2. Chapter One
I inhale a deep breath causing dirt to invade my mouth.
Clawing at the worm-infested soil I’m buried in, I keep my eyes closed to protect them from the granules of earth. Wet gunk sticks under my nails as I fight my way free. My lungs begin to burn with the need to breathe, but I can’t. The pressure to get free has me fighting harder until I punch through the surface.
There’s a second where I don’t move because I’m shocked. When I feel the cool air make the hair on my arms stand, I place my hand on the ground to use it as leverage to get out of my grave.
My head breaks free, and I spit out all the dirt in my mouth, audibly gasping for air. My other arm becomes free and I’m able to flatten both hands on the ground, dig my fingers into the dirt, and drag myself out of the hole.
“Finally,” I rasp, rolling onto my back to catch my breath. The light escaping through the cloudy sky is enough for me.
I lie there for a minute to allow myself a chance to feel my limbs, wiggle my toes, feel the warmth of my skin, and appreciate my second chance at life in the real world.
Purgatory wasn’t so bad, but I knew I needed to escape. I deserved a second chance at life and now I know how to embrace my new self. When I learned there was a way to escape by slipping through a tear in time and space, I used my abilities to my advantage.
There was a couple in Purgatory who wanted to find a creature called the Avisseus. Apparently, this creature was the only one who could perform the tear in said time and space.
I followed the couple on their journey to find the Avisseus, using my chameleon ability to blend in with my surroundings. They never saw me. They never knew I was a step behind them.
And when they jumped through the tear, I did too, which is why I woke up in this grave.
This must be where the doctors buried me when I died in order for me to wake up here.
“I’m surprised they buried me in the first place,” I mumble to myself as I stand, wiping the dirt from my body.
There’s a part of me that wants to go to their facility to see if they are still there. I want to go on a rampage. I want to kill them all. I’ve dreamed of feeling the warmth of their blood on my hands, to hear them scream, to hear them beg, and to see them cry.
Just the thought has pleasure simmering inside me, a pleasure that has my tentacles slip free, curl up, and rub over my clit. There’s nothing more I want than to make myself come at the thought of my tormentors dying.
What if I had them on their knees, bound, and gagged? They would be sobbing for their freedom, and I’d be right in front of those doctors, legs spread, and getting myself off to their fear.
Yet there is a part of me that doesn’t want to go back. I only want to move forward and try to live a normal life— the best I can while looking like this. Some force tells me to pick the second option,
“Speaking of…” I talk to myself as I twist and turn, trying to figure out where exactly I am. “I don’t see the facility.” My brows furrow together and the leaves under my feet cause me to slip as I spin around again.
I inhale, using my enhanced senses to see if I’m anywhere near the place I was held. I don’t smell the wretched body odor of Glasses or the other doctors. There’s no death or fear hanging thick in the air like a poisonous fog wanting to suffocate me.
Wet earth hangs in the air instead. Along with the hint of smoke from a bonfire somewhere in the distance. There’s also rushing water to my left that sounds like a river. I cross my arms over my chest, a chill hanging in the air as I begin walking. I don’t know where I’m headed but staying here in the middle of the woods will kill me.
And I’ve come too fucking far to die now.
It isn’t long before the river becomes louder. My feet squelch in the damp ground with every step, the mud pushing between my toes.
Since I’m alone, I’m left with my own thoughts. There’s a small amount of guilt eating away at me for leaving Purgatory Pins without saying goodbye to the friends I made there. I wouldn’t have survived that place if it weren’t for Lorcan and Trovian showing me the ropes.
It was home but there was a need pushing me to escape. Even now, my heart is being pulled in a direction I don’t understand. This feeling is all-encompassing, though. The powerful emotion overwhelmed me to leave. I don’t know why and I’m not sure where it will lead me.
This is my chance to start over and own my life. If anyone gets in my way of that, I will kill them and I will enjoy it.
I step out of the tree line and stop at the edge of the riverbank. The wind is cool causing goosebumps to arise on my skin. A light mist from the water crashing against the rocks manages to leave a light cold cast over my skin. I stand there for a moment, at peace, dragging my eyes from right to left to enjoy the view.
I’m so used to darkness and death that I had forgotten what it was like to breathe in beauty and life.
The sun isn’t shining. It’s cloudy with the promise of more rain. It’s comforting. I used to love thunderstorms but after being in a room for months by myself, trapped with no windows, the thunder and lightning morphed into a villain for me.
“Where will you take me, River?” I ask the water as I follow it downstream.
I shiver, wishing I would have escaped Purgatory with clothes on, but I would have been unable to use my chameleon abilities to escape. The clothes do not change when I try to adapt to my environment. Only my skin does. It’s inconvenient. It could be worse. I could still be in Purgatory feeding off the desire of random unmated creatures.
I inhale a deep breath and whatever I smell has every new instinct I have on high alert. I spread my wings, groaning as they stretch, and I shake them to release the built-up dirt. I haven’t gotten used to the wings yet. Sometimes, I forget they are there. It was hard to accept so many changes all at once.
I haven’t mastered the art of flying just yet.
The aroma of smoke and fire becomes stronger, but it isn’t what has my beasts growling in my chest. The wave of need is so strong I have to rub the ache in my chest. Whatever the need is, I’ll figure it out to calm the raging monsters living within me.
For now, I’m going to follow the scent of smoke because where there is fire, there is usually a person. That means food, clothes, money, and whatever else I can find.
My morals fucking died the day I did. I don’t care what I have to do to survive. Even if it means killing someone, I will. I’ve endured too much. I can’t live in a world where I look like a damn cosplay character. In order to get ahead, I need money.
I crouch and give myself a small pep talk, “You can do this. You’re in control now.” Taking a deep, shaky breath, I launch myself into the air.
The strong gusts of wind sweep under me, rocking me from side to side. “Oh, shit!” I drop a few feet, the ground too close for comfort, and at the last second, I straighten out my wings.
I miss the rocks beneath me by inches as I curve up into the clouded sky. I smile feeling the wind on my face. Flying brings so much freedom and a sense of peace that not many could ever feel.
I’m soaring over the tall trees, getting a view of the vast mountain ranges. The world seems never-ending from up here. Endless miles of sky that the harpy inside me wants to explore.
I flip to my back, taking a quick glance at the feathers of my wings swaying from the wind. I spread my arms and allow myself to freefall again. I close my eyes, not wanting to see how fast I fall but wanting to feel how fast gravity sucks me into its trap.
As I descend through the sky, the ends of my hair sting my cheeks, and the strands dance in all directions. Most likely becoming a tangled mess, but I don’t care. Nothing is better than this. There isn’t a feeling in the world that could ever compare to the freedom of being in control of my own body and my destiny.
I’m about to spread my wings to fly when images of a man smiling and laughing slam into my mind.
A man I have never seen before.
A complete stranger.
A handsome stranger.
I remember Glasses saying something about being able to see the future due to my harpy DNA. I thought he was speculating or curious, just drawing assumptions about what I could and could not do like he always did.
Another image of this man I’ve never seen before barrels into me and the force of him jolts my eyes open. My heart punches into my sternum from how much I find myself wanting him.
I gasp when another picture of him floods my mind, and this time, he is shirtless. He wipes his forehead with his arm, his body shining in sweat. He is wearing an old stained, backward baseball cap. His muscles flex as he reaches above to tighten a bolt under a car. Those defined, hard-working muscles tighten with every motion, showing off every defined line.
I want him.
I want to feed off his desire. More than that, I want to claim him. I’m not sure what that entails but it’s the only word bouncing around in my head right now.
Claim.
Own.
This man is mine . From the tips of his shaggy chocolate brown hair to the freckles across his cheeks and nose, to every divot and valley that showcases his muscles, everything belongs to me.
My beasts push against my bones wanting free so we can find him and make him ours. The tentacles slip from my pussy, reaching for him to feed from his desire, to drink his come, and I begin to throb with need everywhere.
My skin begins to feel similar to how it did when I was strapped to the table. Only this time, instead of burning pain, there’s explosive desire. Even the wind grazing my skin has me slipping my hand between my legs.
“Mate,” one of my creatures whispers into my mind.
The word echoes in the cavity of my body, my blood yearning to bind itself to him, my fangs aching to sink into his flesh, and my hole pulsates with the need to be filled by his cock.
Would he be thick like I crave? Not too long, I hope. I find giant cocks overrated because they hurt. I don’t want to feel pain when I fuck.
Yet I find myself wanting to inflict it. Maybe my mate will like a little pain with his pleasure.
If I’m lucky.
This stranger possesses my mind again, yet this time, it’s as if I’m lying next to him, face to face, and I’m able to see the gold flecks in his light brown eyes. They are big, wide, and wonderous. His lashes are dark and long and have the right amount of curl.
Immediately, I see the innocence in them, the kindness, and then he smiles as he laughs.
He has dimples.
Goddamn it, I’m a sucker for dimples.
I can’t wait to dip my tongue into them. I want to lick every inch of this man’s body so every cell inside me memorizes his flavor.
My tentacles curl up, inserting themselves in my pussy, fucking me like I crave. I wish it were him filling me, stretching me, causing me to gasp and moan. I rub my clit in hard, quick circles, imagining him asleep as I climb on top of him.
I’ll invade his dreams, morphing them into wet, needy, unholy thoughts until he is hard. He’ll leak precome and my cunt will be there to drink every last drop of him.
I’ve fed from dozens of creatures in Purgatory but now I don’t want anyone else except the man who is taking over my mind. My throat becomes dry needing his come to coat my taste buds and quench my thirst.
Another image bombards me just as I moan to the clouds, completely forgetting where I’m at, and it’s him again. This time, he’s wearing a shirt—pity—that says Snapdragons Garage, and right under it is his name.
Fitz.
It suits him. He grins at someone. Someone who isn’t me and a murderous rage builds inside me.
What is he thinking, smiling at anyone and everyone? So much killing to do.
That smile belongs to me.
His happiness is mine.
And anyone who gets in the way of that will meet the wrath that has been building in my blood for months.
“Fitz—” I gasp his name as an orgasm sweeps over my body. My muscles tense and my wings flatten behind my back which has me cascading to the ground quicker. The river is becoming too close too fast. I’m riding out my orgasm still, my wings refusing to cooperate.
I can’t help it. Just the thought of Fitz feels so good. I’ll happily risk my life every day if it means getting to see him—even if he only lives in my mind.
The river is roaring so loud, the water rushing with angry waves eager to swallow me, and my wings spread out just in time.
I flip to my stomach to get the wind under me and drag my fingers along the surface of the river.
The warmth of hope envelopes me. I’m not too sure what to do with it. Hope is dangerous. I didn’t have any when I was locked away in the facility or even in Purgatory because is living there really living when you’re surrounded by death?
There is only one question I have when it comes to Fitz—will he accept me?
A loud bellow of a laugh slips from me and if it weren’t for the crashing river, I know it would reverberate off the trees.
I don’t fucking care if he doesn’t accept me. I don’t care if he hates me. I don’t care if the man outright rejects me.
I’ll make him love me. He’ll learn to love me in time. He’ll know that I’m meant for him, that I’m the only one who can love, own, and fuck him like his delicious body craves.
The scent of burning wood yanks me from my Fitz daydream which I’m not happy about. I growl under my breath with a slight sneer, turning right to follow the smoke.
I dislike being interrupted while I’m thinking of my mate.
I rear my wings up and then down, slicing them through the air to gain more speed. I’m furious and it is barely contained.
It’s another side effect of the DNA experiments. I’m short-tempered, more possessive, hungrier, and stronger. The longer I’m in my physical form, the more I feel the primal instincts making themselves at home in my molecules.
My humanity is shrinking to be a thing of the past.
And the more I imagine Fitz’s face, the angrier I become because all I want to do is dream of that face. I want to lie on the ground, my wings spread out to their full span, and let the blades of grass tickle the feathers as the sun beams down on my naked body while I imagine Fitz in every position.
A stalk of smoke billows from the middle of the forest, drifting over the treetops to meld into the sky. Narrowing my eyes, I swoop down, landing on the closest branch I can without giving myself away.
My tail wraps around the trunk to keep me steady and I lean forward to get a better view.
It’s a woman.
Now, I’m more annoyed because no other woman is allowed to come between me and Fitz. Not even the dreams of him. Whatever my harpy DNA is telling me, I’m listening, and all I know is that man belongs to me.
The bitch below adds another log to the fire before standing and heading to the dull yellow van. She opens the back doors, revealing a small bed. She must live out of it.
My lips curl as a wicked plan begins to grow.
I jump down from the tree, landing firmly on my feet, and tuck my wings back. I take a step forward, the pine needles crunching under my toes, and the woman spins around.
She gasps, startled when she sees me before she doubles over in a laughing fit.
“Oh my God, you scared the hell out of me,” she says, holding a hand to her chest. “What are you doing out here in cosplay gear? You look amazing, by the way. Are you getting into character? For what? Is this a character you made yourself?”
I take another step forward, out of the shadows the trees create. “Something like that,” I reply, tapping the tips of my talons against each other before I show them to her with a big smile. “You like?” I lift my lips so she can see my fangs.
“You look so realistic. Wow. You must have worked so hard on those wings. May I?” She reaches for them to touch.
I growl, turning away. “No, you may not.”
The audacity.
The only person I want touching me is Fitz.
Quicker than she can blink, I wrap my hand around her throat. My touch alone has her falling limp, a lust-struck light appearing in her eyes.
She’d let me do anything to her if I wanted.
“Do you want me?” I ask her, as I bring my lips close to hers.
Her desire smells like wilderness and rain.
I don’t like it. My hunger for desire disappears now that I have scented her. None of my beasts want this camper, not even the succubus that thrives off the desire of others wants her. Even when the scientists would bring me men and women to feed from, none of my beasts were picky.
Except for now.
The only taste I have, the only craving torturing my body, is for Fitz.
“Yes,” she moans, reaching for me again.
I snap her neck before she can blink. Unwrapping my hand from her slender throat, her body falls to the ground.
“Too bad. That’s for interrupting my fucking thoughts.” I squat down, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear as her lifeless eyes stare back at me. “Only one person can have me. You understand, don’t you?”
I don’t feel bad for killing her. The old me would have, but I’ve noticed all my give-a-damns died when I became a monster.
“You were pretty.” I bend down and kiss her cheek before whispering, “But you are so much prettier dead.”
My fingers drag across her cheek and that’s when I see the light purple flesh of mine morphs into her skin tone. Curious, I grab her arm so hard the bone breaks, and her features take over my body.
“Woah,” I whisper, turning my hands over to see how I’ve changed.
My nails are shorter. The light purple skin is gone. I look down, noticing my breasts are hers. Everything is hers. I rush to the van and rip the side mirror off, needing to see my reflection.
My horns are gone.
The bright orange glow of my eyes are now baby blue. Instead of long blue hair with a shaved side, I have wavy blonde hair. Inspecting my mouth, even my teeth are dull.
The longer I stare at myself, the more uncomfortable I become. I can sense my beasts inside me, roaring and clashing together to be freed.
“How do I change back?” I ask myself, touching my cheek as a slight panic plucks at my heart.
I focus on my form, wishing for it to return, and my eyes widen as I watch the change happen in real-time. The light purple skin returns, the blonde is overcome with blue, and in the next instant, I’m looking at myself again.
“Can I change back into her?” My curiosity has always known no bounds. I focus on her features, and they return with no issue.
I can change into her whenever I want. If I want.
Not liking the human appearance, I bring my new form back and stay in it. Being around other humans one day, my trick to change or blend into my surroundings will come in handy, but right now, it is best if I stay in the body that can protect me best.
“What do you have in here?” I ask her dead body, the only reply is the crackling of the fire. Walking to the back of the van where the doors are open, I claw through the pink curtains she has on the windows. “Cute,” I tell her. “Not my favorite color, though.”
Her suitcase is open on the small twin bed. I come across a cute white crop top that has black leather strings laced from the middle of the chest to the base of the neck.
“I like this too. I’m taking it. You don’t mind, right? It’s not like you need it anymore.” I tug it on over my head and come across a brand-new pack of unopened underwear. “Oh, smart woman. I’m using these, okay?” I rip the bag open, the plain white panties spilling free.
“Again, not my style, but better than being completely naked, right?” I say to myself, curling my lips in disapproval as I hold up the basic panties.
A pair of jean shorts with pink daisies sewn on the pockets have me rolling my eyes but they will have to do.
“Out of all the people I had to come across, why did the universe send me you?” I grumble, wishing my victim had a little more taste in her clothing.
I rip a hole in the back for my tail, slip them on, tug my tail through the hole, and button them.
“How do I look? What do you think?” I give her a little spin. “Why thank you. I think it’s cute too. What was that?” I pretend she is talking to me. “It looks better on me than you?” I place my hand on my chest. “You’re too sweet.”
I jump in the van, my horns grinding across the ceiling, and my head rings from the sound of metal tearing.
“What else do you have in here?” I hum, ignoring the photos of herself with a few friends and the canned food sitting on the floorboard.
My feet kick something under her raised bed. I bend down, moving the curtain of blue that falls in my face, and see three big black duffle bags.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” I pull one out, unzip it, and rip the flap open to see more money than I have ever seen before. “What the fuck did you do to get this money? I mean, lucky for me, but—” I take a stack of hundreds out, feathering my thumb through the ends. “—This is so much.”
I freeze when I hear voices in the distance. Two men. I shift my eyes to the photos again, the urgency of my situation clicking into place.
“You weren’t alone,” I whisper, angling my head so I can hear her friends better.
“There are three bags and three of us. Each of us should take a bag and disappear or we all stick together. A million each. That’s not a bad job,” one of them says.
“When should we plan another robbery? Which bank? I want to go bigger.”
“No. We aren’t ready for that. We need to really think the plan through. The bigger the bank, the bigger their security, and because of you we almost got caught.”
I sit on the bed, shaking my finger at my new friend. “Tsk, tsk, young lady. Your father would be so disappointed in you.” I grab the handles of the back doors. “I guess you won’t really have to tell him. I did you a favor. Thanks for the clothes, bestie. It’s been fun.”
I carefully close the doors, so her friends don’t hear them in the distance.
“It’s time to get a move on.” I stuff the money in the bag, shove it under the bed, and climb into the driver’s seat.
The van is an old Volkswagen. The seats are worn leather with a few tears. The steering wheel is faded where she kept her hands and there is a peace sign sticker in the corner of the rearview mirror.
“It’s as if all this was waiting just for me.” The engine sputters, eventually turning over, and I push the gear into drive.
The tires spin on the dirt, no doubt covering the dead girl with soil.
“At least she’s buried. I’m spreading the kindness that was given to me.” I smile and chuckle, flipping my hair over my shoulders, and then following the small natural road through the forest.
My wings are scrunched since the van is too small for them. They will have to manage. There’s no way I’m leaving this van with all this money. I could fly, following the pull of my soul, but having a car will also help me blend in.
Rolling down the windows, I inhale the fresh air when a scent that has my body warming again hits me out of nowhere. The tug at my heart is stronger too. I listen to what the world is telling me.
Follow the scent.
Follow the pull.
And that’s where Fitz will be.
I flip the radio on to a rock station, my mind wandering to my human memories, and how few I really have now. There aren’t a lot of details I can remember. Only the jobs. Only how they made me feel.
Yet no actual memories. Those are gone. That’s hard to come to terms with but that’s okay. I’ll make new memories with Fitz. He’s my purpose now.
I might not be what he is expecting, but I’ll be everything he had no idea he wanted.
“Fuck, I need you,” I groan as his scent becomes stronger the closer I get to him. The impatience of not being close enough to him where I can see him has me pressing my foot on the gas.
I surpass the speed limit. A few hours of driving feels like centuries. My panties are soaked with Fitz’s scent being so strong and his handsome face in my memories. He’s consumed me, and I don’t even know him.
I don’t need to. He’s my mate. That’s enough for me. I don’t know what it means but I trust my beasts and they want no one else but him. That has to mean something.
The sign to town appears, and I squeal because Fitz’s aroma fills the van as if he is sitting in the passenger seat.
I’m so lost in thought that when a loud pop comes from the right side and the van lowers in that direction, I lose control.
“Ah, fuck! Oh, shit. Oh, shit!” I scream, turning the wheel left, then right, then left again. The good tires squeal. The scent of burnt rubber drifts through the vents causing me to curl my nose and it ruins Fitz’s delicious aroma.
If I could shred this van to pieces for revenge, I would.
I finally come to a stop at the edge of the road, gasping for breath before giggling. Running my fingers through my hair, I groan, wanting that reckless experience to happen again.
“That adrenaline,” I moan, arching my back to rock against the seat. I only need a little friction on my clit. It won’t take long. Being so close to Fitz, his smell, the near-death experience, killing someone, I’m so close to orgasming.
One. Little. Touch.
It won’t hurt anyone.
Else.
A red tow truck with ‘Snapdragons Garage’ in big white font across the side drives by. I take a peek into the driver’s side mirror, watching the red taillights appear as the vehicle slows. The truck turns around, and I inhale a sharp breath when I see Fitz in the driver’s seat.
His baseball cap is backward. The ends of his hair curl from under it above his ears.
He opens the truck door, climbs out, and begins walking over to me.
A pleased growl rumbles in my chest as I look him up and down. He is taller than what my visions teased me with.
Fuck, he looks so good. He’s wearing the Snapdragons Garage shirt. His chest is broad, tightening the material of the simple shirt. His pants are tight in the right places and those long legs deserve to be sat on while I fuck him.
Shit.
My eyes catch the mirror.
I look like me. I change into the woman I killed, my features fading away just in time as he bends down, placing his forearms on the door.
My heart skips—no—it stops beating.
With him this close, my mouth waters, my fangs tingle, my tentacles move inside me, and controlling this form is too difficult. I can’t have him here.
“Hi, there. I can change that tire for you if you need.” He leans on the car, his arms above his head as he places them on the roof.
There are plenty of things I need, but none of them are this fucking tire.
My vision tunnels to his biceps. The sleeves tighten around the muscles. A bead of sweat lingers on his neck. I can hear the small droplet moving ever so slowly until it soaks into the collar of his shirt.
I should have licked it when I had the chance.
My entire body begins to tremble with nerves and the need to throw him on the ground, unzip his pants, pull his cock free, and ride him right here and now. I don’t care who sees.
Let them witness. Let everyone see him being claimed.
I stare down at my hand, my eyes widening when the purple skin comes through. I can’t hold this form for much longer. Not when all I can think about is laying him across the hood and fucking him raw.
His desire hits me next, and it has my eyes rolling to the back of my head. My panties become wetter somehow. My nipples tighten under the white crop top and his lust for me becomes even heavier.
It fills the small space of the van. The air is so thick with him that I can taste it on my tongue and the succubus growls wanting more than just his scent.
I want his flavor.
I want to lick his sweat and drink his come.
My swallow is loud as I try to control myself. I take a few deep breaths, knowing I can’t do anything in broad daylight to Fitz. I’m too close to town. And as much as this form is appealing to humans, I refuse to take my mate in any other form but my own.
He clears his throat. “I’m, uh, I’m Fitz.” He holds out his hand. “New to town? I really don’t mind changing your tire. It won’t take long. I’ll get you back on the road safely. If you’re worried about getting hurt or taken advantage of, I’m not that kind of man. I really am trying to help you, Miss. I’d hate for something to happen to you.”
Funny he should say that… when I’m the bad thing that’s about to happen to him.
I smile at him, sliding my hand into his, and bite my lip to keep from groaning out loud. His calloused hands are rough. I bet they would feel good drifting down my body.
“I’m Holly.”
“Holly? Is it, really? You know what? My favorite flowers are hollyhocks. What a coincidence, right? Do you like flowers? You know what,” he chuckles, hanging his head. “Sorry about that. I tend to get a little chatty and ask questions. I’ll leave you alone. If you need anything, the shop is just two miles up the road from here. I really hope you do need something, though, Holly.”
“Is that so?” My tone is flirtatious and sultry. “Why is that, Fitz?”
He grins, the same one I saw in my mind. His dimples are better in person, deep and pronounced. He is clean-shaven which allows me to see how the straight beautiful teeth, full pink lips, and all those freckles I’m already obsessed with.
His phone rings, interrupting our moment. Now, I want to kill the person who called him.
“I have to take this. It’s work, but maybe I’ll see you around, Holly.” He gives me one last look before walking to his truck, answering the person who dared to ruin our first moment together.
Oh, you have no idea how much you’ll be seeing me, Doe Eyes.