Page 43 of Wicked Succubus

His mouth hangs open, and I want to chuckle. Nothing ever surprises Rhett. He sits up straighter to stare at me, looking intrigued.

“Umm . . . what? You actually went to her? I should’ve known you weren’t going to wait.”

“I want to know anything and everything about what’s going on in that pretty head of hers.” I know it’s an invasion of privacy, but it’s hard to ignore reason when she’s involved.

“What was she dreaming about, and why didn’t you invite me?” He huffs in frustration as he slips his phone into his pocket. I look away, knowing he wants the whole scoop. “Come on, stop being such a jerk.” He punches my arm hard enough to bruise.

I finally give in. “It was kind of hard to get through her defenses. For being a weak Bear Shifter, she sure can protect herself.”

“Oh . . . She’s a Bear Shifter? I would’ve never guessed. She looks so small and dainty. I thought she’d be a fox or something else.” I completely agree. Her being a Bear Shifter caught me by surprise. Usually, they’re taller.

“Not sure what her dream was about before. I scared her when I switched her dream, and then I tried gaining control. I couldn’t get a hold of her, so she was in limbo for a few seconds.” I think the mist might have terrified her. It would have startled me if our situations were reversed.

“That’s strange,” he grumbles back.

“Very,” I reply, making a left turn.

I’m one of the most skilled Specter Demons when it comes to dream manipulation. Many have limited abilities; they can only influence small dream details or walk through others’ dreams without altering them. Unlike them, I can fully transform a dream into an alternate reality, like I did with Zel and the beach. I can also block other dream walkers from entering my dreamscapes, while weaker specters cannot keep intruders out. They require intense focus just to maintain a simple illusion. I manifest entire environments effortlessly. Containing multiple conscious minds in one space is taxing for them but easy for me.

Rhett shifts his whole body to face me. “So let me get this straight. You tried to get in her dream, but it was a challenge, and when you finally got in, you switched the dream but couldn’t command it?” I nod. “I’m glad to hear it was hard to get through her defenses, especially since shifters like to prey on those who are weaker than them. She can at least try and put up a mental fight before letting someone walk all over her,” Rhett continues.

“I was able to find a small hole and chased it until I gained control.” I take a breath before continuing. “Once in, I took her to my favorite place.”

“And then . . .” he asks, waiting impatiently for me to continue. I face the front and put the car in drive. “You’re really dragging this along. I’ll remember this for the next time you want to know something.” At a red light, he grabs his bottle of water from the cup holder and opens it to take a drink. “And then . . .”

After making him sweat a bit, I finally say, “I made her come.” He spits his drink all over the dash. He puts the cap back on and sticks it back in its place.

“You what?” I start to drive again. “Asshole, keep talking.”

“Yeah, it was intense. The noises she made were sexy. The way she moved against my fingers was so hot, I almost walked into the house, but then her phone woke her up,” I say, briefly remembering the shocked look on her face after it was over. I wonder what that call was about.

I hadn’t wanted to spook her further, so I’d waited outside and hoped to bump into her in the kitchen before her date.

“It was probably her date that cut the dreamscape short,” Rhett says. His expression turns sour. If only we’d met her sooner, she wouldn’t have been going on that date.

We arrive at the motel once more to see if the Succubus showed up again. We look through every room, and it’s all clear—not a monster in sight. We check out the hotels and motels in the general vicinity but come up empty-handed.

“I almost wish that the Succubus was real,” I tell Rhett. “This way we’d be rewarded with a long vacation and get to spend more time with Zel.”

It’s ten o’clock by the time we get to the house. With nothing else to do, we head back to the pool house. We don’t see Agent Cooper’s car, so we know he’s out. If I had to guess, he either found the killer, or he’s hoping to find them before there’s another murder.

I may dislike Agent Cooper, but I hope he finds the person who’s doing this to supe women. It’s unthinkable that these women have gone through such fear and agony. The thought of some sick bastard exploiting these individuals stirs up seething anger in me. Yes, Agent Cooper and I don’t get along very well. But deep down we both desire the same thing, to protect those who can’t fight back.

After eating Chinese takeout, I pour us a drink. Agent Cooper keeps this place stocked. I’m not surprised. It’s nothing but the best for the faerie. I give Rhett his glass, and we sit on the couch and watch TV.

“Let’s surprise Zel, ” Rhett blurts in the middle of an action scene.

“Let’s surprise Zel?” I’m stunned. This is so unlike him to chase after a woman, but she’s not just any woman. Zelyah is someone we want to have a relationship with. “I like the way you think, brother. She said they were going to Eclipse Noir.” I drink the rest of my drink, the alcohol sending a hot burning sensation down my throat. “Let’s go crash Zel’s date.”

I know when I make the suggestion that it’s probably not a good idea, but how bad could things possibly go? There’s a feeling in my gut trying to answer that question in warning, but the Faerie alcohol numbs my sensibility and propels me straight to danger.

Chapter 24

Zelyah

My time is running out. I need to fuel my body before I slip up in front of the Arcana’s men. I’m exhausted from the fight in Faerie, and my energy is severely depleted. I can’t heal as quickly when I’m this weak, so I’m not in the best shape for killing tonight. I can only kill a human. A supernatural being would be a lot harder in my current state.

I’m also pondering how I’ll be able to separate myself from the FBI agent tonight. It’s becoming more dangerous for me to kill and feed without getting caught by any of them. How did this happen to me? I’m living with too many supernaturals. Two of them are hunting me, and the other is still suspicious of me even when he clearly knows I’m not the murderer he’s looking for. I’m living with powerful supes that can end me, so killing and feeding is on tonight’s agenda. I can’t allow any mistakes. I came too close to Killian finding out who I was. He could’ve captured me in the dream if only he was able to get in just a couple seconds sooner, and that’s a very scary thought. Knowing he can pop in at any given moment unsettles me. The last thing I want is to be dragged into custody by the Arcana Society, especially by Rhett and Killian because I sort of like them. I really don’t want to hate them.

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