Seth pulled into his “reserved” parking spot at the front of the student lot when he noticed Mandy and four other varsity cheerleaders hanging with Ky and Q. The beast inside him growled in delight, salivating over the smorgasbord. Seth jumped out of his car, grabbed his gear from the back seat, and strolled over to the crowd. His charm was already radiating from his system.
The girls’ faces lit up as Seth approached, instantly absorbing his power. He could sense their minds drifting into the gentle fog of his spell. Their eyes became glassy and dreamy. Seth stood beside Mandy and rested his hand on her exposed lower back. He shot a higher application of his magic into her body. In response, her skin rippled in goose bumps and a small moan escaped her lips. She leaned into him, her legs weakening at the knees.
“Hello, ladies!” Seth grinned. “What’s going on this morning? You dudes decided to start a party without me?”
“Whoa, bro,” Ky laughed, “we would like never even think of leaving our best leadman out of the action. The girls approached us.”
“Oh.” Seth turned to Mandy. “And why is that?”
“The girls and I were thinking . . .” She trailed off and groaned while Seth pressed his magic through her entire body. “Um . . . perhaps having a little celebration tonight.”
“Sounds good.” Seth nodded, and the predator snarled with pleasure. “Where should we meet?”
Mandy didn’t respond at first. Realizing he was overwhelming her mind, Seth eased his enchantment a touch. Mandy jerked from her thoughts and jumped back into the conversation.
“Sorry. What?”
“I asked, ‘Where should we meet?’”
“Oh, right! Well, considering your father is out of the country and your mother won’t be home, Q recommended your place.”
Seth withdrew completely, his stomach tying itself into knots. “My place?”
“Why? What’s wrong?” Mandy asked.
“Nothing,” Q jumped in.
“Nothing?” Seth spat. “Girls, excuse us for a moment.” Seth grabbed Ky and Q and tossed them to the side. “My place? Are you two nuts?”
“Oh come on, Seth. It’s one party,” Q snapped.
“And you do have the best hot tub,” Ky added.
“Dudes, we can’t!”
Q shrugged. “Why? Your father is in London, right?”
“He’s due back this weekend! I can’t have those girls in my house when he shows!” Seth snapped. “I can’t risk it!”
“Seth, what time is your father coming back exactly?”
“Tomorrow— before the noon offering.”
“Well, then we just have to make sure we sneak the girls out before he arrives.”
“And what about my mother? She isn’t permitted to leave the grounds! And my father would kill me if I—”
Q slapped his head. “You don’t have to go to extremes, man. She’s under Set’s power, remember? Command her to stay in her room or something.”
“What if they stumble upon—”
“Then we will take care of it,” Q reassured him. “It’s just a party, dude. Live a little.”
Seth thought it over; the peer pressure weighing heavy on his shoulders as Ky and Q bore their eyes on him. He finally gave in. “Okay.” He turned back to the girls. “Ladies. My place it is.”
Mandy cheered, leapt up, and planted a kiss on his lips. He groaned. Darkness and lust taking over his body, he pushed the kiss deeper and let his gift intoxicate Mandy’s senses. She shivered, and then melted into his arms. Her body pulsed with his spell, giving him full control. He guided her hip into his, letting her body move against his. His hands traveled through her soft curls, over the curves of her neck and her back, and brushed along her waistline.
After several minutes of feeding off her, Seth finally broke away, the one kiss hardly satisfying his needs. The beast wanted more, to take her permanently into its power, to stake its claim over her mind and body. It begged, yet Seth resisted. He couldn’t afford to lose his control over his own heart and power. It would be too much of a risk, especially in a public place.
Two glistening eyes and a head of wavy dark hair caught hold of his attention. Hesitantly, he glanced over Mandy’s shoulder. Natti stood in the parking lot a few feet away, her eyes focused on him and the girl in his arms. She shifted her backpack, her cheeks turning red. Her eyes quickly gazed at the concrete, a scowl formed on her beautiful full lips, and she marched her way to the entrance. Seth watched her, his mind racing with the realization that his progress with her just took several giant steps backward.
“Seth?” Mandy’s touch pulled his attention back to her.
“Yeah?”
She sneered, glancing at the entrance. “I also wanted to introduce you to Ashley.”