“Kellen? What’s wrong with him?”
“He’s drowning in self-loathing and about to implode with it. Please, Christabel. Do this for me. Do this for your brother. He has protected you and now is your chance to repay him. I need to talk to him for a moment.”
She hesitated, chewing on her lower lip.
“If you’re sure this is the only way?”
“It’s the quickest way,” I clarified.
“I’ll go to my parents. I’ll speak. That will keep them busy and keep everyone distracted so you can talk,” she sighed after a period of silence.
“You would do that, for me?” Kellen looked at his sister with awe.
“After everything I’ve done to you?” he added mournfully, rubbing his hands over his face.
“Let’s stop that train of thought,” I soothed, nervously, feeling a surge of his power against me. His emotions were so intrinsically linked to his power. With the depth of loathing he felt for himself, it was swelling and spilling out from him uncontrollably. “Christabel, if you feel you can do that, it would be an amazing distraction, but I don’t want to push you to speak.”
“It’s ok, I finally have people who are going to listen. My words aren’t useless anymore.”
“Honey, they never were, but it’s true. Kellen and I will always hear you and help you.”
Christabel nodded jerkily and hurried to the door, tossing back a look as she cracked it open.
“You’re sure?” she asked again, obviously not wanting to leave me alone. If only she knew what I was capable of. She wouldn’t be so afraid to leave me with a man.
I nodded. She darted out, closing the door behind her. I strode over and locked it, not leaving anything to chance. Kellen was standing stiff as a statue. I didn’t hesitate. Sliding my arms around his waist, I held him tightly. He melted into me, his head dropping to the juncture between my neck and shoulder. He panted, his breath a hot exhale on my skin. My nature craved more, even though this wasn’t the time for it. I was a succubus, and even though he didn’t realize it, he was an incubus.
Skin against skin was when we were our true selves. Our base nature needed touch, lust and pleasure like we needed oxygen. My fingers pulled his shirt from his trousers, and I slid the fabric up his chest, soaking up the decadent warmth and how his muscles contracted under her touch.
“I know what’s going on in that head. You think Paul attacked Christabel because of your urges, that need inside you.”
“I don’t think, I know. I’ve seen it happen so many times. If I don’t take care of my urges, then it affects other people. It makes them act physical toward one another,” he whispered.
I ran my fingers around to his back, massaging him slightly, leaning into his chest.
“You’re right, Kellen. We inspire lust and attraction in others. But it only encourages people to act on desires they already have. It can’t force someone to feel something that isn’t there. It’s like alcohol. It lowers your inhibitions and gives you that push. Something that you might have been too afraid to do before.”
“But Paul, he—” Kellan started. I cut him off, wanting to rid him of this oppressive guilt.
“He is a monster who preyed on an innocent girl. That had nothing to do with you. She was twelve. That would make you around sixteen, right? Your urges don’t manifest fully until eighteen. Whatever decisions he made; they were not influenced by you in any way.”
Kellen made a noise of disbelief.
“Not true. This curse that’s inside me has tainted two of my siblings. I’ve seen Tate with your cousin Trent. They were together sexually. Why would they do that, if not because of me influencing them?”
Trent? He was with Tate? That explained a lot. Like his insistence on wanting to get married but his inability to pinpoint one thing about Christabel that he actually liked or attracted him. He wanted to be in this family to be close to his true love. And Kellen. Sweet, innocent Kellen. I sighed.
“Does it not feel good when Pastor Young gets on his knees and sucks your cock? Do your knees not tremble when his tongue licks up your cum? Men love men, women love women. There is a universe of love out there that you haven’t experienced, but I promise I’m going to show it to you. You do need to learn to control yourself though and I can teach you.”
“You said you were like me. What did you mean? I feel like there is something evil inside me, squatting on my soul and corrupting it,” he asked, anguished. I ran my nails down his back, pressing against his rapidly beating heart. His cock twitched, reacting to our closeness.
“No darling, not evil. You’re beautiful, powerful, and special. Rare. In my world, you are coveted and appreciated. I know it’s hard to understand right now, but there is nothing wrong with the urges you have.”
“They never stop,” he growled suddenly, jerking his head up to glare at me. “All I have thought about since seeing you last is plunging deep inside you, filling you with my release. I want you prone beneath me. I want to rut you like an animal. I can’t think for wanting you.”
He’d suppressed himself too long, his powers needed managing, and he hadn’t learned the nuance of it yet. I pulled my hands out from under his clothes and yanked my dress over my head, tossing it to the side.
“You don’t need to deny your urges to me.” I slipped my panties off and quickly unhooked my bra. “. There is nothing you couldn’t give me I wouldn’t take with pleasure.”