Page 1 of Zodiac Demons

The Cavalier of Cancer

Chapter 1

“I have an appointment at 5:00.” I said, as I pulled out my ID for the receptionist at the Succubus Den.

“It’s so proper of you to always present your credentials, like you haven’t been here a hundred times, Adrian Karras.” The girl, whose name I’d never learned, offered me a smile as she leaned over the counter. I may have fed with her once, but she didn’t have any distinct enough features for me to recall when or what her essence tasted like. She was flawless in the way all Succubus were flawless, and I could barely tell one pouty lipped blonde from the next anymore. “You don’t have to make an appointment you know. You can just show up, and Kat or Serena would jump at the opportunity to be your feeding partner again. I know you have that weird quirk about never using the same girl twice, but they both put you on their preferred client registry if you change your mind.” She batted her inhumanly thick eyelashes before she added in a low whisper, as if anyone cared enough to listen in on this conversation. “I put you on mine, too.”

I fought the urge to frown. I’d have to admit I wasn’t sure which woman was Kat or Serena. I made an active effort to never be personal. Not in a place like this.

“I prefer to keep it professional,” I said, as I returned my ID to my wallet. “And I would also prefer to continue never using the same partner twice.”

“Hmmm, I don’t think that’ll be a problem. Although it’s been a month or two since we got a new hostess.” She paused, pondering who-knows-what. “Actually, wait—have you been in at all this year? I feel like it’s been at least six months since I’ve seen you.” The overly friendly succubus started casually scrolling through her logs for my last date of entry. “Let’s see, you were here on Christmas, but it looks like you missed your January appointment and didn’t make any new ones after that…” She clapped, before she met my eyes with a coy twist to her lips. “Well, in that case, we have a lot of new hostesses. Girlfriend? Finally got free?”

Subtle.

While my rational brain wanted to reject the notion of Lila being my girlfriend, in this instance, it really didn’t matter what this woman thought. If anything, that was an easier explanation than admitting I’d fucked my first virgin and was now magically tied to one of my students. I wasn’t looking to explain my entire life’s downward spiral to a random stranger who I apparently once slept with for magical energy.

So I simply replied with “something like that.”

“Huh, I guess I lost a bet then.” She laughed but didn’t explain. That was actually to her credit though, as I really wasn’t interested in this attempt at overly friendly banter. “Well, Jessica is free for your evening’s meal. You’ll be in room 415. Any specific requests or props that would enhance today’s experience, Dr. Karras?” Finally a hint of professionalism.

It was only for a fraction of a second, but the intrusive thought of asking my hostess to wear a Graves uniform and cinnamon apple perfume flashed through my mind, and I absolutely would not voice any such thing. “No, thank you. The standard equipment is fine.”

With a cheerful tip of her chin, the woman led me down the hall to the elevator and waited with me until the cabin arrived.

“It’s good to see you again. Please don’t be a stranger.” She gave me one last overly forward wink, and I paid her no acknowledgement as I stepped into the chamber and pressed the button for the fourth floor.

I always treated the staff in a way that was both professional but cold, and yet they refused to reciprocate that energy. I suppose it wasn’t in the nature of Succubus to act casually around men—certainly not around Incubus men, who had the potential to be mutually beneficial forever partners—though from what I’d seen, most customers in the Den were able to sign in and go about their business with much less heckling. I couldn’t say what it was about me that attracted all of the most annoying people, but it was truly my gift and my curse lately.

I groaned as I got off the elevator and located room 415. The door unlocked with a fingerprint that read my magical signature, and inside was a woman about my age, with thick blonde hair that reached her waist, and eyes more blue than the sky itself on a beautiful summer day.

“Oh,” Jessica said, covering her thick, red-painted lips with a small, perfectly manicured hand. “When Gigi told me my client was going to be a dream today, she undersold you.”

I ignored the compliment and surveyed the room. Apparently I’d been assigned a suite. The bed was exceptionally large, big enough to use like an entire playground, while a premium selection of toys for both pleasure and pain were easily accessible on the nearby wall. Mirrors wrapped around the performance area like an amphitheater, while the décor was colored in earthy shades that had always appealed to my Capricorn side. It was all tailored exactly to my taste.

I could appreciate the amount of care they put into pleasing their clients, considering I put so little into being an enthusiastic customer. This was a transactional, necessary evil and I didn’t want it to be memorable for anyone involved.

These were the moments where I envied Marcus a bit. As a vampire, his strength could be fueled with impersonal violence. A blood bank didn’t require physically interacting with anyone beyond the human vegetable that you drank from, and it was incredibly clinical from start to finish. I’d had to take Marcus to the bank more than once as the responsible big brother babysitting the irresponsible child. He had it easy.

But when your monster required you feed on sex?

It was arousal, physical commitment, flirting and conversation, foreplay, endorphins, closeness, and pleasure. It was an entire experience that required complete surrender to your body’s needs, and it couldn’t easily be performed without forging some form of legitimate intimacy. Detached as I should have been by nature, the nagging shifter half of my blood always wanted more than just a quick recharge. As long as I’d been alive, I’d learned to deal with the reality of my existence, but I never could find joy in it. I often felt I had to force my body to perform, relying on physiological reactions just to get the sustenance I needed.

I wondered if I had been born a full blooded Incubus, would I take more pleasure in this? Father had been head over heels for mother, and even when Marcus and his father came into the picture, and relationships were more strained for a while, he never expressed any desire to stray, virgin bound or not. To this day, they were all almost sickeningly devoted to each other, having spent so many years learning to be a unit. Any tension between Hidalgo Emery and Luca Karras had long been resolved with the help of our mother.

But Marcus and I would never have it so simple. It sounded wonderful and romantic to come together over a woman, but it was a fairytale more unrealistic than the most fanciful human invention when it came to me and him.

I started undoing my belt, not so much as looking this woman in the eye as I did it. “I’m sure you’re lovely, and I don’t mean to be rude. But I’d like to get this over with without conversation.” I stated blandly.

“A man of few words,” she said, as if she was hoping to turn the request for silence into some form of flirtation. I drew a heavy breath through my nose. It felt wrong to be with another woman now, and it truly shouldn’t have. It was this, or I was going to end up losing my mind completely and going into a frenzy. Considering Lila was still in Graves, I couldn’t afford to let my beast creep into full psychosis. This was for both of our safety.

“Lay on your back, spread your legs, and don’t move.” I touched my finger to my lips in one more bid for silence, hoping to avoid a coy response.

She took the hint and did as she was told.

I climbed onto the bed, and positioned between her thighs. I wouldn’t be undressing, nor did I want her too. This was to be a clinical necessity and nothing more. She locked into my gaze as I nudged her panties to the side. The hints of turquois sparkle in her eyes wasn’t unlike my own. The color was one that most humans found enticing, which offered its own power of persuasion.

I supported myself on one hand beside her head, as I finished freeing myself from my jeans.