Elfbitten
A Taryn Malloy Fantasy
Copyright 2011 by Leila Bryce Sin
Smashwords Edition
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2011 by Leila Bryce Sin
Cover art by Tara Shuler
The club was sticky thigh hot and I was already regretting the leather miniskirt. I pushed my way through the gyrating crowd, nearly stumbling into the hallway that led to the ladies room. I blew my bangs out of my eyes and smoothed down the sides of my skirt, hitting skin much sooner than I was used to. My stomach was turning in knots and my heart was beating against my ribs, threatening to burst out. Now that would’ve been sexy. Maybe I wasn’t ready for this place yet. I click-clacked my way to the restroom, really wishing I had gone with the knee-high boots rather than the stilettos, but I thought more skin would give me a little more confidence. Really though, balance would’ve done that for me better than these fucking heels.
Amazingly, there wasn’t a line for the ladies room. I reached for the door; my hand hesitated in mid-air as I changed my mind and nudged it open with my hip. One stall was occupied and all of the mirrors were free, but one look around the room was enough to understand why it was empty and I would be getting out of here quickly as well. I walked over to one of the sinks and ran the cold water, wetting my fingertips and pressing the cold droplets to the back of my neck.
I glanced in the mirror and didn’t recognize myself. My blonde hair was teased beyond control, adding another inch to my height, but it still hung past my shoulders. My eye make up was dark and heavy, making my grey eyes nearly transparent; I did love the length of the fake eyelashes though. I grabbed a paper towel and scrubbed off the matching black lipstick; it was just overkill and made me look dead. I fished out a muted, dark red lipstick and applied it to my lips, making them look full and plump and wet. I tossed the lipstick back into my purse and tried to adjust what little of a top I was wearing. I never dressed like this and that was way too much cleavage for a Tuesday.
“What the fuck were you thinking?” I muttered to myself as I tried to find another inch of skirt to ensure my ass was covered.
“Excuse me?” the woman from the stall asked as she approached the sinks.
“Oh, sorry,” I laughed a little, feeling my cheeks flame under her stare. “I wasn’t talking to you.”
“We’re the only ones in here, doll.”
“Right,” I closed my eyes and flipped my hair over my shoulder. “I was talking to myself.”
“Just don’t answer yourself,” she grinned at me and turned to wash her hands. I tried to laugh, but it sounded strangled. “You doing alright?” she asked my reflection.
“Oh yeah, just my first night out after the break up and I made the mistake of letting my friend dress me.” I turned back to my mirror and tried again to adjust my top and cover some of the cleavage, but the more I pulled it up, the more my stomach showed.
“Well, if it makes you feel better,” she paused, grabbing a paper towel to dry her hands and look me up and down, her gaze lingering on the swell of my hips and the strain of my shirt. “I hated you the minute I saw you, so your friend did a good job.”
“Uh, thanks?” I stared after her as she left, the door falling closed on her grinning face. I stood back from the mirror and took another look at myself. Yeah, I’d probably hate me too, but Roxy said I needed to get on with my life and move on. Cillian and I had broken up over a month ago; he was already cuddled up with that fairy bitch, why shouldn’t I have some fun? I glanced at the mirror again and tucked my hair behind my left ear, showing off the sharp point, sure to attract more attention than the leather and barely-there shirt.
“Alright, Taryn,” I said to my reflection. “Let’s show Cillian what he’s missing.” I grabbed the door handle and pulled, sauntering out of the restroom and heading for the club. My heels clicked a staccato on the bare floor until the right one snapped under me, sending me stumbling into the wall, catching myself just before I fell.
“Son of a bitch!” I whispered through gritted teeth, thanking the gods no one had seen that. I ripped off my shoes and clutched them in my hand. “At least the floor isn’t sticky.” I went back into the club; the music was fast and pulsing, guiding the gyrating crowd, all of the booths that lined the walls were occupied with tangled couples or groups and the whole place smelled like heat. Heat of bodies, of lust, of hunger.
I felt like a child, now only five foot one without my heels, as everyone else seemed to tower over me. I spotted the coat check and hurried over, dodging between tables and bodies, almost panting when I reached it, setting my shoes on the counter.
“That sucks,” the pixie girl in the tiny room said, smiling at me with pink lips that matched her spiky hair.
“Tell me about it.” I rolled my eyes and handed her the ticket stub she’d given me when I turned in my coat. “Can you put my purse with my coat and toss these for me?” I gestured to the ruined shoes.
“Sure thing. You want me to see if we have any shoes you can steal?”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, they’re disinfected, so don’t worry. What’re you?” she leaned over the counter to look at my feet. “A five?”
“Yeah.”
“Hold on.” She took my purse and disappeared among the racks, coming back a minute later with a gorgeous pair of soft black suede boots. She handed them to me over the counter.
“You sure about this?” I asked, even though I was already pulling the right one on.
“Oh yeah, people take them off in the booths and totally forget about them. They’ve been here for weeks now.”
“Thank you so much,” I sighed in relief and pulled a folded bill out of my cleavage and popped the big tip in her jar. Even though the boots were flats, I suddenly felt much more self-assured. Maybe it was knowing I wasn’t in any danger of twisting an ankle in these.
I spun on my heel, feeling six inches taller, and stalked back into the crowd. I let the music swirl through me, the beat finding the rhythm of my pulse. I slipped into the gyrating mass of bodies, my hips swaying in time with the music, my legs bouncing and shoulders rolling. The crowd took me. The magic sleeping inside of me sparked, answering the call of music, skin, and heat. There was magic in the crowd, elves, fairies, humans all pulling on the primal power pulsing inside of us. It wasn’t until this moment that I realized just how drained I had become in the wake of Cillian’s and my breakup.
Hands slipped over my waist, arms circled me and passed me along, fingers trailed over my hips. I closed my eyes and lifted my face, my hair falling back and brushing my exposed skin. My sense of self fell away under the demand of the crowd and I gave myself over to the magic. It began to fill me, making me whole again. Magic welled inside of me, feral and ready to be used when I needed it.
I felt rough hands take my hips, pulling me back into someone. Our bodies swayed together and, as I ground my body against him, I felt his body respond happily. A smile curled over my lips. Sweat broke out over my body and trickled down my cleavage. I arched against the stranger, lifting my hands up and back, finding his neck. I reached farther until my fingers slipped into his hair and I grabbed hold and pulled. His fingers curled into the skin of my round hips, hurting just enough. My breath escaped in a moan stolen by the music. He spun me around, grabbing me under my ass, and pulled me into him again. I hooked one leg on his hip and clung to his shoulders. The leather of my skirt scraped against my skin as it hiked up my hips, exposing me to the crowd, but when I opened my eyes, I realized I probably had on more clothing than most.
My dancing partner was shirtless, showing off hard work and rippling muscles. My nails dug into his round, full shoulders. His arms and chest were decorated with tribal tattoos, flowing over the curves and hallows of his body. His eyes were grey, matching my own, glowing as his magic answered the call of my body. I knew my eyes were also shining with magic, lighting my face. I ran my fingers through his long, sunlit auburn hair, gathering it and holding on, exposing his sharply tipped ears. He grinned at me, his teeth just a little sharper than mine, telling me he was a Hunter. I quirked an eyebrow at him before throwing my head back, arching my body against him, grinding into his welcoming hips.
The Hunter held me with one arm circled around my waist as he reached with his other hand, fingers sneaking up my thigh, gripping the meager bit of lace that arched over my hip. He pulled at the lace, bending forward and burying his face in my neck, growling against my skin. I shuddered under his demand. I bit my trembling lip, wanting to give in to his demands, right here in the middle of the crowd with lust and heat egging us on. The rough material of his low slung jeans rubbed against me, making my body tremble and testing my resolve. Whipping my head forward, using his hair for leverage, we locked eyes, pressing our foreheads together. I could feel his breath on my skin, filling me with his desire. I tilted my chin and pressed my lips against his, hungrily feeding from him.
I nicked my lip on his teeth, blood and iron flavoring our kiss as his tongue slipped in my mouth. I drew his lower lip between my teeth, sucking on it, tasting my own blood. Blood was rushing in my ears and my body was glistening with sweat, a rush of nerves fluttered through me. I lowered my leg to the floor and spun my body in the Hunter’s hands, pressing my shoulders into his chest, tilting my face up. My hips found the rhythm of his; he was hard and ready, pressed against my ass. I grinned up at the ceiling and let his hands wander my body as we danced.
His hands were warm and rough, running over my stomach, one hand reaching up while the other teased the edge of my skirt. I felt his fingers slip under the hem of my shirt, reaching until he cupped my breast, no bra barring his access. A moan escaped my lips as his fingers brushed over my nipple, tender and hard to his touch. I arched harder against him, grinding my ass into him, making his hand clench at my breast, his nails biting into the soft skin. He bent his head forward and bit down on the exposed skin of my shoulder. I gasped as the skin broke, my eyes flying open. It was sweetly painful as he licked at the wound, his hand finally braving the hem of my skirt, and his fingers rubbed against the lacy fabric still in his way. I had never been with a Hunter before; Roxy had told me stories, but nothing prepared me for the reality of his bite.
His fingers worked at me while his mouth latched on to his bite mark, flicking his tongue over my skin, working the muscle. I could feel my whole body responding, the orgasm already edging closer, stealing my sight as my eyes fluttered open and closed. His nails were drawing light, tiny circles over my breast, teasing the nipple all the while as his other hand pulled away from me, making me whimper in protest. Before I could do anything else, his fingers slipped under the lace and were plunging into me, his palm rubbing against my swollen bud of pleasure as he worked. I cried out, my voice lost to the music and the crowd. He pressed me harder against himself, my ass grinding against him, but I wanted to feel what my body was doing to him.
I reached behind me and slipped my hand between us, forcing it down his pants until I could grip his cock. I closed my eyes and imagined it was this sliding inside of me as his fingers pressed deeper. I gripped him and began to stroke in time with him, gently twisting my hand as I came up and down, pressing into the base of his shaft. Arching my hips forward into his hand, I swirled my hips with the music, feeling the warmth flood my stomach and things clenched low in my body. I reached behind me with my free hand and gripped his hair for leverage, pulling until I felt his body react to the pain. His mouth broke away from my shoulder, a growl ripping through his lips, making his whole body vibrate against mine.
His fingers began to pound into me frantically. I gripped him harder, stroking faster. Sounds spilled uncontrolled from my mouth. He began to swell in my hand until I almost couldn’t wrap my fingers around him. I could feel the trickle of blood slide from my shoulder, down between my cleavage, his fingers catching the moisture and swirling it over the nipple. I pressed against his hand, feeling the wave cresting in my body. Our rhythm faltered, losing the beat of the music, so that we were just pounding into each other until I felt the orgasm rip through my body and I screamed my pleasure into the crowd. The Hunter came with me, his body thrashing against my hand, involuntarily pressing his hips into my ass; he gripped my hips as if he really was thrusting himself into me. I heard his roar over the music just before his body went slack around me.
We stood there, curled around each other with the crowd still undulating, and tried to catch our breath. I felt him brush my hair back away from my shoulders before he bent and pressed a much softer kiss to the tender spot that he had marked with his teeth. I’d never been bitten by a Hunter before; I felt a little reckless as I thought about it.
“That was amazing,” he whispered into my neck, his voice gravel rough in the afterglow. “Maybe we’ll dance together again sometime.” His tongue darted into the hallow of my ear, sending a tremor through my vulnerable body, and in the next moment the heat of his body was gone. I stumbled forward, catching myself on a couple so involved with each other they didn’t even hear my apologies. Finding my footing again, I took a moment to pull my skirt back down over my hips, twisting this way and that until it was straight and tugged my top back into place, holding my girls where they should be. I tossed my hair over my shoulders and blew my bangs out of my eyes.
A laugh bubbled out of me as I realized that was the first time I had ever danced in public and no one seemed to notice. It looked like everyone had found a partner or two and had no attention to spare. I swayed in time with the music and the crowd so I could make my way smoothly off of the dance floor rather than fight my way through. I saw Roxy sitting at the bar on a high stool once I was free of the reaching hands and lingering fingers. Roxy was almost my twin, coming from the same tribe, except her hair was honey brown, hinting at a possible human somewhere in her heritage, but I never gave her a hard time about it. She had dressed herself almost identically to me with a short skirt made of some sparkly mesh material and tiny top straining over the swell of her breasts. But she had gone with sandals with straps that twined all the way up to her knees, crisscrossing over her calves.
“There you are!” Roxy greeted me as I slipped up onto the stool next to her. “I thought you left or some – ” she stopped short, her grey eyes flying wide.
“What?” I looked around frantically for whatever had upset her.
“Oh my gods,” she finally blinked and grabbed my wrist, pulling me closer to her. “Is that a bite?” she demanded.
“Oh, er, that,” I stuttered.
“When were you with a Hunter?” she reached with her free hand and caught a trickle of my blood at the swell of my breast with her fingertips. A shiver ran through my body at her touch, the magic still so close to the surface.
“Just now,” I grinned at her as she licked the blood from her fingers.
“No wonder I couldn’t find you,” she grinned back at me. “That was your first dance in public, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
“Damn, too bad I missed it.” I felt the blush warm my cheeks, making Roxy laugh, tossing her rich, thick hair back. Roxy had always been more open than me. I reached over and pulled a bowl of cherries she had been munching on closer to me and popped one in my mouth, the sweet juices exploding in my mouth.
“Drink?” the bartender asked when he made his way over to us.
“Two more of these,” Roxy ordered, holding up her empty rocks glass, tinkling the ice against the glass. He nodded and moved away to make our drinks.
“Have you danced tonight?” I asked Roxy as we spun on our stools, turning to survey the crowd.
“Not yet,” she answered. She looked every bit the hawk spying the prey hundreds of yards below. She pursed her black tinted lips (with her darker hair, it worked much better on her than it had on me) and narrowed her eyes as she considered the swirling, grinding crowd.
“Still early,” I assured her, reaching for the fresh drink the bartender had just set down. The sugary alcohol sparkled in my mouth as I swallowed. Almost instantly, I could feel the swirling abandon as I downed the drink. I wasn’t surprised since Roxy had been the one ordering – she never went easy on liquor or men when she was in the mood.
“Maybe we should go out there together, we’ll get more attention that way,” Roxy suggested, tossing back a large swallow of her drink.
“I need a minute.” I laughed, thinking about my time on the dance floor just moments ago, a new flush arching through my body.
“No rest for the wicked, darling, and by the time I’m done with you tonight, you’ll be just as wicked as me.”
“Roxy! I just danced, I need time to recover.”
“Nope. You need to pounce while the magic is still alive inside of you.” She reached out and brushed my thigh lightly with her nails; I shivered again.
“You are a terrible influence.”
“Aren’t you glad I made you come out tonight?” Roxy teased as she chewed the tiny straw from her drink. “I tell you, if Cillian could see you now, he’d be eating his shoes over leaving you for that fairy whore.” Roxy gave me an appraising look, her eyes lingering on the hint of blood still clinging to my skin. I’d have to find her a guy soon.
“Yeah, let’s not talk about him or the fairy bitch tonight, okay?” Just the mention of his name and my mood crashed. I felt my shoulders slump and the smile slide from my face. Even the lust induced magic faltered inside of me.
“Sure, sorry,” Roxy set her already empty glass down and hopped off her stool. She turned and held out her hand for me. “Come on, dance with me and help me find a guy.” She raised her eyebrows imploringly, trying desperately to move past bringing up the man that had so recently broken my heart.
“I think I’ll just sit here for a bit,” I started to turn back towards the bar, but before I could get half way there she reached out and grabbed my wrist with both hands and pulled. She yanked me off of the stool and led us towards the dance floor.
“No, you don’t. You have been wallowing at home for weeks now,” she said over her shoulder, weaving through the cocktail tables. “You are going to have a good night if it kills me.”
“I have had a good night!” I protested even as I walked willingly with her. I wasn’t sure I was ready to go back out to the dance floor, but I also didn’t want to ruin Roxy’s chances at a good time by causing a scene like a child throwing a tantrum. More than that, I had managed to forget about Cillian for a moment; I wanted that back.
“Not good enough,” she said as she stopped at the edge of the crowd and spun to face me. Roxy began to move to the music, waving at me to join her when I hesitated. I glance around at the nearly naked crowd, all lips and hips, not a care in the world except this one moment of ecstasy. I felt the searching tendrils of power reach out for me, begging for me to come back. I watched Roxy dance, realizing what I must look like as her almost twin. Her round hips swirled back and forth, the swell of her breasts swayed invitingly, tiny beads of sweat traced the curve of her skin. I hoped I looked half as good as she did.
She reached out and took my hand, pulling me into her. Her right hip fit into me as mine did into her, our legs nearly tangled together and our fingers twined as we began to find our rhythm. Her magic called to mine, reawakening it as our eyes began to shine and glow in the dim club. Because we were both in flats, we were the exact same height. Our breasts brushed against each other; tiny sparks of energy snapped at my skin. We gripped each others hands tighter, bending and swirling into each other. Roxy pressed her face next to mine, her cheek soft against mine before she bent forward and licked at the bite on my shoulder. A flare of pain shot through me, adding heat to the primal magic singing through my body.
I felt my blood respond to her seeking tongue and demanding lips as she closed her mouth around the wound in a deep kiss. Blood was power in our tribe. The magic in my eyes lit my face as she gripped my body, pressing me as close to her body as our meager clothing would allow. I gripped the swell of her hips, grinding into her as her pull on my bite began to make things low in my body respond. I could feel the press of the crowd around us, welcoming our new magic as we gave over to the molten energy.
When Roxy finally broke her fierce kiss, I felt male fingers fighting for room on her hips. I glanced up and saw a fairy looking down at me. The right side of his full mouth lifted in a half smile, making a dimple appear in his cheek. In the dim light, I couldn’t decide if his eyes were blue or grey since fairy eyes didn’t shine like ours, but his skin practically glowed. His hair was dark, long on top and close at the sides. His shirt was hanging open, exposing lean muscles.
Roxy glanced over her shoulder to see who had joined us and looked back at me with a huge smile on her face, clearly pleased with the results of our efforts. I inclined my head towards him and let my fingers slip away from Roxy’s hips. He pulled her back into him. She arched willingly, wiggling her hips until she found the measure of his body. I backed away, moving off of the dance floor, and found a seat at one of the cocktail tables not too far off so I could keep my eye on her.
Unlike me, Roxy didn’t waste any time with foreplay. In moments she had spun around to face her suitor, reaching up to grip his shoulders and let him lift her off of the floor. His hands cupped her round ass and Roxy threw her legs around his waist, making her soft mesh skirt slide up her hips until you could see her ass completely and the fact that she wasn’t wearing anything underneath. I chuckled lightly at her abandon while a small part of me envied her for it.
I watched while they danced, leaning back in my chair, crossing my legs to enjoy the show. He reached under her leg, awkwardly fighting with the fly to his pants, but when his hand came back out, I knew he had been successful. He kept both hands cupped under Roxy’s thighs, holding her up with his Fae strength. Roxy wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted her body up just a couple of inches; she hesitated a moment before thrusting back down. His hips rocked forward as he sheathed himself inside of her. Roxy threw her head back, arching her back until I could see the swell of her breasts. Her mouth was open in a moan and her eyes were fluttering. I could practically see the magic swirling around their joined bodies, filling them as much as he was filling her. I bit my lip as my breath became shallow, my legs rubbing together.
He bounced Roxy up and down, slamming into her. Her nails bit into the skin of his shoulders as her hair whipped around in time with the music. I could almost hear her screams as the pleasure ripped through her body. She arched again and grabbed at her shirt with one hand and tore it off over her head, throwing it away. It landed just a few feet away from me. Her full, eager breasts bounced in time with her body, her nipples pink and hard with excitement as they glistened with sweat. The fairy bent his head forward, biting at the soft skin before he caught one nipple between his lips and began to suck hungrily. Roxy howled her pleasure at the ceiling, pressing every part of her body closer to him. Her hips began a fast circle as he pounded into her, letting her rub her clit against his base.
He moved his attention to her other breast, his tongue teasing the tip of her nipple with every other bounce of her body. I found my body responding to them, aching to join them, but I stayed put, gripping the sides of the chair. Soon I saw the tale tell sign of their rhythm faltering. He forgot her breasts and gripped her thighs so hard I could see Roxy’s skin turn red through his fingers. Roxy slammed down on him one last time and he held her there, his body trembling against her as the orgasm held him frozen. Roxy thrashed against him, rubbing frantically until she reached her edge and the orgasm tore through her body. She shook with pleasure, her breast and legs trembling.
After a moment of gathering himself, the fairy carefully lowered Roxy to the floor, slowly pulling out of her. She giggled and pulled on her skirt. He bent forward to press a kiss to her lips, but before he could reach her, she spun around and scampered away from him. He stood there, blinking stupidly after her. He caught me smirking and quickly adjusted himself and zipped up before turning and disappearing back into the crowd. I watched as Roxy bounced and jiggled all over as she rushed to me. Her body was singing with magic and her eyes were glowing so brightly her whole face lit up.
She practically crashed into me, rocking my chair back dangerously before she grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into the kiss the fairy had been denied. Her tongue slipped through my lips and teeth, seeking mine. Her lips were hot and wet with pleasure as they formed around mine. I felt her tender breasts rub against mine, her nipples still hard with attention. When she broke the kiss, we both gasped for air. Roxy laughed again, spinning on the spot. She loved the feral magic that lust filled us with.
“It was good, I take it?” I teased as she came to twirling stop.
“Not bad,” she grinned.
“Do you want your shirt back?” I asked, quirking a brow at her. Not that she would stand out topless, not in this club anyway.
“Oh!” she glanced down, only now becoming aware she was topless. “Yeah, probably should, huh?”
“It’s there,” I nodded towards the discarded garment a few feet away and she hurried to scoop it up before anyone stepped on it. She shook it out and examined it for floor nastiness. Finding it unharmed, she pulled it back on.
“So why didn’t you kiss him?” I asked when she was situated and sitting across from me at the table.
“Huh?” She glanced at me, taking a moment to hear my question. She obviously wasn’t trying to saddle the magic she’d absorbed to save for later. Letting it remain feral inside of you was dangerous; it could overpower you with its own will and use you as it saw fit.
“The fairy, he tried to kiss you?” I prompted.
“Oh, eh,” she shrugged. “I don’t really like to kiss strangers, it’s really intimate. Don’t want to give them the wrong idea.” I blinked at her, my mouth gone slack with confusion.
“You just fucked him in the middle of a crowded dance floor, Roxy.”
“No, we danced,” she corrected me. “It’s practically a business transaction. What if I run into him again sometime and I gave him the wrong impression by kissing him like we’re a couple? He’ll always expect something of me. Now he knows it wasn’t personal.”
“No, nothing personal about what you just did.” I shook my head, but I could tell there was little point in arguing with her about it. I didn’t see how one kiss after a dance like that would convey the wrong message to a guy. But Roxy was far more experienced in these things than I was, so who was I to tell her she was wrong?
“Oh, Taryn, you have so much to learn about men,” Roxy teased.
“I am not a child, Roxy,” I shot back. “I know plenty about men.”
“Not in the way I mean. You are a serial monogamist.” She shifted in her seat to look at me. Her eyes were still shimmering with magic, but it was softer now. “You need to learn to get what you need, but not be saddled all the time. Live a little!” I huffed at her. Roxy tore through men like a tissue box. What did she know about relationships? Clearly she saw the look on my face as she tsked at me and shook her head.
“What?” I demanded.
“You just don’t know what you’re missing. Wouldn’t you, just once, like to get what you need from a man, but owe him nothing in return? Not need to check in with him whenever you wanted to do something?”
“Well,” I started to say, but Roxy pushed on.
“And what about when you want to just be alone? Hm? Or what if we had come here tonight and that Hunter had asked you to dance? How would it feel to have had to say no to him?” She fired the questions at me so fast I couldn’t get my answers straight. But that last question, about the Hunter, made me stop and think. That was the most fun I had had in a very long time. Just thinking about rejecting him irked something inside of me.
“Maybe you’re right.”
“And what about the rest of the night?” Roxy pressed. “What if some other tasty treat approached you and that Hunter had the impression you were his property now and said ‘No, you can’t do that.’ What then, Tare?”
“I just met him!”
“Yes, but it’s all the same thing. Me kissing that fairy after we were finished gives him the impression we had more than we did and I am obligated to him.”
“I guess I see your point,” I finally conceded. “I’m just so used to being in a couple.” I shrugged lamely.
“I know you are,” Roxy reached out and patted my hand reassuringly. “We’re gonna fix that tonight.”
“Not like Cillian’s sitting at home worried about being promiscuous,” I muttered.
“We’re not talking about him tonight, remember?”
“Right, so what now?”
“Don’t suppose you want to dance again?” Roxy arched her slender eyebrow at me and grinned devilishly. I laughed lightly and shook my head. The elf was insatiable! “Fine then, let’s go outside and get some fresh air, they have a roof top patio.”
“Uh,” I glanced down at what we were wearing and back up at her.
“Don’t worry about it, there are fire pits up there,” Roxy jumped off her stool and held her hand out for mine. I slid off my seat, catching the hem of my skirt and tugging it back into place before taking her hand. She led us through the mix of tables, chairs, and warm bodies to a door in the back I would’ve never noticed.
A doorman held open the door for us. We climbed a spiraling metal staircase, making me doubly happy for the stolen, flatfooted boots. Once at the top, we pushed open a metal door and stepped out onto the tiled roof. A biting wind swirled around our exposed legs, snaking up the meager skirts, sending chills all over. I stepped closer to Roxy, still warm from the feral magic she was letting run freely through her body.
One look around and I saw that the roof was almost as popular as the inside of the club; there were plush couches and chairs situated around fire pits and heat lamps and a full bar up here. But up here almost everyone was fully clothed, talking to each other more than anything, so the few who were otherwise engaged stood out all the more. The sounds of light laughter mingled with whispered moans and clinking glasses. Roxy pulled on my hand as she started forward, angling – unsurprisingly – towards the bar. I had only ever been at this club once before when Cillian and I had first started dating and I had never been on the roof. Because it was so much more subdued up here than inside the club, I couldn’t help but stare at those engaged in some carnal act. There was a woman laid out by a fire pit completely naked, her head thrown back in pleasure and her perky breasts reaching for the sky as a man knelt between her legs, his face lost from sight between her thighs. All the while another couple sat and watched, idly sipping from cocktails. I could tell there were a few humans in the mix, their presence a magical void amongst the pixies, fairies, and elves. I nearly collided with the bar top when I spied a vampire hidden in the shadows of a corner.
“Roxy,” I whispered urgently, pulling her close. “There’s a vampire over there!”
“Yeah, okay?” She blinked her confusion at me.
“‘Yeah, okay?’” I repeated.
“Oh, you’ve never seen one have you?” She smiled at me in such a way that it made me feel like a child and that more than anything else made me blush.
“No,” I said, trying very hard to keep my voice even. He was merely sitting in a chair, a brandy glass balanced between his long fingers, his eyes glowing faintly as he watched the crowd. He was far paler than Roxy and me. His face was all sharp angles, drawing the attention to his full, red lips. I wondered if they were so red because he had already fed for the night. But what made him stand out more than anything was how much clothing he was wearing. The only skin he had exposed was what showed through the gaping V in his shirt from a few unbuttoned buttons. He caught me staring, locking eyes with me before I could look away. I saw him lift one eyebrow and his nostrils flared subtly. I looked away.
“I’m sorry, Tare. I thought you’d seen one before.” For once, she sounded sincere. We slid onto the stools at the bar, turning to people watch. “I should warn you then.”
“Warn me about what?” I was afraid to ask.
“There’s a shapeshifter over there.” She nodded to another cluster of couches and chairs. I didn’t need her to tell me which one he was. Among the petite pixies, skin shining in the moonlight, was a tawny colored man with shoulder length hair that foamed around his face in a honey cloud. His back was a crisscrossing of scars, muscles, and tattoos. He was also totally naked. There was no mistaking that for a Fae.
“Wow,” I gulped.
“I know, right?” Roxy snickered, ogling the shifter.
“What kind of shifter is he?”
“No idea,” she shrugged. “Don’t see many, so I never figured out the tell tale signs.”
“Something big I guess.” We both laughed.
“May I help you?” I turned in my seat to face the bartender and found myself regretting the club’s strict rule about employees not fraternizing with the clientele. He was a Shadow Elf from the North. With jet black hair, left long on top to drop into inky spikes around his face, and near translucent skin, his blue eyes glittered in the firelight. He was just a few inches taller than we and, rather than having big curving muscles like the fairy inside, he was long and lean, all taut lines. I sighed sadly and shook my head.
“I wish you could,” I propped my chin on hand, unable to look away. Shadow Elves didn’t venture south very often, not being accustomed to our warmer climates, so even to ones as fair as Roxy and I, he was quite exotic.
“Let me make it up to you with a drink, shall I?” He grinned and went about pouring various jewel colored liquors into a shaker before pouring us each a glass of his secret concoction. I picked up my glass, eyeing the deep purple color with a little measure of suspicion. I swirled it and took a light sniff.
“What’s in it?” I asked.
“I promise, you’ll like it.”
“I don’t drink that much, that’s her scene.” I tilted my head towards Roxy before I realized she wasn’t sitting next to me anymore. I turned to look for her and saw her in the middle of the group of pixies, smiling up at the shifter we had been admiring.
“She’s a quick one,” the bartender said.
“You don’t even know the half of it.” I turned back towards the bar and lifted the drink to my lips, taking a tentative sip. The purple drink slid down my throat like melting candy. Instantly the chill in the air receded as it swirled in my belly. I blinked up at the bartender.
“Told you.” He winked at me before moving down to help another customer. I thought about turning to watch Roxy again, but something about the size of the shifter made it seem obscene. I was close enough to everyone that I could feel the magic and power they were raising. I couldn’t imagine there were enough people here to contain it all.
I lifted my hand in front of my face and snapped my fingers, watching the spark flash between my fingers. I hadn’t been able to do even that much just this morning. Ever since Cillian and I had broken up – well, since he dumped me really – I had been on a total self-pity spiral. Roxy had come by every couple of days to make sure I was eating and showering, which of course I was. I was probably eating too much, but I hadn’t bothered to change into real clothes or leave my apartment. The plants around my place had started to die since I wasn’t tending them anymore and I couldn’t ask Roxy to waste perfectly good magic to bring them back to life for me.
This morning, six weeks to the day after my break up, Roxy had lost all patience with me and my pity party. She’d nearly ripped the door off the hinges when I wouldn’t roll out of bed to answer her demanding knock, her power ripping through my apartment, effectively knocking me out of the bed. Her eyes shined with magic and anger when she stormed into the bedroom, her hair floating on the waves of power emanating from her core.
“That is it, Taryn Malloy!” she yelled, stalking around the bed and grabbing me by the back of my nightshirt. “Cillian Moran is not worth this!” she dragged me across the floor until we reached the bathroom, I spun on my back when she let go so she could reach in and turn on the cold water tap of the shower. I tried to scramble to my feet, but because it had been so long since I had raised any power, she was faster and stronger than me by far and she simply grabbed my ankle and dragged me back. She picked me up around the waist and nearly tossed me into the shower, the icy water shocking me and stealing my breath in a gasp.
Roxy slammed the glass doors shut and held them there until I got to my feet and banged against the panel demanding to be let out. She slid one side open just long enough to rip the soaking shirt off of my body and push me back in.
“Wash!” she commanded, sliding the door shut in my face, cutting off my protests. Eventually I conceded and took the shower, if only to keep from freezing. When I got out, she gave me a towel and a robe and took to combing out the mess of tangles my hair had become.
“We’re going out tonight,” she said, pulling the brush through my hair as I sat at my vanity, cupping a mug of coffee between my hands. “You should’ve been able to fight back, or at least resist me, and you were as weak as a human, Taryn.”
“I know,” I muttered.
“Do you think he’s sitting at home wallowing in pain that you’re gone?”
“I wasn’t the one that left, Roxy.”
“Exactly. You’re giving him too much.”
“He doesn’t know what I’m doing.”
“Doesn’t matter,” she argued, setting the brush down on the tabletop. “You’re still acting this way for him; he doesn’t deserve that. How long did he say he’d been seeing the fairy whore?”
“Six months,” I whispered into my mug.
“And you were together for three years.”
“I know, Roxy!” I yelled, throwing my cup against the wall. It shattered into hundreds of ceramic pieces, the coffee splattering the wall, dripping to the floor. I had sprung to my feet without realizing it. My fists were balled so tightly my ragged nails were cutting into my palms. The scent of blood wafted up, making my mouth water. “You don’t think I know he’s been humiliating me for six fucking months? I know, Roxy!” I screamed. “He’s been fucking her all over town and everyone fucking knew but me! I’ve been here! In our home! Cooking for him, cleaning up for him, paying our bills, and he’s been out fucking her!” I was panting in my rage, my body was shaking with the effort to contain my pounding heart and Roxy stood there, calm and smiling.
“Good. It’s about damn time you got angry.” She turned away from me and walked into my closet, disappearing from sight. I blinked, coming back to my senses, wondering what she was doing, so I followed her in. When I got there, I found her laughing.
“What?”
“Oh my gods, Tare, are these crotches from his pants?” she asked, holding up a handful of fabric.
“Yes, they are,” I said simply. The night Cillian had told me about his affair, after I had thrown him physically from the apartment and locked the door in his face, I had gone on a rampage destroying anything of his I could find. I spent about an hour on the floor of our closet cutting out the crotches of all the pants he hadn’t packed, crying my eyes out like an idiot.
“That’s brilliant,” Roxy said, dropping the sad scraps of fabric to the floor. She started rummaging through my closet until she came up with the outfit she wanted me to wear tonight, insisting that the best way to get over a man was to get under a new one.
Roxy never had to worry about getting over or under or next to a guy, refusing to ever commit to a relationship. After seeing what Cillian had done to me, she insisted it was just another example of why her way of life was the best. Staring at those scraps of fabric, I couldn’t really argue with her. But I really thought Cillian and I had something; I really thought we were going to be married and live happily ever after. More embarrassing than that, I thought his strange behavior over the last few months was due to the fact he was finally going to propose. Even when he sat me down to talk that night, I thought that was the moment he was going to do it.
I closed my eyes against the memory and shook my head to clear it. I refused to play that scene over again. Roxy was right; I needed to at least make an attempt at getting my life back together. I felt the skin at my shoulder pull when I shook my head and touched the sore spot where the Hunter had bitten me. It sent a zing of power through my body, making me clench my thighs. I had been without my magic for too long. Having some measure of it back made me look back at the last six weeks with disgust. Yes, Cillian had been my world for the last three years, but look how easily he had cast me aside! And I nearly killed myself mourning the loss of our relationship. As a Bright Elf, I lived off of the magic created by life giving acts, like love and lust. Going six weeks secluded and alone, sad and despondent, had drained any magic I had stored before that awful night. If Roxy hadn’t done what she did this morning, I might’ve only had a couple more days to live.
I sat up straighter in my seat, squared my shoulders, and threw back the last swallow of my drink, the purple concoction stoking the fire in my belly and making my head swim briefly. I grabbed Roxy’s drink and slid off of the stool, landing light footed on the tile floor. I turned my head to look for Roxy, seeing her sitting in the shifter’s lap, the pixies crowded around them as she chatted happily, one arm draped around his shoulders. I was surprised to see her simply talking, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that didn’t last very long. I felt the tender skin on my shoulder pull again and realized I had no idea what the wound looked liked.
I turned for the door and, before I could stop myself, I looked over to the dark corner I had spied the vampire sitting in. He was gone. I felt a confusing sense of disappointment when I realized he wasn’t there. More terrifying than that, I realized, when I caught his eye, I had hoped he would approach me. I touched the bite mark again, sending a pleasant shiver through my body. I was feeling reckless tonight. I tossed my hair over my shoulder and made my way back into the club, heading for the ladies room again so I could examine the bite mark.
I set my glass down on the edge of the sink and brushed my hair to the side, leaning close to the mirror. There were two perfect half-moons punctured into my shoulder, just where the muscle curves into the neck. The skin around it was red and tender, but not swollen as I had thought. It didn’t really look that bad, but I had a smear of blood leading from it down to my cleavage where Roxy’s finger prints were still visible. I grabbed a paper towel and dampened it to clean my skin. Once the blood was gone, it looked even better. I could tell the blood had clotted, but it wouldn’t take much to get it going again. And every time I touched the actual bite mark, tiny shocks shot through my body, making me shift my hips. Now I understood why there was so much talk about being with Hunters. This bite alone would keep me on edge all night.
I stepped out of the restroom, leaving the empty glass behind. When I turned down the hallway, I saw a figure leaning against the wall, one booted foot against the wall, bending his right leg. He had his thumbs hooked into the pockets of his leather plants and his head bent forward as if he was studying the floor. From here I could smell the mix of leather, earth, and blood wafting off of him. I swallowed past the lump in my throat. I had to walk past the vampire to get back to the club. He wasn’t doing anything to threaten me, but there was something predatory about his very presence and I had a feeling he had been waiting for me. I thought about the way his nostrils had flared when he saw me staring at him. And just moments ago, I had been wishing for his attention. Something had come loose in my head. I tossed my hair over my shoulder and started forward, proud of how steady my footsteps were.
“Taryn, was it?” he asked as I drew level with him. His voice was lightly accented, making the R in my name sound entirely different.
“It is,” I answered, unsure I actually wanted to. He lifted his face and pursed his lips. His black curls swung back, showing his eyes were a pale blue like most vampires; years of avoiding the sun bleached the color from their eyes as much as their skin. His hair was thick, long, and curly, a deep black that shined blue when he moved his head.
“Andre,” he said, holding out his hand for mine. I reached out and let him take my hand.
“Nice to meet you, Andy,” I tried to be flippant, wanting to break this strange tension between us. He gripped my hand and pulled me into his body, raising my hand to his lips. He held my hand with both of his, turning it over to press a kiss to my palm. My stomach flipped as he held my gaze. He was much taller than me, making me press my chest into the V of his ribs. The thin t-shirt let me feel the play of muscles hidden underneath. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He dropped my hand and gripped my shoulders, bending forward until his face was almost pressed into the bend of my neck. He inhaled again. He wasn’t even touching the bite mark, but I felt the answering tingle shoot through my body, making me want to press harder against him, but my fear was stronger, making me hold still.
I pulled free and stepped back, clutching my hand to my chest as if he had wounded me. I glared up at him, feeling my brows drawing together. It had been one thing if we’d been on the dance floor or if he’d bought me a drink at the bar, but to wait for me outside the restroom and be this forward was not my thing.
“My apologies,” he stood up straight and inclined his head in a small bow. I kept my mouth shut. “Elven blood is just so,” he paused, inhaling deeply again, “intoxicating.” I quirked a brow at him, as if that was something I didn’t know. It was in our blood that our magic was strongest.
“Well,” I nodded back at him and turned to go. I got about five feet before I glanced over my shoulder, but by then he was already gone. I shook my head and continued forward into the club, my knees just a little weak from that momentary encounter. I blew out a breath and shook myself, trying to shed the slightly creepy feeling the encounter had left behind.
“Creeper,” I muttered to myself as I continued down the hall. As soon as I stepped back into the club proper, I wished I hadn’t. I felt my heart thud in my chest before it dropped to the bottom of my stomach. My knees threatened to go out from under me and the room swam in front of my eyes. Cillian and the fairy bitch were together in a booth on the far wall.
“Taryn!” Roxy called as she bounced over to me. Her once tight cotton top was hanging in shreds, letting her breasts sway freely, and her pink nipples were peeking through the tears in her shirt. I blinked at her slowly, feeling the color draining from my face.
“Tare?” Roxy bent closer to my face, hers lined with worry now. “Babe, what is it? Did something happen?” She gripped my shoulders to turn me to face her. When I didn’t answer, she gave me a gentle shake. I had to swallow twice before I could get my mouth to work properly.
“Cillian,” I whispered, finally focusing on her face.
“What about him?”
“Fairy bitch.”
“What about them, Taryn?” Her voice rose, hinting at her fear of what had me so gob smacked.
“Here,” I croaked.
“Where?” She spun around, searching the crowd frantically. I felt her magic spike in anger, lashing out from her core. “I’ll tear him apart! Where’s the son of a goblin?”
“There.” My voice was a little stronger now and I nodded in their direction. I had no idea how long they had been here, but it was long enough that the fairy bitch had already ditched her clothes, her dress draped over the small table. She was wearing candy apple red stiletto heels that were so shiny that what little light was in the club glinted off of them. She was standing in front of the table now, dancing for Cillian who was lounging in the booth, still fully dressed. He was holding a drink in one hand, a slow stupid smile spreading over his face as he enjoyed the show.
“Gross,” Roxy observed. But really, there was nothing gross about her. She was over six feet tall and all voluptuous curves. Her skin was flawless and shimmered with fairy magic. Her hair was silver floss that spilled down her narrow back. When she spun around, bending forward in front of Cillian, I could see her face, all smooth lines and the very definition of femininity. Her mouth was full and welcoming, her eyes half closed in a come-hither look I could never master. Even her ears were a softer point than my own.
She whipped her head back, throwing her hair over her shoulders in a silver wave as she undulated, standing back up. She ran her hands through her hair, arching her back, showing everyone in the club what they were missing. When she opened her eyes, she saw me. I know she did. Her eyes widened momentarily and her lips pursed in a sly smile. She sashayed her hips as she took a step backwards and, without looking, she lowered herself down into Cillian’s lap, grinding her ass into him as she gripped his knees for balance. Leaning her shoulders back, she rested her head on his shoulder and kept gyrating against him. I saw Cillian close his eyes and tilt his head back.
“That filthy bitch,” Roxy hissed. Her anger was growing, washing over my body, calling to the feral magic pooled inside of me. I felt the answering heat course through my body, my power lashing out of me, making my hair dance on the invisible wind around me. Tiny electric sparks snapped at the tips of my fingers. I could hear myself screaming at Roxy earlier that morning, giving voice to all the rage I had locked up and tried to hide. I imagined walking over there, grabbing the fairy bitch by her hair, and yanking her off of Cillian and throwing her across the room, smiling at the thought of her bones snapping on impact. I thought about tearing at the skin on Cillian’s face until he was left an unrecognizable mess of blood and ruin.
“Come on,” I said to Roxy and started forward. We stalked across the room until I was standing in front of their ridiculous display. I waited, hands on my hips, most of my weight on one foot so my body shifted to the right. Roxy was an angry swarm of bees at my back.
“Oh, hello,” the fairy bitch said in fake surprise when she finally opened her eyes to acknowledge me. Her voice was an annoying tinkling of chimes, making her sound like a child, which just made her display seem slimy.
“Tare!” Cillian yelped when his attention focused on me. He actually jumped in his seat, trying to scramble backwards, away from his date.
“Taryn,” I corrected, proud of how steely my voice sounded.
“Just what the fuck do you think you’re doing coming here, Cillian?” Roxy demanded, pressing forward. Her anger snapped at my skin and I saw the fairy bitch recoil just an inch, letting me know she felt it too.
“It’s a public club,” Cillian stammered, clearly confused by the question.
“You’re not welcome here, you kinbetrayer!” Roxy screamed, bending forward to invade their space as she threw the insult in his face. The patrons around us started to quiet their conversations and turn their attention to us.
“How dare you,” the fairy bitch started, but Roxy’s hand shot out and slapped her across the face hard enough to be heard over the thundering music.
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