Page 23 of The Howl
“Hello?”
“Hey, Eliana,” Eugene said. He was almost drowned out by the sultry notes of music in the background. “Fenris mentioned that you aren’t coming tonight, and I was wondering if I could stop over by your place instead.”
My vision shifted at the thought of Eugene here, alone, with me.
“That’s not a good idea,” I said. “Especially after the way I behaved in the pool.”
“I was kind of hoping we could talk about that. And about what happened at dinner last night. Ashlyn is great about sharing information, but she doesn’t know much about succubi, and I’m over my head with what’s safe and not safe. Not just with you,” he added quickly. “In general.”
“I’m humbled by your faith in me, Eugene, and hope that you’ll trust me when I say I’m dangerous. I don’t mean to be, but like many of the other creatures in Uttira, my instincts rule me. Especially my need to feed. Like Adira said, I feed on energy. And while that might seem like a non-threatening thing, I promise it’s not. What I accidentally did today is what Adira wanted me to do at dinner last night.”
“Swim with me?”
“No. She wanted me to use my abilities on you to make you want to feed me. To make you more interested in being with me than you should be. It’d be better if you stayed away from me for the next few days.”
“Because you think you put some kind of spell on me?”
What I could do wasn’t some kind of magic, but I didn’t try to correct him.
“Yes.”
“I don’t feel any different.”
“Don’t you? Why else would you call me immediately after hearing you wouldn’t see me?”
“Because, according to you and Ashlyn, I’m currently surrounded by creatures who want to consume me in some way.” There was a smattering of laughter. “And don’t forget that I wanted to talk to you before the whole pool thing happened. So see? Not different.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Chapter Five
As I pulledinto the student parking lot, I groaned at the sight of Eugene leaning against his car.
He smiled and lifted one of the cups he was holding. The gesture just made me want to shift my car into reverse and get out of there. But I couldn’t. I needed to deal with the mess I’d created.
While he’d probably told himself it was nothing more than a friendly cup of coffee, I knew better. It was a test gift. If I accepted it, he would show up with something else tomorrow. The gifts would slowly escalate in importance until he was kneeling before me with a ring.
I parked my car and got out, trying my best to look pleasant instead of upset.
“Morning,” he said. “I brought a—”
“Never give a gift to a succubus,” I said.
His welcome smile faded to confusion.
“Why?”
“Because she’ll be that much closer to owning you. If you find yourself thinking about getting a gift for one, run, Eugene. Run far. Run fast. Lock yourself away for a few days until the urge passes. But whatever you do, don’t give a succubus a gift.”
He smiled and lifted the cup to me.
“Good thing this is only coffee. The girl at the shop swore that double chocolate with extra foam was the way to go.”
“It’s not just coffee, Eugene. It’s a gift for me. If it wasn’t meant to be special, you would have gotten one for Ashlyn, too, to thank her.”
“I bought her a soda last night. See? Not just you.”
I wished I could believe that, but the hint of earnest desperation in his eyes told me otherwise.
