Chapter 13. Lochran
I had spent the entirety of the morning jerking off.
When I’d woken up and made my way down to make Lex breakfast, I hadn’t planned to spend the next few hours with my fist on my dick. It was the first time that I’d ever eaten mortal food just for the pleasure of it, and not to take the edge off my hunger. Lex was her usual stunning self, her hair in a messy bun, a tight sweater that left nothing to the imagination—not that I needed to use my imagination anymore—and a pair of baggy sweatpants that accentuated the flare of her hips. My mate had quickly shooed me up to my room so that she could concentrate on her notebook.
I was sure she had fully intended to do that, but, like me, she’d been replaying every moment of last night over and over in her head.
Her desire had permeated the entire house, and it was all I could do to strip my clothes and fist my cock before she’d sent me over the edge. That had been the first orgasm. The second one came not long after that, as did the third. But by the time the fourth came, I had some more control. And so, as Lex remained in the kitchen, unconsciously pumping her desire through the house, I’d used it as an exercise in control. By noon, I’d been able to edge myself for a full hour without climax.
It was progress.
Just as I pulled myself from the edge once more, the scent in the air changed. My nostrils no longer filled with my mate’s Samhain-spiced scent of desire. This was bitter and acidic, anger mixed with fear. It took a mere second for me to pull my jeans back on before I leaped down the stairs.
The door to the kitchen was open, and I could see my mate hunched over, her phone in her hand and her back to me. I knocked on the door to announce my presence. A stabbing sensation shot through my chest as she brought the sleeve of her sweater to her face before turning to me, her eyes red.
Anger like I’d never felt before radiated through me, and I struggled to keep the shadows from pooling around me. Someone had upset my mate.
I wanted to fall on my knees in front of her and beg her to tell me who had hurt her. I wanted to call my shadow wings and hunt down whoever had caused my mate so much pain and tear them limb from limb. I wanted to pull her into my arms and tell her everything would be okay, that she’d always be safe with me.
But I sensed that my mate wanted none of those things. Her scent changed to that of freshly wrought iron, a look of steely determination crossing her face.
So I set aside my want to comfort and destroy, and instead made my mate a cup of tea. It didn’ t feel like it while I was making it, but the moment I’d set the tea in front of her, her scent softened somewhat. The tang of determination was still strong, but it was laced with something soft and herbal. Comfort.
This pleased me, and I felt some of my earlier tension ebb away.
“I’m surprised you’ve managed to keep your promise and stay upstairs for most of the day. What have you been doing?” Lex asked.
My lip twitched. I wanted to tell my mate of all the filthy ways I’d pictured fucking her as I practiced my control. There’d been a time when talking dirty had only been a tool to make the mortal women orgasm faster. A tool that had felt wrong and cringey. But with Lex, the way her body had responded to my words last night had felt right. I wondered if I could make her orgasm from just words alone? There was a thought. But, for now, my mate wasn’t quite ready for those kind of filthy declarations. Instead, I decided to tease her. “Did you get anymore pages written?”
“Um... no,” she said.
“Was something... distracting you?” I asked, my tone innocent. My dick twitched the moment Lex’s eyes widened in realization, her cheeks flushing a dusky pink. Her eyes darted quickly to the bulge in my pants, to my hand, and then to her cup of tea.
Teasing my mate was quickly becoming one of my favorite pastimes. But the scent of her determination was still heavy in the air, and she needed to continue with her journal. “Anyway, I’ll leave you to your... writing,” I said, unable to resist the urge of one final teasing comment.
As I crossed the room, I bent automatically to kiss her forehead before catching myself. We’d masturbated in front of each other, but there was something more intimate about a kiss on the forehead that I didn’t think Lex was ready for.
My heart swelled as I left the room, a note of longing now added to Lex’s scent.
***
I spent the rest of the afternoon pacing my room, occasionally popping down to the kitchen to make Lex a cup of tea before returning. Lex’s writing became frantic, her tongue bit between her teeth in concentration. Her emotions ebbed and flowed between anger and fear and didn’t subside until the clock struck six.
She knocked on my door to remind me that we were to have dinner with her family in an hour. There was a tinge of glee mixed in with her scent, but when I asked her what her “Good luck!” warning had meant, her lips pulled into a malevolent smile as she said, “You’ll find out soon enough.”
My devious little witch.
If she would have let me, I’d have tied her to the bed and licked her pretty little pussy, edging her until she spilled her secrets in exchange for release.
But, for now, I’d just have to trust that whatever my mate wasn’t telling me wouldn’t result in bodily harm.
An hour later, I was sitting on the threadbare couch waiting for Lex to finish getting ready. The house had provided me with a shirt and woolen vest top, tanned pants and a pair of loafers to dress in. It had taken a full ten minutes of pleading before I’d convinced it to conjure the outfit I’d been summoned in. Unlike in the shadow realm, I couldn’t just poof things into existence myself. It felt good to be back in my usual attire.
A weight pressed down on my lap. I glanced down to see the house had summoned Lex’s notebook just as a lamented creak echoed around the living room. The house was just as pained as me that our witch was hurting.
“House, that’s private. I won’t be reading it,” I said, keeping my voice soft and soothing. I wanted nothing more than to open it and see exactly what had happened to my mate. Maybe I’d even get the name of someone to hunt and quell this murderous rage brewing inside me. “Lex will tell me in her own time.”
The book disappeared, presumably back to the kitchen table, which Lex had commandeered for her task.
I didn’t have long to dwell on her notebook as a moment later, Lex’s bedroom door clicked shut. I looked over my shoulder just in time to catch the first glimpse of my mate descending the stairs. My heart stopped in my chest as a pair of ankle high, black Dr. Martens were followed by my mate’s bared, curvy legs. The nakedness of her legs seemed to keep going and going until, finally, they were covered mid-thigh by a dress. Her dress was midnight black velvet, littered with tiny stars. It was cinched at her waist, flaring from her hips, bouncing with every step she took down the stairs in a way that made my mouth dry .
Her cardigan was black and oversized, and had fallen from her shoulder on one side, pooling at her elbow. It was the perfect mix of comfort and seduction that had the first ripple of hunger since yesterday scorch through me.
While a messy bun would always be my favorite look on my mate, billowing russet curls were a close second. They flowed down her back and over her shoulder, catching the candlelight and looking like a flaming waterfall.
I was speechless, and was pretty sure my mouth was hanging open, but I couldn’t seem to move a muscle.
Lex’s cheeks flared red as she pulled at the hem of her dress. “Don’t get used to me wearing a dress,” she huffed before looking into empty air and scowling. “It’s all the house would let me wear.”
“Have you tried begging?” I managed to say, my eyes still fixed on the beauty in front of me. “It worked very well for me.”
I wondered if begging would work with Lex. If I fell on my knees and pleaded to taste her cunt, would she let me? As if she were having the exact same thoughts, a spike of her desire filled the room, quickly followed by a note of disapproval.
“Stop it, Lochran,” she groaned. “Not when we’re about to see my family.”
Her family, made up of witches and other incubi. I could see why this was probably the worst time to tease my mate. As if my instincts sensed it too, an ironclad vise suppressed that side of me. It felt wrong to dampen my senses and block my mate from me, but it was probably for the best. If I caught even a whiff of desire from my mate, I’d be sporting a monstrous erection, which would be something probably best avoided when meeting my new in-laws for the first time.
I only ever blocked my senses when I was in the shadow realm. It was an odd sensation to do it here, especially when my mate was so close to me. Not having my senses to pick up emotions made me feel vulnerable, but Lex assured me that the chance of an axe-wielding serial killer picking us off in the ten-minute walk to her parent’s house was slim.
The walk was a rather pleasant one, and thoughts of homicidal murderers on the loose were soon pushed to the back of my mind. I’d only seen the town in the daylight, and there was something magical about it at night. We followed the cobbled path that skimmed the outskirts of town, the glittering town on one side and an ancient forest flanking the other. Old-fashioned lamps scattered the path, each illuminated by witchlight, which cast a warm lilac glow across the path—light enough that we wouldn’t stumble, dark enough that if Lex were to let me pull her into the woods and press her up against a tree, no one would know.
The image was quickly doused by the vise I’d put on my senses. On the cusp of meeting her family formally for the first time was not when I should be thinking about how accessible her pussy was in that dress.
As we walked, Lex talked animatedly about her childhood growing up in the town, many of the stories I’d already heard from her mom. I listened intently and tried to curb the excitement that I might one day also have a daughter who would experience as magical a childhood as my mate. I wondered if my mate wanted children too. I presumed that being an active succubus, Lex had been taking the standard contraceptive potion most magical creatures consumed annually. The sex ban meant that I hadn’t bothered to take it for a few years. I made a mental note to try to slip that into a casual conversation at some point. The way this witch drove me crazy, I didn’t think I’d have the mental capacity to remember to tell her if she suddenly decided she wanted a more intimate relationship.
Finally, we reached my in-laws’ house. Clad in black wood slats, it looked like something from one of those renovation shows, where the owners were aiming for a well-beloved log cabin with a modern twist.
Lex’s grin widened as the door opened on cue.
Her mother was standing in the hallway, fixing her hair in the mirror. It took her a moment to realize the door had opened before she spun on her heel to face us, a squeal of delight issuing from her. “Alexis!” she cried, lunging forward and enveloping Lex in a mama bear hug. “I seem to remember a certain little witch saying she would never, ever partake in the Samhain summoning. And look at you now! I’m so happy for you, dear.”
“I didn’t partake in the Samhain summoning,” Lex huffed. “You sent me to live in a very overbearing house that tricked me into it.” The declarations should have hurt, but Lex’s tone was more humorous than regretful.
Ms. Cole’s eyes widened in surprise as she let go of her daughter. Her eyes narrowed in on me as the next target and, sure enough, a split second later, I was engulfed in a near bone-crushing hug too. “Lochran! You didn’t tell me that you were an accidental summoning when we had tea!”
“Nice to see you again, Ms. Cole,” I said down to her. “And, yes. I can confirm I am indeed an accidental summoning.”
“There was nothing accidental about it,” a honeyed voice came from a room beyond.
Lex groaned beside me as a witch with a gray bob, sparkling eyes, and a knowing smile clicked her way into the hallway, her serpentine cane’s ruby eyes boring into me.
“Lochran, this is my grandmother, Lily Cole. Grandma, this is my m—” Lex coughed.
She’d almost said the forbidden M word! I couldn’t help the smile that tore from my lips. Something primal swelled in my chest.
“... my... um.” Lex looked me up and down, unsure of what to call me. I didn’t care what came out of her mouth next, because what she really wanted to call me was mate. “My... um... roommate,” she finally settled on.
“Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Cole,” I said. I bet I looked like a lovesick fool in this moment. If this were a cartoon, I’d have little love hearts for eyes and birds would be singing. And I didn’t care that my mate had reduced me to this gooey pile of mushy love.
A cough brought me back to my senses, and all three witches were staring at me. Lex rolled her eyes. Her mom brought her clasped hands to her cheek, gushing like a schoolgirl, while her grandmother eyed me up and down.
I found myself straightening under the scrutiny of the oldest Ms. Cole. She might dress like a doting grandma, but there was a steely presence to her. Finally, she said, “I think he’ll survive.”
“Survive what?” I asked, but quick as a viper, Lex’s grandmother had already looped Lex’s arm into hers and was directing her granddaughter to the living room, asking Lex to expand on the circumstances of my summoning.
I made to follow, but Lex’s mom put a finger out. “Ah, ah, ah. You’ll be going in there,” she said, pointing to the kitchen, “while we catch up with Alexis. You’ll find all three generations of males in the kitchen, dear, each waiting to size you up.”
Oh, goodie.
Ms. Cole made to follow her mother and daughter before turning, her face pained. “Just... don’t mention the upcoming trial. Lex’s father is still a bit raw over the whole thing, as I’m sure you’d understand.”
I felt the color drain from my face. I was two dueling halves. Part of me wished my mate already trusted me enough to tell me what had happened to her. The other part hoped she didn’t.
That was perhaps a bit selfish of me. But, by this point, I’d realized that she had most likely been attacked by a man, and probably one that she’d been with to satisfy her succubus. The longer I lived in ignorance, the longer I had to gain Lex’s trust. Because the moment I found out who he was, Lex would be witness to a very different side of me. A side I wasn’t sure I could control when it came to protecting my mate. It would kill me if Lex saw that side of me prematurely and it scared her.
I drew in a deep breath as her mom made her way into the living room. I pushed all thoughts of the journal and the trial to the back of my mind as I wandered toward the kitchen.
Three sets of eyes narrowed on me.
Even though my senses were dampened, the three males in front of me made the hairs rise on the back of my neck. Shadows threatened to spill from me, but I willed them back.
These males were Lex’s family. There was no threat to my mate, I reminded myself.
Lex’s father stood over the kitchen island, draining potatoes into the sink. His lips were tight, his eyes narrowed as if he were considering flinging hot potatoes in my face for defiling his daughter.
Her grandfather was leaning against the counter, arms folded, beer in hand, looking me up and down. While Lex’s dad dressed like he had just walked off the set of a fifties suburbia movie, her grandfather looked like he belonged at a punk festival. He wore a white tee-shirt, covered by a leather vest with metal studs on the shoulder and embroidered band logos, tight black jeans and well-worn black leather boots. His hair was shaved to the skin on the sides, a blisteringly white mohawk on top. I resisted the urge to rub my eyes, for surely this man wasn’t the partner of the eldest Ms. Cole, who wore a frilly apron.
To his side was a young warlock. While warlocks were common in most covens, he was the first one I’d seen since being summoned here. Which made sense as the witches born to the Briar Coven were clones of their mothers, except for a small amount from their fathers. He did look almost identical to his sister—if Lex were a ripped, six-foot-some-odd male. His russet hair, the exact same shade as Lex and their father, was artfully disheveled. His face wore a scowl of pure and utter hatred, and I felt shadows swirl in my veins, ready to strike.
I urged the shadows to settle once more. I was taller and broader than the three males in front of me. If they wanted a show of dominance, they’d have one.
Lex’s brother snorted a laugh, his scowl dropping from his face, replaced by a wide grin. “Sorry guys,” he said, nearly choking on his laugh. “I can’t keep it up.”
The two other males rolled their eyes at the youngest one. “Seriously, Jake?” Lex’s grandfather said in an irritated grumble. “I managed to keep your father on edge for a full evening when I first met him.”
“One of the most uncomfortable nights of my life, Sid,” Lex’s dad huffed before turning to me. “I was hoping to torture you a little longer, but I guess you can help with the mashed potatoes instead.” He held out a hand across the kitchen island. “You can call me Arch.”
“As in Archibald?” I said, accepting his outstretched hand.
The next thing I knew, I was gliding across the island countertop, Arch’s free hand grasping around my neck. “As in archnemesis if you hurt my daughter.”
Don’t kill your mate’s dad. Don’t kill your mate’s dad. Don’t kill your mate’s dad.
Despite my best effort, shadows erupted around me, coiling around Arch’s arms and squeezing. His wrist bent with a sickening snap , and he let go of my neck. I threw myself off the island. The moment my feet touched the ground, my membranous shadow wings materialized behind me, spreading as far as they could in a threatening pose, the black iridescent scales flashing in warning. Obsidian talons grew from my fingers, and my bodkin-tipped tail coiled behind my shoulder, ready to strike. An unearthly hiss emanated through my gritted teeth as I stared down at my mate’s father.
Arch’s shadows had settled into a contrasting form. He didn’t have wings or a tail. Instead, a pair of dangerously sharp horns coiled out from his hairline, piercing through his sculpted hair. His canines had grown like daggers, catching his bottom lip... which was pulled into a pleased grin as he eyed me up and down.
“Impressive,” he mused. “I think you’ll do nicely.”
I glared at him, my talons flexing, itching to tear into something.
“Need some help in there, sweetie?” Ms. Cole called from the living room, breaking my murderous gaze.
“No thanks, dear,” Lex’s father replied sheepishly.
“Then kindly recall your shadows!”
The shadows instantly dropped from Arch’s form at his mate’s command. I remained still apart from my tail, the pointed tip trained on Arch’s heart.
“You too, Lochran!” Lex bellowed.
My shadows slid from me, pooling on the floor at my feet before disappearing into the nooks and crannies of the kitchen.
Sid broke into a glittering smile, so at odds with his ominous look, as he slapped me on the back, declaring, “Ah! You’ll make a fine match for our Alexis!”
“Sorry. Couldn’t help myself,” Arch said, his canines retracting back to their normal size. He clicked his broken wrist back into place. I should feel bad for breaking my mate’s father’s wrist, but I just couldn’t seem to muster the sympathy. Besides, it’d probably be healed by the time he made it to the dining table. “That was the final bit of torture, I promise.”
“Welcome to the family!” Jake grinned as he slung his arm over my shoulder.