Page 12 of The Teddy Bear's Prize

“Stop doing what?”

“You’re thinking about my cock. It’s very distracting,”

“Well, it was just as distracting to see it.” I shoot back.

There’s a longing in his stare as he looks me up anddown, like I’m standing in front of him wearing a cute lingerie set and not a well-worn vintage band shirt.

"Does that mean you can read minds, too?”

He laughs, “There’s no need, your thoughts are practically screaming at me.”

“I’m sorry, you’re just the firstdemonI have ever seen.” The word demon comes out more like a question, though I can’t think of any other descriptor that would fit. He has horns. “What was that you said about me breaking a spell?”

“Your desires gave me enough power to free myself from the vessel.” He gestures towards Tobias, who is still hanging over the edge of the bed, fighting for his little teddy bear life.

I look between the two; the pieces don’t click into place as much as wedge themselves there.

“Tobias?”

Demon Tobias’ eyes flutter closed as I say his name, when they open again those red eyes have a sharp edge to them that kicks my heart into gear.

“When you say my desires, you mean—Oh my god.” I hold myself tighter, “Was that because of you? The whole,” I gesture to myself, then to my black panties on display in the center of the bed.

Tobias takes a step forward and I take a step back.

“No, an incubus can only feed on emotions that already exist. Last night was all you, my dear.” He tilts his head appraisingly, “I do owe you my thanks and my life. I have been trapped in that vessel, unable to move and locked in my own personal hell, for gods know how long. ”

At least I still have my autonomy, I guess, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that there’s a half-naked demon standing in my bedroom who used to be stuck inside of my teddy bear.

A teddy bear I talked to, cuddled with and might have done unspeakable things to.Oh god, this is a nightmare.

“What happens now? Can you just go back to hell or something?”

Tobias blinks at me, “Usually, if a demon doesn’t strike a bargain within seven days, they are forced to return to the demon realm.”

“Kind of like a cross-dimensional visa,” I fold my arms over my chest, “I hope you aren’t suggesting that we make one.” Not that I would be opposed to a deal if it’s more of an Aladdin’s lamp sort of situation and not ‘fully surrender your soul to Satan’.

“Of course not,” he almost looks offended, “I can only make deals with the one who summons me, it's written into the ritual.”

With all this talk about magic and demons, my impulsive thoughts win and I close the distance between us. I skim my hand over his forearm, trying to reconcile the fact that demons exist, and that this one is gorgeous and so very gray. His skin is hotter than normal, I wonder if that’s a normal demon trait.

“You’ve already been here with me for more than a week. Doesn’t that mean you should just pop back?”

“Something must have gone wrong with the summoning ritual.” Tobias’ chest heaves as he stares at where my palm is resting on his arm.

The alchemical circles. “You were summoned,” I pull my hand away then point to bear Tobias, which I guess never was the real Tobias, “then bound to the bear?”

“Yes, something like that.”

“I might have an idea.”

EIGHT

Tobias

Mia grabsher phone from the nightstand behind me and walks out of the room. “Are you coming?” She asks from the hall.

She is taking things a lot better than I had expected.

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