Be Warned! These character profiles may contain spoilers. So, if you want to discover the characters as you read, avoid this section. But, if you want to know all the little minute background details of the characters within my stories, by all means, continue.
Immortal Desires Series
Characters of "Lovestruck Succubus"
Azra Barsonus
In deciding on a name for my succubus, I relied heavily on mythology and legend. It is interesting that nearly every religion has within its conscripts, a legend of a succubus type character. That is, every religion except Christianity. Christianity has their own version of the succubus myth steeped within books of the bible that are not approved for publishing. The Christian version of the succubus was in the form of Lilith, Adam's first wife who refused to submit or "lay under" the man. The word "Lullaby" comes from a derivative of Lillith. Lullaby was originally an encantation that, said as children went to sleep at night, would protect them from Lillith. Lillith was blamed for Crib Death or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in medical antiquity. I chose the name "Azra" as a slight on the traditional role the succubus has played throughout history. "Azra" is originally of Arabic origin, the name meaning: "Maiden" "Virtuous woman" "Virgin." Okay, so maybe some will see my sarcastic sense of humor as demented, but as one reads the story, they will find that Azra really does aspire to her namesake. She just cannot seem to get past her very nature. Azra's last name "Barsonus" came about because, when she was detained by the police, she had to give them a last name. She merely gave the police the first name that came to mind, made up of things she'd heard over the previous few hours. She was in the bar, on a bar stool, when she was caught. The scene explaining her last name did not make the final cut in the story as it was not deemed necessary to further the plot, or develop a character.
Azra is not like the other demons in her clan. She's never been able to accept her own destiny. On her many visits to the mortal world, she's discovered something unique within mortals - their capacity for love. Love is a foreign concept to Azra, but she wants to experience it for herself. She's attempted to learn about love more times than she can remember, and it always ended the same, with the death of her lover. You see, Azra can only find the sustinence she needs for her very survival through intercourse with men. Unfortunately, this fulfillment ends badly for mortal men. She tries very hard to control her own need, but it overpowers her desire to have a longstanding relationship with a mortal man. Her own body conspires against her at every turn.
Azra has many powers at her disposal to help her in her quest for mortal energy or life force. One of those powers is the ability to shapeshift. As she comes near a man, and takes in just a breath of his aura, her body changes to match the inner-most desires of that man. She has no control over this shift, and is often is surprised at the forms she takes. Along with this shift, Azra's body also exudes some kind of pheromones that influence her prey on a level they cannot know or understand. Again, she has no understanding of this power. She only senses that it is happening, and sees the effects of this automatic process. Azra basically has two forms. She changes automatically to her demon form while in her demon world. In the demon world, her skin is pink, and fleshy, and sparsely covered with scales and feathers. Her hands take on the form of a beast with sharp claws like that of a lion. Her legs are covered in hair and downy feathers, adjoined to feet more like that of an eagle with talons. Unlike common belief, at no time does she sport horns, wings, or a tail. Her body changes when entering the mortal world to that of a tall woman with a tall athletic body and dark hair with auburn highlights. One feature always present is the distinct color of her eyes--a nearly luminescent green fading into a thin ring of gold around her irises. Oh yeah, did I mention that her tongue also splits into three when she is performing oral sex? Just another tool in her arsonal to get what she needs - the life force of a man - as quickly as she can.
Azra exists in a fluctuating state of need and self-loathing. She despises her need, but cannot control it. She attempts to minimally fulfill her need with men, and it sometimes works--for awhile. But there is a point when her pleasure becomes overwhelming and she agressively takes over, mounting her lover, and writhing toward her own orgasm. In that moment, her body conspires against her desires, and draws every last shred of life force from the one she is with. Afterward, she is left to recover as her mind is awash in a mix of euphoria and remorse. That is ... until she meets Raif Lungren.
Raif Lungren
The name "Raif" roughly means noble man, or great warrior. I used this name not only because of Raif's past, but because of his future.
Raif is a great police detective, having risen through the ranks in the tough Atlanta Metro district. Being a great detective is all he'd ever wanted to be until about three years ago when an attack by a strange upright-standing wolf-like beast nearly ended his life. His life did, in fact end. At least the life he had before. After the attack, he changed, and he's been hiding this alter ego ever since. He's not happy about what he's become but, because of his postion, he is able to occasionally satisfy his beastly desires and take out those that truly deserve it. Those deserving his wrath happen to be crooks, theives and other lowlife. He's a quiet, gruff man, and his displeasure shows easily, although on the inside, he's lonely and wanting most of the time. He's not had a girlfriend, or even a date since the incident that changed his life. He now lives a dichotomous life as an upstanding detective and a discriminate hunter and killer.
When he first meets Azra, his plans for her are mean and viscious. But a midnight rondezvous, he believes is a dream, changes his thoughts and feelings about her. From that moment on he wants only to get to know her, ask her about who she is and pursue a more meaningful relationship with her.
Tarmin
Tarmin is a demon of higher class and sitting leader of the demon clan that makes up the only family Azra has ever known. He is physically huge, standing at nearly eight foot if you include the crest of his curled horns. He looks like your stereotypical demon lord. His skin is red and chalky with scales dispersed here and there throughout his body. He has all the normal attributes of a man, just with demon attributes thrown in.
Tarmin wants Azra. He's wanted her for centuries. Not so much for her womanly virtues but for her special demon qualities. He continues to let Azra believe he just wants her for demon companionship but his desire is really much deeper, and more sinister then he leads others to believe. Tarmin wants the special powers that Azra alone possesses, and the only way he can get them, is through a union with her. But, just a mere union is not enough. He also needs Tatianna's special help. The only problem is, the only way he can aquire her powers is by melding them with his own. That means Azra will gain his special powers just as he gains hers. This is something he can never let Azra become aware of.
Tarmin is one of the most ancient of demons with a knowledge going back beyond the beginning of recorded history. He did not start out with the powers he has now. He's slowly aquired them from others. In fact, he started out as a faun, or satyr, nonetheless, a minor deity. Of course, Tatianna has proven a great asset in helping him gain the powers of others.
If Tarmin has his way, he will rise to the highest levels within the demon world, and correct the mistakes made by his predecessors such as the lycanthropic strain and vampirism-those failed attempts by demons to rid the mortal world of humans.
Tatianna
Tatianna plays a small, but pivotal role in story "Lovestruck Succubus." Nonetheless, one will find her making an appearance in "Lexi's Run" and her role expanding in "Demon among Wolves." Tatianna is an imp-a normally lower class of demons that can be either good or evil. Throughout history, it is believed that imps accompanied witches, warlocks, mages, and saints, and assisted them in gathering materials needed for spells. Imps often took the form of cats, dogs, monkeys, or other small animals. I chose to give Tatianna the ability to shapeshift into human form as well, but she appears almost as a person with dwarfism but with proportional length of arms and legs. Tatianna simply appears as a very petite, woman. It actually appears a little creepy since she is the size of a child but has all the features of a full-grown woman. Another ability I decided to give Tatianna that differentiates her from other demons of the Imp class, is a photographic memory. She remembers every incantation or spell she has ever seen - and even what others have seen. Creepier still, her entire sustenance comes from drinking tiny amounts of blood from others. This is in keeping with traditional beliefs about imps, but I added an ability to gather the memories and intelligence of those she feeds from. She seems like a meek servant in this story, but one will find, after Azra frees her from her perceived enslavement to Tarmin, she will become very powerful within her own circles. Look for the role of Tatianna to take on greater importance in the future. I only hope this power does not go to her head.
One might find Tatianna making small appearances throughout the series. Many readers may be surprised, in the end, at just how influencial she really was on all the events leading to the end.
Kyle Frost
Kyle forms half of the clan's hunter/tracker team. He is an excellent tracker, and has learned many of his skills through military service and a short stint as a correctional officer in the Alabama State correctional facility. He is a black man with very dark skin and a bald head. Many people refer to him as the black "Mr. Clean," although few would have the guts to say it to his face. Kyle (prefers to be called "Frost" by everyone) is naturally muscular and tall. He is not a natural werewolf. In fact, he was turned by Alexis, his wife, a few years ago. Frost is what other shifter-wolves call a "feral" but his wife is a natural. He met her while moonlighting as a bounty hunter in Alabama. She turned him on accident during a gunfight and high speed car chase. It was a huge scandal at the time as Lexi was supposed to be mated to Leo. Even with this background, he was easily accepted into the clan because of his new wife. Although he and Alexis have only been married for a few years, they communicate and argue like an old married couple.
Alexis Califan
Alexis "Lexi" is the other half of the clan's hunter/tracker team. Alexis is married to Kyle Frost, and they are soulmates, although they are different in nearly every conceivable way. While Frost is a very dark-skinned black man, muscular and chiseled, serious and intense; Alexis is somewhat short, big-boned, and soft. She has short dark hair with rich red highlights (the highlights may come from a bottle, she'll never tell.) She comes from Eastern European ancestry, and was born a wolf-shifter. Her family moved to the United States when she was too young to remember and have resided in the small town of Ellijay, Georgia ever since. Alexis met Frost when she was on the run and, more or less, excommunicated from the pack for refusing her arranged mating to Leo. She helped Frost complete his most difficult and lucrative bounty hunting case, falling in love with him at the same time. When she returned to her community with Frost by her side, she was surprise to find a new "tamed down" Leo as pack alpha and a strange acceptance back into the pack. Her life was made complete when Frost, now a wolf-shifter himself, asked her to be his wife and life-long mate. They were soon mated and remain happy soulmates.
Leonidas Cherone
Not much is known about Leonidas. Leonidas makes his appearance (by phone, nonetheless) at about the halfway point of the first book. This much is known about him: He is the Alpha and leader of a nearby werewolf clan living near Ellijay, Georgia. He has a reputation of making rash decisions but his strength secures his position. He is stern, outspoken, and unforgiving. Leonidas is also the very werewolf that turned Raif just a short time before the beginning of this story.
Among other things, Leonidas is a very noble werewolf. Something that requires further explanation is that, in this world of werewolves, there are two distinct classes. There are those werewolves born into the life. They are referred to as "naturals." And then, there are those born as humans and turned later in life. This class of werewolf is considered (by other werewolves) as "ferals." Ferals do not normally rise to positions of power with the hierarchy, but often marry naturals. Strange as it may seem, even if two ferals mate and produce offspring, that offspring is considered natural.
