by Beverly Rae
“Now who’s wishing the past away?” Hilly caught a movement across the street and turned to watch a familiar homeless man sort through his worn-out duffle bag. Woolly Wilbur—a name he’d earned because of his determination to hang on to a ratty fur coat—was the town’s one and only vagrant. Not that the good folks of Cottageville hadn’t tried to help him live a normal life, but he seemed to enjoy life on the streets. And he had it better than most in his situation since the town’s merchants gave him free food, clothes and shelter whenever he’d take them.
“I understand we’re not the best people to guide her into becoming a responsible succubus, Meg. But that doesn’t mean she can’t learn to live by a few rules. Most of her kind do, you know. Or so I’ve heard.”
“Yeah and I agree. But if it comes down to either losing her or letting her do what she has to do—whoever she hurts—then guess which option I’ll choose.”
Hilly wanted to argue the point, yet she knew if push came to shove, she agreed with Meg. Allie’s survival would come first. “I have to believe that we’ll find a solution. One where no one gets hurt.”
“I hope so. But listen, Hilly, let’s sort through this tonight, okay? I need to take care of Steve.”
Hilly waved off her sister, dismissing her as her mind returned to the town’s vagrant. She studied him again and murmured, “He’s the town stray cat. I wonder if anyone would miss him.”
“What’d ya say?” Meg called out, even though she was already halfway to the restroom.
“Never mind.” Hmm. Stray cats. I bet even a little town like this probably has a lot of other stray cats. Ones we never see. Ones no one ever notices. The inkling of an idea was about to grow into a substantial thought when Meg’s shout shoved it away.
“Hilly! Get in here. Hurry!”
Hilly dropped the rag and dashed toward the men’s room. She rounded the corner, hung on to the wall and slid into the open doorway. But the restroom was empty. “Where are you?” she called.
“In the storage room. Hurry!”
Hilly took off running again. Pushing the door wide, she almost fell over her own feet in an effort to stop.
“Oh, my word.” She glanced at Meg who, fists on her hips, jerked her head toward Allie and Steve. “Oh, my word.”
Chapter Two
Allie clutched Steve, plastering his neck and the hollow of his throat with fast, furious kisses. Steve ran his hands over her body, pulling her clothing away to slip his hands underneath. Allie moaned and unbuttoned his slacks to let them fall to the floor. His boxer shorts followed, chased by her shirt. Steve groaned, then bent to take Allie’s nipple into his mouth. She laid her head back, her eyes closed, her face rapturous.
“Why the hell is he making out with Allie if he’s still under your spell?” Hilly glared at Meg, too flabbergasted to do anything to stop them.
“I guess it finally wore off.” Meg tilted her head, attempting to get a better view of the couple. “Unless she told him that I wanted him to hook up with her. I can see him believing that and doing her, er, it to please me.” She giggled. “Isn’t that wild? He’s getting busy with her, but it’s really me he’s trying to please.”
“I’m so glad you find this humorous, because I certainly don’t.”
“Oh, come on. It’s funny. And very interesting.” Meg leaned to the side and gaped. “Sheesh, who knew she was so flexible? Has she been doing yoga?”
Hilly followed Allie’s movements, noting the experienced way she held her body, the way she fondled Steve, quickly bringing him to an erection. If she hadn’t fully realized it before, she did now. Her little sister was changing into an adult succubus with very adult succubus needs and actions. “Oh, my word.”
“Will you quit saying that and make a suggestion?” Meg crossed over to the groping couple to stand beside them, close enough to touch them. No longer giggling, she fisted her hands on her hips and glowered at the two, who appeared unaware of her presence. “Allie? Allie, let go of him immediately.” She pulled on Allie’s leg that was wrapped around Steve’s waist, but neither of the lovers paid her any heed. “Hilly, help me.”
At last, Hilly found her feet. Striding forward, she positioned herself on the other side of the couple. She tugged on Allie’s arm as Meg continued to yank on her leg. Failing to remove her arm, Hilly pulled at her hair, but Allie gave no sign that she would let go. Instead, Allie turned to stare at her, her eyes glowing red, unfocused and lost to another place. Hilly saw no sign of recognition. Her sister was gone, replaced by a creature older than time. A being that not only had the desires, but the inborn knowledge of a sexual predator. Still, she couldn’t and wouldn’t give up.
“Allie, release him. As your big sister, I’m ordering you to let the man go.” Hilly held her breath, hoping that Allie would heed her demand, then sighed when she ignored her. She hadn’t expected Allie to suddenly obey, but how could she make her set him free?
Growling like an animal on the hunt, Allie grabbed Steve’s chin and pressed her mouth to his. Her cheeks sank in, signaling that Allie was sucking on his tongue, drawing every ounce of taste, every bit of saliva from him. She pushed against him, rubbing her crotch against his firm shaft, and Steve groaned with desire. She was a temptress, a marauder who knew how to use her body to arouse a man. Steve was a man caught in a sexual vise and loving every second of it. Even if it killed him.
Steve moaned and jerked, his body stiffening as though he’d been struck by lightning. Allie deepened the kiss and wrapped her arms around him like steel rods. She had a death grip on her prey and wasn’t about to let go.
“Allie, get off him!” Meg tugged on Allie’s arm, then on Steve’s, but couldn’t budge either one of them. She shook her head at Hilly and threw up her arms in defeat. “Do something.”
“Don’t you have a spell you could try?”
Meg wrung her hands together and paced in a circle. “Uh, I don’t… I mean, I’m not sure… Oh, hell, you know I’m no good under pressure.”
Unfortunately, Hilly did know. If someone was going to save Steve, it would have to be her. Time, however, was not on her side. She gasped as a smoky haze drifted from the corners of the couple’s mouths, signaling the thing she feared most. Allie was draining Steve’s life force.
“Oh, hell.” Meg’s face went white. “She’s sucking him dry.”
“I know. But at least she can’t drain him all the way until they…you know.”
Meg puffed out a breath. “I think ‘you know’ is where they’re headed unless we can break them up.”
Doing the only thing she could think of, Hilly shifted. Her body dissolved, muscles liquefying, bones disappearing and flesh melting until nothing was left except a pool of dark-colored liquid on the floor.
“Hilly, don’t you dare hide in a transformation and leave me to handle this alone.”
The pool swirled, changing form again, solidifying into a thin piece of black metal. The metal grew, pushing up between the couple, moving them gently but firmly apart until Allie had no choice but to drop her legs and allow a space between their bodies. She moaned deep in her throat and reached for him again, trying to renew her grip on his body. But she couldn’t get around the blockade Hilly had made. The wall continued to grow, forming an impenetrable obstacle. Allie cried out, making a guttural, animal-like sound, as the barricade finally separated their mouths.
Freed from her hold, Steve stumbled backward. The metal surged higher, hiding Steve from Allie’s view. Every time she tried to go around it, the wall reformed and grew wider, taller. She growled and moaned, her gleaming eyes glued on her quarry, her hair in wild disarray as though electrified from within. She screeched, reaching as far as she could for Steve. Once, then twice she ran into the wall, slamming against the impenetrable fortress with a frustrated cry.
“Allie, stop!” Meg struggled to keep Steve upright. “Hilly, make her stop before she hurts herself.”
Hilly’s wall changed, adding a protective layer of cush
ion. Allie rammed against the wall again, but this time, the blow was softened. Panting, Allie tried to climb the wall but, with each attempt, failed to reach higher than before.
“Keep it up, Hilly. I think she’s weakening.”
At last, Allie blinked several times and her eyes focused, returning to her normal sky blue. The anguish, the primal instinct in her eyes, shocked Hilly. Allie’s succubus side had taken complete control of her. If Hilly and Meg hadn’t arrived in time, Allie would’ve killed Steve.
“No, Hilly. Please don’t make me stop,” Allie whimpered. “I don’t want to. He tasted so wonderful.” She jumped from side to side, but each time the metal expanded to block her approach. “Hilly, please. You know I need him. You don’t want me to die, do you? Please, just let me have a little more. I promise I’ll stop before it’s too late.”
Meg tugged the befuddled Steve with her, then pushed him into the hallway. “Back off, sister.”
“No! Come back, Steve. Please, I need you.” Allie pounded her fists against the wall, but it didn’t matter. Meg was gone, taking the stumbling man with her.
Hilly morphed, returning to her human body within seconds. “Allie, what were you thinking?”
Allie’s skin was pink-hued, shining vibrantly with Steve’s life force. Her blue eyes blazed with power and yearning. A smoky haze, much like the one that had come from their joined mouths, bathed her body in a soft sheen.
“I wouldn’t have drained him. I swear it.” Allie’s tone was soft yet backed by steel. She clenched her hands, a new power resonating from her in shimmering waves. The life force she’d taken from Steve was flowing through her, renewing her strength.
“How can you be so sure? You don’t know how to control your feeding yet. Until then, until we can figure out how to help you, you have to leave men alone.”
“No. I won’t. I have to feed. I can’t stop. Especially not now that I know how good it feels. How succulent a man tastes.” Allie wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and narrowed her eyes, a fierce gleam firing in them. “I won’t and you can’t make me.”
Hilly stumbled back a couple of steps, stunned by Allie’s refusal. Her sister seemed larger, stronger, and, yes, even frightening. But she couldn’t let her intimidate her. Not for her own sake and especially not for Allie’s. “Allison Tristan, you will do as you’re told.”
For a moment, she wasn’t sure what her sister would do. If Allie refused her, or worse, physically fought against her, would she have enough strength to keep her in check? She’d heard a succubus was at her greatest power after feeding, and frankly, she didn’t want to find out if the rumor was true.
Then, all at once, Allie seemed to deflate, losing her fight and her belligerence.
“Oh, Hilly, I’m sorry. I only meant to take a taste. You know, just to find out what it was like. I won’t let it happen again.” Allie wiped a tear away and reached out for an embrace. “Is he all right? I didn’t mean to hurt him. I just couldn’t control myself.”
For a moment, Hilly was afraid to touch the sweet girl she’d helped raise, but she forced herself to take Allie’s hands. “I’m sure Meg will take care of him. I’m more concerned about you. Are you all right?”
Allie fell into her arms, clinging to her and weeping. Hilly patted her sister, grateful that they’d found her before the worst had happened. She held her tightly, much the same as she’d done when she was a young girl missing their parents.
“It’s okay. Steve will be okay. Everything’s back to normal now. Don’t worry,” she cooed. Cupping Allie’s chin, she forced her to lift her face and meet her gaze.
Her breath caught in her throat. Was that a grin? But it was gone in a flash before she could be certain she’d seen it. Moving her sister away, she narrowed her eyes to zone in on her sister. “Allie, are you playing me?”
Allie burst into laughter, twirling around twice before stopping to shoot her a mischievous grin. “Of course I am. And you know what? I don’t regret a single second. I’m sorry if this sounds awful, but I can’t help it. I feel amazing. Stronger than I’ve felt since the urges began. Don’t you see? I knew what I had to do and I knew how to take what I needed. And Steve’s fine, so no harm done. You know I don’t ever want to hurt anyone, don’t you? But, oh, Hilly, I want to do it again.”
“Can we get started?” Hilly motioned for Meg and Allie to sit on the sofa across from her while she took the oversized armchair their father had loved.
Allie squashed the ache thinking about her parents gave her. She’d been thirteen when they’d died, and although she’d never admit it, their faces were fading from her memory. Every night she studied the photographs of them scattered around the house to refresh the images in her head.
“Earth to Allie. Are you ready to get down to business?” Hilly cocked an eyebrow at her, demanding her attention.
Allie resisted rolling her eyes at her oldest sister. She’d learned the hard way not to do that when Hilly had morphed into an exact replica of her, following her around and mimicking her eye-rolling for an entire day. But oh, how she hated family meetings. Especially when they centered on her.
“Something has to be done about Allie.”
“Gee thanks, Hilly. So I’m the problem child? Is that how you really feel?”
At least Hilly had the decency to blush at her poor choice of words, but Allie forgave her. Her big sister often put her foot in her mouth even when she had the best of intentions. And, of course, her best intentions right now were to help Allie.
“You know what I mean. The time has come to address the fact that your body is changing. We have to sort out how we can accommodate your, um, special needs without harming others.”
“Or at least not killing them.” Meg shrugged at Hilly’s pointed look. “What? I’m just saying what you’re thinking.”
“I have to feed. It’s not like I can turn off these growing natural instincts. We may not like what’s happening to me, but we have to be realistic. I’m a succubus and I have to have a man to live.” Surely they had to face facts. After the almost disastrous—yet amazing—hook-up with Steve, they had to see that she was determined to do whatever she had to do. What was the alternative anyway? Dry up and die?
“What she needs is a teacher, but we don’t know anyone who can tell her how to be a responsible succubus.”
“Maybe I don’t need a teacher. I mean, Steve was only my first try at this draining thing. I’m sure I can be more careful next time.”
Allie almost laughed at Hilly’s and Meg’s astonished expressions.
“Are you kidding? If we hadn’t been there to stop you, Steve would be a dried-up mummy right now.” Meg slumped into the sofa.
“But can’t I at least try?” Allie bit her lip, keeping the rest of her thoughts to herself. After what happened with Steve, she wasn’t sure she really could control the urges. The burning, the whirlwind of lust rushing through her body, pushing her to take what it needed, couldn’t be denied. Still, she never wanted to hurt anyone, let alone kill them.
“Oh, sure,” scoffed Meg. “Tell you what. I’ll reverse the spell that wiped Steve’s memory and we’ll ask him if he’s willing to risk it. Trust me. If he could remember what really happened, he’d run for the hills.”
Allie dropped her gaze to her lap. “I know and I’m sorry. I feel awful about what I did to Steve.”
“You sure looked like you were feeling pretty damn good to me.”
She looked at Meg and couldn’t deny the truth. “I’m not sure I can explain this, but it’s a love-hate kind of thing. It’s like there are two sides of me, both wanting something different. One part of me, the part of me that existed before the succubus urges started, wants to be a normal girl who can have normal sex without worrying about hurting someone.” She paused, trying to find the best words to express what she was going through. “But the other side is compelled to have sex because sex is how I can get what I need: energy from a man’s life source. I have a battle goi
ng on inside me and I don’t know which side will win.”
She stopped, letting what she’d said sink in. Meg reached out, took her hand and squeezed it. “Hang in there, little sis. We’ll figure this out.”
Hilly leaned back in the chair and folded her hands in her lap. “Girls, I think I’ve come up with a solution.”
Allie scooted to the edge of her seat and bit her bottom lip. “Really? Good deal. Then let’s hear it. Come on. Don’t keep us in suspense.”
Hilly’s face lit up. “Here’s what I’m thinking. You know Woolly Wilbur, right?”
Allie glanced at Meg, who looked as clueless as she was. “You mean the homeless guy? Sure I do. Everyone knows Wilbur. But what’s he got to do with me?” She gasped, placing her palm on her chest as though to slow her racing heart. “You don’t want me to have sex with him, do you? God knows his life force is corrupted as hell. Not to mention getting past his dirty hair and that nasty coat.”
“Urgh. I think I just threw up in my mouth.” Meg swallowed and made a face. “Tell us you’re kidding.”
Hilly, however, didn’t look like she was joking. “No, not Wilbur. But he did give me an idea.”
Allie wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the rest. In fact, right then she wanted to be anywhere other than listening to Hilly’s plan. “I’m afraid to ask, but what idea could he have given you?”
“Well, we all know Wilbur doesn’t have any family, right?”
Meg and Allie nodded at the same time. “Yeah. So?”
“So why not find men like Wilbur—albeit clean and not infested with lice—who don’t have families or friends in the area, and let Allie practice drawing out some of their life force? Emphasis on the word ‘some’.”
“Gee, thanks. You’re going to let me feed on a man who’s clean and without bugs. Wow. Talk about a step up from dear old Woolly.”
“What more would you want?” Hilly leaned back in the chair. “After all, you’re not looking for romance.”
