Succubi Chapter 196. You Stopped Running Away
Succubi Chapter 196. You Stopped Running Away
Lilith’s breathing slowed slightly.
I noticed immediately.
Demon instincts were annoying like that.
Tiny reactions became obvious.
The way her fingers tightened slightly against the couch.
The faint shift in her thighs.
The subtle heat gathering beneath her calm expression.
She wanted this.
And I was done pretending I didn’t.
I lowered myself slowly onto the couch beside her instead of towering over her completely.
Deliberate choice.
Close enough for tension.
Not enough to crush the moment.
Lilith watched every movement carefully.
“You’re different tonight,” she murmured.
“I got chased by horny ghosts.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
I smirked faintly.
She meant this version of me.
The one leaning into her space comfortably instead of getting dragged around emotionally by the universe.
The confident part.
The dangerous part.
I turned slightly toward her, one arm stretching along the back of the couch behind her shoulders.
“And what do you mean?” I asked softly.
Lilith’s eyes lingered on my mouth for a second too long.
“You stopped running away.”
Ah.
That one landed directly in my chest.
Because yeah.
She wasn’t wrong.
Earlier tonight?
I’d been reacting to everything.
Ghosts.
Villagers.
Sera.
The banshee.
Chaos after chaos after chaos.
But right now?
Right here?
I was choosing something.
Choosing her.
Lilith shifted slightly closer.
The robe slipped lower on one shoulder.
My self-control inhaled sharply.
“You’re staring,” she teased softly.
“You made that impossible not to.”
“Good answer.”
“I’m naturally talented.”
“You’re naturally dangerous.”
I grinned faintly.
“Coming from a succubus, that sounds like praise.”
“It is.”
The warmth in her voice wrapped around me slowly.
Not rushed.
Nothing about Lilith rushed.
That was part of her danger too.
She made moments linger until they settled deep under your ribs.
My fingers moved before I fully thought about it, brushing lightly along the fabric near her waist.
Gentle.
Testing.
Lilith’s breath softened slightly.
There.
Tiny reaction.
Mine.
I leaned closer again.
“What about you?” I murmured.
“Hm?”
“You waited up for me. You cooked for me. You worried.”
Lilith smiled faintly. “A little.”
I shook my head slowly. “That’s not very fair.”
“Neither is looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you’re deciding whether to kiss me or ruin me.”
I laughed quietly. “Maybe both.”
The way her eyes darkened at that.
Dangerous woman.
She lifted one hand slowly and touched my jaw lightly.
Soft fingertips.
Warm.
No urgency.
“You really were affected by Sera,” she murmured.
I groaned softly.
“Please don’t remind me.”
“She made you needy.”
“That word sounds offensive.”
“It sounds accurate.”
I leaned forward until our foreheads nearly touched.
“And whose fault is it going to be when I stop being polite?”
Lilith’s lips parted slightly.
“There he is,” she whispered.
The royal demon in me practically purred at that reaction.
Yeah.
This was better.
This was intentional.
Mutual.
Controlled heat instead of chaos.
My thumb brushed lightly against her waist through the robe.
Lilith shivered subtly.
Tiny.
But real.
Victory.
I smiled faintly against the corner of her mouth.
“You like this.”
“You sound very confident.”
“Confidence is genetic,” I murmured softly. “I’m a Pride.”
That made her laugh quietly.
I wanted to hear that sound more often.
The realization hit me out of nowhere.
Annoyingly genuine.
And maybe Lilith noticed.
Her fingers slid slowly into my damp hair.
“You came here for more than just desire tonight,” she said quietly.
I paused.
Because yeah.
Damn it.
She was right again.
I came here because I wanted warmth.
Wanted someone who looked happy when I came back.
Wanted someone who left food waiting for me.
And maybe… Maybe I wanted to stop feeling like every connection in my life had to be earned through blood, power, or performance.
Lilith looked at me like I didn’t need to prove anything first.
That was terrifying.
And addictive.
I exhaled slowly through my nose.
“You make this difficult.”
Her smile turned softer. “You still came anyway.”
That soft smile broke something in me.
Not in a bad way.
In the way a dam breaks when the pressure behind it becomes too much to contain.
All the carefully constructed layers of restraint, of student-appropriate behavior, of "let's not escalate things," they all crumbled into dust.
My hand shot out, faster than her languid gaze could track, and gripped her throat. Not hard enough to hurt, but firm enough to claim. Her breath hitched, a sharp, delightful little gasp that was half shock, half surrender.
Her eyes, those endless pools of amused darkness, widened for a fraction of a second before they hooded over, a new, darker heat blooming within them.
"Difficult?" I growled, my voice a low rumble that felt more alien than my own. It was the sound of the Pride, the sovereign, the creature who doesn't ask for things but simply takes what is offered. "You have no idea how difficult it is to hold back.”
I leaned in, my lips brushing against the shell of her ear, my grip on her throat unyielding. "You looked at me like you were glad I came back in one piece. You don't get to do that and expect me to stay polite."
My other hand tore at the silk tie of her robe, the fabric whispering as it gave way. The knot unravelled with a satisfying slide, and the robe fell open, exposing the smooth expanse of her skin to the warm light of the room. "Tonight, I'm not asking, Lilith. I'm taking."
I claimed her mouth with a kiss that was anything but gentle. It was a collision, a desperate, hungry branding.
My tongue forced its way past her lips, not seeking permission but demanding entry, dominating the space, tasting every part of her.
I nipped at her lower lip, a sharp, possessive bite that made her whimper into my mouth. The sound went straight to my groin, a jolt of pure, unadulterated lust.
I wanted to devour her, to consume every sigh, every shiver, every ounce of pleasure I could wring from her body until she was mindless with it, until the only thing she knew was my name.