Succubus Unchained - Heather Long Page 0,28

almost sounded like he was pouting. “It’s been weeks. I’m not even chastising you for leaving me without the courtesy of a note.”

We were almost to the main doors.

“Is this asshole bothering you, Red?”

Fuck.

I pivoted and slid between Fin and Elias. “No,” I told him, and locked gazes with my bestie. “I’ve got it. Go talk to Mellie and work on your game. It’s definitely gotten rusty if that’s what you call flirting.”

“Bite me,” he snarked right back, but his hard gaze never left Fin. “You aren’t leaving with him, right?”

The warning drenched in worry underscoring the words washed over me. “No. I’m leaving period.” Blocking Fin’s mental reach had become second nature at the keep, and I’d still been harmonizing, thankfully. Blocking out his physical presence was far more challenging, especially considering the hunger gnawing away within me.

Stroking his thumb back and forth along the edge where the top gave way to skin, Fin said, “So this is Elias.” Smugness populated his voice, and he curled his arm around me as he studied my best friend. Elias narrowed his eyes.

“Red, you know what he is…”

“I do,” I told him and jabbed my elbow into Fin’s gut. He didn’t even budge, despite his exaggerated and amused ‘oof.’ It also shouldn’t be remotely attractive, but awareness of Fin hummed along the surface of my skin like the electric energy of a storm about to break. “Thanks for hanging out with me tonight.”

Eyebrows climbing, Elias snorted.

I met his gaze steadily while all I wanted to do was tell him to fucking play along.

Of course, he didn’t.

Instead, he narrowed his eyes. “You always have a place with me. And you don’t have to go anywhere you don’t want to go.”

I wanted to punch him.

“No,” Fin agreed, then pressed his lips to my bare shoulder, and the sensation branded me. “We can continue to hang out with your…friend? Pet?” The last word came out soft, low, and almost taunting. As long as…

The warning growl sounding beneath the throbbing beat of the music as a new set kicked up on the stage promised me I hadn’t been that lucky.

I tipped my head back and stared at the ceiling. The dancer on the center stage moved with hypnotic grace, and it was almost soothing how her hips undulated and the muscles of her stomach rolled.

“Look, asshole, I don’t know where you think you are, but look around…there’s only one of you here.” The threat vibrated off of Elias. He wasn’t one for posturing.

“Correction,” Fin said. His tone seemed almost relaxed and playful as he spread his fingers against my abdomen and settled me more firmly against him. “There are two of us. I know you didn’t just threaten…Red?” The last he whispered against my ear, and it took everything I had to not stomp my foot down on his.

The contact of his chest to my back was not doing me any favors. The earlier need stretched open like a maw inside of me. The utter lack of hunger and desire had transformed to a raging demand.

It was really pissing me off.

Elias shot me a look, the question in his eyes damn near audible. Did I want him to intervene? Because he planned to get involved whether I wanted him there or not. The last thing I needed was Fin deciding to tear into Elias. I had every faith in the wolf, but despite some of the hazier pieces of my recollection, I’d been there when Fin and Maddox had torn through the hordes of guards, trolls, and other unmentionables during the flight from the prison.

If you hurt him. I will kill you. I focused that thought at Fin, letting that mental block fall away. The sense of him flooded me, and he tightened his arm around me.

As you wish, Beautiful. The words were a whispered caress, and I damn near groaned at the contact. I didn’t want him in there. I didn’t want to let him in.

But I’d be damned if I let him hurt Elias.

“Perhaps we should have a drink with your friend,” Fin suggested, all conciliatory and diplomatic, as if why not?

I really have missed you.

Dammit.

The music changed, the throbbing beat increasing in tempo, and the temperature inside the club seemed to drop precipitously. Skin prickling with apprehension, I dragged my gaze from the dancer back to Elias, who wasn’t looking at me or Fin. His attention focused on the front doors I’d been heading for earlier.

I half-twisted against Fin and followed Elias’ glance.