Cohen Home
As Wyatt excitedly showed her his impressive video game collection, Raven began to zone out. She couldn't focus on what he was saying.
When his tone changed, she looked at him curiously.
"So, Billie talks about you alot. I think she has a crush on you," Wyatt muttered, fiddling with the game in his hands.
"She knows I'm in a relationship," Raven said dismissively.
"With Victoria, right? How long?"
She paused, raising her brow. "Um, yeah. Like a year or so."
"Do you like guys at all," he trailed off, blushing. "I know you're with Victoria, but I really like you. If things don't work out with you guys...I just want to know if I even have a chance."
Raven sighed heavily, facepalming. She was becoming increasingly annoyed with this. She was about to tell Victoria and her family that she was done with college and trying to make human friends if this was what it was like.
"I'm sorry, but I've never found a man attractive. Not one," she said matter of factly. "And my relationship is very strong."
Wyatt's jaw clenched. "I feared that was the case."
She placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.
"There's somebody out there for you. You just have to find them."
"I thought it was you," he sighed, looking away.
Instead of replying, Raven groaned and clutched her chest.
"Are you okay," Wyatt asked in concern.
It was a familiar sensation that came over her. One she didn't ever think she would experience again. She hadn't felt this way since she was twelve years old, but she would never forget it.
Her chest ached terribly, worse than it ever had before. There was only one reason for it.
Wyatt gasped as Raven grabbed his hand roughly and dragged him down the stairs towards the noisy kitchen.
Adaira and Billie smirked at the pair of them, while her older brother pushed his glasses up and waved at her with wide eyes, a blush covered his cheeks.
"I told you. She's hot, right," Billie fake whispered to him, making him push her away.
"Hi, I'm Seth, you must be Raven," he said, grinning.
She ignored him in favor of looking around the room frantically for Victoria. Wyatt winced as she absentmindedly crushed his hand in her's. Her strengthen took him by surprise as he failed to wrench his hand from her grasp.
"So you're holding his hand now? This is bullshit. What about our threesome," Billie scoffed, glaring at her twin. Her words made him look at his crush with a hurt expression.
"Don't look like that, virgin boy. Of course she wants me. She's not into you."
"Stop it, Bil," Adaira warned before smiling at their guest. "Dinner is ready, dear."
Raven ignored them and began searching the bottom floor for her vampire. Finding nothing, she stormed back into the kitchen.
"Where is Victoria," she asked, trying to remain as calm as possible on the outside.
Inside, she was terrified by what her absence entailed. This was completely out of character for the vampire.
Adaira tilted her head and smiled in a way that reminded her of Esme, but it was more sinister. She tensed as the woman placed a hand on her back and lead her to the dining table.
"She left in a hurry. I'm sure she'll be back soon," she said sweetly. "Aren't you starving, dear? Have a seat."
Raven gritted her teeth and sat down, not liking the fact that she was being lied to. If anything, Victoria would have taken her along. At the least, she would have informed her she was leaving.
When Billie sat down next to her, she accepted the fact that she might be in big trouble.
"Relax, Ray. We don't bite. Unlike your vamp girlfriend," Billie whispered, smirking at her.
"You're into dead girls, huh? What about demons?"
Raven's blood ran cold. "How do you know what she is?"
"Was it a secret? Oops."
She flinched when a warm hand trailed up her thigh. Her jaw clenched tightly.
"Don't fucking touch me!"
She pushed the hand away forcefully, but it returned. Glancing around the table, she noticed nobody looked surprised or appalled by Billie's words and actions. This seemed to be a normal evening in the Cohen home.
Her mind wandered to the missing posters she'd been seeing for weeks upon weeks and her stomach sank. They had to be the culprits.
"What are you people," Raven asked, her eyes flicking between each family member.
Adaira rose a brow. "My boys are human, unfortunately. As for my daughter and myself, I think you know, honey. That's why you came to town. To spy on us."
"Spy on you? Why would I spy on you? I came here for college," Raven said, taken aback.
"I don't think she knows, mother. Maybe we should just let her go," Wyatt chimed in meekly, receiving stern looks from his mother and sister.
"She's not as innocent as she seems," Adaira quipped, narrowing her eyes.
Raven glared daggers at Wyatt, who ducked his head and avoided her gaze. Her blood boiled as she wondered if him asking for her help had been some sort of master plan to eventually lure her here. If it was, he had her fooled with his shy, demure act.
"I'm not the first one you've brought here, am I. All those missing girls...that was you guys," Raven said, making eye contact with every one of them. The boys looked ashamed, but the girl and her mother didn't react.
She frowned with disgust. "Why are you killing all these people?"
To her surprise, Seth spoke. "It's our job to help mother feed. She is the matriach," he said, as if repeating something he'd heard many times.
"Don't listen to him. I only feed from men. No one bats an eye if they dissappear. My daughter is the problem," Adaira droned, rolling her eyes.
Billie smirked. "I have a large appetite and girls are my weakness. They're too easy."
"But why would someone spy on you for feeding? Vampires kill people all the time," Raven asked, trying to understand.
Adaira glared at her. "Don't be coy. You know that succubi are not allowed to kill unnecessarily anymore."
She balked, finally realizing what they were. Her coven leaders had mentioned in passing that they were also succubi, but she never asked what that entailed. Therefore, she was not knowledgeable about what kind of threat they posed.
"Fuck that. I say, why put yourself on a restrictive diet when you're living in an all you can eat buffet," Billie laughed, receiving an eye roll from her mother. "Hell, they love it when we drain them. I don't see the problem."
Raven's heart pounded in her chest. She didn't know what they were capable of, but she knew she wouldn't get out of this unscathed.
"So I'm going to be a meal then," she said under her breath, feeling helplessness overcome her. "I always thought it'd be a vampire."
Adaira pursed her lips and rubbed her chin dramatically. "Yes. After we interrogate you and figure out who sent you. But don't worry, unlike being bitten, you will enjoy it."
"I'm sorry! They told me they wouldn't kill you. They said they would spare you," Wyatt blurted out, his eyes pleading for forgiveness.
"You're different than the others."
She shook her head at him. "Why would you do this? I thought we were friends."
"Don't be dramatic. You knew what was bound to happen. What with all that allure you were oozing. On our territory, nonetheless. You're the worst spy ever. You were practically begging for this," Billie scolded her. Her hand gripped her thigh hard beneath the table, making her flinch.
She frowned. "I'm not a spy."
"Don't play stupid. It's not cute."
"I don't know what you're talking about, you bitch!"
Raven gritted her teeth and tensed as a wave of electricity traveled through her body. Her eyes fluttered from the pleasure, but she steeled herself against it and pried the girl's hand off of her. Billie sneered at her, shocked.
"You're not supposed to be able to do that," she growled in annoyance.
"No more bickering. Bil, stop feeding from the poor girl! The food smells delicious, doesn't it kids? Let's dig in," Adaira gushed, her eyes never leaving their unwilling guest.
"I'm not touching this. I don't know what you put in it," Raven said defiantly.
Adaira glowered at her. "Then starve."
As the rest of them ate their food in silence, Raven boiled with anger and protective instinct. Her shield was bubbling on her skin, threatening to burst outward. Her fists shook beneath the table as she tried to rein it in.
Never had she been so enraged.
Her mate, whom was nearly indestructible was gone without explanation. If she knew Victoria at all, she knew the redhead wouldn't willingly leave her side like this.
Raven could only hope she would come back before something terrible happened.
No matter what, she was going to find out how these people managed to make her dissappear, and then she was going get the hell out of there. If she couldn't leave, she was going to pray her family was on their way to help her.
For good measure, she made decisions that directly involved her captors so Alice could see what was going on. She prayed her older sister would save the day somehow, because she wasn't going to die without a fight.
"Adaira..." Raven said politely, lifting darkened hazel eyes to the smug, older woman.
"Yes, dear?"
"I'm going to ask one more time...," she said through gritted teeth. "What did you do to Victoria?"
"I noticed she was rather thirsty, so I told her to leave. I'm sure she'll come back when the compulsion wears off," Adaira said, flipping her voluminous hair. "What is a vampire doing in college, anyway? And why were her eyes that color?"
Wyatt and Seth tensed. "Vampire?"
The Cohen children flinched and stared at Raven in shock as the kitchen table was pushed forward a few inches by an invisible force.
"You used mind control on my mate?"
Adaira and Billie shared a surprised look before chuckling to themselves. Raven noticed the two boys seemed confused as to what was going on now. They looked terrified.
"That's the energy I want to see. You've got a few extra gifts up your sleeve," Adaira purred, eyeing her down.
"You're bonded to her? I thought she was one of your play things," Billie said incredulously, looking to her mother for clarification. "I thought it wasn't possible for us to have one bondmate?"
Raven's brow furrowed deeply.
"That is correct, dear," Adaira replied, pursing her lips. Her eyes wandered back to her young guest and her tone became gentle.
"Is your other bondmate dead or have you not met them? We don't need anyone else coming to avenge you. One vampire is quite enough."
"My other mate? What the hell are you talking about," she said, completely befuddled.
Adaira frowned, sensing she was genuinely confused. "Did your clan not teach you about bonds before they let you leave home? That is unheard of."
"I don't have parents. They died when I was young."
"You grew up without your biological family? Without your mother," Adaira muttered, not understanding how that was possible.
"Which of the four clans do you belong to? All succubi are apart of a clan."
Raven threw her hands up. "I'm not a succubus! My mom wasn't either. She was just a regular, human junkie and so was my dad. They're both dead."
"Are you sure they were your real parents," the older woman queried, leveling her with an intense gaze. "Have you ever considered that?"
Raven opened her mouth and closed it. There was no way to answer that question. She really wasn't sure. Those people didn't treat her like their daughter. They certainly never acted like parents.
"I...don't know."
Billie could not believe her ears. This girl's allure was immensely powerful and yet she had no idea she was using it? Jealousy reared it's ugly head as she envisioned the power she could have if she learned how to control her abilities.
"You want us to believe that no one explained the awakening to you," Billie realized, looking at her in horror. "Is that why you have half the college walking around like zombies? You can't control your allure?"
At this point, Raven was lost.
Adaira leaned forward. "The eyes, the face...you look like a LaVeau. From what I know, no women in that clan have died in the last twenty years. They did have a child disappear back in the early eighties. How old were you when you stopped aging?"
"I'm eighteen, but what do you mean? Before I stopped aging?" She looked between them both with wide eyes, not understanding at all.
Billie's brows rose. "Have you ever even fed from anyone before?"
When Raven looked at her as if she were speaking a foreign language, they shared a meaningful look.
"Oh, you lucky child. I think you've just spared your own life. You're our very own bargaining chip," the older woman laughed in disbelief.
"So what if it's her? We still can't let her live. She knows too much. She'll be a witness against us," Billie growled, appalled. "Not to mention the fact that she's a ticking time bomb. She's at the end of her awakening. Do I need to remind you how catastrophic that can be?"
"Don't ever presume to question me," she said, her tone chilling. "If this is true, we can save our asses, you insatiable little harlot. If it wasn't for you being sloppy we wouldn't be in this mess."
Billie cowered under her glare and didn't say another word.
Adaira glanced at the boys and they dissappeared from the room swiftly, leaving only the three women. Raven's gaze lingered on the steak knife lying beside her untouched plate of food. She realized she might have to kill them to get out of here.
"We brought you here, thinking you were willfully intruding on our territory. We planned to interrogate you, find out who sent you here to spy on us, and drain you," Adaira said slowly, an expression of sadness on her face.
"But, instead, we've stumbled upon a baby succubus who could possibly belong to the ruling clan. What do we do with you?"
"I am human! I need you to tell me what you did to Victoria. Is she okay," Raven demanded defiantly, glaring at them both.
"Human, my ass. You're a LaVeau if I ever saw one. Ma, let's just drain her and get this over with. I don't believe this bullshit story. They sent her here to seal our fate," Billie said exasperatedly. She was becoming angry with the girl's ridiculous display of ignorance and denial.
"You're clearly a succubus, honey. A very strong one, too," Adaira said, before smirking darkly. "But you're inexperienced and weakened by hunger. That will make it easier for us to take you back to your long lost clan. Where you belong. If they reject you, then you will die along with your bondmate."
At this point, Raven grabbed the knife and bolted upright into a defensive position. Her mind was racing as she registered what they were telling her. She dismissed it, believing they were trying to distract her.
"The two of you may be succubi, but I am definitely not. My coven would have known. The three leaders are ancient succubi that were turned into vampires. They will not be happy with my disappearance," Raven said, letting the bomb drop.
The oldest woman tensed, narrowing gray eyes at her. Those types of succubi were highly feared and nearly unheard of. Unbonded, hybrids tended to be highly uncontrollable and insatiable. The mixture of vampiric bloodlust and the succubi's overwhelming hunger for chi was collectively considered to be a horrible combination.
"Abominations...You and your mate are apart of these women's coven?"
"Yes. I suggest you let me go so I can find my mate. If you do that, and vow to stop killing women on campus, I will ensure there are no repercussions for you and your family," Raven said, her tone leaving no room for negotiation.
"Trust me. You don't know who you're dealing with."
Billie sneered, her gray eyes becoming completely black. The sight was beautiful, but demonic. She hadn't seen anything more inhuman.
"First, you take over my territory and distract my prey, now you want to make demands and threaten my family? You have no idea who you're dealing with, little girl. I will end you right now."
Raven didn't flinch as Billie took a threatening step towards her. She wasn't afraid. If she knew her family, she knew they were already on their way. She would fight tooth and nail until they arrived.
"Harm me and see how many vampires come to put an end to you and your disgusting family," Raven hissed back.
Billie snarled at her menacingly.
Adaira grabbed her by the neck as she lunged and the woman's body went slack. She looked like a rag doll in her mother's grasp.
"I apologize. My daughter doesn't like being challenged, especially by a novice, unclanned succubus like yourself."
Raven growled viciously, her beautiful, hazel eyes turning to fathomless pools of onyx. In her anger, she didn't realize how inhuman she appeared.
"I am not like you!"
The two women's eyes widened as a shock wave of powerful, dominant energy hit them, subconsciously making them want to submit to the younger girl's superiority.
There was only one clan that had that ability.
The ruling clan.
Any doubts they had were put to rest.
"All is revealed."
Raven froze as Adaira and Billie grabbed her wrists. Before her shield could expand, a pleasureable shock traveled through her body, making her groan and fall to her knees. It was too strong to fight.
"There is no question in my mind that you are the lost child of Clan LaVeau. Congratulations. You're more valuable alive than dead," Adaira said somberly.
Billie smirked down at her.
"Sleep, little LaVeau. Soon you'll be reunited with your real family."
Raven's vision faded to black.
