Larissa Ione - Base Instincts

As a Seminus demon, Raze’s life literally depends on having sex with females. The problem is that he doesn’t desire females, and it’s physically impossible for him to be with males. Thankfully, he and his best friend, Fayle, have an arrangement that keeps him alive . . . if lonely. He finds some solace in his work as a medic at Thirst, a vampire club known for its rough clientele. But his carefully structured world turns upside down when he meets a mysterious male who makes him want what he can never have.
Slake is an assassin used to getting what he wants, and what he wants is Raze. But he also wants to earn back the soul he sold when he was a much different demon. All he has to do is capture a runaway succubus named Fayle and hand her over to her family. What he doesn’t count on is being caught himself by a web of lies—and his attraction to Raze.
Raze and Slake must navigate a dangerous world to be together. But as Fayle’s jealousy of their relationship turns deadly, they find themselves embroiled in a battle not only for their love, but their lives and souls.

Comment: Just a short comment on a short story. This is a novella in the Demonica world, a series many readers have loved and still do.

In this story we meet Raze, an incubus demon who has a partner, Fayle, who helps him during his sexual needs and he helps her in return but one day Slake, another demon, shows up suddenly and although Raze doesn't have an idea why, he immediately feels attracted to him. Raze nothing will come out of it because incubus demons need a female sexual partner otherwise there will be pain. But when things get weird and difficult because Fayle wants to disappear but Raze has found friends and a god job and apparently Slake. But what would happen when Raze realizes Slake is not who he says he is?

I liked this story simply by the original pairing. It's the first m/m pairing with protagonist status in the series and it was great to see a different way of doing things, at least in the romance department.

It was great too to be able to see how characters we liked knowing about before were here giving a helping hand or being key to solve certain situations. Everyone feels like family and that's probably one of the best things about the series.

The plot isn't too far from things we've seen, Slake is looking for Fayle because it's part of his job in an attempt to finish a contract that will give him his soul back but then he falls in love with Raze and realizes he's more important. Raze himself also has some things to confess and at a time where he never thought things could go well for him, Slake is able to help and that changes everything. I thought it genius how Slake and raze were able to be a couple in all ways. That is the real surprise in the book and it suited all the things necessary. Quite the ingenious twist.

I was happy with the ways this happened. A full boom wouldn't have been bad, but I get the author's idea. Still, a great novella and a great way to "solve" some secondary character's situations.

Grade: 8/10