Fix Me Up (Unknown Succubus Series book 2)

Concubine Conflict

   His hand slid down my jaw to grasp my throat in a painful grip. Luke was careful not to choke me but kept his grasp strong and painful to keep me from lashing out. It was a reminder of who was in control, of who really held the power. "You might just be more trouble than you are worth." His lips curled into a bitter snarl as he spat out those words.
"You don't say." I snapped sardonically, feeling his hand loosen around my neck before leaving my warm skin completely. I pushed him out of my way and crawled off of his bed. I actively ignored him as he called for me to come back. Instead my feet kept moving and I stormed out of his bedroom and down the hallway. It was obvious that I had no idea where I was going but that didn't matter as I found stairs and stomped down them.
Demons took one glance at me and didn't bother stopping the furious Succubus on a rampage. I felt my own power whipping around me like a cyclone of rage. When I reached the ground floor of the damn castle, demons blocked my way. I physically shoved multiple out of my path until I reached the guards at the front doors.
"You're not permitted to leave." One of them grunted before blocking me off with an actual sword. Too bad that I knew he wouldn't use it on me. With a growl I used my powers to suck just enough of his and his partner's energy for them to fall to the ground, unconscious.
"Fucking idiots." I spat under my breath before ripping open the door and running outside. It was almost midday from how high the sun was in the sky. There was a soft breeze blowing the foliage around as I walked. My skin warmed under the bright sunlight. I hadn't realized Luke's castle had an actual moat and the drawbridge was raised because absolutely nothing could go my way for once.
A frustrated snarl twisted my face as I crossed the empty courtyard towards the raised bridge. I made it half way before freezing in my path. A large shadow had completely blocked the sun and I could hear the rush of wind. Slowly, I tilted my head up to the sky and released and a string of heated curses. There was a dragon descending and he was landing fast. Dark green scales shone with a reflective oil slick sheen. My jaw fell open in shock which was convenient as seconds later I was screaming when huge talons wrapped around my body and I was trapped beneath the giant reptile.
"This is it. This is how I die." I gasped out to myself after my screaming proved ineffective. It was impossible to move without getting sliced open by one of the talons currently serving to contain me. You're a dramatic little thing, girl.
A short shriek escaped my lips at the intrusion of someone else's voice inside of my head. It was gruff and sounded amused despite being entirely unwelcome.
"Of fucking course dragons exist, why wouldn't they? Why would anything be easy for once?" I spat to myself bitterly. My eyes glanced at the drawbridge quickly before I began wiggling to get free. A head the size of my entire body tilted down and two huge brown eyes blinked at me.
    "Jasper...you've arrived earlier than expected. I see you've already met my troublesome Succubus, Aspen." Luke calmly strolled into the courtyard, almost as though there wasn't an oversized flying lizard crushing me in its talons. I was about to be lunch and I was the only one concerned about it. Suddenly, I was free and the dragon had disappeared in a wave of heat and a body shaking growl. My jaw dropped once again as a man towered over me now.
   Personally, I would have been fine laying on the cobblestone for a few more minutes so long as I remained untouched. The stranger didn't agree with my plans at all. I spat out curse words as he leaned down, wrapped two large hands around my upper arms and hauled me to my feet. The man was huge and I felt like a toy being picked up. His hair was a disheveled mess of sandy blonde waves and his skin was tanned from hours of being outside in the sun. He had warm brown eyes and a soft smirk tugging up his lips. The man probably had at least a foot of height on me and his bicep was the size of my head. He almost reminded me of Nathan considering both were blond walls of muscle.
   "She's rather entertaining." Jasper grinned over the top of my head at Luke. My eyes were drawn to a spiral of emerald green around his bicep. Upon further inspection I realized it was a tail and as my gaze followed it up I saw the extremely detailed tattoo version of his dragon form. I could only see the tail and part of the back legs as it was spread across his shoulder blades and I wasn't behind him.
"Let go of me, you oversized crocodile!" My snarl was less intimidating as I dangled from his grasp. I was surprised when my insult was met with a loud rumbling laugh. Luckily, he set me on my own feet. Luke took a step forward and reached over to grab me but I jerked away from him quickly.
I didn't miss the furious look he sent my way but it was forgotten as he began to chat with the dragon shifter. No eyes were on me for the moment and I took the risk. "Fuck it." I turned and took off towards the drawbridge, it wasn't fully closed at the top so I could climb up it and jump into the moat.
"Aspen!" Luke sounded annoyed and outraged but the laughing told me the dragon shifter was entertained. I threw myself at the drawbridge and used the metal bindings on the wood to haul myself upwards. By the time I was halfway up I felt it. Red tendrils of energy wrapping around me and freezing my limbs. I clung to the drawbridge even as he fed from me and stole my energy. Even depleted of my supernatural power I wasn't helpless. I'd been raised a human first and humans had strength and sheer willpower over magic and supernatural abilities.
"Down we go, pretty lady." An arm wrapped around my waist and I was pulled off of the bridge. While I had been focused on holding onto the wall while Luke drained me, Jasper had climbed up after me. Once back on the ground he tried to set me on my own feet but I was so drained I couldn't stand on my own. I pushed his arms off of me, preferring to fall on my own than be held up by someone else.
Luke grabbed a fistful of my hair and dragged me forward until I was practically kneeling in front of him. "Trying to escape in front of me is blatant disrespect. I've warned you before not to make me angry." He growled as his hand lowered to grab my throat.
"What are you going to do? Kill me? Just like you sentenced your concubine to death?" I hissed, feeling his grip tighten to extremely painful. The rough cobblestones bit into my knees but I refused to let my discomfort show.
"You kill your women?" Jasper pushed Luke away from me and I was released from his strangling grip. I was surprised when the dragon shifter physically stepped between Luke and I in a protective way.
"The concubine attempted to murder her, it is in my right to execute for treason." Luke responded angrily.
"No remorse for killing a lover? You do not deserve this willful female if that is how you behave." The dragon shifter leaned down and picked me up easily. Jasper sent Luke a withering glare when the Incubus took a step forward.
"Jasper, she is mine. You cannot take Aspen from me." Luke warned, his purple eyes narrowed dangerously. The shifter ignored him and took a step back. His skin turned burning hot and a wave of heat surged from him. Moments later I was dangling from the talons of his dragon form. Wind whipped through the courtyard as he beat his wings and suddenly the ground was getting farther away. I screamed before hyperventilating with panic the higher we got. I was not a fan of heights and literally seeing how far the drop to my death would be was horrifying.
Breathe. You are being overdramatic, Succubus. Jasper's voice in my head did nothing to help my panic, instead it made it worse and I found myself in the midst of a panic attack. My lungs seized up and sweat slicked my lower back, my hands became clammy and my vision hazed over. I'm ashamed to say I actually fainted while I was held precariously in a dragons claws hundreds of feet in the air over an ocean.