Chapter 1
Get your ass to work. We need you.
The second Sammi got the text from her boss, she knew it was going to be one of those days. She dragged herself out of bed and mentally prepared herself, as she saw her clock flashing 6:30. Time to be Sammi the Human Defender.
Pulling her long, auburn hair back into a tight ponytail, she fastened it at the nape of her neck. Then she stood, sizing herself up in the mirror like an opponent. Today I'm going to need all the sexual energy I can get, so no cutting corners.
She squeezed into a see-through black lace pushup bra and matching panties. Selecting an emerald green leather top to match her eyes, she buttoned it up, leaving it open just above her belly button. The spaghetti straps and low bust didn't leave much to the imagination. Better not bend over. Or maybe I should... Tight black pants and knee-high lace-up boots completed her outfit.
Hot. Dangerous. And alluring. Besides being so over-the-top that no one will look below the surface.
Knock, Knock. Pause. Knock. Pause. Knock, knock.
A familiar pattern tapped into her door before the jangling of keys broke through the peaceful silence of the morning. As she strode out of her bedroom, the smell of freshly brewing coffee washed over her. She swept through the room, collecting yesterday's clothes from off her brown microfiber couch and moving to the three massive windows. Clutching her old clothes to her chest, she tapped a button on the wall. The three window shades opened in unison, letting in the glaring morning light, just as the door opened behind her.
"Morning, sweetheart!" Bradley jumped into the room, obviously trying to surprise her. His gaze flicked over her scantily clad form before disappointment pulled his mouth into a frown. "Dressed already?"
She felt his attraction drifting through the air like a too-strong perfume that plucked at her, but after so long, she knew better than to feed on it. Goblins taste just awful. Like old fruit and wet dog.
Sammi smiled, refocusing on her friend. "You're losing your touch."
He shrugged. "I guess there's always bath time tonight."
She dropped her pile of clothes and crossed her arms over her chest, trying to give her best look of disapproval. "I'm already regretting giving you that key."
"Whoa, whoa!" he said, holding up his hands in a gesture of mock surrender. "Can't I kid? I thought you loved my sparkling personality."
"Sparkling, my ass. Annoying is what it is," she muttered, already smiling.
Most goblins were tricksters by nature, stirring up trouble wherever they went, but Bradley was a mix. Half human, half goblin, she appreciated his humor, just as much as she liked his human empathy that kept his jokes from taking on the dark cruelty of some of his brethren. And even though they were just friends, she admired his strange beauty. He was tall and lanky, lean but muscular, and completely human-looking if not for the green tint of his skin and the shocking spiked white-blond hair on his head.
"So how was your night?" he asked, skirting past her oak table and four mismatched chairs, and around her kitchen island, to grab a couple of mugs. "Did you end up staying at Lucky's or bouncing to another bar?"
Sammi grabbed the clothes at her feet and chucked them in the laundry basket in her closet, before joining Bradley in the kitchen. Her steaming mug of coffee sat ready, already smelling of her hazelnut creamer and a heavy dose of sugar. "I stayed at Lucky's?actually made it to the alley out back."
Just the memory of it had heat racing through her blood as her breathing sped up.
She slammed the werewolf shifter up against the wall. "Stand there and take it, sweetheart."
He growled and tried to move out of her grip, but she channeled her energy through him, drawing on his attraction for her. She could see it all. The way he saw her. Big breasts. Narrow waist. Lips made for sucking cock.
"Yes," she coaxed him. "Show me more."
He thrashed beneath her touch, writhing in ecstasy. His need to touch her was overwhelming. He wanted her lips on his, wanted her legs wrapped around his waist while he thrust into her hot womanhood.
"That's it." She stroked his cheek, lowering her lips to brush against his.
The violet cloud that drifted from his body wrapped around hers, filling her with energy, but also with a need for something more. He bucked beneath her, his hips keeping rhythm with how he imagined fucking her, and then he exploded, coming in his pants.
She moved back from him as he slid to the ground, eyes lolled back in his head. Tonight, he'd felt pleasure like nothing he'd experienced before. But he'd also paid the price. Tomorrow he'd feel like a truck had run him over.
"Thanks," she whispered, turning and walking away.
There was a little extra spring in her step as his sexual energy coursed through her. But these moments were like throwing a chicken to a lion. It was barely a mouthful. She still felt hungry. Empty. There was only one way to feel completely full, but even though she knew what she needed, she only took it when she had to.
Because no matter how many years passed, sex was always something she wanted to share with someone special. Not that she'd have a chance for anything real again. Not when no good man would ever want a succubus.
Sex with a succubus was craved by those who liked danger; those who were willing to risk their lives for mind-blowing sex. The same kind of people and creatures who let vampires feed on them for the rush.
No, sex with a succubus was not something a normal person would risk. And a relationship with one? Out of the question.
"The alley, huh?" Bradley asked, pulling her back into the present. He focused on his own coffee, in his usual cup decorated with tiny four-leaf clovers. "With that shifter?"
"Yeah." And even though she didn't need to explain herself, she did. "I didn't have sex with him or anything, but he let me drain him pretty far." Rolled his head and groaned with pleasure the whole time. She clenched her warm cup. "Feeling better than I have in weeks."
"That's good," he said. "But I bet that asshole has a hell of a headache today."
They both laughed, and some of the tension in the room eased.
"But you know you need to have sex soon."
She threw him a dirty look. "Thanks, boss."
He laughed, but the sound came out hollow. "I'm just saying. You've lost some weight, and I almost won you at sparring yesterday?"
"I'm fine."
He drew himself up. "There's not a lot of information on succubi. But from what I read, you should be having sex at least once a week. Not once every few months."
Something inside her grew cold. "So, what, spend my nights banging assholes from bars? Sounds like fun."
He shrugged. "I'd gamble every night, you know, if goblins were allowed."
She tried to push down her anger and hurt. And the lingering knowledge that he was right. Logically. "I'll keep an eye on it, okay?"
"Alright," he grinned. "Maybe I'm just jealous. I can't get hotties in bed every night."
She smiled in spite of the turbulent feelings that still lingered. But when you have sex, it isn't just sex, you get a chance to have something more. Something real.
"How's your coffee?"
Sammi raised it to her lips and took a sip, wincing. "What the hell did you do to my coffee?"
A blush spread over his face. "I've been worried about you?so?"
She lowered her mug, glaring at him. "What did you do?"
"Well, I might have switched it to decaf." He rushed on to explain before she could interrupt. "You need to lay off it. You've been as high-strung as a cat in a room full of dogs lately."
Yeah, because I haven't had sex in three months, not because of the damned coffee. "Congratulations, you've earned yourself a stop at The Colorful Bean this morning, your treat. And as an additional prize, you'll be explaining to Captain why we're running late."
She poured the foul brew into the sink, along with the rest of the pot, before shrugging into her black leather jacket.
He gulped down the rest
of his coffee, following her and muttering, "You're the one who just moved up to steady pay."
Turning on him, she silenced him with a glare. "Maybe you should've thought of that before messing with my coffee."
She wanted to make a beeline for her caffeine, but he'd forgotten his jacket. Again.
So, they stopped at his apartment across the hall. She waited in the threshold of his doorway, her gaze darting from the dirty dishes overflowing on the counters to the stacks of takeout containers scattered on the table in front of the clothes pile hiding his couch.
"How can you live like this?" she asked, her nose shrinking from the mingled scents of old food.
"At least underneath this mess is a chic bachelor pad. Your apartment looks like it belongs to a librarian."
"Yeah, metal, black, and white." She rolled her eyes. "What exquisite taste. You and every other wannabe must go to the same decorator."
He grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment."
That's the best thing about Bradley. He can dish it, but he can take it too.
He grabbed his black trench coat from off a hook on the wall, but set it back down when he stopped in front of his hall mirror to spike his hair higher. Wearing a white dress shirt, black vest, and thin black tie, along with his skintight black pants, he looked like some twenty something model having just stepped off a photo shoot rather than a Human Defender.
"Ready, pretty boy?"
"You want a piece of this?" he teased, shrugging into his coat.
"So that you can complain about the migraine later? No thanks," she said, kicking at a suspicious pile of bags beside the door. "Now, are you done primping?"
He grinned and started toward her, but slipped in an epically embarrassing way, falling on his back with a whoosh. Seconds later, his big-screen TV popped on.
Her laugh was cut off by the annoying voice of the top anchor on The Faerie News Channel filled the silence. "Queen Aethe of the faeries says that, although the vampires claim no knowledge of the attacks on their lands, unconfirmed sources have tied their kind to it. In response, the vampires claim the faeries retaliated unjustly, shattering several floors of windows on their infamous fourth Black Tower."
"Seriously, more of this nonsense?" Sammi said.
Bradley reached underneath the pile of clothes he'd slipped on, fished out the remote, and turned it off. "Think we can see it from your apartment?"
"Wouldn't hurt to look." They went back across the hall and over to her windows overlooking the city. Squinting against the sun, she flicked a button on the wall and the windows tinted. From her eighth-floor apartment, she could make out the six sleek Black Towers of the vampire clans. The first three floors' windows were completely shattered on the tower with a massive silver 4.
"Did you see the Faerie Lands?"
Her gaze swept over the diverse city below. Run-down buildings, wealthy districts, huge gardens and parks, and industrial sections crowded together before reaching the water's edge. The large strip of white sand curled around the island, unbroken except for the dots of people already enjoying the cool morning weather. She looked to the far left where the Faerie Lands spread out until they met with the end of the island.
For a second she wasn't sure what he referred to, but then her gaze skittered and stopped at a large black spot. It looked like a ball of fire had taken out one small section of the woods closest to the city.
"Shit."
He drew himself back. "What do you think did that?"
"Some powerful magic, if we didn't hear it last night." She frowned. Some really powerful magic.
Bradley's voice rose in excitement. "Do you think that's what Captain wants us in so early for? To tell us we get to be involved in the case?"
She shrugged, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling creeping up her spine. "Who knows, but he's going to be pretty pissed if we're too late."
They locked up both apartments and took the elevator down to the first floor where the tiny beige lobby greeted them. No doubt it took several meetings with various councils to determine what kind of habitat middle-class humans, and humanoids, would feel most comfortable living in. But even knowing that, the building as a whole had the air of a place given little thought. And for some reason, Sammi liked it all the more for that reason alone.
They exited through two glass doors into the cool autumn morning. The sounds of the city exploded around them as cars whooshed by on the busy four-lane roads, and the traffic on the sidewalks was equally busy. They turned to the left and immediately fell in stride with the other Saturday-morning pedestrians.
A group of large shifters stumbled past them, smelling strongly of whiskey. And as always, dressed a couple of layers lighter than everyone around them. Hot-blooded and bulging with muscles,in her current state she could even overlook the fact that they were quick to anger. Just makes the sex that much more exciting.
"Where?you?goin' in such a hurry?" one of them shouted at her.
She spun, noting that along with the usual yellow circling the man's pupils were the spidery-red lines of drunkenness in his irises. Yet she didn't give a damn that he'd probably be passed out in a few minutes. She inhaled deeply of the sexual desire wafting from him. It was as good as a shot of whiskey first thing in the morning, tasty and somehow out of place so early.
If she wanted to, she could flirt back. Touch him lightly, increase that initial attraction until it was a burning need. But she didn't. She already fed last night, and other than feeding off him, he held no real appeal. Most men just?just weren't her type.
Realizing she was standing still and the other male shifters were staring, she licked her lips. "Nowhere you could handle."
His friends hooted and jostled him, and she turned back, striding faster to make it across the street before the light changed.
"Was that necessary?" Bradley asked, chagrin in his tone.
She shrugged. "It was fun."
He shook his head. "One of these days, you're going to get me beat up."
"You?" She grinned. "Nah, you could take 'em."
He flexed his thin arm. "Yeah, you're right. Flirt all you want. Your big man is here to protect you."
She rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide her grin.
Two vampire women jogged toward them, wearing flowing pants and thick jackets, and their trademark wide-brimmed hats made of expensive fabric. Like most vampires, they dressed to keep as much of the sun off them as possible, in the most fashionable way possible. One of them, a dark-haired beauty, flashed Bradley a dirty look before commenting to her friend under her breath, "There goes the neighborhood."
Sammi made out every word, and stepped into her path at the last minute, jostling the woman with her shoulder.
"Watch it!" She stopped, flashing her fangs.
Sammi held her gaze, her eyes narrowed.
The woman hissed as she darted away and continued jogging.
"Do you have to pick a fight every time?" Bradley kept walking.
Sammi hurried to join him at his side. "She started it."
Bradley was silent as they continued walking. Their neighborhood, a surprisingly decent collection of shops and tall apartment buildings, melted away to the more distinctive bustling Main Street.
Finally, Bradley broke the silence. "Middleton is one of the few places that allows half-breed goblins to live there. I knew what I was getting into when I moved in. You're a good friend, but you don't have to start something every time someone gives me a dirty look or says something mean. It isn't going to help my case."
She stiffened. "I guess I hadn't thought about it." And she hadn't. He'd joked every time she picked a fight, but he'd never sounded so serious about it before. It must've been bothering him for awhile for him to finally say something. "I'll try to take it down a notch, okay?"
Bradley sighed dramatically, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "I guess that's the best I can hope for."
The tension in her muscles eased. She didn't want to fight. Especial
ly not with Bradley. Besides being one of her closest friends, usually if he was pissed, it meant she'd screwed up royally.
Shrugging off his arm as they arrived at The Colorful Bean, she glanced at the people filing in. "Damn it, there's a line."
Bradley paused with his hand on the door. "Well, you could always go without-" he teased.
She let the horror of the idea show on her face. "Not a chance."
His laughter followed her inside.
The Colorful Bean was Sammi's favorite place. They made a hot large-beyond-belief chocolate hazelnut latte that made her weak in the knees just to think about. Almost as good as fresh chocolate chip cookies.
Just the thought of her dessert-like coffee had her mouth watering. Humans seemed to have this weird idea that succubi fed on nothing but attraction, but in reality, they loved food. Especially sweet stuff.
Multicolored paper lanterns with flickering candles were strung from the ceiling and in the shop windows. Wrought-iron chairs and tables were clustered together around the room. Behind the long counter there were massive shelves lined with tea and coffee from around the world. It always smelled of coffee, but also of chocolate chip cookies. It was a home away from home of the best possible kind
They fell in line behind two vampire women. Both were heavily bundled against the cold, but they'd swept off their wide-brimmed hats. There was an air of celebration to them as they spoke, too loudly. Sammi wanted to ignore them, but her training made it hard to ignore even the smallest details.
"I can't believe it's finally happened," the blonde spoke without the usual vampire-pomp.
Her friend, a slightly older brunette, grinned. "I remember the day they called about our Brylee. It was the happiest day of our lives."
The blonde pulled something out of her many shopping bags and held it up to her friend. "Do you think it will fit?"
Sammi didn't know anything about children, but it seemed to be some kind of baby sack.
The brunette smiled. "I'm sure it will fit perfectly." Then, she swept a hand through her ridiculously straight hair. "Have you already filled out all your paperwork?"
"No."
They all shuffled a few inches closer to the counter. And the coffee.
"Well then, let me give you some advice."
The blonde, and mom-to-be, ran a finger along the stitching of a cat on the baby clothes and the words that said I'm purrfect. "Please do."
They inched forward.
"You'll get her faster the longer you wait to do her Turning Ceremony, but our Brylee is going to be twenty this year and many of her friends get to be Turned. She has to wait until twenty-two, because I was so eager."
They inched closer. Just two people to go.
The blonde stared at the baby outfit for a minute longer before putting it back in her bag. "When I filled out the initial paperwork, I said I might consider leaving her human."
The older brunette started a long-drawn-out lecture about the many reasons not to leave a child human, but Sammi tuned her out the best she could. She'd been involved in a few cases involving the children of vampires trying to get Turned before their allotted time and was more than familiar with how messy it could get.
Parents sought out her expertise and advice, since it technically involved the protection of humans. Because even though the vampires hated involving humans in matters they considered private, they also weren't willing to face the huge fines and possible jail time if their children were Turned before the agreed-upon time. So, involving her company to protect their children was the perfect middle ground. They got help and, because Stockwell Protection was only a consultant for the government, they could conduct the vampires' business on the down-low.
"Next!" Thankfully, one of the baristas waved the two vampire women forward.
Sammi waited, tapping her foot, no longer able to focus on anything but her coffee?so close, and yet so far.
"It's lucky she got a baby at all," Bradley murmured, his breath tickling her ear.