Chapter 3, Part 1 - Excerpt from The Reluctant Incubus

I'm going to be posting the next page of Fallen tonight, but I wanted to continue to share these excerpts from my upcoming gay urban fantasy novel with y'all.

We're now starting Chapter 3! I can keep posting these until the book officially releases on Amazon on November 10, 2025. (In case you missed them, you can find all the previous excerpts in order here. ) In this excerpt, Alvin is about to leave Stryker's office when he hears a strange knock on the door...

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes.

If you want to see what happens next in Chapter 3, please let me know in the comments!

Chapter 3, Part 1

My dark train of thought continues rumbling along as I lock the demon head into the magically refrigerated safe in Stryker’s office and then grab a roll of paper towels to clean up the gobs of blood that I dripped everywhere. Becoming an actual good person feels further away than ever, and every time I think of that pleased look on Stryker’s face, it’s like a knife in my gut. So, after I finish inputting the last receipt, I decide to take my boss up on her offer of cutting out early, even though it’s only 11 a.m. Being in her office just reminds me of how far away I am from who I want to be.

Right as I snatch up the soiled jacket on my way out, I’m startled by a soft rap against the frosted glass of the door. I hesitate for a moment, not sure what to do, until I remember that greeting potential clients is one of the few actually important things in my very short job description. (At least in theory, since it’s never happened before.)

I stash the motorcycle leather into a discreet corner, plaster on what I hope is a professional smile, and pull open the door to find a middle-aged woman with tired eyes and disheveled hair. Even if I didn’t recognize her from the building, her polyester blouse, slacks, and faded navy cardigan would tag her as a clerical worker from one of the low-rent businesses on our floor. She’s my height, but I find her looking up and over me, clearly having arrived with higher expectations than I can fulfill.

Her gaze lands on the torn button of my polo. She purses her lips but doesn’t say anything.

“Hi, um, can I help you?” I ask, shifting awkwardly, already not off to a great start.

The woman takes in the stenciling on the glass. SARAH STRYKER, PARANORMAL INVESTIGATOR.

“Your site says you’re wizards. Is that true?”

It’s true that I used one of those cheap builder apps to make Ms. Stryker her first website. It’s also true that she wanted me to put “Wizard-for-Hire, $300/day plus expenses” on its single page along with our phone number, like some kind of classified ad from the 1980s. I’m pretty sure it’s where all the crank calls have been coming from.

“Well… My boss is.”

The lady glances down the hallway, like someone might see her. “You’re right across from the bathroom. I’ve seen this door a thousand times. I wasn’t sure if it was a joke or not.”

I exhale, frustrated. It figures that my first chance to do something real for Stryker turns out to be some rando indulging her curiosity. “It’s no joke. But we aren’t taking any cases at the moment, and I’m actually about to go. So, if you want to learn more, maybe stop by some other time—”

Her fist darts up to the edge of the door, preventing me from closing it. The hand grips a wad of tissue, and her eyes are rimmed red.

“I’m sorry.” She bites her lip. “It’s my daughter. She’s missing. And I… I really don’t know where else to go.” The last word comes out in a strangle.

“Oh,” I say, softening my tone, and feeling like a total jerk. “Well, um, I’m sorry to hear that. Honestly. But we aren’t taking new any cases right now, so the police—”

“They can’t help me. Not with this. Please.”

She leans in and her eyes cling to mine like she’s drowning.

This woman is not going to find what she needs here. My boss doesn’t take cases involving kids—too much heartbreak. And, of course, I don’t have the power or the ability to find anyone. But, at this moment, I also don’t have the ability to say no to this desperate mother falling to pieces in front of me. Not without offering her something.

I pull the door wider and gesture inside. “All right. Ms. Stryker is away, and I don’t know for how long, but I can take a message and give it to her when she gets back. I’m afraid that’s the best I can do.”

“I understand. Thank you.” She sniffles as she passes me. The protective runes around the doorway grumble slightly in their slumber, but do nothing. The woman has no hostile intent, and I only notice because my sensitivity to magic is so high.

She warily takes in the beige chenille couch Stryker uses for post-battle naps and then the plastic chair in front of my cheapo desk. She chooses the chair, perches her Kleenex on the lip of the table, and removes a mobile from her frayed, quilted shoulder purse.

While she’s distracted, I quickly glance into the trash bin to make sure the demon blood on the paper towels isn’t glowing or anything. (It’s not.) Then I remove a yellow legal pad from the lowest drawer and pluck a pen from its stained coffee-cup holder, before squeezing into my own chair opposite her. This might be pointless, but I might as well do it right.

“I’m Alvin, Ms. Stryker’s assistant. Why don’t you tell me what happened?”

[END OF EXCERPT]

So what do you think?

What do you think of Alvin letting this woman into the office when he knows he can't really help?

Is he making the right call here? Or giving this woman false hope?

And why do you think she needs a wizard?

I'd love to hear your thoughts below!

Read the whole book for free!

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 on Amazon for launch day, I still have advance review copies available through two options:

For immediate reading: Get advance copies on NetGalley here (limited spots available—but applications are still open for one more week with this link): https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/716233

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

Just want to get the final version of the duology without any pressure to review? Preorder here: https://amzn.to/4mn2J42

Would you like more?

Let me know in the comments and, if folks continue to be interested, I'll post up the next excerpt from Chapter 3!