Page 15 of Bonded to The Boo Hag

I threw up my hands. “Yes, which is why I was about––”

“To pop out the window like a thief in the night?” She tsked.

Frustration and guilt simmered under my skin. “It’s his first week, Pru. He doesn’t need to be used like that––”

“Used! He agreed to be your partner in all things. He literally signed up for this.” She rolled her eyes.

“I should have never purchased that TV,” I sighed. “It's a bad influence.”

“No, you can thank my wife for expanding my horizons. Now, stop distracting from the issue. He is supposed to do this, so why won’t you let him?”

“The contract was written so he didn’t have to be my only source of nourishment. I’m exercising that clause. Please thank him for the plate,” I said, done with this conversation, done with explaining myself, done with this feeling.

I crossed the room, pulling down the handle and leaping out over the balcony.

I quietly made it to the garage only to have Isaac meet me at the entrance, pulling on his driving coat.

“You don’t need to––” I began.

“It’s my job, ma’am,” he interrupted.

I sighed, more than a little tired of not being able to finish a sentence. I followed him to my black SUV, letting him open the door for me as I slid into the back.

The bass throbbed around me as I lost myself to the music and flashing lights of the club. Hands roamed my waist, bodies molded around mine, mouths brushed by my lips, allowing me to take small sips of scarlet lifeforce as my usual dance partners came and went. I nibbled, and they enjoyed the high from the lust I inspired. I wouldn’t get full this way, but I wouldn’t starve either.

Jarissa kissed me on the cheek, twirling off to slake her lust with her quad—and more power to them. I couldn’t imagine keeping one partner engaged, much less three, but I was glad she was happy.

And perhaps I was a bit jealous.

Sighing, I closed my eyes and rolled my hips to the music. I wasn’t partnerless for long; hands trailed up my sides and whirled me to face them, their grip bruising, and I stilled.

“Let me go, Attwater,” I hissed, knowing his supernatural hearing could more than pick up my disgusted tone.

“Oh Merewyn, trouble in paradise?” he mocked as he pulled my body to his, his erection violently pressed against my stomach. I felt a surge of magic at my hips that made me waver.

I snarled, pushing through the feeling, not caring that there were humans around or that killing a councilmember would start a war between my people and his. “You have two seconds to unhand me before I rip your dick off and feed it to you.”

A large hand wrapped around Attwater’s neck, catching the haint off guard. “Let my wife go, or I’ll break this vial of holy water over your head.”

Shocked, I looked over Attwater's head. Gatlin Rose held him against his chest, a glass bottle of holy water pressed firmly to Attwater’s temple.

The holy water would burn Attwater’s skin, especially if it found its way into the haint’s eyes. For him to defend himself, he’d have to let me go. If he let me go, he ran the risk of me following through with my promise. By my calculations, we were well past his two-second grace period.

“Good evening, Mr. Duvall, Councilwoman Duvall, Councilman Attwater,” Council Enforcer Drake cut in, his power wrapping around us like a steel band. “I suggest you do as you are asked, Councilman, or I will have to step in. If I step in, this goes on record as an assault against another councilmember and––”

“Fine!” Attwater let me go, unwilling to be stripped of his status and territory to the west.

“Mr. Duvall.” Drake gave him a pointed look, and my partner eased away from Attwater, still holding his flask at the ready.

My stomach felt odd; I pressed a hand to it, the feeling foreign and fluttery.

Attwater retreated across the dance floor, the gyrating bodies parting instinctively for his exit.

“Councilwoman, would you like to lodge a formal complaint––” Drake began.

“Yes, she would, tomorrow.” Gatlin’s eyes flashed with anger as he grabbed my arm, pulling me away from the crowd to the stairs to the VIP section.

Sable stood with her hand on the banister halfway up the steps, her jaw clenched. She nodded to Gatlin, who continued to pull me up the steps, ignoring my gaze completely.

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