A little piece of me died. She didn’t know any more than anyone else. The fear that this wraith might possibly be the end of me chewed at my vocal cords, making it impossible for me to thank her for her information, what little she could give.
“It’s not much, but it’s all I can do for you, sweet girl.” A tear trickled from her eye. The sight of it spurred ones of my own. Before I knew it was coming, my mother had me wrapped in her arms, my head cradled against her shoulder. I couldn’t remember the last time she’d held me like this. “I should have warned you about wraiths when I told you about auras. Silver is the one to stay away from undoubtedly.”
“From what I’ve heard they aren’t common, so it wasn’t your fault to not have thought to.” She’d apologized, and I’d given her an excuse. This never happened.
“I should go.” She sniffled and released her hold on me.
“Stay, please.” The words slipped from me sounding more like the words of a frightened child than an adult. “Even if it’s just for a little while.”
Her mouth opened and then closed, as if she’d been about to say something but then thought better of it at the last second. I watched as she shook her head, giving me an answer without uttering a sound. “I can’t.”
“Why not?” I hated the words as soon as they left my mouth. I should have said nothing. I should have let her do what she did best, leave.
“Because then we would talk. You would ask questions about me, about the past, about why I’ve made the decisions involving you and your father I have, and I don’t think I could handle that.” Her words were raw and honest. They made me feel sorry for her.
“I don’t see how that could be such a bad thing. It’s called bonding.”
“You don’t want to bond with me, Kenna.” Her lips twisted into the saddest smile I’d ever seen. “Because soon you’d realize how different I am from you, and then you’d hate me for all the right reasons. I prefer things to stay how they are.”
“And what if I told you I already hated you?” It was the wrong thing to say, but I did anyway. I was angry.
Her lips curved into a smile. “I would say that’s okay because it would be for reasons you’ve invented on your own, not the truth-based ones that would turn it into true loathing.” She kissed my forehead. “Stay pure, sweet girl. There aren’t enough pure-hearted succubi in the world anymore.”
Then she was gone. She disappeared down the hallway and out the door before I could think of something to say that would stop her. I wrapped my arms around my middle and stood there, staring after her. The sounds of Dex snoring from the couch echoed through my ears as warm tears slipped along my cheeks.
The letter! I started back to my room, ready to read what she’d left. The black envelope was lying on the floor, looking abandoned and forgotten, the same way I felt. I bent at the knee to pick it up and stared at the thick letters my name was written in. Running my thumbnail along the top, I opened it. Inside was a thick, cream-colored paper that drew up memories from New Orleans again. Turning it toward the sunlight filtering through my blinds, I read the message my mother had left for me.
Love Potion #9
Luke Bloom
I tapped the card against the palm of my hand, wondering who Luke Bloom was and how he could help me. Reaching for my cell off my nightstand, I wondered if Love Potion #9 had a website like everything else in today’s world did. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t grasp why. I sat on my bed, cradling my phone in my hands. My thumbs flew across the keyboard as I typed in the name. Images of a nightclub came up, and I knew right away what Love Potion #9 was.
It was the only witch nightclub in the city.
My eyes skimmed the images until I found one of a young guy with blond, spiky hair and a sexier-than-sin smile. Beneath the picture were the words: Luke Bloom, owner of Love Potion #9.
I stared at him, taking in his panty-dropping smile and wickedly blue eyes, wondering how in the hell this arrogant-looking guy was supposed to be my savior.
Come tonight, I guess I would find out.
SAVOR
A Succubus Kiss Novel - Book 2
Chapter 1
A red light throbbed in sync with my erratic heartbeat as coldness crept along my skin, chilling me to the bone. My hands instinctively wrapped around myself for warmth. It was then I realized I wasn’t wearing any clothes.
Not only was I naked, but I was standing in an empty room with black painted walls. The only light was that of the pulsating deep red one, which lit the room every few seconds.
Fog rolled around me, stemming from everywhere all at once. A sharp hiss of air left my lungs the moment its iciness touched my exposed skin. On impulse I took a step back, hoping to put distance between the sudden wisps of cold and myself. The movement was foolish though, because the fog was everywhere now. It pressed against me from all sides, causing my teeth to chatter as I searched the room for a way out. There were no windows. No doors. Nothing.
I was trapped.
I extended my arm until my fingertips brushed the wall closest to me. It seemed to be made of concrete, cold and solid. The fog skimmed along the tops of my feet, its coldness sinking straight to my bones. Goose bumps prickled across my skin as movement on my left caught my attention. There was someone cast entirely in shadows leaning against the far wall. I fixated on it, watching as he began to move toward me, slowly at first and then with faster footfalls and more purpose. Either my vision had become distorted, or else the red light still pulsating in sync with my heartbeat had skewed what I was seeing completely. What was in front of me couldn’t be real.
As the dark shadow person moved closer, I noticed the flickering red light didn’t illuminate it the way it should. My muscles tensed.
“Hello?” I called out, my voice shaky and hoarse.
The fog that seemed to float through the air around me—grazing my shoulder and legs as though it were caressing me with its cold touch—stilled as the shadow approached. Fear constricted my chest. There was absolutely no place for me to go as it continued forward. The moment the phantom figure passed through the fog, the wisps seemed to cling to its legs, wrapping around them as though it couldn’t get close enough. I watched, mystified and trembling with fear. Without warning, the shadow paused a few feet from me. I looked on, transfixed, as it lifted an arm to point at me.
I pressed my body against the wall behind me. The pulsating red lights picked up pace, making the room feel as though it were a gruesome addition to a Halloween-themed amusement park.
The shadow propelled forward once more. This time its movements appeared slow and fluid, as though it enjoyed toying with me. My eyes darted around, searching for any place to hide. There was nothing. I inched my way to the right out of pure instinct.
My eyes stayed focused on the figure as it continued its torturously slow pursuit of me. As my gaze shifted over it, I attempted to distinguish whether it was a man or woman without having much luck.
Inches.
That was all that remained between the figure and me now. My small movements along the walls were getting me nowhere. I froze, accepting the truth of my thought.
“What do you want?”My words, barely above a whisper, swirled through the air on wisps of my cold breath.
The phantom shadow’s hand reached out and grazed my cheek. My eyes closed instinctively as my head turned to the side. Its touch was like ice. As it stroked my face in a somewhat loving manner, a whimper escaped me. Abruptly, the figure pulled away. I opened my eyes to see why and realized it was staring at me as though the sound had startled it. While I couldn’t make out any eyes, or even eye sockets, I knew that was what it was doing, because I could feel its intense gaze on me.
Without warning, the shadow reached out and skimmed its fingertips over my collarbone before dipping down to the smooth skin between my breasts, pausing in the center. Its frozen touch seeped through me, heading straight for my heart. A pang of panic pierced my mind. Was it trying to freeze my heart? I flinch
ed from the coldness as it pressed its entire palm flat against my chest. My back arched against the wall as a crippling pain built where my heart thundered and then radiated outward.
After a few seconds, a mouth formed on the face of the shadow. It opened and closed, as though my pain, my fear, was giving it the strength it needed to speak. When its other hand lifted to clasp my bare hip, I unwillingly gave it what it wanted as another whimper fell from my mouth from the icy sting of its touch.
“Make no mistake, sweet succubus.” The voice vibrated through me, strong and rough, instantly letting me know it was a man. “You are mine now.”
I woke with a start, bolting upright in bed and gasping for air. My heart palpitated in my throat as I blinked away the lingering stabs of panic. Coldness had snaked its way around my heart, causing my alarm to intensify.
“It was just a dream.” I pulled my legs to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. “It was just a dream,” I repeated, wishing the entire thing hadn’t felt so damn real.
The frigidness of the wraith I had been infected with squeezed my heart and stroked against my insides. I closed my eyes, knowing exactly what it was doing. It was sending me a message, letting me know that my nightmare was more real than I probably cared to admit.
Squeezing my knees to my chest tighter, I rocked back and forth. Was this what it would be like each time I fell asleep? While I slept, was I somehow linked to the thing? Was it possible that he was slowly killing me in my dreams? Was that how this all worked?
Tears trickled down my cheeks as more questions and not enough answers crippled my mind. The sound of my heartbeat thrashed in my ears. My vision faded in and out, until a piece of cream-colored paper at the foot of my bed caught my attention. I scrambled for it, thankful this part of last night hadn’t been a dream. My mother had been here. She had given me an answer, or at the very least, a possible way to get help.
I plucked the card up and glared at it, wishing there was more written on it. My mother had always been famous for her cryptic letters.
Love Potion #9
Luke Bloom
I ran my thumb over the curly letters written in her handwriting and signature red ink. The image of the blond guy with piercing blue eyes and a panty-dropping smile moved front and center in my mind. I thought of all I had learned last night about Luke and Love Potion #9. Even though I couldn’t see his aura color in the images I had viewed of him online, that didn’t stop me from coming to the conclusion he was a witch as quickly as if I had. Love Potion #9 was the only witch nightclub within the city; it was common supernatural knowledge.
Leaning toward my nightstand, I reached for my cell. The desire to learn as much as I could about Luke and Love Potion #9 rippled through me, becoming all I could think about. When I typed his name into my search engine again, the same picture of him I had seen before popped up. I stared at it, taking in every detail about him and committing it to memory. As I scrolled through a few more images of him and his club, I realized that he was a heartbreaker and that his club was a little erotic.
Call me prudish, but I wasn’t sure how I felt about either.
Chapter 2
It was still daylight when I finally decided I couldn’t lie in bed any longer. My mind was in overdrive, and I needed to focus on something productive in order to still it. As I slipped out of bed, I made sure to grab the bra I had tossed on the floor last night. Even though I couldn’t hear movement in the living room, that didn’t mean Dex wasn’t awake. He had taken the couch last night and given Sage the bed in my spare room. It wasn’t a gentleman move, but one of necessity since Sage was a vampire with an affliction to daylight.
After securing my bra, I pulled my T-shirt back on and tiptoed down the hallway toward the living room. I only wanted my laptop—there were a few covers I needed to tweak before I sent mock-ups out—then I would seal myself in my room until the others woke.
The three of us had stayed up late last night having drinks and discussing in depth the ordeal that had taken place at Mystic. While Sage had been distraught as well as incredibly informative about the whys of Randal’s actions, Dex had been comforting and sweet, which was something Randal should have been. My palm went to the center of my chest as I thought about the wraith lingering inside me. A queasy sensation spread through my stomach at the reminder of how Randal had bolted.
Who did that? I understood what Sage had said about his little sister, but that didn’t mean I felt it justified his actions. Randal had dropped me like a hot potato the second we got back to my place. Maybe it was wrong of me to expect more from him, considering how new our relationship was, but I couldn’t help feeling he should have at least comforted me in some way. It had been a long time since I’d been part of a duo, but I was sure that was how things were supposed to work.
Icy fingers stroked along the base of my neck from the inside, causing my frustrating thoughts involving Randal to leave me and undiluted fear to replace them. I wrapped my arms around myself to fight off the sudden chill and focused my mind on obtaining my laptop as quietly as possible.
When I rounded the corner into the living room, Dex came into view. He was spread out on my couch with his arm blocking the sun from his eyes. I paused, wondering if he was still asleep. Once I picked up the sound of his soft, rhythmic breathing, I scanned the room for my laptop. It was on the end table at the other side of the couch. When I crossed the room, Dex stirred and I froze.
“I’ve been awake for a while.You don’t have to tiptoe, darlin’,” he grumbled in a low, sleep-ridden tone. “I heard you havin’ a nightmare earlier.” The corner of his lips twisted upward into a smile, and he dropped his arm from his eyes.
“Sorry about that.” My cheeks heated with embarrassment at the thought of him hearing me.
“I was goin’ to come in and see if you were all right.” He shifted to sit up on his elbows and yawned, covering his mouth with one of his hands.“But I wasn’t sure if it would be okay, so I stayed out here instead.”
Warmth pooled in my stomach. He was such a good friend. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” He scratched his head. “What was the nightmare about?”
“The wraith.” My words were stuck somewhere between a whisper and a plea.
Dex shifted until he was sitting upright with his elbows resting against his knees. I could feel his warm gaze as it slipped over my face, taking in my obvious panic. I hated having someone see me this way, feeling hopeless and like a scared child.
I moved to the recliner and tucked my feet beneath me.
“What happened?” His question was one I expected, but that didn’t mean I was ready to answer it.
Clips of the pulsing red light and dark room filled my mind, followed by a flash of the shadow man reaching out for me. Chill bumps erupted across my skin as I remembered the feel of his icy touch caressing me. My hands shook, and I tucked them beneath my thighs to hide the trembling from Dex.
“I was in a dark room, and there was this throbbing red light that seemed to blink in sync with my heart.” I continued to tell him the details of the nightmare, while struggling to hide the intense emotions it stirred within me.
“You are mine.” Its words echoed through me, causing my heart to pump harder the moment I finished speaking.
“Like I said before, I don’t know much about wraiths, but I’m sure you’re givin’ it more power with your thoughts,” Dex exclaimed. “I bet it knows it’s gettin’ to you. Don’t let it.”
A chuckle erupted from my lips, sounding equal parts hysterical and crazed. “How can I hide what I’m feeling from it? It’s in me, Dex.”
“As corny as it might sound, you have to be strong. Build up some walls to block it out.” Dex reached out and squeezed my knee. “We’ll figure this out. I promise, darlin’.”
I nodded but didn’t speak. His words offered me no comfort. I hated when a person made a promise they weren’t one hundred percent sure they could keep.
“Has Randal
texted you or anythin’ yet?”
“No.”
Dex released his grip on my knee and sighed. “I know this situation hit home with him, but he’s dealt with a wraith before. If he knows anythin’, he should be dishin’ the information out. Now’s not the time to sulk.”
He was right. No one should be sulking, least of all me. It didn’t help the situation.
“Any ideas on where to start findin’ information?” He ran his fingers through his hair.
Love Potion #9 popped into my head. “Did you hear my mom come by last night?”
He arched a single brow. “Your mom?”
“Yeah. She dropped off a note for me.” The hint of a smile stretched across my face.“You didn’t hear her with your super wolf hearing?” I asked, hoping to lighten the mood a little, if not for him, then at least for me.
“The liquor had a hold on me, I guess.” He chuckled and shook his head. “What was the visit about?”
I thought back to everything we had said, all the emotions that had passed between us. Exhaling, I gave him the gist of her visit. “She mentioned a club called Love Potion #9 and said to meet the owner, Luke Bloom. She thinks he might be able to help me somehow.”
Dex leaned back against the couch and propped his feet on my coffee table. “Are you kiddin’ me?” He scoffed, folding his arms over his chest. “How would he be able to help you?”
Excitement that Dex knew of Luke bubbled through my mind, but it was quickly dispelled since he seemed so humored by the thought of Luke being able to help. “I’m not sure. I don’t even know who he is. What do you know about him?”
“That he’s an ass.” A lopsided grin hung on Dex’s face.
Obviously, I had nailed my assumption of Luke based off the pictures I found of him online. I wasn’t so sure this was a good thing. “Anything else? I mean, he is a witch, right? Is he a powerful one or something?”
Succubus Kiss The Complete Series Page 17
