Zoey Rogue

chapter Nine: Strike One



For the second night in a row, Declan held his unconscious soul-mate in his arms. He maneuvered her until he was able to hold her. He almost waited too long, but she insisted on playing a game of chicken with him.

He was too stubborn to back down. He sensed her folding before she did and recalled the fear in her gaze. He had no intention of letting his soul-mate die, but she believed his bluff.

Her ragged breathing turned deep. She was absorbing his magic as fast as he pushed it into her. Her blood dripped down his body, and he grimaced. Every time their paths crossed, she ruined his clothing.

Still, holding her against him soothed the raging desire he fought all day. He waited for her body to stabilize and lifted her in his arms. The alley was littered with dead Cambions. His instincts and the Professor’s words were right: she was as powerful as a Succubus without the ability to control it. The Professor’s bond to her was too weak to stabilize her when she fought.

This time, he wasn’t taking her back. He was taking her home. He used his magic to hide them as he walked the short distance to the apartment building where the Incubatti elite lived. He made it up to his room but hesitated to put her in his bed; she was a train wreck.

With more self-control than he ever used for anything, he cut off her clothing with one of her knives and cleaned her up before placing her in his bed. He changed fast and went to the gym, aware she wasn’t going to be awake for hours. Every step he took turned his mood fouler.

He made it to the gym with the hope of working off some of his sexual frustration. The moment he reached the weight bench, he heard the door open and close behind him. Declan glanced over his shoulder then turned.

“Why the f*ck did you do that?” Paul, the Cambion leader with mismatched eyes, was furious.

“Do what?” Declan replied calmly.

“Call off my Cambions from taking care of that Hunter. She’s been slaughtering them right and left. I finally had the situation under control.”

Declan’s jaw clenched, but he drew a deep breath. Playing nice was something he was relatively good at.

“That particular Hunter is my soul-mate,” he replied. “Your Cambions will not touch her.”

Paul stared at him, surprise apparent on his features.

“Why did you keep it from the Council?” he managed.

“I’m required to inform the Council only after the rite is completed,” Declan reminded him. “It’s not finished.”

“What stage?”

“First.” Sensing the Cambion’s agitation, Declan couldn’t help adding. “You pushed her straight into my arms, for which I thank you.”

“You used my Cambions to trap her.” Paul’s face went pale then grew pink.

“Yeah,” Declan said. He offered a smile. “She’s the strongest Halfling I’ve ever met.”

The Cambion seemed ready to snap at him then thought better of it. “Congrats, I guess,” he said finally. “Can you keep her from killing off my Cambions?”

“One thing at a time. Let me get through the rite and transition into the Chief Enforcer position,” Declan said. “At that point, we can discuss my wife’s activities with regards to your Cambions.”

“Very well,” the Cambion leader muttered. He whirled then left, slamming the door to the gym behind him.

Declan’s gaze lingered. Paul normally didn’t snap at the Enforcers, aware of the chasm between their levels of magic. Something else was wrong with the Cambion. Declan sipped his water and rubbed his temples. His head was aching, probably from the need to claim his soul-mate. Dismissing Paul’s outburst, Declan tossed his towel and prepared for a grueling workout.

He spent two hours in the gym, went for a run and continued to feel like a caged beast. At last, he returned to his apartment for a shower and stripped, his body calming the moment he touched her again.

With some of the fire dampened, Declan drifted to sleep, the woman clutched in his arms.



Zoey floated in the darkness before she gradually became aware of the magic moving through her. It wasn’t hers, but it was warm and gentle, prodding her away from the edge of death. A slow, steady heartbeat calmed the frantic beating of her own heart until hers matched the pace. Her breathing synced with that of another. Unable to determine where she ended and the other person began, she started to panic. What if someone had hijacked her magic? What if she couldn’t escape?

The sense of being in a cozy cocoon greeted her as she regained consciousness some time later. It was dark, aside from the light of a single dancing candle somewhere in the room. Zoey’s hand went to her stomach. There was a scar where there had been a wound before. She was curled in the arms of the source of the magic. It wasn’t invasive like the Professor’s. This magic was subtle and consuming, ensnaring her willpower along with her senses.

The idea of being out of control of her own body scared her. She broke the rhythms running through her, pulling away from whoever it was to roll onto her belly.

The sensations of the surrounding world hit her at once. Her head and body ached. The magic was demanding entrance to her body, and the air conditioning was cold against her skin. She was naked and vulnerable, her head swimming to the point she grew nauseous. She’d been fighting Cambions then…what?

She groaned.

“Easy,” a husky voice said. It made her shiver. The speaker touched her back, and her world righted.

“Oh, god!” she exclaimed. “Where the f*ck am I?”

The silky chuckle told her more than she wanted to know. Sex energy roared to life within her, as affected by the Incubus in the bed beside her as the need for release after fighting so many Cambions. For his part, the Incubus was controlling his magic. The memory of the battle in the alley sharpened.

“My god. What did I agree to?” she asked, horrified.

Zoey looked at him finally. It was forbidden to sleep with the enemy Incubuses. If the Sucubatti didn’t have a reason to fry her after all her disciplinary hearings, they would now.

Her Incubus had beautiful hazel eyes. His ruffled hair was brown and short, his features chiseled and strong with a two day growth along his jaw that made him look rebellious. His body was lean, supple muscle beneath golden skin. Covered from the waist down by a sheet, he was nonetheless stunning. She took in the flat abs and wide chest, the shapely shoulders and thick biceps, the outline of his narrow hips and muscular thighs beneath the sheet.

He lay on his side, one hand propping up his head while the other rested on her back. His hand was large and strong, its heat piercing the thin sheet.

“Two nights with the man who saved your life. Small price to pay,” he said, holding her gaze.

“Unless it lands me in hot water!”

“Something tells me you’re accustomed to hot water. Tonight will be a cakewalk for you.”

The complete stranger in bed with her was teasing her. Did she laugh or run? Her eyes traveled over him again. She’d always been curious, yes, but this wasn’t the kind of man she’d ever been with. According to Vikki’s journal, an Incubus would strip her to her soul when he made love to her, master her body in a way that no one else ever would. There’d be nothing she could keep from him. He’d pleasure her, on his terms, with magic more powerful than anything she’d seen before. He’d command and consume her, and she’d be utterly vulnerable for the first time in her life.

Zoey hated the idea of being vulnerable.

“I promised to be gentle,” the Incubus reminded her, reading her confusion. “I’ve got you for two nights.” The confident, amused smile that spread across his features did nothing to comfort her.

“You totally set me up,” she accused.

“Yeah.” His Southern accent drew out the monosyllabic word in a way she found sexy. “Never play a game you can’t win.”

“Why are you playing with me?”

His slow smile and direct gaze were all the response she received.

“I’m not coming back tomorrow,” she told him.

“You can pick the second night. But you will pay up.”

Zoey didn’t know what to think. She was healed, energized, and the sex energy calm. She’d never felt that combination yet cursed herself for making a bet with him while half-dead.

“Don’t be scared,” he said gently. “It’ll be worth your while.”

“I’m not afraid of you.”

“C’mere then. I’ll quiet the fire in your blood. Promise.”

Her body flared to life at his words. She wanted him to do what sex with Eric and killing Cambions couldn’t. Her heart beat faster than when she’d run a half-marathon.

His hand slid across her back and to her hip. He tugged, giving her the option to refuse him, if she chose to stay where she was on her belly.

Unaccustomed to being off-guard, Zoey hesitated then gave. He rolled her onto her back, until her side met his body. Her pulse raced at the feel of his skin against hers. He draped a thick thigh over hers possessively. His hand rested on her bare stomach, the skin-to-skin contact making desire hum through her. His gaze stayed on hers as she struggled to control the effect he had on her. Her caged sex energy screamed to be released.

“I don’t normally have sex with complete strangers,” she said. “Or enemies. Or random men I meet in bars.”

“I’m not going to hurt you. Promise.” His hand traveled up her body, between her breasts. He traced her collarbone then trailed his index finger along the side of her neck. His touch left a trail of warmth and magic.

“Will you tell me your name?”

“Declan.”

“I’m Zoey. Nice to meet you, maybe.”

He chuckled. “My pleasure, Zoey.”

He traced her jaw line then her lips. She shivered in response and saw the fire of desire light in his eyes.

“Show me that brave girl who laughed at the Cambions and threatened to behead me twice,” he teased. “That’s a turn on, by the way.”

“I thought your kind was always turned on.”

“Only when we see something we want.”

“You wanted me?” she asked.

“In every way I know how. I’ll show you.”

She laughed, uncertain how to take his words. His scent was like the toasted vanilla of crème brûlée. He smelled like cookies. He filled her senses and made her mouth water. She was hungry to taste him. His hand traveled down her neck again, between her breasts, to her stomach. He held her gaze as he continued downwards, pushing aside the sheet to expose her body. His hand returned to her stomach and trailed down one hip to her thigh. The lazy circle he traced on her thigh made her lower stomach burn. The longer he touched her, the more her body relaxed, as if he was meant to touch her.

“This feels too un-weird,” she whispered at last.

“I know.” He lowered his face nearer hers. “Like it’s supposed to happen.”

“I don’t believe in fate.”

“I didn’t before tonight.”

“What a shitty pick-up line,” she said.

“It’s working, isn’t it?” he returned.

Her breathing was already irregular, his steady. Her heart pounded inside her chest like a desperate moth against a window, while the steady rhythm of his grounded her.

He kissed her, and her blood turned to liquid fire. His full lips were soft and hot, the flicker of his tongue in her mouth making her sigh. She wasn’t sure what she expected from an Incubus, but it wasn’t gentleness, not when they had stores of sex energy like this one did. He wasn’t seducing; he wasn’t using his magic on her at all. It was as restrained as he could make it. She didn’t understand.

Not that it mattered. She was losing herself in the scent of dark vanilla and the heat of his mouth. She touched his face then his shoulder, growing bolder with her own responses. His kiss deepened as he shifted. Tossing the sheet, he pressed a knee to her thighs. She yielded, and he settled between her legs. The dark curls sprinkled along his chest teased her sensitive breasts. The sensation of his warm skin against hers almost undid her. One of his hands explored her body, spreading fire wherever it went.

His mouth left hers and trailed hot kisses down her jaw to her neck. He nipped at the sensitive area beneath her ear while his fingers slid between the petals of her sex. Zoey gasped as he slid a finger into her and nipped her again. Her body hummed with awareness that strained in response to his slightest touch, aching for him with urgency that made her shift beneath him.

“You’re so wet,” he whispered in a husky voice. He separated the nether lips of her sex and touched the swollen nub between them. Her body bucked in response. “Oh yeah, you’re gonna be a lively one.” He smiled.

Zoey took his face in her hands and pulled him to her, thrumming with need. She didn’t hesitate this time, but kissed him hard. His quick, hungry response thrilled her. His hands traveled up her body, and he bit her lower lip.

The intensity of his kiss and touch grew hotter, more passionate, until she was panting. Zoey groaned. She ached for him, needed him, all of him. The heat of his skin and mouth, the large hands teasing her nipples, the tiny flares of pain from his nips, his scent and strength …She strained beneath him, trying to bring the core of her need closer to the part of him that could appease it.

“Declan,” she whispered.

“Look at me.”

Opening her eyes, she met his hazel gaze. Something within her trembled at the deep connection. He seemed to see straight through her; she was completely exposed to him.

The tip of his manhood tickled her core. She held her breath. He penetrated her deliberately, holding her gaze. She shuddered at the intense sensation and strained against him again, feeling near orgasm already, with him not even fully inside her.

“Declan!” she said, this time a command.

“Patience,” he said, amused.

His whiskey gaze became the only steadiness in the haze of intense sensations. She clung to it, thrilled and terrified that he held so much more self-command than she did. He wanted to watch her lose control, something she’d never done before. Something she feared.

Not even halfway in, he withdrew then penetrated her more quickly, until he was fully buried in her body. Zoey moaned, her body and sheathe tight, on the verge of shattering. Declan’s hands and mouth took her closer. He kissed her deep and hard, moving in and out of her leisurely, building the sensations within her. Her sex energy slammed against her chest, demanding to be free so it could tangle with his, while she struggled to contain it. His magic was likewise trying to push its way into her body. The end result: chaotic emotions and sensations, all vying for her attention.

As if feeling how close she was, he stilled suddenly. Zoey wriggled, desperate for her release. She growled at him in response.

“Enjoy the ride. I’m not letting you off until I’m ready,” he teased with another deep, quick kiss. “Stop fighting it.”

“I’m not –“

He pumped once, and she arched beneath him. Struggling with the magic and physical sensations, she dug her nails into his back.

“Let the Incubus do what he does best,” he said, still again.

Frustrated, she squirmed. The sex energy was fighting her; she wasn’t fighting it!

“I don’t know how!” she almost shouted.

“Zoey, look at me.”

She forced herself to focus on his eyes.

“Yield,” he ordered. “To me. To the magic. You feel it. Let go and let me in.”

She never lowered her guard to anyone. Her fear at letting some…stranger into her mind and magic returned. She sensed the power pushing to enter her body from his and was afraid of letting it control her.

“Now,” he added. “Just let go.”

She didn’t know what he did, a combination of a kiss unlike any she’d ever had, the movement of him inside her, a trickle of his magic. Something released within her, like a drawbridge lowering to let the invaders enter.

“Good,” he whispered against her ear. “More.”

Zoey released her grip on her magic. The trickle turned to a flood and swept through her. She stopped thinking, stopped feeling. Primal instincts took over as she responded to him with passion that had been buried for a lifetime. His magic pierced her, melted her from the inside out then flowed between them, uninhibited. His gaze anchored her in the world they created, one of sensory overload. As earlier when she awoke, she no longer knew where she started and he ended.

She started to panic, not wanting to drown in his magic.

“Trust me,” he whispered against her ear.

She felt him, his desire, yearning and need. She explored his incredible restraint, the depths of his passion, all the while feeling her need climb closer to the point of climax. She touched his soul, and it welcomed her in a display of intimacy unlike anything she ever experienced. Awed by what he showed her, the last of her barriers dropped. He seemed content to let her explore him without demanding the same access to her.

Zoey released her last hold on her magic. She no longer cared if he consumed her, if it meant she was able to experience all of him. They held a tug of war over the sex energy, feeding off each other with hunger that was mirrored in their physical joining.

Suddenly, the world where they were one fell away. Waves of pleasure wracked her body, wringing throaty cries from her as she convulsed beneath him. Her orgasm wrenched her out of his mind. Zoey blinked, lost again as she tried to figure out what part of what she felt was her and what was him.

Declan kissed her face, pressing her against the bed with his body. When she came down from the high, she was panting. They were sweating. His breathing was heavy and even. She opened her eyes. He kissed her nose and smoothed wet curls away from her face. Outside the strange world where she’d gone, she still sensed the new connection, the one that granted her access to his sex energy. It was intimate, deep, and made their joined bodies feel natural, as if this was where she belonged, with him buried inside her, and their souls communicating through magic.

He kissed her lips lightly.

“You’re still hard,” she said in a voice rendered hoarse from her cries. Her body continued to convulse around his. She wanted to watch him lose control as well.

“I wanted to pleasure you first,” he replied. “I promised to be gentle. You had something to learn.”

There was something else in his gaze this time, a different kind of fire. She felt its intensity in the connection between them, and it told her he’d been restrained for the first time. The second, he wasn’t going to play as nice.

It made her burn even hotter for him. She anticipated meeting him in the strange world, every time they made love.

“What exactly was that…place?” she asked.

“Strike one.”

Awareness crept into her mind at the familiar phrase. Where had she heard it?

“But damned if I know. I’ve never felt it before,” he added with a note of curiosity in his voice. “It makes me want to go back.”

“You don’t know?” she asked, his words eliciting a confused laugh. “Aren’t you an Incubus? This isn’t your first time.”

“This is not a normal f*ck,” he replied. “I’ll tell you why tomorrow.”

“Did I really touch your…soul?” The question seemed foolish.

“Yeah,” he replied. “I felt it. Wanna go back?”

“Maybe. I think.” She grinned mischievously.

Reading her surge of desire, he kissed her, deep and hungry, not giving her the chance to return completely to her senses.

“Are all first dates like this for an Incubus?” she whispered when she caught her breath.

“Pretty much. Second date is even better.”

“There won’t be a second date with me!” Anger rippled through her. Embarrassed that she’d fallen into the same trap any girl who slept with an Incubus did, she couldn’t bring herself to want to leave yet, either. Not with the connection humming between them.

“Yes, there will be. You lost a bet remember?” He chuckled. “Besides, no one else will satisfy you after tonight.”

Zoey tried to move in objection. Declan remained on top of her, inside her, kissing her. She wanted to ignore his words. But, for the first time since she could remember, the sex energy wasn’t tormenting her. It was calm, steady, balanced. The strange bond between them settled her fire.

“Son of a bitch,” she muttered. “This won’t happen again.”

“I give it three days, before you’re back at my door, begging me like you just did.” He lifted his head to meet her gaze, his filled with teasing challenge.

“You wanna bet?” she snapped.

“Yeah.” The soft way he said the word made her blood race again.

Declan withdrew reluctantly and shifted off her, onto his side, without breaking their physical contact. She mirrored his position and propped her head up with one hand. Her body didn’t want to move. Declan wrapped an arm around her to pull her closer, his hand remaining on her hip possessively.

She breathed in his rich scent, never wanting to forget it. Zoey’s fingers traced down his muscular arm and across his chest. She admired the smoothness and warmth of his skin and hesitantly touched his face, expecting him to pull away. He didn’t.

How was he so patient? He wanted her; she saw the physical signs and felt his need through the strange connection. His dick was pressed against her lower belly, the pulse visible in his neck quick.

He seemed content to let her explore him. Her forefinger traced a line around his roughened jaw, his high cheekbones, and down his straight nose. He nipped it as it crossed his full, soft lips.

She met his gaze with a smile, her hand moving down the side of his neck to his shoulder and down his arm. As sated as she was, her blood was on fire after a few seconds of his direct look. The ache at her core returned, as if she hadn’t f*cked him already.

Her hand continued down his body, until she wrapped it around his thick penis. Her thumb tickled the bulbous head, and she began stroking him.

“Ready again?” he whispered. His hand spread magic and heat through her as it left its place at her hip and slid up her body then down again.

“Yeah,” she murmured.

Declan needed no further encouragement. He kissed her hard, his hunger eliciting a groan from her, and pushed her onto her back. His fingers tickled the sensitive skin around her core.

“About our bet,” he reminded her.

“How about double or nothing?” she breathed.

He laughed. “You’re making it too easy for me to win.”

“Not on purpose,” she grumbled.

Any irritation she felt disappeared when his fingers slid into her, and he began stroking the roughened skin of her G-spot. He released flares of magic with every stroke that flew through her, sending bursts of pleasure with each one. His kisses grew deeper, consuming once more. She lowered her resistance to his sex energy quickly this time, wanting to feel what she had their first time.

Declan’s fingers left her core as his body covered hers. The feel of his hot skin against hers drove her crazy. He penetrated her and stilled, letting her body adapt to the magic once more.

He gripped her wrists and interlaced their fingers, pinning her hands above her head. Too aware of his scent and their shared breath, she tried hard not to moan when he moved in and out of her. He locked gazes with her, his intensity stirring lust that should’ve been sated already. How was it possible to want him more this time? To yearn to surrender and let their souls tangle and tease, dance and feed?

“Not so bad, is it?” he whispered, the intimacy of his direct gaze causing her face to grow hotter.

“I’ve had worse,” she replied.

He smiled and kissed her nose before renewing the connection with his eyes. Zoey tried not to show him what he was doing to her, the effect of the need and pleasure building within her. She found herself frantic at the idea of losing control of herself and letting him control their pace and the flow of sex energy.

“Stop,” he said, sensing her emotions. “Yield, my little Hunter.”

It was easier to do than she expected, which scared her more. She felt stripped down and vulnerable beneath his penetrating gaze. Surprisingly, nothing bad happened. It wasn’t painful to let him saturate her senses.

“Good,” Declan said. “Stay that way. Okay?”

She nodded. “I want to be on top,” she told him.

“Tonight is yours,” he said. He rolled, pulling her with him.

Zoey laughed. Her hair created a tent around their heads. She didn’t understand why he was so gentle with her, but the urge to pull her guard back up was gone. Zoey kissed, nipped and licked her way down his body, timidly at first then braver, when he made no move to stop her. She was fascinated by his body in a way she never noticed with Eric. She found herself obsessed with memorizing everything about him: his taste, the feel of supple muscle beneath soft skin, even how he looked in the shadows created by candlelight.

She returned from her exploration to kiss his face then trailed kisses down his neck and chest, following the natural trail created by the thin line of hair along his taut lower abdomen. He was still hard, despite the time she took in her curiosity. Zoey wrapped her hand around his manhood. He was wide enough that her fingers didn’t touch, even when she squeezed. The tip of his penis filled her mouth.

Declan stirred for the first time when she took him into her mouth. She licked, sucked and moved him in and out of her mouth, until her hunger to feel him inside of her got the better of her.

She sat and straddled him, sinking onto his manhood with a groan and a shudder that made him chuckle. Zoey met his gaze again and saw him smiling. He didn’t judge her naïve curiosity with him or rush her. She wriggled on top of him with a mischievous smile.

Declan gripped her hips, and she tossed her hair back. His eyes were dark with need as his appreciative gaze moved over her breasts, stomach and hips.

“Beautiful,” he whispered.

She rocked her hips then undulated her lower body, the feel of him inside her unlike any pleasure she had ever known. His hands slid up her hips and sides to her breasts. Zoey closed her eyes, enjoying the sensations of squeezing and working his penis inside her while the friction of their bodies tickled the sensitive area of her groin.

He passed his thumbs over her nipples, until they hardened, then twisted them gently. The tiny flares of pleasure made her breathing uneven.

“You feel so f*cking good,” she said, unable to understand how sex with this man was so different. Not yet close to climax, she nonetheless felt the connection between them that would pull her back into his body, when she was ready.

He flexed inside her, and she chewed her lower lip, wanting both the ecstasy of release and to enjoy the journey there.

“Want to feel something really cool?” he whispered.

“Yeah.”

The flare of magic made her gasp. Zoey stilled, leaning against him as the sudden, intense wave of pleasure worked its way through her system. He did it again, smiling, and she shuddered at the intensity of the tiny orgasm.

“Again?” he asked.

“Oh, god,” she gasped, nails digging into his chest.

Declan gripped her hips and pulled them towards him then pushed away, until she fell again into the rhythm. The flare of magic pulsed through her again, and she felt her body accepting his control once more. Feeling her give, Declan rolled her onto her back and quickened the pace of their lovemaking.

“One more,” he said with a husky chuckle.

Zoey’s world shattered again, and she clutched at him, all control lost.