WARNING: PLEASE READ BEFORE STARTING THE CHAPTER!

This chapter may trigger people who have suffered abuse. Most specifically sexual abuse.

PLEASE, before you read this Lock, be aware that if you are sensitive to this sort of thing, this will be in this chapter and the next one. I will be sure to put a warning on the next Lock as well, to help remind everyone. I am not going into GREAT detail, but there is enough detail it may end up triggering someone.

So, I have to say that this section has really been hitting closer to home than I'd like to admit. But I didn't want to lie to you guys. I felt like if I changed it up and "pretended" that all of this stuff had never happened to Girl (Willow), I'd just be...lying to spare your feelings.

On that note, I do apologize, I know this is a Big, Bad topic to bring up. But I feel it's a important part of Willow's character that you all needed to know. So, without further ado...We shall begin the sections of the story I have been both wanting to get to to get over with, but also dreading since the very beginning...

Please...comment and let me know what you think. Also, trust me, I expect a LOT of cussing/screaming at certain characters.

                                                                                                                                                                                     
As quickly as she'd open the door, she shut it once more. Letting out a shaky breath, she put back all the locks. "N-no...I c-can't..."
Behind her, the music throughout the house continued. Turning, she tried to smile. "I'm fine here. It's fun, being at home by myself," she reminded herself. "No one can tell me what to do. I can do whatever I want to."

Doesn't that include going outside when you want to? A small voice in the back of her mind nagged at her. At the thought, the feeling rose even higher. Letting out a choked noise, Girl placed a hand to her chest. Gasping, she shot to the back of the house, to the window. Pulling back the curtain, she froze.

On the third floor front window of the building, there was the man. He was staring out his window, just like she was. It didn't look like he was looking at her yet though. Very slowly, she started to lower the curtains, to step back. But, abruptly, his gaze dropped and their eyes met.

She sucked in a breath. H-he saw me! she shrieked in her mind. He saw me! I turned him into a demon! Wincing, she gripped the curtains in her hand tighter, waiting for him to transform into a monster, like Father said. The man would grow horns, and have fire come out of his mouth, covered in hair with animal feet.

But as their gazes continued to clash with one another, something inside Girl began to...change. It was just a small change. So small, in fact, that she didn't even realize what it was or consciously sense it. Very slowly, she loosened her grip of the curtain. The man's eyes moved away from hers. He turned and walked away from his window. Girl watched him go, feeling more alone in that one moment than she could ever remember feeling before.

For the first time in her life, she suddenly had a longing for other human contact, besides Father. And even more mysteriously, something about the man in the window was calling to her.

Shaking her head, she dropped the curtain in her hand like it was a snake. She saw other people. She saw 'the boys', Cedric and Jason, when they came over with Father. She was just being silly. She wasn't completely alone in the world. She was just alone in the house for now.

Stepping away from the window, she glanced around the empty house. She took three more steps away from the window. Suddenly the feeling in her tugged violently. She let out a sobbing gasp as her food from earlier came up in an awful, disgusting mess. Feeling dizzy, she barely stopped herself from collapsing into the mess she'd made. Staring down at it through blurry, tear-filled eyes, she began to sob.

My food...

All that food. She'd wasted it.

She rose to her feet shakily. Still crying, she cleaned up the mess, getting on her hands and knees to scrub it all. She got the carpet cleaner out too. Afterwards, she moved into the bathroom to wash herself off with a wet rag, cleaning her hands as well. When she was done, she stepped out of the bathroom and glanced toward the Cold Box.

Hiccuping, she retrieved the footstool from the kitchen, as well as the timer. Placing the stool in front of the Cold Box, she lifted the lid. "I was a Bad girl," she reminded herself. "Bad girls have to go in the Cold Box." Using the footstool, she stepped into the box, shivering as her bare feet touched one of the bags of chicken breasts. She tucked the timer in close to her chest as she lowered the lid down above her.

Already she was beginning to shake in fear. Struggling with it, she pressed the buttons until the timer said '06:00'. Father had told her that this was her alone-time punishment. When she knew she'd done something very wrong while she was alone, she had to make sure to punish herself. That way she'd get better at not doing it again.
She added a few extra button presses for unlocking and opening the front door, plus turning on the TV when she knew she wasn't supposed to. Clutching the timer tightly in her hands, she closed her eyes.

The next six minutes of her life were filled with the paralyzing, horrible, numbing terror of everything she'd done wrong and how the cold was going to kill her because of it.

When it was over, when the sound of the timer beeping insistently at her brought her back, she let out a shaky laugh. Very stiffly, she forced her body to start to move inside the cold, slightly cramped space. Pushing up on the lid with her hands and shoulders, it took a bit of effort for her to get out. She had to awkwardly climb over the side of the Cold Box, holding up the lid as she put her feet on the footstool, struggling to stayed balanced.

By the time she'd warmed up, the microwave said '2:30'. Biting her lip, she moved to the TV and turned it to the Food Network. She watched it for the next two hours. She decided on a big meal that should be able to feed everyone, besides something she knew Father and the others would like. It was a big thing of meatloaf, wrapped up in stripes of bacon, flavored with BBQ sauce. Putting the TV back to the channel it had been on when she turned it on, she shut off the TV, put the remote back, as well as locking everything back up. Passing through the kitchen into her room, she placed the key back in it's hiding place. Then she stared on the long process of making dinner.

By the time '6:28' came around on the microwave clock, Father was knocking on the door. Girl put down the oven mitts, hurrying to open the door, undoing the chain and turning the lock. She stepped back as the door was pushed forward, making sure to hide behind it's solid shape out of habit. Father's tall frame stepped inside, his eyes shifting to take in her small form to his right. A few seconds behind him as he moved further into the house, were two others.

Cedric wasn't as tall as Father and he was a bit younger too. He had long dreads in his hair, his skin tone a few shades lighter than Father, as well as Girl. As he stepped inside, Cedric moved to her side, lifting her up into his arms. "Wow, you just keep getting bigger every time I see you."

Closing the door and locking it was Jason. Jason was even shorter than Cedric, as dark as Father was. He had very close-cropped hair, though he wasn't clean shaved like Father, and his eyes were dark brown like Cedric's. He looked to be about two years younger than Father, but still older than Cedric.

Girl didn't like Jason very much. He made her feel uncomfortable, though she'd never been able to figure out why. And, even know, as he turned to give her a smile, she could sense that fluttering, fearful sensation in her belly. "I'm glad to see you haven't grown too much, though," Jason murmured. In his left hand was a box of more of those silver and blue cans.

Father moved to sit down on the couch. "Girl, bring us cold beers," he ordered as he began to strip down to just his boxers.

Cedric placed her back on her feet so she could do as she was told. "Yes, Father," she murmured.

Jason followed her into the kitchen, placing the box on the table Father ate at during breakfast. Free of his load, he moved to sit down in one of the arm chairs close to the couch Father was currently stretching out on. Cedric took the arm chair on the opposite side and all the upholstery, besides the one chair at the table, was effectively used up. Girl grabbed three beers from the bottom drawer of the fridge, handing one to each man. She returned to the kitchen and began fixing all their plates. As she did, the men began to talk amongst their selves.

"So, how's our little girl developing?" Jason asked as he threw off his work shirt and pants, tossing them to the floor.

"Good, very good," Father tipped back a swig of his beer. He crossed his legs, which were so long his feet were dangling nearly a full three inches over the couch. "Tomorrow I plan to take her out shopping for training bras. She's starting to grow big enough for them."

"Really?" Cedric asked in shock. "Geez, she's only what...seven, eight? I didn't realize girls started developing that fast."

Jason laughed darkly. "Oh, yeah. Especially when I like to play with her."

"You just use her because you don't want to go to jail for touching your own kid," Father muttered.

"That's what she's here for, isn't she?" Jason snickered.

"I'm just waiting for when she gets a little older and we can start making the videos. Damn, we made so much money off that shit." Cedric sighed heavily, kicking off his boots and socks. "I miss the money Miranda made us," he added.

"You shut the fuck up," Father growled. "She deserved what she got. She tried to run. But we did it better this time. Honestly, being able to mold a slave from birth is a lot better than trying to change the way a teenage girl thinks."

Cedric slowly nodded. "Well, yeah, it is easier."

Girl, carrying one large plate with a fork, moved to stand in front of Father. "Here, Father," she offered the food.

"Damn, this smells good," Father chuckled.

Girl smiled, blushing, a rush of happy pleasure shooting through her. I was a Good girl, she thought.

"Aww, look, she's blushing," Jason groaned in a low voice. "Aw, baby girl, you're so cute. Take off your shirt," he suddenly ordered in a tight voice.

Girl glanced to Father, who nodded. "Do what Jason tells you."
Reaching down, Girl pulled her red T-shirt off without any more ceremony. She'd only paused long enough to get the word from Father. Honestly though, this was nothing new to Girl. When Jason and Cedric were over, she usually had to take off her clothes.

Holding the shirt in her hand, she started back into the kitchen, pausing only long enough to fold her shirt and place it on top of her bed in her room. Back in the kitchen, she started making Cedric's plate first. She handed it to him before retrieving Jason's. As she gave his plate to him, she stood beside his chair.

"I see what you mean," Cedric murmured as he eyed Girl's body with a calculating eye. "Yeah, she really is maturing."

"How have things been going with teaching Nick the Foli Way?" Jason asked around a large mouthful of food. Now and again, as the men talked, Jason would reached out his left hand and let his fingertips run over Girl's chest.

"Yes," Father glanced toward Cedric, swallowing his drink of beer. "How have things been going? His Initiation will be soon, won't it?"

"A few more weeks," Cedric nodded. "Things have been going perfectly. He's taken to the Way very well, as has Darvey. Cavin's still a little too young to start his education. He's only two now."

The names were mildly familiar to Girl, but just barely. She had no idea who they were, she just remembered hearing their names a few times before, over the years.

"Do you remember Erin?" Cedric asked after swallowing another bite. He motioned his hand at his plate and Girl moved forward. He shook his head and she knew he didn't want another serving. But he did glance toward his can of beer, so she went into the kitchen to attend to his needs.

"Isn't that your brother-in-law?" Jason asked around a long, tired groan.

"Yeah. Apparently he's been having problems with his wife, so his kids are staying over with us. They've been at our house for the last three months or so. Things haven't been looking any better between Eric and his wife either."

"Oh...yeah," Jason slowly nodded his head in thought. "You mentioned you've been trying to teach his kids portions of the Way."

"Exactly," Cedric pointed his finger at Jason. "It's been going well with the youngest, Andrew. But the oldest kid..." Cedric shook his head slowly, sadly, reaching out for the beer Girl had retrieved. "The kid doesn't seem to like me. And, to be honest, there's something off about the kid."

"Hunting time?" Jason asked excitedly. "We haven't gone on a Hunt in a long time. Not since Miranda."

The two men turned their gazes to Father. "What does the Head say?" Cedric asked. "Do we put together a Hunt?"

Father closed his eyes for nearly a full minute. When he finally opened them, his black eyes were filled with disgust. "If they aren't working for us, they're better off dead. We'll do this the Foli Way, like always," Father nodded his head. "Next new moon, the kid's dead."

Both Jason and Cedric bowed their heads. "Yes, older brother."

The men continued to talk, Girl moving around them to refill plates, get new beers, or throw away their trash. By the time half an hour had passed, the men were finally done eating. Thankful to finally be able to eat, Girl fixed herself a plate of the leftovers. There wasn't much, only about a piece and a half of meatloaf, but she was still grateful. As she started to put her plate on the small table, Jason's voice called out to her. He'd moved the arm chair so that it wasn't facing the TV, instead the opposite wall.

Knowing what he wanted before he even told her, she nodded her head. Holding her plate and fork tightly in her hands, she moved to his side. Jason took her plate and fork out of her hands, holding them out of the way. She climbed up into his lap, settling herself to face him, taking the plate and fork from him. One of his arms wrapped around her middle, holding her tightly in place. With his other hand, he reached down and carefully pulled back the lever that made the chair lift up and back. He went slow, making sure not to jostle her or her food in her hands. Once the chair was lounging back and she was sitting more on his stomach than his lap, Girl began to eat.

Further behind them, the sounds of a woman's voice came from the TV. As well, Girl's ears filled with the sounds of Father's and Cedric's low groans and muffled whispers of encouragement and delight.

"Succubus porn is the best porn there is," Cedric groaned in a low voice. Father apparently agreed, making a growling noise of approval.

"Look at me, baby girl," Jason ordered.

Blinking, Girl turned her attention back to the man who she was currently sitting on. "Yes, Daddy?" she asked, making sure to use the name she was supposed to call Jason when it was almost the Run Away time.

"Don't you worry. You get to stay pure and innocent for a little while longer," Jason reassured her, cupping her cheek softly. He smiled, but his smile had a darkness to it that always made Girl's skin crawl. "So, until then, I'll just have to enjoy myself as much as possible with you. Once the Initiation is complete and you are tied to Nick, then we can play for awhile, just the two of us. You'd like that, wouldn't you, baby girl?"

Girl nodded, waiting to speak until she'd swallowed the bite she'd taken. "Yes, Daddy. Playing with you would be fun," she agreed automatically.

His brown eyes began to darken, his lips parting, gaze focusing on her mouth. "Kiss me," he ordered.

Do what Jason tells you, Father's words echoed in her head. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to the man's.

He let out an annoyed breath. "No, you dumb girl. Kiss me," he repeated.

Swallowing, she called forth her power, letting it surge through her and release from her lips as she kissed him again. Jason's hand at her face shifted, holding her in place as he deepened the kiss, letting her know he wanted her to part her lips. As she did, she felt the odd sensation of his tongue touching hers. It sent a bizarre shiver down her spine and she let out a small, shuddering sound of dislike. In response, Jason moved one hand to her hair, forcibly making her stay in place or risk the pain of her hair being pulled.

They stayed like that for several minutes, Girl trying to focus on breathing through her nose. The noises of the woman, Father, and Cedric kept getting louder and louder. Jason shifted, his other hand moving to brush along her chest. His hand cupped the small, fatty lumps that had started to grow there recently. Girl had been scared she was starting to get fat, but Father had assured her that she wasn't turning into a Bad girl. In fact, the lumps showing up meant that she was being a very Good girl.

Trying to be as still as possible, Girl continued to eat as fast as possible. The Run Away time was getting closer and closer. She could tell by the light in Jason's eyes. As such, she wanted to ensure she actually got to eat her food. There had been more than a few times before when she'd had to leave behind her food, only to clean everything up again the next morning.

"So beautiful, so innocent, my little princess. You know, I had to think of you when I was fucking Billie. I had to imagine your face, your perfect, tiny body when I was sliding in and out of her pussy. God," he shuddered eyes closing tightly. At her back, Girl could feel something hard and long poking against her butt. "And then, to torment me, she got pregnant with a girl. But I can't touch Casey. I can't feel the way her body grows, the softness of her baby skin. No, I have to keep up appearances and blend in with the idiots. So, baby girl, tell Daddy what you love."

"I love when you take me out for ice cream Daddy," Girl told him like she was supposed to. "I love when we play tea party." She paused to swallow the last bite of her food, Jason jerking her plate and fork out of her hands and letting it drop onto the carpet next to the chair. "I love when you touch me, Daddy," she lowered her voice slightly, leaning forward to get closer to Jason since she was no longer holding the plate of food.

He swallowed tightly. "Yes, baby, yes you do. All your little, tiny moans. Your scared, surprised faces..."

She pressed her lips to his very lightly. "I love when you kiss me, Daddy," she whispered.

"Holy fuck, she's getting good at that, isn't she?" Cedric's panting, gruff voice came from the other side of the chair. "Damn...I almost want to fuck her myself, when she talks like that."

"She learned from me, of course she knows how to turn me on," Jason growled before forcing Girl's head to tilt to the side. He roughly began to kiss her, taking her breath away.

"Just make sure you don't go too far," Father's growling voice came. Hearing him, Girl felt a little better. With Father here, she knew she'd be safe. Sometimes Jason hurt her a little, made her body ache, her jaw hurt. But some part of her sensed that he could make her hurt a lot more, but he never did. Father always made him stop...

All the kissing was making the power in Girl spark and rise to life. She felt it filling her up, felt it coming out with each pant, each choked breath. It filled the air around them, making her head spin even more. She closed her eyes tightly as Jason hips began to buck, making the hard thing at her back poke even harder. His touch began to grow rougher, the lumps at her chest beginning to hurt because of it. She let out a small whimper of pain, but even so, the power in her kept rising.

She could feel...a strange energy, an electricity coming off the three men. It made her feel loopy, light, and dizzy. And the more the power in her rose, escaped out of her, the more the energy from the men became. It reached a very abrupt peak, driving into her belly like a hot knife. She let out a strangled scream as it did, both from the pain and also from the almost addicting rush of power and energy that shot throughout her body and mind.

Father's snarling voice broke through, making her quickly, clumsily climb off Jason and start running. "Girl, get your ass in your room and don't you dare come out again!"

She was quick to do so, keeping her head turned so that she wouldn't have to look at the men. Father had said when the Run Away time came, they all turned into demons. And she must never, ever look at a demon unless told to. So, head turned to the side and eyes narrowed to slits, she stumbled and scrambled to get to her room.

Leaning against the closed door, she sucked in shallow, fast breaths. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her ears ringing loudly. Her knees gave out and she sank into a puddle on the wooden floor of her room. Slowly, she laid her head down on the floor, closing her eyes. From the living room, she could hear the sounds of the men's combined groans and muffled cries.

W-was I a Good girl? she thought wearily. The rush of energy, of power she'd received earlier while in the living room seemed to be fading. Her tummy suddenly grumbled and she blinked, glancing down at it. She let out a soft burp as well, making her raise a hand to cover her mouth. "I-I just ate," she told her tummy.

Stiffly, she dragged herself to her feet. Taking off her jeans, she folded them up and placed them in the far corner, under one of the food shelves, where she was supposed to keep her dirty clothes. In nothing but her light green, butterfly-covered panties, she slid under her blanket and closed her eyes. She could still hear the sounds of the men in the living room, as well as the lady on the TV, but she couldn't make out any real words. Shaking her head, she turned on her side to be facing the wall.

In the morning, she would have a lot to do. The house was always a mess the day after Father's friends came. It would always reek of beer and something else. Something salty, heavy, heady. It normally took her all day to clean up. Shaking her head to clear it again, she closed her eyes, trying to relax. The days weariness was quick to come over her and she welcomed it's darkness. Her last thought was I wonder what clothes Father will pick out for me in the morning.

O O O

The next week passed. Jason and Cedric came over three more times. The second time, Cedric complained that they didn't need to start a Hunt. Erin and his wife were divorcing and the kids were getting split up between them. The wife was taking the kid they were planning to Hunt to a completely different state. The men all grumbled about the turn-of-events before Father cleared his throat and changed the subject. "Tomorrow, you need to bring Nick. She started her period today, though she doesn't know it. She thinks she's sick," he explained.

In the kitchen, Girl was quietly eating her dinner at the little table. Strangely, the men hadn't put on the TV and Jason hadn't turned the chair. When she hesitantly placed her plate on the table, none of the men had told her different. So now, she focused on the yummy food in front of her, belly growling quietly.

Cedric's eyes turned to glance at her, looking startled. "Already?" he murmured. "Are girls really suppose to mature this fast?"

Jason snorted. "Being sexually active can cause the puberty hormones to develop much sooner. Why are you surprised?"

Cedric shot Jason a glare. "Well, excuse me! I didn't have any girls, if you'll recall. My job is to provide the next generation, just like yours is to care for the Family's health. You were the one to give me the drugs to ensure a miscarriage when Alex got pregnant with any girls."

Jason nodded. "Yeah, and I'm also the one who made you infertile once Cavin was born. I remember, Cedric."

"Both of you just be silent," Father growled, rubbing at his forehead. His black eyes glanced toward Girl, who smiled at him as she took a drink of her water. He let out a soft breath. "Nick turns sixteen in a week and she should be ovulating a week after that or so. The sooner she gets pregnant, the better. What little emergency money we earned off of her older brothers is almost gone. She needs to start earning her keep," he sighed.

Both Jason and Cedric dipped their heads in short bows. "Yes, Head," they acknowledged his words.

"After the Initiation, I'll start making some herbal medicine that should help her with conceiving," Jason told him.

"Good," Father nodded.

"I'll make sure to bring Nick," Cedric promised.

"Good," again Father nodded. "When he comes, it will only be the two of us. We must talk, as he will be the next Head of the Foli family."

Girl wondered who and what they were talking about. But it didn't take her very long to find out. The next evening, Father came home from work with a new person. This was a man, but younger than Father or his friends. He had dreads, like Cedric, though they weren't as long. His eyes were a dark brown, his skin tone a shade lighter than Cedric's. But he had almost the same face as Cedric, just much more youthful. Father instructed that Girl get himself and the newcomer a drink, but not a beer. Instead, she grabbed two blue cans of Pepsi, handing one to each man. As she gave one to the newcomer, he reached out and took hold of her arm.

"This is her?" he asked with a voice that was deeper than Cedric's, but not as gravely as Father's. "But, she's just a little kid."

Father's voice was sharp, making both herself and the newcomer flinch. "Yes, she is," he growled. "But that doesn't matter. She's hit puberty, which means she's the perfect age to begin. And you will be sixteen in just five days. It is your duty to comply with the Initiation and become the next Head of our family. Don't forget, she isn't human. She's a succubus. As such, her whole existence is to pleasure the male species. She may just be a child and she may be a virgin, just as you are, but you will never find another experience as amazing as sex with a succubus."

"B-but...Uncle Shannon, she's your daughter, isn't she?"

Daughter? Girl repeated in her mind uncertainly. What's that?

Father's voice was filled with distaste. "Daughter?" he repeated with a snort. "No, she's not. She's merely a piece of property I made."

The other man's face was filled with surprise. "Should you be saying that, right in front of her?"

Father rolled his eyes. "She's too stupid to even know what we're talking about, Nick. For Christ's sake, do you really believe she can think on her own? She's a female, and one that isn't even human. She can't survive without the support of a man. She needs us to take care of her." Father's gaze flickered to Girl's blank, faintly smiling face. "See? Just look at her. It's pathetic, honestly. Girl, bring our food," he waved his hand toward the kitchen.

"Yes, Father," she smiled, turning to do as she was told.

"B-but...she just called you..."

"It's just another layer of the control I have over her. She thinks 'Father' as a man who is big, strong, and will protect her. But at the same time, in order to be considered a 'Good girl' and to not be yelled at or punished, she has to follow any orders 'Father' gives her without question."

Nick blinked, slowly shaking his head.

Girl served Father a large plate of spaghetti and meatballs, before offering Nick a plate as well. He glanced down into her face, which he could tell was already pretty. As he continued to stare at her, she smiled. It was a hesitant smile, as she didn't quite seem to know what to make of him. But seeing that smile, seeing her whole face light up, just a little, Nick felt something begin to burn in his heart. He smiled back and had the joy of watching her eyes widen in shock before a small blush filled her cheeks.

God, she's adorable, he thought. She's so trusting, so eager to please, it's almost endearing. If she was a few years older, I'd totally have a crush on her.

After giving him the plate of food, she moved to stand by Father's side. The large man eyed her for a long second before jerking his head toward Nick. "Girl, go stand by Nick." Girl did as she was told, though her brow was furrowed in a slight frown and she was still blushing a little. "Girl, look at me," Father rumbled. She lifted her black gaze, his own eyes, to his face.

For half a second, something in Shannon twisted violently. It thrashed about, screaming that he couldn't do what he was going to do. His gaze very briefly flickered to his left hand, where a tattoo of a chain link and cuff rest along the side of his wrist. Miranda, he thought for a single moment.

But then he blinked and the screaming, twisting pain died out and disappeared, like it had when he'd become the Head of the family at age sixteen. Just as it had when he'd held down the sixteen-year-old Miranda, who'd just watched her mother be raped by his father and uncles the day before.

His uncle, Dray, the previous Head, had been forced to do a 'reset'. A reset was when the succubus the Family owned was gotten rid of and another was gained to take her place. A reset only happened when the owned succubus didn't have enough monster blood to ensure that either succubi or incubi we're born from the union of the Head and the 'Mother'-the succubus who was bound to the current Head.

So, a few days before that turning point of Shannon's life, the Generation at the time-the Head, the Second, and the Third-had gone on a Hunt. Using the magic stones they Family had bought from the Magic Black Market two hundred and sixty-two years before, when the Foli Way was first started in their family, they tracked down a full blood succubus and her half-blood daughter. From there, it was a simple task of using the anti-Other serum darts they purchased from the MBM when needed for Hunts in order to subdue the women and bring them back from the distance of four states away.

Once his father and uncles had returned, they'd proceeded to have their way with the older woman. But the Head at the time had decided to keep the younger woman untouched, for when Shannon would undergo the Initiation. After all, once the Initiation was complete, once he'd raped Miranda to prove his right as the next Head and his loyalty to the Family, she would be his. She would become the Mother-the succubus tied to the current Head-and would be his wife, the one he'd have for the rest of her life.

The Head did not marry, in the normal way of the Human World. The Way said that the Head must prove his strength, that he must take what he wanted. In that respect, the 'marriage' was consecrated with sexual intercourse, but also strengthened by the fact that-normally-the new Head gave the Mother a name to be referred to by after the completion of the Initiation. As well, he'd choose a design of his liking which would be tattooed onto the new couple in a spot of his choosing as a symbol of their relationship.

He'd chosen the tattoo, but Miranda had already been named, so he had seen no real point to give her a new name. That had been his first mistake. His second was the fact that he had not been strict enough on her. He'd been more lenient that he should have been. But his third mistake had been simply that he'd been forced to take up a 'reset' female. By the time she'd been bound to him, she'd had long enough to learn to think for herself, to make choices, to be use to the 'normal' world.

Four years after becoming the Head, Miranda had given birth to a boy. Unfortunately, the boy had been born human and they'd sold him off on the Human Black Market. The second boy, two years later, had been a half-blood incubus, so they'd been able to get a lot more from selling him to the MBM. Three years after that, she'd finally had a girl, but the girl had been born weaker than Shannon had preferred. Still, she had abilities, at the very least, so he'd kept her.

Three months later, Miranda had tried to run away with some neighborhood man who'd very recently moved into the house next to the one they'd lived in at the time. She'd been talking to the man through the windows with paper and pencil while Shannon was at work or away from the house. But Shannon had discovered her on her way out and he'd been quick to get rid of both Miranda-the devious slut-and the man would had even dared to think he could take what didn't belong time him.

The Mother belonged solely to the Head after the Initiation. Sure, they might make some extra money through porn videos or other similar forms of activates. But once she was bound to the Head, none of the other in the Family were allowed to have sex with her. Playing with her, having her use her abilities for their physical enjoyment, all of that was alright. But it was forbidden for the Second or Third to take the Mother. For that, they had their own wives, carefully debated over and chosen for being easy to manipulate before the 'dating and wedding' process even began.

With Miranda's betrayal and death, it had left Shannon with only a single girl-babe and the Family had suffered quite a bit from it. But he'd learned from his mistakes. God, he'd learned. From the start, he'd made sure to refer to her by only what was appropriate for a female that would one day be given her name upon being married to his oldest nephew. So Girl had slowly grown older. He'd taught her only what she needed to know, only what he decided was appropriate. She'd learned to cook, to clean, to take care of a household. She'd learn how to follow a man's instructions and not question them. She'd been raised to accept that what a man said, what a man decided, was right and good for her, as it should be. Shannon had refused to allow her to grow up like her mother had. He refused to force Nick to have to go through the same problems he'd had to.

Shaking his head slightly, Shannon pulled out of his old memories. Clearing his throat, he stared into Girl's eyes. "Very soon, Nick is going to become your husband."

"H-husband?" the girl repeated uncertainly.

Father nodded. "Yes. A husband is a man who is even more important that a father," he explained.

Her dark eyes went wide. "M-more?" she repeated again in shock. Slowly, she turned her head to look at Nick. "Y-you are more important that Father?"

Nick swallowed, glancing between the girl and his uncle. His uncle's black eyes were hard and filled with an expectant light. Taking in a deep breath, he felt the sudden heavy weight of his family's expectations. His eyes flickered back to the girl's, who was watching him with a look of amazement. He felt his heart clench up in his chest at the sight. You know the Way. You know that this is all part of what you must overcome to become the next Head of the Family. "I...y-yes," he finally found his voice.

"Girl, kiss Nick on the lips," Father's sharp voice instructed.

Without even pausing to question it, Girl leaned forward, raising up her head so that she could reach Nick's face a little better from her shorter height. Nick's eyes grew wide in uncertain surprise, but they fluttered close in delight as the very abrupt and overpowering sensation of sexual desire swept over him at the electrifying taste of her lips against his. She opened her mouth before he could even think that he wanted her too and his tongue instinctively swept inside, playing with hers.

Girl let out a surprised pant as Nick's free hand reached up to jerk her closer. As she did, he groaned painfully before reluctantly breaking the kiss. When he pulled back, his eyes were dilated, his breath coming out in gasps as he dragged air back into his lungs. "Holy shit," he struggled to get out.

"Now do you see? I wasn't lying earlier when I said sex with a succubus-even one that has as little power as she does-will pale in comparison to sex with a human. Eight she may be, but she'll take you to a whole other world with her magic. And she's been trained over the past few years, so she won't put up a fight against you. You should be thankful for that," Father sighed heavily. "Girl, you can go ahead and start eating," he instructed.

Untangling herself from Nick's arms, Girl moved back into the kitchen, getting herself a small plate of food and sitting down at the table to eat it. Nick glanced back toward her, before turning his attention to his uncle. "So I have to come up with a name for her, right?" he asked, shifting uncomfortably in the chair.

His uncle nodded. "Yes, as well as a matching pair of tattoos you want your father to put on the two of you. And after all of it's said and done, you will be the new Head and she will be yours and yours alone."

"Once I turn eighteen, we'll be moving out, won't we? To live on our own," Nick asked, rubbing at an ache along his left temple.

Again his uncle nodded. "Yes. You'll begin living the life of a 'bachelor' as far as everyone else is concerned. But you'll have your little wife, the new Mother, to take care of. As well as any girl's she brings into the Family."

"The boys I'm charged with selling," Nick murmured, more of a statement than a question. "And any girls after the second one I sell too, right?"

"Yes, unless you wish to get rid of a weaker one for a stronger one that may be born," Shannon explained. "If Miranda had not betrayed us and born another girl-babe who had more succubus in her, I would have sold off this one. But, unfortunately, things did not happen how I planned."

Rubbing at his chin, Nick let out a long sigh. "And I only have five more days to think up all of this."

"You'll be moving in with us, after the Initiation," Shannon suddenly decided. Nick jerked his head up, looking at his uncle in shock. "This way you'll be able to have sex every day until she's pregnant. And, also, the sooner she becomes use to your presence, the sooner she learns that your will is absolute for her, the better."

Nick swallowed, bowing his head. "Y-yes, Head. It is a good idea," he agreed slowly as he let the idea slosh around in his head.

"So, to help that, I will instruct your father to think up some excuse as to why you are moving in with me."

Nick bit his lip. "Hmm...I want to learn how to take over the family?" he offered. "As far as Mom and Aunt Billie think, our family has ties to old traditions, which isn't a lie. So, we'll just give them a half-truth that the oldest male son is the one who learns to be the next leader, so to speak?"

Shannon chuckled harshly. "Well, your mom is cowed enough that she wouldn't question any decision your father came to. And Billie is a little more resistant, but as long as we keep her bank account full, she doesn't really care what goes on with anyone else."

Nick laughed himself. "That's true," he agreed. "They're both such weak little bitches," he sighed heavily.

"Yes, but the Second and Third need women who won't try to get in the Family's way. Why, my own father killed my mother when your dad was just two years old. My uncle, the previous Head, had decided she was no longer needed. So my father made it look like it had been a simple accident, like she'd tripped and fallen down the stairs."

"Brutal," Nick winced.

At the table, Girl was done eating. Rising to her feet, she glanced to the two men. "More?" she asked them a little hesitantly.

Father shook his head, as did Nick. "No, baby," the younger man murmured. "Just go ahead and start cleaning up." Nodding her head, Girl slowly turned to do so.

"You see?" Shannon smiled. "It's really not so hard. When she gives you a girl-babe, I'll teach you how to use psychology on the babe to make sure she ends up as easy to control as her mother."

"Yeah...Yeah, I'd like that," Nick mumbled as he found his eyes drawn to his soon-to-be wife's small frame that was visible from the kitchen. She was humming, very softly under her breath. But it was quiet enough that every few notes, which were a little louder than the others, carried into the living room. Her curly head of hair was bobbing, just a little, to the melody of the music in her head. Nick found a very small smile begin to lift his lips.

I think I've already decided on a name, he thought quietly, watching her. Melody, love. You're name will be Melody, once I make you mine.