TRICKSTER: An Old God Romance

  Finger Licking Monsters Book 2

  Layla Fae

  Copyright © 2023 Layla Fae

  All rights reserved

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  What to Expect?

  Chapter 1: The Cursed Meet Cute

  Chapter 2: The Midas Touch

  Chapter 3: Magic and Wit

  Chapter 4: Mistress

  Chapter 5: Sharing Dreams

  Chapter 6: You Better Run

  Chapter 7: Ribbons

  Chapter 8: Messes to Clean

  Chapter 9: Fun and Games

  Chapter 10: Tug of War

  Chapter 11: Hate Burns Just As Hot

  Chapter 12: Stories and Kisses

  Chapter 13: Winners and Losers

  Chapter 14: The Roulette

  Chapter 15: To the Wolves

  Chapter 16: The River Rat

  Chapter 17: Monster

  Chapter 18: Karma

  Chapter 19: Claws and Fangs

  Chapter 20: No Damsel

  Chapter 21: Showdown

  Chapter 22: Conduit

  Chapter 23: Celebrations

  Chapter 24: Yours

  Epilogue

  Books In This Series

  Books By This Author

  What to Expect?

  Games and tricks, of course! After all, we’re dealing with Loki. Apart from that…

  Romance tropes in no particular order: kidnapping/saving, enemies to lovers (a variation: he is obsessed, she hates him), semi-slow burn, banter, power imbalance, no pregnancy/baby, groveling, monster in disguise, lies, secrets, games, and magical claiming.

  Spice CWs: spit play, hate intercourse with clear consent, seduction, shapeshifting peen, peen roulette, flavors, forced Os, betting for spicy favors, plant play, monster (fur, fangs, size difference, monster peen, knotting).

  Action CWs: magic fight scenes, grisly magic-inflicted wounds, a torture scene where the baddies torture one of the main characters.

  There is a romance plot and an action plot, both intrinsically connected, both ending with a HEA. The action is a part of the overarching plot connecting the books in this series, but there is no need to read the previous book, DRACO: A Dragon Chef Romance, for clarity (though, I recommend reading it for entertainment).

  Enjoy!

  Chapter 1: The Cursed Meet Cute

  Loki

  Sitting on the roof opposite the restaurant, I watched as Calli walked to Dragon’s Lair. I was comfortable in an armchair, a tray of drinks hovering by my elbow, my eyes magnifying the view so I could see every detail.

  This was a delicate operation, and I needed to be prepared to play it just right. It wouldn’t hurt to ogle her some more, either. In the months I had spent stalking Calli, I had grown very fond of watching her mannerisms and analyzing her fashion choices.

  Like me, she dressed to impress.

  Today, she was clad in red and white, both professional and sexy. A white skirt hugged her ass, and I zoomed in, searching for the panty line. Predictably, it wasn’t there, and I zoomed out again, taking a sip of my cold cider.

  Her nails were painted red, the shade on her feet darker and more sparkly than the one on her hands. The red blouse accentuated her cleavage, but subtly. This was not a date.

  At least, she thought it wasn’t. She didn’t expect to be rescued, which was just as well. I preferred our first meeting to be a surprise.

  Calli stopped in front of the restaurant and took off her white-rimmed sunglasses. I focused on her face, taking in every detail with the focus of a connoisseur appraising a precious gem.

  All signs were on display for everyone who knew how to look. Her hair, impeccably twisted into a chignon, which she smoothed down every minute even though there was no wind. The way she nervously pressed her lips together. The worried lines around her eyes that I knew she would try to smooth out with a jade roller in the evening.

  The absolute terror in her eyes.

  I knew why she had come and admired her for it. She had done a wrong, and now she was here, ready to suffer the punishment. Other people might prefer to live with guilt rather than face a dragon.

  Not Calli. She was one in eight billion.

  Now, she took a deep breath and walked up the steps. At the last moment, she wavered, her hand hovering over the handle. Suddenly, she turned and ran down the steps, her heels clicking. She hurriedly turned the corner and kept walking.

  I sent one of my ravens up to watch her path. Was she about to run away? If she did, I would be very disappointed. Enough to stop caring and let Draco kill her, because I had no use for a coward.

  The raven circled over Dragon’s Lair, and I watched through its eyes, finally humming in approval. She wasn’t running, after all. She only decided to enter through the back door.

  I had a mole in the restaurant's kitchen, so I settled in and waited, listening to what was happening. Idle chit-chat for now. Draco wasn’t in yet. When he arrived, though, I really hoped he would take Calli up to his office. The window was exactly opposite my post, and I would have a first-class seat for the show.

  Though it wouldn’t be long until I stepped onto the stage myself.

  But first, I would watch. I was curious how Draco intended to punish his ex’s betrayal. Even though I knew their arrangement had been mostly fake, and Calli’s crush on him was long extinguished, there was bound to be a lot of passion and hate.

  Enough for a good show.

  I knew what I would have done if my woman had betrayed me the way Calli betrayed Draco. She would die a slow, painful death, possibly dragging on for years, because I liked my revenge cold. And it might take years to soothe the burn of such treachery.

  Draco was hot-tempered, though. He would act rashly. That was why it was so important for me to be right here, ready to step in.

  I wouldn’t let him slaughter Calli. Even though there was no claim on her now, she was as good as mine.

  Draco’s car arrived, and I sat up, excitement buzzing in my veins. There he was, his new mate right by his side. The woman’s aura was beautiful, I had to admit. Indigo and pink, it stretched like a halo around her, brushing against Draco’s silver.

  They made a good match and it would be a pity if something were to squash their young love. One more reason to save Calli, because if Draco killed a human, he would be in much more trouble with the Magic Council than he already was.

  They entered through the back door as well, and I listened to the conversation through my mole’s ears. It went as expected. Calli attacked at once, because she was so scared she couldn’t think straight, while Draco went cold with rage.

  I listened to Calli’s shouts, smiling to myself at the way she couldn’t admit why she had truly come, not even now.

  “Once, just once, I had everything perfectly lined up, and you had to come along and burn all my hopes and dreams! You fucking beast!”

  I laughed, recording her little speech in my mind to replay to myself on lonely nights. It took balls for a human to call a dragon a beast. Especially one as terrified as Calli.

  Her excuse to come had been to get paid for years of serving as Draco’s conduit. It was bullshit, considering Calli had stolen from him, thus betraying his trust and incurring the famous dragon wrath. She had taken his special dragon spice, the same one she had helped him make for years.

  Calli stole from Draco, knowing perfectly well he was a dragon, a supernatural creature capable of tracking her down and burning her to a crisp in revenge. That knowledge hadn't stopped her.

  It might have been brave or foolish, or maybe both. But I knew one thing: a mortal woman who would dare to steal from a dragon was legendary.

  I had to have her.

  I perked up as Draco invited her to the elevator, pretending to be calm, though I knew how rageful he must be. Moments later, they entered the office, and I zoomed in on the window.

  Calli did what she did best. She goaded him, as gorgeous as a goddess in a blaze of fury. At this point it was difficult to say whether she was acting with purpose or giving in to her instincts, but the result was the same regardless. The show got heated fast.

  “You owe me,” she spat, looking at Draco with the confidence of an expert gambler.

  That was the perfect thing to say if her goal was to get torn in half. I watched as Draco’s horns and scales manifested in a blink, turning him from human to half a beast. And Calli’s fear, so well hidden until now, broke through. She stumbled and fell, her face etched with horror.

  It was too much.

  I realized I was standing, the cider glass shattered at my feet. All I wanted was to teleport right in there and take her away, but I forced myself to wait.

  They both needed closure. And Calli, though she would never admit it, wanted her punishment. That’s why she had come. She needed the betrayal burned clean so she could be free of the guilt that still tormented her in her dreams.

  She tossed and turned every night, mumbling through her sleep. Every time I watched, I wa nted nothing more than to crawl between the sheets and soothe her cries with caresses and thrusts.

  Soon.

  But now, as Draco tied her to a chair and gagged her, I had enough. He used duct tape, for Ymir’s sake. The man had no panache. I teleported just outside the office and opened the door, dismantling Draco’s wards with a flick of my little finger.

  Time to start the show.

  “Oooh, kinky! Can I play?”

  Draco watched me with barely contained fury. Normally, he would deal with me politely since I was his better. Not today.

  “Fuck off,” he snarled.

  I grinned the way I knew humans found uncanny, and sure enough, Draco’s mate shivered with fear. Calli tried to speak, but the crude gag was in the way. I pretended to ignore her.

  “Is this the way to treat a messenger who’s come to warn you?” I asked, mocking Draco. “Fine. Then I’ll keep my warning to myself. And yet, I can be generous, so I will not report this obviously criminal situation to the Magic Council. But I want to know what’s going on. I have a feeling I’ll enjoy it immensely.”

  There, all lines were perfectly delivered. Draco’s anger became fuzzy, unfocused in the face of my distraction.

  “This woman betrayed me and I’m punishing her. Now get lost,” he said with far less bite than before.

  I walked inside, shutting the door. The trap was set, all the pieces in place, and I smiled with the thrill of the game I knew I would win. It was so simple, all the paths leading to one outcome. I would come out of here with Calli in my arms, and Draco would be content enough with my solution to never touch her again.

  “What was her crime?” I asked as if I hadn’t known all too well.

  “She stole some of his jizz,” Draco’s mate, Jo, said with little reverence. When Draco gave her an offended look, she added, “What? It’s the truth. And I think talking it over might help you pick a punishment suitable for the actual crime.”

  Draco breathed fire at her, though the flames fell short of Jo’s face. I snorted. Unbelievable. But those were dragons for you. They respected no one and nothing, not even their mates.

  “Whose side are you on?” Draco asked.

  “Yours,” she said. “Always yours. And that’s why I don’t want you to maul or kill her, because it will come back to bite you in the ass. And I’m not losing you over this. I just won’t.”

  Drama, a touching moment, filler content. I clapped, getting the show back on tracks.

  “May I propose a fitting punishment for the thief? One that will not come back to bite you in the ass, as your lady aptly put?” I asked.

  I looked at Calli, struggling to get free. She was crying, but underneath the tears, I saw her anger. A fighter to the very end. Not surprising, since she was a woman who dared to steal from the dragon. I could barely hide my adoration, such was the impression she made on me.

  “Propose away,” Draco said, most of the fire gone out of him.

  I took a bow and conjured a showy microphone stand and pink disco light. At the snap of my fingers, a huge screen appeared behind my back. It would show exactly what I wanted.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you… The Midas touch!” I said, enjoying myself way too much.

  I knew what was happening on the screen, so I watched the faces of my audience. Their reactions were gratifying when the first scene appeared, ranging from shock on Calli’s face to horrified amusement on Jo’s.

  What they saw was Calli sitting on the toilet and reaching for the toilet paper. When her hand touched the roll, it turned into gold. She screamed with frustration and despair, and the video blurred.

  “But what did she steal?” I asked, dimming the lights. “It wasn't riches. It was not gold. No, the little thief stole nothing other than… spunk!”

  The lights came on, and an old-fashioned milk bottle half-full of cum appeared on the screen. Everyone stared with big eyes, and Calli’s brimmed with fear. I knew this would be hard for her. But it was the only way to stop her from going after Draco once this was over.

  She would have a delicious new target for all her passions, hate and lust alike.

  “Her punishment must suit the crime,” I said, confirming their suspicions.

  “Stop this,” Draco said, very predictably.

  It was so like a dragon. Burn somebody to charred bone? It’s fine, not a problem! But a creative, slightly disgusting curse that won’t actually hurt anyone? Evil!

  As he stepped closer, I snapped my fingers, and an impenetrable barrier appeared between us. Now for the final act.

  “Fucking stop. It’s not your place to do this. She is not yours to punish,” Draco raged, which was honestly so cute. How quickly he turned from abuser to protector.

  “She won’t make gold,” I continued. “Instead, anything she touches will become wet and sticky, just like the thing she stole.”

  On the screen, Calli picked up a banana. It was covered with fake cum the moment she touched it. The real Calli, still tied to a chair, tried to scream through the gag, thrashing and crying.

  I took pity on her and made the gag disappear.

  “Fuck you! You can’t do this to me!” she screamed. “Come on! You don’t even know me! You don’t have a reason to do this!”

  I grinned, proud and already possessive, though she wasn’t technically mine. But there she was, brazen and fierce despite the tears and her smudged makeup. What a beautiful, stimulating sight.

  I crouched in front of her, putting my hands on her bare knees, because there was no way I would resist that first touch.

  “I have plenty of reasons to do this, ást min. And don’t worry, it is not forever.”

  “For how long, then?” Calli asked, shaking from fear.

  I caressed her cheek, looking into her scared eyes and silently promising that I would make it up to her. She would have everything she wanted, and once she gave in to me, I wouldn’t let her out of my bed for months.

  “We’ll see,” I answered. “For now… Let your touch be your punishment.”

  I cursed her, and as my magic enshrouded her like fine, invisible snow, I painted my claim over her skin. It shimmered, green and golden, and I reveled in the sight. Now everyone would know I had claimed her.

  Everyone who knew how to look.

  But Calli didn’t know about the claim. All she knew was the curse, which slid into her body like a cool breath. When it was done, I freed her from the bindings with a snap of my fingers. Fast like a cat, she tried to scratch my face, but I stepped back with a laugh.

  To get her balance and stand up, Calli put her hand on the armrest. Predictably, it became instantly sticky. I watched her, curious how she would react now that she knew I hadn’t bluffed.

  For a moment, she only gaped at her hand, lips trembling. But in an instant, her fighting spirit was back. She jumped at me, nails poised to strike, her face twisted with fury. I caught her, delighted by my little tigress.

  As she scratched my cheek, drawing blood, I laughed. It was perfect. Because no performance could be complete without at least a few drops of blood on stage.

  “So quick to discover my little caveat, I see,” I said with a chuckle, pressing her writhing body close so she couldn’t escape, while my cheek healed.

  It was time to put the seed of an idea in her head. I wanted the two realms, me and sex, to be intrinsically connected in her mind from the start. Right now, I was just an enemy. But I needed her to see more shades than one.

  More possibilities.

  “Everything and everyone you touch will become slimy and wet… apart from me. Now, I’m not unreasonable, and this is not real semen. So for example, if you touch yourself, you won’t get pregnant. See? I am a considerate man,” I said with a laugh. “Now… We can discuss the terms and duration of your punishment in private. Goodbye, dragon.”

  I teleported us away to Calli’s place, laughing all the way.

  We arrived still pressed together, my arms around her back and hips, her breasts squished against my chest. For a moment, I only stood there, absorbing her with all my senses. The smell of her perfume, the heat of her body, tense and strong from the flood of adrenaline.

  Her breath, a caress against my neck.

 

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