Hybrid Misfit

unfortunate. “Jeremy, I should have known you’d be behind a cowardly attack on a woman.”

My ex-brother, who during his incarceration with me had acted as a sort of leader to the rest of the inmates, grinned at me with pointed teeth. “Beth, how nice to see you again.”

“I wish I could say the same. How’d you find me?” Of all my ex-brothers, Jeremy frightened me the most. As the strongest of the lab-created vamps, he was the one who’d received a sample of my blood, given to him by scientists who wanted to see what effect my blood would have on him. Jeremy had greatly enjoyed my blood, because it not only gave him the ability to walk in sunlight, it was apparently much better tasting than that of a human’s-lucky me. From that moment on, I ended up having to watch myself, because once word got around about my blood’s unique properties, all the vampires incarcerated with me wanted a taste, whether I was willing or not.

“I’ve been looking for you a long time. I can’t believe you didn’t come with us when we escaped. I thought we were family.”

“Family doesn’t want to fuck and suck on each other,” I spat. It still irked me that they’d turned on me. Silly me, I thought being victims of the same sick bastards would have made the bond of friendship stronger than that of avarice. I used to be so gullibly stupid back then.

“Minor details. As to how I found you, I noticed over the years, that every time one of us went missing, it coincided with them going out for some fun, the naked dancing on a pole kind. When I realized that, I began sending groups of the boys to clubs, although, I have to admit, when you moved cities about two years ago, you almost lost me. Lucky me, though, I found you again.”

“Yeah, lucky.” As I encouraged Jeremy to talk, I worked at the rope that bound me to the chair I sat on. But my claws, while sharp, were awkwardly placed for slicing. I also wondered what the hell had happened to my supposed protectors. They put me out there as bait and then disappeared. Nice. They’d have some apologizing to do with their tongues and cocks when I got out of here. Of course, the odds of my escaping didn’t look good, but I always was an optimist.

“Aren’t you going to ask what I have planned?” Jeremy said with a smile which said without words that nobody sane was home.

“Hmm, let me guess, you’ve decided to bathe.” I wrinkled my nose and was rewarded with an expression of rage and a backhand that snapped my head sideways. I saw pretty stars for a moment before I straightened to taunt him again. “Ooh, what a big man, hitting a woman all tied up. Is that the only way you get sex, too?”

I expected the next slap, and I laughed once the buzzing in my ears died down. “Woo. I was wrong. Even tied up, a woman is too feisty for you.”

Jeremy’s eyes burned red with rage and I smiled vapidly back at him. I knew from experience my succubus wiles didn’t work on him, something about his mind or powers being too strong. But it didn’t stop me from sending out vibes in the hopes some of his weaker coven members would succumb and give me an edge.

“Nice try,” Jeremy smirked. “I’ve learned a lot in the last couple of years, including how to control those weaker than me, which happens to be all of the vamps that came with me and those I’ve come across since.”

“It didn’t help Jonathon,” I replied sassily.

Jeremy growled. “Let me rephrase then. So long as they’re within a certain proximity, I can protect their minds from soul sucking bitches like you.”

“Oh, that’s rich coming from a blood sucker,” I rolled my eyes. A crash sounded from outside the room along with a scream that cut off abruptly. A chill breeze flowed into the room with a familiar scent and I smiled. “Uh-oh, are you in big trouble now.”

Jeremy slapped me again and I cried out on purpose, for truly, the slap hadn’t actually hurt much. But I achieved the desired result.

The doors to the room slammed open, and in stalked my furious dragon, his body bulging at the seams and his green eyes blazing with fury. Gene followed behind him with his trademark grin, juggling fireballs. Even given my current predicament, I found it hot and my body responded.

Simon spied me and I could tell by the way his body tensed up that he’d noticed the swelling on my face.

“Hey, baby,” I called out. “He did it.” I inclined my head towards Jeremy who blanched when, with a roar that shook the house, Simon charged at him.

Gene followed more slowly, lobbing fireballs with unerring accuracy at the other vampires scattered about the room. When he finally reached me and released my bonds, I couldn’t resist saying, “Took you long enough. I thought I was going to have to clean the nest up by myself.”

“I tried to hold Simon back because I knew you could handle it, but dragons can’t stand it when people steal from them.” Gene rolled his eyes as he said it, while at the same time lobbing a fireball over my shoulder.

Something screamed and gurgled, a sound covered by Simon roaring again. “Should we help him?” I asked as I watched Simon decapitate a vampire to get at Jeremy, who’d hidden behind rows of his people.

“Nah. He needs to blow off some steam. He wasn’t crazy about the plan,” Gene tossed that tidbit at me casually.

“Gee, and did it never occur to you to let me know about the plan?” I placed my hands on my hips and glared at him.

Gene grinned and shrugged. “What, and miss the fun we’ll have making it up to you?”

I punched him in the arm and laughed. “You are incorrigible.”

I thought about joining the fight, but was much more intrigued watching my big, bad ass dragon work on his anger issues. The man moved with a breathtaking grace, and while his fury was bloody, I loved that he was furious on my behalf. It didn’t take long for Simon to finish dealing with his vengeance and at the end of it all, there was an impressive scattering of dead vampires.

With the source of his anger eliminated, Simon stalked towards me, still bristling, almost seven feet of sweaty male-/oh my/. I didn’t flinch, even when he grabbed me in a bear hug that squeezed all the breath from me.

“I’m okay,” I squeaked.

“He hit you,” growled Simon.

“It’s healing already,” I replied loving his concern.

“I’m going to kill him again,” he said putting me down before turning to glare at Jeremy’s corpse.

“Couldn’t we just set the place on fire and then go back to your place to do the same with your sheets?”

I assumed the fact he threw me over his shoulder meant yes. I’ll admit, the position had its merits such as an interesting view of his ass, which I pinched-with difficulty, the man was built like a rock.

He responded with a smack on my bottom that made me squirm.

“Ow,” I said more out of habit than pain.

“That will teach you to mouth off to bad guys and get hurt before I have a chance to rescue you.”

Really? I slapped his ass back. “And that,” I replied, “was for coming up with a plan that involved me without telling.”

“Children,” said Gene jogging up beside us. “Can we continue this fascinating slap and tickle play at home? This place is about to go up in smoke.”

Sure enough, while Simon and I squabbled, Gene had proved a busy bee, lobbing fireballs about the place and setting it on fire. Given the age of the structure-old and ugly-it would burn well, leaving no signs, recognizable human ones anyway, of the vamps that had used it as a lair.

In what was becoming a familiar threesome hug, Gene popped us back to the loft.

Once there, though, Simon didn’t put me down. On the contrary, he stomped into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

“What are you doing?” I asked starting to get tired of my upside down position.

“Washing the stench of that creature off you.”

Mmm, that sounded promising. Simon finally set me back on my feet and his strong hands made short work of my clothes to the detriment of the seams.

Gene sauntered in as Simon turned me to and fro inspecting me for damage.

“I’m fine.”

Simon just growled and continued to run his hands down my body, which I enjoyed, so I didn’t protest much.

I did yelp, however, when Gene gave my bare ass a slap. “Hey.” I turned my head to glare at him. His eyes glowed with desire and the hint of a smile curving his lips made my heart rate speed up.