“Maybe if you weren’t such a raging bitch all the time I would have thought of that as an option.” The words slipped past my lips before I could stop them. The stress and overload from the events leading up to now had ripped the filter between my head and mouth to shreds. “I wanted an alternative, or even to find a replacement. I know Randal well enough to know that, once he has made up his mind about something, there is no changing it. I knew I would need a viable replacement, something that he would deem to be sufficient enough for him to retract his words about sacrificing himself.” There was a glimmer of something flashing through Bianca’s eyes as I spoke, but I couldn’t name it—respect, acceptance, it was gone before I could decide which.
“You know him well, then,” Sage said. “That was my theory. It was why I did what I did, because I didn’t think you would find one in time.”
I kept waiting for her to apologize for what she had done, but those words never came. Sage wasn’t sorry. She wasn’t sorry for kidnapping Randal or making all of us worried. She wasn’t sorry for not having enough faith in me to know that I would find a solution to my own problem. And she damn sure didn’t seem sorry she had taken added precautions and had Kyra put a spell on Randal that would leave him practically unconscious for who knew how long.
“You should have mentioned what you planned to do to our brother to us before you went through with anything,” Bianca said in a firm tone. Her gaze had left me, and was now searing through Sage. “Was that not something you learned during the years you remained with us? How much family truly means to us?”
Sage took another sip from her drink. “I did. Which is why I did what I had to do. I assumed you would be thanking me.”
“Well, looks like I’m no longer needed.” Dex started for the stairs. “I’m gonna hang around outside, and wait for you ladies to get done with your bickerin’. The tension in the room is too thick for me.”
“Right behind you.” Lexy surprised me by saying. “Bianca, I followed through with my end of the deal. You had better follow through with yours. Let Luke go.”
“I’ll consider it.” Bianca said.
“You took Luke?” Sage’s gaze snapped to Bianca. Her eyes cut through her like knives.
“Where is Randal?” I interrupted Sage’s boiling tantrum. The desire to see him was pulsating through me.
“Through the door to your left,” she gritted out.
I didn’t want to hear the two of them butt heads any longer either. I needed to see that Randal was okay with my own eyes. Without hesitation, I started toward him. Once I gripped the cool metal handle, I twisted and pushed the door open. Randal’s spicy scent invaded my nose, and I felt an involuntary smile spread onto my face.
He was okay. He had been found. And Sage hadn’t been a psychotic bitch looking to murder us for tracking her down.
Things were better than they had been this morning.
I slipped into the large bed beside Randal, and curled up beside him. Closing my eyes, I breathed him in. The ache in my heart seemed to subside, and I let myself melt into him further. My day was actually ending on a good note, which was something that had become incredibly rare.
Chapter 26
Safe and sound. Both Randal and Luke were safe and sound. This knowledge comforted me. Randal only wanted to be a hero, but heroes often are the ones who end up getting hurt the worst. And as for Luke, he was an innocent in all this. A pawn used as leverage.
My conscience was clean now that the two were where they were supposed to be.
Dex had driven me home while Lexy rode with Bianca, Arabella, and a comatose Randal. She was adamant about seeing her brother released from wherever Bianca had kept him, something Arabella had known nothing about. There were many dirty looks passed between the three of them. Harsh words would eventually be exchanged, something I was glad to be absent from hearing. The night had been taxing enough without any added drama.
“You sure you’re okay to be alone?” Dex ran a hand through his thick brown hair, his eyes never wavering from mine. “I can stay the night if you need me to.”
“No, I’m fine.” I crossed my arms over my chest. The night air was chilly, either that or it was the wraith I was feeling.
“You positive?” he pressed. “I don’t mind stayin’, darlin’. Your couch is actually pretty comfortable.”
“It is. I’ve fallen asleep there many times.” I chuckled. “But, seriously, I’m fine.”
“Okay.” He crammed his hands into the pockets of his cargo shorts. “I’ll let you be, then. Call me if you need anythin’.” I watched his back as he walked away, leaving me standing at my apartment door.
While I had appreciated his offer to keep me company until Lexy came back for the night, I wasn’t sure I wanted any. Hunger was already gnawing at my insides. The taste of Trent had worn off. I needed to feed again. I blamed it on such an emotional day.
That’s right, my sweet succubus, the wraith murmured. Let’s find someone to satisfy our needs.
I pressed my palm to my temple, wishing again I could block him out like I used to. Another rumble of hunger rolled through me, and I headed to my kitchen to make a mug of Lexy’s metabolism-slowing tea. My vision darkened, the edges feathering with shadows I couldn’t blink away before I reached the cabinet for a mug. If I didn’t feed soon, I would black out again. Visions of Christopher flashed behind my eyelids, squeezing my heart in a vice-like grip. I couldn’t let the wraith have control. I refused to harm anyone else.
Time is ticking, my sweet. Make your move now or allow me to. His tone was mocking, as though he was toying with me. This had all become a game to him.
My arms cradled my stomach as another debilitating grumble of hunger rolled through me. I needed to head to Club Lure. As much as I hated to, it was the only place where I could feed from someone without questions. There was no need for sweet-talking or my strategy; everyone was willing.
Now I could see the appeal the place held for other supernaturals.
After changing my clothes and reapplying my makeup, I grabbed the keys Darius had given me and my clutch before heading out the door.
“Origin.” The moment I whispered the magic word, revealing the hidden club, relief surged through my body. Part of me had worried the place would no longer be here, now that I needed it, while another knew it would be. I could feel the club in my bones, hear it singing through my blood as I grew closer.
As I stood marveling at it from the bottom of the steps, the code word continued to run through my mind on repeat. Origin. I wondered if the word meant something specific. Was Club Lure the origin of the succubus and incubus beings? I wasn’t sure, but there seemed to be an essence surrounding the place that felt familiar. It felt like home.
Music pulsed every cell in my body to life as my eyes continued to graze over the building. Darius was in a top-story window this time. His pelvic region grinding against the glass. His eerie eyes locked with mine through the distance, and instantly, I felt warmth from the club wrap me in its arms.
If my mother claimed to own this place, why was Darius such a prominent part of it? It seemed to me that Club Lure should be owned and operated by the god of sexual desire, not some random succubus. Then again, maybe the god of sexual desire didn’t care to own anything. Maybe just being was enough for him.
A painful grumble of hunger rolled through my stomach, bringing me back to the reason I was here—the need to feed.
Squaring my shoulders, I pulled open the door and stepped inside as if I belonged.
You do belong here, sweet succubus, the wraith added. His words were not reassuring; they were excited. He wanted to be here, and he wanted me to be here. Club Lure was a buffet for him, a filling station where he could gain an unlimited amount of power.
I wouldn’t let him, though. I was in control.
But for how long, he hissed.
Fear snaked through my core. He was right. I didn’t know how long I would be able to remain in control, es
pecially not after I fed one more time.
Dots speckled my vision. I blinked as I continued moving forward. Panic twisted my insides, but I refused to give in. One more night. That was all I needed, and then I would be free of him.
Tomorrow night was the waning moon. The ritual would happen, and then I would finally be free, regardless of the outcome.
“You can’t seem to get enough of me, can you, love?” a voice called to me from behind.
“Hey, Darius.” I spun to face him. “It’s not you I came for tonight. Sorry to burst your bubble.”
His eyes skimmed over me as though he was assessing me from the inside out. “No. You didn’t. You’re starving, love.” Concern draped over every syllable of his words and puckered the area between his eyes.
“Yup. That would be why I’m here.” I smiled as I sidestepped him. “It was nice seeing you again, but if you’ll excuse me, I have a pressing issue to tend to.”
“I can satisfy you.” He caught my wrist as I walked past him. Before I knew what was happening, his lips were skimming against my cheek as he talked. “In ways you never dreamed.”
My knees grew weak at the sensation. There was something intoxicating about him. “I have no doubt.” The words tumbled from my mouth, but I refused to move a muscle. I wouldn’t let anything happen between us.
“I can see the resistance in your eyes.” He broke into a wide, charming smile. “Don’t worry, love. I merely wanted to run the idea by you.” He released my arm and disappeared into the crowd.
My entire left side felt as though it were crumbling in on itself, weakened from the loss of his closeness and touch. Swallowing hard, I continued searching for the bar I’d seen the last time I was here. A drink was exactly what I needed to really open myself up to the place and its endless possibilities.
Guilt cascaded through me the moment the bar came into view. What was I doing here? My boyfriend was still in a coma after being recovered from his kidnapper, I had a crazy ritual I would die during looming over my head, and yet here I was at a nightclub, searching for a drink and someone to make out with.
Another intense ache of hunger gripped my stomach muscles, reminding me of my true reasons.
I needed a drink to loosen myself up and calm my conscience from what I was about to do. While a Kiss of Death bomber sounded like it would hit the spot, I wasn’t sure I would be able to keep the little bit of control I had over the wraith if I drank one, so I settled for a whiskey sour instead.
The tartness burst on my tongue, relaxing me as I sipped. It had been forever since I’d sat at a bar alone, sipping on something tasty. This moment was almost normal. A werewolf couple crashed into the bar beside me, and the guy pulled at the girl’s top. I backtracked with my thoughts. Well, the general setting of me sitting at a bar was nearly normal. Focusing on my allure, I twisted the dial up a few notches and hoped a guy somewhere under the roof would notice soon. I took another sip from my drink, waiting for someone to approach me.
Dance, the wraith hissed.
I hated the fact he was telling me what to do, but I couldn’t deny that, in a place like this, sitting alone at the bar, waiting for someone to come to you wasn’t the best option when you wanted to let someone know you were there to party.
Clutching my drink in my hand, I migrated toward the dance floor. I focused on the beat to the song, letting it weave into my soul, open me up, and sooth my nerves.
Relax, that was what the wraith should have told me to do, not dance. I was so wound up I couldn’t enjoy myself. Tension had coiled my muscles into tight knots. Maybe a night to myself, without any pretenses or agenda, was exactly what I needed.
Let go, sweet succubus.
Downing the remainder of my drink, I pawned my empty cup off on a server as he walked past. He was dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a bowtie. His aura called to me, but it wasn’t what I wanted. I needed someone even more lustful than him to let me feed from them.
Moving my body to the music, I lost myself to the beat within a crowd of others. Club Lure had me in its grip, and I was done fighting its hold.
Chapter 27
The beat of the song playing pounded through me, vibrating my core and kick-starting my heart. I ran my hands through my hair and ground my hips against the guy I was dancing with. He was tall, with dark hair and brown eyes. While he was a little too far on the muscular side for me, I wasn’t about to hold it against him. The guy could dance sexier than I’d ever seen. He needed to be the main event at one of those male strip clubs for sure.
I sighed as he dug his fingers into the flesh of my hips and pressed his throbbing erection against me. Friction seemed to be his best friend. A smile tugged at my lips from his movement. I was more than a little drunk, and enjoying myself because of it. The wraith was at peace, and so was I. My body and mind had finally hit a perfect place of nirvana.
I spun to face my nameless dance partner. His brown eyes skimmed over me, taking in my skintight miniskirt and cropped-off top. My hair had become wild at some point in the night, but I didn’t care. Messy waves, painted lips, and high heels combined with my succubus allure were what kept this guy in place, the things that had lured him to me to begin with.
You are dressed to kill, my sweet, the wraith interjected. And this guy is ripe for the taking.
The urgency in the wraith’s tone had me wanting to defy him and take my sweet time. After all, I had all night—and day if I wanted. There was no place I needed to be until nightfall tomorrow.
Mr. Muscles leaned in and flicked his tongue at my earlobe, drawing it into his mouth. Shivers slipped along my spine from the sensation. We’d been dancing against each other for the better part of an hour. He was primed and ready, something I had been since finishing my third whisky sour.
I gripped his hand and started toward a back corner where I had seen a set of stairs. While I wasn’t sure where I was going, I noticed multiple couples ascend the stairs only to come back down hours later with the most satisfied looks etched onto their faces. I wanted that. I wanted to feel satisfied.
Yes, you do…and so do I.
I ignored the wraith and continued in my pursuit of a room. The desire to have a little slice of privacy with him fueled me. As we moved through the thick crowd, I assumed people would know what I was about to do and have an accusatory look pass across their face, but they didn’t. Their stares were devoid of any judgment.
What I did didn’t matter. We were all here for the same thing. I was slowly realizing that was the beauty of Club Lure.
As soon as we reached the top of the stairs, I paused, unsure where to go. The crowd wasn’t as thick up here, but people still lingered, congesting the area. I took in the long hallway. Doors lined either side. I started toward an open one, but found out quickly that just because it was open did not mean it wasn’t occupied. Skin was all I’d seen. Lots of skin from many people, and loads of movement. There was some sort of supernatural orgy happening inside.
“Come this way.” Mr. Muscle’s lips brushed against the outer edge of my ear as he spoke. He gripped my hand tighter and took the lead. “This room back here is rarely ever used.”
A closed door at the end of the hall seemed to be where he was taking me. When he twisted the knob and pushed the door open, I could see why the room was hardly ever used.
It was a closet.
Due to the shelves lining the walls, stacked with random cleaning supplies, there was barely enough room for the two of us to stand chest to chest once the door closed.
“It’s not as spacious as the other rooms, but I don’t think you need much space for what you’re about to do to me, do you?” he asked without the tiniest amount of fear reflected in his voice. It was refreshing to have someone know I wasn’t normal, that I held the power to kill him with a single kiss, and still want me.
It was then I understood the lure, the whole reason Club Lure was created—to give supernaturals a place where there was no fear of what we were or what we
could do, a place where we could just be.
That was why my mother had created it. That was why Darius frequented it. That was why I had come back, even though I wasn’t sure I should. There was a sense of freedom within these walls. It was why the place was hidden, because not everyone would understand. Not everyone would see the beauty held within the danger of it.
Club Lure wasn’t for everyone, but I understood now that it was for me.
“No, I don’t.” I smiled at him.
He leaned forward, a cocky grin twisting his mouth, and brushed his lips against mine. The first taste of his sweet aura sent trembles of pleasure rippling through me. I was starved. My chest seemed to balloon with the frigid touch of the wraith. I could feel him spreading throughout my extremities, enjoying the energy coursing from Mr. Muscles into me as much as I was. While I hated I was feeding him again, making him stronger, it was a necessary evil. It was imperative that I held on to any shred of control I had for as long as I could, and feeding seemed to be the only way. This entire wraith crap was one solid catch twenty-two.
My lips brushed against Mr. Muscles, greedily devouring his spicy aura. The taste of lust had always reminded me of the fireball candy—sweet and spicy. Sex in your mouth. The amount I was getting from him wasn’t enough though. I wanted more. I wanted his energy to pour into me like a fast-flowing river.
The words that would give my exactly what I wanted danced on the tip of my tongue. I didn’t hesitate in asking the question like I sometimes did, afraid the guy would think it was an odd question to ask. Instead, I pulled back far enough to whisper the words across his parted lips.
“Can I kiss you again?” My words floated around us, wrapping us in a cocoon of seduction tighter.
“Absolutely.” His hand found its way to my thigh, and then slipped beneath my skirt. I felt his fingers brush against my crotch in a slow, torturous movement. “Do your worst.”
Succubus Kiss The Complete Series Page 63
