by Candy Crum
“I’m afraid it is,” Andrews said after a few moments.
He reached down and tore open the plastic to find a face staring back at him. Andrews jumped back so quickly that one would have thought that he’d been punched. He began hyperventilating and collapsed to the floor. I quickly ran to his side, kneeling beside him and placing a hand on his back.
“Andrews, what’s wrong?” I asked. “It’s okay. It’s okay.”
He began shaking his head as his eyes squinted closed. Tears squeezed out of the inside corners and ran down his mocha skin.
“My niece, Michelle, has been missing for about six months,” he said.
As soon as the words left his lips, my heart sank. I looked over to the hole and saw what appeared to be dark skin. The girl in the hole was black. Chills rushed through me. Andrews… Oh, my God.
“She ran away. She had all kinds of drug problems. Her dad ran off, and she went from a 3.9 GPA student to a 2.3. She quit studying, she started smoking pot, then she got into harder stuff. She wanted to be a doctor, and she was well on her way to it. Smart as hell. Her mom and me… We tried to get her better, but she fought us so hard. She was only sixteen. She lives a couple of towns over. I never in a million years would have thought to look here. Jay… They… They must be further out than we thought… Oh God…”
As soon as he stopped talking, he began hyperventilating again. The words he spoke only having served to remind him of the feelings he held for her.
“Tristan,” I said. “Make it stop.”
Tristan made his way over to the two of us kneeling in the floor.
“No!” Andrews said. He spoke between short, shallow breaths. “I… don’t… want… to… forget her.”
Tristan reached out, his hand resting on the back of Andrews’ neck. The contact immediately calmed Andrews. I could feel the small amount of power emanating from Tristan as he pushed his will onto the hysterical man.
“No,” Tristan said, his voice incredibly soft. It was soothing. It had a seductive tone to it, but given what we are, it made sense. “You shouldn’t forget her, but you need to be strong for her. Shh. Give in and let me calm you.”
Andrews stopped shaking, and his breathing began to return to normal. The tears stopped flowing. I was surprised to see that they didn’t return, even when he looked over at his niece’s body buried within the floor. I looked at her and realized that it could just as easily have been me lying there. I could have been right next to her. It was a horrible thought.
“Mia,” Andrews said. “I need you to do me a favor.”
I had a bad feeling about that favor.
“Okay. What is it?” I asked.
“I need you to come here and look at a photo for me.”
Chills ripped their way down my spine. No. Please no. I didn’t want to look. I didn’t want to look and possibly see one of the girls from Jack’s memories. One of them he killed. One of them that he tortured. I vaguely remembered a darker skinned girl. Beautiful with light eyes.
Please, no. Please, no. Pleeeease, no. Don’t be her. Don’t be her. Don’t be her.
I kept repeating those things over and over in my mind, silently praying that the girl wasn’t her. Andrews held his phone out to me, and I nearly threw up. There she was. Beautiful and full of life. I could see such excitement in the smile on her face.
Tears spilled down my cheeks.
Andrews’ brows furrowed, his lips pressing into a thin line. “How bad was it?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I had no idea what to say. I couldn’t imagine breaking his heart like that.
“Mia,” he said. “Please. Was she one that you saw?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
He sighed. I could tell that he wanted to cry, but Tristan’s compulsion held tight. “Was she beaten?”
I paused for a moment before nodding once again.
Andrews waited before asking his final question. I knew what he was going to ask, and I didn’t want to answer.
“Was she… Was she… I can’t say it.” His voice quivered as he spoke. That man was ripping my heart out. I felt terribly for him.
More tears spilled down my cheeks just before I looked down at the floor. “I’m so sorry.” It wasn’t yes or no, but it was all I could manage.
“Please tell me that he suffered,” Andrews said.
I nodded. “I felt her fear. I felt the fear of his victims as I saw the memories of him going after them. When I did, I turned every last bit of it back at him. He saw everything that he’d done to others, including your niece, aimed right at him. He was screaming until the moment he became too weak to scream any longer.”
Andrews nodded. “I suppose that I’ll take comfort in that, though my sister won’t have a clue. I can’t tell her that a succubus killed him slowly. Tortured him the way he deserved. All I can do is tell her that her only daughter was tortured and killed before being buried under a basement floor.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said. “I promise that I will find all of them. They will all pay for what they’ve done. Tell her that.”
“There are others,” Cass said. “I can smell them. She’s not the only one.”
“Go ahead and get out of here,” Andrews said. “I’m going to call this in and have them come in here with another team. This place needs to be torn apart by professionals. I want to make sure to get all the evidence that I can. Not all of Jay’s men can come back in body bags. That’s how the people on TV get caught. We have to do something the right way. Especially with my niece. Now, go. I’ll finish up here.”
We didn’t argue with him. We knew that he needed time and space. My thoughts were pounding in my head, and my heart felt like it could explode with grief for Andrews. Such a beautiful girl. Such a sweet man. All I could do was run the promises that I’d made through my head, once, twice, a thousand times. Repeat them over and over until they weren’t something that I simply had to do…
They were quickly becoming a way of life.
Chapter Six
The field trip to the prison was called off that day, for good reason. Later that day, Andrews texted me and thanked me for helping him get closure. He said that after his niece’s body was exhumed from the basement floor, he couldn’t take any more. He had to leave. They were working on pulling another girl out of the floor, and he saw Michelle, his niece, in that bag all over again, even though she’d been loaded into the back of the coroner’s van.
Three more girls were pulled from the basement and two out of the back yard. Five. Five young women ranging in ages from sixteen to twenty-five. All five had been in Andrews little file. Three of the five had flashed through my head the night I killed Jack. That meant that three of them had at least one of their killers murdered. I just needed to find the rest.
The whole thing put me in a shit-tastic mood. The absolute worst, most craptacular day I’d ever had had never even left me feeling quite so drained – and I’d had a few of them. I told Tristan and Cass that I’d had enough. After that, there was no fight left in me. There wasn’t a shred of me left that thought I was a monster. I had my humanity. I cared about humans. I wanted to be, as Tristan put it, a warrior for the humans. Why the hell should I be broody and feel bad for what I am when I plan to hurt no one, except the monsters that would do harm to the innocent?
I took twenty-four hours to calm myself before telling Cass and Tristan that I was going out. I planned to do things for myself. Tristan still forced Cass to go, to make sure I didn’t kill anyone. Awkward, but it was fine. While I was very confident in myself, I understood that Tristan wasn’t. I’d never been with a human post-transition, so I could see why he’d be worried. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to have Cass with me, though I stood by the awkward part.
My emotions were all over the place. I could barely hold a single thought as we pulled up to the strip club. The Candy Shop. How appropriate. With everything I’d learned, I knew the only thing that could clear my mind was satisfyin
g my true nature. Cass held my shaking hand as we walked inside, but was quick to part ways from me after crossing the threshold. As I stood there, scanning the floor of the bar for someone that I felt hungry for, I tried to decide what I craved.
With all that had happened, I had a lot of rage. Did I want someone that I could dominate? A woman perhaps? I didn’t really like weaker willed men… Hmm. I needed to learn control. Maybe I should learn total control. Or… did I want to be dominated? Should I learn to be submissive, even when I know I’m stronger? Did I want to relieve stress by relinquishing total control? Oh, it was so hard. There were so many wants. So many desires.
“Hi. I’m Curtis.”
I turned to see a man standing to my left. There was a smile on his lips and no hesitation in his posture. I didn’t respond as I studied him. He was tall, thick in the chest and arms. Dark hair and eyes. He was strong, both physically and in spirit. He was a sexual predator, though that term meant something totally different to me than the average human. This was something dark and delicious, but very harmless.
To a succubus, or an incubus, a human like that was rare. They were built for sex. They were hunters, themselves. He was the type of man that could go for hours, stopping only to grant mercy for his victim for the evening. I could smell the need on him. His pheromones were potent. Sweet, yet natural. He wore cologne, but I doubted that he needed it. Regardless, it was just the right amount, and I could feel my head doing exactly what he’d meant for it to... It was swimming.
“Hello, Curtis,” I said. “I’m Mia. How are you?”
He took a step forward, having judged his proximity by my openness to speak to him. Smart boy. Though, that was debatable with his choice in me. He certainly wouldn’t be disappointed. Well, provided I didn’t get too carried away. I certainly hoped not. He seemed like he might be fun to call back later.
“I’m great,” he said. “Thank you. Can I buy you a drink?”
I smiled. “I think you should buy yourself one. If you keep talking to me, you’re going to need it.”
A moderately confused expression crossed his face before his exuberant smile returned. “Is that so?”
He wasn’t quite sure how to respond.
“I’m not your average girl,” I said. “I’ll follow you to the bar. What do you drink?”
“Beer, usually.”
Hmm. I didn’t like, nor would I ever like using my abilities against someone. I didn’t want to influence him into being calm while I fed from him. Felt a little… assualty. I planned to do as I’d been taught to do. Full disclosure. Tristan never seduced his “dates” with his powers, only his charm. He always told them what he was, though he was sure to make them forget that bit later. I planned to do the same. It seemed like the right thing to do. Otherwise, how would I be any different than a frat boy drugging a girl at a party?
Poor Curtis was going to need a stronger drink.
“Go for something a little stronger. I’ll take tequila,” I said.
He smiled. “Sounds good. Walk with me?”
He took my hand and led me through the crowd. It was a larger club and was completely packed. The stage was empty, as were all of the dancing tables. Between sets, I imagined. The dancers were probably changing their outfits. It was still early enough they’d be wearing cute, sexy costumes instead of being fully nude. It reeked of booze, smoke, and the scent of arousal. One would assume that smell would entice me, but I had my standards. Some humans smelled worse than they looked. Allow that to set in. Yeah…
“You said tequila, right?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yep. That would be great.”
The bartender came by, and Curtis ordered a shot for me and a Budweiser for himself. That certainly wasn’t going to be strong enough for what was in store. He couldn’t say that I didn’t warn him.
“I’m not much of a strong drink kinda guy,” he said. “But on occasion. Besides, I doubt that I’ll need it. You seem nice enough.”
Oh, honey… My poor, poor deluded prince.
I smiled. “I suppose. So… can I be completely honest with you, Curtis?”
“Absolutely. What’s on your mind, beautiful?”
He was sweet, but I could tell that it was a means to an end. Not that he wasn’t a very nice man. I simply knew that he had plans, just as I did. Only he was being far too subtle. Sure, I liked that in a guy, if I might date him. Unfortunately, I was no longer the dating type. Damn Will, rest his troubled soul, but damn him. I still blamed him for this. Making me what I am.
I took a deep breath, looking around to judge the patrons in the immediate area. They were very drunk and preoccupied, just as I’d hoped.
“Have you ever heard of a succubus?” I asked.
I decided that honesty and forwardness was the best. I was getting better at compulsion. It wouldn’t take much to compel him never to speak of me.
“Sure. They were supposed to be sex demons, right? They fed from sex and killed their victim.”
I wasn’t sure if I’d expected him to know, but the fact that he’d heard of them made my job easier.
“Yep. Except, we aren’t demons. See, I thought that at first. Turns out we are just supernatural. We don’t actually spawn from hell or anything,” I said.
His eyes narrowed a bit as a nervous smile spread across his lips. He wasn’t afraid. Not by a long shot. He didn’t believe me, though. Not that I expected him to.
“We?” he said, forced humor in his voice.
I imagined he was reconsidering that stronger drink at that moment. I was certain I sounded insane to him.
“I decided that just because I have to hunt, doesn’t mean that I have to be sneaky about it. I think it’s kind of rapey. You know… If I were to use my power to compel you to have sex with me,” I said.
He nodded, his body rigid. He was uncomfortable. “Saying it like that, I suppose your reasoning is very sound.”
I reached out, the tips of my fingers gently bushing his hand. “Relax.”
I’d seen Tristan do it to Andrews. It was amazing what a simple touch could do. Seemed that I was a quick study. It was only one word, but his entire body followed my command. He exhaled as the rigidity in his posture faded away.
“Wow,” he said. “I don’t understand… How…” His voice trailed off, confusion evident on his face.
“I told you,” I said. “I’m a succubus. I won't force you to do anything you don’t want. If you want to have fun, we can. And no, we don’t have to kill our lover. I can feed on you without hurting you at all.”
Well… I hoped that I could. Tristan was confident that I could do it. Luckily Cass was lurking about in the shadows, ready to peel me off of my vulnerable prince if I needed him to.
“If you don’t want anything to do with me, which is totally understandable, then I’ll compel you to forget about me and I’ll go. This is your decision. I just didn’t want to waste any more time. I’m starving and you are far superior to any other human in here. I’d love to have you.”
I was a bit shocked at my forwardness, but when I went for something, I went for it. I’d decided that I wouldn’t be regretful anymore. I am what I am. Acceptance seemed to be working well for me.
He thought for a moment, his eyes wandering up and down my frame. I could smell the twitch in his pants as he thought about touching me. Tasting me. The corner of my mouth lifted in a devious smile. He was fighting with himself, and I loved it. I loved watching it.
“I’ve always imagined a succubus to be very dominant,” he said.
“Yeah. We can be.” I took my shot, chasing it with a drink from his beer. “Is that what you want?”
He stood, stepping forward and lowering his mouth to my ear.
“I don’t mind a dominant woman, as long as she knows that I’m the one in control.” His voice was deep in that moment, almost a growl as he subtly threatened me. Yum.
“Anything you wish,” I said. “I’m yours.”
He pulled back, th
e tip of his nose resting against mine. I wanted him to kiss me. I wanted to taste him. He wanted control, and I planned to give it, but I also wanted to exercise my own. I wanted to see exactly what I could will him to do.
I reached out once again. His eyes were focused on mine, limiting his field of view. My fingers brushed the hand that he had resting on the bar. A shudder rocketed through his body as my influence took hold. I bent him to my will. Twisting his mind to believe his body was my playground. I smelled the immediate increase in his arousal as it built and built, his brain overwhelmed as I willed it to believe that he was being stimulated all over. It took only seconds for a climax to seize him, nearly dropping him in the floor where he stood. It was only by sheer force of his own will that he managed to stay upright. Mmm. He was going to be so fun.
“You can think you’re in control,” I said. “As long as you remember why you’re there. For my pleasure. That one was for free. Anything else you get, you’re going to have to work for.”
He took a deep breath, regaining control as I released him from my influence. The orgasm seemed to make him ravenous. Almost dangerous in the way he looked at me. It was undeniably sexy. He shook as he stared me down.
My eyes wandered to the left, and I saw Cass standing there, his lips slightly parted. His eyes were dark as he stared directly at me. I’d seen that look on his face before. He wanted me then, too. I wondered exactly how much energy I was putting off. I turned my gaze back to my date.
Curtis smiled as he spoke, his voice dark. “That’s very cute. Let’s get out of here. Now.”
I returned his smile. I liked that he was forceful. Earlier, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to be dominant, or be dominated… It turned out that I wanted both. I wanted something I’d never had before.
Without wasting any more time, I led Curtis off to one of the rooms used for private dances. I could feel Cass’ presence and knew he was following me. I hoped he’d make sure no one barged in the door as there was nothing more than a curtain to shield us from the other patrons, though that made everything even sexier. I’d never done anything like that before.
