“That’s part of what intrigued me as well,” I admitted. “I haven’t met any of my kind in this realm.”
She put down her glass and her eyes widened. “Intriguing. Yet, you both ended up in the same town.”
“Yes.” Coincidence or something else? I nodded to myself. Coincidence, that’s all it had to be.
“What happened next?”
“I’ll admit I was fascinated by him. Things quickly grew hot. And you know.” I motioned with my hands in a circular motion to indicate we’d got it on.
“Meaning you had sex?”
Banged like bionic bunnies was more like it. “Yes.” I clucked my tongue. “But, after that, we both started feeling strange. Actually, whatever it was started before we even had sex. There was so much magic in the room.”
“What kind of magic?”
“I don’t know how to describe it. It was powerful and peculiar. I thought it might be sex demon pheromones since we’d tried to see if our magic would work on each other earlier, but both gave up when we discovered it wouldn’t.”
“Hmm.”
I watched her, waiting for her to elaborate, but that was all she said. So, I babbled, “As we hooked up, I felt this connection. The next day it grew stronger and more difficult to ignore. Worse, I couldn’t feed on anyone else because I longed for him.”
“Did you listen to it?”
“Yes. It’s almost impossible to resist going back to him. When I do, like I have these past few days, it’s unbearable.” When I heard myself utter that word, a flash returned of when Daron and I had repeated it to each other before falling back into each other’s arms—a memory that wouldn’t help me stay away. Forcing it back into some dark cave of my mind, I added, “I don’t know what’s caused this. I thought he’d done something. He thought I’d cast some kind of spell. Neither of us think we’ve done this.”
“And, you’ve both mutually come back together? More than once?” Eloise opened her hand and gestured in our direction.
“Yes, but—” Why was she making it sound so simple? It was far more complicated than that.
“But what?” Her brows furrowed.
“I don’t want to be connected to him.”
A dragonfly flew past and landed on a tall yellow flower, and then flittered off to a pink one.
Eloise made some sort of humming noise and glanced off to the woods behind me. “It sounds like you’re attracted to him.”
So what? Attraction came and went like a dragonfly in flight, hopping from one flower to the next. “This situation is intolerable for a succubus.”
Eloise narrowed her gaze. “You’ve come to me because you want to break this bond?”
“Yes.” Jeez, of course. I didn’t want her to sentimentalize it in some scrapbook. Cut, separate, finish, kaput.
“How does he feel about it?” Eloise tilted her head and appraised me with a steady gaze.
An involuntary shudder caused me to bristle. “He wants it gone as well, since he’s an incubus.” I rubbed the fabric of my navy-blue sailor dress, picking at some tiny piece of lint. “He doesn’t want to have sex with the same woman every night when there are countless others to help sate his lusty appetite.” The image of him feeding on another woman made me shudder. I tried to cover it up like I was wiping a bug off my arm.
Eloise tapped her fingers on the wrought-iron table. “I have to think about this. So do you. This isn’t a decision to be taken lightly.”
“Right, but we’ve already had plenty of time to agree we don’t want this.” I leaned forward to make myself clear. “We don’t want to be bonded.”
She rose from her chair and paced through the garden. I watched, wondering, waiting.
When she finally turned back to me a century later, she said, “It’s rare for mates to want to sever their connection.”
My stomach sank. “You can’t help me?”
“I didn’t say that.” Eloise brought her hands together and tapped her index fingers. “I want to hear from him. Can you both come back here tomorrow?”
Oh, fuck-a-doodle-doo. I gritted my teeth, swallowing my impatience. She was the only person who hadn’t sent me on my way so far, so I forced a tight smile. “Of course.”
She noted the cost, which I thought was high, but worth my freedom.
I finished my drink and stood. “Thanks for meeting with me and for the lemonade.” As I walked away, I groaned. This meant I’d have to return to Daron. After fighting the pull to him for days, I dreaded discovering how seeing him would affect me.
No matter how I felt, no matter how good he looked, or how delicious he smelled, I would not jump his beautiful, bodacious bones.
Chapter Twelve
Daron
A knock at my door woke me from my stupor. How long had I been out?
I glanced around, wondering where the hell I was. The bland curtains and neutral walls, the television next to a black desk. Ah, still in the hotel. I’d been trying to drown my desires in alcohol to distract myself from Selena. It might not have been the best way to cope, but while I was unconscious, I wouldn’t do anything stupid like run to her. She’d made it clear the last time she was in my bed that she wouldn’t return.
Another knock, more urgent sounding snapped me into action.
“Who is it?”
“Selena.”
Shit. My pulse raced. She came back.
“I’ll be right there.” After leaping out of bed like I was in Swan Lake, I glanced at what I was wearing. A pair of gray boxers, that was it. It didn’t cover much, but it wasn’t like she hadn’t seen it all before.
I splashed some water on my face and glanced in the mirror. “Damn,” I groaned. My bloodshot, swollen eyes announced my bender. Fuck it. I better run to the door and answer it before my impatient succubus huffed and teleported away.
Opening the door, I welcomed her with a wide, welcoming grin and an exaggerated bow. “Milady.”
When our eyes met, I swallowed a sudden lump. Her tired eyes tugged at me. She appeared pale. “Are you okay?”
The discomfort of having her so close after longing for her, amplified all my senses with a heightened awareness. My cock twitched at the prospect of a long-awaited reunion.
“I’ve had better days.” She lowered her gaze, roving over my half-naked bod.
The narcissist that I was, I pushed my chest out to enhance her view. I resisted saying something to aggravate her, like, “Look what you’ve been missing out on. Are you back for more?”
She elevated her chin a fraction of an inch and took in a short breath, as if fortifying herself. “Can I come in?”
“You’re always welcome.” I stepped aside so she could enter. As she passed, her vanilla and rose aroma wrapped around me. “Mmm. You always smell so good.”
Once inside, she turned to me and wrinkled her nose. “You smell like you’ve been swimming laps in a brewery.”
I rolled one shoulder back. “I might have had a drink or two.”
The last time she came to me, she practically pushed me on the bed to get things started. A vision of potential sexual positions flashed in my mind. Which to start with?
Did it matter? They all felt so fuckin’ good with her.
“Did you miss me?” I smiled and winked, a sorry attempt to turn on the charm in my condition.
She raised her index finger and shook her head. “I’m not here for that.”
“Oh.” I lowered my head in mock dejection. My cock sagged in a similar pathetic manner at being shot down.
She tilted her head. “Daron, you look like shit.”
I grimaced, but snapped the charming mask back in place. “Lovely to see you, too. No worries; no offense taken.”
“You know what I mean. You don’t have your usual—” she waved her hand, “—Daron swagger.”
I ran a hand through my hair. Damn, it could use a good washing. “It’s been a rough couple of days. I tried the ole if-you-can’t-forget-them, black out coping method.”
Her eyes softened with compassion. A second later, she clapped. “You need to take a shower and get dressed.” Her no-nonsense- mask was back.
“Why?”
“I found someone who may be able to help us.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. A sorceress. She might be able to break the bond.”
“I see.” I slumped into an armchair. My chest tightened, feeling five pounds heavier.
Why the odd reaction? That was what I wanted. Despite the nuisance with this bond, I couldn’t deny that the times we were together were filled with unbelievable pleasure.
She planted her hands on her hips. “I would have expected a little more excitement from you to be rid of the ol’ ball-and-chain.”
Ah, she noticed as well. I rubbed the back of my neck. “It hasn’t been that way.”
“Of course it has. Have you been able to feed from anyone else?”
I shrugged. “I haven’t tried.” I raised an empty bottle of whiskey. “I chased a bender instead.”
A soft sigh escaped her. She attempted to cover up by clearing her throat, but she couldn’t mask the glint of compassion that had returned.
“Careful. A monogamous incubus,” she drawled the words out with snark. “That’s sure to lose you some street cred.”
I laughed. “With whom? I don’t give a shit about what others think of me. You shouldn’t either.”
“I don’t.” She bit her lip. “What I focus on is survival. That starts with being well-fed.”
We’d fed ourselves quite well until the last few days with her absence. Now both of us looked like we’d starved ourselves for three weeks.
“What will this sorceress do?” I asked.
Selena tapped her fingers along the side of her leg. “I don’t know exactly. I told her what happened. She wants to talk to you, too.”
“Why does she need to talk to me if you’ve told her?”
Selena shrugged. “Get ready and we’ll go find out.”
An hour later, I’d reintroduced myself to the stranger named Hygiene. I showered and shaved, brushed my teeth, and tried to scrub away traces of my bender.
We teleported to the sorceress’s place down in Rhode Island, a modest cottage set within a wooded area. Not a bad site. With the forest out back, it would be a good spot to escape into the wilderness.
After introductions, we sat at a wrought-iron patio set at the back of the house. Eloise asked me to tell her what had happened. I summarized how we’d gotten together and then how I’d freaked out the next day, thinking Selena had put some kind of spell on me. I glossed over the main points as Selena had already described our situation.
Eloise brought her hands together. “I’ve been thinking about this since yesterday. You both say you didn’t wish for this bond.”
Selena and I exchanged a glance. We’d both blamed each other in the beginning. I turned back to Eloise. “Neither of us believe we did.”
“I’m guessing the magic between you must have been generated of your own doing,” Eloise said.
Selena waved both arms declaring a silent no way. “Not me. I had nothing to do with it.”
“I’m not saying you did so consciously.” Eloise tilted her head.
“Even unconsciously would be ridiculous.” Selena’s eyed widened. “Almost suicidal with a hunger strike.”
Eloise drew a circle on the table and then another one with her other hand as if trying to work through something. “You did say he was the first of your kind you’d run into and that you were fascinated by him,” she addressed Selena. “Was that fascination not linked to attraction?”
“Yes, but…”
“And isn’t attraction an initial part of forming a connection?”
Selena sighed. “I don’t like where this is going. We couldn’t have done it.”
I piped in. “Hold on, Selena. We should listen. We haven’t come up with any other explanations for how it happened.”
She fixed a bold stare on me. “How it happened isn’t as important as ending it.”
Eloise turned to me. “Do you feel the same way?”
“Yes.” Immediately after hearing my response, doubts flickered in. Sure, I wanted to break it—but right away?
Eloise honed her gaze on me like a hawk, as if sensing my hesitancy. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”
“I do,” I said with less conviction this time.
She moved her gaze back to Selena. “Whether you realize it or not, you’ve found something rare and precious. It’s not something to discard so lightly. More people come to me craving such a relationship.”
Selena rubbed her hands and stared down at them. “It’s just sex. We desire each other physically.”
“Is that all it is?” Eloise appraised us like we were two kids withholding information about missing cookies from a cookie jar.
Selena and I exchanged another glance, and then she turned back to the sorceress. “Neither of us want this bond. We never did. It doesn’t work for our kind. You must understand that.”
“I see.” Eloise pursed her lips and stood.
“Can you break it?”
“It will require some intense work, but yes, I think I can do it.”
Selena asked, “Have you done it before?”
Eloise laughed. “No, of course not. Couples are typically thrilled to find their mates. Sometimes one recognizes the connection before the other and there’s some friction—but no one has ever come to me to break a bond.”
I glanced at Selena. Were we making a mistake?
Selena’s eyes were fixed on something in the distance. “But, you can do it?”
Eloise tapped her temple. “This type of magic should be performed while the moon is waning.”
“It is now, so we’re good,” Selena pointed out with a snap of her fingers.
“Not quite,” Eloise noted. “I’ll need about a week to prepare a potion.”
“A week?” Selena’s voice rose with disappointment.
“It requires potent ingredients, which I don’t have,” Eloise replied.
“We have to deal with this bond for another week?” Selena’s mouth dropped open.
“Yes,” Eloise replied. “The symptoms you’re experiencing may worsen as you fight the bond between you. I have a treatment to alleviate it.”
Selena’s eyes widened with interest. “What?”
“Don’t fight your connection. Try being together for the week.”
Selena covered her chest as if shocked. “That doesn’t sound like a treatment.”
“Perhaps not. It will give you both a chance to explore this bond before you throw it away. Something like this is rare. You don’t want to rush into destroying it.”
Although I’d had doubts about this sorceress at first glance, she started to make sense. I turned to Selena. “It’s only a week.”
Selena snapped her head in my direction, staring at me as if I’d betrayed her to an enemy.
“Relax, Sweetness.” I motioned with my hand. “After all, what can change in seven days?”
Chapter Thirteen
Selena
After we teleported back to Salem, we walked down the Pedestrian Mall. Vendors had set up numerous white tents with their goods for sale, from homemade soaps to Witch City T-shirts. The brick walkway was as full of visitors and performers as it had been since I’d arrived in Salem. With October approaching, the streets would grow more congested with more visitors from now until Halloween.
I bit my lip as I struggled with what Eloise said. How would I be able to go on for another week yearning for Daron?
“We need to fight it,” I declared.
“Why?” Daron answered.
“Because—” Where were my excuses? Two little humans darted by us to run to the cobblestone bridges in front of Museum Place. Kids. Commitments. Bleh. Right, the whole not wanting to be bonded to another for life was one huge reason. “Don’t you want your freedom to choose?”
�
��Sure.” He shrugged, but then gestured with an open hand. “But, why not give this a try, like Eloise suggested?”
My brows shot to the clouds. “Are you kidding me?”
“No.”
“You haven’t figured out by now that I’m not the domestic type? No way am I going to play house.”
“Why do you make it sound so awful? I’ve enjoyed spending time with you. It’s not unpalatable.”
My jaw twitched. I’d enjoyed our time together quite a bit myself. “We had sex, Daron. That was all.”
I paused at a tent with silver jewelry set out on a table. One display featured amulets. That’s what I needed—protection. I picked up one with a sliver of a moon and stars.
Daron stepped up beside me. “Damn, you’re stubborn.”
I put down the talisman and continued walking. “And you’re too cavalier. You live in the moment.”
He scratched his chin. “Why wouldn’t I? That’s the one we’re in.”
“What about consequences?”
“I’ll deal with them when they come.”
“That’s insane.”
“No, practical. Why worry about what hasn’t happened?”
Two squirrels ran one after the other across the sidewalk and then scooted up a tree. A playful chase or flirtation? Or a competition for some nuts?
How would I know? Daron and I had been skirting the same similar boundaries from the beginning—until getting caught by this web.
Daron cocked his head. “I don’t get you. You’re going to forget all she said about us being mates and how precious that is?”
“Yup.” I nodded to affirm my decision. “We’ll ride this thing out and go back to her.” I grimaced. “Looks like you may have to delay your departure from Salem.”
He flashed his typical one-sided grin, which he often did when he teased me. “First, you can’t wait to get rid of me, now, you want me to stay longer.”
“Ha! I only want you around for a week so I can get rid of you for good.” I swiped my hands against each other and spread them apart. When I visualized his departure, a pang churned in my gut.
SCORCH: An Incubus versus Succubus Demon Romance Page 9
