Page 2 of Incubus

“You hit like a nymph.” I ignored the trickle of blood at the corner of my mouth.

“What did you say, you little bitch?” He released my bruised wrist and ran his hand under my skirt before he kissed me hard, trying to hurt me with his teeth.

Anger rose like bile in my throat. Trapped. I wished for the old power. It would not come. There was a hum in my veins, but it was only an echo of the strength I once wielded.

No matter. Staying calm was the key to getting out of this mutt’s paws. I would use what weapons I had available. The wolf was grinding into me, hurting me with his vicious kiss. Going against every instinct I had, I forced myself to relax, letting the tension roll from me and swaying to the pounding beat. I slowly softened, and returned the wolf’s kiss, letting him sink his slippery tongue deep into my mouth. Gross. Now emboldened, he reached for my breasts again, groping me through the bustier. I faked a moan.

When I reached down to stroke his cock through his jeans, he squeezed my breast.

As he finally pulled away panting, I club-whispered, “Do you like that?”

“Y-yes.” He closed his eyes as I stroked him faster, rubbing the heel of my hand against his erection. His head lolled back with pleasure.

“Yeah?” I purred. “Well, how about this?” I grabbed hold of his length and twisted for all I was worth.

The wolf let out an inhuman shriek and sank to his knees, cradling his crotch while the people around us began backing up. Oh, now they notice.

The crowd stared as the wolf fell to his side, still clutching his crotch. The curious blonde was there, pointing at me and whispering to her friends. Shit. Can’t come here again. Which pissed me off even more.

I sidestepped the howling wolf, who was now rolling back and forth, and made my way to the door. I snagged my faux fur stole from the coat check and pushed through the throng and out into the cool Paris night.

Finally, I could take a breath. I tried to shake off the feeling of being trapped by the wolf. It didn’t work since I still felt like pummeling something. Anything. Preferably a wolf. The pain in my wrist was fresh, though it would heal in no time. Immortality perk? Check.

Glancing over my shoulder at the club to make sure the mutt was still nursing his ouchy, I roped my hair up into a no-nonsense ponytail. When no one came out after me, I was satisfied he was down for the count.

I turned away from the noisy club scene and let my senses rush back to me. The buildings came into sharp focus, and I cataloged the familiar smells of the Montmartre district. The moon played across my exposed skin, increasing the low hum that had infused me from the moment I was frozen into my immortality and called to serve the gods. But the feeling only reminded me of what was lost. Shaking off the gloomy thoughts that threatened to override my mission, I started for the Seine, hoping the walk would clear my head.

A sigh rose from my lungs, and I let it out. Just this once, I’d let myself wallow in self-pity. Because I’d failed again. Because I couldn’t beat the wolf without trickery. Because the whole situation sucked hairy satyr balls.

I needed to refocus and think of another way to get to my target—the target I’d never seen and no one would talk about. Curses.

Roth de Lis was a powerful Underworlder, seemingly invisible. All my leads were dead ends. Still, I couldn’t give up. Too much was riding on me finding him. I kept walking, picking my way through the cobblestone streets. Despite the late hour, Paris was still awake. Drunks stumbled down sidewalks, and lovers committed passionate acts in open doorways.

The moon shone high and bright, giving me a slight energy boost. Artemis hadn’t taken everything away from me—just the one thing that really mattered.

Pulling my stole tightly around my shoulders, I hurried through the rolling hills of Montmartre, feeling like a ghost of my old self. Because I was.

The clatter of my thigh-high boots on the street sounded like gunshots in my ears, nothing like the soft leaves or moss beneath my bare feet in the forest, where I belonged. Soon I’ll be back there. I may have been weary and troubled, but I held onto the sweet hope of returning home.

The buildings around me began to turn grander as I left the populated streets of Montmartre, with its hookers and drug dealers at intervals, and moved into the more ostentatious rues.

The city grew quieter just as my thoughts did, and it was only moments before I was lost in memories of home. Though I didn’t have one anymore.

No longer could I run wild with my sisters hunting deer with our bows or teasing the satyrs with promises of love if they would only play us a tune. Stealing the satyrs’ wine as they became transfixed at their own skill with the lute was only half the fun. Besting the other maidens at archery and daggers, racing through the flowery copses, long talks with Elena. All those things I hadn’t experienced for so, so long. How I wished I could be there again. To take back the mistake that brought my whole world crashing down into ruins around me.

My thoughts darkened. Those times were gone. Artemis, my moon mother, had forsaken me. No more would I feel the freedom of the night or the unbreakable strength the moonlight gave me. Unless…

Like a recurring nightmare, I kept coming back to the look in Artemis’s eyes when she cast me out. It was full of rage, yet buried deep within was a sadness. The kind a mother must feel when she sends her child into the world, knowing it is a harsh place. And it was what I had deserved. What I still deserved. But I was going to get back into Artemis’s good graces. And Roth was the way.

Deep in my plans upon plans to regain my warrior maiden status, my ears didn’t pick up on the footsteps until they were right behind me.

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