Dead End: Midnight Hollow

by Penn Cassidy

  I froze when yellow slitted eyes met mine and a forked tongue lapped at my center in quick bursts. Panic flooded me, but the pleasure along with it made my hips undulate against the forked tongue. It was Damon staring back at me, and he smiled wickedly.

  “Get the fuck out of here, Damon,” I panted, trying to keep my orgasm at bay. “Bring him back,” I begged.

  I felt him laugh, his breath wafting over me and making me shiver. “I thought you liked it on the kinky side, luv,” he purred. Those yellow eyes were practically glowing in the darkness of my bedroom. “And you taste delectable, can’t I stay a while?” he purred.

  His words sent something hot and wild through my body, and it only prompted him to lick me faster with the flat of his long as hell tongue. My hands grasped my sheets, balling them up and twisting just to contain the pleasure. “Jason…” I panted again. I didn’t have it in me to say much more than that.

  Damon clicked his tongue. “You’re no fun.” He smiled. “Jason’s right here, baby girl, and he’s quite enjoying himself.”

  My eyes widened at the thought. Could he be telling the truth? Was Jason conscious of what was going on? Was he letting Damon take control? I looked back down in time to see his eyes flicker back to grey, and Jason smiled. “You afraid of my demon?” he asked with a devilish grin.

  I was about to say something clever, but all thoughts flew from my brain as he slipped two fingers inside of me, curling them at the knuckles and sucking my clit between his lips. That was it for me. I sailed right over the edge of the horizon, pulling my pillow over my face so that I could scream into it and not wake up the entire house. Stars exploded behind my eyes, and my hips bucked against his mouth repeatedly.

  It took a few long minutes for me to come back down from my high. Jason licked me leisurely a few more times, drawing out the last remnants of tingling pleasure. He lingered as if he were savoring the taste of me, and I couldn’t even find it in myself to feel embarrassed about it. When he stopped licking, it was only to slide his palms back up the length of my bare thighs.

  “Fucking hell, you taste like heaven,” he murmured in a rumbling, edgy voice. I could tell he was holding back, because his fingers began to shake from restraint.

  When he was fully hovering over my body, he peeled my oversized shirt off and threw it on the floor, before letting his steely eyes rove my body. I’d been a little bit self conscious about how pale I’d become this last year. Since I was in middle school, I’d been self tanning with my friends on the cheer team, and I’d always had a polished and plucked Barbie look about me. Now, I was bare before this hot as fuck guy in all my pale glory, but it looked as though he was loving and savoring every fucking inch of me. I suddenly got hot all over again.

  I felt Jason harden even more against my thigh, contained in his sweats, so I bucked my hips a little, letting him feel my pussy drag over his thick cock. I was suddenly salivating. I needed to feel him as completely as he felt me, but it seemed like Jason already had a plan.

  I watched as he took his grey sweatpants off, and honestly…I was sad to see them go. Something about a man in a pair of grey sweats really did something for me, really got those engines revving. He held himself aloft with one arm. His muscles were strained, and as soon as they were off, I forced his shirt over his head with fast fingers until it was lying with mine on the floor.

  Holy mother of pumpkins, he was jacked. I never knew Jason was so utterly cut. He had abs for days, his olive skin had just a few beauty marks scattered here and there, and the way his pecs and muscles flexed had me moaning. Christ, nobody had the right to look like that. Before I could stop myself, I was running my greedy fingers over those muscles, and he watched as they trailed down and down and down, until they stopped at his pelvic bone.

  Oh lord have mercy. His cock was thick and beautiful, like silk covered steel, and I immediately gripped it, prompting him to close his eyes tight and groan. I gave him a soft stroke, just one time, my fingers squeezing just right. His eyes popped open, and he bucked in my grip. “If you ever questioned whether or not I was attracted to your new look,” he glanced down at his cock with his brow raised, “you have your fucking answer.”

  I smiled wickedly and gave him another squeeze. “Prove it.”

  Jason groaned, but then bent over, capturing my lips with his. I was already wet and ready for him, so when I felt the tip of that glorious dick at my entrance, my thighs fell open even wider. He ran his length down my wetness and dropped his face into my shoulder, moaning against my bare skin. I felt him bite down lightly on my shoulder, but not enough to hurt. He was trying to contain a feral growl it seemed, and it only made me want to see what other noises I could get this man to make.

  I pushed against his chest, forcing him to sit up, but before he could complain, I followed him up, immediately straddling his waist. His arms wrapped around my torso, clamping down tight. I felt his dick at my entrance and slowly guided him in. My whole body shuddered as I seated myself to the hilt. His breathy moan was like music to my ears. Something about a man’s moan really set me off, and soon, I was bouncing up and down, letting him slide in and out slowly, and I enjoyed every fucking inch.

  We moved together as if we were made for one another. He had one arm wrapped around me, and the other hand was squeezing my hip, guiding me up and down. The wet slaps of our skin filled my bedroom, and at this point, I didn’t even really care if anyone else heard. I needed him with a feral intensity that I hadn’t felt since the greenhouse with Norman. I felt a connection between us that was finally snapping into place.

  We were covered in sweat now, and our breaths were hot and mingled. He started to move faster, fucking me harder as I held on for dear life. Jason maneuvered to where he could grip under my thighs, and then he slammed me to the mattress. When he pulled back to look at me, my breath caught as I was once again staring into a pair of bright yellow slitted eyes.

  “Damon…” I breathed. He pounded into me even faster than before, hitting me in spots I hadn’t known existed. “Oh, fuck!” I clawed at his back.

  Now that I knew Jason was still fully aware of what was going on and actually encouraged it, I was fully on board with this whole demon familiar thing. Damon’s forked tongue licked up the side of my neck as he ground his pelvic bone into my clit. His cock thickened, swelling with the power of two men at once. I screamed into his shoulder, biting down into his skin just as he’d done to me.

  This only spurred him on. Damon’s strokes were shorter and more rapid. He gripped my thighs and pushed them upwards, opening me wider. My eyes were rolling back into my head, but when I met his gaze again, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. In a rapid fire succession, his eyes flickered back and forth between yellow and grey. The two of them were one in the same for this brief moment in time, both of them feasting on my body like it was the last meal either of them would ever have.

  “Come for us, luv,” Damon groaned. “Come around our cock!” He thrust harder, and black began to creep into the sides of my vision.

  “I’m gonna…” I started to moan incoherently. “Oh, shit, I’m—”

  “Now, October, come for us right now!” Jason suddenly wrapped his fingers around my throat and applied a tiny bit of pressure.

  That did it. I exploded, my muscles twitching as my pussy clamped down on his cock. I came so hard, I could barely see straight, and it was like fire ripping through my veins. Once again, I had to grab a pillow and shove it over my face so that I could scream. I felt him thicken inside of me as my muscles continued to pulse around him.

  Throwing the pillow to the side, I watched both Damon and Jason come, eyes still flickering rapidly back and forth as they fought for control. He moaned, and it was like I could hear two voices overlapping for a second. I felt him pulsing inside me, filling me up, and he continued to thrust. He slowed down, leisurely fucking me, drawing out the sensation for as long as he could.

  I watched him fall into a state of utter bliss, and I
marveled at how fucking handsome this man was. How had I ever gotten so lucky to have not one, but four men to fall head over heels for me? And one of them with a sexy ass demon inside him. Shit, maybe I wasn’t so prone to bad luck after all.

  The moment my eyes opened from a rare dreamless sleep, I knew he would be there. Cracking one eye open, the brightness from the morning twin moons slipped through my deep purple curtains and gave me the perfect view of a sleeping Jason.

  A sigh fell from my parted lips. Last night meant everything to me…but at the same time, I didn’t know where it was going to lead us. Did he still resent me? Did he still hate me—the kind of hate that festered until it became unbearable, even though you loved someone? Or did he actually mean every word? Could this mean we could all fix this rift that seemed to swallow us whole? The thought of going back to the way things used to be freaked me out. Internally I was screaming bloody murder, terrified of breaking again, breaking so deeply this time, there would be nothing left to give or take.

  “You could be worth everything, Jason,” I murmured. “As long as you don’t shatter my heart when it’s over.” Reaching out, I stroked the sharp curve of his cheekbone and watched his dark eyelashes flutter against his smooth as whiskey colored skin.

  I had no idea how to feel about the recent development, but I didn’t want to risk him waking up and catching me watching him like a creep. I wasn’t ready for that conversion—the inevitable now what talk. Carefully retreating, I slipped out from under the covers and padded to my wardrobe before softly opening the door on a belated exhale.

  Out of all the places in the whole world, my happy place would be a wardrobe full of my clothing that fit my love of darkness. The only thing that resembled a light color was my baby pink corset for when I was feeling particularly sassy. I’d never worn it in public before, but today, I said to hell with it and quickly swiped it off the hanger while trying to be extra sneaky so Jason wouldn’t wake up.

  Was it wrong that I was going for the ‘wam bam thank you sir’? Maybe, but the thought of him bringing up last night, after we both opened up about being hurt, made me want to fling open the door and take off running into the night again. Dressed in my fishnets, my black, high waisted skirt with the cutest little chains woven in and the lovely pink corset, I felt like a woman ready to take on the world.

  Said woman grabbed her Doc Martens and turned to look at a sleeping Jason one last time. I could really get used to seeing him spread out on my bed like that. Naked from the waist up, his head was turned away, but I could still admire the tight muscles of his back that led down to an even tighter ass and his wide shoulders that were perfect resting spots for my ankles.

  It was then that I realized I was standing there for a whole five minutes, staring like one of those weirdos that watch other people sleep.

  You’re not a vampire, October, stop acting like one…

  Shaking my head, I glanced at the branch next to my bedside, the spot Jessica usually slept on, and found her still missing. I remembered how much she hated the rain last night, so she was probably irritated with me still. I was guessing she didn’t feel like coming back yet and couldn’t say I blamed her. She was going to give me so much shit for almost dying the one time she wasn’t there. Talk about embarrassing.

  Standing on my tippy toes, I snuck out of my bedroom, shutting the door quietly behind me, and didn’t put on my shoes until I reached the landing at the bottom of the stairs. Voices echoed from the kitchen area. I followed the noise to see my aunties standing over the cauldron, a fire blazing as something suspicious bubbled in the pot. Pip was waving her wooden spoon around in wild, panicked gestures.

  “Just taste it! It’s not going to kill you this time, I promise.” Pip tipped the spoon into the green looking slime just as a bubble popped, chunks flying in every direction.

  “I swear, sister, if this gives me a wart, you are on my shit list.” Fe glared and braced her hands on her hip just before sipping on the spoon. I held my breath, wondering if I’d have to try and bring her back from the dead after she croaked from whatever the hell she just drank.

  “Hm, I would probably add more lizard tongue. That would be just the ticket.” Auntie Fe smacked her lips together while straightening and finally noticed me awkwardly standing in the archway.

  “Are you hungry, pumpkin? I can cook you up something real quick, or do you want to try my stew?” Auntie Pip asked excitedly, already heading towards the cupboard to pull out a wooden bowl.

  Auntie Fe was frantically shaking her head behind her sister, gesturing with her one hand slicing across her throat. Okay, message received. Eat it and die. No thanks, not today, Satan.

  “Uh, no that’s okay. I had a big dinner last night,” I said in a rush and took a step back out of the kitchen incase I needed to make a run for it. “Have you seen Jessica?”

  The cauldron behind my oblivious aunties started to boil over even more, until one giant green bubble floated out of the pot and headed right towards the high peak of the ceiling.

  “Not since last night in the green house. What exactly were her words, sister?” Auntie Pip asked, stroking her chin in thought.

  “I believe she said she was going for a stroll or something along those lines, to get some peace and quiet.” Auntie Fe turned to me, tilting her head at my curious behavior as I kept backing out of the room very slowly, my eyes following the bubble that was about to explode.

  “Oh and, October, please be a dear and tell Maddie to hurry home after class. Hexes and spells are her next lesson. Stubborn girl denies her curse aptitude and only ever wants to be at the campus library for whatever reason. Where did October go…?” I heard her question trail off in the distance.

  I was already out of the doorway and halfway down the hall on fast moving feet, the stained glass door within my reach. The moment my hand touched the brass doorknob, a loud boom came from the kitchen that shook the whole house like an earthquake, and I could hear my aunties shrieking in outrage. Thank god I missed that show. I couldn’t imagine what the kitchen looked like after the side effects of Auntie Pip’s cooking methods.

  I needed to talk to Maddie about the guys anyways. Maybe she could give me some insight on what I should do.

  Of course, I had to stop at The Wicked Quill for a new book and was lucky that Baen wasn’t there to see me buy it. I’ve been over every single page of that book about necromancy, but they only described where my people came from and the danger we held.

  Last time I was at the bookstore, I’d purposely skipped over one book I’d seen out of the corner of my eyes that made me shake my head in disbelief, because there was no way that I’d need it. So that’s how I ended up on Main Street, now heading towards campus for a trip to the library with a book tucked under my arm that made me blush thinking about anyone seeing it. How To Necromancy 101: For Dummies.

  Looking both ways for any prying eyes, I flipped open a page to skim over in curiosity, because today was going to be the day I finally tried to raise the dead. Everyone else was flourishing with their new abilities like they were made for this world, but I felt stuck.

  Now, place your hand over the decaying body and close your eyes. Will the power to flow through you! You are one with the power to raise the dead, so command it to be so!

  “Pssst.”

  My head snapped up from the ridiculous book but literally no one was around. I could have sworn someone was trying to get my attention. I shivered, shaking off this spooky place. With a shrug, I continued walking with the library in sight as I buried my face back in the book I was beginning to suspect might actually not be helpful.

  “Hey, you! Psst.”

  Okay, what the crap? Can’t a girl have some time alone to learn about her powers without looking like an idiot in public? I snapped the worn paperback closed and spun in a circle, but it was literally a ghost town with no one around besides the weird ass marionette doll lounging on a wooden bench. I looked away, dismissing it, but immediately did a
double take.

  It couldn’t be… Was that the same doll Jessica kept pointing out? It had to be. Nah, there’s no way. Who the hell would leave that creepy thing just lying around on a bench outside the library? That was just strange. Stepping closer warily, I blinked rapidly to make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me, but nope. Clutched in the tiny hands of the dummy was a letter made of parchment, and on the front of it read, Miss Hallowell.

  Maybe it’s not for me?

  Totally could have been left here by mistake, for my aunties or something. Definitely not meant for me… But just in case… Reaching forward, I grabbed the envelope and tried to tug it out of the dummy’s hands, but for some reason, it kept a tight grip. It had come to this—I was playing tug of war with a dummy in the middle of broad moonlight. Why didn’t this situation surprise me in the slightest? Finally, the letter slipped free from its tiny hands, and I ripped it open cautiously as a small piece of paper slipped out.

  October Hallowell,

  You are cordially invited to attend an initiation ceremony for the Society of the Elite. In a week's time, the night before the blood moon eclipse, please join us as we welcome you with open arms.

  Please report to the basement level of the West Wing of Midnight University, at exactly midnight on the dot.

  Sincerely,

  The Society.

  I stared at the ominous letter for a solid minute with my brain going a mile a minute. What in the world is the Society of the Elite? It sounded like some fucked-up cult. Like, who the hell asks a member to join by a letter? Shouldn’t it be some cloak and dagger high stakes stuff?

  I debated tossing the letter in the trash, until I heard a pitter patter of feet running over cobblestone. It sounded like a horse clomping, only smaller. When I glanced up, the streets were still deserted but the freaking marionette was nowhere to be seen. Damn it, what the hell was happening right now?