Page 299 of Evil Hearts

Sparky probably upped the potency to fuck with me. What a fuckstick.

“Are you thirsty?” she asks, gesturing to a side table where another bottle sits. This one is accompanied by a fat wine glass.

“No, thank you.” I shake my head at the offer. “Food and drinks are only provided for guests.”

She scoffs, her blue eyes rolling toward the ceiling. “That sounds just like Mistress Raiine. Please, have some. I won’t tell.”

I hesitate, my gaze bouncing between her and the bottle on the table. Mistress Raiine doesn’t starve me—I need my strength in order to entertain her clients after all—but I’m not afforded luxuries like the wine or hot meals that clients often receive.

It’s tempting.

And as humans say in the mortal realm, the customer is always right.

“You’ve convinced me.”

I cross to the table and pour myself a generous glass from the open bottle, raising it to the monstress before putting it to my lips and taking a swig. I’m probably not supposed to drink alcohol with the aphrodisiac potion, but the thought doesn’t cross my mind until it’s too late.

“Thank you,” she says and pats the cushion beside her. “Come. Sit with me.”

After another swig and a smirk, I oblige.

I leave a gap between us, content to wait for her permission to move closer. It’s never mattered before—most of the time we don’t even get pleasantries out of the way before clients jump my bones—but something about this monstress feels different.Isdifferent. While I may not have a name for the deep-seated feeling in my bones, I acknowledge its presence.

“What’s your name?” she asks, taking me by surprise.

I quirk a brow at her. How could she not know who I am if she asked for me specifically? Maybe Sparky lied to shut me up on the way over. I wouldn’t put it past him.

“The Monster Fucker.”

She tucks a strand of silver hair behind her pointed ear and shakes her head. “No, no. Your real name.”

I’m speechless. In all the years I’ve been trapped in the mansion, no one has ever bothered to ask my real name. No one has ever cared. I’ve almost forgotten the way it sounds, but the memory of it and what it means hits me hard. My name represents my freedom and everything I was before the mansion. Before Mistress Raiine.

“No one’s ever asked me that before,” I admit.

The corners of her mouth dip downward. “Never?”

A familiar warmth rolls through my body as my libido spikes. The effects of the potion will be impossible to resist shortly, but I’m doing my best to fight it. My cock stiffens, straining uncomfortably against my jeans, and I tug at the material in search of some relief.

I shake my head, still unsure why it’s important to her. “I’m sure Mistress Raiine has all but forgotten it. It’s Kade.”

“Kade,” she repeats, my name dripping from her tongue like honey and making my cock twitch. I can’t help but wonder how it’ll sound later when she’s riding my dick. “My name is Synistra. But you can call me Syn.”

Syn. With a name like that, it’s no wonder why she has such an effect on me. She’s magnetic. Intoxicating. And if I don’t bury myself inside her in the next few minutes, this potion is going to make me explode.

In all the times I’ve visited this room, I’ve never felt anything like this. I’ve also never known the name of any of the clients I’ve been with, even the repeats.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” she says, licking her lips as she stares me down. “How did you find yourself working for Mistress Raiine?”

My stomach turns with unease as I recall the deal that went down. Being framed. Being turned over to the monsters. Even after all these years, it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

“You’re doing it again,” she says, a musical laugh escaping her lips.

My jaw tenses. “Doing what?”

She leans closer, the delicious smell of her skin cutting through the room’s floral aroma and tantalizing my senses. She’s sharp and sweet like citrus, with something musky dancing underneath. I want to close my eyes and breathe her in, but I refrain. There will be plenty of time for that momentarily.

I want to enjoy the few minutes I have left before I’m unable to resist the potion’s influence.