Zoey Rogue Read online

  “I, um, feel like I need to send you…flowers. Or a thank you letter.” The young woman tried to get to her feet, failed and sagged back on the couch.

  “It’s okay. I do this for a living,” Zoey replied, not unkindly. “Killing those things is all the reward I need.”

  “Can you tell me your name at least?” the young woman asked.

  Zoey hesitated then took pity on her. “Zoey.” She reached down to snag the frozen vegetables that had fallen off the girl’s leg and replaced the bag.

  “It’s a pretty name.”

  “It’s awful. I’m the last one called for everything,” Zoey replied.

  The young woman smiled faintly. “I’m Chrissy.” The woman was around Zoey’s age, tall, with cocoa skin and an exotic tilt to her eyes. She was pretty enough to be a Halfling or Succubus, without the glow of sex energy.

  “Nice to meet you. I have to go, but be careful from here on out.” Zoey left. She trotted down the front steps and jogged across the street to the waiting van. Vikki stood outside the open side door, stripping out of her bloodied clothes, unconcerned with anyone who might see her flawless body.

  “How mad is Heidi?” Zoey asked with a grimace. She climbed into the passenger seat. Ginny was on the driver’s side, dressed similarly in all black.

  “Totally pissed. No, epically pissed,” Ginny said. “I don’t know. She’s always a bitch anyways.”

  “Vikki! Come on!” Zoey called over her shoulder. “Eric isn’t happy. Need to get home!”

  “Whatever,” Vikki replied. “You shouldn’t be dating a human anyways.”

  “You said I wouldn’t last a month and it’s a year later,” Zoey pointed out.

  “When he gets sick of you ditching him for the Mayans, you’re gonna have a meltdown.”

  Zoey said nothing, suspecting her friend was right. But she wasn’t going to deal with that tonight; no, she’d rescued someone from the horrible Cambions. She was going to give herself the small victory, before Heidi - the Internal Affairs Bureau’s operations chief who managed their team’s missions – kicked her ass.

  Vikki climbed into the back of the van and slammed the door shut. Ginny drove across Washington DC, from the Maryland side to the Virginia side, where their campus was located.

  As Zoey calmed, the sex magic caged within her made her edgy. There was no real relief from the magic. She could absorb incredible amounts of it, but if she didn’t get rid of it fighting, her head felt like it would explode and her body felt feverish. Fighting and sex were the only two known cures.

  Sex with Eric, however, barely took the edge off. She’d been considering this as well over the past few weeks. At first, Eric was enough for her to remain functional. Lately, however, nothing seemed to work, but she loved the fact he was normal. She was almost able to pretend she was normal, too, when they were together and not some sex-magic obsessed warrior.

  Her phone vibrated. She glanced down, expecting a note from Eric. Instead, it was from her guardian, the Professor. Every Halfling was assigned a guardian to try to help them manage the sex magic. Her guardian was one of five Incubuses who remained within the Succubus society, after a bloody war tore the two societies apart.

  At the library again?

  She could almost hear him laughing at her. The good-natured Incubus had aged, because he was no longer allowed to collect sex magic to sustain himself. He was still handsome, his charisma remaining despite his age, like the seasoned charm of Harrison Ford or Daniel Craig in twenty years.

  “You’re so not funny, Professor,” she growled. She hadn’t told him, either, that she was going out to kill Cambions. Their mission would’ve remained secret, if they hadn’t found the bodies in the basement.

  Nice quiet night studying. She replied. He would know; they were bound in a way that allowed him to stabilize her sex energy. So he would feel the sudden increase when she soaked up that of the Cambions. The bond provided guardians with numerous gifts they bestowed upon their Halflings. They could balance their absorbed sex magic, block Halflings’ minds from being read by their Incubatti enemies, and heal the Halfling when they became injured, which considering the job, was frequent.

  Your room is always ready. His response made her smile. Her guardian was the only person she knew who never got angry when hearing of her wild ways. Unfortunately, even his efforts to help her were no longer enough.

  “Hey, it’s Saturday. The new girl told me about a party,” Vikki said. “You guys in?”

  “Sure,” Ginny said.

  Zoey thought for a minute. “Pretty sure, but Eric is pissed at me.”

  “All the more reason to come drinking with us. Tell him we’re going out,” Vikki insisted.

  Glancing down at the screen of her smart phone, Zoey considered. It was going to be a miserable night anyway, if she went home.

  “Maybe,” she said.

  She put her phone away as they reached the headquarters for the Succubae’s campus located in Annandale, on the Virginia side of the DC Metro area. Disguised as an elite girls’ school, it housed the headquarters, training grounds and cultural and operations centers for the Succubus society, known as the Sucubatti. They passed through the tall, wrought-iron gate surrounding the compound and continued to the multi-storied parking garage, beneath which was the operations center and the armory.

  Heidi was waiting for them. A sizzling blonde, full-blooded Succubus with blue eyes and curly hair tamed by a clip, she didn’t look happy. There was a frown on her face and her arms were crossed. She had the reputation of despising Halfings anyway. If she was acknowledging their existences instead of buried in her smart phone or tablet computer, she was super-pissed.

  Vikki groaned. “Rock, paper, scissors for who takes the blame this time?”

  “I got chewed out last time,” Ginny said quickly. “It’s between you two.”

  Ginny pulled the van to a halt, and Zoey twisted to face Vikki. They both held out their fists.

  “One,” she started.

  “Two,” Vikki said.

  “Three!”

  Zoey’s hand was flat, the sign of paper. Vikki made the sign for scissors.

  “Dammit!” Zoey snapped.

  “You always lose!” Vikki giggled.

  The van’s side door whipped open, and they all looked at Heidi, startled.

  “If you’re done fucking around, get out,” the operations officer said.

  Zoey and Vikki hurried out of the van. It was supposed to be forbidden for Halflings to defy or talk back to the full-blooded Succubae. Heidi waited for all three of them to line up in front of her. Her cold eyes were a reminder of her other role in the IAB – that of eliminating issues and those who caused them. A cold assassin, she was one of the two most feared members of the Sucubatti.

  “You have three seconds,” she said coldly.

  “It’s all my fault,” Zoey started with a glare at Vikki.

  “You lose a bet?”

  “No, it’s really my fault.”

  Heidi studied her. After a moment, she nodded her head to the side. Ginny and Vikki darted off. Vikki gave Zoey the peace sign as she trotted towards the gates. The dorms that housed the Halflings were located outside the gate while full-blooded Succubae were afforded the dorms behind the protection of the wrought iron fencing, guards, and state-of-the-art alarm system.

  “Another entry for your ever-growing disciplinary file?” Heidi asked.

  “Yes, ma’am.” Zoey said.

  “Misuse of official Sucubatti property, failure to obey orders, and did you steal intelligence from our databases?”

  “If you know a bad guy is there, why not go get him? We saved two girls tonight, Heidi!” Zoey said.

  “There’s a bigger picture here, Zoey, one which a Halfling like yourself is too stupid to understand.”

  Zoey sighed. The lecture she expected ensued. Lack of discipline, failure to think strategically… She waited for Heidi to finish, mind on the time. If she didn’t get home soon,
Eric was going to kick her out. She’d end up on the Professor’s porch swing, the way she did every once in awhile when she got too drunk on a mission.

  “… recklessness.” Heidi paused. “Olivia wants to see you again tonight.”

  “Again?”

  “It’s the second time she’s called you in this month. I can’t imagine she’s happy. She’s in her office. You know where to go.”

  Zoey opened her mouth to ask why. Accustomed to Heidi’s lectures, Zoey was usually dismissed after them. She had never been sent to see Olivia and definitely hadn’t seen the IAB chief earlier this month.

  The look on Heidi’s face discouraged her from asking anything. Zoey walked away instead, into the central building located next to the parking garage. She knew where Olivia’s office was, but had never been there before. Assuming Heidi was confusing her with someone else, she went down the hallway to Olivia’s office.

  The door was closed. Zoey’s heart quickened as she read the title engraved in brass on the door in front of her.

  Chief, Internal Affairs Bureau

  She was really in trouble this time, if Olivia requested to see her.

  Zoey knocked.

  “Come in,” came the muffled voice from within.

  Drawing a deep breath, Zoey entered. Olivia sat at a small table near a window, her long, lean legs crossed as she sat reviewing a file. With porcelain skin and blue eyes, Olivia was in her prime, radiating the seductive power of a Succubus. She glanced up.

  “Another wild night, Zoey?”

  Zoey said nothing, surprised the chief of the IAB had any idea who she was, let alone her activities. Of course, Heidi was her right hand. Maybe Zoey really had exacerbated the operations officer to the point she brought it up to Olivia.

  “Have an energy drink. I’ll be done in a moment.”

  That’s not a good sign.

  The Sucubatti developed their own energy drinks. The can was the size of Zoey’s thumb. There would be a tray of them on the corner of Olivia’s desk. Much about Olivia’s office – including the layout and scent of vanilla in the air – was familiar, even though Zoey didn’t recall being there before. The sense she had stood in this very spot not long ago was strong, even though she didn’t recall ever setting foot in Olivia’s office.

  Zoey turned, surprised at finding her hunch about the energy drinks correct.

  She picked up one of the small cans and popped off the top. It smelled bitter and made her nose wrinkle, but she tossed it back, hoping she would soon be excused.

  After a few minutes, Zoey began to grow drowsy. She glanced at Olivia, wishing the energy drink would kick in faster. She grabbed another one and drank it. Her head started to spin. Feeling nauseous, Zoey sat down in one of the chairs in front of Olivia’s desk. She leaned forward to put her head between her knees.

  Seconds later, she slid to the ground, unconscious.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One: Zoey

  Chapter Two: Zoey Drugged

  Chapter Three: Zoey Troubled

  Chapter Four: Declan

  Chapter Five: Zoey Endangered

  Chapter Six: Declan Decided

  Chapter Seven: Zoey Cornered

  Chapter Eight: Zoey and Declan

  Chapter Nine: Strike One

  Chapter Ten: Zoey Doomed

  Chapter Eleven: Declan Unveiled

  Chapter Twelve: Declan Troubled

  Chapter Thirteen: Zoey Trapped

  Chapter Fourteen: Zoey Alone

  Chapter Fifteen: Strike Two

  Chapter Sixteen: Zoey Embattled

  Chapter Seventeen: Zoey Unleashed

  Chapter Eighteen: Strike Three

  Chapter Nineteen: Declan Tricked

  Chapter Twenty: Zoey Betrayed

  Chapter Twenty One: Declan Betrayed

  Chapter Twenty Two: Zoey Rogue

  Chapter Two: Zoey Drugged

  A few hours later, north of Washington DC, an Incubus entered his favorite, private club in wealthy Chevy Chase. The exclusive, beauty-filled venue was hopping. He made his way through the crowd, well-aware of the effect he had on every woman within a few feet of him. Though one of the least powerful of his kind, he was still able to draw in any human he wanted, which was all that mattered to him tonight.

  He went to the bar and motioned the bartender over. A few seconds later, his regular drink sat before him. He sipped it as he leaned back against the counter, his eyes roaming over the women. He saw several familiar faces he knew to be call girls on the arms of wealthy men and a handful of college-aged girls who probably stumbled upon an invitation to the exclusive club because of their looks.

  They had the arrogance and innocence of youth that made them sweetly saucy, combined with supple bodies, ripe for the picking. He watched the group of eight girls, scouring their features and bodies for the one he wanted. His selection made, he set his drink on the bar and stepped away. With an Incubus’ power over women and a Cambion’s philosophy that sex was his for the taking, he was relentless in his pursuit of getting what he wanted. He never struck out. Ever.

  Sex energy tugged at him. He didn’t notice it enter his senses, until it was too late to resist. The Incubus froze in place, unable to identify the source of magic. He knew Succubus magic; he’d bedded his fair share of them. It wasn’t that of a Succubus, whose telltale magic was cool, like a fan turning on over his head. This magic was warm and charged.

  “Buy me a drink?” the female voice carried a husky note, one that grazed his skin and made him shudder.

  He turned, not expecting the woman before him. Succubae were all six feet tall and slender, with bodies and features that made men stop in their tracks. This woman was not a Succubus, but she radiated a Succubus’ power; she could only be a Halfling, a half-Succubus. The Halfling seated at the bar was not quite five and a half feet, with a sweet face and blue gaze. Judging by her toned, shapely body, she was a Hunter, a Halfling charged with killing Cambions. Though far from plain, she was just as far from the stunning beauty of a full-blooded Succubus.

  “Of course,” he said finally.

  Whatever hold she had on him increased when he approached the bar. He found himself gazing at her with longing, his eyes caressing the golden skin of her décolletage. Her breasts were large and straining against the tight dress, and he almost drooled at the idea of suckling them.

  “I’m Julius,” he said and sidled next to her, close enough for their bodies to brush.

  “Nice to meet you, Julius.” She tilted her head back with a smile. There was something … odd about her gaze. It was almost empty of emotion.

  This isn’t right. He shook his head, unable to clear the magic enough for his own instincts to warn him.

  “And you are?” he prompted.

  “Zoey.”

  “You are a Hunter,” he said, intrigued. “I know your name well. You’ve slaughtered a great deal of my Cambions.” His interest increased tenfold; there was a price on her head, a reward for the Cambion or Incubus who captured or killed a member of the Sucubatti’s top hit squad, Team R.

  “You create them, I kill them,” she said with a shrug. “Doesn’t mean you and I can’t enjoy a night together.”

  Another warning bell sounded in his mind. Hunters had one mission: to kill. The instinct caught no traction as more of her sex energy overwhelmed his senses, disarming any objection he had. Julius needed to be closer to her. He rested his hands on her arms and let them travel downwards, breathing in the scent of her hair. She twisted on the barstool to face him, her knees parting for him to lean between them. He traced a finger down the side of her face and between her breasts, gaze going to the tightness of her dress around her hips and thighs. His mind was already there, between her legs.

  “It’s forbidden by both of our ruling Councils for full-bloods and half-breeds to fuck,” he whispered, the words sending a thrill through him.

  “Then walk away,” she replied. She stood and kissed him, while one hand went
to the ridge in his pants. She stroked his erection, and Julius’s arms circled her, pulling her against him hard. She tasted of something unfamiliar, not the alcohol she’d been drinking, but something bitter.

  One of his hands went to her breast, and he stopped himself, ready to strip her and fuck her in the middle of the club. She withdrew and took his hand with a grin.

  “Come with me!” she exclaimed in the husky voice that drove his desire up a notch.

  No part of him was going to resist, especially not with a woman who contained so much sex energy. He’d feed off her for days then turn her over to the Cambions. No one would miss a Hunter, and especially not this one, whose name was muttered with grudging respect among the Cambions she routinely slaughtered. That he, one of the weakest Incubuses in their society, was going to be the one to capture her made him overlook the route they went.

  The door she led him through didn’t go anywhere he was expecting. It opened to an empty, cement garage that smelled of oil and metal. There was nowhere for them to lay down, aside from the dirty cement. Before he was able to question her odd venue for sex, he felt the hand she thrust down his pants. Sex energy swam through his senses. Nothing but achieving his release mattered.

  Julius didn’t hesitate. He pressed her against the wall and freed her breasts while she stroked his penis in a way that drove him mad.

  “How do you want me to please you?” she whispered.

  “On your knees, with your mouth,” he ordered gruffly and pushed her to her knees. She looked up at him with a smile that didn’t reach her blank eyes.

  Julius tore the zipper of his slacks in his hurry to get rid of his pants and closed his eyes. She flicked the bulging head of his dick with her tongue, and he groaned.

  Succumbing to the influence of her sex magic, he didn’t see his death coming. Pewter knives appeared in the hands of the Hunter. She stood, the blades arcing to claim his life. It only took one coordinated strike of the two knives to slice through the throat of the Incubus.

  Within seconds, Julius lay dead on the floor of the garage, his blood mixing with the oil on the floor.