Counterpart (Succubi & Incubi Assn.), Page 4

  “Maya, when will you finally get a car that isn't easy to break into?”

  I looked into his dark brown eyes, seeing the teasing glint as his lips pulled up. I grinned. “When you get a girlfriend that lasts longer than a month.”

  “Ouch. I was almost hurt by that comment.” Sure he was. I rolled my eyes when he feigned a heart-ache and proceeded to get out of his car, nodding his head towards the building. All teasing aside, he asked, “You guys coming in?”

  “Yeah, we'll be there in a minute.” I replied and he headed inside.

  Melinda sighed when he walked through the reflection of her mirror. “Tristan seems to have the best taste in friends.”

  As much as I didn't normally comment when she brought up how hot Noah was, I had to admit, Tristan did know how to pick them, which sucked. It wasn't like I didn't like Noah or anything. He was just Tristan's best friend, and he was also a no-go for our demons. So there really was no point in even thinking about going there. We could look, but not touch.

  “How do I look?” I asked, averting our concentration from the dark haired male. Melinda turned and took one long glance at the length of me. My dark brown hair was wavy and traveled well past my shoulders. My tanned skin wasn't perfect, but it was nothing that foundation couldn't fix, and there was also a hint of eye liner and mascara around my brown eyes. It wasn't much, but I liked keeping it simple.

  “If I was a male, I'd so fuck you,” she finally said after a thorough inspection. “What about me?”

  “You're fine, Mel.” Melinda was the complete opposite to me. She knew she was stunning, with her exotic green eyes and olive toned skin. It was only a matter of time before Victoria Secret picked her up, or some modeling agency in New York.

  I grabbed my handbag and got out of the car, trying hard not to laugh. “By the way, nice to know your lesbian affection towards me is still there.”

  Melinda glared over the top of my car. “That was one-time, Maya!”

  It was my nineteenth birthday. The party was in my small dorm, over fifty people coming in with their own beer and vodka. Long story short, we drank way too many and ended up making-out. Of course we had a crowd, and it wasn't long before we were separated and put in different parts of the dorm. Apparently, it had affected more than the people around us, and the males that had whisked us away got the short end of the stick when our demons pretty much drained every piece of energy that they had to offer, all while keeping them alive that is. After that, I wouldn't let Melinda live it down, because she was the one that started it.

  “It's okay to still be attracted to me, Mel,” I said, meeting her at the back of my car, “I'm totally fine with starting an orgy.”

  “Whatever. It's not like you didn't enjoy it,” she said, turning on her heel dramatically and walking towards the entrance.

  “I'm not saying I didn't,” I said in a sing-song voice, following after her.

  A long line of people waited at the front, each eager to get inside. I almost felt sorry for them. I used to be one of those people, tapping your foot impatiently, checking the time every five seconds while glaring at the people that didn't need to wait in line, planning ways in your head to laser beam their asses to ashes—okay, maybe not that far—but there were perks when you knew one of the fighters. There was also some perks for knowing the bouncer.

  “Hello ladies.” The bouncer—I forgot his name—smiled as we walked up. “Nice to see you two again, go on through.”

  “Thanks, Brad,” Melinda said.

  Ah, Brad. Must remember that.

  I flashed a grin towards him and walked past the usual glares—I felt their pain—and into the packed lobby.

  The fighting events here weren't a huge thing when you lived in a state that was all about football and basketball, but a fairly large amount of students from campus knew about it, so it wasn't surprising when you saw most of college population practically in front of you. And it wasn't just filled with jocks and models, but a few book nerds—like Jamie—enjoyed coming, sometimes.

  Melinda and I maneuvered through a large group of people that were crowding the entry into the hall, and when we reached a side door I was relieved to finally be able breathe air that wasn't being used by a hundred people. We walked down a long hallway—that was really only used for the fighters and officials to come through—and pushed open yet another door that led straight into the hall.

  This was when the party started.

  Strobe lights danced around, sending different colors across the area and illuminating the bodies surrounding the place. A DJ booth was in the far end of the hall, playing the latest hits. This was definitely why most of us came here. It was like entering a club but the music soon died down when the fights began. Alcohol was served along the side, but even though it wasn't a club, it was treated like one—you still had to be age appropriate. Lucky for us, we knew the bartender, so being underage—even by several months—wasn't that bad.

  “Hey, Stuart,” I leaned forward and gave the bartender air kisses. Stuart was a close friend of ours, and lucky for my shopping, he was also gay. Pale white hair was slicked to the side, and his brown eyes brightened inside a set of dark lashes. If Stuart's taste in girls weren't non-existent, I'd so be on that. I've always hated when someone as good looking and smart as Stuart turned out to be rooting for the same side as me. My female hormones can't handle the rejection of that fact. Then again, I'm a succubus so they'd have to deal.

  Either way, he was the best guy out there and I'm happy for him to be my fashion advice when Melinda isn't around.

  “I've been waiting for you girls to show up all night. It's about time. I'll get your usual.” He gave Melinda the same air kisses and turned to get our drinks. I took this time to lean back against the bar and my eyes surveyed the room.

  The circle ring was set up in the middle of the hall, a solid cage surrounding it. Admittedly, I was scared of this cage for a while. I always thought it was some slaughter ring, and the only reason there was a cage around it was so you could beat the shit out of each other, and no one could stop you—or you couldn't escape. Little did I know I almost hit the jackpot.

  People waved money in the air, and it instantly reminded me of mine. The Bets. It was gambling for the ones that weren’t old enough to get into a casino. Someone walked around yelling 'Bets, place your bets' and the ones who placed their bets usually went home with some sort of profit, especially if you bet on Tristan.

  “Ladies,” the regular guy dipped his head down. He was tall, yet scrawny. Shaggy brown hair covered most of his forehead, but not his gray eyes. He was cute, but that's it. Sometimes I wondered if he was 16 or something. He still looked like he could gain a few feet of height. “Same bets this week?”

  “You got it.” It was pretty dodgy when a kid comes up to you, asking for money. But he hasn't disappointed, so what could it hurt?

  My wallet.

  I threw a 20 in the bucket and Melinda put her usual 50 in. She always put a lot of money on Tristan, only because she always ended up going home with triple what she bet. “You know, one day you're going to lose that 50,” I said, almost hoping Tristan loses tonight, just so she loses that money.

  “I'm telling Tristan that your faith in him is dying.” She turned her back to the crowd and leaned forward on the bar. “Speaking of, how is being around him?”

  Like a rocky road.

  I shrugged. “It can only get better, right? Jamie asked about it this morning. She said that people will start talking if I don't keep it to a minimum.”

  “Well it's not like you can help it. The man's gorgeous. I've always wondered what his energy tasted like. Did you find out last night?”

  I wish. “I had the slightest taste. It was sweet but had a rough edge to it. It could’ve been because we were intoxicated though. Too bad he passed out.”

  Lie. Lie. Lie.

  Then again, it's not a full lie.

  “Ouch, that's got to be a blast to the ego. I still can't b
elieve Tori left last night.”

  “I know, right? Oh well.” Tori had managed to ditch Tristan's birthday drinks last night, saying something about how her parent's wanted her home early. Who would have thought a twenty year old had a curfew at 10PM? It was obvious that Tristan was disappointed that his girlfriend was leaving, so it was only fair that I put his mood back up—among other things.

  Little thing led to another little thing, and tada, we woke up in my bed this morning.

  As if she was summoned, blonde hair worked itself through the crowd. It was like spotting a cockroach in the middle of an ant fest. Tori was definitely one of those people that loved the spotlight and it was no different now. She was wearing one of those short, tight dresses that seemed to only like to cover her ass—barely—and she wasn't the only one. Three of her friends were each in their own version of these dresses, and all I could do was shake my head.

  “Here you go, ladies.” Stuart passed over our drinks and a couple of beers for later.

  “Thanks, Stu. I'll give you a text when I go shopping. I need to find a new shirt to match those leather pants I got the other day,” Melinda stated.

  Here we go.

  At the mention of shopping, Melinda and Stuart were straight into their conversation about what types of shirts would fit those pants, and then they were talking about a new store that was opening. I didn't join, only because I wasn't too fussed about what I wore, and because I tend to have bad taste when it comes to shopping, so I just left it to them. They're like my closet people.

  Once Mel was finished arranging a time and date with Stu, I nodded my head in Tori’s direction when she turned around. “Does that look like someone who wants to wait until marriage to have sex?”

  My eyes never left the Malibu Barbie, and right now, she was surrounded by a group of guys that didn't look at all familiar. And that's coming from me. If I didn't know them, then there was a good chance they weren't from around here. Tori twirled a piece of her hair around her perfectly manicured finger, her mouth was moving, but I wasn't a certified lip reader.

  Melinda loved to play this game though.

  “Like, I just got my roots done today, and oh, look at my new nails. I bet you guys have like lovely nail salons over in like Santa Barbra,” Melinda said in a high pitched voice, mimicking every movement Tori was making.

  I scoffed a laugh. “It’s weird how spot on you get on the voice thing.”

  “Oh, like I know,” Melinda spoke in the same voice, flicking a piece of her hair over her shoulder. “I've like spent too much time around the bimbo that I've got it down to the right note.”

  I cringed. “Please, stop that now. It's kind of freaking me out.”

  “Sorry,” she said in her normal voice, “it's just fun mocking her.”

  “I bet.” I drank back the glass of vodka and lime and picked up my beer bottle. “Come on, the matches are going to start soon.”

  We pushed through the crowd and I paused when we were a few feet away from Barbie and her admirers. Annoyance was the first thing I had. I wasn't in the mood to see Tristan getting distracted by his girlfriend flirting with other guys, so I did the one thing I shouldn't do in an open crowd.

  My hand brushed the softest touch against one of the males that had their attention on her. I felt the demon inside me awaken and she released the slightest scent through my connection with his cashmere sweater. I didn't watch Tori’s face as I walked to my destination. I didn't even have my attention on anything but where I was going, but I knew that it worked.

  “Um, hello,” I heard her say.

  I felt eyes on me instantly, traveling every inch of my body. I could see their thoughts as they pictured me in ways they wouldn't even picture their own girlfriends in. It was satisfying—both mentally and physically. It only pleased every inch of me.

  “You better hope that doesn't get you in trouble,” Melinda muttered.

  It only made my satisfaction grow and we passed more people until we were right beside the cage. Noah was on the other side, his own crowd of girls standing close and attempting to touch any part of his sculpted body. It was a pity he wouldn't put himself in the ring. He trained with Tristan, but he was focused on not 'breaking the 6 foot 3 inches of exterior' as he put it. Admittedly, it was a pretty good exterior, but I just think he's too scared to put it inside the ring.

  He grinned and waved towards Melinda and I just as the music cut, and the DJ made his normal announcement. “Ladies and Gentleman, are you all ready for the showdown?” The crowed roared. “I see a lot of campus students in the crowd supporting one of their own. But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. I see a lot of supporters from Santa Barbra out there. Welcome. Welcome. I'm off for the next couple of hours, but I will be back after the main event.” He cut the mic and walked out of the DJ Booth, joining the crowd as everyone started to focus on the announcer.

  “Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to the final event before break. We have a lot of good matches for you tonight, including the big main event between Tristan James and Preston Masters.” The crowd roared to life again, this time sending a wave of adrenaline through the air. “Remember the bets are open until five minutes before the big match, so get in there. Let's not waste any time. Let's start the first match!”

  The first fight was between a couple of amateurs that attended our college. I watched and sipped on my beer as they grappled each other and attempted to pull the other to the mat. They weren't as entertaining as I would have hoped, but they seemed to entertain the crowd enough.

  One thing I loved about being here was the fact that everyone made the atmosphere feel like a craze-fest. Everyone was alive, cheering, yelling. Adrenaline pounded through everyone's veins as they rooted for their preferred fighter.

  The next fight was slightly better, a few fist punches here and there, but still, they weren't as great as I wanted. Maybe I just had high standards. Melinda enjoyed this one though, commenting on how sexy they would be after the match. Sweaty bodies seemed to make her hot and bothered in the mass of two minutes, and half the time I was on the same page as her. But tonight, I was kind of just anxiously waiting to see Tristan. I loved watching him fight. I'd watched him train days on end before a match, and I'd even be there to say things to him that would make him angry. After a while, he'd tell me that what I was saying wasn't even close to angering him, by then I'd just give up and do my own things—like watch him, which kind of makes me sound like a freak, or a stalker.

  I felt the slightest brush along my backside and I turned to see a boyish smile pointed down at me. I recognized this guy instantly as one of the ones that had surrounded himself with his group of boys around Tori. He also happened to be the one I touched. Sandy blonde hair was spiked up in every direction, and a few pieces hung over his light gray eyes. He had a strong build about him, and the gray sweater only made him even more attractive. I could actually see why Tori found herself intrigued. But the way his eyes darkened at the sight of me not only made me sigh, but it also told me my lust was still on him.

  Fuck.

  “Dude, don't even bother,” I said, turning back around to face the ring. The fight that was on had finished and the winner was doing his celebratory walk inside the ring.

  My hand gripped around the neck of my beer when I felt his hands slide onto my hips. “I said don't bother.” I flashed around and pressed my hands on his chest, pushing him away.

  He stumbled back a step and a small group of people around us flicked their eyes in our direction. The guys grin had vanished and his lips pressed in a firm line, but he wasn't backing down. I don't even think he noticed the stares we were starting to get.

  “And now ladies and gentleman, bets are closed and it's time for the main event!” I heard the announcer call out behind me.

  The male in front of me stepped forward, not intending to back down. His hands found my hips again and I stiffened as he pressed his body fully against mine. “You're saying no, but your body is saying s
omething completely different.”

  Yeah, it was saying 'oh, please, lets take this outside and I will drain every piece of you, bitch'.

  “Dude, back the fuck off,” Melinda hissed.

  “I got this, Mel.” I stared straight into his eyes. His pupils dilated and I only moved closer, smelling the beer in his breath. “Get your hands off me, or I'll rip them off myself.”

  The announcer brought Preston into the ring and the crowd cheered for him. I wanted to get rid of this guy before Tristan came out. If that didn't happen, Tristan could be very protective and do something stupid.

  And here I thought Tori would be the distraction.

  It was like I wasn't saying anything to this guy, he was completely unresponsive. He was acting exactly like Ryan had this morning. His eyes had fully dilated into black orbs and I was starting to think it was because his hands were touching me. But it couldn't be—well it shouldn't be. Only skin to skin contact would make this effect. Plus my demon was controllable after I had received energy.

  It really only left one thing.

  Someone was expanding his lust.

  I looked over to Melinda. The glare on her face and the fact that she was ready to punch him was enough for me to know it wasn't her. My eyes scanned the crowd, trying to search for the source of who could be doing this. I wasn't getting much luck. I couldn't even feel their presence in the room. And the amount of hands waving in the air, followed by people moving continuously, I wasn't going to get anywhere.

  In the next few moments, three things happened. The grip on my hips tightened, causing me to bring my attention back to the guy in front of me. He pulled my body closer to his. My hand twirled the bottle around so I had a good grip on it, and as I was about to smash it in his face, he was suddenly gone.