The Hunt

“There,” I said, stepping back from Jenna. “You can look now.”

She gracefully stood and turned toward the full-length mirror, the sleek dress she wore glittering as she moved. The blue and emerald sequins covering her breasts and hips and the sheer mesh teal panels that connected those pieces together, hugged her trim figure and drew the eyes. As did the extreme side slits that allowed movement.

The stunning dress highlighted the elegant waterfall of hair I’d styled in soft curls over one of her shoulders. But the true beauty was Jenna, herself. The natural makeup I’d artfully applied had transformed her. And I knew she saw it when she stared at herself in the mirror for a long, shocked moment.

“You’re a magician, Eliana.”

“Not at all. That’s all you, Jenna. The makeup and dress only accentuates what you already had.”

She smiled softly at herself then fixed her gaze on me.

“I can’t go walking into the club like this alone. Do you need help?”

I gave her a weak smile.

“I’ll be fine. Give me a few minutes to get ready.”

I closed myself in the bathroom with a dress I knew would make Adira and Mrs. Quill happy. It was a beautiful dress. However, I wouldn’t be getting dressed up for a small dinner this time. I would be dressing for a night in a club filled with my very susceptible peers. And wearing something so provocative while there terrified me to the core.

With a sigh, I unzipped the garment bag.

Getting ready was a careful balance between looking like I’d made an effort without doing so much that I called attention away from Jenna. I’d purposely chosen the brightly colored dress for her and a muted grey one for myself, hoping that would help. Yet, despite its color, my dress was far from drab. The silken sheath hugged every curve, and the plunging neckline was positively indecent, exposing me from my neck to my navel in one long, narrow strip.

Mom had taken one look at my face when I’d tried it on and told Mrs. Quill we needed to find matching grey body paint to cover “that brownie’s” mar on my perfection. Since I knew she’d never consider any sexual mark an imperfection, her suggestion had been to make me more comfortable in a dress she knew I didn’t want to wear in public. I could have hugged her.

Piepen’s mark of shame glowed brightly until I covered it with the matching grey body paint and a healthy dusting of glitter. The exposed strip of grey skin helped me feel more covered even though my cleavage was saying hello to the world.

To humor Megan, I went with a messy updo. Instead of the stud earrings she’d suggested, I chose diamond strands that the hairstyle and neckline demanded.

It didn’t take me long to dab on some eyeshadow and lip gloss. When I emerged, Jenna was still staring at herself in the mirror. Hearing me, she turned. Her mouth dropped open into a little ‘o’ that would have made me laugh if not for the hint of lust that clouded the air.

“That dress is so hot on you,” she whispered.

My hunger stirred, and my vision sharpened. I quickly closed my eyes.

“Jenna, stop.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Go open the window, please.”

A moment later, a cool breeze caressed my skin. I focused on my hunger as I breathed, willing it to go back to sleep. It didn’t surprise me when it refused to listen this time. Its cooperation had slowly decreased throughout the day. My bag of chocolate was already gone, and Mom had spent a fortune feeding me desserts while in the city. She hadn’t batted an eye, but I knew Mrs. Quill had been watching me closely.

“Are you okay?” Jenna asked.

I was far from okay, and we both knew it. The knock that sounded on my door would have been a convenient save from answering. However, I knew it could only be one of two people and considered neither a “save,” given my current state.

“Come in.” I opened my eyes, defiantly letting my hunger show as the door opened.

Mrs. Quill’s gaze swept over us as she entered, lingering on Jenna instead of me.

“You’re both positively stunning,” she said with a wide smile.

“Eliana did my hair and makeup,” Jenna said from near the window.

The fresh air wasn’t helping. I could still smell her. The lust was barely there and no longer for me. Likely she was thinking of her upcoming kiss with Fenris. It didn’t matter. I could smell her, and my hunger was twisting dangerously inside of me.

There was no way I’d make it through an evening in a closed space with gods knew how many of my peers.

“Jenna, I need a private moment with Mrs. Quill.”

“Sure. I’ll wait by the front door.” She hurried from the room.

“Is everything all right?” Mrs. Quill asked.

“Far from it. I’m hungry and don’t want that to wreck tonight. Will you help me?”

“Of course. Do you want to go to the—”

I shook my head.

“We both know there’s no need.”

She crossed the room and held out her hand. I didn’t need to touch her to feed, but the simple contact made feeding feel less like taking and more like accepting. I forced myself to sense her desire and love for her husband then coaxed it higher.

The gentle scent of blueberries perfumed the air. It wasn’t what I craved, and my mind drifted to the lava cakes of my dreams. My stomach growled. While Mrs. Quill’s energy wasn’t what I hungered for, it was what I needed if I had any hope of making it through tonight.

Yet, I couldn’t bring myself to feed and realized it wasn’t only her energy that was the problem. She wasn’t who I wanted.

Involuntarily, Fenris’s image popped into my head. I yearned for him as much as I rejected the possibility. His safety and happiness were the reasons I needed to go to the club tonight and the reasons behind my misery. I recalled his expression just before he left me in the woods, and my heart broke all over again.

But not all my memories of him were painful.

I remembered the way Fenris felt behind me that brief second before he tried to move me. To save me when I hadn’t wanted saving. Nothing had ever felt so deliciously right.

And I let my yearning for Fenris free for just a few moments.

Words tumbled softly from my lips.

“Picture his face. His eyes. His smile. Remember his touch. How he feels when he’s next to you.”

The scent of Mrs. Quill’s attraction and affection for Mr. Quill exploded in the air around us, snapping me out of the memory.

My hunger unfurled, bringing my vision along with my other senses into sharp focus. Mrs. Quill’s pulse leapt at what I was making her feel. What I’d made us both feel.

I hungered. And to my shame, it wasn’t for what was being offered freely. I hungered for Fenris. Willing or not.

With an inhale, I fed. I didn’t stop at three pulls. I took until my revulsion at myself was stronger than the clawing hunger. Until I was sure I wouldn’t be tempted by Fenris tonight.

Mrs. Quill smiled and gave my hand a gentle squeeze when I finished.

“I’m so proud of you, Eliana. That’s the most you’ve fed at one time. I think it might be more than you’ve fed collectively from me in months.”

“You would think that, after all these years, I would be getting used to feeding. Maybe even start to like it like a normal succubus. But I don’t. Each time, I hate myself just a little more.”

I released her hand.

“Feel free to tell Adira how I feel. She’ll make tonight interesting regardless, I’m sure.”

Hurt crossed Mrs. Quill’s expression before she caught me in a hug.

“Don’t hate yourself. You’ve done nothing to deserve that level of self-loathing.”

I snorted before I could stop myself. If only she knew I’d tried to banish my own mother and ended up making one of my friends disappear instead.

“We’re going to be late,” I said.

Mrs. Quill released me.

“Of course.”

Neither of us spoke as we made our way downstairs. Jenna watched us descend, a hint of worry in her gaze.

“Are you still up for going to the club?” she asked.

“Absolutely.”

She smiled in relief and took the hand that Mrs. Quill offered.

As soon as we touched her, I felt a tug in my stomach. As had happened when she’d portaled us to New York, there was no nausea or disorientation when we appeared at the top of the stairs at Club Blayz a moment later.

The dance floor was already filled with my peers, and music blasted from the stage. Behind the duel bars, three large men served drinks. Another man at the base of the stairs glanced back at us briefly, then went back to watching the dance floor.

“I thought portaling wasn’t allowed inside the club,” I said over the music.

“You are correct. But exceptions were made for Council members.”

“Ah.”

“Call me when you’re ready to go home.”

I nodded and started down the stairs. The regal walk, shifting slightly to the side so I could descend without tripping on my skirt, came naturally. Jenna moved with equal ease. The light hit the sequins of her dress like I’d hoped and her entrance definitely caught the attention of more than a few males.

My gaze swept the crowd, searching for Fenris.

“He’s not here,” Jenna whispered.

“You told Willow and Laurel that you were getting ready with me. He’ll be here.”

I spotted my mom near the back entrance.

“Go mingle. We’ll meet up later,” I said to Jenna before heading Mom’s way.

This was part of our plan. We make an entrance together, then I’d go find a quiet place to hide while she worked the room. I had no doubt that she’d find Fenris and kiss the sticks out of him.

Mom saw my approach and waved me forward before turning to face a surly group of mermaids.

“I want names,” Mom said.

One of the mermaids saw me and rolled her eyes.

“Will you please tell your mom we weren’t the ones to scratch you?”

River stared at me from the back of the group. Jannette was standing right next to her.

I turned to Mom, my lips curving in a sultry smile.

“Fish are food, not fiends, Mom. Who cares what they did or didn’t do?”

Mom’s angry scowl melted into amusement.

“Witty girl.” Her gaze shifted to the mermaids. “Adira made me promise I wouldn’t feed on Uttira’s young tonight. But I never promised not to play with them. Go have fun, my little minnows.”

I could feel the wave of coercion Mom released.

“Spread love, not hate,” I said, giving an extra push that evolved into a rather forceful shove.

Lannie moaned, grabbed Dash by his short green hair, and kissed the heck out of him in front of us while the rest stumbled away. The lust and need coming off of River was enough to stir my hunger, and I regretted not feeding more.

“Adira made me promise not to feed, but she said nothing about you,” Mom said.

“I’m fine. I ate before I arrived.”

“Mrs. Quill already let me know. She said it was the most she’d ever seen you eat at once. She was quite proud.”

Given the stream of people passing us, I sent Mom a pleading look.

“Can we please not talk about this now? Do you need help with anything?”

She hooked her arm through mine. “Not at all. Tuff only called me here because I’d asked to be notified about any mermaids.” We started walking toward the bar. “I gather from your comment the offender was in their midst?”

“Yes. But, honestly, she doesn’t matter. Megan will be home soon. I’d rather let her deal with the injustices here than have you risk upsetting her by handing out justice yourself.”

Mom laughed.

“Please. I met the fledgling. The fury was protective of Oanen, not angry for any perceived wickedness. I would be fine and so would Megan.” She patted my arm. “But I promised to be on my best behavior tonight.”

We stopped at the bar. “Now, what can Ymir get for you?”

A giant looked up from the drink he was making.

“Not the Ymir, just Ymir.”

“A chocolate martini mocktail, please.”

“They’re all mocktails tonight,” he said with a smile before addressing Mom. “Can I get you anything?”

“I’m fine, Ymir. And if Eliana wants anything stronger tonight, you have my permission to oblige her.”

I looked down quickly and pretended to fix my dress so no one would see my eyes and know how I’d taken Mom’s words. I should have eaten more.

“That’s a lovely dress, Eliana,” Mom complimented. “It’ll match your eyes if you don’t hide their color.”

Groaning, I looked up at her.

“I hate when they do this.”

“And some women feel shame when their nipples harden and seek to hide them with padded bras. It’s a waste of time, just as wearing sunglasses would be. Most people are too worried about their own insecurities to notice yours. And those who do notice and are immune to your special talents will seek to use your insecurities against you.

“You’re too high on the food chain to be viewed as prey, baby. It won’t end well for them.”

“Chocolate martini,” Ymir said with flare. “And she’s right.”

I looked up at him, and he winked at me before helping the next person.

Sighing, I took my drink and turned away from the bar. My very black gaze scanned the crowd in an idle search for Jenna or Fenris as I sipped liquid chocolate.

“Their dancing is atrocious,” Mom said. “Any chance you’ll go out there and show them how it’s done before they give my club the wrong name.”

She watched a group of students near the human entrance.

“Since all your current patrons are my peers and won’t be able to return here until they obtain their marks, I highly doubt what they do tonight will tarnish Blayz’s reputation.”

“Perhaps you’ll change your mind for the right partner.”

I gave her a warning look. Fenris’s name had popped up repeatedly during our shopping excursion. Jenna, having already been let in on what tonight would entail for her, had kept mostly quiet on the topic. That hadn’t mattered to Mom. She’d kept trying to get me to talk about him.

“Raiden is an idiot,” Mom muttered before taking a cleansing breath.

“I think I’ll go upstairs and sit for a bit. I promised your father I wouldn’t overtax myself.”

She walked away, ignoring the dancers and party-goers she’d invited. They didn’t ignore her, though. No one could ignore a succubus dressed like she was, no matter the age difference.

One of my classmates approached me, a needful gleam in his eyes.

“Whatever you’re thinking of doing or saying, forget about it and walk away. I’m in no mood for your company.”

He immediately veered in another direction and lost himself in the crowd of dancers.

Someone in the crowd let out a wild yell. Probably one of the mermaids. Mid-eye-roll, my gaze caught on a dark head of hair.

My pulse skipped, and my hands grew sweaty. He was here. I’d known he would be, yet I felt completely unprepared at the sight of—

His head turned, and brown eyes met mine. But they weren’t the ones I was hoping and dreading to see.

Eugene grinned at me as he continued to grind against a siren, and my mouth dropped open. That boy was going to get himself killed. Setting my drink aside, I forgot all about my dress and my pull on people as I hurried across the floor and threaded my way through the dancers.

Eugene gave a startled yelp when I reached him and grabbed his ear, tugging him down to my level.

“What are you doing here?”

“Relax, Eliana. I’m safe. Adira had a druid ward me, your mom promised to watch over me, this place is warded against human death, and the only way out for me is through the human door or a portal.”

I gave him a flat look. More than likely, I was the reason he was here, and the poor fool didn’t even realize it. Like Adira had promised him, I wouldn’t kill him, and I wouldn’t try to leave with him. But I’d change him forever, in ways he wouldn’t like if he had the ability to think for himself afterward. I was willing to bet that whatever ward Adira had the druid put on him would work to repel everyone else but me.

“Don’t be foolish enough to blindly trust Adira’s promises of safety. That didn’t work well for Ashlyn. She disappeared from a place just like this.”

He gently pried my hold from his ear then held my hands in his.

“I came here because I would have died where I was. Staying closed up in a house? That’s not living, either. Let me live, Eliana. For however long I have, let me live it.”

I sighed and pulled my hands free.

“What about Kelsey and Zoey? Are they here too?”

“No. They chose to stay home and play it safe.”

“Megan isn’t going to be happy if something happens to you.”

“That’s just another layer of protection.” He grinned at me, grabbed the siren’s hips, and started dancing again. He had moves. Tempting moves.

Annoyed that Adira knew what she was doing, I turned away from Eugene and almost faceplanted into another chest. Arms encircled me but not to steady me. We started to sway to the music.

Jerking my head up, I locked gazes with an achingly familiar, humor-filled one.

“It took you long enough to join the fun,” Fenris said.

I stopped swaying and stepped back only to bump into other dancers, who propelled me right back toward Fenris. His grin widened.

“It’s easy to join the dancing. Much harder to leave it. Trust me, I’ve watched several try already.”

“How long have you been here?” I demanded.

“From the start.”

“Jenna’s looking for you.”

“I know.”

“Are you avoiding her?”

“Avoiding? Never. But I am a master at hiding. Dance with me, Eliana.”

I shook my head.

“Find Jenna. She’ll dance with you.”

His hands settled on my waist, and he reeled me in, inch by inch.

“You’re hurting my feelings.”

“Fenris, this isn’t you.”

“Why do you think that? Haven’t I been trying to get you to dance with me since Megan showed up months ago?”

I considered what he was saying. He had been asking me to dance since long before we’d spent any time together. Long before I could have possibly put any kind of spell on him.

“Fine. Dancing with girls is a ‘you’ thing. But not with me, Fenris.”

“Exactly. You’re the one who keeps getting away. Let me get this out of my system. Dance with me.”

“I can’t.”

“You can. You’re just afraid to because I gave in to my nature last night.” He leaned in close. “I warned you not to run.”

I shivered lightly at the timbre of his voice, and he licked my nose.

“I’ve never shied away from you when you let your nature show,” he said. Guilt tugged at me before I stomped on it. Fenris was so good at making believe that everything was okay.

“Don’t run from me, and you’ll be fine. Let’s dance.”

“Go find Jenna. She’ll dance with you.”

“You’re stubborn today. I like it.” He moved us playfully. He might have thought he was clever, but I knew what he was doing. Moving led to dancing.

“Stop it.”

He chuckled, the low sound dancing along my skin like a caress. My eyes had been dark until I’d spotted Eugene. Now, they flared to life again.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he said. “That I’m under your thrall. I don’t know how to prove to you that wasn’t what last night was or what asking you to dance is about, other than to promise you that if you asked me to kill someone for you right now, I wouldn’t do it. I’d probably pick you up and try to carry you out of here.” His hand went from my waist to my lower back. The other one snagged my hand and brought it to his shoulder.

“I’m your friend, Eliana. No matter what.”

I thought about what he’d said, and doubt crept in. How many times had he not listened to me? Mom was right. He didn’t act like someone under my thrall.

Rather than fight the dance, I gave in and finally swayed with him. We moved together perfectly. Like we were made for each other.

I itched to pull him closer, to revel in the contact I’d wanted for so long. Instead, I attempted to distract myself.

“If all of what you’re saying is true, and last night was just your chase instinct surging forward, what about what you said? How do you explain that away?”

“There’s nothing more to explain. I believe what I said, and I’ve given you the reasons for my choices. None of them have changed.”

I knew he was being vague because of the crowd around us and appreciated his discretion when I hadn’t been using it myself.

His warm brown gaze held mine, and I wished I could say what I was thinking. That I wanted to believe him but was terrified of being wrong and making things worse. I wanted to tell him that I’d missed him, and I was sorry for the way I’d acted. But again, I wasn’t sure I could trust what he was saying.

“I’d feel a lot better if you just danced with Jenna.”

“I’m sure you would. But, I wouldn’t.”

It was like I’d given some kind of defeat signal because he pulled me against him and dipped me low. My pulse jumped, and my hands automatically grabbed for his shoulders.

“There’s my girl. Now, let’s show them how it’s really done.”

I had no chance after that. As I’d known from the first time I saw Fenris dancing with his girls, dancing with him was divine. He moved me. Not just physically but on levels I didn’t even understand. He got under my skin and into my blood with each brush of his hips against mine and each playful spin.

The dancers made room for us. On some level, I knew they were watching. But I didn’t look away from Fenris to check. I couldn’t. He held me in too many ways. He was supposed to be my captive. Instead, I was his, and just like he’d once predicted, I wondered why I’d waited so long to dance with him.

The heady sense of being owned flipped my thinking around. He wasn’t under my spell. I was under his. The way he moved. The way he looked at me. The way he smelled.

I inhaled deeply, hungering for his sweet scent. He pulled me close again to sway with me, his lips skimming my ear and sending a shiver of need through me.

“Let go and give in, Eliana.”

I turned my head to ask him what he meant, but those thoughts fled when I found his lips inches from mine. We stared at each other. My breath hitched, and he groaned.

“Forgive me,” he whispered a second before he closed the distance between us.

The first brush of his lips against mine nearly brought me to my knees. He was soft and sweet and everything I craved.

I whimpered and threaded my fingers in his hair. His hand tightened on my lower back, pressing me against the evidence of his need for me.

And I needed him too.

So much.

I opened my mouth, and with a growl, he took what I offered. There was nothing gentle about the kiss. His tongue stroked against mine, hungry and demanding everything I had. He tasted like dessert.

My hunger unfurled and demanded its due.

Without breaking contact, I took what was flooding the air around us. His distinct flavor stood out amongst the growing lust of the crowd, a solitary buffet of refined dining in a sea of mediocre fast food.

The taste of lava cake coated my tongue as I fed. It was better than my dreams. So good that I didn’t want to stop. I wanted to gorge myself. To continue plucking cakes from the trees until my stomach was swollen with my meal.

But first, I needed air. I tore my lips from his, panting. He didn’t have the same problem and trailed kisses along my jaw.

“Come on, nibbles. That wasn’t nearly enough.” His scent changed subtly, and the rich chocolatiness retreated as a tartness surged forward. Lemon cake.

“Take what you need.”

Those words rang in my head like a gong. How many times had the trees said that to me when I stopped eating the cakes they offered? Lava cakes. Lemon cakes. At my house, where I always woke with the window open. Windows that were warded against intrusion but opened anyway. At the cabin…

I recalled last night. How the earthquakes had woken me from another cake dream. How Fenris had been right there. How I’d gone home and had another cake dream, and the trees had sounded exactly like Fenris.

How the window had been open again.

Fenris had been in my room, and it hadn’t been the first time. I thought back to when the cake dreams had started just after Mrs. Quill stopped feeding me. Then, I remembered the night Mom had burst in on us and found Fenris in bed with me. The way my legs had been wrapped around his waist and how she’d thought she’d interrupted me feeding.

I hadn’t been lasting longer between meals. I’d been feeding in my sleep.

I’d been feeding on Fenris for weeks.

Pulling back, I looked at him in horror.

“What have I done?”