Page 66 of Property of Crypt Keeper

Violent.

Not random. Desperate.

I stepped closer. My wolf suddenly went very still. Instinct and awareness had me completely motionless. My eyes narrowed.

Because the spacing… the spacing looked familiar.

Far too familiar.

A warning sounded in the back of my mind, and I began the change back to my human form. Bones cracking and shifting. Skin stretching, sliding, and lightening. Fingertips splayed on the ground as my nails retracted and flattened, back arched as I crouched on all fours, I breathed heavily until my teeth smoothed, and I adjusted to the change.

Slowly—very slowly—I raised from the floor and lifted my hand to place it over one set of gouges. Cold settled into my spine.

Because it lined up almost perfectly. It was like déjà vu. As if I was looking at the marks I’d left in my own cell during full moons. Which was coming up quicker than I liked.

Mako stared at me. Then looked at the wall. Then back at me.

“Crypt….”

I didn’t answer. Because I wondered who had made these marks. There were not a lot of Rougarous in existence. And suddenly I had one horrible thought. If they knew enough and had the ability to create female Rougarou… how many other things had they made?

17

KATALINA

“So you’re going out with Mako today?” I asked as I stood in the doorway of the small bathroom while I braided my hair.

“Yep,” he replied. He was sitting on the edge of the bed tying his boots.

“I want my weapons,” I insisted.

“No.”

I dropped my hands and my mouth fell open slightly. “Did you say no?”

“I did.”

“I cannot be expected to stay here without protection,” I snapped. My ire with this stubborn man was making my blood boil.

“You’re a demon,” he shrugged. “I’m sure you have other ways to kill a threat.”

“Yes, I do. But my weapons are more effective.”

“Don’t you have some type of demon power to be able to kill things?” he smirked.

A saccharine-sweet smile curved my lips as I approached him, hips swaying seductively. My ego jumped a notch at the way his pupils dilated as they swept over me when I stopped in front of him. I leaned forward, ensuring my cleavage was on full display before his eyes. My hands rested on his muscular thighs, and I could feel them tense beneath my palms.

“Do you know what kind of demon I am?” I whispered in a soft, husky tone.

“No. Why should I?” His attempt at nonchalance was humorous.

I grinned.

“I’m a succubus.”

He stared blankly at me. He obviously didn’t understand what that meant.

“I kill creatures by sucking out their life essence in moments of passion.”