Ravenous (Lake City Stories .5)

by Unknown

Of all the people I’d fed from, couldn’t one of them be decent enough for me to be eager to share their bed? I crumpled the paper in my fist.

  Sin strolled into the room, paddle in hand. His gaze traveled to me tucked into the corner of a love seat. He grinned and joined me. “Are you playing?”

  “Are you nuts? I can barely see the ball.”

  He opened my fist and pulled out my list. “My name isn’t on here.”

  I eyed him. “You really want to be one of my suitors? You haven’t fed me since the motel.”

  “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

  “My heart isn’t supposed to be part of this endeavor into ancient traditions.” I snatched the list from his hand and ripped it in two. “I hate this.”

  He leaned his chin on his hand. “You’re not going to make this easy, are you?”

  “Why should I?” I said it louder than I wanted and those around us suddenly grew quiet. “You seem to forget that this is my life.” I pushed my way out of the room.

  Sin caught me just outside the elevator and pressed me against the wall. His face was no longer amused. “Be careful how you address me in public. I’ve been very lenient because you amuse me, but that can end at any second.” He gave me a little shake to emphasize his meaning.

  I struggled to lower my glare. “I’m sorry.” Pissing off the ancient vampire wouldn’t get me anything but pain.

  “Why are you making a list? Your father said he’d take care of it.”

  “Would you be okay with that?”

  “I’m not a complicated succubus brat.”

  I gasped. “I am not complicated. I’m sensitive.”

  Finally, the angry edge to his scowl vanished into a smile. “Is there someone specific in the nest you’d like?”

  “For me to feed, I have to orgasm. So if I feel uncomfortable or unhappy nothing is going happen. There’s got to be some chemistry.”

  “That’s how people fall in love.”

  I swung my head back and hit it against the wall. “I know. So you can understand my predicament.”

  “That is quite a quandary.” He rubbed his chin; the amusement had returned to his eyes. “A male who you like but won’t love, who you’re attracted to.” His gaze grew heated and he pressed his hard, delicious body against mine. “You do like me, don’t you Pia?”

  All my girly bits ignited with instant lust. “Damn it, you know I do.”

  He ran his fangs along my neck, sending chills down my spine.

  “Is there a point to this besides torture?”

  His shoulders shook as he chuckled. “When your father decides to get something done he doesn’t waste time.”

  “He picked them already?” My voice was pitched so high I’m sure I heard glass shatter.

  “Just one. It was an easy choice.”

  “Really? Who?”

  “I’m not telling you.” His smile was feisty and pure evil. Playful Sin was as much a jerk as cranky Sin. “But I’ll bring you to his place and you can—uh—meet him.” He held out his hand.

  I stared at it dumbfounded then placed my trust in him by taking his offer.

  “Let’s be off.” He tossed his paddle to Gigi, who waved goodbye.

  “Can we take your motorcycle?” I’d been trying to get him to take me for a ride ever since I discovered he owned a Harley.

  “No. Pick a different vehicle.”

  “I don’t care then. Something that won’t break down.”

  He tossed me an annoyed look. All his cars were well cared for. He let the nest use certain ones but he owned them all. In the security room he picked out the keys he wanted and led me to his fast, little silver bullet. He hated it when I called it that so I kept my mouth shut. The city streets still held enough traffic in the early night, which forced Sin to slow to human speed. It didn’t take long to get to our destination.

  I sat forward as we drove through the forested neighborhood. I recognized this place from the first night I’d met Sin. “We’re going to Cooper’s?” Since I’d moved into the nest I hadn’t seen the shifter. “This isn’t a good idea.” I liked him way too much.

  “Just spend the evening with him.” He pulled up to the cabin.

  I got out of the car and followed Sin to the front door, dragging my feet. Part of me was crying out I don’t want to.

  Sin knocked on the door.

  Not long after, it opened. Cooper stood in the threshold framed by firelight, wearing only a pair of track pants that hung low on his hips. “Zur-Sin?” He rubbed his eyes as if he’d been asleep. It wasn’t that late, was it? Then again, I’d been living on a vampire’s timetable for a while.

  Sin grabbed my arm and thrust me at Cooper.

  If he hadn’t caught me, we both would have gone ass over teakettle. He blinked at me. “Pia?”

  “Hey, Cooper.” I gave him a shy wave and tossed Sin a glare. The vampire hadn’t even called ahead. Could there be a hole deep enough for me to crawl into? “Don’t worry. I don’t need to feed tonight.” Oh my god, why was my mouth still running? “Not that I would mind.” I squeezed my eyes shut.

  The slam of a car door had me jerking them open again. Sin was pulling out of the driveway.

  Cooper waved. “Bye, Zur-Sin.” He gestured for me to come in. “Can I get you something to drink?” The entrance opened into a small eat-in kitchen, which connected to a living room and fireplace. A few animal pelts decorated the log walls.

  “Got anything with alcohol?” My hands trembled so I sat on them in the closest chair.

  Cooper shook his head. “I don’t keep any in the house. It lowers inhibitions and that doesn’t mix well with the wolf.” He tapped his chest. “I have water, milk, and hot cocoa.”

  I grinned. “Hot cocoa.”

  “Marshmallows?”

  “Please.” If Cooper was trying to seduce me, he was doing an excellent job by offering chocolate and sweets. “I’m sorry Sin dumped me on your front porch.”

  Cooper busied himself with cups and kettles. “Nothing surprises me anymore. He likes screwing around with me. He wants me to wolf-up and climb pack hierarchy.” He chuckled.

  “He used the words wolf-up?”

  “Oh yes.” The kettle whistled. “So how are you adjusting to vampire life?” Cooper fixed our drinks and sat across the table for me.

  I shrugged. “Most of them ignore me unless it’s my day to feed.”

  “Vampires are snobs. I’ve heard Sin doesn’t let you feed from the shifters he hires.”

  “He fed me a few but…uh…you’re all kind of possessive. It created problems.” I got up and wandered around his living space. No television or desktop computer, lots of shelves stuffed full of books, no pictures of anyone special. It seemed empty and lonely.

  Cooper joined me and sat in the only couch in the room in front of the fireplace. There was a pillow, a book, and a blanket next to him.

  “Were you sleeping here when we barged in?”

  He tapped the cushion next to him, inviting me to sit. “I fell asleep reading.”

  I picked up the book before joining him on the couch. I’d been known to turn a page or two. My eyebrows rose. “This isn’t in English.”

  He plucked the book from my fingers. “I like to read great works in their original language.”

  “What story is it?”

  “It’s a philosophy book. I teach at Lake University.” He watched me as if waiting for my reaction. A sexy philosophical werewolf who was a university professor. My succubus mojo just drooled.

  “Do you wear a tie and a jacket with the leather patches on the elbows?”

  He snorted his hot cocoa. “No.”

  “Too bad.” I eyed him. “Would you wear them if I bought them for you?”

  He threw back his head and laughed. “Are you offering to play the part of the scantily-clad student?”

  I crawled onto my knees and leaned forward, almost spilling my drink. “You know this game. I’m great at playing the bad girl. I can eve
n pop my gum.”

  His smile faded. “You’re serious.”

  “You’re not?” I sat back on my heels. “Well, that was disappointing.”

  “Your father said you wouldn’t need to feed until tomorrow.” He took my half-finished cocoa and set it on the coaster next to his on the small side table.

  “I don’t.” I twisted the hem of my t-shirt. If I’d known Sin was going to drop me off with Cooper I would have dressed up. Instead the shifter got slumpy Pia in flip flops and PJs instead. “So you met my dad?”

  “Uh-huh. Woke up to him making breakfast in my kitchen. Almost set my house on fire.”

  My heart sank. “We have that in common.” I kind of took after my father in that regard. “He’s not forcing you to be my suitor, is he?”

  “I had to interview for the position.” Cooper winked.

  “He knows you?” No offense to Cooper, but my dad didn’t occupy his time by meeting low-level shifters.

  “No. Zur-Sin apparently recommended me. Ever since that vampire discovered why I’m not interested in climbing ranks in my pack, he’s been trying to help me in his own terrible and horrific way.”

  “Yes, I can understand this intimately, but does that have to do with my eating problems?”

  “You’re not my soul mate, Pia.” He rested his hand on my shoulder.

  “Well, yeah, I could have told you that.” I knocked his hand off. “The last thing I need in my life is for some shifter to think I’m his soul mate. Geez Cooper, don’t try to stop my heart like that.”

  He tilted his head to the side as if confused. “Is that why you chained yourself to the bed before we found you?”

  I glared at him until he grew still. I wasn’t going to re-tell that story again. Going over those events with Sin had been hard enough, especially after how I felt at Cleaver. Forgetting my past was hard when everyone kept asking me about it. “You can say it’s a symptom.”

  He cleared his throat. “So how exactly does this suitor thing work? Your dad didn’t give me the details yet. He said a contract would be delivered tomorrow and I could read the details then.”

  “Suitor is a term my people use for a regular lover to feed from.” There was a hell on Earth. “I’m having trouble.” I took a shaky breath. “Emotionally.” Tears burned in my eyes. “One—one night stands seem to be making things worse rather than better. My father thinks this will make me more stable.” I had to trust Dad’s judgment on this, since my original plan ended with me dead and Sin’s idea of help just made me want to die. My family for some reason still cared about me no matter how hard I tried to shove them away. They understood what it was to be a sex demon. Maybe Sin was right, but I’d never tell him that, and I should pay my parents a short visit.

  I missed them.

  A tear spilled from my eye and I wiped it as fast as I could, hoping Cooper missed it. “I think you’re a good choice.” I shrugged one shoulder.

  Cooper was so quiet that for a moment I thought he’d fallen asleep.

  I peeked at him through my eyelashes.

  When our gazes met, he gave me a small smile and pulled me into a hug.

  “Are you still sorry you helped save me?” I mumbled against his solid chest. Being very muscular was one thing I could count on with shifters.

  “Sometimes the roads we travel lead us to unexpected places. These surprises can either help or harm you. I think, Pia, you’re here to help me too.”

  “Is this the shifter talking, or the philosopher?”

  “We’re one and the same.” He chuckled and the sound rolled in my ear from his chest. “I think the reason I haven’t met my soul mate is that I’m pretty shy around females. They make me nervous and those of my kind can smell it. Shifter females don’t like the scent of weakness.”

  “You’re not shy around me.” I remember the way Cooper had taken me on the floor of the motel room. There wasn’t a shy moment in that act.

  “I know. Isn’t that amazing?”

  I smiled and snuggled closer to Cooper. “So you help me with feeding and I help you with girly wolves.”

  “Yes, just don’t call them that to their faces. They might eat you.”

  “I think this a start of a beautiful friendship.”

  He handed me my cup of cocoa and clinked his cup against mine. “To friends with benefits.”

  “Cheers.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Day three of my cycle

  Once again it was my day to feed and Sin hadn’t assigned me anyone, leaving me to fret. I locked myself in my bedroom, not wanting to jump someone like cute John again. I hadn’t seen a whisper of the demon in the last three nights. Maybe he worked day shift like the werewolves?

  I flipped through a fashion magazine I’d already read twice. The next time I saw Cooper I’d ask to borrow some books. Oh, maybe I should call him to feed me since Sin couldn’t fit me in his schedule. Or maybe, I should call the vamp’s secretary. She might have forgotten to tell Sin it was my day three. I reached for my phone as someone tried to barge through my locked door.

  The frame shuddered. “Pia.” Sin’s annoyed voice traveled through the wood.

  I raced to let him in. He hadn’t forgotten after all. “Hey.” I leaned against the door trying to act cool as my libido boiled in my gut. “Who can I feed from?”

  “Hungry?”

  “Starved.”

  He handed me a motorcycle helmet. “I thought I’d take you for a ride first.”

  I stared at it and blinked. “On your bike? But you said you didn’t share.”

  He frowned. “Do you want me to change my mind?”

  “No. Let me grab a jacket.” The summer nights were warm but I imagined riding on the back of a roaring beast of metal I’d catch a chill. Sin was gone when I returned, so I ran through the nest and crashed through the security room out into the garage.

  He sat on the Harley and patted the seat behind him.

  I couldn’t stop the skip in my step as I hurried to my spot and strapped my helmet on.

  “Hold on tight.” He revived the engine before taking off.

  With my arms around Sin’s waist and my head resting on his back, I watched the city speed by. The wind caressed my skin like a long lost lover and the bike vibrated between my legs. If it were alive, I would have asked it to be my next suitor. We drove out of the city and past the suburbs. The night droned past me in a haze of lights and shadows.

  The road became a steep climb but the engine didn’t even seem to strain. Oh, baby. Peeking around Sin, I saw the sign for Mount McGregor, the local national park. I hadn’t been here in years. At the top was a make-out point.

  I ran my hands over his stomach, tracing his carved muscles through his t-shirt.

  He tensed under my touch and accelerated faster toward the top.

  I pressed my face to his back and smiled. He got my message.

  We drove into Make-out Point but continued past the vehicles parked in the shadows. I’d spent a few evenings here in high school. It was interesting that Sin brought me here.

  He slowed and coasted us past the parking lot and onto a trail.

  “I don’t think we’re supposed to drive on this.”

  “Who’s going to stop me?” He wound past the trees until I couldn’t see the cars anymore. So Make-Out Point wasn’t really our destination. Inching to a stop, he parked us in a clearing.

  My breath caught in my throat and I swung off the bike to walk to the edge of the cliff. Lake City spread before us like a spider web made of golden lights. “I’ve never seen this view.”

  “Most people hike here during the day but it’s best viewed at night.” He hadn’t followed me. “It’s even better at Christmas when the tree is floating in the lake all lit up.”

  I held out my arms and took a deep breath. Who knew Sin had a romantic side?

  “Take off your clothes, Pia.”

  Or not. I grinned and undid my jeans. It was my day three after all, and Sin did want to b
e one of my suitors. “Are you letting me take you for a test drive?” I took off my clothes and set them on the grass before turning to face him. He hadn’t touched me since the night at the motel.

  His gaze traced the lines of my curves and he made an appreciative sound. “I’ve been with many women but there’s something irresistible about you.” He clicked his tongue against his teeth.

  “It’s called pheromones.” I slipped out of my panties and unclipped my bra, letting the moonlight bathe my skin. Strolling toward him, I did my best to ignore the sharp pine needles under my feet. My hunger for his body made it easy.

  He met me halfway and stalked around me, taking me in from every angle. “Perfect.”

  I squirmed under his intense gaze. “Have you met my sisters?”

  “Your sisters remind me of winter, where you, Pia, are like my sunshine.” He pressed against my back and ran his hands over my arms. “You’re filled with warmth and light that scald me.” With light kisses, he followed the line of my neck to my shoulder. His hands moved to cup my breasts, kneading them together until he pinched my nipples.

  I flung my head back against his shoulder with a gasp. Something about Sin was irresistible as well. Even on my non feeding days, he could lure me into bed. Would it be so bad if Sin was my suitor? So far he hadn’t let me down once. I couldn’t say that about most people in my life.

  He moved until he stood in front of me, his finger trailing to my pussy and sliding into my entrance. “Always so ready for me.” He purred and tilted my head back so he could claim my mouth.

  Hard and deep, he stole away my breath, bending me back and thrusting his fingers in time with his tongue.

  I clung to his shoulders and moaned. A shudder of pleasure ran through my body. I was so close.

  He eased me into his arms as he straightened and withdrew from our kiss.

  “What’s wrong?” I searched the dark woods around us but couldn’t see any lurkers.

  “Go sit on my bike.”

  I did as he ordered, not sure how we’d progress to feeding me from this position, but I wasn’t ready to complain. I liked the big bike between my legs. The leather seat still held heat and was soft with wear.