First excerpt from The Reluctant Incubus!

In my last post, I shared the tropes of my upcoming MM urban fantasy debut duet along with our first review. (And now there's even a review of Book 2 on Goodreads!)

But I want to know what YOU think, and so, until launch day, I'm going to be sharing different excerpts of the book here on Patreon. Today I'm starting with something special—the very first scene of Chapter One which introduces you to our hero Alvin and gives you a little taste of the magical craziness he's up against in The Reluctant Incubus!

No setup is needed because this is exactly how Book 1 opens. I'm sharing 25% of the chapter in this post. Estimated reading time: 3-4 minutes.

If you want to see what happens next when our reluctant incubus faces off with the intimidating elven knight, let me know in the comments!

Excerpt from Chapter One of The Reluctant Incubus

I am being hunted in broad daylight by an elven knight.

Of all the fae, elves are supposedly the fiercest warriors. They have the finest weapons, centuries of training, and a relentless drive to win. Mom always said if you want someone powerful dead, find an elf.

But in my case, he probably just wants to mug me.

I clocked him shortly after I left my local hipster café, carrying my boss’s Nitro Cold Brew with Bulletproof Upgrade in a cardboard tray. (I got myself an iced soy milk with a shot of vanilla, which should give you a hint of exactly how not badass I am.) It’s 8:30 a.m. in the Tenderloin—way too early for the drug dealers and hustlers to clutter the sidewalks, but all the regular working folks are out and getting ready for their day. I probably would have missed a normal tail in all that human noise, but an elf has so much magic, it’s like being snuck up on by a tornado of lightning. It doesn’t hurt that he has his sword out. And that it’s made of sharp, glittering ice that flurries a trail of snow. That kinda draws the eye.

I wonder for a second what the normals are seeing. The dude’s in actual shining armor. This is San Francisco, but he’s gone full snowy Renaissance Faire and not even the suits are giving him a second glance. His glamour must be on point.

But he’s not doing anything to hide from me, which is a flex—that kind of selective filtering takes some real power. He wants me to know he’s coming. He wants me to be scared.

I’d ask Why me? but the answer’s easy: Somehow he’s picked up on my incubus nature, and elves are notorious bullies. (At least according to my mom. I’ve never actually met one before, but the pointy ears and flawless skin are a dead giveaway.)

My apartment is between the coffee shop and my boss’s office. It’s only a couple blocks away, and he’s still several yards behind. If I booked it, I could probably make it to my lobby. Maybe I’d even get the door closed before he was through. But a bunch of families live in my building, and their kids hang out on the stairs. He’ll almost certainly be faster, and something tells me that Elf-With-Blade-Unsheathed wouldn’t want witnesses. And what’s a few dead humans to someone who can literally make himself invisible?

I know what my boss, Ms. Stryker, would do. She’d stop, turn, and confront him, right here, right now. Demand to know his purpose and give him hell if she didn’t like his answer. That’s what you’re supposed to do with bullies. Call their bluff. Make them put up or shut up.

I throw the cardboard tray down onto the curb and run like my ass is on fire.

I sprint past my apartment building toward Market Street. All the stores on this block are still closed and gated. Some restaurants are open, but there’s nothing to stop him from hurting people in there, either. My one chance is to get to the police station on Eddy Street. Almost no humans can use magic, and tax dollars don’t actually show up to work in my neighborhood, but San Francisco is a big city. They might have someone trained to handle supernatural threats. And anyway, it’s the freaking police! I don’t care how arrogant Lord-of-the-Rings-dude is, he’s still a paranormal—even he wouldn’t want that much attention, right?

A fed incubus can supposedly run over a mile a minute. A hungry one about half that. I’ve never fed, not even once, so my speed is the same as a normal human. A normal, kinda chubby, can’t-afford-a-gym-membership human.

I dodge around the actual normals, who don’t bother to get out of my way, and make it to Eddy. Without looking over my shoulder once (which takes serious willpower!), I even get around the corner. I focus fully on getting my short, little legs to pretend they’re Olympic material and kick into overdrive.

And it doesn’t matter in the least, because somehow the elf is already there. His hand slams into my throat, and he swings me up like I'm nothing. Rams my whole body against a brick wall. The friction yanks the fabric of my Old Navy polo shirt tight around my neck and causes one of the front buttons to rip halfway out. I’m five-foot-six in shoes. He’s well over six feet, and all of it looks like lean muscle. Wonder what gym he goes to?

At least he put his sword away.

“Alvin Alonso,” he says, his voice smooth as silk. “I need you to do something for me.”

END OF EXCERPT

So what do you think?

What's your first impression of Alvin as a character? Any theories on what the elf wants from Alvin? Does this opening make you want to know what happens next?

I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Both books from Alvin Alonso's Secret Files will be released simultaneously on November 10 on Amazon which will give readers the complete duet to binge right away.

And if you're interested in reading the full story and leaving a review, I still have advance review copies available through two options:

For immediate reading: Get advance copies on NetGalley here (limited spots available—only one week left!): https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/699191

For polished final versions: If you'd prefer to review the publication-ready editions available in October, you can join my official ARC Team here: https://alexwoolfson.com/arc-sign-up

Anyway, that's the first excerpt. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on Alvin's introduction to a much larger, scarier, and (ultimately sexier) magical world!