Free Things That Go Hump In The Night by Lily Marie, Terra Wolf, Artemis Wolffe, Mercy May, Amanda Jones, Bliss Devlin, Steffanie Holmes, Christy Rivers, Lily Thorn, Lucy Auburn

kept them from losing control.
    Gabriel was a Child of Lilith, called incubus and demon by the enemies of his kind. Nourished by the strong emotions of mortals, he had made love to many women and even a few men.
    He imagined Nicole naked and willing and overflowing with delicious, dangerous magic.
    Concealed by the darkness shrouding her porch, he shuddered with intense desire at the thought of plunging his cock deep into her hot, slick flesh, of drinking deeply of her orgasm as she writhed against him and moaned with pleasure.
    He wanted to make her come again and again, until she fell asleep in his arms utterly satisfied, her beast-magic absorbed and tamed by his own special hunger.
    Unwilling to commit to someone who might age and die, leaving him bereft, he had never taken a philtatos , a Beloved Companion, of his own.
    But he had never wanted someone as badly as he wanted Nicole right now.
    Part of her attraction was her air of deep reserve, of controlled calm.
    Self-control was a necessary part of being a shape-shifter, but ever since meeting her, Gabriel had been wondering what it would be like to make her lose that control, to make her surrender utterly to her feelings—and to him.
    Instead, tonight, he would stand guard as her beast was the one who wrenched her control away.
    Gabriel heard a groan from deep inside the house.
    It was inaudible to ordinary human ears, but a Child of Lilith had very sensitive hearing, especially when they were listening.
    And Gabriel was listening with all his soul, afraid of what he might hear.
    If Nicole went rogue, he might be the only one who could stop her, but it would be extremely dangerous for both of them.
    Another groan, and with a shock, he heard the distinctive sound of a heavy metal gate closing, then the clicking sound of a lock's tumblers falling into place.
    A moment later, and the anguished howl of a trapped beast rose faintly from the bowels of the house. It sounded oddly muffled.
    She had caged herself.
    Without a Child of Lilith or shape-shifter alpha to aid her, Nicole had found a way to keep her beast from hurting anyone, but at great cost to herself.
    Gabriel wouldn't have to slay her to protect innocent lives.
    His knees went weak with relief at the realization. Thank all the gods.
    He sank down to sit on the floorboards of Nicole's porch, his back braced against the wall of her house.
    There, he prepared to stand vigil until the beast departed and Nicole returned to herself.
    As he waited, the pain and anguish he heard seeping from her house tore at him. He longed to rush inside and lift the burden of her magic from her—but he didn't dare. Not yet. Their acquaintance was still too new and too fragile.
    Forcing her to reveal her true nature to him—and revealing his to her—might irreparably damage the tentative acquaintance they had only just established.
    He wanted her. Oh gods, how he wanted her! But he had to be patient until she was ready.
    For now, it was so difficult to simply wait and to listen to the dull impact of living flesh against unyielding steel bars. Nicole's beast was forcing her to batter herself bloody as it tried futilely to escape the cage.
    So damned unnecessary , he thought, when she could be spending the night in his arms, her magic safely drained by his hunger, leaving both of them naked and satisfied in the dawn.
    Next month , he promised himself.
    By next month, Nicole would be free of the need to imprison her beast in a cage.
    By next month, Gabriel would finally have a philtata of his own.

 
    Chapter 3 – Morning After
    "Honey, you look like you've been rode hard and put away wet," Nicole whispered hoarsely at her reflection in the bathroom mirror.
    A twenty-ounce travel mug with four shots of espresso, a glug of steamed milk, and a shot of sugar-free Belgian Cookie syrup sat within easy reach on the counter.
    Cage Nights were always exhausting, making quad-shot caffè lattes a must-have for the mornings after.
    She looked