Path of the Vampire forum

Posted: **09 Feb 2016, 22:25**

These events transpired in March 2015. They are currently being written.

Summary: These are the events leading up to, and the foundation of the relationship between Alton LeBlanc and Charisma St.Claire prior to, and leading up to his turning.

Edited for clarification in the ooc tag.
Second Edit/Repost per moderator request.

<Tigra> Smoke slowly streamed from the small, fierce woman’s nose as she rested quietly against her car. The thin plumes curled in their nonchalant travel from her narrow nostrils before she sighed, exhaling all at once with a quiet, pleased roll of her eyes to the skies. Her deep, hazel gaze watched the winking lights as she flicked the cigarette once, sending the ash falling to the asphalt. She hadn’t been sure about this, joining back up with the group so soon after dying. It was the only thing to call it, really. Death is what it was.

What she was.

She chuckled at the thought and turned, tipping her head back to meet her wife’s lips as she leaned against her. She hadn’t seen the thin blonde for days. She had missed her. Her arm circled her taut hips as Felicia growled at her again, explaining for what had to be the thousandth time that just standing here on the docks with these lunatics was enough to put Chasity in danger, that one of these idiots would end up killing her. It took immense amounts of control to leave her throat still inside her scrawny neck. It was moments like these that she was eternally grateful that she had met Rain.

She had provided the most amazing feeding ground, crawling with half-drunk, sex-crazed humans that were already half out of their wits. It made her work so much easier, and she was thankful for it. She was still so new to the whole… biting someone for sustenance ordeal. She still wasn’t very good at it, if she was honest, and had nearly had to dispose of a body once already. It didn’t bode well for her future.

She quickly grew tired of the good doctor, and gently tugged at Chasity’s hips, guiding her away mid-lecture and leaving Felicity to fume. The blonde’s sharp, obvious limp still plagued her, as it likely would the rest of her life. Tigra helped her move as much as she could, supporting most of her weight with her arm around her. As they moved, Ouragan sauntered into stride, hooking his stepmother’s arm over his shoulders and nearly lifting her off the ground with a smile.

“Having trouble, Belle?” he asked with a mildly teasing tone. He tried to keep her situation light, even if he knew that it was killing her to know she wouldn’t ever drive again. Not on a level like she had before. She’d even requested they remove her numbers from the board. Everyone had cried that night. Even Luca. He would have put money on it.

The pier was crowded tonight, most of the crew arriving early to welcome Ouragan and Tigra back after the accident. All of them talked easy around them, telling them how glad they were that they were back, while glossing quietly over the details of the incident after just one mention of the horrific scene had the small woman ready to rip into the large, broad mountain of man that Luca had always been. Tonight, he was more an anthill.

Together, mother and son settled the thin blonde against the door of her silver Mercedes so that she might look on the handiwork that her money had purchased. Tigra’s car had been utterly destroyed in the crash. Thanks to Chasity and her immense sense of charity and caring for the woman, the car had been rebuilt and was whole, in better shape than it had ever been. Just looking at the machine made Tigra turn to kiss the woman’s jaw. “Thank you, baby… you are too good to me.” she whispered softly, nuzzling her cheek with her nose and causing Ouragan to gag quietly.

“Please. Get a room.” he muttered, and pushed himself from his stepmother’s car. His tone was indignant, though the smile across his lips and the look in his eyes was caring endearment. He thought Chasity was a wonderful match for his mother. He gave them another grin and ducked aside to check with Butterfly, her slender figure dipped deep into the engine of his GT-R, her long toned legs lifted high in the air as she worked a hose. A dozen cars parked along the pier, half with some portion or another of a body hanging out of them as they were each given a last once-over.

His eyes moved to the small, bright pink of the Honda S-2000, the tiny Asian girl leaning against it staring at him with such an intensity, he felt like her eyes would burn holes into him. He rubbed a hand along the back of his neck and looked away as the young man under her hood lifted his head and saying something to her, earned a quick, sharp glare and went back to work.

His eyes moved to the fair redhead that had pulled in late, last in fact, her voice raised over the low roar of the high-powered machinery that surrounded her as she shouted at the much taller, slender blonde that had been sent from Germany to help maintain her sponsored vehicle. He could see the fire in her eyes and looked away just a second before her hand met the blonde’s cheek. He would never understand why anyone could stand Lucille. He refused to give her the courtesy of her handle.

A cool breeze worked its way through the night air, the misty cold sweeping across the small knot of heat that the engines had made around them, Tigra shrugging from her jacket to drape the fine leather over Chasity’s shoulders. Ouragan remained quiet, watching patiently at the gate of the docks for the newcomers.

<Charisma> Quietly stepping from the garage, Lora pulled her jacket tighter around her thick frame as she studied the chaos. It was hard to believe that the garage had been as quiet as a church mouse just the night before. Now it was filled with the sound of laughter and the delectable roar of engines as the guys tried to show off for whatever groupies they had picked up along the way. Shaking her head, she laughed under her breath as she weaved her way through the crowd towards the low hum of Ouragan voice. She tried to calm the racing of her heart as she neared the trio, and forced her smile into place. It was a perfect mask, one she had grown so accustomed to since Tigra had called it quits.

She hid every emotion she ever felt for the woman with that simple smile, but she swore that her son saw straight through her. “Hey, Tigger. I’m glad to see you’re doing better,” she grinned, leaning up on her tip toes to press a swift kiss to her jaw. Before the other could say anything, she fell back onto the balls of her feet and glanced towards the gates. “Uh, I wasn’t expecting you back, honestly. I have a friend coming over. They should be here any minute, actually.” Her teeth sank into her lower lip as she glanced nervously back to the brunette, offering her that same sweet, innocent smile she used to diffuse her irritation in the past.

As if on cue, the low purr of an engine filled the roads outside the garage and brought the steady bass of a rock song with it. The vibrant blue paint sparkled beneath the cool light of the moon, and as she peeled in past the gates, the tires kicked up dust before the car rolled to a gentle stop. Inside, the blonde casually turned her rearview mirror to face her as she brushed her pinky across her lower lip, using the pad to carefully smooth out the shimmering pink gloss she always wore. A quick glance to the digital numbers on the clock signaled she was late – something that was rather unusual for the Frenchwoman. She hadn’t exactly been looking forward to this event, and her mind briefly traveled back to the pile of books and papers she had left at the apartment. Honestly, I should have told her I was sick, she chided herself as she gave herself one last glance over.

It’s now or never, Melody. You need friends. Really, stop stalling before they think you’re troubled. “Oh, shut up, mother. It is not as if you really care,” the Killer muttered beneath her breath as she narrowed her eyes. Over the bass, she could make out a handful of steady heartbeats, the sound setting her on edge as realization struck her. “Merde. Lor, I am going to kill you,” she hissed as she bowed her head and closed her eyes. She couldn’t back out now, nor could she pull away without being noticed. She had no choice. Shaking her head, she swiftly turned the key in the ignition, killing the music and the engine simultaneously before she threw open the door. Her blue heel pressed into the cool asphalt, and she applied weight to her slender leg to help maneuver herself out of the vehicle without bunching up the tight leather material of her skirt.

Casually, she brought her hand up and slid her sunglasses through her hair, her moss green eyes adjusting to the glare of the moonlight as she slowly took in the crowd. Her golden curls fell in soft waves over her shoulders, and she nervously tugged at her cotton t-shirt as Lora ducked beneath a large man’s arm and hurried to her side. “I’m sorry, Chari. I didn’t realize they were doing this tonight,” she hissed under her breath, and the blonde gave her a tight smile as she slowly shut her door behind her. “You could have called and warned me,” she replied bluntly, her distress evident as the brunette hooked an arm casually around her toned middle and began to walk them towards the garage. “Guys, this is Charisma. She attends HRU with me.” Her voice was cheerful, even as she felt the blonde’s muscles tense against her side. Worry flashed in her honey gaze as she glanced to Tigra, the sound of Charisma’s keys jingling together filling the silence as she twisted them nervously around her finger.

<Tigra> Watching as the shorter, much curvier frame of her friend approached, she saw that same, strange smile she had taken to wearing so often lately. Lora was a beautiful young woman, even if she didn’t believe it. She was a sweet, gentle heart and a better woman than Tigra would ever be, sticking around to be her friend even after the end of what they had endured together. She returned Lora’s grin, and tipped her cheek to accept the girl’s kiss. Her lips were a familiar warmth against her skin, her arm sliding around the soft curve of her hips, pulling her into a taut hug and pressing the soft, pliable body against her toned frame.

“I’m glad to see you, too, Couer.” she whispered, and lifted a hand to push a dark chocolate curl from the plump girl’s tanned face. She felt a pang of guilt, looking down into those soft eyes and she quickly covered with a smile. “I was hoping you would be here tonight.” Her smile quickly evaporated however, with Lora’s next words. A wave of anger surged in her chest like a white hot rage. She felt her nails bite into her palm as she fought for calm, entirely unsure of where the sudden assault of emotion had come from, until she flashed that smile. That damned smile. She felt that frustration, that anger melt away, leaving her insides churning lightly and her head feeling light. She just nodded her head, her hand sliding into Chasity’s back pocket.

As her nails found the toned muscle they sought, the whining purr of the car at the gates heralded this “friend”’s arrival. Fighting that same surge of frustration that seemed to lodge itself into her throat, Tigra pulled herself against the silver car they had sat against, her eyes watching the car weave its way through the docks, catching quick glimpses of it as it passed through. Her son had moved closer to her side, his hand rising to rest on her shoulder, holding her back. He could see the way her teeth were set on edge, her body poised to rush the vampiress as soon as she opened the door.

The second the sharp blue of the heel clicked against the wooden pier, the low din of voices hushed, leaving only the purr of several engines, a mechanical chorus singing in a perfect and uninterrupted harmony. A sharp whistle cut through the silence and the booming laughter of Luca and Alton filled the air about the two massive frames of the muscle cars and their drivers, the tall, thin, but muscle-bound Victoire the object of their amusement as Alton clapped a heavy hand across his back, nearly sending him to the ground. Ouragan’s grip on his mother’s shoulder tightened when she tensed, watching the blonde slowly rise from the car.

She was stunning. Breathtakingly beautiful, but something about a vampire, another vampire near her crew had her ready to rip the blonde’s pretty head from her shoulders. It would have been a shame, too. She was so gorgeous. She clenched her fists until her nails began to cut into her palms as she calmed herself. She hadn’t done anything wrong. Not yet. Her eyes cut to Lora as she started to move and she gave a hiss beneath her breath. She was not pleased with the curvy girl, her eyes glowering into the back of her head and ignoring the sway of her hips as she advanced on the blonde.

She took a slow, steadying breath, and closed her eyes for but a moment. When they opened again, she was calm. She gave a bright, welcoming smile to the blonde. “Pleased to meet you, Charisma.” she said flatly, evenly, maintaining control of the desire to protect her crew. Ouragan pulled her back, and offered his own nod. “I’m Ouragan, and this is Tigra, my mother. You’ll have to excuse her, she’s still a little under the weather.” the small brunette snapped her head up to him and scowled, her look ignored for the time being. “We’ll be classmates at HRU.” he said quietly, stepping to put himself between her and his mother.

In the same breath, Victoire pushed himself from his car and advanced. “I’m Sadique. That there is Cendre…” he pointed to a scowling redhead, her arms crossed over her firm breasts as her brows knit tightly in a hostile glare levelled at nearly everyone in the direction. “Ignore her. She’s always sour. And the big lug over there is Luca.” he said jutting his thumb to the tall, muscular man standing next to a smaller, though more toned man, both resting against their cars. The one addressed gave a nod and a half-hearted salute.

“We are the Q5.” he said with a smile, holding out his hands to the rest of the group gathered on the dock. “And this is our crew.”

<Charisma> The whistle pierced through her skull, and for a brief moment, she felt the urge to vomit. Her fingers curled into her palms, the muscles of her biceps twitching as she took unsteady breaths into her useless lungs. The presence of so many humans caused that familiar panic to fill her chest, and she slowly turned her gaze to the curvaceous brunette at her side. The glare in her eyes was evident, and the girl quickly ducked her head, torn between two of her dearest friends. “What do you plan to study?” The question slipped past her lips in a voice so soft, she was certain it would go missing over the quiet hum of the engines. Her accent was thick and seductive, and she felt Lora tremble at her side. She knew the affect she had on the woman, though she could tell that it went no further than physical attraction.

As she spoke, she glanced towards the small brunette poised at his side. She knew instantly that they shared a kinship, and she tilted her head to the side. Before she had a chance to subtly inform her she meant her kindred no harm, another man stepped into her line of sight. She could tell by his voice that he was the one that whistled, and instantly she felt a strong sense of dislike for him for that action alone. “Bonjour, monsieur. I must say, I prefer you using actual words to your catcalling. It is less torture on my ears, and far less desperate of you.” As the words tumbled from her lips, Lora quickly wrapped her arm around her middle and gave a choked laugh. “I guess I should have mentioned she doesn’t have much of a filter,” the brunette laughed, causing the blonde to crinkle her nose as she tugged at her tank once again. The fabric pulled tight over her breasts, dipping low enough to show off the top of her bra.

“I just do not like to dance around the truth. Games are quite boring, are they not?” The question was directed to her friend, even as her eyes traveled from face to face. She could feel the hostility coming off of the redhead in waves, and she had to agree with the man - she was quite sour. It looked as if she had sucked on a lemon for days. As her gaze moved from her to the woman at her side, she narrowed her eyes at the small imprint on her cheek. A tremble rushed up her spine, and she quickly tore her gaze away when she felt a growl threaten to vibrate from her throat. “How would you know, beautiful? You never play them,” she teased, giving her finger a pinch as she tipped her head to her crew. “I see you casually forgot to mention the rest of the guys around here, Sadique. Trying to keep all this hot *** for yourself?” She teased, her eyes sparkling with amusement as Charisma’s nose scrunched up adorably once more. As she spoke, though, she cast her ex-girlfriend another innocent smile, pleading with her with her eyes to forgive her and accept the blonde she held pinned to her side.

<Tigra> A quiet sigh left Tigra’s chest, rising and falling with the heavy breath as she shook her head. She shot Lora one last glare before putting a hand up. “Fine.” she mouthed to the curvy girl, and let her eyes move once more to the blonde. “Try to cut the guy some slack. He’s got it pretty rough.” she said with a coy smirk, painted thumb jutting in Sadique’s direction. “Though you seem to have snapped him out of his twenty-one year slump.” she chuckled amusedly at the inside joke, the others in on the take burst into laughter, the slight man in the center deflating, his jaw set and brows drawn together as he shot her a glare.

She snickered, and gave a light wiggle of her fingers before turning back to the woman again. “I’m going to have to punish Couer for being so rude. We would normally be much more welcoming to a newcomer. Isn’t that right, Newbie?” a beautiful, tall blonde snapped her attention to the tiny brunette at the address and quickly nodded her head. “Oui, mademoiselle.” she said quickly in immaculate, articulated French as she lifted her hand to nervously twist a curl around her forefinger. Her eyes rested on the woman now, afraid to look away.

“Kissass.” Tigra muttered, before she shifted to sit on the hood of the Mercedes. She watched, intently, as Alton pat his wife’s rear before he stepped forward and offered an enormous hand to the small, curvy blonde. “Le Mur.” he said quietly, inclining his head. “I will have to ask Couer in private why it is she’s hidden such a beauty from the rest of us, though I imagine it would be because she was quite content with keeping you to herself.”

Over his shoulder, his wife watched, a look between a glare and an amused smile on her features. Cendre still glowered, the more attention the new Barbiedoll acquired, the more disdain she could feel in her chest. She turned to the tall blonde at her side, the urge to slap her again for her frustration rising. It was quiet now, though. People reacted poorly to how she treated the useless slut. She rolled her eyes, and turned back to the blonde, resting her body back against her Porsche, her back arching over its curve to lift her shirt over her taut abdomen. She was sizing up the woman, her glowering gaze scrutinizing every minute detail of the girl.

Quietly, the rest of the group watched as she interacted with those introducing themselves, either gauging her personality or going back to work before they pulled anything tonight. None of them wanted to waste any of the time they had been given to prepare.

<Charisma> The faces began to blur together as they stepped into her line of sight, a soft pulse of pain working its way behind her eye. Next to her, Lora dug her nails into her side and leaned up, whispering something quietly into her ear. Her muscles slowly uncoiled as the group laughed, her pale gaze turning back towards the male in the middle. “I apologize. I did not realize he was sexually challenged,” she said, sincerity in her voice as Lora doubled over with laughter, nearly taking the blonde down with her. As the brunette’s form trembled with her amusement, Charisma patted at her back with a gentle hand. Slowly, her gaze traveled around the room, taking in each of the faces and trying to remember the names that she had been given. The panic inside of her swirled out of control, and as she continue to pat at her friend’s back, her hands started to shake as she kept a serene smile in place.

When the larger of the men stepped into her view, she took a subtle step back and tipped her head to gaze up at him. He was well filled out, muscles rippling beneath his shirt. For a brief moment, she felt a flutter of… something. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but as quick as it had come, it had disappeared. Shaking her head as if to clear it, she slowly lifted her hand and hooked her fingers beneath his shirt. “You are referred to as the Wall? It is a strange name, though with these muscles, I can understand,” she chuckled as she lifted his shirt high enough to tap at his abs with a French tipped nail. She dropped his shirt instantly and gave him another smile, her eyes holding honesty and warmth despite the anxiety dancing throughout her entire form. “She has never shown any interest towards me. Unless, of course, I speak in French. She has simply sought to protect me.” She knew how strange her words must sound, but she didn’t dwell on them as she let her gaze roam past him to the redhead.

“Excuse me,” she said sweetly as she stepped past him, hips swaying wickedly as her heels clicked across the asphalt. “Cendre, is it? I do not understand why you must glare. You will get more wrinkles than you already have. Is there a problem?” No sooner had the words left her lips than the redhead’s eyes flashed. As if she had been waiting to lash out, her hand went flying through the air. Behind her, Lora gasped a strangled ‘no’, and Charisma’s hands lifted, fingers curling around the fist before it could make contact. It smacked into her palm, the force jarring the redhead’s arm. Pain crossed her features as she simply twisted her hand, the sound of her wrist snapping echoing through the garage. Slowly, she lowered the redhead to her knees, her own body bent at the waist, leather of her skirt hugging her ***. “That was not polite. You should work on your manners,” she growled, releasing her hand.

As she moved to step back, the redhead lunged, desperation and pride warring with her common sense. Her nails raked out, tearing into the flesh at her thigh. “Oh ****,” Lora whispered, her fingers pressing to her trembling lips as she watched the scene. “Charisma.” The soft warning tone was all she needed to control the rage boiling inside of her. As the woman moved to attack her again, she curled her fingers into her red curls and brought her knee up, shattering her nose and sending her crumpling into a heap on the ground. Taking a moment to collect herself, she calmly brushed off the front of her shirt and pivoted on her heel, making her way quickly back to Lora’s side. “I apologize, Tigre. I had hoped to handle that more delicately, but I do not handle abusers well. I can leave, if you wish.”

<Alton> Laughing quietly, Alton shook his head as he flexed when she prodded at his abdomen. He gave her a wry grin that set his wife’s teeth on edge. She was the jealous type, he knew, and he knew that he had never given her reason to be so hostile. He lifted a shoulder and rolled his neck. “Well, that, and the way that I drive the track. You’ll just have to see that little bit for yourself in action.” he gave her a wink as she dropped his shirt. “As for this one here…” he reached over, gently patting the chubby little brunette’s straight, chocolate strands with a large, strong hand. “She has always been good at hiding her affection. It took Tigra some time to figure out her little crush.” he couldn’t help but grin when the small brunette behind him shot him a glare.

Quietly, he stepped aside as she excused herself, and took her spot next to Lora. He watched as the curvy blonde advanced on Cendre, the redhead physically recoiling from her as she approached, like she was something unsavory that she didn’t want to touch. When she came close enough to speak, the redhead didn’t respond with words, but threw a fist as hard and fast as she could, straight for the blonde’s gorgeous face. The way she caught the fist elicited a laugh from the tall man, his hand clapping over Lora’s shoulder and pulling her soft body into his side. “You picked a real winner.” he muttered into her ear.

His wife frowned as she watched, wincing when the girl’s wrist snapped, sending her to her knees with a cry of pain. It didn’t stop her. Nothing stopped Cendre. Blood splashed against the ground when her nails found flesh, ready to tear her leg apart as best she could from her position on her knees. She was at a disadvantage, her hair easily grasped, twisted and nearly yanked from her scalp with a yelp. The sharp crunch of her nose shattering against Charisma’s knee only added to the worry of those hoping the best for her when her head snapped back, sending her falling flat on her back, legs bent beneath her.

Her hair splayed in a fiery fan against the dark wood, the redhead lay unconscious, twisted into the uncomfortable position with her thighs taut from the bent legs. She breathed easy, evenly, as her head rolled to the side and she simply groaned in subconscious pain. The tall, slender blonde with her rushed forward, and knelt down beside her, lifting her head delicately to brush the scarlet locks from her sealed, sage eyes.

When she returned, her words only brought laughter from Tigra. She laughed hard, her hands wrapping around her thin abdomen as she nearly doubled over at her apology. She looked up at her, tears in her eyes she laughed so hard. “Leave? We should throw you a ******* party.” she said through the fits, shaking her head as she gave the girl a smile. “Anyone with enough sense to put that filthy whore on her back is good in my book.” she said with a smile. She moved forward, and slipped an arm around the woman’s neck, kissing her cheek. “Welcome to Q5, honey. You keep putting the little tart in her place like that, and you’re going to become my favorite, really fast.”

<Charisma> Taking advantage of the blonde’s distraction with her ex-girlfriend, Lora slowly turned to cast that angelic smile up at Alton. “Are you sure it’s me that has the crush, Le Mur?” The question was followed up with a fluttering of her lashes, and she patted her small hand against his chest as she turned to watch her friend. The expression on her face was priceless. Her pale eyes were wide, confusion dancing in the depth and her glossed lips only slightly parted. She was beautiful, there was no denying it. Every single one of her crew members knew it. The way she held her body with such poise, yet managed to also give off the air of pure seduction was enough to drive even the straight women a little while. It was one of the reasons she had been so drawn to her - that, and her smart mouth. “There is no need for a party,” the blonde replied, her teeth worrying on her lower lip. Slowly, she turned to glance back at the brunette and gave a subtle tap of her fingers against her wounded leg.

“Oh, ****, honey. She got you good, didn’t she? Here, let’s go get you patched right on up,” she replied hurriedly, her small form ducking from beneath Alton’s arm. Her fingers curled around the blonde’s wrist, and with a quick tug, she had her out of the middle of the group. By the time they reached her car, Charisma’s leg was nearly healed. “I’m sorry, babe. I really am, but you seem to be fitting in just fine,” she sighed, watching as the blonde opened the door and bent at the waist to rummage around in the console. She couldn’t help it - and she had a feeling a few behind her couldn’t, either. Her gaze was drawn to her *** as it swayed back and forth, the soft and steady string of fluent french rising from inside. When she saw her begin to pull back, she quickly snapped her gaze to her face, a lazy grin tugging at her lips.

“Do not apologize. It is fine. I just… I have very little control over my actions. I do not wish to hurt anyone else.” Dropping to her knees in front of the blonde, she slipped her skirt a tad higher on her thigh as she shook her head, her chocolate eyes narrowing. “You won’t, and if you do, Ouragan and Tigre will have your back. You’ve won them over. Look, you’re going to need to do something about this leg. People are going to want to see it…” She trailed off as she frowned, her fingertips brushing over the quickly healing cuts. Charisma carefully pressed her hand to the other’s body and pushed her back. Without a warning, her nails morphed to claws and she dug them into her soft skin, her breath hissing in between her teeth as her blood trickled from the freshly cut wounds. “They are much deeper. They will take longer to heal.”

Shaking her head, the brunette didn’t say a single thing as she began to wrap the bandage around her thigh, the crimson staining the white cloth. “I have a feeling a few certain people are going to be highly pissed she dared to mar your skin,” she chuckled, a mischievous glint flashing in her eyes as she jumped back to her feet. Before Charisma could even begin to question what she meant, she had her fingers laced with hers and was tugging her back to the garage, her curved form nearly bouncing with excitement. How could the blonde stay in a panicked slump when her best friend was so full of life? Sinking her teeth into her lower lip once again, she did her best to push aside the uneasy feeling as she ran her fingers through her hair.

She could do this. She had to.

<Tigra> “Well, I for one, couldn’t disagree more.” Tigra said with a quiet chuckle, a low purr of amusement as she moved to where the redhead lay sprawled across the ground. She shooed the tall blonde away for a moment as she bent low, taking a fistful of the unconscious girl’s shirt and lifting her off the ground, her body dangling limply from the captured fabric stretched taut across her chest. She pulled her close, and whispered into the sleeping woman’s ear.

“I will do so much worse to you, if you take another swing at her without a damn good ******* reason, Putain.” with that, she tossed the unconscious woman to the ground, and spat into her sleeping face. Her absolute disdain for the downed woman clear in the tight frown on her features as the blonde retook her place at the woman’s side, pulling her injured head into her lap. “You could do so much better, Asche. I just don’t understand you.” the tall, foreign woman just frowned up at her and shook her head, before she pushed red curls from the woman’s face, wiping the spit from her cheek.

Tigra sighed, shaking her head as she turned on a heel and moved to hop up onto the hood of Lora’s car. She treated the machine like it was her own. In a sense, it was. She had bought it for the curvy girl, and still thought of her as her own. “She going to be okay? The *****’s venom isn’t going to rot her leg off or anything, is it?”

Ouragan and Alton both could be heard chuckling at the jab to Lucille. The taller, broader man waited until the blonde was patched up before approaching. He hadn’t want to intrude on her as she was getting cleaned up, and had barely found it within his capacity to keep from staring at the leather strained across the full curve of her ***. He’d seen Tigra, and several of the others doing the same. His own wife had watched, before shooting him a glare of ice and fire. He turned to her as he approached the blonde, and gave the tall brunette a disarming smile. He cant his head, inviting her to come with him. She refused, and he shrugged.

“Joking aside, looked like she got you a lot worse than it appeared. That’s a lot of blood.” he said with a nod to the already bloodied bandage. “Like her or not, guess we all have to admit she can do some damage.” he smirked, then, and rested against the side of Lora’s Impala. He admired the car. He had applauded Tigra for her choice, too. It fit the little chubby girl, so broad and powerful, beautiful in its solidity and elegance. He had admired Lora, too, taking what many girls thought a disadvantage, or a flaw, and turning it to beauty. He gave the short woman a smile, before turned to his cousin, the Tiger. She was one of the shortest of the group, but the savagery within her was clear in the way her eyes moved over the crew, sweeping to the newcomer.

She was watching her, closely.

Ouragan remained against Chasity’s car, resting against its side with the slender blonde as he watched the small knot gather around the newcomer. He turned to his stepmother, then, and smiled. He was curious about her thoughts as he put an arm around her shoulders. “What do you think about little Couer’s friend?”

<Charisma> As the group began to gather around her, each talking over the other, she felt the panic rise to new heights. Her eyes quickly roamed from face to face in a feeble attempt to keep up with what was happening, and slowly, the simply focused on the taller of the group. The Wall. The name really was a rather peculiar one, and yet it seemed so fitting for him. She knew he claimed it had more to do with his driving skill than his actually frame, but by the way he stood between her and most of the crew, she couldn’t be more thankful that it was both. At his words, she glanced down to her leg, the dark stain of blood causing her to crinkle her nose. “My kitten has done more damage to me than that,” she replied with an off-handed tone, as her lips curled into a soft smile.

Beside her, Lora gave another knowing laugh as she nudged the man, before leaning up to whisper quietly into his ear. “Perhaps you should take her for a show of the grounds. I know you have a few… secret… spots you might want to show off,” she teased, before patting his arm and flouncing over to Tigre before he could react. As she neared the brunette, she wrapped her arms around her middle and dropped her chin to her shoulder. “Thanks for giving her a chance. I know you don’t understand, and I know it’s way out of character for me, but she needs… she needs people, Tigger. Her life has been a really, really shitty one. Her mother killed herself when she was a kid. Drove her and Charisma off a bridge, nearly took her down with her. She has no one.” Her breath was warm against her ear as she whispered into her, chocolate eyes focusing on the blonde as she watched her with Alton. She could feel his wife’s glare, and it took everything she had not to knock her out then and there. She had never believed the woman good enough for him. Choosing to ignore her, she let her gaze move towards Belle, her head tilting as she watched Ouragan pull her in. Fighting her own wave of jealousy, she gave Tigger another squeeze as Belle dropped her head to his shoulder.

“I see loss in her eyes. She looks like a caged rabbit,” she admitted quietly, the pain in her leg shooting through her back. She felt her knee buckle, and careful not to alert her wife of the agony, she quickly gripped his shirt to hold herself upright. Felicia’s predator gaze snapped to her, missing nothing as her eyes narrowed and her lip curled in distaste. “I like her, though. She’s got strength. Reminds me a lot of you and Tigre. I think she’ll fit in well here, and I know you’ll treat her right,” she chuckled as she pressed a kiss to his cheek. He was strong against her, and though he was focusing on the newcomer, she could tell his attention was elsewhere. With that knowing smile, she rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. “Someone’s got you in knots, Ouragan. Is she pretty?”

<Alton> “That little frumpet.” Alton muttered, watching the chubby girl flounce to his cousin, sitting on the hood of Couer’s Impala. He shook his head, chuckling quietly as he turned to the blonde at his side. He lifted a shoulder and nodded to the bloody bandage on her leg again. “If your kitten can do more damage than that, you’ve got one dangerous cat.” He said with a smirk. Lucille was known to fight dirty and desperate. He was amused and, frankly, glad to see someone besides Tigra put her down so easy. He pushed from the side of the car and turned to take a step back, toward the trembling, idling frame of his ’69 charger. It dwarfed the Impala, and the raw power beneath the hood made the very pier beneath their feet quake with the resonance of its muscle.

“Though, I suppose that someone should give you the tour. If you don’t mind?” he lifted his hand, offering to guide her to his car. Cherise glowered from next to her car, turning to slam her fist into the big offroad truck’s hood. She instantly regretted it, shaking out her small, stinging fist with a hiss. Ouragan watched from his place beside his stepmother, seeing the discord sown among the couple and he shook his head. “I never really took them for a happy marriage.” He muttered beneath his breath before he turned back to Belle, frowning at the way her body tensed with the sudden pain. His eyes shot a glare to Felicia, warning her to keep her mouth shut, if she knew what was good for her as he wrapped his arm around the small, frail woman’s shoulders and hugged her gently.

“Pretty would be an insult. She is… stunning, Belle. You would like her, but I’m afraid if I bring her out here, the whole lot of you would be on her like… well…” he nodded to Charisma, and then gestured to the prying eyes all around. His point was made for him. He shook his head, and gave a sly smirk. “You’ll meet her, though. Don’t worry.”

On the hood of Lora’s car, Tigra gently leaned back into the woman’s soft body as she held her. She loved the embrace, the warm feeling of her strong arms around her as she closed her eyes. The soft, warm breath against her ear caused a tremor to shoot down her spine and a soft sound choked in her throat. Her ears were a most sensitive hotspot she had, and she was sure the woman knew it. She all but melted into her soft arms and shook her head, her chest full of emotion, and not the least directed for the heart-wrenching story that Lora weaved on Charisma’s behalf. She sighed quietly, and rested her head against the woman’s warm cheek.

“You know how hard it is for me to tell you ‘no,’ Couer.” She said quietly, her fingers picking idly at the hot pink hem of her shirt. “You don’t have to add guilt on top. She’s fine to stay with us as long as she likes. As long as she keeps out of too much trouble.” She added, resting into the woman. “No girl should be without a mother.”

<Charisma> Carefully pulling her glasses from her hair, she brought the earpiece down to her mouth and began to absently chew on the plastic as her gaze moved from the Wall towards her friend. “… Frumpet? Is that her pet name among the crew?” Her eyes danced with amusement as she teased the male, and Lora turned after whispering into Tigre’s ear to blow her a kiss. Deciding it was best to leave the two to their conversation, she nervously wrapped her arms around her middle, though her hand still kept her glasses tucked between her perfect teeth. She knew she should call it quits and head home, but she found the thought of her essays to be rather dreadful as her attention snapped towards the car he walked to. The beast roared loud in her ears, though it didn’t cause her pain. Instead, she found herself rather comforted as she followed behind him, the growl of the engine drowning out the sound of her stilettos against the asphalt.

“There is more to this place?” Her words were filled with a touch of wonderment, though her attention was once again snagged by something other than him. This time, it was the sound of skin slamming into metal, and for a brief second, her entire form tensed. She waited for the scent of blood to fill her senses, but when it didn’t come, she slowly allowed her body to relax. She couldn’t afford to lose her control, not here. Never here. “And my cat is as dangerous as I am,” she said with a quiet laugh, her chest tightening as another foreign emotion clouded her thoughts for a brief moment. Shaking her head to clear it once again, she cast Lora one last fleeting glance before turning her entire focus on Alton. His wife was something she should worry about, and she knew she should back away and go in the other direction – but his warm eyes invited her in, and she found herself waiting for him to lead her away.
Belle watched quietly as the scene unfolded in front of them, her attention bouncing between Alton, his wife and the newcomer to her wife and her ex-girlfriend. If anyone should be acting as if they marriage was about to end, it should have been her, and yet – she couldn’t fathom why.

She trusted Tigre completely, and it wasn’t as if their marriage wasn’t exactly an open one. They were allowed to do what they pleased, because they both knew that neither would stray. The day they did, it would be for a damned good reason. Catching her wife’s eye, she gave her a tender smile before pressing her lips to Jacque’s cheek. “You should bring her around here, love. The only reason they are acting as they are is because it’s an unclaimed, ******* sexy woman walking in. You know none of them would be stupid enough to remotely try to score on your girl. Besides, if she couldn’t handle it, she’s not for you.” She added the last with a grin, though she was more than happy to hear that he found someone to catch his eye, even if for the moment. Releasing a quiet breath, she pressed her lips together in a tight smile as pain radiated up her back again. “Lift me onto the hood of the car, will you? I can’t stand anymore.”

Laughing quietly at the pout in Tigre’s voice, Lora gave her a gentle nudge and shook her head. “I can’t help but guilt you, Tigger. You make it way too easy,” she smiled, a twinkle in her eye. She moved to say something more, but a unfamiliar purr took her attention back to the gates. Snapping her fingers, she ordered some of the newbies to pull open the metal, just as a brilliant pink car flew in. This entrance was similar to the one Charisma had made, except for where her friend had precision – the driver of this car was a danger to them all. It skidded to a stop, the light reflecting off the front bumper, the word ‘Lorraine’ written in calligraphy. She felt Tigre almost bounce at her side as the door swung open, revealing a shock of dirty blonde hair. When she caught sight of the car – the full body – her mouth fell open. “Is that a… Hellcat? Holy ****, they cancelled the delivery on them. Who the hell is she and how the **** did she score that beauty?” Her excitement outweighed her shock, and she couldn’t tear her gaze away as the woman unfolded herself from the interior of her car.

She was fashionably late as always, and she blamed it partly on her best friend. Having to force feed the woman like she was a child was weighing heavily on her mind, and she was more than thankful for Bambi. The little slut was proving to be a real trooper through the entire ordeal, and had promised to keep a close eye on Freyja. She knew without a doubt she would follow through, the memory of her terror filled eyes still fresh in her mind. As she shoved open the door to her stolen car, a hush fell over the garage. It was a welcoming she was used to, and yet, someone spoke. Laughing quietly, she ran her fingers through her hair as she tossed her jacket into the car and slammed the door behind her, unique amber eyes dancing with mischief and mirth as she winked at her friend. “This? Nothing a little quick wit and fast fingers can’t accomplish. You can check it out, but be careful of the paint. I just got it re-done.”

The leather of her pants tightened around her thighs as she made her way across the ground, confidence pouring from each step as she lifted her hands to pull her hair up into a messy ponytail. “Sorry for missing the party, Kitten. I had business to take care of back at my apartment. I hope you didn’t miss me too much,” she laughed as she leaned over to brush a kiss to her cheekbone.

<Alton> Laughing quietly, he shook his head as he waved his hand at the back of the retreating woman. “No, no. They call her Couer. Our little Heart. She just is a little frumpet.” He chuckled, taking her hand and guiding her to the car, pulling open the passenger side door for her to inspect the interior. He smiled, and pulled her close to the black beast, letting her rest against its trembling side. He gave her a wink, and pushed the door open further to let her have a look if she chose, before diving into the heart of the rumbling giant.

“There is a lot to this place. And we don’t stop here, we drive through town, the outskirts, and into the open portions of the Provence. But this garage here, these docks, they’re like our… hangout. Our rendezvous.” He shrugged, resting against the car as he gave another chuckle and shook his head. “I would say I’d take back what I said about your cat, but after seeing you put Cendre down, I think I’ll steer clear of your feline companion.” He smirked, and gestured to the car. “If you would like, I can show you around.”

Ouragan watched quietly as the tall, muscle-bound man led the newcomer away. He was certain she could handle herself. Now, once he’d been embraced by the night, he could see from a mile away that she was a vampire. He feared more for his safety than for hers. He smirked, and shook his head as he turned to the woman at his side. “Trust me, Belle. She can handle this.” He said quietly, watching the blonde move with Alton’s tall, mountainous frame guiding her. “I’m worried about the rest of you handling her.” He said with that same wry smirk. He turned at her request, and frowned. “Do you need your medication?” he asked in a hushed tone, his hands moving to gently grasp her waist.

In one, fluid motion he lifted her slight frame from the ground. She was practically weightless in his powerful arms, setting her on the hood with tremendous care. He treated her like she was made of glass, his hands holding her waist to be certain she was steady before he pulled his grip away. “You just say the word, and I’ll get it for you. You stay right here, and don’t move an inch.” He said quietly, before moving to settle against the car next to her. He watched as she gave his mother that loving, tender smile even as the other brunette practically crawled over her. He wouldn’t ever be able to understand that love, and he admired the both of them for that, to look past everything and just see each other. He smiled, and turned as the low rumble of an engine announced a new arrival at the dock gate.

<Tigra> Tigra, nestled easily against the tall, curvy woman at her back, nuzzled her cheek gently against the woman’s silky shoulder. “Well, I can’t help that I’m so vulnerable with people I actually trust. There aren’t many of you left.” She said quietly, before her head turned in the same direction that Lora’s had. Her eyes lit up and her face twisted into an almost uncontrollable smile. She almost wiggled in the big woman’s lap. As her good friend tore into the dock, her heavy car swinging around into the spot she’d clearly decided was hers, the tires wailed with protest against the asphalt until the large body of the car rocked on its suspension.

The long, toned legs peeked beneath the door before Lorraine pulled herself from the cab. It was a matching fit for her. The car was rare. Beautiful. Just like she was, a unique gem. The curvy brunette beneath her almost squirmed with her excitement, gushing over the car that only made Tigra laugh. “Oh, honey, she probably stole it.” She grinned, like she had made an enormous joke. Only the two of them would know that she was being entirely serious. She chuckled, and kissed at Lora’s jaw. “You’re drooling, Couer. You should pick up your jaw.”

She laughed, the sound light and ringing like a cheerful chime as she slowly stood from her perch on the curvy woman’s thighs and moved to ring her arms around Lorraine’s neck. “I thought you might have been too busy to come see me. I was going to be so hurt.” She said with a feigned sense of pouting, like she had spent the past few hours sulking rather than excitedly anticipating her arrival. She couldn’t hide the amused pleasure she gathered from the woman’s nickname for her. She enjoyed the title. She picked herself up onto the tips of her toes and tipped her head, letting the woman kiss her cheek as she smiled.

She turned, her slender arm resting across the blonde’s curvy waist as she presented her to the group. “This is Lorraine, everyone.” She said with a bright smile to her crew. “She’s a really, really close friend of mine. That’ll be your only warning.” She turned to the woman at her side, then, and smirked. “Glad you made it.”

As the tiny brunette rested into her side, the man that had been watching her from the spot next to his car stood, moving to them in a slow, sweeping glide. His movements were fluid and even, balanced and smooth as silk. He slipped to the pair and offered the new woman a wide smile. “Lorraine? An exotic name.” he said in his quiet tone, his hand taking hers. “And an exotic beauty the name is paired with. Please, call me Sadique.” He said quietly, pushing a kiss to the woman’s knuckles as Tigra fought to keep from bursting into laughter. She turned, and buried her face against Lorraine’s shoulder for just a moment as she regained her composure.

She turned again and wore her amusement on a grin. “Slow down, Victoire, or I might think you’re actually over me.” She chuckled, and squeezed Lorraine’s waist. “Go ahead. Say hi to everyone else.”

<Charisma> When she felt the warmth of his large hand engulf hers, it took all of her willpower to not instantly pull away. She wasn’t entirely used to such familiarity, especially from a man that was married. Worriedly, she cast a look over her shoulder to his wife, watching as she all but glared holes into the side of her truck. “I know what the definition is,” she chuckled as she raised a brow. “Or have you not paid enough attention to me to realize my accent is French?” She gave a playful purse of her glossed lips, before tossing her hair over her shoulder as he pressed into the car. Ducking her head, she gripped the door with one hand while the other pressed to the headrest, her *** once again in the air as she examined the interior. She hadn’t know what to expect, but the fact it was immaculate wasn’t even close.

“It is quite the man’s car,” she said over her shoulder, flashing him another smile before straightening back up. “Where are you planning on taking me, then?” Carefully grabbing the door once again, she slid inside, the seat cupping her shapely *** perfectly as she rested back and peeked up at him from beneath her lashes. She, in all honesty, wasn’t even aware of how she must come across. She was being purely natural, but as her gaze traveled past him towards Lora, she narrowed her eyes as the woman mouthed the word ‘flirt’ and gave her a thumbs up. Muttering a quick string of oaths under her breath – along with how she was going to find a way to make the brunette’s life hell when they returned to school – she stretched out in the car and rested her hands on her bare thighs.

Oblivious to the interaction between the newcomer and Alton, Belle rested back against the car after Ouragan easily landed her on the hood. As the pain continued to pulse up her leg and through her back, she knew that she had pushed herself too far. “The medication won’t help me now, sweetness,” she smiled, though her skin had begun to pale. Clearing her throat, she looked past him towards her wife, and watched with a frown as the woman bounced towards another stranger. This one, though, she had heard about. Choosing to wait until she introduced them, she gave a weak laugh at Sadique’s actions. “Trying to strike out twice in one night, killer?” She taunted, her fingers pressing to her son’s shoulder before she moved her attention back to Tigre. “Baby, I’m sorry, but… can you get me upstairs?” The words were spoken with such distress, her voice quivered and dropped to a whisper. Sweat dotted her forehead, and Lorraine gave a frown as she narrowed her eyes in concern.

“Go on, beautiful. I can handle my own out here,” she promised as she gave her friend a quick pat on her back. Knowing that the woman wouldn’t wait another moment to take care of her wife, the Allurist turned her attention to the man who had jumped the line in introducing himself. Raising a brow, she crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a flirtatious smile. “You’re going to have to do better than that if you think you’re going to score with me, amore.” The Italian rolled easily from her tongue as she laughed, the sound clearly infectious as some of the people around her joined in. She made note of those who seemed to be strong enough to resist her charms – the man in front of her one of them – and filed it away for later. “Why would I call you Sadique? I’m sure that’s not the name your mother gave you,” she said quietly as she tapped a sparkled gold nail against her bicep.

<Alton> “Ah, but ma amie, there is so much more that I want to do with you than simply ‘score.’ Ma petit chou, there is a whole world of things I would rather enjoy exploring with you.” The tall, pale man chuckled as his thin frame swept low in a gentle bow. He let the others, including herself, laugh. He was who he was, and there wasn’t any changing it. He gave her a wink before he stood, and eyed Tigra as she departed from the woman’s side. The brunette turned, and gave Lorraine an apologetic look. “Désolé, amour. Please be careful.” He could see the laughter etched into her face only moments ago had evaporated into worry for the blonde draped over the hood of the Mercedes. It would be a very unusual night, without their street queen here to run the show, and with so many new faces. Such lovely new faces.

He turned to Lorraine again and smiled. “I think we should call you ‘Audaciuex.’ Non?” he asked as he glanced over his shoulder to the laughter of the rest of the crew. He chuckled, and returned his eyes to her with a sly smirk. “Sadique is what my friends call me, amour. My name, however, is Victoire. You may call me whatever you wish.” As he spoke, Tigra had moved to her wife, gently lifting the taller, slender woman to her feet before she carefully guided her into her arms. Lips found hers gently as she lifted her from the ground, cradling her to her chest. “Adieu, mes amis. Please, don’t kill each other. I should be back in…” she glanced down to her wife, and with a smile, pecked the space between her eyes. “We will say an hour.”

A small knot of laughter accompanied a couple of whistles as Tigra laughed, turning to carry the frail woman up the stairs of the garage, to the small apartment they kept there. It was a nice, cozy place to get away from things when either of them needed space from the group, without straying too far from the garage.

Alton watched quietly as the curvy blonde peered into his car. He chuckled at her words, watching as her hips swayed in the air before he turned with her standing again, eyes quickly moving to where Tigra and Belle had disappeared. He laughed with the group, and shook his head as he leaned against the car once she had climbed in. “Merci. I do try and keep a good appearance.” He chuckled, and leaned down to watch as she glared at the woman behind them. He turned, glancing over his shoulder at the curvy brunette as he lifted a brow, jutting his jaw toward the door to the apartment. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be, Couer?” he asked with a sly smile. He knew she hated that people knew. It didn’t help that she was so obvious.

He chuckled again, turning back to the blonde seated neatly in his car. “I have noticed of course.” He said with a grin. “But an accent does not make you a user of the language, amie.” He said as he stepped back, shutting the door and enclosing her in the dark of the cab. The sound of the engine was almost entirely muted, to just a gentle thrum before the driver’s door opened and he slid inside, resting against the seat. “I thought we could at least take a look at the rest of the docks. Get you a little more acquainted with them.”

Posted: **09 Feb 2016, 22:27**

<Charisma> The blonde couldn’t stop the smile that formed as her friend turned scarlet. Whatever he had meant by his statement had seemed to send the brunette into a tizzy, and she knew she simply had to figure it out. However, as the man turned and lowered himself behind the wheel, she decided it was best to file the curiosity away for later. She watched from the corner of her eye as her friend grabbed her jacket and headed into the apartment, her brows furrowing for only a brief moment as she shook her head. “You are correct, amour. I can assure you, however, that I am quite fluent in the language that you and yours speak. There is no need to offer translations. You also have no reason to worry about your appearance. You are one of very few men who are able to keep themselves well groomed.” A soft chuckle followed her soft spoken words, and she rested her elbow on the door’s console so her head could rest in the palm of her hand.

As she tangled her fingers into her golden curls, she pulled her gaze from his to search the world outside the window. “Are you sure this is appropriate? I did not want to say anything in front of prying ears, but I do not think your wife is pleased.” Her statement was further proved when she tipped her head towards the small brunette, who had seemed to take a strong interest in kicking the tire of her truck. “If she is not careful, she will shatter her bones,” she muttered, her nose scrunching up as she tore her attention from her and back to the male. “I have no interest in being the cause of a marital battle.” The honesty in her words sparked in her eyes, causing the mossy green to sparkle with her purity.

Sinking her teeth into her lower lip once again, she tried to rationalize with herself and the emotion she felt inside of her chest. It wasn’t strong enough for her to put a name to it, and yet, it was incessant enough to annoy her to no end. With a muttered oath, she tapped her manicured nails against the side of her skull and shook her head. “If you are sure I will not have to sleep with one eye open tonight, however, I would like to see the rest of the grounds. It has been a long while since I have freely been able to explore this city without another burden weighing on my mind. It has been a relaxing night, and the company has not been quite awful, either.” She gave another quiet, breathless laugh as she subconsciously began to twirl a curl around her finger, giving the silken strand a gentle tug.

<Alton> “Ah, good, then.” He said with a wide smile as he rested back into the leather seat of the monstrous car. He offered her a grin as he pulled the car into reverse. “Chérie, if there is to be a battle within my marriage, it will not be because of you.” He laughed, then, and pat his steering wheel. “Or, perhaps it might, but it is about any woman. She is always so frustrated any time I am near someone else. It is both infuriating and adorable at once.”

At the comment of sleeping with one eye open, he burst into laughter, shaking his head as he let the car roll out of his spot next to Brick and Stick, the two leaning against the behemoth he called a car, even the Boss dwarfed by the truck little Stick called hers. The sight always made him chuckle. “Please. Cherise is the least threatening girl that has ever been. They call her Souris for a reason, afterall.” He chuckled again as the car rolled forward. “And if you don’t think she can hit her truck without breaking something, then I don’t think you really worry about her at all.”

He smirked, and pulled away from the garage as he watched his wife throw her shoe in the direction of the black Challenger, the heeled sandal tumbling through the air and falling far short as he pulled away. “She has been rather… agitated lately. Long before you came into the picture.” He smiled, flicking the mirror back into place as the small knot of cars disappeared.

As they drove, her turned his head to watch her from the corner of his eyes. She was beautiful. He could tell she was smart by the way that she had become so aware of the surroundings, her eyes sweeping over the car as well as the others’ before taking in the docks around them. Her mind was both quick and sharp, and incredibly alert. He shook his head, fingers passing through his short crop of hair. He sighed, watching the group disappear in the rearview mirror. “To be honest, this city is still new for most of us. We haven’t been here more than about a week. Each of us is from Quebec.” He admitted, giving her a smile. “Thus all the driving around the last little while without any real racing.”

<Charisma> She hadn’t missed the subtle movement of his head, nor could she exactly ignore the heat that danced along her skin from his gaze. What in the hell is happening to me? The thought flittered into her mind, though it brought no answers with it. She’d never felt so completely unguarded before. It set her on edge, and her chest began to tighten as another panic attack snuck in. The passing lights reflected in her eyes as she kept her gaze ahead, her eyes moving quickly with the scenery as she twisted her finger tighter into her hair. “I do not see how you can find that adorable. It would be rather annoying to me, especially if you are as innocent as you seem.” She gave him another quiet smile while she squirmed subtly in the seat, careful not to let her skirt snake too far up her thighs as she found a comfortable position.

“In fact, it is no secret that those that act out in the nature she has are the guilty party.” The words tumbled free before she could stop them, and she quickly turned her gaze to the window. She knew she shouldn’t continue to speak, that she should sit quietly, but she felt the pressure on her tongue to continue talking. “At least, that is what my grandmother always said. She was right each time. It was rather odd. Granted, I’ve never been in a relationship, so I am not one to judge. It is just an observation.” Shut up, Charisma, seriously! Offering him a tight smile, she cleared her throat and twisted her fingers back into her hair. This time, the digits tangled tight against the golden curls, the biting pain to her scalp acting as the filter she lacked.

Before the silence could become too suffocating, she gripped the last thing he said like it was a lifeline and she had been drowning for hours. “I have been here for half of a semester. I wish I was able to show you the sights, but all of my time is spent buried in my books. Lora managed to manipulate me into coming out tonight, even though she knows that I struggle to balance both my majors evenly.” Her nose crinkled as the reminder of her essay was brought up, but she managed to push it aside as she glanced back out the window. “Perhaps I have put too much stock into my education and not enough into actually living. Not that any of that matters now, of course,” she said, laughing breathlessly at her own inner joke.

<Alton> “Well of course it matters.” He said with a sly smile. He shook his head, and gave her a light shrug at the observation of his marriage. He glanced into the rearview mirror, watching as if he could still see the small, mousy brunette still beating into the side of her truck. He sat quietly for a moment, his eyes moving from the mirror to the dock road in front of them. He pulled the car over, sliding it easily into one of the docking yards. Shipping containers mounted atop one another formed a towering maze all about them. He parked the Challenger and let the engine idle, the entire car trembling beneath them.

“You’re probably right. Here lately, she’s been distant. Almost absent, really. Late nights, sleeping late, her phone’s always off when she’s away and she’s always on it when she’s around. Honestly, I’ve felt like it’s been this way for some time now.” He laughed, then, and shrugged. “But, what can I say? She’s a one of a kind, and I’ve hardly found another to take my interest.” He let his eyes slide to her, just in the corner of his vision as he smirked. “Well. Hardly, anyway. But, the point is, if I have this, and on the other side of this coin waits nothing, then there is hardly a point in raising arms over it. It’s pretty clear her interest lies elsewhere. I’m hardly a man for throwing away something in return for nothing.”

His hand slipped easily over the leather steering wheel as he let his eyes move across the wall of shipping containers in front of them. He scoffed an unamused laugh and shook his head. “Anyway. Enough of the depressing. You’re still quite young. At least, you look it. You have plenty of time to live a full life. We can help you with that.” He turned to look her full-on then. He smiled, and waved a hand at the scene around them. “This is one of the shipping yards. Some of the import drivers like to drift out here. Cars like ours aren’t really built for that kind of action.”

He smiled, and tipped his head backward. “Behind us, you’ll see the main drag. That’s more our speed. Top-speed push for the finish. If you want, we can check it out.”

<Charisma> As they neared the dock, she curled her fingers tighter into her hair as her breathing became uneven. He wouldn’t be able to hear the rushing of the water, the soft sound of the small waves as they lapped at the bottom of the dock, but she could. It sounded like roaring in her ears, nearly drowning out his voice the closer they got. When the car pulled to a stop, she dropped her hand to the handle of the car and curled her fingers around it, her knuckles turning white as she clung to it dear life. Focus, Charisma. Nothing is going to happen to you. You are safe with him. Closing her eyes, she took a shallow breath in, the action more comforting than a necessity as she tried to tune out the monster beneath them and focus on his words.

It wasn’t hard, when she finally caught up with his statement. Slowly, she turned to face him, her lips parted on a shocked gasp and her moss colored eyes wide with disbelief. For the longest moment, she couldn’t form the words to speak everything going on in her mind. It was too busy racing to try and wrap itself around what he was saying. Finally, she seemed to find her voice, and she shook her head as she continued to stare at him. “Are you insane? I hardly call happiness nothing! You cannot simply stay with someone because you do not believe there is anything more out there. That is nothing more than fear. Besides, I hardly call her one of a kind. She was rather average to me.” The brutal honesty no longer seemed to shock her with him, and she narrowed her eyes as she settled back against the car door. When she moved, she swore she felt the car sway beneath her weight, and her hand slapped to the dash to steady herself. You have to help the poor man see reason. You cannot have a panic attack here.

“I could easily argue that if you stay with her, you will never know what waits on the other side of your metaphorical coin. You could be letting the best opportunity in your life slip through your fingers this very second.” She lifted her shoulders in a shrug, the movement causing the white cotton of her tank to stretch over her breasts. Her fingers trembled as she pushed them through her hair, and she hoped that he lacked the intelligence to see the absolute terror in her eyes when they swept over the docks. From what she had figured about him so far, however, she knew it was a feeble hope. Despite his inability to understand logic in a ruined relationship, she knew he held a brilliant mind.

Crinkling her nose, she tried not to be insulted at his questioning of her age, and yet she found herself feeling oddly ashamed. Tracing her tongue slowly over her lower lip, she cast her glare in his direction as she moved her grip to her wounded thigh, her fingers digging into it subconsciously as the car rocked (or so she swore) again. “I hardly call twenty-three young. I have seen more in my years than many twice my age have. I am no stranger to the dark, Le Mur.” It sounded strange to call him by his crew alias, but he hadn’t told her his given name. With another sigh, she knew she was unable to ignore the fact that he had introduced them to a shipping yard any longer, and she quietly closed her eyes. “Are you sure this beast is not too heavy for the wood?” Her voice trembled with her nerves, and her hair fell in front of her eyes as she opened them to squint into the dark.

<Alton> He watched her intently, as she all but flailed in her absolute horror, terror gripping her with its violently powerful grasp. It would hardly release her to let her speak normally. He gave her a small smile and lifted his hand to touch her cheek, the brush meant to be comforting. “I am sure. Heavy docking equipment use these docks every day. The car might be heavy, but we’re hardly as heavy as the hauling trucks.” He gave her a smile, then, and let the rough pad of his thumb pass over the silky smooth skin of her cheek.

“I doubt I would stay where I am, were I to find someplace I would rather be, amour.” He said softly, his eyes watching hers as the panic made the soft, mossy green hue of her gaze dance elegantly through shades of verdant to an almost minty shade. He smiled, his hand lingering against her face. “I would still call twenty three quite young. You’re almost young enough to be Tigra’s daughter, you know.” He laughed, and gave her a sly smile. “Mine, too.” He chuckled at the admission, and let his thumb move over her cheek again. “Though, I would have had to have been quite young. Though, this is not unheard of.” He smirked, then, and gave her an amused glance.

“You needn’t worry about that, though. I was quite uninterested in women until years after you were born.” He chuckled again and glanced over his shoulder. “If it would make you a little less terrified, I can back onto the strip so you can see it, instead. We will be on solid ground there.”

<Charisma> She had never been touched in the way he touched her. He made her feel as if she were made of the finest glass, as if even the smallest twist of his hand would shatter her. Even as a human, she had never felt as fragile as she did then, when she knew she could easily crush the life from his eyes. She never would, and the thought caused her chest to ache. She hated what she had become, and yet he made her forget for a second that she was anything but mortal. Crinkling her nose once again at his words, she forced her gaze from his and to the docks. She knew, logically, that he was right – however, the panic refused to give way to reality. Every second they stayed poised on the dock, the more panicked she became, as if she were absolutely certain her death was imminent. I doubt you can drown, Melody. You do not need to breathe.

Clenching her teeth, she forced the familiar voice from her mind, but not before she caught sight of her mother’s silhouette in the rearview mirror. She watched as the wind picked up, causing her dark hair to brush over her face, before she shattered into a thousand pieces and disappeared. Trailing her tongue over her lower lip nervously once again, she forced a chuckle past her lips and shook her head as the need to tell him why she feared the water took hold. She didn’t like that she delved her darkest secrets to complete strangers, but the compulsion to be honest was too strong. Without a filter, she had never been able to keep anything inside. “It is irrational, I know. My mother committed suicide many years ago by driving us both off Ponte De Léna. I barely survived. Since then, water has been a conflicting thing for me. I am both mesmerized and utterly terrified by it.” Lifting her slender shoulders in another shrug, she tried to ignore the warmth he created in the pit of her stomach with each brush of his thumb. He made it utterly difficult as he continued to stir unfamiliar emotions inside of her.

As she carefully maneuvered around unchartered territory, she gave him a small grin and rolled her eyes. “What you are saying, then, is that I am far too young to be in your company? I must say, despite our ages, Le Mur, I am far more logical than you. I would not chain myself to someone that made me so utterly unhappy. I believe that the longer you are in a relationship with this woman, the further you get from achieving what you deserve.” Reaching over, she gently pressed her hand to his muscled thigh, the silver polish of her nails reflecting in the moonlight as she squeezed once before pulling her hand back. “I watched as my parents lived in a nightmare they could never wake from because of my mother’s infidelity. I promised myself I would never allow another to live that life if I could help it. I do hope you find the happiness you seek.”

Clearing her throat, she tried to ignore the pang of regret when his hand fell from her skin, and instead chose to focus on the outside world. It was beautiful on the docks, the way the moonlight shimmered across the water, but she knew what cold truth rested in the darkness. Straightening up, she gave her shirt a tug before twisting another curl nervously about her finger. “I think I would prefer the strip. I would like to see how fast this car can go. I have been wondering if you are overcompensating for something as much as the man with those big trucks were,” she teased, her eyes losing some of the terror as they sparkled with mischief.

<Alton> Shaking his head, he gently cupped her cheek as she spoke. He frowned, leaning aside to push a caring kiss to her brow. “I hope you do not find me too forward, ma amie. I simply find myself wishing to comfort you.” He gave her a small, wry smile as his thumb stroked her face once again. He gave a light, unamused chuckle. “If my cousin finds out, you’re going to have your hands full of a woman trying to mother you, you know.” He gave her another smile, then, this one holding a small light of genuine amusement. “She has a soft spot for orphans and neglected younger people.”

He shrugged, his rough palm pressed firmly to her cheek. She felt cool to his touch, and he was sure that it was the sheer horror wracking her body as she recoiled from the water. He put the car into reverse, letting it slowly roll backward, onto the asphalt. He could watch as her body relaxed, her fear slowly melting away and letting her seem almost normal. As normal as a woman so painfully beautiful could be. His hand slowly pulled from her face, the warmth of his palm obvious when he no longer felt her cool cheek against his flesh.

“And I am not saying that you are too young for my company. I keep company with some younger than even you. Tigra is older than I am, you know. Her wife younger is younger than you are, and I spend time with them both quite often.” He laughed, then, and shook his head. “My wife is only a handful of years older than you. She is twenty seven, you know. So your age matters very little to me.” He turned to her, then, and grinned. “Besides. I find myself enjoying your company tremendously.”

He gave her a smug grin, then, and pulled the massive beast into first to let it idle. “Brick and Stick are damn good competitors. She’s a miracle worker with that monstrosity he calls a car, and he’s a maniac behind its wheel.” He waved his hand toward the long stretch of track. ”There aren’t many that can beat their little creation. I can barely manage with my wife’s work.” He snickered, then. He was sure she would simply love the opportunity to dig at Cherise again. She seemed to enjoy it almost as much as Couer. He knew the little frump couldn’t stand the woman. She was fairly open with her disdain. It was likely why he sat in the car alone with the beautiful Charisma.

“I tell you that begrudgingly. I am not fond of his winning streak, and have a few tricks to bring it to an end.” He gave her a wink as the engine slowly crept from a low rumble to a roar as he revved it, warming it up.

<Charisma> The touch of his lips sent her emotions into overdrive, and she quickly pulled back, though she couldn’t seem to escape the touch of his hand. With a soft sound, she tried to collect her thoughts, her eyes clouding as she scanned his features. Slowly, she licked her lips and gave him a nervous smile, knowing that she must seem no more mature than a school girl. Curling her hands against her knees, she shook her head as if to clear whatever troubles plagued them before her voice filled the silence of the car once again. “I do not find you forward, I do not think. I am not exactly the judge of such things, either. I am not advanced in affection.” She realized too late how that had to have sounded, and she mentally berated herself for her inability to be coy and aloof in front of a stranger. Everything she thought seemed to roll from her tongue, and she had never hated it more than she did in that moment.

Relaxing her fingers against her thighs, she rested back in the seat as her muscles began to uncoil. The further they got from the water, the less tense she became. The sound faded behind her, and with it, the memory of her mother’s ghost. She knew it wasn’t the last time she would see her, but she hoped that it would be a while before she thought to haunt her again. “I can, however, assure you that I do not need to be coddled or comforted. I survived a horrible ordeal, oui, but I have learned to take care of myself. I assure you, I am stronger than I look.” She cast him a gentle smile, though a fierce gleam flashed in her eyes, and the beast inside of her growled in pleasure. Quickly, she swept her gaze from him and to the road, her mind continuing to race.

What was happening to her? She had never felt this way before, and for a moment, she feared that she was going to be sick. It was the only explanation she had for why her stomach was in knots and her skin felt as if it were on fire. Perhaps she was hungry, but she didn’t know how that could be. She had fed before she left, and though it hadn’t been much – it had sustained her for longer before. Glancing at him from the corner of her eye, she studied his profile, and realized how attractive he really was. She had noticed how men looked before, but she had never found herself wondering how strong their muscles really were. Ever since she had been turned, a different kind of hunger had come to life, and she simply couldn’t put her finger on how to satisfy it. He is married, Charisma. You should not be thinking of this at all.
Ah, yes, but unhappily.

As if it mattered.

“All I am gaining from your words on the age differences, is that you and your cousin like to prey on impressionable young women,” she teased, though it was true. She had noticed the age difference in Tigre and her wife, and as she thought back to the small brunette, she noticed how young she appeared compared to the man behind the driver’s wheel. That would explain a lot of her actions, though it still left an unsettling emotion in her chest. She was younger than her, and yet, she was acting as if she were more mature. Was she, or had she just never experienced true emotion that left her careless and crazy? A frown creased between her brows, and she went silent as she mulled over the thoughts, her gaze sweeping the darkness for answers. After a few moments, she realized that she was being rude and filed it away for later as she turned her attention back to him.

When the car idled, she could feel the power trembled beneath her feet, and excitement began to course through her veins. “If your wife puts as much effort into maintaining your car as she does your marriage, that is not at all surprising.” She knew she shouldn’t insult the woman, but she had found herself following the same mindset her friend had. Something about the brunette made her uneasy, and she had learned long ago to trust her gut instinct. Pushing all thought aside however, she turned in the seat to offer him that teasing grin once again as she gave a throaty chuckle. “However, all I am hearing is excuses. I do believe you are stalling. Are you sure I was not correct in my assumption of over compensation, beau?”

<Alton> He laughed at her reaction, the sound smooth and mellow. A deep tenor of sound as his fingers parted from her face, lingering in her silky soft strands of golden curls before falling to her shoulder. “You, ma chérie, are refreshingly honest. I think that you will be a fast learner in the way of expressing your affection.” He chuckled, squeezing the soft joint in his grasp before his hand left her to rest against the stick, settled tightly between the two of them in the car’s console. Her next declaration nearly caused open laughter, and he nearly choked on the sound as he leaned forward.

“Do not let her hear you say that. She will likely smother you in affection regardless, but your resistance will only make her that much worse.” He grinned, then, and pat at the gearshift with his open palm. “Take this from someone with decades of experience with the woman. She’s been this way since we were just children.” He smiled openly, his thumb making a small circle over the polished gearshift as he watched her intently. He rested back into the seat and let his hand pass idly over the steering wheel. “Strength won’t matter. She feels like she has to protect everyone. Even me. And look at me.” He laughed, and waved a hand over his own toned, chiseled form. The shirt he wore could barely hide the taut, iron-bound muscles that worked beneath its fabric. “I’m plenty strong.”
He chuckled at the play of words and let his form sink into the seat as the engine kept an even rev. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye again and smiled. “Then you gather little from my words, chérie. Neither of us preys on anyone. We merely live lives far younger than our bodies.” He laughed, and turned to her again. He smirked, and dropped the beast into gear.

The engine roared, the tires screamed as the heavy car leaped forward. The sudden surge of acceleration threw them both back into the leather seats, though his posture remained unchanged. The needle shot past forty-fifty-sixty, his eyes never leaving her as the awesome power of the big block shot them down the strip, the needle climbing faster, the world around them passing by the windows of the heavy muscle car in a streaking blur. “You tell me, chérie. Does it seem like I’m overcompensating?” The tires bit into the asphalt with a savage grip, throwing them forward with an incredible pace as the large brick building at the end of the strip grew larger and larger, the garage where the rest of the crew parked erupted in cheers and laughter as the charger roared past, a large, black beast as it tore down the strip.

<Charisma> She knew she should have braced herself for the impact, and yet she had found herself too distracted with his teasing tone and his deep laugh to fully grasp what was about to happen. When the beast gave one last growl before charging forward, her entire form fell back into the seat. A sharp pain shot up her spine, though the purr of the vehicle drowned out the crack of bones as she dug her fingers into the leather of the seat. She knew that he was watching her, she could feel his gaze locked on her as she stared straight ahead, taking in the scenery as it flew by. She could hardly make out what was a building and what wasn’t, each beginning to blur together the further the car traveled. When she was finally able to collect herself, a low chuckle escaped her throat and she shook her head. “I do,” she teased, her eyes sparkling.

She didn’t understand her desire to tease him on his over-compensation, and yet she couldn’t seem to stop. It was delightful to see him smile, and she had a feeling he hadn’t shared an honest smile in quite a while. Tipping her head back, she laughed without restraint, before she moved to roll down the window, allowing the wind to brush through her hair. It sent the golden curls flying in disarray, but she didn’t seem to mind. Instead, she turned to look at him, the lights reflecting in her eyes as she shook her head. He had managed to make her feel as if she could accept this life, the panic in her easing the faster he drove. She knew she couldn’t tell him the truth of what she was, and the pressure to do so nearly suffocated her. She felt guilty, keeping something so dire from the man who was managing to do so much for her in such a short time, but she understood it was to protect him – and herself.

“You know what they say about men with big and fast cars.” Laughing once again, she brushed her fingers through her hair to try and get the curls into some resemblance of order as the cheers from the crew broke through the silence of the wind. “I think it is safe to say that I could easily beat you, as well.” The challenge was delivered playfully, but before she could say anything more, her phone vibrated against her ***. How she managed to feel it over the trembling of the car, she’d never be able to understand. Undoing her seatbelt without much caution for how fast he was driving, she dug her heels into the floor and lifted her body up, her chest arching towards him as she tugged her iPhone from the waist of her skirt. Lora’s name flashed on the screen, and she quickly covered the words before he could see them.

[Text: You go, girl! Seal the deal!]

Shaking her head, she quickly locked her phone and tucked it beneath her thigh as she rolled her eyes. “I have never been able to control my honesty. I have yet to tell a lie since the day I was born. What you find refreshing, I find challenging and stifling. I am not able to hide a single thing from the world. It is only one reason why I have never formed a relationship. Men do not find need for honesty, as long as they are being pleased.” She shrugged as she gave him another delighted grin, ignoring the vibrating of her cellphone. She wasn’t surprised when it stopped, only to hear another, more fainter vibration coming from his side.

<Alton> He smirked, lips pulled taut as he shook his head. He reached deep into the console and ripped back, the emergency brake ratcheting up with a deep zip, the tires wailing against the pavement as the huge beast skated sideways. An army of serpentine lines marked the pavement behind them as the car pulled a full reverse, sliding backward until the rear bumper managed to barely graze along the brick wall, not even close enough to scratch the paint. “I suppose I’ll have to prove you wrong.” He said with that same, coy smile.

He had felt the text as it vibrated his phone in his pocket, and left it ignored. He assumed it was his wife, probably just the first of many scathing messages to flood his inbox. He grinned, watching her as it vibrated again, and he sighed, checking the phone. Two messages, one from Cherise and the other from Lora. The first was typical, full of words she didn’t have the spine to say to anyone’s face, not even his own. He just shrugged and swiped it away, pulling up the next message. ‘Frumpet’ covered the top of his screen, and he couldn’t help but laugh. He tossed the phone into the console and let his eyes move back to her.

“Seems I’ve been given an ultimatum.” He laughed again, his hand rising to her face. “Let’s see if you still think I’m not too forward.” He leaned into her, then. His broad, powerful frame nearly engulfing her as he leaned across the console to push a kiss to her lips. Strong fingers held her face, pulling her close as his unobstructed hand moved to splay his fingers across her soft abdomen, the gentle, silky fabric of her top rustling gently beneath his rough palm as his touch explored hers, examined the alternating cool and heat of her body as his nearly encompassed hers, her body sinking back into the seat as he moved against her.
He smirked against her lips, the car’s perpetual shuddering beneath them giving the entire ordeal a sense of motion and power as his hand slipped across her stomach to rest at her hip, his lips slowly drawing away from hers as he looked down at her with drawn brows. “Or too terrible.”

<Charisma> The sound of the tires gripping the asphalt caused her to gasp, her hand flying back to the handle when the car twisted. She saw the brick coming towards them, his name dying on her lips when the back bumper came scant inches from slamming into the wall. “You are going to kill yourself,” she laughed, her gaze jumping from the rearview mirror to the man. She knew she would more than likely walk away from a wreck, but she couldn’t see him pulling himself out of the disaster. She knew all too well what a car could do to someone, and the thought of him mangled and battered nearly caused her to double over. Somehow, she managed to keep herself prone as he dug out his phone, the soft vibration causing her to chuckle.

“You are rather popular tonight. I do hope it is not your wife causing you too much trouble. We may return, if you wish.” The thought left an odd feeling in her chest, and she realized in that moment, that it was jealousy. She had never felt such an emotion, but she had seen it played rather vividly on the movie screens. Unease settled into her bones, and she turned her gaze away as she waited for him to skim his messages. She had caught sight of Cherise’s name along a rather long text before he swiped it away, and it took the entirety of her vampiric strength to not make her way for the brunette and rip her head from her shoulders. The image of her blood spraying filled her mind, and for a satisfied moment, she almost didn’t hear his words. When they finally registered, she had only a second for them to register, before he moved.

She watched as he pulled across the console, his gigantic body enough to completely engulf hers. He made her feel small, feminine. Despite the strength coursing through her bodies, his sheer size caused her to believe that he was the protector, and her the delicate victim. It wasn’t exactly a horrible feeling, either. Her mind raced as he moved closer, the scent of his skin, musk and blood nearly undoing her. Her gaze pulled momentarily from his, to the artery in his throat. She watched as the pulse quickened, as if being in such a close proximity unnerved him as much as it did her. “Le Mur,” she whispered, his name rolling smoothly from her tongue a second before their lips met. The warmth radiated through her body, and her toes curled in her heels.
She remained completely still, however, her body carved from stone. Her hands pressed to her thighs, her lips parting on a sharp breath as he deepened the kiss. His hand was large enough to take up the entirety of her abdomen, the weight of it pressing into her soft skin. She could feel the warmth burn her through her tank, and she wondered briefly if he realized how cold she was. The thought flooded from her mind when he moved even closer, and finally, she relaxed. One hand lifted from her knee to curl into his short hair, knuckles pressing against the back of his skull as she leaned into the kiss, her tongue swiftly moving out to taste his lips.

There was no explanation for what she was feeling. She had never kissed another soul, she had never felt the attraction for a man. She had never felt that stirring in her stomach, the tightening in her chest, or the rapid confusion in her mind. She had never felt like a woman. Until death. Until him. He is MARRIED. The voice shouted through her mind, her subconscious kicking her heels and sounding the warning bells just in time for him to pull back. Despite the knowledge that he could easily destroy her, she felt bereft without the pressure of his lips on hers. Her hand dropped from his hair, her other resting against his chest, where she felt his heart beat quickly. “Non, not… not terrible. I… I am sorry. I have never…” Despite the dire need to speak the truth, there was nothing she could do when she was utterly speechless. She knew, without a doubt though, that he would see it on her face. The admittance that she couldn’t utter – the fact that she had never been kissed, and the naked truth that she didn’t want to stop.

<Alton> “Don’t be silly.” He said softly, his hand moving to cup her face again, the rough pad of his thumb sliding along her slender cheekbone. “You have nothing to apologize for.” His voice was quiet, soft, like the touch of his hands as they moved over her form. He gripped her hip, pulling her closer as his hand on her cheek guided her to his lips a second time. This time, he followed the lead she had given, his tongue sliding easily between her lips, grazing along her teeth until it met hers, the soft, sensitive flesh sliding together as his fingers worked beneath the soft fabric of her tank, his hand resting easily against her cool skin.

He gave a quiet smile against her lips, and slowly untangled his tongue from hers, his brow pressed against her cool forehead as their kiss separated. “I couldn’t tell it was your first, chérie. You are quite the natural.” He smirked, his fingers sliding along her soft stomach as his warmth passed over her with each grazing touch. His phone buzzed again in the console and he laughed. “Would you believe that the one giving me the most trouble is that little Frumpet you call a friend?” he muttered, pulling out the phone to see the text where she fortified her threat, causing the man to shudder with the implication.
“Mon dieu. She has no boundaries.” He smiled, then, and shook his head as he dropped the phone into the console. “You would think that maybe she could give a little breathing room, non?” he chuckled, and didn’t respond. He had done as she’d asked. She would know for certain soon enough when they saw another again, he doubted that either of them could hide the way they made one another react. It was all a part of why Cherise had sent such a long message, had pounded into the truck so savagely. She knew. She knew that he knew, too, and it infuriated her.

He smiled again, and leaned close to push a kiss to her brow. “We will likely get bombarded with questions when we return. You are aware, right?”

<Charisma> Even though he tried to offer her reassurance, she couldn’t push the guilt away. She parted her lips to speak again, the words forming on her tongue, but they turned into an inaudible moan as he silenced her with another kiss. Both hands knotted into his hair, holding him to her as she danced her tongue with his, nails scraping against his skull. Her body trembled against his, the sensations coursing through her form too much for her to process. She felt as if she were going to spontaneously combust, and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. As a unfamiliar – painful – ache began between her thighs, she broke the kiss with him and pushed herself away, her back slamming into the door. The car, though large, seemed confining. There was no escape, no way for her to get space between the two of them. This is so very wrong.
Then why did it feel so right?

Shoving her hands through her hair, she gave a quiet, frustrated growl as her fingers became snagged by knots. Her body was alive with energy, and she gave a throaty laugh at his compliment. “I assure you, beau, I have never kissed another. I have never felt the want to do such a thing. Honestly, I have never felt attraction. I am not sure if that is what this is…” She seemed so utterly lost, her eyes clouded with desire and confusion, her lips swollen from the kiss they shared. Gently, she pressed her fingertips to her mouth, the soft skin tracing over the gentle pillows before she shook her head. She was incredulous, really. She had not set out to find someone, she had not set out to be a home wrecker. She had simply wanted one night where she could feel… alive.

Is that not what you have gotten, Melody? We are not so different, you and I.
Her mother’s ghost flickered in front of the car, her body illuminated by the headlights. As she gave a ghostly smile, Charisma quickly shook her head and turned her attention back to the man. Her fingers lifted from her lips to gently brush along the strong line of his jaw. The confusion was still quite clear in her features, and yet, there was also wonderment. “I do not put it past her, truthfully. She has made it her mission to find me a lover since the day we met. She has set me up on quite a few dates, none of which I showed up for.” Lifting her shoulder in a shrug, she laughed softly once again and settled back into her seat.

She hadn’t felt an inkling of desire for the men that her friend had tossed into her path, much to their disappointment. She had all but given up hope that she would ever be normal, that the loneliness she felt would fade, and then Lora had introduced her to him. A man that was almost twice her age – and married. Idly, she wondered if they had children together. She didn’t believe her friend to be that cruel, and she quickly silenced the negative though as she studied his features for a second. It obviously was not just on her end, or he wouldn’t have kissed her so. She wouldn’t be hearing the rapid heartbeat, or the jagged way he breathed when he looked at her. He wanted her, and she did not understand if she wanted him.

“What… what questions? I do not have answers to any questions! What are you going to tell them?” Panic filled her voice as another attack began to surface, and yet, when his lips touched her brow, the anxiety slowly ebbed as if it had finally found something – or someone – to control it.

<Alton> Chuckling faintly as she pulled away, he let his hand rest firmly across the back of her neck though he did not pull her in again. He sat in silence for a moment, watching her lips as she touched them, as her thoughts. He grinned at her words as he let his fingers move tenderly across the nape of her neck. “Well, chérie, if you want another embrace, if you don’t mind being so close, then that would be attraction.” He widened his smile, then, and shook his head. “Though, if you don’t even know what it is, then how do you know that you’ve never felt it?” He laughed lightly and pushed another kiss between her brows.

His palm spanned her cheek again, his thumb replacing her fingertips to play gently along the soft, swollen pillow of her lower lip. He smirked at her description of the events of her time at school with the little chubby brat they all couldn’t help but love. He chuckled and gave another shake of his head. “Little Frumpet is a serious degenerate, and a very bad influence. I’m surprised someone so level headed hangs out with her.” He smiled, his brow pressing lightly to hers. “It is good for her, I think. I doubt that you would threaten her with having sex in her bed.”
He smirked at the delivery of the news, ratting the little brat out to her friend. It amused him, knowing that her plan, at least, had some drawbacks at least. “She has a fairly hard time keeping herself together sometimes.” He laughed and settled into his seat as she started to fidget, squirming under the possibility of questions being directed to her. He brushed his thumb along her mouth again and gently shh’ed her.

“It will be okay, amour. Frumpet will likely corner you and ask if we’ve had sex.” He laughed, and let his forefinger gently trace the shape of her ear. “Just be honest with her. I will not lie about it, to defame you before you’ve even had a chance to make friends.” He smiled and gently tugged at the lobe of her ear. His fingers moved lightly along her ear, his thumb tracing her mouth as he watched her features.

“They will do their best to poke fun. Likely, Cherise will be gone when we get back. They will have driven her off by now with all their jeering.”

<Charisma> “That is what she threatened?” Her panic gave way to amusement, her eyes sparkling with laughter as she shook her head. She had known her friend to be abrasive and rash, but she had never thought her to stoop so low. Brushing her fingers through her hair again, she began to comb through the knots, though her movements were slow, unsteady. With him being so close to her, she could think of nothing more than crawling over the console and curling into the heat he offered. Could that be her desire? To be warm again? Closing her eyes, she tried to remember what it felt like to have her blood pumping through her veins, her heart thudding rapidly against her ribcage. She could recall none of it. “I know that I have never felt this, I also know how overused and rather cliché that line happens to be. It is true, however, and highly confusing. You are a married man. There can never be anything between us.”

Slowly, she reached her hand back and curled her fingers around his wrist. As she peeled his fingers from the nape of her neck, she turned her head and brushed her lips over his once. The touch was quick, a barely whispered kiss as she gave him a small smile. “I might have kissed you, Le Mur, but I should not have. Not only do you share your name with another, I do not even know your given name. As much as I would love…” Trailing off, she shook her head as she slid her fingers gently over his jaw. She could see it in his eyes, the wisdom, the gentleness. She knew without a doubt he was a good man, and it pained her to turn away from him. “Your touch has woken me. I have not felt alive in years, but you have another, and I cannot – will not – ask you to choose a stranger over history.”

Her hand rested against his cheek for a moment longer, before she glanced to her phone. It was lit up with text messages, and she knew without looking, the name that would fill her inbox. “I will tell her the truth of what happened. I cannot do anything else. I know you will not speak of lies, either. You are not that type of man.” She rested into the seat and looked back to him, her fingers finding his to give a gentle squeeze as he mentioned his wife. She wanted so much from him, and yet she knew she could have none of it. This is why I never wanted to feel for another person. I did not wish to be my parents. “You should take me back and go find your wife if she is not there.” She tried to keep the disappointment from her voice as she turned to gaze out the window, her teeth worrying her lower lip into a bloodied mess.

<Alton> Shaking his head, he gave a small grin, his fingers capturing hers once they had met. He gave a light, amused chuckle as he squeezed her hand. “Ah, ma petite chou, you truly are a rare sort of woman.” He said lightly, his thumb running gingerly across her knuckles as he held her hand. “And, my name is Alton.” He pulled her hand close as he rested into the console of the car, leaning closer to her. “You have said yourself that my marriage is beyond doomed. I, myself, have felt it to be over for some time. I have already said so, openly, to you. My wife is certainly playing no part in our relationship. She appears to be far too busy to be my wife when she is being someone else’s common backroom slut.”

He shook his head and pushed his free hand through his hair. He sighed, the breath slow and heavy as he let out his frustration; Frustration that had been building since he had started to suspect that she was seeing someone else. Now, she almost rubbed it in his face. He shook his head and gave the tiny blonde a smile. “I understand what you mean, however. I did not mean to try to turn you into the… other woman. I merely acted on something that I simply could not control.” He rolled his shoulder, his fingers squeezing her hand as he grinned. “Though I will say that your sheepishness is quite… adorable.”

He laughed, lifting her fingers to turn her hand over in his grasp, lifting it so that he could place a kiss to her palm. “I think that it is time I had a conversation with my ‘wife.’ I told you I stayed, because there was nothing to take me away.” He smirked, and ran his thumb along her palm. “I think I found that something.”

<Charisma> “Alton,” she tested the name on her tongue, allowing it to form and roll free in her soft accent. She found herself rather enjoying the way it tasted, and she quickly turned her gaze away once again, busying herself with the stars. She watched in silence as they flickered in and out, the city lights dulling them to the point they were almost non-existent. Quietly, she listened as his pulse began to pick up, and subtly she brushed her thumb over the inside of his wrist. She wasn’t entirely sure what had him agitated, and for a brief moment, she feared it had been her until he opened his mouth. His voice cracked through the car, and though he never raised it, the frustration caused her chest to tighten. Her muscles tensed, and her hand trembled against his before stilling. It was almost as if she were afraid to even twitch a finger.

“I understand. Please, do not be upset. I did not mean to anger you.” The words came out in a quiet plea as she lifted her gaze to his, the pad of her thumb once again moving in a circle against his wrist. She relaxed her muscles when she heard his pulse quiet, and shook her head with an amused chuckle. “I am far from adorable. Remember, Alton, I am but a mere stranger to you. You have yet to see the full scale of me.” Giving his hand a squeeze, she moved to pull it free so he could drive, but his hand stalled her. A shiver raced down her spine when he pressed his lips to her palm, her eyes closing for a moment to savor the feeling. He wanted her. She couldn’t explain it, and she didn’t know if it was the right thing. She had heard her family talk of soulmates in this life, but she had never expected to find one.

You are thinking too quickly, too far away. Please, Melody, be careful.

Gritting her teeth, she glanced out the window where her mother stood, her body swaying back and forth. She watched in quiet horror as the lights danced off her body, showing the waterlogged, decayed skin. Her stomach twisted, and quickly she turned back to face him, her lips pressing to his shoulder as a shudder raced through her. She knew he wouldn’t understand, and so she played the reaction off as to something he said. It wasn’t too far from the truth. “We should head back. It is getting late, and I am sure the rumor mill is alight with gossip.”

<Alton> Laughing gently, he let his hand pat hers gently before releasing her. “Don’t worry about the rumor mill. The second Tigra gets wind of it, she usually crushes it immediately. The refuses to let rumors tear us apart, and all that.” He chuckled, and let his hand fall to the gearshift, regardless. He dropped the car into gear and let it slowly take off. “Though, I think you might be right. We should be going back. I’m sorry, about getting upset that is.” He waved a hand idly as he gave her an apologetic look. He didn’t usually become so angry, but missing out on this because of the cheating, unsatisfied woman he had kept himself attached to made him more than ready to stand up and stop that from happening.

Quietly, the heavy Charger rumbled down the empty street. “I doubt she will be with the crew. She’s probably gone home, or, you know.” He shrugged and waved his hand again. “Off to be with whatever asshole she’s *******.” He shook his head and dropped the car into second before they swung through the first block. His eyes slid over the opposite side of the street when he saw the Porsche parked over the sidewalk, absolutely zero fucks given to the law or to the few pedestrians that might stray this way at this time.

“******* Cendre.” He muttered. She needed to move her car before it was towed. Most of them might not like her, but she was skilled. None of them wanted to beat her on a technicality, and having her car impounded was an extreme technicality. He flipped the lights off on the Challenger, the heavy car coasting up behind the sleek, expensive new Porsche 911. As the heavy car rolled to a stop, he pushed open the driver’s door before he turned to Charisma in the passenger’s seat and gave her a sigh. “I’ll be right back. She needs to move her car.” He left the door open as he approached the much new, much more expensive machine as it started to rock on its suspension.

The wide, curvy body swayed side to side on its uneven stance, the windows clouded so thick with steam that he couldn’t see an inch inside, though he was already fully aware of what was going on inside. He lifted his hand to knock on the window just before he saw his truck parked in the adjacent alley. The hood was propped open, though it sat cold. His face twisted into a distasteful grimace and he finally knocked on the window, rapping it with his knuckles once.

“Not now.” He could hear Lucille’s voice from the back seat, her breath short. He knocked again, harder and more insistent this time. “Not yet. Not yet.” Came the other voice, the much more familiar, high-pitched squeak of his wife as the car rocked harder, faster as they fought to hurry what they were doing along. Finally, he punched the glass, the sound sharp and hard as his knuckles rapped it once with tremendous force. Finally, Lucille shouted, “**** it, open the goddamn window. You really suck at this.” A loud, agitated groan left the small brunette as her hand reached back to place her palm on the door console, rolling down the window as she bent her head back, naked breasts thrust into the air as she took a deep breath, steadying her panting.

“What the actual **** do you want?” she snapped, her entire body clearly agitated with the interruption, sweat rolling down her forehead, her dark, damp curls stuck to her tan face as her green eyes went wide with horror.

Inside, she was tangled between the redhead’s legs, the other woman’s pale form draped across the back seat with one leg hooked over the tiny brunette’s shoulder. Both of their naked bodies glistened with a sheen of sweat in the crisp light of the street lamps. “Mérde. Non, non, non… Alton…”
He just smiled, and took her arm in his powerful grasp, pulling out her hand. “I thought you might want this. Enjoy the… putain.” He placed his wedding band into her palm, and stood. Inside, Lucille’s laughter filled the car, spilling out into the street. “You stupid whore, is there anything you’re good at?” The brunette crawled from between the woman’s legs, her nude form hanging out of the Porsche’s window as she watched him walk back to the car. Her bare breasts were shoved into the cold, her nipples hard as stones as she watched him step to the passenger door of the Challenger, wrenching the door open and pulling his small, curvy blonde companion free of the cab. Without another word, he pressed his mouth to hers, hungry, his tongue slipping between her soft pillowy lips, seeking hers as he offered a low, dangerous growl. His hand rested on her hip, the tight leather material of her skirt quickly bunched into his clenched fist.

“Alton…”

Posted: **09 Feb 2016, 22:28**

<Charisma> She had caught the scent long before the car rolled to a stop, and her mind frantically tried to come up with any valid reason to keep him in place. Short of exposing herself, however, she found there was nothing she could do. Instead, she remained in her seat, her smile tight as he threw open the door. She saw a brief moment of concern in his eyes, and she wished more than anything she could control the emotions as they raged on inside of her. As he moved for the Porsche, she pressed her hand to the console, the sound of cracking plastic barely heard over the low rumble of her growl. She knew the moment it became clear to him who was on the other side of that fogged window, and as it slowly rolled down, she wished more than anything she could have protected him from the truth. Gritting her teeth, she swept her gaze over the brunette’s naked form, and felt her lips curve into a cruel smirk. Well, at least he’ll be far more impressed with what is beneath your clothing, Charisma.

The beast inside of her roared its ugly head when she watched the woman reach for him, and her hand shot to the door handle in preparation to throw it open. Her anger swept through her quicker than she anticipated, and she felt it as it burned her chest. She understood in that moment, what it meant to be truly undead. He is waking up more beasts than you can handle, Melody. The compassion in her mother’s voice caused her to snarl, her body trembling as she tried to pull in the unhindered anger. Closing her eyes as he turned, she caught the anger and hurt in his eyes as he moved back towards her, and she tried to swallow her own frustration aside. Before she knew what was happening, she was pulled from the car, the cool air brushing against her skin as he yanked her head back and pressed their lips together.

The growl from his own chest woke something inside of her, and her fingers lifted to tangle into his hair, her tongue tangling with his. The soft, pained whisper of his name from the woman in the car only further fueled her, and she pressed her soft body to his as she deepened the kiss. She tried to tell him it would be alright, that she would protect him. Her kiss said everything she feared he would never understand, and after a minute, she reluctantly pulled away. His heart beat frantically against her palm, and she gave him a smile. She knew he’d see it in her eyes, the cold, calculated anger as she brushed her fingers against his lower lip. “Give me a minute, beau.” The words were delivered in a soft, husky purr as she ducked beneath his arm.

Leaving him standing against the car wasn’t the best idea, and she doubted he would remain in place as she made her way for the Porsche. She watched with delight as the brunette’s eyes narrowed, her swollen lips parting to deliver a scathing insult, but it was never voiced. The closer the blonde got, the quicker the anger faded from the others eyes. She knew what she saw – a monster. Charisma had dropped her humane act and allowed the vampire to take over as she curled her fingers over the window and leaned in. Lucille’s eyes widened as she scrambled to sit up, the rage in her eyes dying when she took in the blonde’s face.

“You are pathetic,” she growled, her body shaking as she clutched the door in her grasp. The metal cried beneath her hold, and she gave them a dangerous smile. “What makes this worse for you is the fact he is such an honorable man. He was willing to look past all of your indiscretions and believe the best in you because he honored his vow of marriage. You? You are just a filthy, disgusting whore.” She turned her cold glare to the brunette as she reached into the waist of her skirt to free her cellphone. Bringing up the picture app, she snapped a few images of their tangled, sweaty forms from all angles, before forwarding them to Lora. “And now, everyone will know the truth.” She watched as Cherise’s face crumpled, and from the corner of her eye, she saw the redhead shift.

She knew the lunge was coming before she made it, and the brunette cried out when Lucille bent her in an unnatural angle to try and swipe the phone from her hand. Snarling, the blonde curled her fingers into her hair and pulled her closer, her eyes narrowing as she glared at her. “That is the last time you will swing at me. The next time, I will not leave you breathing. As for you,” she whispered as she shoved the redhead onto the floor of the car, her gaze moving back to the brunette, “You never deserved someone as wonderful and kind as that man. You chose to throw a marriage away for an abusive, disgusting, worthless excuse for a woman. I am sure you two will be quite happy together.”

<Alton> Shaking his head as she pulled away from him, he took a slow, steadying breath. It was so incredibly rare, the flare of anger that had spread through him in that moment, that his entire body was unsure of how to react. He was stiff, his movements automatic as she stepped away, her body moving with that predatory gait toward the back door of the 911. He was frozen in place, her request for time keeping him locked against the car. He couldn’t explain what held him there, so captivated by her wish that it felt like bewitchment. His heavy arms crossed his muscle-bound chest, his brows knit tightly as he watched her lean into the car.

Cherise cringed back, sinking into the car as her body pulled itself back into the window and nearly crawled over the redhead behind her in a frantic attempt to get away from the advancing blonde beast. A quiet whimper left her lips as Charisma leaned through the window, her voice sending a violent tremor down the small brunette’s spine.

Alton watched as she disappeared into the window, her voice low and the women in the car falling too quiet for him to hear. He frowned, watching as she leaned, the line of her body bending in so easy a manner. Every muscle in her body was coiled, ready to strike at the pair of harlots. He could see her rage etched into her very posture. Her hand reached back, fingers sliding into the waistband of the tight leather skirt to remove her phone.

The car rocked violently and there was a sharp cry from inside the car as Cherise was bent in half, Lucille’s pale hand swiping out the window after Charisma’s phone. He watched, his lips turning into a dark frown as he shifted, pushing himself to move toward the car. His feet were like lead. He tightened his fist as he watched Charisma’s hand lash out, pulling back with a fistful of scarlet curls and yanking Lucille’s head out of the car. He saw her dip low again, whispering into the redhead’s ear before throwing her back into the seat, the car rocking again as Cherise’s loud sigh of relief left her lungs as her body was freed from the painful contortion.

Charisma delivered her final words and he watched in silence as she straightened up once again. Inside the car, Lucille pulled herself back into the seat as Cherise began to look about for her clothing, tears framing her cheeks as she shook her head. “You stupid useless slut. You have to be the worst mistress ever. Get the **** out of my car.” Lucille snapped, pushing open the door furthest from Charisma, not willing to acknowledge her further as she took a fistful of chocolate curls and yanked, throwing the small, tanned body into the street.

Cherise had managed to collect a single heel before she was tossed to the sidewalk, the Porsche’s door slammed in her face and the doors locked. The redhead climbed over the front seat, her sweaty form sliding across the leather into the driver’s seat as the car started. With a roar, the 911 jumped to life, tires wailing as she pulled away from the curb to leave the naked woman lying on the sidewalk, face to face with her predator.

Tears shone on her face as she clutched the returned wedding band in one hand, her strappy black heel dangling from the other as she shook her head. “I’m… I’m sorry, leave me alone. Don’t hurt me, just leave me alone.” She turned, onto her knees and crawled a pace as she pushed herself to her feet, eager to be moving.

She made it to her feet, her nude form dashing from the spot she’d been deposited and ducking into the alley with the truck. Finally, with the threat gone, he breathed a heavy, drawn sigh and his fists relaxed, his legs finally able to move. He dropped his arms, and moved to where Charisma stood, watching the sheer display of cowardice. He lifted his hand, cupping her face and turning her head to catch her lips with his. He remained there for a long moment, his powerful arms encircling her as he held her soft figure against his hard, mountainous form. In the alley, the truck growled and rumbled to life. He didn’t flinch as the offroad beast screamed past them, tearing down the strip after the Porsche that had disappeared onto the main road.

<Charisma> She felt as if she couldn’t breathe. She knew, logically, she wouldn’t suffocate – but that didn’t stop the panic that filled her when she tried to pull air into her lungs. The rage had all but taken control as it blinded her, and for a moment, she feared what she might do. As the door swung open and the brunette was thrown to the curb, she felt her body tighten. How easy it would be to lean over, tangle her fingers into her hair and snap her neck. She could already hear the sound of bones shattering – and it caused her stomach to twist into knots. Melody! This is not you. Remember who you are! For once, she welcomed the sound of her mother’s voice, the soft spoken words bringing her back to reality. She realized too late that the woman had seen the beastly side of her – far more of her than she had wanted to expose.

Watching as absolute terror filled her eyes, the blonde didn’t trust herself to move a single muscle as she scampered to her feet. Her bare *** swayed as she ran for the truck, and still, the vampire’s gaze remained locked on the curb where she had once been. What had happened to her? She could still taste the desire to rip her apart as it coursed through her veins, her muscles trembling with the resolve it took for her not to teleport herself onto the hood of the Porsche and rip the redhead through the windshield. Melody. Listen to his heart. The soft whisper was closer now, and she felt a soft brush of cold air against her shoulder, as if the woman had laid her hand on her skin to offer reassurance. Taking her advice, she tilted her head as she heard the soft footfalls of his approach, and singled in on the beating of his heart.

She listened as it increased in tempo, and she realized he had been worried for her. She felt an unfamiliar twist in her chest at the knowledge that he had respected her wishes despite his utter desire to be at her side. He wanted to protect her. The thought amused her, and yet, she still found herself glaring at the pavement. It had been so easy, and she felt the vampiric side of her snarl at the fact she had let them out of her reach. Pathetic. It wasn’t until she felt his strong touch to her jaw that she managed to push aside the darkness inside of her. As her head tilted towards his, she turned and circled her arms around his neck, the growl of the truck’s engine causing her to give a throaty chuckle as she leaned into the kiss.

Taking a step back, she pulled him with her until her back was pressed to the wall, her lips never once breaking from his. Her fingers dug into his skull, her body pinned between the delicious warmth of his and the cold, unforgiving brick of the building’s wall. “I am sorry,” she whispered into the kiss, her tongue trailing slowly over his as she gave a low, throaty moan. What was she doing? She couldn’t seem to get enough of him. Was it her hunger for affection, or the beasts? Did it matter? She had gone so long with being alone, she never wanted to feel that way again. As if fueled by the fear, she pulled him even closer as she trembled.

<Alton> Watching as his, very soon to be ex, wife flee, her bare *** streaking through the street to disappear into the alley, he couldn’t help but shake his head. When the small, curvy blonde turned to him, her arms circling his neck, he leaned into the kiss, following her lead without question, without resistance. He felt her chuckle, her amusement radiating through her entire, soft form as the truck tore past them. Whatever she had done, she had nearly made Cherise piss herself. She had always been a coward, but this was sheer terror.

He moved to push her into the brick the moment her soft body made contact with the unforgiving face of the wall. His hands lifted, thick fingers twisting roughly into her soft, silky gold curls and pulling her roughly into the embrace. His tongue moved with hers, tasting her, taking her as he offered a low growl of approval. She was delicious, soft, her wet tongue sliding tenderly over his as he rested back against the wall. Slowly , he untangled from her as she tipped her head back, his fingers moving through her thick curls as she whispered her pointless apology.

He smirked, head shaking as he pushed a kiss to her brow. “No. I should be sorry that you had to see that. I should have told you to stay in the car.” He said breathlessly, his hands moving down her sides, broad grip resting across her hips as he gave her a wry smile. “Though, now I’m sure that Lora will have the time of her life spreading the gossip.” He chuckled, and pulled her into his form. “If you haven’t figured it out yet, she is the rumor mill.” He pulled her in for another kiss, lips pushing against the soft, pillowy flesh as he smiled against her mouth.

“I have to ask, what did you say to them? Cherise is a coward, I know, but you had her ready to piss herself, and Lucille ran away like a frightened kitten. Whatever you did, it terrified them.” His fingers twisted in her curls, wrapping them idly about his digits as he searched her wide, expressive eyes. He knew, already, somehow, that she couldn’t lie to him. That whatever she had done, she would confess it to him. She was an extremely peculiar woman.

<Charisma> The hunger gnawed at her stomach as she held her fingers against the back of his head, her nails threatening to tear into the soft skin. She knew she had no control, the scent of their fear practically begging her to chase them down. The only thing that kept her in place was his hands moving through her hair, and his body pressing into hers. If she could, she would remain locked with him for eternity – but she knew there would be no way that was possible. Her mind rebelled when he began to pull back, and for a long moment, she remained quiet. Even the little bit of distance he put between them was too much, the familiar scent of the two women assaulting her senses. Her head quickly snapped to the side, eyes closing tight as her hands dropped to his shirt. Her fingers bunched in the fabric, and a low groan vibrated from her throat as she tried to find serenity. Melody. You cannot do this. You must go.

Her mother was right. She couldn’t stand here with him a moment longer. She was putting him in danger, she was putting the lineage in danger. Yet, as she turned her gaze back to his, she was struck once again by the honesty, the warmth that radiated from his very soul. Why could we not have met under different circumstances? You will never understand nor accept me for who I am now. Tracing her tongue over her lower lip, she let her subconscious rear her ugly head and fill her with the disappointing fear that she had been trying to hide from the moment they met. “I am a grown woman, Alton. If you had told me to remain in the car, I would not have. They do not deserve to get away with hurting you.” Her voice quivered as she spoke, and she lifted her gaze back to his. Her eyes were filled with turmoil, her inner battle strong as she rested her hands against his chest.

When he spoke of her friend, she gave another throaty laugh and shook her head. “I believe it. She is quite the gossip queen in our classes. Somehow, she has made her name for herself not only in the Arts department, but also in the Science wing. She makes it more difficult for me to balance two degrees with her inability to keep who is sleeping with who quiet.” Shaking her head, she rested her head against the brick, her hair falling into her eyes as she studied his strong features. She parted her lips to tell him goodbye, and yet the words wouldn’t form. Even if she had been able to lie, and tell him that it was fun, but it wasn’t for her – he never would have given her the chance. As if he had read the parting in her expression, he latched on to the one thing she was attempting to hide from him.

Fear filled her eyes, and she stammered for a second before pressing her hand to his chest. Melody, you need to go. You do not know this man! He could be the very one that wishes to end your kind. Her mother’s voice was filled with despair, and she used her strength to push him away from her. Ducking beneath his arm, she made a single step away, prepared to run, before the pain hit. It felt as if a dozen blades were being kicked into her stomach, and with an agonized cry, she doubled over. Her hand instantly went to her abdomen to check for blood, but when it came away clean, she knew. Somehow, the very curse that was meant to liberate her, was now torturing her. Gripping the wall, she tried to take another step, but her knees gave out and she sank to the ground.

I am not telling a lie! I am simply trying to leave him! Her mother’s apparition shimmered in her view, and she lifted her gaze as her skin paled. I had hoped you would have learned from my mistakes. You do not have to use your voice to deceive someone. Gritting her teeth, she let the woman’s words sink in. She knew it was true, the only way to liberate her from the agony was to reveal the very thing that would send him running from her forever. As she curled her fingers into a fist and pressed them to her stomach, she glanced to him, her eyes dark. “I allowed them to see my true self. I allowed them to see what I really am, the very thing they fear. I allowed them to see I am a vampire.”

<Alton> He watched in silence as she struggled, her wide, strangely beautiful eyes were like windows through which he could watch the savage battle inside her mind as she warred with herself. Her entire body was tense, her muscles coiled and ready to spring, launching her after the women that had just narrowly escaped her. Suddenly, he was glad that they had left in such a hurry. It wasn’t Lucille’s style, but he felt like she had saved her own neck. She was a horrible, terrible sort of person, and she deserved all of the ire that the world could afford her, but she didn’t afford to die. She was just a person, and somewhere deep down in every person, he truly believed, there was some good. There had to be, if there was any hope for any of them. It may not be a very popular view of the world, but it was one that he wouldn’t budge on. Everyone had good and evil within them, it was their choice which took control of their lives.

He could see her face as her expressions changed, first from that worried expression that crossed her features when she fought with herself, slowly melting into worry for someone else. There was something on her mind, something that she was fighting to protect from herself. His bare hands lifted to cup the sides of her face as her outrage flickered across her features, lips parting to lash out on behalf of her free will. A grown woman. Like he couldn’t see that for himself. He let his lips pull into a sly, amused smile as his thumbs moved over her cheekbones. “You are right, of course. I know you are a grown woman. The fact, I think, is lost on none of us.” He said with that same coy grin as he let his arm fall lightly, his forearm brushing along the full swell of her heavy breast, indicating the evidence that made it hard to deny that she was grown.

As he chuckled, she spoke of the little frumpet, her words making his chuckle swell into full laughter. He let his head shake lightly as he laughed. “I am hardly surprised. It’s like everyone else’s love-life is her favorite subject, when she is the one with the most unusual one.” He shrugged, his laughter slowly subsiding as she started to search for freedom. He could see it in her eyes, that search for escape, that fight-or-flight mechanism flicking on in her brain as she scanned the street behind his broad figure for a way out. Fear consumed her gaze as she seemed to lose control to that terror. Her fingers lifted to his chest, splayed across his muscled form as she pushed to create some distance between them.

He didn’t fight her, stepping aside as she ducked beneath him. He wouldn’t hold her someplace she didn’t want to be, even if it pained him to watch her leave. Especially after all that she had just witnessed, his entire home life coming apart at the seams, unravelling into nothing. His thumb moved along his naked finger, the weightlessness of it awkward after so long carrying the burden of his symbol of binding. As she stepped away, the subtle curves of her form tightened, her body doubling over as a sick sound left her throat, like she gagged on pain, her hands shooting to her soft abdomen as she fought the agony in her stomach, like simply leaving was going to cause her insides to spew from her lips.

He frowned as she paled, worry etched in his features as he moved closer, his hand resting across the smooth expanse of her back. “Amour, are you alright?” he said softly, watching her as she tangled with the agony. Of course she was not alright. She was pale as a sheet, all the blood drained from her face as she fought to take another step. He could see her stomach turn, and she fought to keep from vomiting into the street as she blurted the truth as quickly as she could, expelling it from her body like it was poison, and that merely keeping it inside of her was making her ill. The truth she spoke, however, was what concerned him most.
Why are the hot ones always so crazy? ****.

He let his hand pass across her back as he frowned. Crazy.

But she wasn’t crazy. He could see it in those shimmering pools of her eyes, the unshed tears of exertion glimmering in her pale eyes as she let the waves of nausea and agony pass. His hands lifted to tenderly wipe the tears away before they could fall and he helped her to stand upright. There had to be something to her, something that made her so… strange. He had never seen someone become so physically ill just for keeping the truth to herself. It would explain her brutal honesty. It explained the girls’ terror and the unnatural, exotic beauty that she carried so easily, as well as the uneasy feeling that she seemed to carry about her like an aura of darkness.
He frowned, his features hard. He was actually considering that this might be true. Was he insane?

“Of course not.”

He waved his thoughts away as he put an arm around her shoulders, hauling her upright as his hand moved to span her cheek, the rough warmth firm against the soft, cool flesh of her cheek. “And somehow, that sounds less crazy than I think it should. I think you might be the first person to ever make me honestly question my sanity, Charisma.”

<Charisma> When one was cursed to be nothing but honest, they always lived on the precipice of losing everything they ever cared for. In the moment between feeling the pure agony and expelling the truth, the blonde understood the suffering more than she ever had. As her muscles began to relax, she bowed her head, her entire form feeling as if it had gone through a month long battle. The urge to sleep for months caused her to slip further to the ground as she waited in silence for his mind to process the insanity of her words. She could hear his heart pick up, taste his blood on the air as it began to race. The hunger beat at her like a drum, and she turned her head to the side to try and put some space between them. He was going to leave her, he was going to turn her in – he was going to kill her. She should have ran.

I told you, Melody. I am your mother, I know what’s best for you. Gritting her teeth, she refused to look up as she saw the ghost’s feet step in front of her. She knew if she did, she would no longer be able to control the emotions twisting into tight, taut knots in her chest. She would lose the last of the restraint she possessed, and whatever hope – albeit small as it may be – of keeping Alton at her side would vanish. Slowly, she rested her head back, her gaze moving from his shoes, up the expanse of his legs, to his chest, and finally, focusing on his face. She watched the emotions flicker in his eyes, and she knew the moment he registered that she was simply insane. For a brief moment, any attraction he had felt for her vanished with the knowledge that she needed an all express pass to the psych ward.

Pain slammed into her stomach, and her lips parted on a gasp. She had no idea what she was feeling, as she watched him. She’d never been in the position where she felt anything at all, and now she was losing the one thing she had. In the expanse of one night, she had found and lost the very thing that made her feel alive. She snapped her gaze from his and pushed her hand against the brick, preparing to lift herself to her feet and flee, but before she could, his strong arm was doing the work for her. Teetering on her heels, she almost didn’t want to look back into his eyes, she didn’t want to hear the insults as they tore into her skin sharper than any knife could, and yet she couldn’t resist. She had expected the worst, and so when he spoke of his acceptance, her full lips twisted into a frown.

“I do not understand. You should be trying to kill me, to lock me away,” she whispered, her voice filled with wonderment as she settled her hand against the taut muscles of his chest. ”I do not mean for you to question your sanity. I merely speak the truth. I must say, however, that you accepted it far easier than I did. My mind has still refused to wrap around the knowledge that only two weeks ago I was brutally murdered.” Sinking her teeth into her lower lip, she searched his face, as if waiting for him to come to his senses and abandon her.

<Alton> Shaking his head, he gave a soft, quiet laugh as his hands held her face, her soft, plump cheeks resting easily in his palms as he lifted her to his face, her lips finding his for a brief moment. “I couldn’t find it in me to want any sort of violence to come to you, Charisma. It is against the core belief that our family is built upon. I wouldn’t strike a woman to save my own life, and I wouldn’t wish her harm to spare myself agony.” He shook his head as his thumbs moved along her cheekbones, the soft skin so pliable beneath his touch. His rough palms moved against her face as he held her close. “Even Lucille, as insane as that might sound. So if I can grasp that insane ideology, then I can grasp this. I can grasp you.” His lips found her brow, then, and rested against the cool flesh of her forehead, his nose buried in her soft locks as he inhaled her scent, the breath subtle as he held her.

His hands slipped from her face to encircle her shoulders, pulling her forgiving, supple body against his iron hard frame. “This place is strange.” He said softly, his head shaking as her form melted into his. “So many strange and horrific things have happened here. If you had seen
Tigra’s car…” he shook his head and knit his brows as his eyes closed, remembering the gruesome evidence of his cousin’s wreck. They had all thought her dead. Even Cendre, the woman that almost hated her, had shed a tear. She had tried to hide it, but he had seen. And she had been that much more vicious when their leader had returned. She was not one to show needless emotion, and they all knew it. “To say that it is the fault of vampires… it is
hardly a stretch of the imagination to believe it. Fiction, after all, is usually based on fact of some form. Sometimes, it is just a much more subtle truth.”

His hands moved along her body, committing her curves to his memory. She had weight to her,
her soft lines not exactly subtle, her womanly figure both erotic and elegant. She carried the weight in the perfect proportions, in all the right places. It was hardly an uphill battle to believe that such absolute eroticism was unnatural. He was drawn to her, a moth to the flame, and such an appropriate analogy. She could burn him to ash without batting a lash, and leave behind nothing but the husk of a corpse, and the world he suddenly found himself in,
the whole dark underbelly of this city that was so brusquely exposed to him wouldn’t bat a lash. He was just another victim, another drone in the hive, a busted cog in the machine and easily replaced.

He watched her eyes, seeing the horror, the fear that he was going to change his mind,
that he was going to drop her to her feet, climb into his car, and leave her there. He pulled her close once again, his lips finding hers in a tender, adoring embrace. His brow pushed to hers and he shook his head, looking intently into those soft, gentle eyes. “Stop looking at me like that. I’m not going anywhere.” He said quietly, his hand resting on her hip. “I would be ridiculous to run away like a coward. Look at me. I would never hear the end of it. Little you frightening me away? They would laugh me back to Quebec.” He said with a playful chuckle, the light spirit of his words easy as his fingers worked her curls around them, playing gently with the silky strands.

<Charisma> She didn’t want to accept his words to be true, and she couldn’t understand the reason why. It was everything she had wanted, was it not? She wanted to find someone to accept her for everything that she was, every dark, confusing piece of her, and he was standing before her. All she could think, however, was when he was going to call it quits and leave her to dust. Shaking her head, she lifted her hand and pressed it to his cheek, her thumb brushing over his lower lip as she listened to him speak of his cousin and the horror they had faced thinking she deceased. She had known the moment she met the others that they were of her kind, and now she understood why. Shaking her head, she tipped her head back as she accepted the kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck to hold him to her.

His hands roamed over her body as if she were made of porcelain. Even after she delivered the horrific news that she was undead, he was unable to treat her any differently. His rough hands sent a tremble through her body, and she pressed more into him as her tongue slipped past his lips to taste him once again. A low moan vibrated from her throat, her body trembling with the sound as she let her worries fade with each second she was locked in his embrace. After a moment, however, she pulled back and rested her head against his shoulder, her eyes closing. “They can never know what I am, Alton. You might be willing to accept me for the horrible monster than I am, but not everyone will share your mindset. There are those out there that seek to kill me, to kill my lineage. They are brutal in their pursuit, and they can be anyone. Even someone you think you can trust.” Her gaze lifted to his as she spoke, fingers brushing down the length of his neck to his shoulder where she rested her hand.

“I do not understand what is happening. I have gone my entire life never feeling a thing for anyone. When my creator killed me, I thought it was the end for me, and now I am in this new body and I feel all of these new and different things. I want to hate her for what she did to me, but I find myself unable to, because I doubt I would be here with you if she hadn’t. I would have never left the comfort of my apartment, of my human life to have even come out here.” She hated to admit it, because she wanted to believe that their paths would have crossed another way, but she knew the truth. She had been too caught up in her own numb existence that it hadn’t been until she died that she had begun to live. Tipping her head back, she pressed her lips back to his and laughed quietly. “They would laugh you further than Quebec, amour. After all, I am rather small.” As she spoke, another hunger twisted in her stomach, reminding her that her time to feed was growing near.

Clearing her throat, she moved to step away from him, body shaking as she gave him another tight smile. “This is all new to you, I know, but I need to go. I will try to come back, but I have to…” She didn’t want to tell him, to reveal more than she thought he could handle, but she couldn’t lie to him. “Feed. I need to feed.” She admitted quietly, her fingertips pressing to her lower lip as her eyes faded to a dull green so rapidly, it was if someone had flicked a switch.

Posted: **09 Feb 2016, 22:30**

<Alton> When she held him, her soft, slender arms wrapped loosely about his neck, she made him feel important, strong, like he was meant for someone. Cherise had stopped holding him like that a long time ago. He leaned gently into her figure, his every breath taking in her scent, tasting her on the air and leaving salty kisses behind to dot her satin-smooth flesh. Strong fingers gripped her hips as he placed her back against the wall, her soft body again melding to the contours of his own unforgiving frame. She was the perfect fit for any man. The real trouble in her pairing, was that there seemed an extremely rare number of men that could fit her. It was just cause that he would feel so empowered, so important in that she would find him, of all the men and women she might have encountered in her life, to be the one that she would feel anything for. It was also a lot of pressure and responsibility, something that he welcomed without fear.

Each touch to her gentle form sparked a new sense of adventure, a new road to explore. Each valley, swell and curve was an expedition he wasn’t willing to pass over. His rough fingers brushed along her pale skin, his eyes watching hers as his touch embraced her. He shook his head at her words, and leaned closer to her, forcing her body tight against the wall of the building. “I would already assume that this is a secret, amour. You would have simply danced into our crew and announced yourself otherwise.” He said with a slightly amused chuckle. “I, nor any of our crew would betray your trust. Even Lucille, I’m sure, you’ve frightened too much to cross paths with you ever again. You can trust us. And big momma will protect you same as the rest of us. She’s scary when she wants to be, tiny as she is.”

He laughed gently, the sound genuinely amused as he dipped down to push a kiss to her soft, inviting lips. “I would suspect that everything would change with something like that… dying, and all, you know? That seems like a fairly traumatic experience to have to handle, and I would think that it would change your entire perspective on most things. Maybe that could possibly be a decent enough explanation for the change in you, not just me.” He smirked, then, and leaned down to kiss her neck before he whispered into her ear. “We don’t want my ego getting too large, do we?” he chuckled, his arms looping around her hips and pulling her close as he took a slow breath, inhaling her scent as he closed her eyes.

He shook his head then as he held her tight, his arms flexing around her waist as he
pulled her closer. “And if you have to feed on blood, why can you not take mine? Are there specific people that you have to take your blood from, or is it something else?” he asked, his head tipping to run his lips along her jaw. “Is there something wrong with my blood?” he asked quietly, teasing her curls with his fingers.

<Charisma> She hated to admit that his touch elicited any sort of response in her, that he made her want to believe that she was normal, and that she deserved to be with someone. She had never thought it possible that she would find a man willing to put up with her quirks, and after she had been turned, she had completely given up all hope and had resigned herself to living a life of solitude. Yet, in a blink of the eye, she found herself pinned between the sweetest man she had ever met and the hardest brick wall known to mankind. This is what life is about, Melody. Finding someone that awakens every part of you. Her mother’s voice was soft and comforting, but at the same time it was rather intrusive, giving her a sense that she would never fully be alone. Gritting her teeth, she pushed the woman further from her mind and lifted her gaze back to his, her fingers tangling delicately into his hair as she searched his expression in silence.

She didn’t want to decipher what she saw in the intensity of his gaze, nor did she want to think on how it affected her. She was more than certain if she had a single breath left in her lungs, the simple, burning look in his eyes would have been enough to steal it. As it was, her chest constricted and her fingers shook as they curled tighter into his hair, only to pull on the short strands when she felt the pressure of his lips against her throat. “You cannot continue to look at me like that or do things of such a nature if you wish to carry a conversation, amour. I cannot think clearly.” Laughing softly, she leaned up to press her lips to his jaw as her fingers slid down the back of his neck to rest lightly over his shoulders. She hadn’t exactly wanted him to stop, but she knew that if they continued down the path they were traveling, talking would be the last thing on either of their minds. Not that it would necessarily be a bad thing, Chari.

Shaking the lustful thought from her mind, she rested back against the building and traced her fingers over his jaw. Despite her warning, she found herself unable to keep her hands to herself. For the first time in her entire life, she actually wanted someone’s touch and she feared if she broke from his embrace, clarity would sink in and he would leave her. “I am sure they would not turn on me if you believe it so, but I cannot risk their lives. Not yet.” Another wave of pain shot through her stomach as he spoke of his family, and she knew that it was one secret she could not reveal, as it wasn’t her truth to tell. The pain built in the back of her throat, and she had to fight with all of her strength to keep it from showing on her face. As it was, she was certain that he would see it in her eyes or the way her skin paled. You cannot tell him this truth. You need to fight the curse, Melody. You must fight it! Twisting her fingers, she pressed them against the nape of his neck and leaned up, claiming his lips once again.

The taste was enough to calm the fire burning inside of her, and after a few moments, it had ebbed completely. With a quiet groan, she fell back onto the balls of her feet and pressed her head to his shoulder, mind racing with thoughts that she couldn’t sort out. She knew how she must have seemed to him, telling him one thing while doing the exact opposite. She didn’t want to stop touching him, feeling him, kissing him – but she needed to focus on the more important things. Like her hunger. It had grabbed her stomach and held tight, pulsing with each sound of his heart beating in his chest. She had expected him to release her, to let her go into the city to find something to feed on, and had been taking completely off guard. For a moment, she could do nothing more than stare at him as her mind raced to find a way to explain her desperation.

“Non! I cannot…it…it is nothing to do with you, amour,” she replied hastily, her eyes flashing as she pulled back and put her hand to his chest once again. She was wasting time by standing there, and yet she couldn’t pull herself away without explaining it to him. “I do only feed from men. Their blood is stronger than most females. It is a preference, one that I was told is chosen at turning, but there is not a thing wrong with your blood! I just do not trust myself to not hurt you. A single drop of human blood is enough to awaken the beast inside of me, one that I do not have a single thread of control over.” Even as she spoke, however, the beast was already rising. It turned her eyes a deep shade of emerald, and her hands shook as she pressed them to her lips. “I simply need to find someone and quick. I promise, I will return to you as soon as I am able.”

<Alton> Shaking his head, he gave her a light smile. His hand gently pushed against her cheek as he bent his head. “Nothing like that, amour. But if someone, anyone, came for one of ours, we would protect them. Tigra is very good at making the right people vanish at the right time, and the rest of us fall into place without batting a lash.” He chuckled, his thumb dipping low to her lower lip, tracing the shape as he gave her another grin. “How do you think Lucille isn’t in jail for assault yet? We might hate her, me more than most in light of recent events, but she’s good at what she does, and she’s one of us. She’s helped out her fair share of the newbies.”

He smiled, the display genuine. Even his wife’s betrayal didn’t weigh on him as heavily as it probably should have. Nothing seemed to drag him down when he was near her. He leaned down, pushing his lips to hers before he let his hand move to the center of her chest, pushing her against the wall. “Non, Cherie. I don’t think that is exactly the best idea.” He said softly, holding her tightly against the firm, unforgiving brick wall. “If you need a male’s blood, I have plenty. There’s more in me to spare than could fit in that tiny stomach of yours. You couldn’t kill me if you drank until you burst.”

He shook his head, and held her tight. He was fully aware that, as a vampire, she was likely to be much, much stronger than she appeared. He was prepared for that, though. Quietly, his arm lifted until his wrist rest gently against her cheek, his lips pushed to her brow as he muttered tenderly against her skin. “Take what you need from me, but I won’t tolerate so much as thinking about you putting your mouth near another man.” He said quietly, his free hand snaking its way up her back to twist his fingers into her curls. His grip tightened on the golden silk, his fingers holding her tight as he tipped her head back, his lips finding hers once again.

He gave a soft groan in his throat before he pulled away, hearing her stomach tremble with need. He gave a soft smile. “Before it eats you, you should probably satisfy it. And by the sound of it, you’re way too late to go looking for someone now. You’d run into one of the crew, and let’s face it. They’re all a hell of a lot smaller than I am. You’re ten times as likely to kill one of them.” He smiled, then, wide and triumphant. If she did leave, and he was right, he knew that it would completely undo everything she set out to do. If she stayed, and drank from him, it would only satisfy his wishes. The decision was an easy one, honestly.
“I promise. I won’t hold it against you, amour.”

<Charisma> A low, keening whine left her chest. The sound was almost animalistic in nature, and her fingers trembled violently as she curled them into his shirt. She felt the fragile fabric tear beneath her assault, her nails lightly grazing against the delicate skin of his chest. He was twice – no, three times – her size, and yet she knew how easily she could destroy him. The hunger tore at her stomach as he spoke, and her eyes closed against the assault of images flashing in her mind. He was one frightening, confusing man. She had never had such a dilemma when it came to silencing her needs. She simply picked the first man she came across and sank her fangs in. She did not care for his life story and she most certainly did not bat a lash as she left him for dead.

What he was offering was preposterous. He simply did not know what he was asking of her, and she knew she would have to show him. Swallowing the hunger down as best as she could, the blonde tipped her head back and met his gaze. All other conversation died as she stared into his familiar eyes, and she braced herself for the repulsion she was about to see. “You are so easily ready to accept a beast into your heart, into your bed, Alton, but you do not know who it is you truly hold. You wish to see why they are as terrified of me as they are?” She spoke the words quietly, not a single tremble in her voice as she uncurled her fingers from his shirt. Slowly, she smoothed down the ruined fabric as her features changed. Gone was the soft, delicate expression she wore. In its place was the face of the monster. Her eyes had lost all warmth, light and life. They were cold, soulless and lacked a single ounce of emotion.

It was the face of a killer, of someone that others spoke of in their horror stories. Without tearing her gaze away, she lifted her hand between them and slowly allowed her nails to morph into bestial claws, and she as she pressed one to the artery in his throat, she gave a slow, dangerous smile. Even the curve of her lips, the one that was meant to soften her features, caused her to appear as the very monster she was. “It is not that I was simply murdered and turned into a creature of the undead, amour. Non, non. I was reborn as something far worse than a vampire. Upon our turning, we all awaken to a path that is fitting to our entire existence, one that we have been following for a long time. Mine, sadly, was the path of what they call a Killer. We are the most cold, most emotionless, most deadly path known to our kind. Tell me, Alton, do you still wish me near you?”

The words fell from her lips in a tone that sent a chill down any normal human’s spine. She had watched many-a-nights as a human would almost fall unconscious from her voice alone. They were intelligent enough to be terrified of her, and yet the man in front of her seemed to be lacking that important part of his brain that told him when danger was near. It took her a moment to realize what he had done, and the second she did, she knew it was too late. As she had been trying to terrify him away, her mind locked on his safety above her own, he had pressed his wrist to her lips. She could feel the pulse as it flittered with life, and she could smell the sweet aroma of his blood. The hunger flared with an intensity she had never felt before, and her fingers lifted, the claws disappearing as she tangled them back into his hair. “I warned you, you foolish man.” Those were the last words she spoke as she threw his arm to the side and pulled his head down, her fangs slipping into the skin of his neck. As the blood moved over her tongue, the taste more delectable than anything she had ever imagined, a low growl tore from her throat as pleasure twisted like a hurricane in her stomach.

<Alton> Shaking his head at her words, he couldn’t help but give her a smile. His hands lifted to touch her face, even as it changed. He could see its hard edge, the way that her hunger gnawed at her until she was mad with need, her recklessness only matched by the pain in her abdomen as it demanded sustenance. He held her anyway, his thumbs travelling over the hard lines of her face as he looked down at her. “What you are is a lot more than what you look like, Charisma. There is more to you than merely two simple layers, and I can see the beauty in the ones that are hidden beneath this.” His fingers moved across her face as he gave her a slow smile. “Danger has never frightened me in the past, amour. I certainly don’t think that it will start now.” He gave her a wink, and pulled her closer as he pushed his wrist to the corner of her lips, turning her head.

He gave a faint chuckle, his powerful form towering high over hers as his free hand lifted to her curls. “I will say, though, that to call yourself a killer is a little bit of a stretch. You’ve hardly exhibited homicidal tendencies since you got here, and if you could give Lucille a pass, then I think you’re plenty in control.” He grinned, the smile genuine as he pulled her closer. His fingers twisted into her curls as he leaned down, pushing his lips to hers. “Though I will admit that you are quite deadly. You could take anyone unaware with that beauty and charm. I hardly call it a fair fight between you and a common man.”

He laughed again, his arms enveloping her as he pulled her tight against his chest, even as her fangs sank into his neck. The pain was momentary, before he could feel her pulling sustenance from him. Each sip, each second draining his strength even as his arms remained locked around the woman. He chuckled again, the sound breathless as he held her close, caressing her, gently stroking her back as she fed. He closed his eyes, burying his face tenderly in the curly bed of golden strands. Quietly, he inhaled her scent, letting it drift through him, consuming him as his arms crushed her soft figure against his hard body. He gave a quiet groan against her scalp as she fed, his fingers twisted gently into her curls as he kept her against his throat.

His free hand lifted to push gently against the brick wall, making sure that, if she did take enough to make him unsteady, that he had himself prepared for the light-headedness. He closed his fingers against the rough brick and leaned into her, pushing her body back against the wall as he gave another quiet sound from his throat, his body leaning heavily into her, feeling her soft body give beneath him. He chuckled lightly and took another breath, filling his senses with her scent. “You are absolutely wonderful.” He said softly against her curls.

<Charisma> His inability to see her for the monster she really was should have been enough to send her running. She knew in the pit of her stomach that she didn’t wish him harm, and yet she also knew that without a doubt, she would inevitably cause him to suffer. He seemed to lack the fight or flight that most humans possessed, especially when he had so eagerly taunted her with the soft touch of his wrist to her lips. She should have turned then, but she had been unable to resist. He had known he was testing fate, and he hadn’t cared. If something were to happen to him then, would it be her fault? Would it really be her humanity at risk, if she were to drink too much and leave him dead in the middle of the street? After all, she had warned him.

These were the thoughts that circled her mind as she pressed her soft form to his, her fangs digging deeper into the skin. His blood was more divine than anything she had ever tasted. It was warm, sweet and had a sharp tang of masculinity and power. The very strength in this vital substance was enough to keep her hooked, should she choose to simply show him how much of a killer she could really be. The beast inside of her purred with delight as she rocked her hips against his, needing more of a connection as she tangled her fingers into his hair. She had deliberately kept out the affect her feeding had on her body. She hadn’t wanted him to worry that she was not only going to put her mouth on another, but also feel desire from it. Yet, nothing had prepared her for how his blood made her feel.

As her humanity continued to war with the monster, a new hunger arose, one she had never felt with such a power. Her entire body began to ache, and her breasts became sore with need. Need for what, she wasn’t entirely sure. Dropping her hand from his skull, she curved her fingers around the back of his neck and pulled him in, her tongue moving along his throat to catch any stray drop of blood that might fall. She was going to drain him dry. She had no other choice, she had no other way to stop this… this fire burning out of control in her stomach. With a savage growl, she ripped at his shirt, her fingers needing to touch his skin. Her nails pulled down his back as she pulled more at this blood, the warmth of his vitality nearly bringing her to her knees. Merde, he was amazing.

She hadn’t even noticed when his hand lifted to cage her in. Had it been a minute? Two? Or only a few measly seconds? Time ceased to exist for her, but then she felt his body sway. The moment she felt that ripple of tension beneath his muscles, she knew she had to stop. The beast snarled with a ferocity that left her breathless, but she found the strength to pull from his throat, her hands shaking as she rested her head against the wall. Her eyes were clouded with lust, and her fingers continued to move over his skin, nails tracing the smooth contours of his muscles. “I am not wonderful,” she finally replied, her tongue moving slowly over her lower lip to remove the last remnants of his blood. Her voice had taken on a husky tone, her need evident as she fought the unfamiliar desire away while her gaze swept him from head to foot. “Are you well, amour? Did I… I did not hurt you?”

<Alton> Shaking his head, he leaned his weight dizzily into the wall he had her pinned against. His face was pale, the sunkissed flesh usually a light golden tan almost translucent with the heavy loss of his blood. He smiled, still, even under the ghastly condition, and gave her a faint chuckle as his hand pushed against her cheek, strong fingers curling into the side of her head, his knuckles brushing along her temple as he shook his head. “I don’t think you could hurt me if you tried, amour. I don’t think you have it in you.” He gave her a knowingly taunting smile as he lifted his other hand to push the golden bangs from her face. “And if you could see yourself, know yourself as someone else can, you would agree with me. You are entirely too wonderful.”

He grinned, knowing that, no matter what point, what logic or argument she brought into this table, that without knowing how someone else can look at her and feel, she could not argue the validity of his point. He had placed her into a corner that had no escape. He chuckled, the sound light, weaker than usual as he leaned down to push drained lips against her brow. “I don’t feel a thing.” He laughed, fingers giving her soft curls a tender tug as he shifted against her, his body leaning heavily against hers, pushing her pliable frame into the harsh grit of the brick. “We should probably get back, before they try to send a search party out after us.” He smirked, his thumb brushing along her lower lip as his dark, tired eyes moved over the contours of her face.

“Wouldn’t want them getting the wrong idea about you, now would we? I’m sure the little frumpet has their imaginations racing.” He laughed as he shifted his weight to turn back to his car. When he stepped away from her, allotting her freedom to move to the car, he stumbled, his knee buckling and sending his towering, muscle-bound form crashing into the bricks. He laughed as he sagged against the wall, letting the immovable building support his weight as he pulled the keys from the pocket of his cargo jeans. He held the ram’s head keychain in his grip as he held the ring of keys out to her. “You uh… wouldn’t mind to drive would you, Cherie? I don’t think it would be the greatest idea that I drive until I eat something.”

He gave her a small, sheepish grin as he jerked the keys toward the heavy black Challenger that sat silently in the street, a monster of a sentry guarding the keys to their own corner of the underworld. “Just be careful with her. I sure as **** hope you know how to drive a stick.” He said quietly as he gave a faint cough. “**** it’s cold.” He said with a clack of his teeth before he ran his hand up his arm. “Just take me to the garage. Tigra will have something I can eat in her apartment.” He said with a faint sound like a laugh. He turned, then, and placed the keychain into her much smaller palm. The round coin of the emblem fit neatly into the crook of her palm, where it looked absurdly small in his own.

He smiled, then, and tipped his head to the car. “I can help you with the driving. It isn’t as easy as it looks.”

<Charisma> She had taken way too much, she could tell in the way his massive form swayed from side to side. It sent a pang of regret through her chest that blossomed into a full ache, causing her fingers to curl into fists at her side. She felt rejuvenated, pure and strong – and the man that had given her so much in such a short period of time looked as if he would fall over the second the wind blew, and it was all because of her. You ruin everything you touch, Charisma. The voice was stronger this time, and her eyes quickly pulled from the towering male to search the darkness for the source, but all she saw was a disfigured shape before it disappeared into the shadows. Shaking her head, she lifted her hand to his chest to steady him, her fingers brushing across his throat as she frowned. “I am so sorry, amour. I should not have allowed myself to feed on you. I promise, I will remain with my usual source. I cannot risk you again.” Her voice spoke easily over his, effectively silencing whatever compliments he had been attempting to deliver. Nothing he said would make her feel any better, especially not then. “Come.”

She stepped behind him when he moved, and was at his side the moment his body fell towards the ground. She tried to soften the blow by wrapping her arms around his shoulders, her cheek pressing to his chest as she closed her eyes at an unfamiliar burn. Moisture built behind the lids, and she quickly wiped it away as she shook her head. How could she have been so stupid? She had known she’d be unable to control herself, and yet she had given in to her animalistic instincts and nearly drained him dry. He had tasted of so much strength, and that very strength was gone from him and instead was coursing through her veins. It was stolen strength, strength she had no business taking from him. “I do not worry what they think of me, Alton. We will not be going back. Not yet. They can think me the whore if they wish, I must take care of you. I am so sorry. I will never do it again.” Her voice trembled as she wrapped her arm around his waist and lifted him to his feet, easily balancing him against her side.

When he handed her the keys, she wrapped her fingers around them and turned to focus on the beast of the car as she lead him towards it. It seemed easy enough to drive, but she remembered the vibration the engine had caused through the entire cab and shook her head. She was a vampire, she could handle anything, could she not? “I can operate a stick quite nicely, thank you,” she said with a forced laugh. It was her feeble way of trying to lighten the darkness that had settled in the pit of her stomach. Pulling open the passenger side of the car, she easily slid him in and grabbed the belt to pull it across his chest. Leaning over him, her breasts brushed dangerously near his face as she waited for the ‘click’ of the safety. She had been cold inside from the knowledge of what she had done, but the close proximity of their bodies as she slid from the car had that unfamiliar heat beginning again. You will take care of him, Melody. He will be fine, please, do not worry. Her mother’s voice offered her no reassurance, and she used her vampiric speed to move herself from the passenger side to the drivers.

Sliding in, she slammed the door behind her and fumbled with the keys before sliding them into the ignition. It was clear she hadn’t been a vampire that long, her body still adjusting the strength and pure power it now had, for when she turned the key, it nearly snapped in two. Taking a breath, she bowed her head for a second before offering him a small smile and trying again. As the car roared to life, she reached beneath the seat to adjust it for her height, her small form looking rather strange behind the wheel. Dropping her hand to the clutch, she pushed it in before sliding the car into gear and applying pressure to the gas. As she did, she released the clutch, causing the car to lurch forward. The sound of grinding gears echoed in her ears, and she instantly moved her hands from the wheel to clutch them over her skull, a sharp cry falling from her lips as pain shot through her head. The car swerved and she quickly dropped her hands back to the wheel to keep it straight, her body shaking. The pain had caused her to pale, and her eyes were clouded as she shook her head. She didn’t bother to speak as she gripped the clutch again and began to repeat the process of pulling from the side of the road. This time was smoother, her body braced for the power that shot through the vehicle as she eased it away and moved for the opposite direction of the garage.

“We are getting you food,” she explained as she shifted gears, allowing the car to pick up speed before the Mcdonald’s sign came into sight. The car jerked as she tried to pull into the parking lot, screech of gears once again causing her to whimper before she corrected herself a second time. As she pulled to the drive through, she gave her order and pulled a wad of cash from her bag. The teenager at the window widened his eyes as he spotted her, and she sighed when he leaned forward, his fingers brushing a moment too long against the back of her hand. He took a while to get them their order, too busy with dropping his gaze to her cleavage as he seemed to practically salivate over her form. “What is a beautiful woman like you doing in a beast like that? If you like ‘em big, baby, I got something better for you,” he grinned, seeming to not notice the nearly passed out man at her side. She chose to ignore him as she waited for the order, the scent of the food inside making her physically ill. It had been the best she could come up with on such short notice, but she found herself wishing she knew how to cook. That had to have been more fulfilling for him than the grease and fat that seemed to cake the food here.

<Alton> Shaking his head, he pushed a strong finger to her lips. “Ferme ta bouche, amour. You will do no such thing. I won’t have it. I am fine.” He muttered, his arm sliding around her slender shoulders as she pulled him to the car. “You did the same damage that the nurse will do at the Red Cross blood drive. There’s no need for you to be all up in arms against yourself. I’ve handled this before.” He chuckled, and followed with her to slide into the seat of his car. As she leaned over him, his hand lifted to rest against her side, his palm laying across her ribcage as he pulled her against his form, tipping his head back to kiss at her throat. “Stop fussing. I can handle it myself.” He muttered into her ear, taking her hand and pushing the belt into its harness with a click. He sighed, and released her hand to let her stand, watching as she nearly became a blur of speed, rushing around the car once she’d shut the door.

When she slipped inside again, he shook his head. “They’re not going to think you’re a whore. They’re just going to think that I’m a little too interested. Frumpet’s played her cards wisely.” He muttered, his fingers rubbing against his brow as she turned the key, nearly snapping it in half. “Easy.” He said firmly, his eyes moving to her face. “I really don’t want to leave her stuck on the side of the road.” His head dropped to her feet, once she’d announced she could drive stick. He smiled blearily as she lifted her foot, pushing in the clutch as she dropped the beast into gear. As she made to pull away from the curb, she let off the clutch too quickly, the car lurching forward after an agonizing scream from the transmission. “I said easy. Are you trying to kill her?” he said as his eyes moved back to her face. “I thought you said you could drive manual.” He said quietly as she held her head.

He frowned, his hand lifting to gently, tenderly brush along the back of her head, her silky curls passing beneath his palm. “It’s okay. Just try to feel the power. You don’t have to use the gas almost any at all. Just let her breathe a little.” He let his hand drop to the back of her neck as she gripped the wheel again, giving the takeoff another shot. This time was much smoother, the gears only clipping lightly as it dropped into place and the beast launched from its spot against the sidewalk, rocketing down the empty strip without any real effort. He watched as she turned away from the garage and knit his brows. “They have food at the garage, Charisma. Food, and a doctor I can trust to not ask any questions.” He shook his head and pushed the heel of his palm to his temple. “It isn’t that big of a deal. I’m already feeling better. Good enough to say I just hit my head. So you don’t even think about running off, and we can go back.”

He muttered as they pulled into the drive-thru. Stubborn woman. He should have been used to that by now, certainly. He was surrounded with them. He reached for her hand as she pushed the bills into the drive-thru attendant’s hand and he shook his head. He took a bill from his wallet and dropped it into her purse. “Don’t pay for my food, either. I can handle it. I swear, you’re worse than they are.” He sighed, and placed his hand on the dash as he watched the attendant nearly burn holes in the chest of her top with his stare. He shook his head and leaned across the console, his powerful frame pressing hers against the back of the seat. “Hey, pal, about that food. Maybe a little more speed, a little less drool, yeah? Or am I going to have to come back by here when you get off the clock?” he watched the man and didn’t wait for a response. “Correction. Avert your ******* eyes, or I will be back, and I’ll put them somewhere more appropriate.”

He didn’t wait for him to respond a second time, and slid back into his seat. He closed his fist against the dash and shook his head. “I swear, little greaseball punks have no idea what respect is anymore.” He muttered, and leaned back into his seat. “Another reason I could have just done with the food at the garage.” He lifted a hand and pinched at the bridge of his nose. “Now I have to waste my time coming back up here.” He flicked his gaze to her and gave a small, sheepish smile. “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt him. I’m not about to go to jail over some punk. I’m not above scaring the piss out of him, though. When I’m done, he won’t even look at the women that come through his window.” He shrugged, then, and let his head fall back against the headrest.

“Think of it as much for them as it is for you. Each little bit of respect that’s given out in the world makes it that much better a place.” He shrugged again and smiled. “Who knows. Might make him a better person for it.” He chuckled, and shook his head as he glanced out the window. “Might actually do him some good.” He watched the darkness, then, his eyes moving through the empty street as he waited patiently, letting the attendant stew in his ire.

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