The Howl (By Kiss and Claw Book 1)

by Melissa Haag

  I frowned and looked down at myself. I was normal. Looking up at the mirror again, I saw the same thing that I felt and shook my head at what I’d thought I’d seen. I was just tired and stressed. My mind was playing tricks on me.

  As soon as the water warmed, I stepped into the wet room and stood under the rainfall spray. Soaping my face twice only made me feel marginally better. Breathing in the scent of my floral shampoo, I lathered my hair and tried to find my happy place for the day.

  With the brownie and goblin in Uttira, Megan wouldn't be gone for much longer. That happy thought deflated when I realized that Megan had her mark now and would likely leave again for some other case just as soon as she returned. The Council wouldn't want a full-fledged fury in town for long.

  Buried under the weight of my depressing thoughts, I didn't immediately notice the splash of water against my legs. However, I definitely felt the splash against my inner thigh since it was accompanied by the brush of tiny fingers.

  I squealed and scrambled back a step, looking down to see Piepen, the naked little horndog, bathing in my pubic hair runoff.

  His wet, upturned face was filled with joy as he “washed” himself with a vigor that threatened to detach his prized possession.

  Without thinking, I lifted my leg to kick him. I wasn’t thinking of how it might hurt him or how I was exposing myself. I just wanted him out. However, the moment his eyes widened and his gaze locked on my privates, I knew my mistake. Instead of flying away in terror, he dipped lower. I missed and almost fell.

  “The glory of a real woman!” he said in his high-pitched voice.

  He twitched and groaned, and his familiar skunk smell clogged the air.

  “Oh, what a gift! Thank you for showing me your flower and glistening petals. You've made a man out of me,” he said on a sigh and continued to stare. “Your breasts are magnificent, too. Would you like me to wash them for you?”

  I sputtered for a moment before my brain formed a coherent thought.

  “Get out of this bathroom before I rip your wings off myself.”

  All trace of color vanished from his exposed flesh, and he zipped from the bathroom.

  Shaking and disgusted—mostly at myself for threatening him in such a horrible way—I stood in the water for another minute before rinsing and drying off.

  Wrapped in a towel, I peeked into my room and noticed a shaking lump under my blankets.

  I opened my mouth to apologize then stopped. If he was afraid of me, maybe he'd keep his distance. And distance would keep him safer.

  Leaving him be, I went to my closest and found yet another revealing top waiting for me. I seethed for a moment before ripping it off the hanger and dressing. Piepen remained quietly hidden when I reemerged, but the trembling ball had flattened out.

  “We need better rules,” I said. “You're not allowed on, in, or near my bed at any time, day or night.”

  His rhythmic humping of my sheets immediately stopped.

  “When I'm in the bathroom, you're not allowed to enter under any circumstances. If you break any of those rules, you'll need to leave. Do you understand?”

  He crawled out from under my sheets, his tear-streaked face peering at me before he nodded and fled to his drawer.

  “I'll see you after school.”

  I left my room and went straight for my chocolate stash, tucking two bars into my purse before heading downstairs.

  I briefly considered taking a bite of one just to rid my mouth of the lingering taste of brownie lust then decided against it. The last thing I needed was Mrs. Quill telling Adira that I was eating chocolate for breakfast. I didn't want to lose my stash. My steps slowed right outside the dining room as I realized just how important the chocolate would be to me now.

  With Piepen’s arrival, I’d momentarily forgotten what had happened last night. Mrs. Quill’s abandonment stung all over again. I thought of our morning routine of her fixing me human food I didn’t really need. Why keep the pretense?

  “Don’t hover in the hallway, Eliana. Get in here and give your mom a hug.”

  The sound of my mom’s voice propelled me forward. She sat at the table with Mrs. Quill. Both had cups before them.

  Mom smiled at me, her blonde hair perfectly lying over one shoulder.

  “Baby, you have no idea how good it is to see you. Come sit by me. Tell me about school. Friends. Your life. Anything.”

  “What are you doing here?” I asked instead.

  She waved her hand negligently.

  “Just a Council misunderstanding that I’m sure they'll clear up in a few days. Though, I wouldn’t mind if it took longer. Just look at you. You’re getting so big. Not much in the way of curves, but if that’s working for you, embrace it.”

  She patted the chair beside her.

  “Sit. I made you a fun breakfast that I think you’ll enjoy.”

  “Council misunderstanding?” I looked at Mrs. Quill. She knew why my mom couldn’t be here. What could the Council possibly—

  “They think I’ve been killing trolls,” Mom said with a laugh. “Can you imagine?”

  “No. I can’t imagine how the Council would possibly jump to that conclusion.” I continued to stare at Mrs. Quill. “What game is Adira playing now?”

  My mom’s gaze shifted between Mrs. Quill and me.

  “What games has Adira been playing?” Mom asked, her tone turning dangerously serious.

  I looked at my mom, torn. If I admitted everything, she would never trust me in the Quills’ and Adira’s care again. Yet, if I said nothing, I would continue to suffer Adira’s manipulations, which after last night, were getting worse.

  “Eliana?” Mom prompted.

  “When you brought me here, I was naive to so many aspects of our world.”

  “Which is why it was time to bring you here.”

  I nodded.

  “And you allowed me to stay so I could learn at my own pace.”

  “Because you asked.”

  I could see her growing curiosity as to where this conversation was leading.

  “Why does this preluding explanation feel like you’re trying to protect Adira?” she asked, a hint of humor returning to her tone.

  I couldn’t help but smile a little. Though we’d only spent a small amount of time in each other’s company since she’d left me here, we’d talked often. Because of that, she knew me well.

  “I am. Until recently, I’ve been allowed to set the pace.”

  Mom’s eyes darkened.

  “Until recently? What happened?”

  “Adira’s forcing me to wear what she thinks is appropriate for a succubus my age. She has also attempted to select who I should feed on and has tried to coerce my compliance.”

  “I see. And did she give you a reason why?”

  “We’re worried Eliana is starving herself because she hasn’t fully embraced who she is. Until yesterday, she’s solely been feeding on me.”

  My mother stared at Mrs. Quill for a long moment.

  “I would like to speak with my daughter alone, please.”

  Mrs. Quill promptly vanished, and Mom looked at me again, patting the chair.

  I took the seat and saw she’d made me chocolate chip pancakes smothered in chocolate syrup and topped with a death-by-chocolate ball of ice cream that was slowly melting. Her understanding of me almost brought me to tears.

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  She smiled and watched me take my first bite. It was disgustingly good.

  “You know that doesn’t nourish you, right?” she asked.

  “I know. It’s a good thing, too, or I’d be fat. How can something that doesn’t provide any significant nourishment taste so good?”

  “You told me you were feeding, baby.”

  “I was. Mrs. Quill was perfectly acceptable and willing.”

  She watched me eat for a moment.

  “Are they right? Do you have an eating disorder?”

  I stopped with my fork partially to my mouth. The
absurdity of her question startled a laugh from me.

  “It’s not funny, Eliana. I know you’ve been through a lot and just want to make sure—”

  “I’m fine, Mom. I fed off a nasty pedophile this summer. I’m not starving, I’m selective.”

  She frowned.

  “You like pedophiles? I suppose that explains your trim figure.”

  “Ew, Mom, no! What I like is choosing my own meals. You don’t let anyone tell you who to eat or what to wear or when to kiss. Why should I?”

  I couldn’t believe that just came out of my mouth.

  “Oh, baby, I’m so glad I’m here, no matter what the reason. I wish you wouldn’t have kept all this from me. Why did you?”

  Her gaze turned sad as I tried to come up with a truthful reason that wouldn’t hurt her feelings.

  “You thought I would try to force you, too, didn’t you?”

  I nodded, hating the disappointment in her expression.

  “Never, baby. All I’m going to do...all I ever want to do...is to encourage you to become the best version of you, whatever that version may be. While I think Adira was trying to do that in her own backward way, you don’t have to worry about her anymore. I’m here, and I’m not leaving you again until everyone sees you like I see you.

  “Now, tell me all about school, your friends, or anything you want. I’m ready for all the juicy Uttira gossip.”

  The weight of her motherly affection stifled me.

  “Well, I’m not any further in my self-paced studies. Mostly because I’m having a hard time focusing on them with Megan gone. I’m worried about her.”

  Mom reached out and smoothed a hand over my hair.

  “There’s nothing to worry about. Megan looked fine. So did Oanen, by the way. I don’t know how you lived with that temptation under the same roof. That boy is just delicious.”

  “Mom, Oanen is off-limits. His dad, too. You know that, right? They’re my family.”

  “Of course I know that. It doesn’t mean I can’t look and drool a little.”

  It was in her nature—every succubus’s nature, really—to look and drool a lot. And to tempt and lure. As much as I missed my mom and loved her, the Council needed to get their information straight and send Mom home before something bad happened.

  “I better get to school. I don’t want to be late, looking like this.”

  Mom’s gaze flicked to my clothes as I stood.

  “It’s definitely not your usual school-girl style.”

  “No, it’s not. I miss my dresses.”

  “So don’t go to school. Stay home with me.” Her gaze lit. “I might not be able to take you shopping, but we could go out for a bite to eat.”

  She didn’t mean one of Uttira’s restaurants. She meant hunting. And that was the last thing I wanted to do with her. Ever.

  “I can’t. I missed some stuff yesterday that I need to catch up on.”

  “I don’t know why you bother with the Academy. You could easily test out of the human education classes, and Adira obviously has no clue about guiding a powerful succubus such as yourself.”

  “Mom, I’m not powerful.”

  “Nonsense. That misguided thinking only proves my point. The Academy isn’t helping you. I should homeschool you.”

  My heartbeat stuttered for a panicked moment.

  “I like school, Mom. I like seeing my friends, and I like being around all the people. Please don’t take that from me.”

  Love and worry glinted in her eyes.

  “Never. If you want to keep going, then, of course you’ll go. I just wanted you to know that I’m here for you, however you need me.”

  I smiled, gave her a quick hug, then fled. My mind raced as I drove to school. How could the Council make such a dumb mistake? It was fairly common knowledge that my kind preferred to feed off of humans with the exception of a few other creatures. Definitely not trolls. Or brownies. A full-body shiver wracked through me at the thought of the latter.

  And Mr. Quill had said that the killings seemed ritualistic, which meant magic. Succubi didn’t have magic. Nothing was adding up.

  When I pulled through the gates just behind another car, I knew I was much later than usual. There were far too many vehicles in the parking lot. Heads turned as I got out of the car and hurried toward the building. There was no jacket to hide me this time.

  Yanet saw me in the hall, and a wistfulness crossed her expression. Like yesterday’s top, today’s exposed a good portion of my sternum and cleavage. However, it also dipped far too low on my back. The lack of material combined with the missing undergarment meant that I was a little cold, and everyone could tell.

  Crossing my arms, I hurried to the first session’s room and slid into my seat. Belemina turned in her chair to give me a knowing look before Lucas’s lecture started. The scent of lust slowly built as the minutes ticked by. I felt twitchy with hunger even though the combined lust smelled like cake rolled in chocolate then dropped in a sludge-filled pond.

  As soon as the bell rang, I was out of my seat.

  “Can I carry your books for you?” the boy next to me asked.

  “I don’t have any books.”

  He laughed.

  “I said boobs.”

  With my face heating to molten-core level, I rushed from the room. Mom’s words came back to me. Why was I even here? I couldn’t remember any of the lecture I’d just sat through. And even if I could remember, was it anything I didn’t already know? Yet, going home and agreeing to homeschool would mean that Mom would never leave. Or, at least, not until I was the best version of myself she thought I should be.

  My self-paced study with Ashlyn wasn’t much better than the day before, thanks to Yanet’s very focused attention.

  “I can’t believe I didn’t notice how pretty you were before now.”

  Her eyes were on my chest, again, not my face.

  “Please, Yanet, I really need to finish my work today,” I said for the third time.

  “Yanet, if you’re not here to study, you need to leave,” Ashlyn said.

  Yanet heaved a sigh.

  “I better leave. There’ll be no studying with that much treasure begging to be unearthed.”

  She leaned forward.

  “If you ever need my help with that, let me know.” She winked an earthy brown eye at me and sashayed out of the room. She didn’t smell bad. In fact, I itched to follow her and discover exactly what—

  I blinked, my vision flickering between hyper-focused and normal.

  Someone sat in the chair beside me, and I made an impatient sound.

  “Everything okay?” Ashlyn asked.

  “Sorry, I thought it was another…” I glanced around the room and caught the kid with the great smile watching me. He winked and blew me a kiss.

  “Never mind,” I mumbled to Ashlyn as I focused on my tablet.

  “You know, you do look really pretty.”

  The way she said it gave me an immediate uh-oh feeling. The sweet scent of her budding lust drove my hunger through the roof.

  “You know better, Ashlyn,” I said without looking up. “What you’re feeling is an illusion brought on by my pheromones and body language that I’m trying really, really hard to control right now. But I need your help. Go back to your seat and think about everything your family has suffered because of creatures like me. Don’t become the next victim.”

  There was a moment of silence, then the chair scraped against the floor. I exhaled slowly as she returned to her place in the front corner of the room. While her scent gradually returned to normal, I imagined what it would taste like if I’d helped it bloom. The itch to look at her clawed at me as the remaining time ticked away. I all but ran from the room when the bell rang.

  I made it to the bathroom before the halls got too crowded and splashed some cold water on my face. Staring at my reflection, I watched my eyes flicker between brown and black and wondered what would happen next. Without Mrs. Quill, I’d need to feed or die. An
d as much as I told myself I’d rather die than feed on a human, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stop myself. No matter what Adira and Mrs. Quill thought, I wasn’t starving yet. But I would be soon, and let the gods help whomever my hunger chose as my victim because I wouldn’t be able to.

  “Hey, sucu-babe,” Belemina said, walking into the bathroom. “Wanna make out?”

  “Now isn’t a good time,” I said, gripping the sink.

  “I’m serious. It might take the edge off.”

  I lifted my gaze to hers, knowing I’d gone full black.

  “The edge and everything else you have. Are you willing to give it?”

  She lifted her hands and backed up a step.

  “Just trying to be a friend and help out.”

  “I don’t need help.”

  “Sure. Whatever you say.”

  She didn’t move as I left the bathroom. Students in the hall whispered and laughed as I hurried past them. I didn’t care. I just needed to reach the next session room. Then I’d be fine.

  However, when I walked into Self-Discovery, I was anything but fine. All the desks were full except one.

  Fenris flashed his easy grin at me and patted the empty seat beside him.

  “My schedule was changed,” he said. “Apparently, we’re both late bloomers and need to work that out. Wanna be my study buddy?”

  Standing in the doorway, I seethed, knowing exactly what was happening.

  The Academy was Adira’s very own science experiment, and I was currently a test subject.

  Chapter Eight

  “Come in and sit down, Eliana,” LuAnn said. “We have a lot of work to do today.”

  Woodenly, I walked to the empty seat beside Fenris. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. Some were curious—those immune to my special brand of messed up. Some were jealous—mostly Fenris’s girls. And the rest were interested. Very interested.

  Breathing through my mouth, I tried to listen to what LuAnn was saying. But, it was hard. The iron hold I usually had on my hunger was failing me. As much as I wanted to blame it on what I was wearing, I knew it was more than that. I was lonely without Megan around and on edge because I knew my mom was waiting for me at home. And if that wasn’t bad enough, I still had a horny brownie to deal with.