Elliot

What is it about women’s rules? I swear she makes a new one every day. I’ve about had enough of them. I have to knock on her. No, my door! to be permitted to enter. There are acceptable and unacceptable hours. I’m not allowed to touch her. She finds it annoying that I keep cooking for her and weird when I try to feed her. I’m also no longer permitted in the gym when she’s there.

Okay, she’s got a right to that one. But who could blame me? I pull at the collar of my shirt. Recalling her workout gear has me roused up all over again.

“Who shit in your cornflakes?” Austin walks in with Amanda attached to his hip.

“Women!” I exclaim

“Those filthy animals.” Dry humor coming from Grayson has me even more annoyed. This all started because of him. I watch the arse pour cereal until it overflows onto the counter.

“Are worth every headache.” Austin answers my earlier remark, earning an elbow from Amanda.

“Hey watch it, Mr. or I’ll starve.”

Amanda is a succubus, so when she says she’ll starve she’s actually threatening to cut him off of sex. That makes me chuckle.

“I’m getting nowhere. Every time I try to get close, she runs the other way, literally.”

Austin pauses before biting into his toast to weigh in.

“Have you tried seducing her?”

Amanda giggles and begins to nibble on his ear. I bite back my jealousy. After everything Austin’s been through, Amanda too; they deserve to be happy.

“She’s not the type. With her it’s all about trust, and I’ve already broken that the first day she met me.”

Austin blows an exaggerated puff of air while Amanda worries her bottom lip.

“I’ve got it! Go out of your way to avoid her.”

What the fuck?

“I’m trying to win her over, not pass her off.”

Amanda continues unperturbed.

“It's simple reverse psychology. Maybe she's a chaser.”

Easier to do if you're not controlled by the incessant need just to be nearby.

“She’s my mate, its destiny I'd be fighting; not attraction.”

Jolene enters the kitchen, and all eyes move to her.

“Okay…” she says with wide eyes and turns back around and exits as fast as she came in. I throw my hands in the air and look to Amanda.

“See.”

I go to follow her, but Amanda stops me with a noise.

“Don't you dare! She's as nervous as a nun in a whorehouse.”

“What the fuck?” I'm taken back by the vulgar statement.

She blushes, shrugging her shoulders.

“Sorry, the fae have been learning slang from old western movies. I guess I picked some up. My point is you 're just going to drive her further and further away by pursuing her, she's a runner. You have to let her make the first move. I know girls like her, they need to make all their own decisions.”

I'm not completely convinced, but it's worth a shot.

“What if she never approaches me?”

Amanda nibbles at her lips before answering.

“It is a possibility; you'll have to make her want to approach you.”

And we’re back to square one.

“Make yourself irresistible to her.”

I grunt my next words.

“If I knew how to do that, don’t you think I'd already be on it?”

She shrugs, making me want to throttle her. Austin chuckles at my obvious frustration. They get up to leave, probably off to faery again.

“Why don’t you walk around scantily dressed or find out what she likes in a guy and fulfill it to the tee. Once you snare her and her guard is down, shell give you a chance.” Amanda says this like it’s common knowledge. Scantily dressed? I'm a man, I don’t do anything scantily. Looking down at my plain t-shirt, I flex a pec considering, but Grayson's burst of laughter shuts the thought down. I get to work before I knock his lights out...

Jacob has me investigating a death, but that’s not the problem. It’s where the death occurred at Raphael’s. I’d hate to be the person who broke the biggest rule of his, on his turf. Raphael is not someone I’d cross, especially in such a big way.

The club is closed, leaving me no choice but to broadcast my Presence. Surprisingly, Raph meets me at the door, like he’s expecting me. Maybe Jacobs not as mad at me as I thought. I stand at the door, taking in the fear on Raph’s face. It’s an expression I've never seen him wear, and the shock is astounding.

“Get your fucking ass inside!”

Mumbling an apology, I step in. Once my eyes adjust, I'm able to take in the scene. My brain doesn’t register it for what it is. At first, I believe the bits of brain matter and bone fragments scattered across the club's floor are inanimate materials.

“What the fuck happened?”

The pieces are everywhere ranging in size from a micro spec to a whole index finger; her ring is still in place. My breakfast threatens to join the grisly scene.

“I don't know, that's the scary part… she was a good woman, soft-spoken, never caused a problem. Never stole a dime…”

Raph bends down to investigate a mass of hair. I see scalp and brain matter when he lifts it using a discarded straw. I taste my toast and jam.

“In all my infinite time on this earth, I've never seen anything like it and believe me, I've seen it all. There isn't shit that shakes me. This. This is another level of shit... know of anything that could make this kind of mess?”

Not a fucking clue, but there is something I do recognize... a symbol. I take the stairs two at a time. A bird's-eye view will verify my conjecture.

Sure as shit, I’m right. I recollect the old tale, trying to turn fiction to fact.

“It can't be. It’s a myth.” I murmur to no one in particular, in deep thought. My lips form the words but I know better. Every tale has a truth. Raph makes his way up the stairs to stand beside me. I know the moment he sees what I'm seeing, because the air chills around me with his emotion.

“It's a fucking fable, I don’t believe it. Do you?” there’s uncertainty in Raph’s voice.

If it's not the three then someone has done their research but then again what else has the power to blow a human body into perfectly aligned bits like jello and not leave a single shred of evidence?

“I don’t know... but whatever it is has done a hell of a replication... I’ve got to tell Jacob so we can get ahead of this. Do you think you can leave the scene for a couple more hours?” Raphael nods, staring down at the parts scattered in the ancient symbol.

“Yeah, but hurry. I’ll need this cleaned before opening.”

I watch him enter his office before leaving the club. And I thought things were getting bad. As it turns out, we haven't seen anything yet.