked Alec stretched out before me. He leered at me and I realized I was nude too.

  I had a second to fantasize how it would feel to be body to body with him when I suddenly found myself lying on the ground with him covering me. Alec leaned down and slanted his mouth over mine, his tongue sweeping in and leading me on a passionate dance. His heavy erection rubbed against the juncture of my thighs as his legs caged mine. A hand came up and gently squeezed my breast. When I arched into his palm he added pressure, drawing a moan from me.

  Alec adjusted his leg. His knee slid in between mine and I started to open my legs, wanting, needing him to fill me. Then his sharp teeth grazed my neck and it was like being doused with water.

  A dream…another freaking dream!

  “Samuel!”

  Alec faded away, and I was left standing alone.

  “Samuel!”

  “You rang, my lady?” Samuel sauntered next to me.

  “I thought you weren’t going to mess with my dreams?”

  He arched a brow. “I’m not.” A wicked smile formed on his full lips. “Anything happening was coming out of your mind entirely. If it was kinky will you please tell me what it was, down to the last detail?”

  “Really? That’s how you’re going to convince me to take you both for mates?” I asked incredulously. Where was the genteel man from earlier?

  He shrugged. “A demon has to get his thrills somehow, Sweetness.”

  I almost snapped at him then I realized his words felt…off. In fact, only one word seemed to ring honestly. Sweetness. The others had a brittleness to them, almost as they were as fragile as glass.

  “Samuel?” My anger drained away as I saw the pain in his eyes. “What is it?”

  “You were dreaming of Alec.” His voice was flat.

  “Yes, so?”

  “Only Alec,” he said quietly.

  I closed my eyes at the sadness contained in those two words. “It was only a dream, a barely started one at that.”

  “Becca.” Samuel waited for me to look at him before continuing. “You don’t feel the same connectio
n for me as you do him. You haven’t since the moment you found out what I was.”

  It was true, but I couldn’t bear his pain. “I’m drawn to you.”

  “But you fear me just as much as you desire me.”

  I stayed silent because that was the truth. The idea of being in bed with… someone that could drain me to death… I didn’t know if I had that much faith… not yet anyway.

  Samuel nodded, as if coming to a decision. “Alec isn’t aware I’m telling you this, but I want you to know.” He braced his shoulders. “I can break the familiar bond and set him free. If you choose him and only him, I will do it and wipe the memories of me from both of you.”

  “You mean he would be human once more?” I was ashamed over the small clutch of interest I felt.

  Samuel must’ve sensed it because he flinched slightly. “The wolf is too much a part of him now for him to ever be human again, but it would be similar to him being born a shifter. You would still be his mate. He never wanted immortality. He only chose this life so I would not be alone.”

  “No, I won’t separate you, he loves you.” I pushed the idea away, realizing I would never choose to walk away from Samuel either, but I didn’t have a chance to say it.

  “You have no idea what he has done for me! I will do anything to see that he is happy!” Samuel’s eye burned a bright gold. “Learn.”

  * * * *

  Samuel lay on a dirty wooden floor. The light was so dim I could barely make out how hollow his face was. There were lines on his brow and his teeth clenched down, holding back whimpers of what had to be extreme pain. His breathing was shallow as he seemed to fade more with every passing second. The door opened and the movement of the floor had me realizing we were in old wooden ship, somewhere in the lower hold, I thought. Alec entered the room, followed by three rough-looking men.

  I was glad that my sense of smell was not working because everything and everyone looked rank.

  Alec whispered something to them then came over to kneel next to Samuel. “Do not give up. I found the answer.” He inclined his head to the others. “All they want is a warm body to fuck. They care not who it is.” Alec’s lips tightened, and I could see the resolve in his gaze.

  Horror suffused Samuel’s face. “No! You cannot mean this! It goes against everything you believe in. Our mother and father’s faith that they gave to us.”

  “You have helped me to learn that just because something is believed to be evil does not make it so,” Alec said gently. “The church is wrong about you. Perhaps they are also wrong in this and there is nothing shameful or sinful in men lying together.”

  “No, maybe not, if that was what was in your heart, but you are no lover of men. For you it would be a memory that would haunt you. A violation,” Samuel said as he fought the agony I could somehow sense burning through him. “The shame would be mine for allowing you to go against your nature in doing this for me.” Samuel’s body was wracked with waves of pain that brought tears to my eyes. “I can hold on a little longer. Mayhap they will find land soon.”

  Alec stroked his hand over Samuel’s hair. “And if they do not, what then? I either watch you die in agony or worse.” Alec’s voice broke. “You go feral with hunger and kill, losing the soul we both have sacrificed for you to keep?”

  Samuel grabbed Alec’s hand and there was a finality in his gaze. “No, you will stop me.”

  Alec reared back as rage lit his eyes. “You would force me to take your life to save your soul? How can you ask that of me?” His fists clenched. “I walked away from everything I knew to run with you. I gave up the land my family has farmed for generations. I even left behind the girl I was betrothed to because I knew she would have told others what you were. It broke my heart when I realized the price if she had ever learned the truth.”

  Samuel looked away and hung his head. “At least you would be free to start anew.”

  “You are wrong.” There was something dark in his voice, nearly cruel, that had Samuel and I both flinching. “Look at me, brother.”

  Samuel raised his gaze, begging. “Don’t say it!”

  Alec’s jaw tightened and the words he said, while quiet to prevent the others from hearing, were said with steel in them. “I will not slay you so if you let yourself go mad with hunger. I will be the first to die.” He kept on even as Samuel shook harder at each word. “It will be me that you drain. When the hunger is gone, as your soul withers, it will be my dead eyes you see.”

  Samuel looked shattered. “How can you say that to me?”

  Alec snarled. “The same way you lied to me about this voyage being safe for you. You swore we would have many months before you suffered.”

  “There wasn’t a choice. The witch hunters nearly killed you in Spain. They might have succeeded the next time. You would be safer in the vastness of the new world.” Samuel closed his eyes for a moment before looking back to Alec. “You will not enjoy it.”

  Victory shone in Alec’s stare. “I will, if you glamour me,” he said gently.

  Samuel shook his head. “No, it would be as if I was helping them rape you.”

  “I have given consent. There will be no force involved. I refuse to watch you waste away or worse.” Alec’s face hardened. “I am giving myself to them, as many times as it takes to save you. No matter what you say. I won’t let you suffer any longer. It will be in vain if you do not help me find pleasure.”

  I watched as Alec stood then walked over to the men. He didn’t make a sound, only stared at Samuel calmly as the clothes were removed from his body and he was shoved to his knees. I couldn’t tear my eyes away at first as the other men drew out their hard cocks. Then I saw Alec shiver as his eyes went half lidded in arousal.

  I turned around even though I was screaming inside. The sounds coming from behind me turned my belly, and when I heard Alec’s moan of pleasure, I went to my knees and emptied my stomach. I looked to Samuel and I saw that even though tears were coursing down my cheeks I was not crying near as many as Samuel.

  Thankfully, at that point, the vision faded quickly and I wrapped my arms around myself trying to shut off my tears. It was not that Alec had been with others or that he had been with men that had me upset. The reason for it and Samuel’s shattered form shaking on the ground was what broke me.

  Samuel whispered, “We were fleeing the Spanish Inquisition sweeping through Europe. The journey would’ve been successful but a hurricane blew us off course. Many on the ship died, including the only three women. The added month was too much for me to last without feeding on something more substantial than Alec masturbating. It just doesn’t provide enough unless his energy is joined with a partner.” Samuel’s eyes were damp as he said, “It would kill me to walk away from Alec and you, Becca. But never doubt I will do it—if it means he’ll be happy with you.”

  I could see the self–hatred still in his eyes. “It wasn’t your fault, Samuel.”

  He didn’t say another word. He just turned and walked away, leaving me to wake alone in bed.

  Chapter Six

  I never really got back to sleep after Samuel left me alone in my dreams. Every time I closed my eyes I saw the pain in his and… I had to fight the urge to find him and hold him close to me. Finally, I gave up and stumbled to the kitchen to make some coffee.

  Samuel had beat me to it. He stayed quiet as I made a cup, then avoided my gaze when I sat down next to him at the kitchen island. I took a slow sip of my coffee and waited.

  “The storm front has stalled. They say we have another day now. I’m going to run back into town and pick up a few more things. If you would like to make a list, I would be happy to pick up whatever you need.”

  “Okay. Thank you.” I tilted my head. “Are you going alone?”

  “Yes, you and Alec should spend time together.” Samuel lowered his head, and he hesitated before saying, “You should do whatever feels right for you.”

  A slow burn started in my stomach at his gall. “Are you giving us permissi
on to have sex without you?”

  A golden gaze shot to mine, and the shock in it settled my ire. “No, I’m not that arrogant to think you need that. I just…” He threw up his hands as frustration twisted in his features. “I know you are confused by the ties to both of us and you don’t want to hurt me. I only mean that—Fuck!—I don’t know what I mean honestly.”

  This time I didn’t fight my instincts and stood up. He looked startled when I pulled him to his feet and wrapped myself around him. After a moment his arms surrounded me and he sighed as he rested his cheek against my head. His hand gently stroked my hair.

  “Samuel, I don’t know what’s going to happen between us. Days ago I was alone and on the run, there really wasn’t another option in sight. Now I have two men that I’m drawn to and they aren’t asking me to choose. They are offering me a dream.” Even if I still didn’t know how I would be able to stay with them.

  “It’s hard to remember that this is new to you. We have known since you were a child and waited for you.” Samuel pulled away slightly so he could look at me, the few inches difference wasn’t enough that I had to tilt my head back to see him. “I need to go so I can make sure I’m back well before the storm. Can you make your list?”

  I grabbed the note pad and scribbled a few things down. I giggled slightly as his eyes widened when he read the last item—tampons.

  “Well, I can honestly say this is a first and considering I’m nearly five hundred years old that is saying something.” He grinned at me. “I almost feel as if we are truly mated now.”

  This was the Samuel I had so missed and I went with my instincts once again, putting my hands on his cheeks. “Then I’ll make it even more so by giving you a goodbye kiss.”

  He resisted me at first. “Becca, I won’t feed from you. Not unless you give me permission beforehand because it will be intense.”

  I smiled at him. “I never thought you would.” That truth rocked me a bit. “Can you take a taste without it getting out of control?”

  Samuel gave a small shudder before he nodded.

  “Then shut up and kiss me.”