Sexy man leaned in to me until we were nearly touching. Tingles shot through my body just from his proximity. I held my breath.
And then he sniffed me.
He pushed his nose up against my neck and sniffed.
I should have been startled, I should have slapped him, I should have done anything except go weak in the knees. But that was what I did. Right there as he pressed his nose against me, I nearly fell over.
He caught me, a massive hand on my lower back while the other rested on my stomach. I had to force myself to keep from panting at the sensation of his touch. It was electric, sending a rush of pleasure through me that wasn’t normal. I mean, normally a guy had to hit just the right place to make me feel that good. I bit down on the inside of my cheek to help contain myself. How would it look if I moaned in front of all these strangers?
Then again, he had growled at me. Maybe that was how we were supposed to communicate here.
“You don’t smell like a shifter,” he said the words softer, almost in a whisper.
“That’s because I’m not.” Finally, feeling like I’d regained control, I pushed his hands off of me. “They say I’m a mage.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Mages live in the tower. Shifters live in the dungeon.”
“So I’ve been told,” I said.
“Makayla,” the brute said. “Show her to her room.”
“I’m supposed to take her,” Luka said.
The shifter in front of me let out a low growl, baring his teeth. His gold eyes flashed. “This isn’t your domain, fallen one.”
“Hey, no need for that,” I said. “Luka has been helping me.”
“I’m sure he has. That’s what they do. They help you, then they get in your pants and steal your soul.”
“That sounds a little dramatic, don’t you think?” I said.
“He’s an incubus. It’s what he does,” the shifter said.
I turned and glanced at my guide. “Is that true? You’re an incubus? Isn’t that like a sex demon?”
Luka’s casual exterior seemed to harden in front of my eyes. His whole body tensed, and his blue eyes stormed over.
I took a step back, suddenly terrified by the man I’d been ready to pounce on a few minutes ago.
“You don’t know anything about me, Ben.” Luka shoved the papers he was holding into the shifter’s chest. “She’s your problem now.”
Ben grabbed the papers while glaring at Luka. The incubus turned and headed down the dark hall.
“Luka, wait.” I felt terrible for how I’d reacted to discovering what he was. Weren’t we all monsters when it came to the tales humans were told? How was I any different than him? He’d been nothing but nice to me.
The incubus faded into the dark and I was left alone with the shifters.