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Mona’s concern barely registers over the roaring panic consuming me. I can’t fucking believethey’rehere. I move to put myself in front of Mona, wanting to protect her from the vitriol that I’m ready to spew forth.
“Alright, guess that’s a no on the handshake,” Devon says with a smirk that I want to punch off his face. He looks just like he did when Jessica threw me out of their apartment in the middle of the night. Amused by my shock and filled with unearned bravado. How I ever thought he was my best friend is beyond me, seeing his face now.
My fists clench and unclench as I try to keep myself from breaking down. I don’t want Mona to see me with them—to see the broken man they made when they smashed my heart to pieces. “You should go.”
“Who’s your new friend?” Jessica steps closer, standing beside Devon as she casts a critical eye in Mona’s direction. Her soft, careful tone doesn’t show any derision directed at Mona. Instead, she sounds concerned for her. Wish she’d had the same concern for me when she begged me to join them in bed.
I want to be done with them. Done with the night that changed everything for the worse until I met Mona. It was right before I left for Moonvale. We were celebrating Jessica’s promotion, just the three of us, like always. Me watching the happy couple with a pang of longing, loving my best friends more than I should and knowing that I’d never feel that kind of love from them in return. I thought I hid it well—hiding things is part of my job.
But that night, I slipped up. Two drinks in, they started bugging me about my dating prospects, wanting to know the sordid details of what a succubus’ sex life entailed. When I told them I had no real sex life to speak of and hadn’t for a while, something passed between them. At the time, I could barely breathe when I felt the force of their desire directed toward me. Devon told me they wanted me. Jessica said that they’d wanted me for years. They both told me they loved me.
I resisted at first. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship and was terrified of losing them. But after two more drinks and their hands roaming over my body as they whispered promises and long-held desires in my ears, I gave in. Let myself love them like I’d yearned to.
It was a stupid, reckless mistake. When their lust was sated, things crashed back down to reality. Jessica cried as she apologized, telling me that what we’d done was a mistake. Devon raged at me as he hurled accusations—it was my fault because I’d tempted them and used my powers to seduce them. They confirmed my worst fears and tore our friendship apart in one awful evening.
I’d left not long after. Ran away to Moonvale to escape the pain and clawing fear that maybe Iwasthe monster they claimed me to be. Distance and time has helped me realize it wasn’t my fault. Starting over brought me to Mona. And now they’re here, acting like nothing is wrong. Fuck that.
“Yeah, at least introduce us to your latest conquest,” says Devon with a grim laugh.
“I don’t want to talk to either of you. Please just leave,” I say, unable to keep my voice from shaking.
“Max?” Mona’s eyes are wide as she takes in my interaction with my ex-friends. I don’t know how to explain. Ican’texplain while they’re still here, flooding my mind with painful memories and lingering lust. Becausefuck, I can still feel their desire for me in the air. It assaults my senses and makes my stomach churn. I’m going to be sick if I can’t get away from them.
“Are you okay, honey?” Jessica asks, her red-rimmed lips twisting into a frown as she takes a step closer to Mona.
Mona blinks rapidly at her, confused. “I-I’m—”
Devon cuts her off. “Of course she’s not okay. Look at her. Shameless succubus can’t keep it in his pants.”
I see red, my blood pounding as my jaw clenches so tightly I might crack a tooth. It takes everything inside me not to punch the bastard.
“It’s not your fault. This is what he does. He takes good people and uses his powers to corrupt them. Fills their minds with lust until they break and give in.” Jessica reaches out to touch Mona’s arm, but Mona flinches and backs away into the corner of the alley.
“Max, I don’t understand,” she says, her eyes wild as she searches my face for an explanation.
“Come on, Jess. I don’t want to stick around to hear what excuses he uses this time. Once was enough.” Devon starts to walk away, which is good because I’m seconds from laying into him with my fists. He shoots me one more cold smile, then gestures for Jessica to follow.
She reluctantly backs away from Mona, then gives me a pained look. She speaks as she passes me, her voice barely loud enough for me to hear. “I’m sorry, Max. I didn’t mean to…”
“Jess!” Devon barks out, and she blinks away a tear, then hurries after him.
Didn’t mean to what? Break my heart? Accuse me of something she knows damn well I’d never do? Terrify Mona?
Shit. Mona.I turn and move to her side. Her back presses against the corner of the alley and she flinches when I reach out to pull her into my arms.
“Who were they—why…why did they say those things?” She’s trembling so hard that all I want to do is hold her until her body relaxes. It’s so hard to focus past the rush of my anger and shame.
“They’re my friends. Or at least they were. Gods, Mona…I’m so sorry they scared you. They were lying. I’d never use magic to hurt you or make you do something against your will. I’ve never done that toanyone.”
“S-so you’re not a succubus?” she asks, her voice shaking as she looks into my eyes, searching me for reassurance I can’t give her.
I planned on telling her tonight when we got back to the hotel. Before we went back to my parents’ house tomorrow for my “surprise” birthday party. I’d decided as we sat around the table with my family and she fit so perfectly. For the first time, the urge to hide that part of me disappeared. Not that she’ll believe me if I tell her that. The damage is done.
“I…I’m part-succubus. My mom’s a succubus and my dad’s a witch. I didn’t tell you because I’ve been burned in the past when people found out. They assumed I’d use my nature to seduce them. With how things started between us, I was scared to bring it up.”
Mona’s eyes widen and she presses herself even closer to the wall. “You lied to me? Oh god, I’m such an idiot. Of course you did. I knew you were too good to be true.”
Her words are like a knife in my chest and my own panicked words spill out of me like my lifeblood. “Please, Mona. I was going to tell you tonight. I didn’t lie about anything else. I care about you so much, and I didn’t want to scare you away.”
