by Lizzy Ford
Where she’d been able to feel his emotions last night, she couldn’t read him today. The gentle, warm stranger who put her pleasure above his own all night was nowhere in sight. Today, Declan’s face was impassive, his whiskey eyes no more expressive than those of the others. Her hands were trembling and her insides shaking. The one person who could read her – who could condemn Vikki and the Professor – was none other than the Incubus who initiated the rite with her last night.
Chapter Twelve: Declan Troubled
Declan saw the look in her eyes. If he hadn’t held her gaze, she would’ve run. Stunned wasn’t strong enough of a word for her reaction to seeing him. Any doubt he had that she might not feel what he did faded.
“Come here,” he ordered softly. “We need to finish the inquiry.”
She was fighting him silently. It didn’t last long. Zoey hesitated then moved forward, stopping just outside his reach. She was tense and wary, but it was the fear he saw that caught his attention. Last night, she was uncertain. This was terror.
“I don’t want to do this,” she said for his ears only.
“You don’t have a choice.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Read you to determine what you’re hiding and what you’ve lied about,” he replied.
“Could you not?”
“No,” he said with a faint smile. “Rule one was weapons. Rule two: don’t ever lie to me again.”
“Declan, if I promise not to, will you not do this?”
“No.”
She looked ready to panic. “You are going to ruin everything!” Her thoughts were almost loud enough for him to hear: she didn’t want to be the weak link, the one who betrayed the Professor and her best friend.
“You may flaunt the rules of others, but I can’t,” he said with some gentleness.
She searched his gaze, and he saw the impact of his words. They crushed her. He, however, was irritated. Had last night meant so little to her that she thought he was going to hurt her? She had no clue what it meant to be bonded to an Incubus like him, probably because of the steady diet of lies the Sucubatti fed their Hunters.
“C’mere,” he said.
Zoey obeyed, her hurt turning to anger that made her cheeks red.
Declan touched her neck, his hand loosely resting against it while his thumb caressed the tender place beneath her ear. Zoey shuddered and closed her eyes as he widened the connection between them. His body relaxed at the contact, and he resisted the urge to sigh, more so with his brothers so close. He wasn’t about to appear affected or weak or worse – emotionally compromised! – by the angry little Halfling who stood between him and what he needed to know. His brothers were already too entertained, and he didn’t understand how one night with a stranger meant so much, even if they were meant to be together.
“There will be no second date or strike two or whatever it is!” she snarled.
“You’re almost purring at my feet, my little kitten,” he teased. “Now, stop fighting me. Let go the way you did for me last night.”
Her eyes opened, and he gazed into the dark blue depths, almost as lost as she was when his magic pulsed around her. The power all but lulled her into a doze. Yielding, she leaned into him, her forehead on his chest. The intimacy of her nearness affected him too much. Her body rested against his, her angry surrender nonetheless sweet relief for him.
Declan delved into her mind. He dug out the information he sought and then paused before exploring her assertion about the human she dated. She was hurting, but the attachment was gone, replaced by confusion and her intrigue with Declan. He was pleased to see she thought of him often and not always in bad terms. She instinctively knew where she belonged, even if she was fighting it.
She was warm, her soft skin kept from him by a thin layer of cloth. He wanted it gone, so they could melt together and become one again. If they were somewhere else …
“We’re done.” His husky voice pulled her from the daze.
Zoey lifted her head from his chest. He released her. She straightened, dismayed and confused.
“You made a good impression, little Zoey,” Tommy said from his seat.
“Yeah, right before I betrayed the only people I care about,” she said, her voice catching. She drew a deep breath to calm herself. Declan resisted the need to wrap his arms around her or tell her everything was going to be okay.
“Anything to add?” he asked.
“If I ever see you again in a dark alley, Declan …”
He lifted one corner of his mouth in a smile, which only made her angrier. Wes laughed quietly.
“The inquiry isn’t over,” Declan told her. “There’s a chance for the Professor and Vikki to clear themselves.”
“Is there any chance you won’t use what you saw?” she asked.
“The Sucubatti will be told what they need to know.”
“Am I done?” she asked.
“Until tonight,” he said.
“Fuck you, Declan. And that’s not an invitation.” Zoey whirled and strode away. She swept up her knives as she left, refusing to look at anyone. He sensed she was near tears, torn between fury and sorrow.
He, on the other hand, grew tenser the farther she got.
“Well done, little brother,” Wes said. “What did you discover?”
“Nothing that will aid us in finding an Incubus killer or against the Sucubatti,” he replied. “A couple of loose ends we need to clean up. Vikki needs to leave here now, before the Sucubatti figure out who she’s connected to.”
“I’ll let Liam know,” Tommy said and whipped out his phone.
“The Professor might be above suspicion, but it’s risky. He knows too much,” Declan continued.
“The oldest generation of Incubuses have networks everywhere. Not surprised,” Wes said grimly. “I think more than the Professor is an issue.”
“We’ll let Dad know we need to find a creative way to evac the eldest Incubuses,” Declan decided. “I still am at a loss as to why they lie to these girls.”
“They would not fight half as well, if they knew they were slaughtered after their twenty second birthdays,” Wes mused. “I never understood how the Sucubatti did business anyway.”
“They keep their origins from them, too,” Declan said. He was getting moody and agitated without Zoey in the room. “Cambions know what risks they face. Why would a Halfling not be told what her fate is when she’s twenty-two? The girls need to know.”
“Easy little brother. You know our restrictions.”
“I have a feeling Olivia chose these girls for a reason,” Declan continued. “Olivia knows who killed our Incubus yet sends two soul-mates and their Incubus handlers to be interviewed? What is she doing?”
“Throwing us off the trail,” Wes replied. “It was a risk we took when we agreed to her terms.”
“Which Dad would know.” Declan paced for a moment.
“Dad couldn’t know she’d put your soul-mate and Liam’s in front of us.”
Like hell he couldn’t. Declan bit his tongue, aware he was snappier than usual. The issues he voiced were long-known ones and debated much among his family. He wasn’t saying anything new; he was just so fucking pissy.
“Speaking of loose ends, Zoey snagged something from Vikki’s room. I’m going to claim it.”
“Good. Don’t come back until strike two is over with,” Wes advised. “You’re more of an ass today than usual.”
Declan waved and strode out. He had a feeling strike two was going to be rough to get to. Zoey hated him right now, and he was more vulnerable to the effects of the rite than she was.
He emerged from the school and followed his instincts, which led him directly to the woman who wanted him dead. The screen door was open, as if she’d fled to the Professor in a hurry, and he heard her agitated tone. Declan entered the Professor’s house and lingered in the hallway, listening.
“ … don’t give two shits about me!” she cried. “I betrayed you and
Vikki. The only people who make this fucked up place bearable.”
“My dear, we made our choices.” The Professor was amused. “If anything, we burdened you with the truth.”
“How can you say that?” she demanded. “He’s the fucking head of the Enforcers! You couldn’t tell me that before I walked in there and lied my ass off, which totally tipped him off?”
“You shouldn’t have lied.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It wasn’t my place.”
“You couldn’t say, hey, Zoey, by the way, your soul-mate is gonna crucify you this morning. Did I mention he’s the head of the Incubatti Enforcers, the hurricanes of the Incubus world, and you don’t stand a fucking chance in hell?”
“You wouldn’t have listened to me anyway.” The Professor’s warm laugh filled the study.
Declan snorted, enjoying their conversation. The nearness soothed some of the fury lighting his blood. He put on his game face and drew a calming breath before appearing in the doorway.
“I can return later,” he offered.
Zoey was at the hearth, one hand propping up her forehead. Her body was straining to control the sex energy. Declan felt the Professor’s attempt to calm her. It wasn’t working. Once more, he began to think something was wrong with the Incubus.
She looked towards him as he entered. Her eyes were red from crying, but she shot him a hostile glare. His gaze went over her body, and he wanted her clothes gone again. Her tension and unrestrained sex energy made him want to drag her upstairs and fuck her until they were both calm.
“Come in, Declan,” the Professor said. “We were discussing this morning’s events.”
“I heard.”
“Professor, hit me,” Zoe said.
“I can’t, kiddo. Not bound anymore,” he replied.
Frustrated. Zoey turned away and propped her elbows on the hearth. She wiped her face.
Declan studied her. When they were apart, he was almost in pain. When they were so close, she was. The only time they were both at peace: when they were touching. He made his way to the chair opposite the Professor’s in front of the hearth, close enough to reach her. Her angry energy distracted him. He wanted to do what it took to put her at ease but doubted the Professor would appreciate what Declan planned occurring in the study.
“It went well?” the Professor asked.
Declan returned his gaze to the elderly Incubus, whose eyes were twinkling. Declan reached out, settling a hand on her thigh, and pushed his magic into her. The response was instant: Zoey’s shoulders dropped as he siphoned off what she couldn’t control. She sighed and sagged against the hearth. His eyes went to her ass. It took effort to keep his hand on her thigh when it wanted badly to slide into the hollow between her legs. He smelled her arousal.
The Professor chuckled. Declan kept his hand in place.
“Before or after she drew weapons on us?” he asked.
“Ah. So it was interesting,” the Professor said.
“What do you want, Declan?” Zoey snapped.
“Zoey,” the Professor chided. “That’s no way to talk to the head of the Incubatti Enforcers.”
“I already fucked up.”
“The journal,” Declan replied.
She was still for a long moment. Declan waited, knowing she was going to cave as she had twice already.
“Goddamn it!” Zoey whipped away and tore out of the study.
Declan watched her go.
“I see you two are getting along,” the Professor said.
“Something like that,” Declan replied. “This is rougher than I expected.”
“I am certain you are strong enough to survive, and so is she.”
“Halflings are,” Declan said, his anger stirring almost to the point where he said something he shouldn’t.
“And Cambions torture young ladies to steal their magic. I don’t think either of our programs is honorable,” the Professor pointed out. “Perhaps it is time for a change.”
“That is beyond my control,” Declan replied.
“The head of the Enforcers has no influence?”
Declan raised an eyebrow at the Professor, who laughed once more.
“Very well, young one. I know a sensitive subject when I see one,” he said.
“Professor, may I ask something personal?” Declan asked, leaning forward.
“I deny the Enforcers nothing.”
“Your magic grows weaker by the day. Why?”
The Professor drew a deep breath. Declan saw sorrow in his brown eyes. He waited for the old man to respond, concerned.
“When our ranks split a hundred years ago, those of us who stayed with the Sucubatti were sworn against gathering new sex energy. I fear I’ve simply grown old and weak,” he admitted. “The eldest of the Benefactors and I maintain a sort of shield against the Sucubatti’s influence. It drains us, and we have no new magic coming in.”
“A shield? This is the first I’m hearing of this,” Declan said. “What do you protect?”
The Professor looked up at the ceiling, towards where Declan guessed Zoey’s room was. Declan frowned.
“The Sucubatti would kill to dig their claws into the Halflings meant to be Incubus mates. As with the animal kingdom, the strongest of a society find theirs first. It’s not hard to imagine what the Sucubatti might want to do to the mates of Enforcers. We cannot protect all the girls, but we protect the ones who are intended for our brethren,” the Professor explained. “Contrary to what you were probably taught, we chose to stay with the Sucubatti to protect the mates of other Incubatti. It was not so much a loyalty issue as a necessity.”
“So you and a few others were written off as traitors,” Declan summarized. “That isn’t something I knew.”
“Your father knows. I imagine like any great leader, he must choose to keep secrets sometimes.”
Declan trusted his father to tell him what he needed to know. Still, the knowledge the Professor imparted was of a nature that left Declan troubled. It bothered him that a handful of Incubatti agreed to sacrifice their lives to protect the mates of Incubatti and accepted public condemnation from the rest of the Incubus society.
“If Dad knew, does Olivia?” he asked. “Neither security arm is honest with their respective Councils.”
“Let me just say this: the team Zoey was on was created when Olivia took over, twenty-three years ago. It did not exist before. With all our efforts, we Benefactors were not able to save a total of four soul-mates in fifty years, until Olivia. There are five now on the team, all of whom were hand-chosen by Olivia,” the Professor said.
“She knew that’s who she was sending to be interviewed, because she thought we couldn’t read them and therefore, we couldn’t uncover anything else she might be hiding,” Declan guessed, thinking out loud.
“Vikki was bound this week via the rite, and Zoey was marked. It is not lost on me that she chose the two strongest Halflings to face you. With strike one down, Zoey is too strong to have been read by anyone but her mate. Olivia couldn’t know that is you.”
Declan listened with growing unease, uncertain how much he should trust the Professor. Olivia had asked this week about being mated. She clearly didn’t suspect he was Zoey’s soul-mate and yet, she knew Zoey was going to become someone’s soul-mate, or she wouldn’t be on the special team.
“Why send them before us?” Declan murmured. “It makes no sense. We were bound to discover they were marked or mated to our kind.”
“Maybe Olivia is sending a different message,” the Professor said. “One your father might understand?”
“It’s a power play. She’s got five soul-mates under her control.”
Olivia was planning something else. He felt it. He came to discover a killer and left with a riddle unrelated to the dead Incubus.
The Professor reached for his tea with shaking hands, and Declan’s attention shifted once more. It bothered him that a man as good as the Professor was so close to death for
the sake of protecting Zoey, while Declan pretended his soul-mate didn’t exist for years. How much had he contributed to the Professor’s deterioration?
“If we free you, you will have a chance to recover, will you not?” he asked.
“Unless you free me soon, I fear it won’t be possible,” the Professor chuckled. “I see what you are thinking. It has been an honor to do what I’ve done, Declan. I have no regrets.”
“I do,” Declan replied firmly. ”Because of my irresponsibility, you suffered.”
“What matters is that my sweet Zoey is safe in your hands now,” the Professor replied.
No, it’s not enough. Declan disagreed in silence. He intended to tell his father they needed to elevate the priority for rescuing the Benefactors.
“I am grateful to you, Alexander,” he said.
“You can show me by taking care of my girl.”
“I intend to take care of you both.”
“You have your father’s ambition and your mother’s heart,” the Professor said. “You will lead the Incubatti well, Declan.”
“I gotta make it through the rite first,” Declan said ruefully.
“You will. She hasn’t taken off your head. It’s a sign she likes you.”
Declan laughed. He didn’t tell the Professor Zoey had tried twice. If she failed, it was because their connection didn’t let her.
Chapter Thirteen: Zoey Trapped
Upstairs, Zoey tried to postpone her trip to the study. She sat for a moment on her bed and clutched her forehead, hating how weak she was. She betrayed everyone she loved to someone she didn’t even know. But wanted. And hated. And needed, because she belonged with him. He claimed her in a way that made her heart fly and her emotions tremble, just thinking about him. Seeing him made her want to run.
