by Melissa Haag
The Roost’s neon sign on the roof lit the sidewalk in a wash of color. As soon as I shimmied from my car, the heavy beat of music reached my ears. I secretly loved the Roost, the only gathering spot for Uttira teens. I loved the music. The atmosphere. Watching all the people. If it weren’t for what I was, I would have been there all the time to dance the night away. However, as a succubus, there were too many elements at the Roost to stir my hunger.
Pushing open the red double doors, I took in the large crowd. The cold, winter air from outside drew the notice of more than a few of the outlying dancers. I tried not to pay attention to their stares or tug at the hemline of my mini sheath with a scooped neckline.
As usual, the humans were gathered at a back table. Thankfully, Eugene wasn’t amongst them. Skirting the crowd, I started for Ashlyn, Zoey, and Kelsey.
“Hey, girls,” I said, sliding onto the bench seat next to Kelsey.
Ashlyn looked up from her book to smile at me, but the other two remained focused on their pages.
“How’s it going?” I asked.
“Good. Eras came over and tried to influence Zoey again, but it didn’t work. They’re almost ready to do this solo.”
“The Council isn’t still making you work shifts here, are they? This is just supposed to be for learning. Megan—”
Ashlyn’s hand covered mine. A jolt ran through me, and I quickly withdrew my hand.
“Sorry,” she said.
“It’s okay.”
“The Council isn’t forcing shifts. Coming here and going to the Academy isn’t just something for us to do. It’s a way for us to integrate. To change mindsets. Hiding in our houses won’t do that.”
She had a point.
“Is it dangerous to touch you?” Zoey asked.
“Zoey!” Kelsey said, scolding her sister.
“What? I didn’t look up or make eye contact, and we’ve talked to her before.”
“To be safe, you should always consider it dangerous to touch anyone who’s not human,” Ashlyn said with an apologetic smile to me.
“Ashlyn’s right. While I wouldn’t want to hurt you, if I’m hungry enough I might not be able to stop myself,” I admitted.
“And touching would trigger your hunger?” Zoey asked.
“No,” I said. “Touching is a way for me to get to you. Like eye contact.”
“Oh.”
Poor Zoey had learned the hard way that she could fall under an incubus’s influence because of eye contact. The unwanted make out session that had ensued had left her feeling shaken and violated. It didn’t matter that it hadn’t progressed further than public kissing, something my kind wouldn’t even bat an eye at. Except, it was for me, which was why it was one of the many items on Adira’s checklist for me that I’d yet to accomplish.
“Any word from Megan?” Ashlyn asked, changing the subject.
“Nothing significant. Just that she and Oanen are still in New York and on the case. I’m worried about them.”
Ashlyn nodded.
“My uncle told me he’d once witnessed a troll smile. He told me to run if I ever saw the same because whatever made a troll happy wouldn’t make me happy.”
She looked down at her book again. This time, I was the one to reach out. I could feel the dark energy of her pain. She still grieved for her uncle and the loss of the only family she’d known. Hating to see her suffer, I parted my lips slightly and pulled the darkness into me. Non-sexual energy wouldn’t nourish me, but removing it would help her.
She sighed and squeezed my hand.
“Thank you for being a friend,” she said. “You don’t know how much that means to me.”
I thought of Megan and what she meant to me and returned Ashlyn’s squeeze.
“I think I might. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to dance for two seconds so I can go home.”
“Two seconds?” Eugene said from beside me. “We can do better than that.”
I gave Ashlyn a pointed look.
“It was the pool,” I said.
“I’ve got him. You go.” She looked at Eugene as I fled my seat. “Sit down, lover boy. We need to talk.”
I hoped she’d be able to get through to him.
Hurrying away, I joined the fringe of the dancers in the center space, making sure to stay out of Eugene’s direct line of sight and let myself sway to the music. Megan had once teased me that I had killer moves. She couldn’t have been more right. My grace was part of who I was, a lure to pull in prey, which is why I didn’t let the music consume me. But I wished I could. As strong as the way I moved called to others, the music called to me. It wasn’t because of the Siren’s hypnotic song. It was the joy I felt when dancing.
I lifted my arms and turned slowly, swaying as I moved.
A hand closed over mine. Another touched my side.
The scent of lust hit me hard, and I knew my eyes had gone black the moment I opened them.
“Hey, beautiful, I’ve been dreaming of doing this all day.”
The mutt dipped me low, his body arching over mine so close I could feel his breath on my neck.
I trembled in Fenris’s arms, torn between the need to slap the smile from his face and the need to devour him whole.
Chapter Six
“Play along,” Fenris said, close to my ear. “Eugene is watching.”
I wrinkled my nose but kept focused on Fenris as he straightened us then pressed close to me.
“While I appreciate what you’re trying to do,” I said softly, knowing Fenris would hear me over the music, “I don’t think this will help. It will only show him I’m open to having a partner.”
Fenris spun me around while his hand molded to the small of my back.
“Not if I get you out the door first.”
His hips brushed against mine. I trembled harder, feeling like I was dying. The hunger demanded to be fed. It demanded Fenris. A taste. A touch. Him over me, panting in—
“Fenris, let me go,” I begged, panicking.
Suddenly, I was outside and alone. I looked at the door as it closed and almost cried.
Fenris had actually listened.
I kicked off my shoes and slogged through the sidewalk slush to my car. My toes stung with the cold by the time I got in. It was a good distraction, but it didn’t subdue my burning need to turn around and feed from every single person in the Roost.
I drove around for an hour before I stopped shaking. It was another hour before my eyes began to flicker back to brown.
Pulling over to the shoulder, I rested my head against my steering wheel in defeat. I’d thought I’d fed from Mrs. Quill enough to take the edge off my hunger. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. I needed more. Yet, if I went to her so soon after the last feeding, she’d tell Adira I wasn’t consuming enough.
I slapped my hand against the steering wheel in frustrated anger then started home.
Trying to ignore the hunger was out of the question. I would need to find Mrs. Quill as soon as I got home, hopefully without attracting any attention. Using the intercom wasn’t an option, just in case Adira was still in the house. I hadn’t yet decided how to approach Mrs. Quill when I walked through the kitchen door.
Hesitating near the kitchen island provided my answer when Mrs. Quill entered the kitchen moments after me. She took one look at my face and rushed to hug me. The contact only made my hunger stronger.
“What happened?” she asked, smoothing a hand over my hair.
“I danced at the Roost. I didn’t know I’d get so hungry so fast.”
She pulled back and looked into my eyes, which I knew were still flickering.
“Was your partner unwilling?”
I knew she didn’t mean an unwilling dance partner. She was asking if my partner hadn’t wanted to feed me.
“I didn’t ask.”
She smiled slightly.
“I think your mother would be pleased to hear you didn’t ask for permission.”
I nodded, glad she wasn’t go
ing to ask the big question. If my partner hadn’t been openly unwilling, why hadn’t I fed?
“Take what you need, Eliana,” Mrs. Quill said without releasing me.
I opened my mouth and fed four times. It was more than I’d ever needed so closely together. Yet, the hunger still wormed impatiently in my belly.
“Better?” she asked when I stopped.
I couldn’t answer because what she wanted was a lie. Instead, I hugged her tightly.
“Thank you for allowing me to stay here and for taking care of me.”
“Always,” she whispered.
For the first time in a long time, I didn’t want to go to school. I dreaded running into Eugene after Fenris’s “help” almost as much as I dreaded seeing Fenris himself. On top of that, I knew I’d need to face an Adira lecture, or worse, for not feeding well enough the day before yesterday. And, as if I wasn’t anxious enough, my hunger was still twisting restlessly inside of me. No doubt it had something to do with the single outfit I’d found in my closet when I was getting ready for school.
The Academy gates swung open for my car, and I slowly eased down the drive, trying not to think about what I wore. My outfit was the reason I knew I’d crossed a line in Adira’s goal to see me feed on someone other than Mrs. Quill. It didn’t matter that I’d already technically done just that at the harvest feast. I shuddered at the memory of that man’s taste.
Adira wanted me feeding regularly from my peers, and that wasn’t going to happen.
Pulling into my usual spot, I turned off the car and zipped up my jacket. I’d sweat like crazy wearing it all day, but there was no way I’d take it off. It was the only safety I had and the only reason I’d even left the house.
However, the moment I opened my car door, Eugene emerged from the building and held up a note.
“It’s not a love letter,” he said hastily, “unless you have a thing for Adira.”
I made a face, and he chuckled.
“I’m sorry about the last few days,” he said, handing me the note. “Ashlyn helped me out last night, and I think I’m good now. You’re nice, but I’m not feeling any urge to find a way to get you to like me. Even as a friend.”
I exhaled in relief.
“How’d she help you?”
Eugene flushed and sheepishly ducked his head. The hint of lust that drifted from him was answer enough.
“Never mind, I really don’t want to know,” I said even as my mind started conjuring images of tangled sheets and sweaty bodies.
“It was just a kiss,” Eugene said, holding up his hands and taking a healthy step back from me.
I closed my eyes quickly.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
He chuckled again.
“You didn’t. I just didn’t want to be an accidental target you’d need to avoid again for days.” When I didn’t open my eyes, he added, “Seriously, Eliana, your eyes are pretty when they go black. With everything I’ve seen and learned since coming here, your eyes are at the bottom of the scary-Uttira-sights-to-see list.”
I peeked at him and saw him standing several feet away, hands in his pockets. He nodded at the letter.
“Adira told me to stick around until you read it. I’m guessing it won’t be good news for either of us, but I want you to know I’m not too worried. If it’s a note saying you need to feed on me, you can tell her I refused. I have Megan on speed dial.”
I smiled at him in relief and unfolded the letter.
Give your jacket to Eugene. No shortcuts.
There wasn’t anything else to the note. Just that. It was enough. No threat was necessary to know I’d pushed her too far.
“I’m supposed to give you my jacket,” I said. “But I need you to close your eyes and hold out your hand. Don’t open them after I hand it over. Just stand here for a few minutes, okay?”
“You got it.”
He closed his eyes and held out his hand. Just to make sure, I walked around him before removing the jacket and handing it over.
“Thanks, Eugene.”
I fled inside before anyone else saw me even though I knew I couldn’t hide forever. The first person I saw, a troll boy just barely old enough to attend the Academy, stopped in his tracks at the sight of my shirt.
“My brother is nuts. This school is great.”
I hurried past him, hoping I wouldn’t accidentally taste his brief infatuation.
The next person, a siren, wolf-whistled at me as her eyes devoured the view.
“Eliana, you need to wear that top every day. The boys are going to be tripping over themselves. Girls, too. And I don’t mind succubus leftovers. No, not at all. Knock ‘em dead, girl.”
I hurried to the first session room and quickly slid into my seat. Belemina was the next person to arrive. She took one look at my misery and took the seat next to mine.
“Did a tampon come with that resting bitch face expression, or is there another occasion you’re celebrating with your braless bad self?”
Not only was I braless, but I was also missing the central part of my shirt. In place of solid material, I had three one-inch bands holding the sides of my silk shirt together. I sunk lower in my chair but refused to cross my arms over my chest.
“Go away, Mina.”
“Not a chance. In fact, I think I have every class with you today.”
I sighed. Thankfully, Belemina’s fascination was only for the spectacle I’d likely make and not because she wanted to worship me. I mentally cringed at the thought and at how many more would be like her.
Adira’s edict was going to mess with a lot of schedules today.
My prediction proved very true when three of my Human Studies classmates followed me to my self-paced studies. Thankfully, Ashlyn turned them away at the door.
“Because of my fragile humanity, only students enrolled in this class are allowed to enter. If you don’t like the rule, take it up with Adira. If you don’t follow the rule and leave, I’ll take it up with Adira and Megan.”
Megan was like Uttira’s very own boogie man with the way her name cleared the room.
Being rid of my excess baggage from the first session didn’t mean I was free from consequence, however. One of the dwarves sat next to me and wouldn’t stop staring at the meager valley between my breasts.
“Yanet, that’s not the first pair of boobs you’ve seen. You have your own,” Ashlyn said.
“Mine aren’t nearly as pretty or soft looking. By Zeus, I want to touch you, Eliana.”
I leaned away from the dwarf teen.
“It would help if you stop staring at them,” I said.
“And, if you wipe the drool from your chin,” Ashlyn added.
Yanet absently wiped at her chin but didn’t look away.
“Sorry, Eliana,” Ashlyn said. “I’m not kissing this one.”
I was more than a little relieved when the bell rang and I could escape to self-discovery. That relief vanished the moment I walked into the crowded hallway. People were waiting for me. Some heckled. Some stared. Some cheered. I didn’t care how they reacted, only that they’d been out there to wait for me.
The succubus side of me preened at the attention of my classmates, and my hunger slithered in my belly. Pushing my way through their number, I made my way to my third-hour session only to stop cold just outside the room as a familiar lustful scent hit me between the eyes.
I looked around for Fenris, trying to decide which way to run, but I didn’t see him. With the crowd growing, I bolted into the room and hoped the majority of students wouldn’t follow me. A few tried, but there was only one open seat in the room. Right next to Fenris.
I momentarily debated running.
“This is an interesting switch up, isn’t it, Eliana?” LuAnn said. “Adira will be so pleased with these results.”
Of course, the teachers knew.
I looked at the empty chair and Fenris’s group of followers, who sat around him in a cluster. Their lust combined
with his made my head swim, but it explained why his was so much more potent.
With little choice, I took the only open seat available to me.
Fenris leaned toward me right away. My mouth watered.
“I came as soon as I heard.”
Why did my mind go to dirty things when he said that?
“I thought people you knew would be better than people you didn’t. You okay?”
His simple concern helped me keep a tight hold on my control.
“Not really. I know I’m not supposed to hate anyone, but she’s really making it hard not to.”
He chuckled, not even asking who I meant. There was only one adult who liked making every Uttirian teen miserable. Adira.
“Don’t let her see she’s made you sweat. You’ve got this, Eliana.”
Did his voice just go husky at the end, there? My stomach pitched with delight, and I found myself leaning in. His gaze dipped to my shirt.
“I see why so many people are talking. It’s quite a sight. Do you like the shirt?”
“I like it if you like it.”
I flinched. Why had I said that?
His grin widened.
“Don’t worry, Eliana. I know the real you. You can’t offend me or shock me.”
I snorted.
“How can you know the real me when I don’t even know the real me?” I waved a hand to indicate the room. “If I did, I wouldn’t be here.”
“An astute observation,” LuAnn said. “Perhaps Fenris could use a bit of self-discovery, too. I hear you’re a little late coming into your mate run.”
Fenris flushed, an unusual sight.
I didn’t see what the big deal was about his mate run. Who wanted to be saddled with a wife as a teen? Sure, he’d just turned eighteen, but that was still pretty young in the lifespan of a wolf.
In that moment, I realized both our species were pushed at an early age to be more than we were ready to be.
“Do you want to be my study partner?” I asked him.
One of the girls around us made a whining noise.
“As a friend,” I added quickly.
He looked at each of his girls. One by one, they reluctantly nodded.
