Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Lilith

He tastes like a dream. The really good kind that you want to keep experiencing over and over again and maybe never wake up from because the pain of reality is too suffocating.

I know I should stop, but I just can’t. I want to taste him, suck him dry…again and again.

He’s asleep. They always are. It’s the effect of the venom I release when I start to suck. It actually pushes into their bodies and makes them go limp so I can do what I need to do.

Feed.

Like a spider attacking its prey and paralyzing them.

I remember the first time. I was sixteen and saw the hot chem teacher I had a crush on. I walked up to him, and he just…gave in. The janitor’s closet was never the same, and not because I had some crazy sexual experience, but because the guy’s body lacked any blood once I was done. It started seeping out under the door and running down the hallway.

This one tastes different than a human. He’s also pretty. Plus, he’s helping me… I kind of want to keep him for a while and see where things go in the next few days.

Normally, it takes twenty-four hours for me to feed on a human. If they’re immortal, it takes at least three days. But this guy...

He’s different. I wonder how he would handle it, and I also want to know what would happen to me if I tried.

So different. I inhale and press my mouth against his neck. Why does it feel this way?

“That tickles.” His gruff whisper has me jerking back. “But I kind of like it.”

“What?” I wave a hand in front of his face. What’s happening? “How are you even awake right now?”

“Because I’m amazing, and I just needed a fucking nap. Why are you sniffing my neck? And why the hell are you trying to suck me dry? That’s not even polite. At least, ask first. I think the conversation goes a little like this: ‘ Oh, hi, I’m a succubus. I might suck your…bus ’—haha. Okay, sorry, still delirious—and then you go on to do your thing. I do my thing and pretend to be asleep, and then you get your earth energy or whatever the hell they call it, and we go our separate ways. PS, I will not be your slave. I do not do well being told what to do. I’m more of a manager sort of person. I like to tell people what to do. But if it gets your kink on, I’m okay for the next”—he checks his watch—“five minutes. Then, I’m out.”

“Who are you?” I shake my head in disbelief. This has seriously never happened before. Granted, I control my need for blood and energy better now that I’m almost thirty, but he should literally be either dead or passed out for days. And I shouldn’t already be healing.

“Tarek.” His name sounds familiar. “Werewolf prince, all around badass, reads minds—except yours is frighteningly closed off. May need to work on that. So, are we good here? Can I go?” He starts to get up.

I push him back onto the couch. “I’ve never—”

“Let me save you words. I know, blah blah blah, you’ve never had anyone break the succubus demon spell. But here’s the thing. I’m not like you. I’m different. Special, if you will. So, if you don’t need any more of my energy to survive, I’m just gonna go out the front door. There is a front door, right?” He rubs his eyes. “See? I’m delirious. Not the front door, I mean the office door.” He yawns and stretches his arms over his head, giving me a beautiful view of his golden abs. Seriously, who is this guy? His body is massive lying on the couch.

I literally have no words. My mouth dry, I point to the door.

He nods. “Thanks.”

He gets his massive body off the leather couch and stretches again. “Do you know any good bagel places around here?”

Doesn’t he work here? Did I make him stupid? “I don’t understand.”

“Bagels. As in bread that looks like a circle with a hole in the middle of—”

“I know what a bagel is!” I yell, frustrated with how nonchalant he is. “But how are you…? Why are you…? I don’t get it. Plus, this city is your home. I just moved from Portland before I got attacked.”

He pauses. “Life, man. So confusing.” He pats me on the arm, followed by the head, then sidesteps me. “The mysteries of the universe just keep on hitting, am I right? All right, then.” Did he just pat me on the head and then wipe his hand on his shirt like my hair’s dirty? I mean, I guess it probably is since I was just attacked. God, I don’t even want to know how rough I look right now. But seriously, what in the ever-loving hell? I just got it dyed before my attack in the alleyway. And I wasn’t even doing anything wrong, just hunting a weak vampire I thought I could take on to last me another few days before I figured out what to do with my life. All I remember is walking. I don’t even know why I was walking in that direction. I hate that my memories make no sense, just as much as I hate what I am.

“Anyway.”

“Wait.” I hold out my hand.

At least I’m not bleeding anymore; that’s nice. And he did heal my knife wound. Why was I even stabbed in the first place?

I can feel Earth energy from feeding off Tarek, but it feels different, not right. Though not wrong, either. It feels purposeful in a way that makes me hesitant.

I stare down at my shaky hands. “What sort of werewolf are you?”

He leans down slowly until we’re face-to-face. “The very best kind.” He winks. “The kind I imagine you’d want to feed off of for an eternity. But I have beer to serve, so I’ll just be going now.”

“Halt!” I yell.

He smirks over his shoulder. “Did you seriously just say, ‘ halt ?’”

“It was the first thing that came to my mind.”

“Really? The very first thing? How old are you, anyway? That’s such an old word to use to say—” He shakes his head and then freezes. “Um, please tell me I didn’t see what I just saw.”

“What?”

He sniffs the air and then ignores me completely, walking out of the office and right up to the vampire who attacked me. Brave guy to stop at the bar I ran into. “You.”

The vampire starts laughing. “Me? Do we know each other?” He tries to walk past Tarek. “I’m just here for a drink. Had a rough night.”

He’s younger, which doesn’t mean stronger, despite what you may have read. But he can still terrorize the entire bar and create a huge mess, and all because he followed me in for a beer.

He has jet-black hair, vibrant green eyes, and is the exact same height and build as the werewolf.

This will not end well .

Still, I stand behind Tarek. I can hold my own, but not against an immortal like the vampire. I’m not strong enough, and since I can feel the werewolf blood in me, I know he has to be stronger than I am. Maybe he’s part of the Council? Maybe he’s just really old. Demons aren’t necessarily a race of powerful immortals unless we feed or have souls.

I have no soul.

And I only fed enough to heal my body.

How depressing.

I wouldn’t last longer than an hour, and by then, the vampire would be the one doing the biting, and I’d be the one doing the dying.

Sometimes, it sucks that your only power is to seduce and consume, and that bagels, as this weird werewolf said, don’t even cure the hunger or need.

“You need to leave.” Hot werewolf who goes by the name of Tarek crosses his bulky arms over his tight black T-shirt and clenches his teeth. Why does a man bun and his caramel-colored hair look so good on him? Why is he so good-looking? Why does he smell and taste good, like earth energy? Life?

Why do I always feel like I taste like death?

I swallow the lump in my throat and self-consciously rub my sticky arms, still standing behind Tarek when I feel a presence.

I’m almost afraid to turn.

The hairs on the back of my arms rise, and I suddenly feel something else—something bigger, stronger. What the hell is happening?

The door behind the vampire, the one to enter the bar, opens. Music still kills my ears, lights are everywhere, people are dancing, and then I see a flash of…it.

I scramble more behind the werewolf and grip him tightly. “D-Dark One. There’s a Dark One. The king—I think the King of the Immortals.”

A low voice rumbles behind me, whispering, “Don’t let him hear that, he has quite the ego.”

I slowly look over my shoulder into crisp, gorgeous blue eyes. They flash red before going back to normal.

I know exactly who this is.

Rumors of his resurrection have run rampant. According to all the immortals I know, the Fallen Gods were resurrected, and the Fallen Angels are on the same side.

And the Creator has allowed it to set everyone free from the Fall.

I just didn’t realize the place I’d moved to would have them living here and in the flesh. Wait, did I move? Where do I even live? And why am I so confused? Maybe the attack. Yeah, I’m in shock. Total shock. That’s it.

The Egyptian god reaches out and touches my cheek, tilting his head curiously. “So, you’re her. Interesting. And here I thought this week would be boring. Sucked a little werewolf, did you now?”

“I was hurt.” I try not to stumble over my words as I hold on to the werewolf. “I didn’t know who he was, or that you were here, or that the King of the Immortals was…here.”

I’ve never been more terrified in my entire existence. I think. How old am I again?

He lifts my chin with his thumb. “I think I’ll enjoy this.”

I close my eyes in dread. He’s seconds away from killing me.

“Cassius,” he barks. “Take care of the trash. We don’t allow vampires who feed on innocents in my club, and I would really hate to spread blood everywhere before dinner. I’ll escort him to…” He walks up to the vampire, who suddenly stumbles back. “Where he belongs.”

Cassius smirks from behind the vampire. “And you do know where you belong when you harm any of the immortals here—or humans, for that matter.”

“Look, man…” The guy spreads his hands wide. He’s shaking. “I don’t want any trouble. Had I known she was under the Council’s immortal protection, I wouldn’t have—”

“Should have never,” Timber—or his god name, Anubis—answers.

“Not even once,” Cassius agrees. “We have rules here in Seattle, in this club, and you know, just in general. Right, Prince Tarek?”

So that’s why. Makes sense. He’s one of them. I was right. He’s most likely on the Council, and if he’s a prince, then he’s second to only the King of the Werewolves, which means he’s old.

Tarek just grins. “Guys, you know I had this.”

“Why does everyone have fun without me?” A voice sounds as someone kicks the door open, revealing basically the most gorgeous man alive—a male siren. Oh, perfect. I now have most of the Immortal Council in front of me. He’s been known to seduce anything that breathes. Bet he tastes good, too. He’s married, though, and has the blood of a god in him—Ra, to be specific. Apparently, none of the Egyptian gods actually died, they just started an immortal race.

There are too many powerful people here to count. Sirens. Werewolves. Angels. Gods—

And they just keep coming.

Literally.

“What does it take to get a good drink around here?” The door opens again, revealing…wow. Yeah, basically the King of the Vampires. Long, jet-black hair, green eyes, leather jacket with a bloody shirt beneath it, and married with twins and another on the way.

All of it checks out.

I am in actual Immortal Hell.

Cassius. Mason. Tarek. Timber. Ethan. And our resident siren, Alex. Not to mention Stephanie and a few others. The Immortal Council, the ones in charge of making sure humans across the world are protected. The ones who work for the Creator. The ones who’ve protected our entire species from the Fallen.

The only stories I know are the ones I’ve picked up from people who took pity on me after my parents’ deaths.

But they’re legends.

I feel like I’m about to pass out.

Ethan sighs. “And one of my own. Unbelievable. You know, you just want one night out without responsibility.”

Alex grins. “Yes, because being a parent is so hard.”

“Damn.” Mason chuckles under his breath. “Timber’s bar may never be the same after that comment.”

Ethan lunges. Alex grins, and Cassius just rolls his eyes as if he’s been dealing with toddlers—aka the Immortal Council—for longer than he can remember. He slowly whispers, “Stop.”

The entire room freezes, except for our little get-together. Everyone is literally frozen in time, save for the tiny pieces of dust in the air that slowly fall all around us.

“Alex, I swear. If you don’t stop pestering him, I will make you ash.”

Alex grins. “I live for it.”

“And yet you might die from it,” Cassius growls and spreads his arms wide, feathers shooting from his back to form giant, purple and blue wings. I stumble backward. He plucks a feather and very slowly brings it to the vampire’s neck. “We don’t harm others unless they truly deserve Hell. Do you understand?”

His pulse races; I can sense it with how my mouth waters. Tarek slowly pulls me to his side and keeps me there as if he knows I’m tempted to get my revenge and drink all the vampire’s energy but am too terrified to get close to Cassius to do so.

“I think we should let her,” Tarek says. “Let her take what he stole.”

Cassius nods his head. “And the rest of you?”

“If it makes it go faster,” Ethan grumbles. “You, Alex?”

“Blood.” Alex sighs. “So messy. Plus, Mason’s already behind the bar pouring drinks because we’re taking too long, bro.” He looks at Tarek. “Don’t you work here?”

Timber sighs. “I’ll go help. You guys deal with this. Don’t make a mess, and let me know when I need to guide him to the Underworld. Haven’t been in a few months. Kind of miss—” He stops talking. “My brother.” And now, this is where I faint as Horus, God of the Sky, just nonchalantly walks into the bar with his bleach-blond hair, gorgeous, chiseled face, ripped jeans, and no shirt.

Timber points at the sign. “No shirt, no service.”

Horus walks over to one of the frozen dancing humans, grabs the guy’s shirt from him, and puts it on. “Better?”

“Animal.” Timber laughs.

Horus just shrugs. “What sort of party am I missing? I thought it was weekly guys’ night. I’ve been busy, and that vampire looks ready to shit his pants. You good, bro?”

The vampire who attacked me actually starts peeing himself. I almost laugh, except I’m also terrified. I can’t look away from the tattoo on Horus’s face that tells everyone in existence just how powerful he is, what he is, and what he’s capable of.

“I think…” Cassius locks eyes with me. “I say we let her have some fun, take back what was stolen, and go have a drink.”

“Yup.” The rest of them walk by.

All but Horus, who stops by my side and leans down at least a foot and a half. “Break his heart, and I’ll break you.”

I start to shake. “T-the vampire?”

His lips are so close to my ear I can feel the heat from them. “No. The werewolf. Trust me when I say he’s more tender than you think, and he’s like my brother. Mark my words, if you harm him, you won’t even remember getting your limbs ripped from your body.” He squeezes my shoulder and walks off. “What beer’s on tap?”

Tarek sighs next to me, still holding me. “He’s been very dramatic since he found out his wife is pregnant. Don’t worry, he doesn’t bite—I mean, not like Ethan does. Or me. I don’t think my bite is extremely hard in general, but—” I point at the vampire trying to escape through the door. “Oh, sorry. Yeah, be right back. But”—he backs up—”before I catch him, do you like, want him dead before or after you suck? I can prepare him any way. Might have been a chef in another life, who knows?”

My jaw drops. “Um.”

“Never mind.” God, his wink is gorgeous. “Be right back. Grab a napkin because you’re about to suck him dry—compliments of the chef.”

I barely see him move through the open door before he’s back, and the vampire’s on his knees in front of me, getting drug through the bar and into the back office.

I follow, slowly.

Tarek releases him, then hits him across the face to make sure he’s out. “All yours, pretty little demon. Better you feed on him than me.”

“Why’s that?” I ask in a small voice.

Tarek leans down until we’re face-to-face. “Because at the end of the day, I truly don’t think you can handle me, little girl.” He pats me on the head and shuts the door, only to crack it open again. “Oh, and try not to make a mess. I really like my couch.”