Chapter 7 Raven
Raven
“Get out!” The incubus ignored Maverick’s furious snarl and sauntered through into the bathroom.
“I need to clean up, care bear, and your bathroom is more convenient.” Clothing hit the floor before the shower burst into life. Maverick clenched his fists and growled some more but stopped short of hauling the damned incubus from the shower.
“Raven wants a shower!” Maverick yelled while I waited to see how this panned out.
My bear was right. I stank of demon and sulfur.
Unpleasant. My nose wrinkled in disgust. At least I wouldn’t have to listen to Kenji moan about the state of the bathroom.
For a familiar that shed hair everywhere, he sure was particular about bathroom hygiene.
I hoped he was okay after our magic show.
“I’m fine, witch. Now let me sleep.”
At the sound of Kenji’s reply in my mind, I jumped in surprise. How…?
“I told you. I leveled up. So now we can talk over a longer distance. Cool, eh?”
“One day, Kenji, I am going to make you tell me all your kitsune secrets,” I grumbled. “None of this ‘speak to Kitsune HQ’ nonsense! That book Professor Dunton lent me told me nothing useful. Nothing!”
“Told you, kitsune secrets are divulged on a need to know basis, and currently, you don’t need to know.” I couldn’t see his furry face, but I knew damn well Kenji was smirking right now.
So I tried a different tactic. “Zane knows more about you than I do!”
Kenji huffed loudly. “Only because he’s a sneaky incubus who can—”
“Zane! Hurry the fuck up! Raven’s cold and upset!”
“Huh?” I was neither of those things. Just tired.
“She’s welcome to join me in the shower,” Zane yelled back before he started singing some stupid human song about ponies. I was pretty sure the lyrics were dirty but didn’t have the energy to analyze lines like ‘ride it, my pony.’
“That fucking incubus,” Maverick muttered. “I swear I’m going to rip his fucking head off if he doesn’t get the fuck out of my fucking bathroom.”
I placed my hand on Maverick’s furry chest and fluttered my eyelashes at him. He calmed down immediately, and I decided I rather enjoyed having this power over my grumpy bear.
“I don’t mind waiting for a shower.” I wouldn’t mind joining Zane, but Maverick would lose his mind if I suggested it. The thought still took root in my brain, though, and my core heated at the thought of being trapped between my sexy incubus and my gruff bear.
“Little mate.” My bear’s eyes turned molten as he picked up on the direction my thoughts had taken. “It’s been a long day, and you need to sleep.” His mouth flattened. “We also need to talk about what exactly happened out there tonight, but that can wait until the morning.”
His words had the desired effect. Libido well and truly smothered. If I had no clue what had happened with the demon, how could I explain it to him and Zane? My lip wobbled as exhaustion hit me hard.
Maverick was right. I needed to clean up and then let him wrap his body around mine in bed. It was easier to sleep with my bear. He scared the monsters away.
Maverick pulled me against his chest. “Don’t worry, little mate. Whatever happens, I am on your side. Always.”
The shower turned off, and two seconds later a naked incubus padded out, water dripping everywhere. My lungs seized as I took in his pierced nipples, defined abdominals, and huge…what was that?
Metal glinted in the golden light from a table lamp. My eyes widened in shock.
“For your pleasure, pet.” Zane smirked while Maverick clenched his jaw so tight I had legitimate concern his teeth might crumble. The incubus shimmied his hips, making his very long appendage do the hula.
I choked back a startled laugh. “For my pleasure?”
Maverick had treated me like a precious gift so far, aside from the biting stuff. He seemed reluctant to throw me around his bedroom, even though part of me craved it. I had a feeling the incubus would have no such qualms.
“See this bit of metal?” Ignoring Maverick’s growls of displeasure, he grasped his dick and pointed to a metal bar at the base. “That will rub on your clit when I’m inside you, pet. Endless orgasms. My pleasure is your pleasure.” The more I stared in fascination at his dick, the thicker it grew.
“Put some fucking clothes on, you bastard,” Maverick snarled.
“Don’t be mean, care bear. I used a lot of magic tonight. Gotta replenish it somehow.” He winked, but my mood shifted at his words. Of course. He saw me as a magical recharging station, like the humans used for their fancy electric cars.
“Then go lurk in the shifter dorm!”
Zane pouted. “Nah. They’re all sad because they lost two of their own. Sad is no fun. I prefer horny.”
I turned away, no longer interested in flirting with the incubus. He frowned. “What’s wrong, pet? No need to be afraid of my monster pierced cock. I won’t hurt you.”
“I’m just tired,” I muttered before pulling away from Maverick and stalking into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. The sounds of an argument reached me through the thick timber, but I ignored them.
Zane had left his wet towel on the floor. Messy incubus. I stepped over it and pulled a clean one from the stack in the corner. Once steam filled the shower cubicle, I removed my ruined dress and stepped under the spray.
Hot water sluiced over my head, washing away the filth but doing nothing to calm my anxiety. The demon’s words had embedded in my brain like a thorn. The more I picked at the scab, the less any of it made sense.
Adam had never really talked about my parents, and I had no memories of either of them. The only link to my mother was the amulet I wore. I reached for it, but when I looked closer, the stone had cracked. A tiny hairline fracture, but still a crack.
My heart seized in my chest. If it broke, I’d have nothing left of my mother. I sank to the floor while water rained down over me, masking my tears. The amulet warmed in my hand, offering a small measure of comfort.
Yes, it had cracked, but maybe it could be repaired? All I needed was a witch with elemental earth magic. I didn’t know any, but Glynda might. Or Alaric.
He’d been at the meeting earlier, distracted, but he took the time to check me over before pretending I didn’t exist. From the state of his tuxedo, he’d done his share of battling the demons. The merman too.
At least Glynda was unhurt. She’d run inside the moment demons broke through the trees, along with most of the students.
The bathroom door nudged open and Maverick peered around it. He frowned when he saw me sitting in the shower, my arms wrapped around my legs.
“Little mate, let’s get you cleaned up.” I didn’t have the energy to refuse. And besides, my bear loved taking care of me. He dropped the shorts he’d pulled on earlier and stepped under the water spray. Rather than pulling me to my feet, he sat down and placed me in his lap.
I let him wash my hair, and once we were both clean, he turned the shower off and wrapped me in a towel. “Time for bed, little mate.”
Maverick kicked open his bedroom door, and I choked back a laugh to see Zane lying on the bed wearing nothing but a naughty grin.
From the ominous growl, Maverick was about ready to tear the incubus apart, so I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. His angry rumbles faded before he sighed against my lips.
“Be good, little mate. I have no self-control where you’re concerned. Let me brush your hair, and then you need to sleep. It’s long past midnight.” I tried to protest but ended up yawning.
Maverick gave me one of his tees to wear before demanding Zane close his eyes while I pulled it on.
Naturally Zane didn’t listen, which led to more growls and threats.
But I was too tired to care. I let Maverick comb my hair and then crawled into bed, falling asleep the minute my head touched the pillow.
Cold, damp air sliced me to the bone. No fire burned in the grate this time, and most of the wall sconces remained unlit. I padded across the stone floor, my senses all telling me something was very wrong.
When I reached the bedroom, I thought for one horrible moment the vampire had passed beyond the veil before reminding myself that if he had, there would be nothing but a husk.
He wasn’t dead, but he didn’t acknowledge my presence.
His aura had faded from deep magenta to pale gray, and the sharp cut of his cheekbones beneath sallow skin highlighted how thin he’d become.
Rasmus was fading before my very eyes.
“We have a spell.” Tears trickled down my face, soaking the sheet draped over his emaciated body, which made no sense because I wasn’t really here. Maybe this was my mind playing tricks on me.
We couldn’t wait any longer. I needed to cast the spell, with or without Alar-dick’s help. Glynda had concerns we’d mess it up, but I trusted her.
“Hurry.” Gaunt fingers gripped mine and squeezed.
“I will come for you.”
A faint smile touched his full lips.
“Yes, witch, you will.”
I shivered at the latent power in his voice. The vampire would be truly deadly once he regained his full strength, and a dark part of me couldn’t wait.