Excerpt

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“… and then she ripped open my breeches, pulled up her dress and…”

“I think the king has heard enough.” Lord Morris, one of the king’s advisors, interrupted sharply. The king barely resisted rolling his eyes; it was a common rumour that Morris only had two children because his wife was tupping the stable-boy. It was a wonder that the man hadn’t committed himself to the church, instead of becoming a knight; indeed, he was more celibate than the bishop.

“Do you expect us to believe this drivel?” Another advisor scoffed, “You expect us to believe that you were seduced from your post by an angel with horns, and wings like a bat?”

“It’s the truth, Sire,” the young man standing before them began to shake, his eyes widening.

Adjusting his painful erection, the king leant forward. He had to admit that he was intrigued. A woman with leathery wings and curling horns, and yet, she’d seduced one of his best guards away from his post. He’d pay a king’s ransom to get his hands on her, but thankfully, he didn’t have to.

“You left your post,” he reminded the young man coolly. “I’ve executed men for less.” Cruelly, he waited until sweat broke out on the man’s forehead and tears glinted in his eyes. “However,” he rapped his knuckles against the wooden arm of his throne, “I may be willing to make an exception… if you can capture this creature for me.”

Several members of the court laughed, thinking it was a trick, but the other man nodded desperately.

“Yes, Sire.”

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***

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Wings hidden beneath a heavy cloak, and horns concealed by its hood, Lily strolled through the dark city, the moonlight glinting off cobbled streets slick with excrement thrown from the upper floors of dwellings, into the overflowing gutters. Men leered at her from shadowed alleys, but they didn’t scare her. For one thing, she could snap their scrawny necks with little-to-no effort. For another, the lewd thoughts that ran through their heads, were likely the same as the ones going through her mind. She was usually more selective, though she’d been in tight spots before, when she’d had to lower her standards because it was necessary to feed. However, being new to the city meant she had plenty of options at this point.

As a succubus, she needed to feed at least every other day, the problem was she was unable to take the same man twice. Not only was it deadly for her partner if it happened a third time, but it also offered her no satisfaction after the first donation.

The wet, needy clenching of her sex prompted her to hurry, as she headed towards the castle gates, where she hoped to find a guard or two to slake her hunger.

Unfortunately, she’d already sampled the ones she found on duty. Sighing, she was about to leave, when one of the men spotted her and began to approach. She could leap up onto the rooftops and disappear instantly, but she didn’t like to be rude without cause. So, forcing a smile she didn’t feel, she stepped out of the shadows to greet him.

There was a maniacal gleam in his eyes, as he grabbed her arm when he got close enough.

“Where have you been?” he demanded, like a possessive husband, “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

His words rankled, helping her to see past the handsome face and strong body. How dare he talk as if he owned her! She belonged to no man.

Pulling her arm from his grasp, she lifted her chin haughtily, “I’ve been in the city, not that it’s any of your concern.”              

Either he didn’t hear the scathing note in her voice, or he chose to ignore it. “I hoped we could have a repeat of the other night.” His eyes darted around nervously.

“I’m sorry,” she tried to soften the blow, “but I’m not looking for a long-term lover.”

“Nor am I,” he rushed to assure her. “Just one more night.”

She shook her head no.

“This is a matter of life or death!”

Startled by his manner, she backed away. Lunging after her, he grabbed her arms and shook her, so hard that her head rattled, before slamming her back against the wall with such force that her vision wavered. Her dark side growled, and before she even had time to think about it, she’d snapped both his arms.

Screaming in agony, he staggered backwards.

Instantly contrite, she gasped, sickened by the sight of white bone flashing through bloody flesh. “I… I’m sorry.”

Alerted by the noise, a couple of the other guards on duty hurried over, swords drawn.

Breathing heavily, disgusted with herself, she backed into the shadows and disappeared, winding her way back through the streets. She daren’t approach any other soldiers tonight, but despite the violence, her hunger still raged, eating her alive.  She needed to find someone to ease it before it worsened.

Putting the incident with the guard to the back of her mind, she made her way to a local watering hole. Packed full of drunkards, it wasn’t the type of place she usually frequented. Singling out a young man at the bar who looked a little less grubby than the rest of the riffraff, she hung around the door and waited for him to leave.

Men tried to talk to her, but she ignored them; she had eyes only for her target. As she watched him, her womb spasmed hungrily and desire slicked her thighs.

When he eventually left, sometime in the early hours, she followed him out onto the street.                                       “You’ve been watching me all night,” he stated calmly, turning to face her once they were alone. “What do you want?”

Smiling coyly, she sauntered closer, reaching out a hand to caress his chest. “What does any girl want from a handsome man like you?”

Grabbing a handful of her skirts, he yanked her into him. “If it’s that you’re wantin’, I can give it to you good and hard.”