“Wait,” Ria called out, the two of us charging over.

  Several exclamations of surprise and fright sounded around us, and Ria turned with wide, confused eyes. My guess was that Ria hadn’t bothered to illusion herself, or the horns or wings that were sure to give some of the older bystanders heart-attacks.

  Ria reached the other side of the car, pulled the door open, and said, “We need your help.”

  I was right behind her, but came to an awkward pause under Meher’s gaze.

  6

  “What the fuck is going on?” Meher asked, eyeing me angrily, almost looking like she was doing her best not to let her eyes go to Ria. “Cosplay? You drugged me?”

  I turned to Ria, trying to think of what might sound the most realistic explanation, but shook my head. “Yes, cosplay. All of this, it’s very strange, I know. But we’re in trouble, okay?”

  “You’re in trouble…”

  “Can I explain in the car? Please? Neighbor-to-neighbor?”

  She put a hand on the car, glaring at me. “Had you asked yesterday, I can’t imagine there was much I would’ve said no to from you. But after what you pulled back there? You’re lucky I didn’t call the cops. And then,” she nodded at Ria finally, “this?”

  “Right. Wait, you didn’t call the cops?” I gave Ria a hopeful glance. Maybe this wasn’t as much of a lost cause as I’d expected it to be.

  “People are staring,” Ria hissed, climbing in the car awkwardly with her wings and horns so that she had to kind of sit at an angle, pressed forward in the back seat. “Come on.”

  Meher gave me an exasperated stare, but after a while said, “Shit,” and got in, waving through the window for me to join.

  I hopped into the passenger seat and was relieved when we started off. Meher drove long enough to turn off of the main street, heading toward our neighborhood before breaking the silence.

  “Now, explain.”

  “Truth.” I glanced back, and Ria nodded, horn slightly tearing the ceiling of the car. My groan was a result of that and the idea of trying to explain this to my neighbor. But I decided to give it a go. “Earlier today, I found her in an accident, injured.”

  “Okay…” Meher glanced at Ria via the rearview mirror, brow furrowing.

  “Turns out, she’s from another planet out there and was part of an invading force that was going to take over Earth—”

  “And the rest of the Milky Way,” Ria interjected, “along with the Oram system and—”

  “Right, a lot of bad stuff,” I cut her off, not wanting to overwhelm Meher. “Point is, she wants to help us instead. But the team she previously belonged to is coming, and she needs our help fighting them off.”

  “Our…?” Meher said, shaking her head.

  “I know it sounds crazy, but—SHIT!”

  The car was swerving into oncoming traffic so I reached over to grab the wheel, steering us back on course. But from where I was sitting that wasn’t easy, and I overcompensated. Instead of getting us back into our lane, we slammed into the next car over and the hover effect took us into a wild spin right off of the road to slam up against a small tree. It, at least, stopped us, although it cracked and fell at an angle, half standing, half not.

  Meher was staring out at the tree with wide eyes.

  “Dammit,” I said, turning to grab her shoulder, to check on her. “Are you okay?”

  “I don’t understand,” she said, as if none of the crash had actually happened. Her eyes moved to my hand on her, which I quickly withdrew. “So… not cosplay?”

  “Not cosplay,” Ria replied with a laugh.

  Meher took another moment, then turned to stare at her. “And you’re… like E.T.?”

  “A bit different,” I interjected. “She was a succubus, or—”

  A laugh escaped Meher’s lips, one she tried to stifle, then another. Finally, she laughed out loud, not holding it back. “Fuck. Fuck! Dammit, Drake. First with the dildo and now this. I mean, is it all some elaborate scheme to finally try to get into my pants? Because, I’ll be honest here, simply asking me out for ice cream would’ve done the job much easier.”

  “I’m not making this up!” I protested.

  “A succubus?” Meher adjusted her position so that her body faced me, oblivious to the small crowd gathering outside and staring at the car and half-broken tree. “As in, beings from hell who have sex with men to steal their life-force, or something like that?”

  “The something like that part is more of the reality,” Ria answered. “And I’m an ex-succubus.”

  “Oh, well in that case.” Meher turned back to her dashboard, starting to try and fidget with it to get going again. “Out.”

  “What?”

  “I don’t need this, not after today.” She turned, staring pointedly at Ria. “And you—leave the dress.”

  Ria shrugged, starting to work the dress off, breasts exposed much to Meher’s surprise.

  “Wait,” I said, not protesting at the exposure of those perfect breasts, but at the idea that we might leave here without Meher on our side. “Show her.”

  “Show me more than that?” Meher said with a scoff, turning away from the half-nude form of Ria.

  “Watch, she’ll prove it. Ria?” I gave Ria a nod to go ahead.

  “Well, you see…” Ria pulled the dress back up. “There’s not a lot I can really show, not without, you know.”

  “No, I don’t,” I admitted.

  “My powers right now are very limited, because of the gift.” She eyed Meher, considering. “Unless I gave her a taste.”

  “A… taste?” Meher asked.

  “This isn’t the place,” I said, realizing what she was talking about. The crowd was still gathered around, pointing, and a cop was now approaching. “Meher, trust me. Before today, have I ever given you any reason not to?”

  “Not before today.”

  “Right, so… please, just get us back to the house, and we can prove it. Prove everything I’m saying.”

  Meher still looked doubtful, but finally nodded, got the car going, and pulled back away from the crowd. In spite of the cop’s protestations, she didn’t stop.

  “You two… you’re testing my patience.”

  “And if what I’m saying is true?” I turned to her, hand on her shoulder. “Listen—”

  She swerved, batting my hand aside, nearly getting us killed again as she avoided an oncoming car.

  “Sorry, sorry!” I put my hands up. “I was just going to say, before today, I never would’ve believed this either. But you gotta admit, its… interesting.”

  “Interesting?” Meher glanced back at Ria. Shook her head. “It’s a stupid prank, and I don’t get it.”

  “You know,” Ria said, ducking her head to lean in toward me. “Judging by her reaction to your touch, I think she wants you.”

  “What?” Meher and I both said at once.

  “Don’t deny it,” Ria said to her, then turned back to me. “Think about it. If you were just some stranger, she would’ve brushed the hand away or something similar, but not the way I just saw. It was in her eyes—confusion. Had you made your move any time before this… she’d be sucking your cock by now.”

  “Excuse me?” Meher said, and she slid the car into autodrive mode to turn and look Ria in the eye. “You don’t know me.”

  “No, but I know sex. You wouldn’t have gone down on him yesterday if he’d shown up at your door, dick out and ready?”

  Meher guffawed, turned back to the steering wheel, and guffawed again.

  “Notice her hard time denying it,” Ria said, moving back again.

  “It’s…” Meher glanced my way, eyes actually going to my crotch for a second. That was interesting. “Honestly, Drake, I think you’re cute. I’ve noticed you checking me out. And yeah, you seem nice. But all this, I can’t even begin to understand it.”

  “Well, start with the assumption that it’s true, and see what happens,” I tried. “Worst case scenario, you find out it’s not, and then we’re back at this point.”

  “Yeah…”

  “And on the other end of that spectrum, he has his face buried in your pussy,” Ria said, “slurping up your woman juice.”

  “Ria,” I scolded, and was about to apologize, but noticed the smile on Meher’s face.

  “Don’t pretend she’s a prude,” Ria said with a laugh. “Not after breaking her dildo.”

  “About that…” Meher said, but didn’t seem to know what to say next.

  “You want a replacement, he’s got you covered.” Ria chuckled.

  This time, I was too busy blushing and looking away to see Meher’s reaction. Since she didn’t say anything, though, I wondered if she was considering it. How odd, that the closest I’d gotten to her was because of an ex-succubus alien lady.

  “We’re here,” Meher said, not addressing the topic further. That was probably for the best, as I was starting to imagine things that didn’t make the most sense in our predicament. Indeed, we were pulling up along our street. She parked at the corner and we got out, moving for her house.

  “Wait a second,” I said, hand out to stop Ria, accidentally brushing against her breast. She eyed my hand, then arched an eyebrow my way.

  “This isn’t the best time or place for that.”

  “Sorry, no.” I glanced around, rolling my eyes at myself for letting my mind wander and start to imagine what it would be like to get down with her right there. “Maybe we shouldn’t go to the house. I mean… they found you there before.”

  She frowned, but nodded.

  “And ‘they’ would be…?” Meher asked.

  “Another alien super,” I said, but then turned back to Ria, realizing I hadn’t asked this yet. “How?”

  “What?” Ria asked.

  “They found you, and I want to know how.”

  “Just… they have a way of tracking me.”

  Looking over her, that dress not concealing much, I thought back to how I’d found her, completely nude. She certainly wasn’t carrying anything on her. Maybe something we could cut out, if it came to that?

  “Fine,” I said. “But… how do we know they won’t find us again?”

  “We don’t. What we do know is it is as likely here as in there.”

  “If someone’s coming after you,” Meher said, “I don’t want us leading them to my house.”

  “Shit.” I looked at Ria, searching for a solution.

  “They won’t come, not yet,” Ria said. “Give us an hour, in and out—it’s all we’ll need.”

  “For what, exactly?” Meher asked. “To show me a magic trick? Do it here.”

  “I…” Ria considered this, then shrugged. “Actually, that might not be a bad idea. The others, the ones who’ll be coming after me, they’ll be able to track me, but not so accurately. They’ll get a general idea of where I’m in, probably check out the buildings first… But don’t worry, we have time anyway, just thinking out loud that your idea might be safer. Okay, come on—into the woods.”

  We followed her, and when we were out of sight from the street, Ria cleared her breath and said, “This is far enough, and honestly… a bit creepy. Hurry now, before I change my mind and call out for help or something.”

  Meher chuckled. “I’m going to give you a power, now. Understand?”

  “No, I fucking don’t. That’s why we’re here.”

  Ria sighed. “Okay, let’s try another tactic. If everything we’ve told you is true, and if there’s an alien invasion incoming but I could give you a power that will let you help us fight against this invasion… would you be on our side? Would you join that fight?”

  Meher glared, but the doubt wasn’t complete. Her eyes shifted and met mine and there was a vulnerability in them. She nodded. “Yes.”

  “There we go, then.” Ria gestured to me.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Do your part.”

  I blinked, realizing what she was telling me to do, but not sure how to go about it. “I can’t just…”

  “Yes, you can. And you have no choice.”

  “Do what?” Meher asked.

  I groaned, put my face in my hand, and then held out both hands as I held her gaze. “Meher, honesty time here—okay? I have been interested in you for a while. Every time we’ve chatted at the grocery store, or when I’m coming home from work and see you on your way to your job, it’s like… I can’t help wondering how life would be if we got to know each other. You know?” When she nodded, I figured that was enough to keep going on. “And sometimes I’d watch a movie, glance over and think it would be great to have you at my side, my arm around you as we shared popcorn.”

  “Getting a bit creepy,” Ria interrupted.

  “I think it’s sweet,” Meher countered, stepping closer to me. “And… a bit creepy.”

  I laughed. “What I’m trying to say is, I never thought this would be how it went down, but it is what it is. And…” I glanced at Ria with a heavy breath before continuing. “I never thought our first kiss would be to prove a point, but regardless, I’d like to kiss you now. Is that okay?”

  Meher laughed, realized I was serious, and looked over at Ria. “How does this connect?”

  “Intimacy helps fuel the power transfer,” Ria said matter-of-factly. “He primes you up, then I step in.”

  “What the fuck…” Meher shook her head, clearly about to refuse, but her eyes met mine again. She laughed. “You know what? When they throw you in prison or the mental institute, or whatever, I’ll never get my chance, I guess. So… fuck it. I’ve wanted this as badly as you have, so…”

  Without another word, she stepped forwards and took me by the lapels, pulling me in to kiss her.

  7

  Our lips met and it was everything I’d imagined. Well, you know, minus the alien ex-succubus watching. That bit was new, but not unwelcome. Meher had a faint smell of sweet mixed with spices, like a Chai tea latte—yes, with the latte part. Her lips pressed firmly to mine with a passion that left me wondering if she’d been the one wanting this most all along. Her hands moved down my chest, around to my back under my arms so that my own arms were wrapped around her neck, and her body pressed against mine. Firm breasts, the bulge in my pants no longer a secret, and her hands found my ass.

  “Perfect,” Ria said, and I wanted to shout at her for ruining the moment.

  Only, she wasn’t exactly ruining it, I saw, as she stepped up beside Meher and started kissing her neck, one hand moving up under her shirt and sweater, stopping to caress her breast as she turned her in for a kiss, too.

  The light that formed, working its way out of Ria’s mouth and into Meher’s nearly sent me stumbling back, but Meher was gripping me tight—still by the ass. Her eyes went wide and she turned to me in confusion, the light fading now as it moved down her neck and into her chest, right where Ria’s hand had stopped.

  “Continue,” Ria said, now her other hand moving to help with the first, pulling Meher’s sweater and shirt up over her head in one smooth motion.

  Meher covered her bra by pulling her hands away, crossed over her chest, and I fell back. Ria chuckled, then gave Meher a shove. The woman of my crush fell onto me with a leg between my thighs, crushing my boner in an uncomfortable but not horrible way, and luckily not hurting the balls.

  For a moment she stared into my eyes in shock over what was happening, then went with it. You bet your ass I went with it, too. She was kissing me one minute, hand moving down to my abs and moving my shirt aside the next.

  “Did I hurt it?” she asked, glancing down, then started nibbling on my ear as she whispered, “let me check on him.”

  Her hand slipped into my pants, grabbing my cock and caressing it. All of this while Ria watched with folded arms and a playful grin.

  When I noticed this, Meher paused, following my line of sight, and froze—hand still on my dick.

  “Don’t stop on my account,” Ria said. “In fact,” she reached up, pulling down the shoulders of the dress, and then let it fall so that she was left standing there completely nude, “the more you get into it, I believe, the more the power will stick. Maybe even be amplified.”

  Meher shook her head as if breaking from a spell. “Power?”

  I noted the way her eyes roamed over Ria’s body, lingering. The moonlight cast scattered silver light where the leaves above didn’t block it out, so that the light and shadows were a playful tease on the ex-succubus. I couldn’t blame Meher, though, as there hadn’t been a female body I’d ever looked upon with more perfection than this one. Then again, I’d yet to see Meher nude.

  A thought that brought me back to the moment. Leaning up to kiss Meher’s neck, my hand found its way to her inner thigh, and her hand reacted, starting to stroke my cock as she continued looking to Ria for an answer.

  “I’m thinking of just the one for you,” Ria said, and knelt at our side, running a hand along her breasts, leaning back and letting the hand go to her clit. She was just far enough to make it clear we were to stick to each other for now, but close enough to show she wanted to be watched. Her finger found her tight little pussy, tracing the lips and then going in as her other clenched her breast and she bit her lip.

  “I don’t understand,” Meher said, hand moving to my balls, caressing them, then returning to trace my shaft from base to tip. She was clearly enjoying herself, but distracted. I, meanwhile, let my hand move the rest of the way up to her mound, feeling it, caressing her and enjoying the way her body shivered.

  “Give it a try,” Ria said. “Yours is much more simply accessed than his. Simply take a deep breath in, then focus on pushing energy out and see what happens.”

  She did as instructed, though at first nothing happened. Again, she breathed deep, hand gripping my cock as if it would give her focus, and then she breathed out—suddenly a blue light glowed around the forearm down my pants, a chill taking over my cock that felt both amazing and slightly painful. I convulsed, certain I was about to orgasm, when Ria moved forward and swatted Meher’s hand away.