Sebastian

bolted straight into a pack of wolves . Sebastians mouth watered at the thought.
    Teaser tipped his head to the other side, considering. "Maybe not so fresh. If she smells like she looks, not even the incubi will want a taste before she's washed up. Guess I'll just—"
    Sebastian whipped one arm out, forming a barrier in front of Teaser. "Mine."
    "On the way here, you said you wanted someone with some kick and bite. You're not going to get much of anything from that one."
    "This one is mine."
    He approached her slowly, more a stalk than a walk, giving her time to notice him. She glanced at the alley, then back at him, unable to decide if it was safer to stay or run. She didn't want to go back into the alley where it was dark and smelly, but if she stayed he'd be on top of her. Stay or run?
    Poor, foolish little rabbit. She didn't realize yet the decision had already been made.
    He smiled at her—and put everything he was into that smile.
    She didn't smile back. She just stared at him as if he were the vilest demon she had ever seen.

    Which was probably true.
    "This your first visit?" he asked pleasantly.
    "What?"
    "Is this your first visit to the Den?" of course it was. She wouldn't look so bewildered if she'd been here before, but so often the hayseeds liked to pretend they weren't as ignorant as everyone here knew they were. That pretending was one of the reasons some of them didn't survive long enough to go home again.
    "Den?"
    "The Den of Iniquity." Sebastian bared his teeth in a smile. "Not quite what you expected?"
    If she was frightened before, she was terrified now. "I don't belong here. I can't belong here. It's a mistake." She looked at him, her blue eyes pleading. "Please. It's a mistake."
    He shook his head. "No one comes to the Den by mistake. By accident, certainly, but not by mistake.
    You got here, which means something inside you resonated with this place."
    "No," she whispered. "No."
    She looked ready to collapse. If he didn't get her calmed down, she wouldn't be any fun at all.
    "My name's Sebastian. What's yours?"
    "Lynnea."
    "Pretty name." And the way she pronounced it— LynNEA —gave it a softer, richer sound.
    Even exhausted and bedraggled, she was pretty in a wholesome way that made him uneasy. He could picture warming her up enough to enjoy a steaming-hot roll between the sheets—and he could picture holding her in his arms for an easy kiss and a snuggle.
    That bothered him. A lot.
    "Why don't we go to Philo's?" Sebastian said. "It's just down the street. You look like you could use some food."
    "Oh." She raised her hands to her light-brown hair in an automatic, feminine gesture. "Oh, I couldn't. I'm
    …" Looking down at the dirty, short-sleeved tunic and ankle-length skirt, she wrinkled her nose.
    "It's an open courtyard. You'll be fine." He held out a hand. She shrank away from it, which made him angry, but he kept an easy smile on his face. Before he was finished with her, she would beg him to put his hands on her and have her in any way he wanted.
    As he let that thought fill him, the something inside him that was struggling against the ugly feelings withered.
    "Come on," he said. He shifted just enough to block any attempt she might make to rabbit back down the alley. Seeing no choice, she eased away from the wall and walked down the street, with him a half step behind her so that he could catch her if she tried to bolt.
    With this strange mood riding him, he wasn't sure what he'd do to her if she tried to get away from him.

    By the time he herded her to Philo's, Teaser was already there, doing a live performance with a succubus. The handful of statues scattered among the tables in the courtyard were all sexually explicit and painted with such detail it took careful study to be sure they weren't real. There were also two small platforms for the "live art."
    At the moment, Teaser and the succubus were holding a pose. His shirt was open and tugged off his shoulders; his hands were on her hips. One of her legs hooked around his waist, her back was arched, and one hand reached for the zipper of his leather trousers. In a few seconds they would follow through on the moves before striking another pose.
    "Those statues look so real," Lynnea said, her eyes wide. "But… what are they doing?"
    Figuring it was better not to shock the little rabbit too much, he guided her to the only available table and pulled out a chair for her that put her back to Teaser's performance.
    Philo bustled up