snarled and leapt forward, a blur of white. Uncas’s bark was lost under Merc’s yelp. Blood spilled as the dog rolled; his side a slashed-wash of red as he jumped to his feet.
Oh, she was pissed now. Her shoulder and ankle bit with hot warning, keeping her mind clear of the thing's lust spell. Jill pulled the stainless steel hunting knife from her belt. Damn if she’d let that thing get Merc.
The incubus hissed again and crouched into a defensive stance. The sharp beauty of his face twisted. Merc’s blood dripped from the pointed ends of the incubus’s fingers.
Okay , Jill noted. The thing could turn normal fingers into sharp weapons. Uncas jumped between her and the monster.
“Oh, that will not work now. The woman is not fully yours. And—” The incubus smiled; its pointed teeth reminded her of a shark’s. With the same creepy eeriness it kept talking to Uncas as if she were the animal. Her stomach twisted with unnamed suspicion. “You attacked first. What is the humans’ saying? All bets are off.”
Uncas jumped at the same time as the creature lunged. Blood sprayed in the air. Dog or monster, Jill didn’t know. The wolf-dog latched onto the incubus‘s shoulder, seemingly bigger, harassing and biting while the creature raked it’s clawed hands down his side. The wolf-dog’s heavy ruff gave some protection to the sharp toothed savage bite. Merc dove low, biting the incubus’s leg underneath the protective coat. Jill kept the knife ready, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Suddenly, the incubus turned to mist, dropping the dogs into a pile. The shadow blurred into existence, movement, just outside Jill’s peripheral vision and she spun. The incubus blasted her with his sexual spell, tightening her nipples into buds, her already damp center pooled with wetness, while she loathed the physical reaction.
“Oh, you are a ripe one,” murmured the incubus. He licked his lips. “I can see why they waited.”
“Fuck you.” Jill broke the rule and plunged the hunting knife forward, hoping its organs were similar to a human's. Her shoulder burned hot and she twisted out of the way of its grasping hands. Her ankle warmed and she kicked out, the heavy boot meeting its knee with a satisfying crunch and a screech of pain. Jill swung away as the incubus turned to mist again.
“You know what they are, don’t you pretty?” Its voice warbled in the air, silkily. Evil. “What they want? The same we all want.” Laughter fouled her ears. Denial churned in her stomach.
It appeared at her right, clawing and tearing at Merc. Uncas immediately joined the fray. Teeth and claws ripping and tearing the coat to shreds. Merc went flying, hitting a shelf, scattering packages of makeup. The incubus tore Uncas away and disappeared.
Jill’s nerves were on hyper when she felt the hot breath behind her. Thin arms wrapped around her like bands. She bucked and dropped, slipping down, stabbing the knife behind her, meeting flesh. She twisted and jerked the knife free. Fury filling the black holes of its eyes, the incubus hissed. Grabbing at her. Tumbling her backward. Frantically, Jill thrust up, barely hearing the snarl of the dogs.
The knife rammed into the incubus’s torso to the hilt and flesh. Jill twisted, rammed and did as much damage as she could. It screeched and thrashed, snapping at the dogs’ lunges at its shoulders and face. Blood smeared over her face. The spicy scent of the incubus turned sour as it gurgled and jerked, laying heavy and still on her body.
Jill shoved, pushing the body off of her. She sucked in a breath, looking at the dogs. Uncas stood over them, his lips pulled back in a fierce snarl. He darted forward, jaws closing on the incubus’s neck, savagely tearing several hunks free, dropping the foul smelling meat on the floor. Finally, satisfied, the wolf padded to Jill, sniffing her over before going to their companion.
Merc shivered. Numb worry pulled her to her feet as the pit bull slowly
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