Alphas for the Holidays

by Mandy M. Roth

  We did a quick check of the empty rooms, and just as we entered the right wing, I caught a glimpse of the red silk dress I’d loaned Janie disappearing around a corner.

  “Come on,” I said to Vaughn.

  We ran, and as soon as we turned the corner, I stopped abruptly. Right there in front of us was Janie pressed against the wall, her legs wrapped around Chase, the other incubus demon hunter.

  “Janie?” I said tentatively.

  Chase had one hand up her skirt and the other one braced against the wall. Wave after wave of their sexual energy slammed into me, making me fidget with unease.

  “Janie!” I called again, insistent this time.

  She didn’t acknowledge me at all.

  “Should we go?” Vaughn asked quietly.

  “No. This is all wrong. She has a thing for Chad. Not this… incubus.”

  Vaughn’s eyebrow rose in curiosity. Then he scowled. “Shit. She’s under his spell.”

  “Chase?” I asked.

  When he didn’t respond, Vaughn let out a heavy sigh and grabbed Chase by the bicep, prying him off Janie. “Dude. That’s enough.”

  Chase let go of Janie unceremoniously, and without warning, he spun and sucker punched Vaughn in the gut.

  “Oomph,” Vaughn huffed out as he doubled over.

  Chase stood over him, waiting for him to recover, ready for the ensuing fight.

  I let out a loud gasp and clasped my hand over my mouth, horrified by what I saw.

  Chase, the demon hunter, stood before me, his eyes glowing red… a sure sign he was possessed by a demon.

  Chapter 4

  “Janie! Move,” I cried as I held both hands out in front of me, magic crackling from my fingertips. It was uncontrolled, raw power. It would likely only stun Chase and the demon, but if I hit Janie, she’d be toast.

  “What are you doing here?” Janie stood up straight, her head held high. “You’re intruding, Mati. Go. Now.” Her tone was confident and commanding, not at all like the girl I’d helped get ready for the party.

  Vaughn righted himself just in time for Chase to clock him with an uppercut. I watched in horror as his head snapped back and crashed into the plaster wall.

  “Vaughn!” I cried as I launched myself at Chase, taking us both down. I landed on top of him, one hand grabbing his ear while the other had hold of one of his arms. My electric magic sparked and shot straight into him. Only instead of howling in pain as I anticipated, he let out a low groan and arched into my touch, reveling in my magic.

  “Hmm,” he said, wrapping his arms around me and rolling until I was pinned underneath him. “You’re not the innocent I was hoping for, but damned if you aren’t delicious. A sex witch strumming with need. I could—”

  Whack. The hilt of Vaughn’s dagger bounced off Chase’s head, knocking him sideways, but he didn’t let go of me.

  His eyes went wide with shock and then rage. Holding my arm with one hand, he leaped to his feet and swung me in front of him, using me as a shield. “You’re going to pay for that, Paxton,” he said to Vaughn.

  “Let go of her, Chase, and we’ll settle this once and for all.”

  I’d used all my magic trying to zap Chase unconscious, and now my legs were wobbly, barely holding me up. I needed to do something, anything, to fight back. Pure hatred and frustration bubbled up from deep in my gut. I wasn’t a weak witch. Not when it came to magic or self-defense. This demon could go straight back to Hell before I let him get the better of me.

  The demon laughed at Vaughn’s words. “She’s coming with me. So is the angel. The pair of them together.” He hummed as if one of us was pleasuring him right there. “Naughty and nice for Christmas morning.”

  Oh, fuck that. My power might have been MIA, but my fist wasn’t. No one got to talk about me that way. While the demon was gyrating against me, simulating his fantasy, I threw my head back, heard the satisfying crunch of his nose, and reached for his crotch, catching his balls in my hand and squeezing with everything I had.

  Janie screamed and tackled me, while Chase howled obscenities and fell to his knees.

  “Janie!” I grabbed her wrists, trying to keep her from clawing my face. “You’ve been spelled. Chase is possessed by a demon.”

  Her wild eyes narrowed as she studied me. For a moment, I thought I’d gotten to her.

  But then Chase said, “Janie, don’t believe anything they say. You’re mine and I’m yours.”

  His incubus magic filtered over us, making my skin crawl with a slimy demon taint.

  Janie’s gaze locked on his, and then she kneed me in the gut before scrambling to get out of my grasp. I stumbled after her while Vaughn yanked Chase up by the collar, and the pair went into full-on battle mode.

  Janie stopped a few feet from them, clearly unsure of what to do next.

  Vaughn and Chase were matching each other blow for blow, though I had a feeling Vaughn was holding back just a bit, knowing Chase was possessed and not an actual demon. But I also knew he’d do what he had to in order to take the demon down.

  “Janie?” I tried again, holding my hand out to her. “Don’t let the magic confuse you.”

  She glanced at me, her brows drawn together. She shook her head and appeared to study Vaughn and Chase, her eyes clouding with questions.

  “Look inside yourself for your own strength. Trust your instincts. Would you really be up here with Chase when Chad is waiting for you downstairs?”

  She glanced between me and the demon hunters battling a few feet away. Then, as if a veil lifted, her expression morphed to one of pure shock and horror. One hand came up and covered her open mouth as she shook her head in disbelief.

  “It’s okay. You were spelled.” I took a step closer to her, knowing if Chase pushed out any more incubus magic, she’d be right back where she was before, under his demon spell. “Take my hand. It’s all right. I promise.”

  She was too new to the world of incubi and demons, and as a trainee she wouldn’t yet know how to deflect such powerful magic, but if we were connected, I could keep her grounded. Our fingers touched and her spine straightened as she stood tall and glared at Chase.

  “You animal.” Her voice was low and controlled. “How dare you manhandle me that way?” She tugged at the red dress, trying to pull the hem down to cover more of herself.

  Chase paused for just a second, shooting her with a look of pure lust, obviously completely taken with her virginal persona.

  Vaughn used the opportunity to kick him in the chest, sending him reeling back about ten feet.

  I wrapped an arm around Janie and steered her toward the door. “I’m getting her out of here,” I told Vaughn. “I’ll be right back.”

  He was already hovering over Chase, zip ties in hand, ready to restrain the demon. The restraints were magical, so Chase would have to share his body with the demon for a little while longer until the Brotherhood—the demon hunters—could expel the demon and send him back into Hell.

  Janie let out a little gasp, clutched her hand to her chest, and said, “No, not again.”

  And then her body faded and disappeared into thin air. “No! Janie!” Dammit. I’d forgotten all about the charms and the mixer spell.

  I spun, finding Vaughn hovering over Chase. The other incubus was passed out, his dark complexion pasty. “What happened?” I asked Vaughn.

  “The demon fled at the same time Janie disappeared.” He crouched next to Chase and glanced up at me with a worried expression. “Go after her. I have to get him back to the Brotherhood ASAP or he might not wake up.”

  The contents in my stomach churned with anxiousness. “Not wake up?”

  “It’s the effects of the possession. He needs the collective to regain his strength. There’s no time to wait for them to assemble here.” Vaughn grabbed Chase’s upper body and hauled him over his shoulder. “I’ll take him through the shadows and be right back. You need to hurry and find Janie. The demon isn’t going to give up that easily.”

  I
didn’t even wait to see Vaughn slip into the shadow world—the world between ours and Hell, a place that made it possible to leave one point and reappear in another. He’d be back at the Brotherhood’s mansion in seconds. And hopefully back to me soon after. But I had no time to wait for him.

  Janie was vulnerable.

  Chapter 5

  I flew out of the room and down the hall toward the magical Christmas tree. The ornaments were animated again, and the desire to stop and admire the giant Douglas fir was almost overwhelming.

  The only saving grace was the panic swirling in my chest for Janie. She didn’t have the skills yet to ward off a demon, and the thought of her soul being in danger made me physically ill. I had to get to her.

  Once I was on my way down the stairs, the sexual energy in the massive room mixed with a small spark of my magic, fortifying my strength enough to keep me going.

  When this was over, Vaughn and I were going to have one hell of a night in the bedroom.

  At the bottom of the stairs I paused for just a moment, scanning the crowd for my red dress.

  There she was. With Chad by the refreshments. I let out a small sigh of relief and took a step in her direction.

  “Excuse me, young lady,” a woman wearing a green velvet dress, white gloves, and a snowflake diamond choker said. “Where’s your snowflake charm?”

  The impressive amount of magic radiating from the older woman nearly knocked me on my ass. There was no doubt she was the witch behind all the magic gracing the house.

  “I didn’t receive one.” No need to tell her I broke it and left it in the middle of the dance floor.

  She narrowed her eyes and grabbed my wrist. Tsking, she shook her head. “Don’t try to play me, Ms. Ballintine.” She snapped her fingers and the bracelet appeared in her hand. “Put it back on.”

  I shook my head. “I’m here on official angel council business, not to engage in your social club.”

  “I know why you’re here.” She waved a hand over the bracelet. The diamonds sparkled, then the silver piece of jewelry flew from her hand and wrapped around my wrist, magically putting itself back together. “It’s imperative you appear to be following our guidelines for the safety of everyone. I can’t have you looking conspicuous among my girls.”

  “But—”

  She held up a hand. “I’ve neutralized the bracelet. Your sister and I met today, and we’ve come to an understanding about your future here at this university. See me after the party so we can discuss the details.”

  She strode off without waiting for my reply.

  “Great,” I muttered and took off toward Janie and Chad. Now what had Chessa signed me up for? Working for my angel-council-leader sister was turning into a grade-A pain in the ass.

  “Janie?” I said, standing behind her.

  “She’s fine,” Chad said, not looking at me. His voice was lower, scratchy as if he was coming down with a cold.

  I frowned. “Chad?”

  He glanced up, his eyes dark and irritated. “Janie’s had a rough night. I’m taking her home.”

  What should’ve been protective came off as aggressive and overbearing. My alarm bells went off. Instead of challenging him right there in the middle of the party, I decided to go for a more subtle approach. “That’s sweet of you. But she’s staying at my place, so don’t worry. She’ll be fine.” I placed a hand on her shoulder. “Janie, ready to go?”

  She glanced over her shoulder at me, her eyes wide with fear. “Yes.” The word was barely audible and with her rigid posture, I knew there was more to her reaction than what had happened upstairs.

  “I said I’ll take you,” Chad said, his tone commanding as he grabbed her arm and yanked her toward the door. She stumbled and nearly fell on her face, but he kept her upright, practically dragging her toward the door.

  “Whoa!” I called, running after them.

  Chad nodded to the student manning the door as they disappeared outside.

  A giggling freshman and her date stumbled into my path.

  “Shit!” I veered but still managed to knock into the girl’s arm, spilling the contents of her red Solo cup all over my silver dress. The strong stench of rum permeated my senses.

  “Hey!” The girl spun, scowling with disgust. “Watch it.”

  I glared at her but kept moving. I didn’t know what was going on with Chad, but there was no way I was letting Janie get into his car.

  I burst through the front door and instantly shivered in the cold air. “Janie!” I called, ignoring the wind chilling me to the bone.

  “Mati!” I heard her call from the shadows of the large oak off to the right. “Over here.”

  I took off at a dead run. Within ten feet I spotted them.

  And terror took over. A sliver of pale orange light shone from a partially opened portal right next to the tree. Chad was focused on the opening, chanting a spell I didn’t recognize, while he kept an iron grip on Janie’s wrist. She struggled, pulling and kicking, fruitlessly trying to escape his hold, but he was too strong.

  Demon strong.

  Dammit! The demon hadn’t left. He was just jumping into anyone Janie was talking to in order to get to her. The only way to get rid of him was to take him into the shadow world and force him back into Hell myself.

  I wasn’t strong enough. I knew that. I hadn’t recharged in weeks. But if I didn’t try, Janie would be taken into Hell where she would be trapped, and as an angel she would fall, turn demon herself, and never even start living the life she was destined for. I couldn’t let that happen.

  “Chad!” I yelled as I threw myself between them, using my body weight to break their connection.

  Janie collapsed on the lush lawn but immediately started scrambling backward.

  Chad somehow managed to stay on his feet, but he loomed over me, his face contorted in rage. “You irritating bitch. If you weren’t tainted, I’d take you instead.”

  Tainted? What the hell did that mean? “Looks like it’s my lucky day then. Too bad I can’t say the same for you.”

  He let out a sinister laugh and shot his hand out, grasping me by the throat.

  Janie let out a cry of alarm behind me.

  Magic curled and sparked in my palms, but as I clasped my hands around his arm, ready to unleash my worst, the magic fizzled out and left me empty.

  Chad cocked his head to the side and then laughed. “This is who they sent to take me down? Pathetic.”

  Now that pissed me off. My magic was there. I could feel it stirring inside me, but for some reason it wouldn’t surface. Were we in a dead zone? One cast by the witch council to keep witches in line? It was possible. We were on university property.

  “Fuck off.” I forced the words out despite his hand trying to crush my throat and then kicked with everything I had. My foot landed in the middle of his chest, knocking him backward and straight toward the open portal.

  And taking me with him.

  Chapter 6

  The searing heat radiating from the portal told me we were headed straight to Hell. Panic seized my brain, and for a moment I did nothing. Just held on as we fell in what seemed like slow motion through the opening.

  Then my fight reflex kicked in and I focused. In my mind, I pictured the demon hunters’ large antebellum headquarters. The one place the demon would never choose to go. But as long as he was hanging on to me, I was in control of his destination. My magic might not be one hundred percent, but there was nothing wrong with my shadow-walking abilities.

  As soon as we hit the portal, the heat vanished, replaced by a cool mist. The pair of us crashed into the shadows in a barren spot with no distinguishing surroundings. Just a grayness of nothing. I had no idea where we were.

  My heart started hammering in my chest. I’d once before ended up in a desolate place where I’d been trapped, waiting for someone, anyone, to rescue me because my magic had failed me.

  “Where the fuck are we?” Chad growled and jumped to his feet, already reaching for m
e.

  But I was too quick. I darted to the left and circled around him. “Not in Hell.”

  He spun, his fists clenched in obvious frustration. Good. As long as he was focused on me, he wouldn’t go back to find Janie. My magic started to bubble inside me the way it usually did when I’m shadow walking, and I almost grinned in relief. This was nothing like when I’d previously been in the void world. I was just in a deserted part of the shadows.

  I could try to walk myself right back to the university, but if the demon had any skills at all, he’d just follow me. No. I really couldn’t leave until I managed to expel the demon from Chad’s body, send the demon back to where he belonged, and then I’d have to manage to get Chad back to our world.

  But how could I separate the demon from the man? Magic? Not without hurting Chad. But that was better than letting the demon keep his body. Curling my hands into fists, I searched deep within myself for the magic spark, then I thought of Vaughn. I imagined the last time we’d been together. Let myself experience the memory of his touch, the tingles of magic that always formed once we connected. And then the way I felt when he loved me.

  Magic strummed hot and bright from the depths of my inner being and strained to be released. “Hey, demon,” I called.

  His eyes glowed red with hatred. “Dirty witch.”

  “I might be dirty, but at least I’m not a stinking, soulless asshole who has to steal angels to get a date.”

  He snorted as if my insult was lame.

  Maybe it was, but it amused me and that’s all that mattered. “Get the eff out of Chad’s body. Now.”

  “Or what?” He raised an eyebrow nonchalantly.

  “Or this.” I stretched out my hands and let a torrent of magic fly. Upon contact, Chad’s body convulsed in place, unable to move or even fall to the ground. He was being kept upright by the electrical current of my magic.