Chapter Three: Zoey Troubled.
Chapter Four: Declan.
Chapter Five: Zoey Endangered.
Chapter Six: Declan Decided.
Chapter Seven: Zoey Cornered.
Chapter Eight: Zoey and Declan.
Chapter Nine: Strike One.
Chapter Ten: Zoey Doomed.
Chapter Eleven: Declan Unveiled.
Chapter Twelve: Declan Troubled.
Chapter Thirteen: Zoey Trapped.
Chapter Fourteen: Zoey Alone.
Chapter Fifteen: Strike Two.
Chapter Sixteen: Zoey Embattled.
Chapter Seventeen: Zoey Unleashed.
Chapter Eighteen: Strike Three.
Chapter Nineteen: Declan Tricked.
Chapter Twenty: Zoey Betrayed.
Chapter Twenty One: Declan Betrayed.
Chapter Twenty Two: Zoey Rogue.
Chapter Two: Zoey Drugged.
A few hours later, north of Washington DC, an Incubus entered his favorite, private club in wealthy Chevy Chase. The exclusive, beauty-filled venue was hopping. He made his way through the crowd, well-aware of the effect he had on every woman within a few feet of him. Though one of the least powerful of his kind, he was still able to draw in any human he wanted, which was all that mattered to him tonight.
He went to the bar and motioned the bartender over. A few seconds later, his regular drink sat before him. He sipped it as he leaned back against the counter, his eyes roaming over the women. He saw several familiar faces he knew to be call girls on the arms of wealthy men and a handful of college-aged girls who probably stumbled upon an invitation to the exclusive club because of their looks.
They had the arrogance and innocence of youth that made them sweetly saucy, combined with supple bodies, ripe for the picking. He watched the group of eight girls, scouring their features and bodies for the one he wanted. His selection made, he set his drink on the bar and stepped away. With an Incubus' power over women and a Cambion's philosophy that sex was his for the taking, he was relentless in his pursuit of getting what he wanted. He never struck out. Ever.
Sex energy tugged at him. He didn't notice it enter his senses, until it was too late to resist. The Incubus froze in place, unable to identify the source of magic. He knew Succubus magic; he'd bedded his fair share of them. It wasn't that of a Succubus, whose telltale magic was cool, like a fan turning on over his head. This magic was warm and charged.
"Buy me a drink?" the female voice carried a husky note, one that grazed his skin and made him shudder.
He turned, not expecting the woman before him. Succubae were all six feet tall and slender, with bodies and features that made men stop in their tracks. This woman was not a Succubus, but she radiated a Succubus' power; she could only be a Halfling, a half-Succubus. The Halfling seated at the bar was not quite five and a half feet, with a sweet face and blue gaze. Judging by her toned, shapely body, she was a Hunter, a Halfling charged with killing Cambions. Though far from plain, she was just as far from the stunning beauty of a full-blooded Succubus.
"Of course," he said finally.
Whatever hold she had on him increased when he approached the bar. He found himself gazing at her with longing, his eyes caressing the golden skin of her decolletage. Her breasts were large and straining against the tight dress, and he almost drooled at the idea of suckling them.
"I'm Julius," he said and sidled next to her, close enough for their bodies to brush.
"Nice to meet you, Julius." She tilted her head back with a smile. There was something ... odd about her gaze. It was almost empty of emotion.
This isn't right. He shook his head, unable to clear the magic enough for his own instincts to warn him.
"And you are?" he prompted.
"Zoey."
"You are a Hunter," he said, intrigued. "I know your name well. You've slaughtered a great deal of my Cambions." His interest increased tenfold; there was a price on her head, a reward for the Cambion or Incubus who captured or killed a member of the Sucubatti's top hit squad, Team R.
"You create them, I kill them," she said with a shrug. "Doesn't mean you and I can't enjoy a night together."
Another warning bell sounded in his mind. Hunters had one mission: to kill. The instinct caught no traction as more of her sex energy overwhelmed his senses, disarming any objection he had. Julius needed to be closer to her. He rested his hands on her arms and let them travel downwards, breathing in the scent of her hair. She twisted on the barstool to face him, her knees parting for him to lean between them. He traced a finger down the side of her face and between her breasts, gaze going to the tightness of her dress around her hips and thighs. His mind was already there, between her legs.
"It's forbidden by both of our ruling Councils for full-bloods and half-breeds to fuck," he whispered, the words sending a thrill through him.
"Then walk away," she replied. She stood and kissed him, while one hand went to the ridge in his pants. She stroked his erection, and Julius's arms circled her, pulling her against him hard. She tasted of something unfamiliar, not the alcohol she'd been drinking, but something bitter.