Please enjoy my on going story Veins of Shadow and Lace. It is a plot heavy erotica but I promise the spice gets a lot of gas in chapter two.

"Who the fuck holds a job interview at 3am!"

The caffeine wasn't working as well as I had hoped. I caught myself zoning out as I studied the reflection of the moon in my cup, coffee rings stained the bills underneath.

What did it matter I still didn't have the money for rent. I was two months behind, again.

The silent alarm on my watch went off. I took a look at the business card for the law firm I had an interview with, Stienbach and Klein LLC. My finger gliding over the embossed lettering. "Well that criminal justice degree has done jack all for me so far. Might as well give it a try."

I reflexively flipped the card over, on the back was a logo I swear wasn't there this morning. A golden moon inside a sunburst, the words Ethereal Advocacy printed below.

Strange, I thought, must be the company who printed the card.

It was getting late so I decided to go out the back and cut through the alleys in hopes I might save myself some time.

I drained the rest of my coffee and spared one last glance at the stack of bills on the table then I was on my way.

The streets were deserted as I passed from street lamp to street lamp moving like a specter through the night. Every now and then a section of the lights would be out and completely plunged into darkness. "Great" I thought stifling an eye roll. "I never really felt safe in this part of town during the day. Just a girl on her own in the middle of the night what could possible go wrong."

After what felt like forever I finally got to the edge of town. Under my breath I muttered. "Concord Street, Concord street come on where are you. I didn't go too far did I?"

Concord street there it is. Turn left here and we're on the final stretch. Rarely did anyone leave the town in this direction and it showed.

The sign up ahead had not been maintained in some time. It was covered in vines and the light had been out long before I moved here. The sign read "You are now leaving Thorn Hollow." No shit I thought.

The side walk was coming to an end I knew rest of the path would be dirt.

As I turned into the woods a strange figure stood idle in the center of the trail.

The man was dressed in outlandish clothes, dark and cloaked. His eyes were crazed and desperate skewering me where I stood. His smile was halfhearted as his gaze held mine. I felt a chill up my spine, something felt very very wrong. Even in the dark I could see his teeth gleaming. Was he injured? He was bleeding.

Before I could call out he raised his hand forward though it seemed to cause him pain to do so. "I'm sorry my dear."

My vision began to blur and I felt myself walking towards him. I could feel my legs moving but it wasn't me walking. Internally I was screaming No way, fuck this! Come on run, come on why can't I run? I wanted to scream, to run, to do anything but be closer to this stranger. I fought with everything I had, straining every muscle in my body but if anyone was watching it would have looked like I went willingly into my attackers arms.

Everything went dark.

I came to still in the Forrest where I blacked out, the path around me unfamiliar. "Where am I" I groaned. How long was I out? I checked my watch, 3:15!? Shit! I'm late. I stumbled to my feet took two steps and fell. My whole body ached and felt weak.

"My neck is killing me."

I placed my hand on my aching neck feeling a strange wetness there. I pulled my hand away, my fingers coated in blood.

Giving myself an internal pep talk I knew I couldn't stay here. The office hopefully should be just ahead. I need to keep moving. I was disoriented and not sure the exact way back into town. The only choice was forging ahead.

Through the blur I could make out what looked like an old mansion amongst the trees. Shit, my vision was starting to swim. The lights around the structure looked like they were dancing in the night. Had I really lost that much blood?

I staggered towards the house praying for this to be the place. The lights were on and while the sign on the iron gate was basically a visual acuity test for me at this point, it did look like it said SteinBach and Klein.

The grounds were enclosed by a black iron fence, the sharp tips of which created a forboding scene. I struggled up the stairs of the old building and practically fell through the door as I tried to open it.

I am so not gonna get this job I thought as I finally collapsed.

Luckily something was there to break my fall. As I hovered on the edge of consciousness I heard voices near by.

"Is she alright?" Said the first voice.

"She's coming to. She appears to have come from the forest." He hesitated "she's been bitten Ansel." This voice was much closer. I forced my eyes open looking up into a pair of concerned emerald eyes.

"Are you alright?" He asked. His voice was deep but soothing.

An older gentlemen came over kneeling down beside me. As my vision began to clear I realized I was lying half on the floor half in the arms of the younger man.

"Are you alright?" the man holding me asked again.

"I'm here for my interview, sorry I'm late...I.." I found it very hard to speak.

"Oh my...." The old man's eyes darted straight to my neck. "You're already turning."

"Turning...turning to what??"

Darkness finally pulled me under.

When I awoke next I was in a new place entirely. I found myself lying in a large bed clad in red and black silks. An ornate headboard loomed above me crowned by the carving of a single black rose. To my left was an IV bag attached to a pole and hooked up to monitors.

In the corner of the north wall was a small library, multiple shelves enclosing a small reading nook.

The most striking feature, however, was the ceiling itself. An immaculate replica of a midnight sky, with Incandescent stars subtly illuminating the room.

There were thick curtains covering the windows blocking out any trace of the sun. Most of the furniture was black or a darkened wood to match the bed frame. The overall appearance of the room was old but I noticed some modern electronics on the shelves.

As I took in my new surroundings a knock sounded at the door.

"Hello?" I called out tentatively struggling to sit up in bed.

A muffled voice came from behind the door. "Are you feeling well enough for a visitor?"

Well enough, I thought, not fucking likely but this isn't my house so I replied "Um yeah, come in."

The door slid open as a young man entered. His familiar emerald eyes caught my attention.

"You look much better." He said."I took the liberty of finding some supplies to keep you comfortable. My name is Merrick by the way."

I studied his face through the dim light high cheekbones and a jaw so sharp it could cut a bitch. There are worse ways to wake up I thought.

"I'm Hazel" I mumbled "Where am I exactly?" The headache was starting to kick in again.

"Well." He smiled "Currently you're in room 304 but you probably mean the building itself. You're inside Stienbach and Klein Attorneys at Law other wise known as Advocates for the Ethereal. " He stepped closer to check the IV bag next to the bed. It was only then that I noticed he was wearing a pair of cobalt scrubs underneath his white coat.

"It's the home of the PDLA." He glanced down examining the wound on my neck.

"The what?"

"The Paranormal Detective and Litigation Agency. We advocate for Apparitions and all sorts of things that go bump in the night when they get into trouble with each other or the living. We also have teams of agents who lead rescue, and if necessary apprehension, missions."

"So your like the afterlife police?"

"It's more like we keep the peace." he laughed "You didn't think law and order eneded after death did you?"

"Yeah, actually, I kinda did. I figured we could do whatever the hell we wanted after we died."

He looked away from the monitors near the bed and focused his attention on me. " It's not quite that simple for those who choose to remain on earth or even for those trapped here. Anyway, that's enough of an explanation for now, you need to rest."

"Why did you want to hire me? I know I had a criminal justice degree but all this seems way above my pay grade. Not that it really matters now, I missed my interview and practically died on your front doorstep. So I guess that ship has sailed."

"I think the firm is looking to move in another direction for that position. But Mr Klein has extended you an offer for an agent position. If you want it, it's yours."

I thought about it for a moment.

"It still comes with room and board right?"

"Sure does." He smiled.

"Well" I thought about the eviction notice on the kitchen table. "Where do I sign?"

"I'll get the paper work together later after you are feeling better."he turned back to the heart monitor spinning it to face me."Oh and you did die on our doorstep."

Flatlined.

"What!?" I gasped.

It took me a minute, and a quick mental breakdown where I tried and failed to convince myself I was dreaming, to come to grips with that. My eyes just followed the monitor waiting for a spike, a sign of life, anything.

"Holy shit so am I a zombie now?" Feeling dangerously close to tears.

"Afraid not" he chuckled "but you may get a wicked sunburn now if you go out during the day."

My hand reflexively going to the wound on my neck. "This can't be real. I thought vampires were just a myth."

"There is a whole world beyond the veil that the average human is not privy too, vampires are only a small part of it." Merrick sighed. "If you insist on continuing this conversation you'll need to feed."

Merrick moved over and pulled a bag from a cooler near the medical equipment. "Locally sourced, from the blood bank of course" he grinned. "I work as a physicians assistant for Memorial Hospital off of Sanders Street."

"Comes in handy for the myriad of items we need to.....requisition. "

"Are you fucking with me? You're way too nonchalant right now. I just fucking died! Aren't you afraid of me, of what I'll become?"

He sat down again on the edge of the bed.

"I am sorry this happened to you. This was never supposed to happen. We sent someone to wait at your door to escort you but they must have just missed you."

Of course I made this more difficult. "I kind of slipped out the back."

His lips parted in a kind smile. "Well we will take care of you here but you need to drink."

"I.....I need a minute, you cant just expect me to drink blood, human blood!"

Merrick came to the head of the bed, placing his hand on my shoulder "I know it's hard to...." I smacked his hand away. "I said I need a minute." I hissed, the words rushing through my clenched teeth. Teeth that were much bigger than they had been the night before.

I got up from the bed and headed for the door I had hoped was a bathroom slamming it closed. As I flipped the switch sconces on either side of the mirror burst to life. My eyes stung at first but slowly they adjusted. The mirror was unlike anything I had ever seen before constructed with some type of crystal. Then I saw it in the reflection.

Me.

Pale, I was always a pasty bitch but now I just radiated death. My eyes were dark, sunken, soulless? Dark veins spiderwebbed my cheeks to frame those midnight orbs. I smiled, not out of joy but to see what other changes the curse had wrought. Thick fangs protruded from my gums giving me a sinister smile. My hand went back to the wound on my neck.

Who am I?

Despite the horror before me I couldn't help but notice an edge of beauty to my reflection. The sullen look on my face did make my cheekbones more pronounced. That was something at least. Those eyes, my eyes, staring back at me and the way they consumed the light, was eerie but beautiful. As if black wasn't already my favorite color. I thought "I guess this is my life now, Not like the one I was living before was really going anywhere." I sighed.

I took one last look in the mirror before resigning myself to this fate. These veins have got to go though. I'll need a new concealer however. I don't suppose it will be easy to find corpse grey.

Maybe I can see what morticians buy.

"Alright let's get this over with." I said while exiting the bathroom.

I almost made it back to the bed before I stumbled. In an instant Merrick caught and steadied me.

Fast.

Effortlessly he scooped me up and laid me on the bed. My head was spinning again.

"The transformation has taken a toll on your body, drink." He pulled out and inserted a clear tube into the chilled bag like a straw. "How do I know if this is even safe? I don't even know how you got this."

"It's okay, it's safe. Trust me." He reassured.

"How can you be sure?" My voice revealing my fading strength with each passing moment.

"It's my blood."

"What?! No way! I am not drinking that!"

"Look I know it's a hard thing to accept. It's not the first time I've done this. Sometimes it makes your first time easier though, if you know someone gave it to you willingly. You don't feel like a thief, like a monster."

He held out the bag bringing the straw gently to my lips. He knelt down next to me and placed a hand on the side of my face to keep me steady. I drank only a mouthful at first, the metallic tang coating my tongue. I took another sip, like someone tasting something new and still unsure if they liked it.

Then I could feel the strength returning to me, cold metallic tang turned sweet and I took another deep pull from the bag.

"Slow down now, no one is going to take it away from you." He laughed "You don't want to gorge and make yourself sick."

I slowed but only a little. His hand reached up and brushed my hair gently behind my ear.

"There, the veins are fading. Though they may never go away fully. You know you're pretty cute for someone who died yesterday." He joked with a wink.

I made a face as I finished up the last of the blood. A slight drop trickling from the corner of my mouth.

"I see you've been practicing your bed side manner. Do you do this for all the pretty dead girls?"

He laughed but didn't answer. "Now that you've had something to eat will you please get some rest? You will feel better I promise you just need to let your body adjust."

I still had more questions but he was right even with the new buzz of energy from the blood my body was exhausted. And even worse then that was the state my mind was in. There was just too much to absorb at once.

I decided to deal with it in the morning.

I was out before my head hit the pillow.

I spent the next week regaining my strength and getting used to the new rules my life now had.

Most of Wednesday I prowled my room staying clear of any windows. Swapping my sleep schedule was a challenge at first, learning to sleep during the day sucked.

It wasn't til Thursday that I realized I no longer had a heartbeat.

Not sure what that says about me.

Merrick came to visit me bringing me fresh blood, though this time it wasn't his. The renewed vitality it brought me was the same but I did start to feel a little guilty. My strength however was growing exponentially.

During the night Merrick had come by with Ansel to sign the papers, making me an agent in training of the PDLA. However, before I got my badge I'd have to graduate from the academy.

On Friday Merrick gave me a tour of the mansion, pointing out a few of the areas I was not yet allowed to visit. Afterward he took me to get some food. It was nice having human food again, I missed the taste but it didn't quite alleviate the hunger as it once would have.

By the time the weekend rolled around I finally got my summons for initiation.

I returned to my room after breakfast down at the infirmary. The taste of blood in the morning wasn't quite the same as a hot cup of coffee. As I walked past my bed I discovered a note and clothing atop the comforter.

"Figured you could use some new threads. Hope I picked the right style.

Knock 'em dead today!

⁃    Merrick"

I picked up the clothing beneath. Black jeans, fishnets and a crop top that read "dead inside."

I rolled my eyes. Asshole.

I loved them.

I left my room 30 minutes later to head to the outdoor training grounds. Leaving an hour early in case I got lost in the vast, still unfamiliar, mansion. It was surprisingly large given how it appeared from the winding path in the woods.

It had been explained to me that wards only allowed mortal eyes to see and traverse the front end of the property. This was mostly used for business interactions and mortal endeavors but once you crossed the ward lines it opened up a completely different world.

Bats and pixies flew overhead as I stepped into the large common room. Creatures of all shapes and sizes mingled in various groups and lines across the space. Some defied imagination while others took more humanoid forms. Wrapping my mind around the sight was difficult as I watched forms twist and change and figures walk clear through walls.

And these were only the nocturnal residents.

The halls were made of ornate wood and sections of stone almost resembling the insides of a castle. Enchanted lanterns littered the walls giving some light to the surroundings.

The focal point at the center of the room was a massive sculpture of a blindfolded goddess weilding a sword and holding up large scale.

Looking up was what really took my breath away. Vast star charts and constellations roamed across the ceiling in real time. Constant monitoring of the celestial bodies was essential for mapping out rituals, solstices and migratory patterns.

At least that's what Merrick told me.

I made my way to the south end of the mansion which gave way to the outdoors in great greenhouses and aviaries.

The mansion sprawled over the landscape with great gardens and training grounds. The floors were littered with rooms, bath houses, eateries and more. The lower levels were said to even house great dungeons, though these were areas I was not yet able to explore.

The entire rear of the estate was secluded, bordered by a dark forrest that no doubt was home to unimaginable horrors.

There was a large gathering in the center of the courtyard that was connected to an amphitheater.

This had to be the right place.

As I melded into the crowd a woman walked up to the podium at the zenith. She had icy blue eyes and silver hair split by two furry ears. As she prepared to speak I noticed what I thought were parts of her dress moved independently from the fabric that clung to to her. Six great tails undulated behind her.

"Your attention please."

The crowd became silent at once.

"Now you are all here to participate or bear witness to the initiation ritual of this years up and coming class. This challenge will test to see how each of you adapt in the field and the level of mastery you have over your unique talents and gifts. Some of you have trained all your lives, others have been kept in secret not allowed to be who they truly are and some of you have only just begun your journey. I have stood where you stand today and I hope that many of you will one day stand where I do now."

"There are 7 crystal capsules hidden within the forest behind me. Inside each is an inscription listing a squad name, one that you will be joining upon your completion of this task. This assignment will end when all 7 capsules are located. If you find yourself without a capsule when the chime sounds, you have failed. And failure will not be tolerated in our order. Any who do not recover a capsule today will be expelled from the program and their offer to join the PDLA will be revoked."

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

"You will complete this challenge in pairs. Now find a partner quickly."

I scanned the crowd of my fellow classmates unsure who to pick. Unsure of what to even look for in a partner. There were beings present that I was not even sure what they were.

Everyone seemed already accustomed to the strangeness around them making me feel even more like an outcast.

What if I chose the wrong person, what if our species didn't get along?

I panicked.

"I wasn't expecting to see a blood sucker in this year's class. " A wry voice came from behind me.

I turned to see a petite woman walking over towards me. She had long dark hair brushed to one side, the rest of her scalp shaved. Even though she was small she gave off dangerous energy, her black crop top hoodie revealing chiseled abdominal muscles framing a pearl belly ring.

Her eyes completely black reflected the stars back at me.

She cackled. "I'm sorry I meant no offense by it. How's about we team up?"

She put her arm around my shoulder. "Birds of a feather got to stick together right?" She cackled again. "Well you're not exactly a bird but close enough."

"Um sure" I hesitated.

I didn't really have any options lined up.

"Great! Pleasure to meet you, my names Rhea but you can all me Ri Ri that's what everyone back home insisted on calling me anyway."

"I'm Hazel. Why did they insist on calling you Ri Ri?

"Reeeeee Reeeeee!" she squawked in a mocking avian tone.

What the fuck am I getting myself into.

"I'm a Were-Raven." A wry smile formed on her lips.

" I was turned very young and I had a very hard time adjusting to the changes my body was going through. The other children in the village used to make fun of me. Running after me yelling Reeeee Reeee. Bastards the lot of them. I'm so glad to be rid of that wretched place."

"That's horrible!" I replied. "Why would you still want people to call you that then?"

"If I take it as my own they can't use it against me, they can't use it to hurt me anymore but I'm free now to fly where ever the current takes me." She spread her arms wide.

I smiled. Perhaps we could find common ground.

"I'm still adjusting to some changes of my own but I think we'd make a fine team Ri."

Her eyes twinkled in acknowledgment of my changing her nickname. We clasped forearms and then turned to face the Forrest.

Even from a couple feet away I could sense the adrenaline pulsing in her veins.

"Why were you so surprised to see a vampire among the new applicants?" I asked.

"You don't know do you? New Blood suckers are pretty rare these days. After the rules set in place by the Craiova accords, it's a lot harder to get away with turning someone."

She turned to look at me. "I guess whoever turned you had a pretty good reason. Or they just didn't give a fuck."

The rest of the crowd was still mingling around us but pairs were becoming more and more defined.

"So what made you want to join the PDLA?" I inquired.

"I volunteered as tribute."

"Tribute?" I looked from the forest back to her.

"Were society regularly sends tributes to the PDLA. Many early members of the PDLA even before it was named were some variety of werewolf or other were-animal. Like vampires we have a foot in both worlds. Without the light of the moon we are even closer to normal humans. As such my ancestors wanted to have a say in the regulations."

"I wanted to get away from that dumpster fire of village and I saw this as an opportunity, so I took it. How about you?"

"It just sort of fell in my lap" I didn't feel like explaining my life story here.

The voice from the podium cut our conversation short.

"Good luck candidates. Remember when you hear this chime a second time the exam is over." The crowd was silent.

"Begin!" A loud sound like that of a grandfather clock echoed over the grounds.

Before I knew it we were running for the tree line moving faster than I ever had before.

This was the first time I was able to let loose since my transformation.

I was happy to see my new partner could keep up with me, finally something made me feel like I wasn't the only freak around.

Each pair of partners broke off into different directions once we cleared the tree line. It wasn't long before the screaming started. Tearing through the underbrush we carved our way deep into the forest.

The further we ventured the quieter the forest became. It had been half an hour with no other sounds of life.

"So got your eye on any hot piece of ass in here? I've been itchin' to mingle now that I'm out on my own. I wouldn't be caught dead having a relationship with anyone in my village."

"Is it smart to date a co-workers?" I laughed.

"On the contrary it's actually encouraged. Relationships build bonds between communities and honestly when your work has you straddling two different realities you can never be fully part of either one. No one on the outside could possibly understand you. Not like the people going through the same thing you are."

"I guess I never thought about it like that."

I paused for a moment thinking of Merrick.

"Do you have your eye on anyone?"

"Hell yeah I do, my tribute mate Aurel. He comes from a different village and he's a full blooded werewolf. "

Ri came to a halt and fell silent. I could see her craning her neck, listening.

"This way!"

She took off.

"How do you know what direction to go in?" Struggling to reach her side.

"The ravens, I can hear them. They speak to me." She said quietly.

We continued pushing through the brush until we came to a clearing.

A petrified tree trunk stood alone at the center of the clearing. Appearing to be forgotten by time its ancient shell was illuminated faintly from within.

A capsule.

A quick glance from side to side revealed we were alone. There were no were obstacles between us and the stump apart from a shallow ring of water. I crept forward testing the water. Ripples shimmered off the sole of my boot.

Silence.

I inched further inspecting the depth with each footfall.

I made it half way across the pool before Ri started behind me. Once she was about three strides in I heard a low sound.

We both froze. The sound ringing out again this time a little louder.

Laughter.

My head swiveled left and right. I couldn't see anyone. Instinctively I looked to the sky. The moon could be seen peering from behind the sparse cloud cover.

Nothing.

That's when it hit me, look down.

My head snapped to the water around our feet. My own reflection was staring back at me. It took me a minute to realize the silhouette mirroring me in the water was solid black. I took a tentative step back.

My reflection didn't.

Childlike laughter permeated the air.

My shadowy doppelgänger bled upwards from the water. It twisted and spasmed as it solidified. Before I could understand what was going on it lunged for me, Its fists swinging with reckless abandon.

Leaning on the meager self defense training I learned over the years, back and forth we danced striking and blocking in tandem. We were evenly matched as if I was fighting myself in a mirror.

I spared a glance to my partner as we broke apart, watching Ri fight a similar phantom. Long talons protruded from her fingers that slashed wildly. Her own doppelgänger sported a similar set of bladed digits.

For every strike I unleashed my shadow countered perfectly as if she expected the blow before I threw it.

As the struggle raged on we were exactly even but only one of us was beginning to tire. I blocked the next kick I saw coming but with my exhaustion it still knocked me to the ground.

Before I could recover the doppelgänger was on top of me. She grabbed me by my hair pinning me into the mud.

I thrashed in every direction attempting to escape.

"Ri!" I called out hoping she could intervene. About 15 feet away Ri was on her knees being forced into the sludge.

This can't be how it ends. I don't wanna die again.

"I don't wanna die a virgin!" I blurted out.

The shadow stopped. The surprise admittance jarred her into immobility. The unexpected revelation of its darkest desire caused it to loose its grip.

I'd like to say I struck out at the first sign of an opportunity but in truth it was just frustration. I slammed my fist into her face. She reeled back into the pool. I repeatedly pounded her into the muck. As she started to sink I throttled her, holding her under the surface until she bled away.

I was in a blood frenzy. I sprinted across the shallow water. When I reached Ri I wrenched the shadow's head back by her hair. Breaking her focus Ri was able to escape as I drove the other doppelgängers face into my knee repeatedly. I let her crumble into the mud. Before her head even hit the water Ri was on her. Screaming like a feral beast she slammed the creature again and again into the muck.

Squeezing the light from its eyes she thrust it below the surface.

We were both kneeling in the water catching our breath.

Without a word we simultaneously sprinted for the tree. I dug the crystal from its gnarled guts. As I held it aloft the chime rang out again through the trees.

We just made it.

I wrenched it open looking through the pale light that emanated from the capsule.

Two squad names were carved into the crystal walls.

"Alright Hazel!" A familiar voice called from the treetops.

I looked up.

Two masked figures dropped down from the canopy. The male figure peeled back his mask, revealing a smiling Merrick.

"Not bad little bat." The female figure's face remained hidden.

"You passed, looks like we will get to know each other better after all." He said.

Covered in filth I couldn't help but smile, something to look forward too.

I turned to hug Ri.

"Not bad bitch. Not bad for all, for a blood sucker."

We stepped back both realizing the thick layer of mud covering our bodies.

"You should visit the bath house after your celebration. It's going to take a lot to get the stink off, not something a regular shower is going to accomplish." Merrick offered.

A few minutes later, I followed the remaining members of my initiation class to the bath houses.

Lines of people offered their congratulations. The one I appreciated the most was the attendant who handed me a towel before I crossed the threshold into the shower rooms.

I couldn't wait to get this shit off me.

Each shower stall was a lavish wooden room similar to a sauna. The ceilings inside comprised of massive rainfall shower heads.

I turned the knob. Hot sheets of water cascaded down my body. The steam permeating the air around me relaxed and soothed my tired muscles.

Lathering up and rinsing mud and debris from my hair and figure had considerably lightened my mood. Things felt like they were starting to go my way.

I let out the pent up stress in a loud laughing fit.

I'm sure I sounded mental.

"Hazel!" The wooden door connecting the shower stalls swung open.

Ri was standing there butt naked with the biggest smile I'd ever seen plastered across her face. She practically knocked me over as she launched forward to embrace me.

Normally I'd be take aback by the situation but the skin to skin contact was nice.

The feeling of warmth put me at ease. I almost felt alive again.

She stepped back still smiling. The effects the curse inflicted upon her were highlighted even more in the sheen that covered her body. Scars covered her body cascading down from her toned shoulders, to her small but perky breasts and sculpted abs.

Each claw mark and laceration told the story of the scrappy young fighter before me.

"This is Aurel my tribute mate." She gestured back to the other stall.

A large man stepped forward hesitantly, not quite sure where to look, his eyes finally coming to rest on the ceiling.

"Aye" his voice so deep it felt like it rose straight from the rocks below us.

My eyes however had no such restraint as they wandered over his chiseled form. His skin was a golden copper wrought with years of scars. Long dark hair ran down either side of his face, a beard dusted along his strong jaw.

His shoulders were broad and sculpted. As befitting a werewolf chest hair covered swollen pectorals and tapered in a trail down the most impressive abs I've seen leading to girth a girl would sell her soul to experience.

I wonder how it feels to have someone to share a bed with?

I know my gaze lingered a bit too long as Ri cleared her throat. Her sly smile ear to ear. "See something you like? There's enough to share."

"Ri Ri!" He boomed. His face as red as a tomato. She grabbed him by the beard taking him back into the haze as she closed the door behind them.

I basked in the hot water for a little while longer before drying myself off and heading to my room. The steam from the bathhouse left me feeling refreshed.

Walking the halls I could see the sun was beginning to rise.

Finally, I made my way inside tossing my towel and dirty clothes on the floor, and gratefully collapsing into bed.