All three nodded.
Leaving them, I made my way upstairs where I had a good view of everyone coming and going. While I hoped the druids would make an appearance, I still needed to put my back-up plan into motion.
Dread filled me at the thought of meeting with Tegan, and I blindly stared out over the dancers. Was I willing to make a love slave out of Anne’s brother just to save Ashlyn? No. Guilt ate at me at the thought of not doing everything possible to save her, but I knew making a second mistake wouldn’t fix the first one. Even if Ashlyn was found, I would still be responsible for whatever had happened to her between her disappearance and her rescue. I couldn’t add more to that list.
Maybe appealing to Tegan without a succubus pull would be enough. Even as I had that thought, I knew it was laughable. Ashlyn had told me I lacked the spark that others of my kind had. Yet, despite that lack, I’d still almost lured her in just because of the top I’d worn. No matter how much I tried to hide and suppress it, I had far too much lure.
If I met with him, I’d need to be careful how I enlisted his help.
Nerves twisted my stomach in knots as I finally responded to his text from earlier.
Me: I appreciate the offer. Would you have time to meet with me tomorrow?
Tegan: Just say the place and time, and I’ll be there.
The immediacy of his reply didn’t bode well for his safety.
With a sigh, I put my phone away and watched the dancers. The mass moved to the music in a mesmerizing way. I longed to join them and let myself forget for a while. But I knew better. My peers wouldn’t be laughing and having fun for long if I did. Or rather, they would, but not the same kind. Still, my fingers tapped the beat on the railing.
Fenris took that moment to look up at me. He smiled and waved for me to join them. Jenna glanced my direction and nodded.
I turned away from the railing and went to the bar for a carbonated drink instead. It wasn’t soda. Sugar in mass quantities wasn’t approved by the Council. The light, citrus drink helped distract from the taste in my mouth and gave me a reason to ignore Fenris and Jenna’s invitation.
Avoiding the railing and more eye contact, I leaned against the bar and glanced at Yem, who’d served at the Roost for as long as I could remember. While he was descended from the great Ymir, he wasn’t a frost giant like Adira. I suspected he was the type that had multiple heads because he always seemed to see everything. Yet, despite that ability, he rarely showed any interest in what the youth who frequented the Roost did.
“Aren’t you supposed to be mingling?” he asked, surprising me.
“Keeping tabs for Adira?”
He grunted and went back to washing glasses.
“Didn’t like the question or don’t like the answer?” I pressed.
He sighed and set the glass aside to meet my gaze.
“Both. We all have to do things we don’t like to get by in this world, little succubus. Fighting it just causes more misery.”
He plucked another glass from the suds. I opened my mouth to reply, but a familiar scent tickled my nose and stopped me.
Facing Fenris, I frowned at his playful smile.
“I’m not in the mood.”
“I can see that, which is why I came up here. You look like you could use a dance.” He held out a hand to me. “If you don’t want to join the group down there, dance with me here.”
My gaze flicked to his hand, and my stomach clenched with need. The hunger was so intense it nearly pulled me into that place where I wanted to lash out and tell him to leave as much as I wanted to use everything I had to lure him in. And I hated myself for wanting either.
Swallowing hard, I turned my head and studied the wall for a moment. I could see where someone had wiped something. The slight iridescent sheen barely caught the light, and had my eyes been normal, I would have never noticed.
“Hey,” Fenris said softly. “You don’t need to hide what you’re thinking or feeling from me.”
It was like he was waving a red cape. I couldn’t stop myself from turning the full force of my gaze on him.
“Don’t I?” Ignoring his hand, I stepped close and trailed a finger up his arm. “You want to be my friend, but succubi don’t have friends. They have food, Fenris.” I stalked around him, running my finger over his deliciously muscled shoulders. “Do you want to be my food?”
One second, I was behind him, and the next, I was bent over backward in his arms. He grinned down at me.
“If that’s what you need me to be, then yes. I’ll be your food.” He licked my nose from tip to bridge. The shock of it had me blinking at him stupidly. He chuckled, uprighted us, and playfully twirled me.
“You have no sense of self-preservation,” I said softly, not letting myself fall into his trap.
When he caught on that I wasn’t going to dance, he sighed and pulled away.
“I’ll get you to dance with me yet, and when you do, you’re going to wonder why you waited so long.”
“I doubt that.”
He only smirked in return and nodded to Yem before heading back downstairs. Without looking at the giant, I followed Fenris. Oh, I had no intention of joining the foolish furball on the dance floor. Down was the only way out of this hell. And, given how close I’d just come to feeding on Fenris, I desperately needed to leave.
That dark, dangerous thing inside of me disagreed, though. It made each step drag and each breath heavy. It demanded that I turn around and take what the wolf had offered.
Unable to help myself, I looked over my shoulder just before I reached the exit.
Fenris danced with his girls again, but his sad eyes were on me.
To save us both, I walked out the red doors.
Chapter Four
“My mom’s a drag queen.”
The squirrel’s random statement cut through the fog of pleasure clouding my mind, and I paused just before shoving another piece of cake into my mouth. The squirrel ran down a branch then stopped in front of me so that we stood nose to nose.
“She’s beautiful, but not as beautiful as you.” Its tiny paw reached out to touch my cheek, and as I watched, its fur flickered from tan to black and white.
I took a hasty step back and shoved the cake in my mouth, eating frantically even as I tried to wake up. While still in that fuzzy place between awake and asleep, I managed to sit up. Dream and reality blurred for a moment, and I didn’t immediately recognize my bed. The familiar taste of lemon cake lingered on my tongue as I looked around for what had ripped me from my favorite place.
On my pillow, a small female brownie gawked up at me. Our gazes met. Her eyes rounded further, and she launched into the air from her cross-legged position. Despite her speedy effort, I caught her around the waist before she could escape out the partially opened window.
“Who are you, and why are you here?” I demanded.
She let out a terrified little squeak.
“My name’s Merrifolds. Piepen said you were nice.” Her wings fluttered nervously as her eyes brimmed with tears. “Are you going to tear off my wings and eat them?”
“If I’m going to tear off anyone’s wings, it’s going to be Piepen’s. I’ve been more than patient with him. Why did he send you here?”
“He didn’t. My sister did.”