Page 12 of Hazel’s Choice (A Monstrous World: Next Gen)

Chapter Eleven

Annex

“ I s that jealousy I’m sensing?” I ask, trying to hold back a laugh. I’m a righteous dick because I love that she seems territorial over me. I won’t torment her about her possessiveness for too long; I’d just like for her to admit that she actually does want me.

Hazel stumbles closer to the sliding glass door that leads to the balcony overlooking the bottom floor of Rut.

I shamelessly follow her.

No part of me liked seeing the angel’s hands on her when I found her in the alley, but I’m even more frustrated that I wasn’t around to protect her.

My hands land on her hips, giving a tender caress as I slide my tail around her front, pulling her back to my chest.

“You’ve got to stop assuming the worst about me. I’ve already told you. There’s only one woman I’m interested in.” I pat her sides to convey who I’m talking about.

My head tilts as Hazel’s head falls back against my chest. No matter how many times I blink, I can’t make sense of what I’m seeing.

Hazel’s jaw hangs almost to her chest, and a double layer of razor-sharp teeth lines the top and bottom of her mouth.

I’m a demon.

We aren’t easily disturbed.

I still squeal like a stuck pig, stumbling away as I rip my tail from her stomach.

“What the bloody fuck is happening?” I choke out, jabbing a finger at the monster. “What did you do to Hazel? Gods, Hazel, if you can hear me, I’m going to find an exorcist. You’re going to be okay.”

I’m so frazzled that even siphoning takes too long. I’m in the process of thinking of where I want to materialize when the creature that inhabits Hazel’s body spins around, wrapping a clawed hand around my throat.

“You didn’t lie about your desire for me, but I’m going to guess this changes things.” The voice is very Hazel-like, but it comes out with a demonic hiss and too much joy to be Hazel. I don’t think she would be enjoying my fear this much.

“Sorry about this, baby doll.” Stretching my wings, I rise in the air and kick the creature in the torso.

Shit.

It doesn’t budge.

The next thing I know, we’re siphoning.

My back lands against my bed, a few feet away from where we started, and Hazel crawls on top of me.

Her hair falls over my face as I will myself to fight back. I mean, it’s hot having her be so in charge, but it’ll be significantly less sexy if she eats my face off.

It’s kinda my moneymaker.

Not to mention, it would kill the mood.

Her nails dig into my throat as her face inches closer to mine.

My hands are out, palms up, similarly to how humans act when they’re being detained by a police officer. Except, I’m on my back.

Goddammit.

I’m probably going to have to fight her…unless I want to die. It wouldn’t be a permanent death. I would reanimate in the pit in Hell, but I’d lose all my memories of this life, which isn’t cool.

I’m still hesitant to battle it out with a woman. Especially one I’m intimately interested in. It would be different if we were on a battlefield.

Goddammit, you’re going to have to defend yourself .

“What are you?” I choke as a forked tongue slides out between her sharp teeth.

“Hungry,” she hisses, flicking her tongue over my cheek. “But don’t worry. I have no plans to kill you. I just need to soak up some of that extra lust that clings to your aura.”

She sucks in a deep breath, and the strangest feeling takes over. I’m not sure what’s happening, but my mouth falls, and it feels a little like she sucks my soul out.

I didn’t know demons could pass out.

You learn something new every day, I suppose.

My eyes pop open, and I jolt.

Oh yeah, something possessed Hazel.

Her face isn’t what it was before.

And I can’t tell if this version is worse.

Her face is skeletal with only two big, black, void-like orbs floating in the sockets where her eyes should be.

“Oh, good. You’re okay.” Her hand pats my chest.

“Not to sound repetitive, but sorry I have to do this.” I grab her shoulders and fling her over my head toward the wall.

She lands with a crunch that makes me grimace.

Fuck.

Here’s hoping she won’t remember any of this after I get whatever that is exorcised from her body. All sorts of lesser demons can possess a host.

Witches are an especially enticing prospect because of their magic. Hazel is exceptionally powerful to the point I can’t understand how something could successfully possess her.

Ultimately that doesn’t matter. I have to find a way to subdue her long enough that I can find a priest capable of performing the exorcism.

Planting my feet on the mattress, I push back on my shoulders and propel myself upright.

Hazel groans, preparing to climb off the floor. “Well, at least you apologized before tossing me into the wall.”

I land in a crouch in front of her and breathe a sigh of pure relief when I see her face is back to normal. Even her eyes have transitioned back to the blue I’m so fond of.

“Yeah, I mean, it had to be done.” I hold out my hand. I’m sure it’s still hiding in there somewhere, but it might be weak from taking control of her body. “Is the demon gone?”

She places her palm on mine, and I pull her upright. It might be dangerous, but I can’t help myself. I begin to check her over for injuries.

“Annex, I’m fine.”

I scoff. “I’m pretty sure you’re possessed, but it’s no big deal. I know a guy?—”

“I need to tell you something, and I need you to not freak out when I do.” Her chest rattles as her nose turns pink.

My jaw falls.

Oh shit.

“Did you sign a contract? Fuck, tell me you didn’t sign a contract…

” Dammit, is that why her power level is higher than any witch I’ve ever met?

My mind races with the possibilities of what she could have bargained away.

“That’s significantly worse, but I’ll review it and see if there are any loopholes.

Don’t stress, baby doll. We’ll figure this out together. ”

“No, I didn’t sign anything,” she says firmly. “Please, just listen to me. I’m not possessed.”

Isn’t that something someone who was possessed would say?

“I’m a demon, just like you. I was born this way.

” She swallows thickly, shoving her hair behind her ear.

“I’m second generation. My mother is a blood witch.

Blood magic does weird shit. I have two biological fathers—a reaper and a sin eater.

” This time, she raises her palms like she’s trying to signal that she’s not a threat. “I’m a devourer.”

I was under the impression those went extinct. “Holy fuck.”

Hazel sits at my side on the bed.

The silence is awkward, and it goes on for so long I’m tempted to say something silly just to break the tension.

Hazel finally collects herself. She tells me all about how she came to be and a little about growing up in Haven. That leads to her tracking down Greer when the siren went missing after her boyfriend illegally turned her into a vampire.

For being friends with Novak, Reign, and Seiran, I had no idea any of that took place. I assumed Novak turned Greer because they’re mates, but the truth is much more gruesome.

After that, Hazel covers how she devoured an angel rapist, which led Zephyr and two of his sentinel friends to start hunting her.

They tracked her to her hometown, and she needed somewhere else to settle.

That led her to rent a room from Greer in the house that the newly turned vampire inherited from her grandmother.

Hazel pauses and sighs before going on. “I was talking to Greer when my monster picked up someone’s fear. The shifter was already dead, but I found the female siren pinned to the wall. I siphoned her and Greer to Novak’s office and went to deal with the attackers, but Zephyr interrupted.”

“How does that even work? You said he’s been hunting you, but he didn’t attack you tonight or that day in Spellbound.”

“It’s confusing to me too, but I think he can only sense my soul vibration when I’m actually devouring.” She shrugs. “I honestly don’t know. He partially sensed me when my monster tried to take over in the alley. Honestly, I’ve kinda been waiting for him to pop in here to try to kill me.”

“Gods,” I mutter, shaking my head. “What do you plan to do now? Are you going to run again?”

I don’t like the thought of that.

If she leaves, I’ll go with her.

There’s nothing specific keeping me in Black Cove. Not outside of the small favor I needed to repay to Reign and Novak, but I could continue it even if I ended up leaving with her. Well, at least the second part of the marker.

The first thing they asked was that I come take over Rut a few nights a week so it wouldn’t fall completely on Seiran to fuel the club with the lust.

It was mild in comparison to what I was expecting to owe for that marker, but I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Only they added a caveat once I was already here.

They asked me to keep an eye on Hazel and to help ensure she wasn’t lonely. I assumed they didn’t want Hazel hanging around and cramping their style while trying to enjoy their honeymoon stage with Greer.

Thinking back on that conversation, they did hint there was more to Hazel than meets the eye, but in no way would I have expected it to be something like this.

The first time I sought Hazel out, it was with the intention of honoring the favor, but as soon as I set eyes on her, I had a new purpose.

Who wouldn’t be intrigued by a witch with more power than I’ve ever felt a supernatural being possess?

Knowing she’s a demon makes so many things click into place.

At some point, I’m going to have to come clean with her about how we originally met. None of the time I’ve spent with her since has felt like honoring the favor to Reign and Novak, but I worry she won’t believe that.

“I’ve thought about leaving Black Cove, but wouldn’t that make me look guilty?” She sighs. “I mean, I am guilty. I did kill his friend, but he really deserved it.”

“Hey.” I toss my arm around her shoulder.

“I’m not judging. The universe created you for a specific purpose.

You shouldn’t feel bad for fulfilling that destiny.

Plus, you’re kind of a badass. Even your species sounds killer— devourer —it just sounds powerful.

By the way, I’m sorry I flung you into the wall.

” My head bobbles up and down awkwardly.

“Sorry I tried to eat you,” she whispers, sounding mortified.

Twisting to the side, I lift her and bring her to kneel over my lap.

Her small hands come to rest on my chest, and I wrap my wings around her back.

“I don’t think you really even tried. If you had wanted to devour me, I would cease to exist. It’s that simple.

You were just hungry, and at the very least, we now know something we didn’t before. ”

“What’s that?” she asks, tilting her face up to mine.

“Okay, we know two things.” I laugh at the adorable way her nose scrunches. “First, we learned you can feed without alerting the angel dick as long as you only siphon off the sins and don’t actually devour the person’s soul. I assume you’re satiated? Like you’re no longer starving?”

Her head tilts, and she blinks repeatedly. “I’m in much better shape than I was, but I also wasn’t in control of my monster. I could have eaten you.”

“Nah, I bet I can win over your monster. She’s already fond of me.” I chuckle, shaking off the embarrassment of my reaction. “I think she even woke me up to ensure I was okay after she sucked off all those lingering sins.”

“Annex,” she chokes, slapping my chest. “You made that sound really sexual.”

“Incubus here, baby doll. Everything we do is sexual, which brings me to the second thing we learned.” I tease my hands down her hips to caress her arse.

“Okay, the second thing I learned.” I smirk, fluttering my lashes.

“You’re a total fucking badass. I have a hell of a crush on you. How’d you like to be my girlfriend?”