Meet the Characters: Severus (The Hunt)

MTC_ SeverusMeet Severus, an incubus escort and the hero of my upcoming paranormal romance series, The Hunt. In the grand demon hierarchy, incubi rate down toward the bottom, the way bottom, as their strength is dependent on human contact. A native Hell-born demon, Severus spent centuries enduring the cruelty of his own kind before finally making the move to the human city of Farrow’s Hollow a permanent one.

Rather than repeating the mistakes of historical incubi, Severus decided to work as an escort to get his fix. He sees clients three to five nights a week, and has for decades, taking just what he needs to survive. In his entire existence topside, he has yet to kill a client—which, for a demon, is saying something.

He lives with a demon-human hybrid named Alaric Crowley, the son of Verrier, a former prince of Hell who is spending his retirement years on Earth. Verrier dotes on his son, and Severus reaps the benefits too. While he enjoys the fancy house and high-tech gadgets and dozens of flashy cars all at his disposal courtesy of his roommate, Severus likes the security the most. No one can touch him if he’s a friend of Alaric’s, given the entire demon community fears the wrath of Verrier.

Severus genuinely likes Alaric, however, and while neither would ever admit it, the pair aren’t just roommates, but best friends. In fact, Alaric is his only friend, as the scorn from fellow demon didn’t lessen much after the move to Earth. He’s still an incubus, still a leech, and he’s reminded of it daily.

The hatred could have turned his hard and cruel, but, embarrassingly enough, Severus is a caregiver at heart. His clients have been on the receiving end of his generosity for years, whether he can acknowledge it or not. Charming, polite, and able to swallow his pride, Severus has been a model demon citizen on Earth. Adaptable and observant, he steers clear of the demon mob families and flies under the radar for the most part.

Still, like most demons, he delights in public displays of cruelty, and his somewhat benevolent attitude towards humans stems from the fact that he needs them to survive. He isn’t above using morally questionable tactics to get what he wants.

He is a fan of vintage whiskey and violent video games. He keeps his inner beast dormant most of the time, and is one of the few demons to seamlessly integrate into human society. As a lust demon who also escorts, sex is on his mind… a lot.

One drunken night, he took a Hogwarts Sorting Hat quiz; unsurprisingly, he’d make the perfect Slytherin.

Meet the Characters: Moira (The Hunt)

MTC - Moira AureliaMeet Moira Aurelia, the heroine of my upcoming paranormal romance series, The Hunt. Moira is a twenty-three year old art history grad student in the city of Farrow’s Hollow. An only child, she considers her best friend Ella family, and their bond only strengthened when her mom passed away shortly before her twenty-second birthday, struck with an illness doctors couldn’t explain.

Before her mom’s death, she was an exuberant, social, active university student with a goal to become an art therapist. Working through her Master’s degree in art history now, she had plans to pursue her degree in social work after. However, an array of physical changes that kick-started after she turned twenty-two has thrown a wrench into her plans. When she looks in the mirrors these days, she no longer sees herself. Inexplicably, her body has slowly morphed into another person over the course of a year and a half—what was green is now blue, what was brown is now white, and what was once curvy and soft is now lean and bony. The world seems to be fading around her, yet her strength is somehow growing. And, same as her mom’s illness, no one can tell her why.

The physical changes have had an emotional impact on Moira. Fearing she’s dying, and unable to accept any of the crazy alternatives to come to mind, she has retreated from her social life. No more ultimate Frisbee, bar trivia nights, and hangover brunches on Sunday mornings with her roommates. She’s become quiet, introspective, and, honestly, lonely.

What hasn’t disappeared is her can-do attitude and independence. A Farrow’s Hollow native, Moira is still assertive when she needs to be, and while her dating life may have gone out the window, she isn’t afraid to make connections and stand up for the people she cares about. A loyal friend, a hardworking student, and a curious soul, she faces the challenges ahead with focus, determination, and maybe a few tears along the way.

On every online Sorting Hat quiz, Moira’s Hogwarts house is Gryffindor.