by Randi Darren
“Anyways… how would you want to proceed? A job, or monthly rent?”
“How much would each cost?” Gabriella asked. “And can I get a discount if I just… become a bed toy or something for you?”
Oh? If she became part of the feed harem, that wouldn’t be terrible. Right now it’s just Alexis. Between her, Irma, and Hillary, I’m riding them pretty hard.
“Depends. How much of a bed toy are we talking?” Sam asked.
“Whatever you want, whenever you want, as long as you want,” Gabriella said. “So long as it’s just you.”
Sam thought on it.
If I hire her into the harem, I keep the percentage Irma would get. That outweighs any type of short-term loss pretty quickly.
If she agrees to a minimum of three years, I’d profit quite a bit.
“Fine. I’ll pay your monthly rent and you become a bed toy for me. But I’m putting a minimum amount of time into this job. You have to do it for at least three years, or you’ll pay a contract penalty equal to triple the amount of time left to be paid in your life expectancy.
“I also expect you to be available from the moment you get home from work to when you go to work the next day,” Sam said. “Is that fair?”
“Not really,” Gabriella said. “No time to sleep. I’d fall apart pretty quickly.”
Sam clicked his tongue. He personally felt like sleep was overrated, but that was just him.
“Fine. From the minute you get off work to midnight, and one weekend day. Bed toy, whatever way I like it. Three years at the minimum, or triple the remainder. Deal or no deal?” Sam asked.
Gabriella closed her eyes, then nodded. “Yeah. Deal. I’m officially a bed toy, I guess. Slightly better than prostitution. I think. Going to be a strange three years.”
“Your society has such a peculiar view on sex. Alright, get on your back—time to seal our deal,” Sam said, disposing of his clothes again.
A second meal sounds great right now.
If I’m home quick, maybe I can have Irma or Hillary, too.
Or both.
Gabriella opened her eyes, staring up at him. She looked like she wasn’t quite pleased, but neither did she seem as beaten down anymore.
She had a way out.
With a sigh, she slumped onto her back in the couch and gave him a smile.
“Thanks for the job,” she murmured, opening her arms and spreading her legs. “At least the sex is great and it’ll be enjoyable.”
***
Humming happily to himself, Sam started to make Abigail her morning coffee.
His night had gone amazingly well.
He’d feasted on Gabriella again to seal their deal, gone back to Irma, devoured her, called Hillary, ate her, and then visited Alexis and ate her until the morning sun rose.
At this rate, he’d be back to a power level close to his old self in a few months. It just wouldn’t have the longevity of what he’d held in reserve previously.
It’s a shame Emotional Essence is so weak compared to Life Essence.
But this is safe. Safe, secure, and stable.
I’m not in a rush.
The door to Abigail’s bedroom opened, and she slowly walked out. She was in a tank top and tight shorts.
The extra bit of weight she had really helped fill out the tank top in a great way. It looked like she was prone to falling out of it when she slept.
“You look delicious,” Sam said, eying her.
Abigail froze, looking at him. She was clearly not quite awake yet. One of her arms drifted up to partially cover her chest.
“Thanks,” she muttered, her arm falling away. Then she walked over to the coffee maker to take the full mug. “I felt strange last night. I take it Gabriella took the contract?”
“Indeed. You’ve already gained back around two and a half months,” Sam said, his eyes roaming down Abigail’s back and her generous hips and rear end. “You don’t look delicious, you look absolutely mouthwatering. Can we have sex now?”
“No. Not till your contract is complete,” Abigail said, not bothering to turn around. She was adding a small amount of creamer and a single sugar cube to her coffee.
“You know, I think you look great,” Sam said. “If anything, I’d almost feel sad if you lost weight.”
“You’re not dating me, and you just want to sleep with me. Your opinion is invalidated because of that,” Abigail said, taking her mug and moving to the other side of the counter. Putting it between herself and Sam.
“That’s a fair point. I really do just want to peel you out of your clothes and devour you,” Sam said with a shrug. “Dating isn’t a thing for my kind.”
“Does… does that mean you don’t get married? Don’t fall in love?” Abigail asked.
“Not that I’ve ever encountered,” Sam said honestly. “There was this one succubus I used to know who would fake it long enough to drain a man of his entire life force.
“I suppose it’s a theoretical possibility. Just like winning the lottery.”
“That seems… lonely,” Abigail said.
“For a human, I imagine it might be,” Sam said. “I’m not a human, though.”
“No kids? No family?” Abigail asked.
“No, and no.”
Abigail shook her head, her eyes holding a strange sadness in them as she looked at him.
It made him feel odd.
“Anyways,” Sam said. “I found a finance job for you. They want someone to audit their books and remain on hand to keep track of finances. It’s for an apartment complex. Pay is about seventy thousand.”
Abigail blinked, then turned her head partially to one side. “You did?”
“I did. You’d have to earn it on your own, do the interview and all that, but I think you’d have a fair chance,” Sam said. “Are you interested?”
“I might be. Does it cost me anything?” Abigail asked, suspicious. “Forgive me, Sam, but Alisa mentioned often that you never gave anything to her for free.”
Chuckling, Sam held out his hands in defeat. “I admit, I have a price for the lead. If you manage to get the job, I want to have sex with you. It’s a simple thing. And besides, we’ll already be having sex once—why not twice?”
Abigail frowned, her full lower lip catching between her teeth.
Sam gave her a quick once-over as she did so, almost unable to help himself. The more time he spent around her, the more he looked at her, the more he realized she was actually rather pretty.
“Okay,” Abigail said. “If I get the job, then… okay.”
“Grand. It’s Gabriella’s apartment complex,” Sam said with a grin. “I have a copy of the paper with the ad, if you like. I think the job itself is technically a dead end and won’t go anywhere further. But it’ll give you experience in a relevant field, which you could use elsewhere.”
Sighing, Abigail smiled and shook her head slowly. “No, I don’t need the paper. I’m going to have dinner at her place tonight to talk about how it went for her. I’ll… bring a copy of my resume and drop it off then.”
“Mm. Be sure to mention you’re the one that was networked to him as a recommendation.
“And this might be a bit too much to admit, but I can’t wait to just sink my… teeth… into you,” Sam said, staring hard at Abigail.
Blushing a faint red, Abigail lifted her coffee cup up and took a long drink from it, practically hiding.
Well. She’s applying to jobs, and I got her a lead.
I have two people in my feed harem, and I can give Hillary this job to get her money for the time being.
Maybe it’s time I went up to Saint Anthony to grab my stash.
I’ll talk to Irma about some tickets tonight.
***
“And you think it’s a good idea to do that now?” Irma asked.
“As I said, I have a stable portal with Gabriella,” Sam said. “Even if Abigail got a job and canceled my contract tomorrow, or if I died, I’d still have a window back in from my
plane. That and she really can’t close my contract; she has a stipulation to feed me first before she can. Unless she wants to lose part of her Life Essence when she breaks the contract.”
Irma nodded her head, then shook it.
“I guess I’m just annoyed because I want to go with you,” Irma said. “But I can’t. Grandma’s busy doing her… thing… with Rix. I’m in charge right now.
“And Auntie Mel is helping her, but I get the impression they signed two very different agreements with him.”
“Yes,” Sam said. “That would make sense. Melody is far more likely to sign a lesser deal, for lesser power and with better guarantees for herself.
“Your grandmother will try to get as much as possible and leave as little of herself on the table. Especially given her age.”
Irma turned to Hillary and held up a hand at her.
“What do you think? You’re the one who would pretend to be him for a while,” Irma asked.
“As I’ll end up having to take his place eventually, the opportunity to practice now would actually be rather helpful. It wouldn’t be a problem at all,” Hillary said. “Besides, I’m feeling quite confident lately. The… ah… Essence gathering has had payouts for me that are rather obvious.”
Sam looked over to the Doppelganger, who often just ran around in her normal shape and look nowadays. She only shifted for sex based on what she thought Sam would like. It was always an adventure now with Hillary in the bed.
Now that he looked at her, though, it definitely felt like she wasn’t as… weak. There was some strength to her. And that wasn’t entirely to do with the fact that she was a living battery.
“You find someone to start teaching you how to fight?” Sam asked.
“Yes,” Hillary said with a smile. “Irma and I went around to a number of mixed martial arts centers.
“We found a very dumpy looking place with someone teaching there that I think has honestly killed people.
“Irma hit him with an Essence whammy. I’m signed up for a year, and I attend classes looking like a man, and he’s teaching me to be as lethal as possible. Easier that way, and a great starting point.”
“Oh? Good work,” Sam said, smiling at her. Then he turned to look at Irma. “I’d like to commend one of your employees to you, Irma. Her name’s Hillary. She’s great in the sack, has a real sweet disposition, and a hard work ethic.”
Irma grimaced and looked at Sam, shaking her head.
“Everything but the first part was good,” Irma said.
“But that’s the best part,” Sam said.
“Sammy… honey… baby… how old… are you exactly? You made some comments the other day that just shake my thoughts,” Irma said, changing the subject.
“Which part?” he asked, curious.
“The… ancestor thing,” Irma said, leaning forward over her desk toward him. They more often than not met in her office at her place of work. Since the two of them were already there, it was just easier for Sam to skip work and visit them.
“Oh. Yes. As far back as the first language of mankind,” Sam said with a brilliant smile. “Humans really haven’t changed much at all since then. Same hyper-intelligent primate, same emotional and instinctual responses, just a larger wealth of knowledge to draw upon built by your predecessors.
“The more frightening thought, and I hope you appreciate this information, is that there are planes out there right now that never moved past that stage. I could go find a lovely cavewoman that would look human but know nothing at all outside of how to survive in the wild.”
“Could we… could we explore the other planes together? Later?” Irma asked.
“I don’t see why not. We’ll have to establish ourselves all over again in each plane anyways. It takes time to develop a firm hold on a place,” Sam said. “Often years. To be honest, I’m feeling rather lucky to have met you two. You’re the foundation to a great infrastructure, and I didn’t have to search for decades.”
“Speaking of infrastructure,” Irma said, neatly changing the subject again. “Alexis gave me the rundown on everything going on with Jena’s people. They know absolutely nothing so far about your return. Not even a whiff of it. They’re all in my thrall and seem somewhat happy for it. There’s a perky little redhead that might be willing to join your feed harem as well. We’re working on details.”
“Interesting. Redheaded human women always have a funny aftertaste. It’s the sheer number of mutations they have to have,” Sam said with a small frown. “It’s not unpleasant, just strange. They remind me more of eating Elves.
“Anyways. Tickets. Can you book them for me? I’ve never done it, and honestly… I’m sure I’d bungle the whole thing somehow.”
Leaning forward toward Irma, Sam reached out and laid his hand over the top of hers.
“Mm, you playing cute just so I do things for you?” Irma said, turning her hand over and slipping her fingers into his.
“I am. Is it working?” Sam asked.
“It is, it is. That and your smile.” Irma reached out and patted his cheek lightly with her free hand. “You’re too good looking sometimes. I feel like every woman we walk by stares.”
“They do,” Sam said with a shrug. “That’s just life with an Incubus. Be thankful you’re not a male, and I’m not a Succubus. The stares are much worse.”
“I can only imagine. I’ll handle the tickets. We’ll see if we can’t get you out as soon as possible. I’ll use your credit card,” Irma said. “Now, how about we go get dinner and just… relax. I want to hear more about this Gabriella. Sounds like she’s going to stick around for a while, if I don’t miss my guess. Longer than her current contract she has with you.”
Eleven - Adventures -
Sam drummed his fingers along his desk, bored. Irma had gotten him tickets, but it would be another month before he could actually use them. Everything was booked that far out right now.
Which meant he was stuck doing absolutely nothing while he waited.
Doing a job that required nothing from him and was absolutely boring.
“Hey boss,” said a man in his thirties, stepping up to the doorway.
“James,” Sam said, looking at the man.
“I was just wondering what you were up to this weekend. Got any plans?” asked James, leaning up against the doorway.
Ugh. Captain Brownnoser. I swear if I have to listen to his damn laugh, I’m going to turn his spleen into a moccasin.
“No,” Sam said, staring at the red-haired, short, pudgy waste of space. There were always people like this. They specialized in being sociable and likable. Their skill sets were considerably less in comparison.
“Oh, how come?” James asked, not getting the hint.
“No reason. Anything else I can do for you?” Sam asked.
“Not unless you’ve got a million dollars,” said James, followed by an abrupt high volume laugh that reminded Sam of a donkey braying.
Clenching his molars together, he put a hand to his head.
“Nope. Sorry. Thanks James, and close the door on your way out please.” Sam just felt done with the whole thing. He couldn’t wait for Abigail to get a job. Reaching over to his phone, Sam picked it up and started dialing Irma.
She was usually around for him to chat with.
“Oh, of course. Sorry,” James said, stepping out of the doorway and closing the door.
“Insufferable peasant,” Sam muttered.
The line started ringing, but it wasn’t picked up.
Grunting, Sam hung up the phone.
He was trapped with nothing to do and a team of people that were probably going to be let go by the end of the year.
“I could work on Lindsey,” Sam said under his breath. “Or eat her. Yeah… let’s eat her. We won’t be here much longer anyways.”
Sam went to pick up his phone and froze. He could feel planar energy.
Weak planar energy filtering into this plane.
If that’s all I’m feel
ing, it’s a massive power source.
Getting to his feet, Sam exited his office and followed the trail of power.
He didn’t want to. Didn’t want anything to do with this planar being.
But he didn’t dare leave it walking around so close to where his client was without investigating.
Planar beings could sense other beings and their clients. It was one of the reasons Sam had provided summoning instructions for himself that would build a dampening shield into the spell itself.
No planar being operated without some form of it.
That protection didn’t extend to clients, however.
Sam wasn’t about to risk Abigail due to his own negligence.
Walking out of the building, Sam stood in front of the entry and looked out over the parking lot.
Not here… but close.
Looking further, he could see an apartment building across the way. It stood by itself and had a definite run-down look to it.
The feeling of it was deteriorated middle-class. If he had to guess, it had probably at one point been a rather nice apartment building in an okay neighborhood.
Sam made up his mind. He’d go take a look real quick. It wouldn’t cost him much to spy on another planar being, and it’d be worth knowing who was in the neighborhood, so to speak.
Especially if it’s Jena. Maybe I can make this quick and easy right here and now. Pull her arms off and eat her heart as she watches.
Maybe even use it as a condom to skull fuck her.
After all, she still wears my brand. I only have to get close to her.
I suppose I am a little… angry… at her.
Smiling at the possibility of getting revenge, Sam started jogging across the parking lot.
When he got to the intersection, he thumbed the button to cross and waited.
Not far away was a rather cute-looking woman in her forties. She was driving alone, and she didn’t appear to be wearing a wedding ring.
“Oh, hello there,” Sam said, waving at her with a smile.
The woman stared at him as a slow smile spread across her lips. Her window started to roll down just as the light changed for her.