Soho
Michael looked a little uncomfortable handing his new leather coat over the counter to the cute little werefox who was manning the reception area at the Collar Club. He perked up a little as he turned to see Ceri handing her own coat over or, more specifically, on seeing what she was wearing under it. Ceri figured it was a strip club, she would dress… suggestively. Her skirt was microscopic and her teddy was not only mesh, but largely consisted of thin straps. The Luperca Collar around her neck just added to the look, especially when she settled herself at Michael’s side, the dutiful mate.
The main floor of the club had several tables around a long stage, and various booths around the walls. Michael’s stride faltered at the sight of the topless redhead who was currently hanging upside down from the pole at the end of the stage. Ceri recognised her; Lillian was not one of the better dancers at the club, but what she lacked in talent, she made up for in cup size and the audience seemed to be enjoying the show. Ceri gave her mate a little push toward one of the booths and he continued on his way.
A pretty brunette bounced up to them as they sat down. Her name was Marilyn, a new hire. She had never been to High Towers for one of the parties, but Ceri recognised her from Catherine’s pack. ‘Hi,’ Marilyn said, ‘Ceri, right? Jasmine said you were coming.’ Her gaze flicked to Michael and her tongue slid over her lips. ‘What can I get you?’
Michael looked up at the cute little wolf-girl in the tiny, white bikini and swallowed. ‘A, uh, beer?’ he said.
Ceri’s eyes slid over the tent which had formed at the front of Michael’s leather slacks, and then she looked up at Marilyn, smirking. ‘White wine, please, Marilyn. This is Michael, by the way.’
Marilyn bobbed a little curtsey. ‘Hello, Michael,’ she said, managing to get “you can have me any time you want” into two words. ‘I’ll get your drinks,’ she added and strutted off toward the bar.
Ceri put her hand on the bulge in Michael’s pants, eliciting a whimper. She stretched up a little to whisper in his ear. ‘Fancy a little cross-pack ménage, lover?’
He was learning. Always a little timid in human form, he was starting to get better at it the more he spent time around Ceri and Lily. Slipping an arm around her back, he pulled her against him, their hips meeting. ‘You’re quite enough wolf for me,’ he said.
‘Good answer,’ Ceri replied giving what her hand was on a squeeze. She looked up to see that Lillian had shifted and there was now a naked fox-girl swinging around the pole. And walking toward them, dressed in a sexy schoolgirl outfit, was Jasmine, one of the two star dancers at the club. ‘How about a little brush?’ Ceri asked quietly.
‘Hey Ceri!’ Jasmine said brightly. ‘Congratulations on your doctorate.’ Then the strawberry blonde’s gaze swept over Michael and she added, ‘And you brought your yummy boyfriend with you. Looking as hunky as ever, Michael.’
‘Uh, thanks, Jasmine,’ Michael said. ‘That’s a, uh, really nice outfit.’
Jasmine posed. ‘This old thing?’ she said, grinning. ‘Now you let Marilyn know the drinks are on me. Have a set to do in a minute, but I’ll come out later to have a drink with you, and Naira will be out later.’
‘See you later then,’ Ceri said and Jasmine gave a little wave and pirouetted on her stacked heels to strut off toward the back rooms.
‘She is very attractive,’ Michael said quietly, ‘but no, I prefer it if there’s no tail in the way.’ Ceri had always wondered why it was that werewolves had no tail, but the other were-creatures she had met did. Supposedly, the wolves had evolved long before the foxes and cats so maybe it had something to do with that… And then she kicked herself for dropping into scientist-mode when she was supposed to be enjoying a night out with her man… wolf… wolf-man. ‘You okay?’ Michael said. ‘You look kind of…’
‘Confused,’ Ceri said. She smiled, snuggling against him. ‘This time last year I was a normal…’ She stopped and sagged slightly. ‘Who am I kidding? This time last year I thought I was a normal college student, but normal girls don’t cause vampires to burn to death when attacked. I’ve never been normal, but I thought I was. Now… I have a half-succubus lover and pet, and a werewolf mate, and I’m not even sure what the appropriate noun is for you. I mean, are you my boyfriend, my wolf…’ She blinked. ‘Does that make me your bitch?’
‘I’d never call you that.’
Marilyn returned, putting their drinks down on the table with a flirtatious smile for Michael, and Ceri waited for her to strut away again before replying. ‘I’ve been called worse,’ she said.
‘You have?’ He gave her a slightly shocked look.
Ceri grinned. ‘Do you know what “hufty” means?’
~~~
A long, black tail swished in front of Ceri’s face, curled, and stroked over her cheek. Naira the were-panther was giving Ceri a table dance and Ceri had to admit it was a turn-on. Flexible as a human, in cat-form the girl moved in ways no human could achieve. Even Lily’s preternatural grace looked stiff compared to the fluid movement Naira could manage and besides, having a naked, moderately aroused cat-woman gyrating barely inches from her was enough to make Ceri more than a little excited.
Naira was gay and had made a pass at Ceri before. Ceri had turned her down then because while she slept with Lily, the half-succubus was a special case. At least, that was the theory; Ceri had entertained other women, but they had been special cases too… As she felt her breathing quicken, Ceri had to wonder whether maybe she was kidding herself again.
Certainly, the scene was having the desired effect on Michael. He had already had Jasmine almost-but-not-quite humping him at the table, and Naira had subtly suggested that dancing for Ceri would be a turn on for her mate, and even though Ceri had known that Naira just wanted to dance for her own enjoyment and Ceri’s, the look on Michael’s face was worth the initial embarrassment.
He was not the only person watching either. Half the men with line of sight to their booth were watching the show rather than the stage. The club attracted a mixed crowd. As would be expected of a strip joint where the dancers were all were-creatures, there were wolves and foxes. There were also plenty of humans; were-foxes, unlike wolves, had humanoid faces when changed, as did Naira, and there was a reasonably large fetish culture based around them. There were even a couple of top-shelf magazines devoted to the subject.
Naira turned, her knee sliding to push Ceri’s legs apart, and she leaned forward, bracing herself on the back of the seat. She looked into Ceri’s eyes, shaking her chest to make her breasts swing, and then her tail, hidden by her body, slid under Ceri’s skirt. Ceri bit her lip to avoid squeaking and Michael, who could see what was happening, made a soft, intent, growling noise in his throat. Naira lent closer and purred in Ceri’s ear, the sound making Ceri’s stomach flutter.
Suddenly a naked Brazilian girl was leaning over her and Ceri heard, ‘Now, I think, you take your man somewhere quiet before he is exploding,’ whispered in her ear. Then Naira gave her a soft kiss on the cheek, gathered up her clothes, and padded across the club floor to the dressing rooms.
Ceri looked at Michael. He looked… barely restrained. ‘We’ll head back to Battersea now,’ she said. All she got in reply was a growl.
Giggling as they almost ran down Dean Street, Ceri suddenly felt herself pulled sideways into an alley at the side of the club. She knew it pretty well since the staff entrance to the club was about half way down it. Michael pulled her far enough down the narrow passageway that they were out of the light from the street and then pushed her up against the wall of the club. Briefly she worried that the security cameras Carter had had installed down the alley could see them, but the sensation of Michael’s lips on her throat, his hands on her body, overcame any reluctance she felt very quickly.
Her hands dropped to his waist, struggling with his belt and then the button beneath it. She was panting by the time she got him free of the leather and his own breath was ragged, needy. Quickly she reached further d
own and popped the press-studs on her teddy. His hands gripped her behind, lifting. She felt him briefly at her entrance as she wrapped her thighs tightly around his hips. She gasped as he pushed into her. The bricks were hard against her back, but she did not notice. Her breath came in grunts as he drove into her. She was being fucked in a back alley by a werewolf who had not been able to keep his hands off her any longer, and she felt like an absolute goddess!
Michael’s body stiffened and Ceri came seemingly without warning, her mind exploding as the wave of pleasure swept up from their joined bodies.
Battersea, April 28th
It took a while for them to get to Alexandra’s island in the boating lake, but Ceri did not complain; not once. They had walked to the tube station and sat on the train with the result of their frantic activities running down Ceri’s thighs, and she had felt incredible. The thought occurred to her that Lily had to feel like this all the time; desired, sexy, too damn hot for words.
Then he had been all over her again as soon as he had shifted. She had giggled and told him to wait until she had changed, but his paws had been everywhere as she undressed and she had found herself on her hands and knees before their clothes were even stuffed into her satchel. And then he had wanted to go again as soon as she was in fur.
The swim across to the island had been a little cold, but at least when she walked into the clearing she did not smell like a very successful hooker. No, from the looks the couple got she just smelled like a moderately successful hooker.
Anita intercepted them as they headed for the fire, rubbing muzzles with Michael and then Ceri. Watchers, seen you? her growl asked.
They had walked across Chelsea Bridge and seen no sign of the men in suits. In wolf form, there had been no trace either. Ceri glanced at Michael; he was the male, he got to rumble the negative.
‘It would seem,’ Alexandra said from her usual spot by the oil drum, ‘that they have seen everything they wanted to see. I suggest we maintain the state of alert for a few days, just in case.’ There was an affirmative sound from Anita and Alexandra went on. ‘Anita wants you to run a patrol around the park anyway, but I wanted to discuss tomorrow with you first.’ Ceri settled onto the ground in front of her Alpha, Michael settling behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. ‘Well,’ Alexandra said, ‘we have had a few suggestions regarding what you might like to do. Personally, I don’t see you on Regent Street with a hat out for loose change. I’m not sure you look sufficiently unhealthy.’
There was a rumble of growled laughter from around the clearing and Alexandra waited for it to die down, smiling indulgently. ‘Tina suggested you might do well if you went down to King’s Cross with her…’ Michael growled. ‘But no matter how much I might agree, I don’t think Michael would like the idea of you turning tricks.’ Ceri patted her mate’s thigh and his muzzle caressed her neck. ‘So,’ Alexandra said, ‘I think you’ll be coming along with me.’
Ceri raised a brow and gave a short, questioning bark. Where?
‘I give some of my time at the Acre Lane Shelter,’ the old woman said. ‘Treating wounds, checking on the people staying there. Anita insists that I take a bodyguard when I go and you have a practitioner’s certificate so you know at least basic first aid…’
Ceri nodded her head. And magic, she barked.
‘I use a little magic when it’s needed,’ Alexandra agreed. ‘Even the homeless can get basic treatment on the NHS, well, when they can be persuaded to go to a doctor. If it’s anything needing more than that…’ Ceri nodded again. As a student she had had a few benefits, including health benefits most people had to pay for. Now that she had a job she even had to pay for her monthly prophylactic charm. Well, she had had to until she had seen it done once and worked out how to cast it herself. ‘Up for a little charity work, my dear?’ Alexandra asked.
And guard duty, Anita rumbled.
Of course, Alpha, Ceri said.
Alexandra laughed. ‘Just don’t call me that while we’re there, we’ll get some funny looks. Now, you go check the park and then get some sleep. We’ll be heading over to Brixton around ten.’ Ceri and Michael rose to their feet and started for the lake. ‘Oh, Michael?’ Alexandra called after them. ‘Do let her actually get some sleep, okay?’
Michael hung his head and whined.
Brixton
‘It doesn’t look like he did as I asked,’ Alexandra commented as they walked down Acre Lane.
Ceri bit off a yawn. ‘Uh… no, he was really good. I’m just not used to sleeping outdoors, even in fur. I woke up not long after dawn.’ She grinned sheepishly. ‘He, uh, did take advantage of that, but I was not exactly objecting. It’s not like we don’t do the same thing on mornings when he stays over at High Towers.’
‘You do need rest, dear,’ the old werewolf said. ‘You should be careful.’
‘I… I have trouble sleeping sometimes,’ Ceri replied, ‘but I usually get enough sleep.’
‘Nightmares?’
Ceri glanced at her pack Alpha sharply. The old woman had some form of mystic power granted to her by Luperca. She saw the future, sometimes anyway, and seemed to get glimpses of other things which were not immediately obvious. ‘I get nightmares when I sleep alone,’ she said.
‘Sometimes the price we pay for our victories is too high,’ Alexandra said. She stopped in front of a Georgian building, a townhouse which looked as though it had seen better days. ‘And here we are,’ she said, giving Ceri no time to comment on her remark.
Walking up to the door, they opened it and went in. The interior featured cracked paintwork, too few light bulbs, and a smiling black woman. ‘Alexandra,’ the woman said, ‘you’ve brought a new friend.’
‘Andrea Clancy,’ Alexandra said, ‘meet Ceridwyn Brent. Ceri is a practitioner, quite a good one. Andrea is the supervisor here.’
Andrea laughed. ‘Glorified den mother,’ she said. She sort of looked the part; overweight in a vaguely muscular way with curly black hair which was going grey, and a kindly demeanour. ‘It’s always nice to see new faces, Ceri. Come on, I’ll give you the tour before we get to what you’re here for.’ She turned and pointed to a door which had probably once led onto the house’s living room. ‘That’s the staff room and my office. Well, it’s where my desk is and there’s some chairs to sit on during breaks. We have three permanent staff, including me. Mostly we’re here to hand out blankets and make sure the guests don’t do anything too stupid. We don’t allow drinking on the premises, or drugs obviously.’ She began marching down the hall, Alexandra and Ceri following her.
‘Do they get werewolves in here?’ Ceri asked quietly.
‘Rarely,’ Alexandra replied. ‘The odd ronin. I’ve recruited two pack members here, but most of the wolves passing through are real loners.’
‘Kitchen is through there,’ Andrea was saying. ‘We supply food the guests can cook for themselves, and we have a couple of people who come in to do big meals every day.’ She started up the stairs at the end of the hallways.
The second floor had a bathroom and two dormitories, one for men, one for women. ‘We keep them separate,’ Andrea said. ‘It gets complicated otherwise. Most of the women don’t have access to regular birth control and the last thing they need is a baby to look after.’
‘Who do we have upstairs today?’ Alexandra asked.
Ceri glanced into the women’s dorm. There were about ten beds, not all of them occupied at this time of day. She could see a grey-haired old woman chatting to a teenager. They looked happy enough, but both were in clothes which had seen better days and the younger woman looked tired.
‘Tilly’s back in,’ Andrea was saying. ‘That cough of hers is getting worse.’
‘Lung cancer will do that,’ Alexandra said. ‘I can treat the symptoms, but I don’t know of any magic which can cure her.’
Andrea nodded as she started for a second flight of stairs. ‘We have a new kid in, Charley. Cut his hand and it’s got infected. We bandaged him up,
but I hope you can do something with it or he’s going to lose it.’ She stopped and looked around. ‘Oh, and there’s a kid up there with something weird I’d like you to look at. Crippled leg. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.’ She continued on her way up the stairs.
Ceri glanced at Alexandra, who shrugged slightly and followed Andrea. The top floor had six, independent rooms on it. Essentially it was the infirmary section of the shelter and Ceri could hear the coughing coming from one of the rooms even before she reached the landing.
‘Oh, she’s having one of her coughing fits,’ Andrea commented, turning toward the room immediately to the right.
There was an old woman, overweight in the body, but narrow and haggard in the face, sitting up in bed and coughing blood into a stainless steel bowl. Ceri reached out almost without thinking, supressing the woman’s spasming diaphragm with a touch of her mind. The coughing stopped instantly and the old woman blinked, turning to look at the people walking into her room. She spat a last gob of blood and spittle into the bowl before saying, ‘Have I you t’thank fer that, Lexie?’
Ceri was a little surprised to see Alexandra smiling, considering the diminutive. ‘Not me this time, Tilly. This is Ceri, she’s helping me today. I assume you’re still smoking?’
‘When I can get ‘em,’ Tilly replied. ‘It’s not like I can make m’self worse.’
Alexandra did not approve, Ceri could tell. ‘Could I have the bag, Ceri?’ she said. Ceri slipped the rucksack she was toting from her shoulders and handed it over to the old werewolf. It contained various bottles and one of them was extracted and handed over to Tilly. ‘No more than four doses a day,’ Alexandra said, ‘and try to cut down. You will feel better for it.’
‘Sure, Lexie,’ Andrea said.
Alexandra rolled her eyes at Ceri and the little group moved out to the next room. Andrea immediately rushed to the bed against the opposite wall. The naked boy had thrown most of his blankets off and was still sweating. His skin had a deathly pallor to it and there were some ugly, greenish marks on the skin of his arm spreading up from under a thick bandage wrapped around his right hand.
Thaumatology 03 - Legacy Page 10