Cover and Prologue Reveal: Raphael by Toby Wise (An Incubus Mate book 1)

Raphael is the start of a new series, The Incubus Mate, from Toby Wise and will release on June 1st!  We have a sneak peak of the prologue and the cover for you today!

From the blurb:

Raphael has resigned himself to being the matchmaker but never the match. Dating and intimacy are scary, but there’s something about Damien that draws him in. Maybe it’s the lightheartedness that Damien always projects. Maybe it’s his cute horns and dexterous tail. Either way, before Raphael knows it, he’s longing to have Damien as more than just his friend.

Damien’s a demon of lust who has lived his life thinking short term; serious partners were unnecessary. That is, until he meets an adorable blushing cupid named Raphael. Now friends with benefits, one night stands, and his ‘anyone will do’ attitude doesn’t sound as fulfilling.

Between dealing with corrupt matchmaking supervisors, miscommunications, tripping balls on adult candies, and adorable painting dates, the two realize that despite being opposites on paper, just maybe they make the perfect match in practice.

Raphael is book one in An Incubus’ Mate series. This book features an incubus and virgin cupid, found family, adult candies, laugh out loud moments, tail smut, wing grooming, and of course, a happily ever after!

Prologue:

Damien

I look around the empty space before us, picturing all the things we plan on adding to it. It’s a clean slate and my mind races with possibility. 

“Fucking shit balls,” my brother, Gadreel, hisses out, rubbing his hands over his arms. “It’s fucking cold here!”

My other brother, Andras, rolls his eyes. “Wear another sweater. You’ll get used to it.”

“When our father told us there would be some adjustment I thought it was more of getting used to being around people who aren’t demons. Not this!”

“You’re being a baby,” I tell Gadreel, taking off my flannel and throwing it over his shoulders. 

“Says the baby of the trio,” he says back, sticking out his tongue at me. Real mature. 

“Are you ready to stop bitching and actually get to work? There’s so much to do.”

“You can’t just settle in for one second, can you?” Andras asks, shaking his head at me. “We literally just got the keys from the cute security guard.” 

Gadreel’s cheeks turn an adorable pink color. “You thought he was cute, Gadreel?”

We’re not only brothers but we’re a set of triplets, coming from the same clutch. These two have been by my side since the day I was hatched and I can’t imagine living life without them. When I started talking to them about exploring different realms, Gadreel had reservations, but ultimately, whatever we decided, we knew we’d be doing it together. That’s how we found ourselves visiting Earth, a hub for all sorts of supernatural entities to coexist. 

Andras has always had a sweet tooth, so when our father gave us our trust fund money, we decided to make a business for ourselves, selling sweets. That’s how The Devil’s Sweet Tooth was born. I still chuckle to myself thinking about how on the nose that name is. Hopefully people will find it just as amusing as the three of us do. 

“He was incredibly cute,” I say with a shrug. “Why? You’re not interested, are you? How long has it been since you’ve been with someone, Ree Ree?”

“First of all, don’t call me that,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest, another shiver going through him. “Second of all. Uhh. Well. Hmm.”

“You need to get out more,” Andras says as he picks up a broom that’s leaning against the wall. His tail flicks behind him as he begins sweeping the floor. Tomorrow we’ll start calling contractors. There will be shelves and displays and a machine that will dispense different candies. We’ll need a counter and register along with a glass case we can lock up the more adult candies in. Yeah, I can already see it.

“I do not. I’m completely fine, thank you very much.”

“I don’t know why you’re so against casual hookups. They’re tasty,” I say brightly. “I don’t know how you can stand going so long.”

“They’re not necessary,” Gadreel says with a whine. “Casual hookups just don’t do it for me. Sure, I can feed off the sexual energies just fine but there’s something so much better about feeding off someone you know and care about. It’s so much more intense.”

Being incubuses, the three of us have always been incredibly open with each other about anything that has to do with sex or feeding. It’s hard to keep that shit to ourselves when it’s such a big part of our lives. 

“Fair,” I eventually say with a shrug. My brother might enjoy the more intense feedings of a lover, but I’ve never had issues feeding off anyone and everyone who’s willing. Gods, I don’t even remember the last time I had a steady partner who lasted more than a night. Sure there was the dry spell of 1892 but I made do with my hand and a very vivid imagination. 

“Despite the fact that it’s freezing here, I think I’m gonna like this realm.”

The three of us come from a hell realm. We were born and raised there. Everything was scorching hot. The very air was tinted red compared to this place. It was our home for so long. Part of me misses it already. I miss the safety of being near our father, knowing that no matter what, we were able to fall back on him and he would be our safety net. Now we’re on our own and we have to make do. 

As much as I know our father wouldn’t mind us coming back if we needed it, there’s a proud part of me that wants to do well and prove that we don’t need that safety net anymore. 

“If the security guard is anything to go by, I think I’m going to like it too,” Andras says with a chuckle, just barely ducking out of the way as Gadreel tosses a piece of garbage at his head. “Oh my gods! You totally have a crush!”

“I don’t! I’ve only just met him!”

“Fine, then I call dibs!”

Gadreel narrows his eyes. “You can’t call dibs on a person! He’s got his own wills and wants, asshole.”

I snicker as I listen to them bicker. I know for a fact that the security guard, who introduced himself as Nick, isn’t Andras’ type. He’s only saying that to get our oldest triplet wound up. A warmth sits heavy in my stomach as I watch the two of them play fight, my eyes scanning over our space in the mall. It might be empty now, but soon enough we’ll have this place up and running. It’ll be all ours. 

My tail wraps around my thigh, keeping it out of the way as I pick up some of the random garbage that was left behind. Part of me worries that people won’t come to our shop for the simple fact that we have demonic blood. This city is known to be a giant melting pot of creatures from all over, which is why we picked here to make our new home. If a vampire can be mayor, then certainly a trio of incubi can go under the radar, right?

I let out a deep sigh, looking over at my brothers. “Alright, alright,” I tell them, watching as they finally break apart. “Let’s get to work.”

_____

Pre-order your copy of Raphael today or read it on Kindle Unlimited beginning on June 1st!