We dressed and then I only used a minimal amount of magic to cloud his thoughts. Why not let him leave Salem with a satisfied smile? He’d wake up in a day or two with a faint memory of a hot night with a strange woman, but would think his memory had been befuddled by too much alcohol.
Minutes after I left the hotel, I caught it right there in Salem—the demon’s alluring scent. I inhaled it more deeply. Delicious. Then I followed it.
Who was he? Where did he come from? Why was he hunting in my territory? My fascination with him grew. Would I ever find this mysterious demon?
And the trail died.
Again.
Grr.
This pattern repeated for days. In between working on some online gigs to support my living expenses, I searched for him. My frustration rose and curiosity boomed, a cat-and-mouse that was all too enticing not to pursue. The desire to find him increased to an obsessive level. I had to find him.
The next night was Friday the thirteenth, which meant nothing to demons, but left humans skittish. With the moon almost full, they’d be as raving as werewolves.
In front of the House of Seven Gables, I found it. His scent was fresh, only minutes old. My pulse skittered higher in anticipation. I tracked it along the Heritage Trail, the red line connecting many historic sites through Salem. Was he visiting tourist attractions? Or preying on a tourist?
I followed his trail among those of not only humans, but witches, shifters, and other scents I couldn’t identify. Salem thrummed with a supernatural beat.
The demon’s scent led me off the lit path to another cemetery. This one had tombstones dating back to the seventeenth century, many with winged skulls that were common during that time. The drifting moonlight cast shadows through the sway of leaves and enhanced the old gothic vibe. I smiled to myself. This demon had a penchant for visiting dark, foreboding graveyards at night.
I stepped onto a well-worn path, past decaying tombstones. The dank odor of damp earth and rotting flowers hung like a mist. In a dark recess, I discovered a couple in an embrace near the back gate. Finding cover behind a tree, I watched. He kissed her, moving from her lips to her neck and running his hands over her body.
Blood thundered through my veins. It was him. The incubus that had eluded me for days.
I’d planned to confront him after what had happened at the club, but instead I stared, fascinated. Shivers of heat danced along my skin. The more I watched them, the greater my body’s response. A faint throbbing between my legs grew more insistent. I appreciated his good taste. She was an attractive auburn-haired woman with porcelain skin. I pictured myself walking over and joining the two of them. We’d feed on her together.
Except she likely wouldn’t survive two demons draining her lifeforce. Leaving a corpse branded with demon scent wouldn’t help in my mission to avoid attracting any attention.
What if I fed on him?
That was the more alluring option, but was it effective? Would we be able to sustain each other through the exchange of energy? I’d never been with one of my kind.
No, that hadn’t been my goal in tracking him. It was survival. This incubus threatened it with his careless feeding. Yet, after days of this hunt, curiosity had heightened to an obsession.
Was there anything more difficult to resist than curiosity?
He opened his eyes and fixed his gaze on me. Shit. I was caught. He pulled away from the woman.
My pulse quickened. Even many tombstones away, his appeal dangled before me like succulent bait in a sea full of hot fishes. Dark hair, intense eyes, a sculpted face, and sensual features. Fortunately, my crimson cheeks were cloaked by darkness. He stared for several seconds. Then he curled his index finger and called me to him.
Eager to respond, I took a few steps forward as if I was a mere mortal enchanted by him. His scent was potent with desire. I drank it in, all but feeling this mysterious stranger’s touch all over my body.
My wits returned, and I stopped. I shook my head. I’d be the one to lead this dance. I pointed to him and mirrored his gesture. What the hell was I doing? Some half-ass plan formed, which mostly involved winging it.
He eyed me with question. Our stares held in lockdown until his mouth spread into a sensual grin.
My heartbeat drummed louder, hammering out each second. What kind of dangerous game had I started? And why was I going about it this way? I could have walked up to him and declared what I wanted to say, but why not play first? Immortals had endless time to kill.
As he approached, the lure to him grew even more magnetic, an almost overpowering level.
Freakin’ incubus mojo.
Breaking the gaze, I forced myself to ignore my desire. He’d been a perplexing puzzle, consuming me for days. Now it was time for him to wonder.
I wouldn’t make it easy for him. My curiosity had grown to dangerous, point-of-no-return levels. One more night wouldn’t hurt anyone, right?
Holding a challenging stare, I curled my finger once more. “Come find me,” I invited him to the chase and then teleported out of the cemetery.
Would he take the bait?
Chapter Two
Daron
I lay on the bed in the hotel. Who was she? Her scent was familiar.
Too familiar.
Like one of my kind, but with a sweet feminine aroma with hints of vanilla and roses.
How was that possible? I hadn’t encountered any in at least a decade. After the exterminations, I believed I was the last to survive in this realm.
Until now.
The dark-haired woman at the cemetery earlier had to have been a succubus. Nothing else would explain her aroma. She’d attempted to hide in the shadows at the cemetery, but it wouldn’t work on an incubus. Female desire announced itself to me like a spotlight in an 80s rock concert video, zooming in on a groupie revealing impressive cleavage.
She’d invited me to find her and then disappeared. What kind of game was she playing?
After seeking her for a couple of more hours with no luck, I returned to the hotel in Salem. Tomorrow, I’d resume the search. I picked up a book off the nightstand, one I bought at a bookstore when I’d arrived in town last week. The history of the witch trials fascinated me. A brutal smirch on history proving that humans were even less tolerant than the supernatural. Few accepted those unlike themselves and sought to exert their dominance. If I didn’t have the magic to seduce humans, I likely would have been eviscerated long ago.
I pictured the succubus once again. Her black dress with red accents was wrapped tight enough to reveal lush curves. Of course, she would have a body to entice men. Incubi and succubi were designed to seduce.
Her face was just as appealing with large, almost feline eyes. Her black hair shone under the moonlight, falling in a long flowing wave over her shoulders.
I read three paragraphs of my book before realizing I hadn’t taken in a single word. Damn. It was going to be a long night full of questions and speculation.
The next day, I prepared to continue the hunt. After fishing for some clothes from my pack, I dressed in a pair of pants, a button-down shirt, and boots, all in my traditional black. Not only was it easy to match, but women often found the bad boy tone appealing. Now that I knew her scent, I caught it all over town. In front of the Hawthorne Hotel. In Salem Common. And later, on Derby Street. Whenever I thought I was closing in, the trail would end.
Frustration clawed my spine. Patience was not my strong suit. I couldn’t rest until I had my questions answered. Spontaneity had led me from San Francisco across the country.
Her aroma clouded my senses outside of a pub. I breathed in. It was fresh. I tracked it into the dimly lit pub and searched for her. A smattering of humans congregated around the bar and at booths. A few women glanced over with lingering looks, a silent invitation to approach them. A few men scoped me out with their alpha male testosterone kicking in, gauging if I was a threat. If they had a girl there, the answer was yes, I was most definitely trouble. He be
tter hold on tight if he wanted to keep her to himself.
It didn’t matter, I was a predator. I fed from whoever I pleased. Not only did I surpass the men in height and muscle, but supernatural strength. These human responses occurred so regularly when I entered a room, they were almost cliché. Not that I was complaining about the attention. It kept me well fed.
I scanned from one end to the other. No sign of the woman.
The bartender, a balding man in his fifties wearing a rock concert shirt, addressed me. “Are you looking for someone?”
“Yes, a woman with long black hair, straight bangs. Stands about this tall.” I motioned below my chin, an estimate of her height from our distance in the graveyard.
“You just missed her.” He reached beneath the bar and handed me a piece of paper. “She said to give this to you.”
She’d left me a note? I walked over as if entranced. “Thanks.” After I took the paper, I sniffed it as inconspicuously as possible. A strange sense of relief flooded me. It was her fragrance.
Time moved in slow motion as I opened the note.
Meet me here tomorrow at 9pm.
I lowered the note to my side. My insides sizzled, a wild mix of disappointment that I’d missed her and anticipation of the meeting ahead.
Over the next twenty-four hours, my questions grew. Who was she? What did she want? My muscles pulled taut, the uncertainty about this mysterious woman increasing the tension. When night fell, I wandered the streets of Salem. At a quarter to nine, I headed to the bar and ordered a godfather from the bartender. Then I sat on a stool, twirling my glass of whiskey and amaretto with restless repetition.
Nine o’clock came and went. Was she still playing with me?
At ten past nine, the dark door of the bar opened. A woman walked in. I sucked in a breath. It was her. Her black hair shone under the dim pub lights. The straight cut of her bangs, smoky makeup, and black pinup-style dress printed with red cherries gave her a vintage appearance. Like a gothic siren.
She scanned the club, presumably looking for me. Her honey brown eyes reminded me of a feline. Her lips were painted a shade of unmissable red that all but dared onlookers to kiss her. Or, maybe it was just me.
My gaze lowered as I drank in the smooth, enticing curves of this woman. The style of her dress flattered her curves. She must have selected it knowing that it highlighted the lushness of her breasts and ass. A succubus would know all the secrets of seduction. Every man and woman in the club paused to stare. No wonder. She was a knockout, a vintage pinup queen come to life in a modern world—a vision to fuel many fantasies.
No fool better dare to intervene and hit on her—she was here to meet me. I stood, making myself more visible in the crowded pub, all but announcing with a silent masculine declaration that she was off limits—she was mine.
When she caught my eye, my heartbeat did some strange sort of ricochet. She tilted her head and gave me a ghost of a smile as she strode over. I walked toward her. Time slowed as I registered her approach. Slowly. Too slowly. Yet too quickly.
What the hell was happening?
“You came.” Her voice had a low, pleasing tone.
Not yet. But, hell, that sounded like a damn good way to go from here. “Is that an invitation, Sweetness?” Shit, I’d let my cock speak before my brain caught up and stifled it.
Her eyes sparkled with amusement. “I wouldn’t call me that. You’ll find out that’s far from the case.” She glanced around the pub and pursed her lips. “Shall we find a quiet spot?”
Dragging my gaze from her red mouth, I scoured the club. An empty booth in the back corner appeared to be the most private location. When I placed my hand on her lower back, a frisson of heat flowed up my arm and into my chest. As I led her over, I inhaled her scent—an enticing female aroma that almost made me moan. I drank it in like it was sweet vermouth. It left no doubt of her true nature—a demon like me.
We sat and ordered drinks from the server—a Cape Codder for her and another godfather for me. She didn’t say anything, but her expression hinted of amusement. About what? I remained quiet and watched her. Damn, she was a stunner. The question that had haunted me since yesterday fogged my brain—who was she?
The server returned and gave us our drinks. After he left, the woman raised her glass toward me. “How odd we ended up in Salem at the same time.”
“Some would call that fate.” I clinked my glass against hers.
Her stare turned into a challenging flirtation. “Some would be foolish then.”
“You don’t believe in fate?”
“Don’t tell me you do. Just because our paths have crossed doesn’t mean stars are aligning or any of that jazz.” She waved her hand around, emphasizing with a wide circle. “Simply a coincidence.”
She took a slow sip of her drink, which left a wet sheen on her already shiny lips. My shaft twitched in response and I adjusted in the booth.
“What was with the odd invitation in the cemetery? We could have spoken then.” My words came out with an accusatory edge. Uncharacteristic of me, but something about her knocked me off-balance. Frustration gnawed at my usual suave delivery.
Her lips widened, but it wasn’t a friendly smile. Teasing, yes. A warning—maybe. “I would think an incubus would have smoother conversation skills than a gruff alpha shifter.”
“I’m not here for smooth conversation,” I growled. My dick protested at my cock-blocking talk, coaxing me to go for a more seductive approach. I ignored it. “I’m here because of your cryptic call.”
The corners of her lips extended wider. “I’m guessing you must be a solo traveler, like me, but you could stand to work on your social skills.”
I shifted on the seat cushion and followed with a slow breath to move past the sudden compulsion to snap back. She appeared eager for my reaction. Did she like eliciting heated responses? Was that how she got her kicks? She had, after all, initiated this chase. I had to ignore her instigating manner if I wanted to get information.
Keeping my voice level, I replied, “I didn’t think this was a social call.”
“Oh.” She arched a brow and leaned forward, offering an inviting expanse of her generous cleavage bound under the tight corset of her black dress. “What did you think this was?”
Damn, she was gorgeous, but I was an incubus and knew better than to be sidetracked by beauty–especially one of a demon like me. We were designed to attract humans simply to lure them for the feed.
But I wasn’t human. Her sensuality shouldn’t distract me.
“That’s why I’m here. To figure it out. I’m wondering if this is a game to you. Instead of approaching me in the graveyard, you sent me on a scavenger hunt through Salem.”
Her wide eyes gleamed with amusement. “If that’s what you call a hunt, you can’t be much of a predator.” She leaned back in the seat and steepled her fingers beneath her chin. “It was simply an invitation.”
She was doing it again, trying to provoke me. It was time to step back and start with the basics. “What’s your name?”
“Ha, now we circle back to small talk.” Her tight smile didn’t reach her eyes. “It’s Selena. What’s yours, my gruff friend?”
“Daron.”
She laughed, throwing her head back slightly and revealing her neck. The smooth pale vulnerable flesh stirred me. I could lean across the booth and kiss it.
Why the hell was she laughing? “What’s so funny?”
“Daron the demon.”
My lips twitched. “Hysterical.”
She scrunched her small, straight nose. “Oh, you don’t have a sense of humor.”
“Enough of this.” My tone sharpened. “You summoned me here for a reason. What was it?”
“Summoned?” Her perfect black eyebrows arched. She studied me with an amused smile. “I was curious.”
“About?”
“I haven’t met another of my kind in this realm in a long time.”
“Right. I thought I was the onl
y one left.”
She blinked slowly and glanced from under her thick lashes. “Unfortunately, it was not a happy discovery. I took the heat for your feeding at the club Vamps the other night and was asked to leave. Surely you knew we are not allowed to feed in the club?”
Ah, she’d taken the fall for my transgression. A flicker of guilt rolled up my spine. I was aware of the rules, but figured what the hell? I was only passing through there once. A quick stop to feed before I moved on. A lovely blonde was all too eager to hook up in the shadows, and I’d fed on her essence. “What do I care about some ridiculous rules? I was hungry. She was interested. No harm done.”
Selena huffed in a way that expressed pure doubt. “Except the threat of concrete hitting my lovely derriere as I was all but tossed on it.” Despite her sharp tone, her words carried a hint of flirtation.
I couldn’t see her ass with her sitting down, although I definitely wanted to see more of it. “I’m sure it’s in good shape.”
“Never better.” She rubbed her side as if removing invisible lint. “My attempt to find a tasty morsel had been thwarted by your clumsy transgression and I left without a meal. I’m guessing those rock for brains gargoyles couldn’t distinguish our scents.”
“Perhaps. I avoided them. No need to stir up attention of security types.”
“And yet you did.” She raised her index finger.
“Is that why you invited me here?” I leaned back and drummed my fingers. A part of me hoped she had a more sensual encounter in mind, yet that fantasy faded with each minute—not that my conversation helped encourage that. “You’re pissed off that I got you kicked out of a club?”
“There’s that.” She picked at the tiniest piece of white lint on the bodice of her black dress. “How long have you been in Salem?”
“Less than a week.”
Her eyes glimmered with satisfaction. “Good, that means I was here first. So, here’s the deal. You leave town.”
SCORCH: An Incubus versus Succubus Demon Romance Page 2