Aggrieved the Wolf part 4

Aggrieved the Wolf

Frau Hunter Ash

www.hunterash.com

Part 4

* * *

Within a week the group had collected another former student of Case's, a vampire named Madeline along with a new vampire recruit named Jonathan Harker (whose name brought smiles to Case and Nikki, both avid horror readers).

Dancer and Nikki, once former students, now became the new instructors for Jonathan and each other. They concentrated on renewing their skills and finding new ones.

Mike also discovered that Dancer was a natural hacker and was soon causing chaos and mayhem on several government sites. Jonathan had a natural skill with disappearing into shadows and spying. Madeline's gifts seemed to be that of counselor and soon everyone was turning to her except Nikki and Case.

Two weeks later Case decided it was time to seek Nikki out. The young werewolf had been withdrawn around her. Case became aware that Nikki was avoiding her and she was determined to find out why.

The nightmares hadn't eased up for the young werewolf and it was almost becoming a nightly ritual for her to wake up in Case's arms, finding the vampire comforting her. Case explained the first night that Nikki's screams had awakened almost everyone in the house.

Nikki would lie in Case's arms as her body trembled from the nightmares and then there would come a point when the young elf would stiffen, thank the vampire and turn over to return to sleep.

After a few centuries Case was pretty sure she had seen most human emotions, especially those dealing with sex and attraction but she was surprised every time by every different person. She had learned a millennium ago that no one could predict emotions, especially love. Case knew the young punk was upset about not being able to “conquer” the older woman but she wasn’t sure that was all to Nikki's behavior.

Case walked along the path behind the house, following the sound of chopping wood, having heard from Jonathan that Nikki was taking out some frustrations on the woodpile. She found Nikki in a small clearing behind the house. It was a favorite sparring place for the students, out of sight of the house but within earshot. The young woman was attacking the woodpile with a vengeance.

Nikki was dressed in a sleeveless T-shirt, jeans, motorcycle boots, leather half gloves, and a black bandanna that kept the sweat from stinging her eyes. The leather bracers on her wrists gave her a dangerous appearance and this was further enhanced by the sharp ax she was swinging with a vicious force. The pile of wood nearby was already a good size but Nikki seemed determined to double it. Case’s breath caught in her throat when she saw the pained look on the young werserker.

The vampire steeled herself and her emotions. Case had centuries to perfect her calm exterior and her ability to dismiss emotions as sources of needless chaos and disorder.

Case moved around into the line of sight of the wereling. The vampire knew better than to approach an emotionally overwrought werewolf from downwind. Especially if that werewolf had an axe in her hand. Nikki blinked and hesitated, axe in both hands.

The young woman was almost on the verge of tears.

“Go away.” she growled, ‘thack,’ chips flew from the force of her strike.

Case stopped and kept her distance.

“What’s wrong, Nikki?” she asked.

“Nothin’,” Nikki growled, ‘thack.’

“Talk to me, please?” Case moved a step forward and then stopped, seeing the raw emotions race across the face and in the ice blue eyes.

“Just get away from me,” Nikki growled.

“No, whatever it is, we’re gonna talk about it this time,” Case’s eyes turned stubborn.

Nikki gripped the axe until Case thought the handle was going to break. Then the young woman surprised the vampire when Nikki threw her head back, howled an anguish cry and threw the axe. Case was stunned when it sank in a nearby tree stump, perfectly. She turned and caught a glimpse of Nikki rushing into the woods.

Case’s eyes narrowed and she quickly followed.

“Oh boy,” Mike commented as he and Keisha stepped out of the shadows on the path.

“You said it, lover,” Keisha agreed as they headed for the house. “This could be interesting if they don’t kill each other.”

* * *

Nikki, emotionally frazzled, couldn’t keep up the frantic pace she had started out at and stopped when she reached the rocky shore of the Maine island. She jumped and dashed over the rocks with an animal grace until landing on the small sand of a tiny cove. With another growl the werewolf began running along the sand, attempting to wear herself down without being consciously aware of it. Nikki attacked the rocks like a Marine during a battle landing. Amazingly, the motorcycle boots didn’t give out or slip too much.

Reaching the end of an outcropping, Nikki dived off the rocks without any hesitation and landed in the surf and sand 15 feet below. The werserker straightened up from her crouch and howled again. Then the werewolf dashed the cold ocean water on her face and backed out of the surf, moving a little slower now.

Nikki looked down at her skinned wrists where the gloves hadn't protected them and then her cut elbows. The werewolf's jeans were ripped in a couple of places as well, either from snagging on limbs or sliding over the sharp rocks, she didn’t remember which. With a sigh of weariness, Nikki sank to the sand and let the sun stroke her face.

Case watched from a distance with a sense of wonderment. She was always impressed at the physical strength and agility of the werewolves Case came across but the young elf was amazing. Case’s own pulse increased at the sight of the young woman’s muscles rippling under the T-shirt. The punk leaped and fairly danced across the rocks and then down the beach.

Case slowly eased her way down to the small cove of sand, ensuring that she made noise.

Nikki, of course, had earlier heard the pursuit but ignored it. The scent in the air confirmed who had followed her. The musician considered running again and decided that thought, let alone action, was just too much trouble. She kept her eyes closed and let the vampire approach her. Nikki had tired herself out and it was a small island. She knew this probably couldn’t be avoided.

“Nikki?”

Nikki was a little surprised at the hesitancy in the voice. The werewolf opened her eyes and shaded them against the sun. After a moment, she relented and patted the sand next to her. Nikki laid her head back down and felt Case sit on the sand next to her.

“I thought you hated getting sand in your clothes,” Case commented, keeping her eyes on the wild ocean in front of them.

“Hmmm, usually,” Nikki’s tone was tired.

Case glanced down and then stared at her young trainee. There were dark circles under the musician’s eyes and a haggard look that Case hadn’t noticed until Keisha had mentioned Nikki looked exhausted. Case had been so busy with the new members of the group that she hadn’t kept close tabs on Nikki.

“Is it the nightmares?” Case asked softly and saw Nikki flinch. The vampire resisted an impulse to touch the elf. Case wasn’t sure how Nikki would respond to touch right then.

“Some of it,” Nikki conceded.

“Gods, I hate dealing with warriors,” Case muttered. One thing you could count on with berserkers, werewolves and werserkers, they were usually blunt in their speech and thought, despising head games. They could also be counted on to have extreme swings in emotions, usually having been diagnosed in their early teens as manic-depressives. Almost all of them were usually the strong silent types too, keeping things too bottled up.

“I’d talk, Ice Queen,” Nikki muttered right back.

“What’s that mean?” Case’s eyes narrowed at the challenge in the voice and noticed Nikki’s jaw clench a little tighter.

“Nothin’,” the young woman muttered and turned over onto her stomach.

“You’ve been working yourself into exhaustion everyday and Keisha says you’re not eating. That's an amazing thing for a werewolf, by the way," Case snapped. "Talk to me! How can we be a team if you don’t talk to me?”

Nikki suddenly leaned up on her elbows, her piercing blue eyes piercing Case's green ones. “Talk? Talk about what? What I saw or us?” Nikki demanded.

Case felt a hand grip her heart and send it crashing into her throat. The vampire shifted her position in the sand a little in order to face the young woman.

“Both, if that's what you need," Case said calmly. "Is all of this drama because I won’t sleep with you? I’m not into casual sex, especially with trainees.” The older woman stated flatly.

“You don’t remember tasting my blood that night?” Nikki demanded, sitting up. “I’m moving to the shade, coming?”

Case fought down her conflicting feelings and thoughts as they moved into the shadows of the rock outcropping and sat down with their backs against a rock. The vampire noted the tenseness had returned to the young musician's body and Nikki seemed to be barely holding herself in control.

“Yes, I do remember tasting your blood that night,” Case said softly, facing the young punk. “But I won't let that happen again. I lost too many people that night and way too many others over the centuries.”

“So the answer is to be the Ice Queen?” Nikki demanded, her eyes on fire.

“Yes,” Case said simply.

“Okay, I’ll forget that I trailed you through that hell, through that f**king nightmare!" Nikki snapped. "I followed your scent when no one else could have because I realized I didn’t want to live without you.”

Nikki jumped to her feet and began pacing along the water’s edge. Case closed her eyes at the impact of the words. This wasn’t just sex they were talking about and this caused the vampire to sigh heavily.

“Don’t you realize what happened to me that night?” Case asked, catching Nikki’s attention. “I closed that door to your cell realizing there was a problem. I thought I had locked you in a room," Case said slowly. "When I realized the extent of the attack I left you! I thought about it and I left you!”

Case was suddenly on her feet and pacing as well, along the rocks. “I left you to die.”

Nikki stopped her pacing and closed her eyes, tears streaking down her face. She walked slowly over to the redhead.

“You thought about me?” Nikki asked in a small voice.

“Yes,” Case said calmly.

Nikki raised the redhead’s chin to catch her eyes.

“You did what you had to," Nikki said softly. "Would Mike or Keisha be alive if you had come for me? Would you be alive?” Nikki asked, moving a little closer.

“I don’t care, I left you to die! I left all of them to die!” Case clenched her hands into fists and looked stern. "I won't get close again, whenever I do it just hurts."

“You saved Mike and Keisha and in saving yourself you’ll go on to save many others. You can't just shut down your feelings,” Nikki tried to comfort the redhead.

“What did you see that night?” Case whispered, watching Nikki tense up and the young punk close her eyes with a shudder.

“Hell.” Nikki took a deep breath and kept her eyes closed.

* * *

“I dived for the door as you left, jamming my hand in it before it closed," Nikki began. "I ducked out of my room and hid under a stairwell as gunfire and other sounds got closer."

Nikki opened her eyes and moved back to the shade with Case following her.

"I saw ....I saw werewolves in upright form in flak jackets and carrying rifles and axes," Nikki continued. "I saw vampires with rifles and blood stained mouths. I watched them rip the doors open and ....” Nikki stood up and began pacing again.

“....from some of the rooms ......I saw a head thrown out of one: a beautiful young oriental girl, her eyes open in horror, staring at me,” Nikki looked like she wanted to hit something.

Case closed her eyes, her face reflecting her sadness.

“Other parts filled the hallway. Others came out of the cells with the trainees in tow, some fighting back, others looked willing," Nikki snapped. "Some were fighting but these wolves were bigger, stronger and so they ripped them to pieces. Pieces ....! I never really thought about that when I read horror books until then. People turned into pieces.”

Nikki didn’t seem to notice the steady stream of tears running down her face. “Then a vampire came into the hallway and everyone seemed to step back and wait for him. He was tall, over six feet, wearing military fatigues with a military raincoat, I don’t remember seeing an insignia. He had a crew cut, brown eyes and a scar along his jaw line.”

Nikki didn’t notice Case flinch.

“He pointed out which trainee to finish off and which to bring along. Then he turned and looked at me. He knew I was there all along,” Nikki’s voice became a whisper and she stopped pacing.

It took Case a moment to recognize the look on Nikki’s face - fear. She motioned for Nikki to join her by the rocks and the young woman complied, her thoughts lost in her memories. Without a word she curled into Case’s arms and snuggled against the redhead’s shoulder with a natural movement. Neither thought about it, each lost in the horrible memories.

“He ....he grinned at me with really long fangs. He said he could smell your scent on me; he called you Quinn, the redhead," Nikki whispered. "I knew who he meant. He ordered me to tell him where you were.”

Nikki nervously pulled at Case’s shirt, not realizing the insecure movement.

“Something snapped inside me and I dashed for the stairs. I heard him right behind me," Nikki said slowly. "I slammed the door and used your access code to secure it.”

“MY code?” Case asked incredulously. She was certain she had never revealed that to any of the trainees, not even accidentally.

“You left your scent on the buttons, I just had to figure out in what order they were,” Nikki grinned.

“Damn,” Case shook her head in wonderment. No one else had thought of that.

“I needed to find you, I had to find you. I, I .....I changed. I controlled it and forced the change," Nikki continued. "I vaguely remember following you, the world ripping apart under me and then trying to get through the darkness to you. It felt like a tomb, like I was fighting my way out of hell to get to you.”

“You did, Little One.”

Nikki flinched.

“You haven’t called me that since that night,” Nikki whispered.

“I’m sorry. I put up walls because I won't get close to anyone again," Case said firmly. "When you came out of the mine, when I realized that you had managed to follow me, something broke inside of me. I couldn’t believe you had managed it and I feel so guilty that I left you.”

“I was a wolf when I found you, wasn’t I?” Nikki asked, her face curious.

“Yes,” Case nodded.

“How did you know it was me?” Nikki looked up into the green eyes.

“I just did at first and then I saw your blue eyes,” Case answered, unaware that she was stroking the other woman’s spiky hair.

Nikki pulled away and sat facing Case.

“I’ve had many lovers, mostly one night stands. Sex has a powerful energy that helped ease the insanity that always seemed to follow me, especially on full moons. Now I understand why I was going nuts, sex helped," Nikki stammered. "What I feel for you is different.”

“This is where you say it's true love and that we can’t live without each other?” Case mentally cursed herself at the shocked and wounded look her words caused. The vampire slammed a mental door and forced herself to play the role through. “This can’t be. I’m attracted to you, yes, but love is another matter. A relationship would only complicate things and I’m not willing to risk my emotions for that again. I’m sorry.”

Case stood up to leave.

“That’s it? You expect me to believe that?” Nikki demanded.

Case, having centuries to perfect her poker face, looked down without expression. “That’s it. I won’t get involved with Kin again.”

Nikki’s face became flushed with anger and confusion.

Case walked away.

* * *

“Wow.” Mike commented when Case came up from the beach area alone. Keisha slipped her hand into her lover’s hand as they sat on the porch.

“These two are worse than, than.... arrrgghhh,” Keisha agreed.

“Yup,” Mike nodded.

* * *

“Case! Case! Wake up!”

The pounding on the vampire's door was insistent and Case fought down a curse that would have made Hades proud. She looked at the clock and blinked, puzzled - was that 2:30 AM or PM? Never knowing when your body wanted to sleep could be a pain in the ass, she thought, another down side to being a natural vampire.

“What!?” she yelled at the door.

“Wake up, damnit! Nikki is gone!” Dancer's voice snapped back.

The door was torn open almost before Dancer could finish the sentence. The young werewolf stumbled back, flailing for balance, lost the battle and landed on his tail with Case standing over him. He blinked and tried to back up like a startled crab at the sight of the angered vampire. Like an avenging angel or Valkyrie, was the first thing that came to his mind.

Case was dressed only in a long T-shirt and her hair and eyes were blazing.

“What?” she demanded. “How!? When?!”

“We don’t know," Dancer answered quickly. "Sometime between 10pm and 20 minutes ago. I went to borrow a CD from Nikki and found her room empty. Her guitar case is gone and a couple of other things. Mike says a small motor boat is gone."

“Damnit to Tarturus!” Case shouted and stormed back into her room, grabbing the jeans she had just gotten out of two hours earlier. She didn't notice Dancer watching from the hallway, admiring the body suddenly revealed to him. She turned with a glare and he ducked his eyes.

Dancer may have been gay but he admired a beautiful body, male or female, and Case was stunning, in his mind. Her intensity snapped his mind back to the present.

“Where would she go?" Case demanded absently. "The city.”

“Portland, Bangor, which one?” Dancer asked, getting to get to his feet. He could hear Mike pounding around downstairs and other voices; word was spreading.

“No, New York, easier to get lost,” Case muttered, moving past him, headed for the stairs. She turned quickly and Dancer almost ran into her before stopping. “What about Madeline, didn’t she notice her roommate missing?” Case demanded.

Since taking on the new recruits, Nikki had shared her living space with Madeline; Keisha moved in with Mike; and Jonathan and Dancer shared another room.

“No, she....” Dancer stumbled over his words.

“Well!?” Case demanded.

“She was busy necking with Jon in my room,” Dancer mumbled unhappily.

“Oh gods, is that all anyone thinks about around here?!” Case stormed down the stairs.

“I wish,” Dancer muttered.

* * *

For the next four months, Case drove everyone crazy and into exhaustion as they hunted for Nikki, as well as taking on new recruits.Finally, the vampire gave up, slamming her emotional shield down and moved on. On the surface, it looked easier than it was.

Nikki had effectively disappeared into the streets of New York’s underground Kin scene. Two more months passed with Case settling into the routine of training the new recruits and helping Mike search for evidence and traces of government operations on the East Coast. The expanse of time didn't improve her lack of sleep or appetite and even Keisha's wonderful cooking didn't tempt Case.

It was halfway into month seven of Nikki's disappearance when Mike asked the main group for a meeting. Dancer, Case, Keisha, Mike and Madeline sat around the living area. Mike began by passing around several photos and most of the group felt their stomachs lurching.

Case looked at her intelligence gatherer with a puzzled expression. “What are these?” she asked.

“In the last few months there’s been a rash of killings, especially around the full moons," Mike began explaining. "The victims have had their throats torn out or their heads ripped off. One common thing between the victims that the police haven’t pieced together is that every one of them can be traced back to government agencies.”

“Kin?” Dancer asked, his voice reflecting his disbelief.

“They were werewolves and demons," Mike continued. "We don’t know about any vampires because they conveniently turn to dust when killed. If wolves and demons did the same thing then the police wouldn’t even know it when a Kin was involved.” Mike agreed.

“Nikki or another group?” Case asked, her face betraying no emotion.

“Can’t tell," Mike said slowly. "The police are theorizing that someone is using attack dogs to kill people but it’s definitely a wolf. We've seen these types wounds before, it's not just fangs, but human-like claws as well.”

Mike sat down to let his boss take over.

“Keep an eye on the situation," Case advised. "Let our scouts in New York know to keep a closer tab on things. Any other suggestions?” the vampire asked after a few moments

No one seemed to have any.

As everyone left, Mike turned and saw his boss drop her head into her hands.

“Oh gods, little one.” he heard her whisper.

* * *

Case had been careless and knew that it just might cost her everything. It was New York, it was dark and she was alone in an alley outside a known Kin bar. She had sent Dancer around to get the car but didn’t wait for him by the door, deciding instead to cut through the alley to meet him. Case sensed the figures ahead of her at the same time they stepped out of the shadows. The vampire glanced behind her and found three more men standing there. Each of them had a shotgun.

“Hello, vamp," the one closest to her smirked. "We can do this the hard way or the easy way, kid. The shotguns are loaded with special shells, they have wood in them and will take you out or you can come with us.”

Case feigned being scared. “What....what do you want? I don’t want trouble.”

“Uncle Sam wants you, kid.” the one in front grinned, revealing fangs.

Movement caught Case’s eye and she spun around in time to see a figure seem to appear out of the shadows, landing behind the three men. Before any of them could turn the figure, an upright werewolf, had struck. The one on the wolf’s left fell forward with a severed spinal cord, the one on the right was smashed into the wall, his head shattering under the impact.

One of the men in front of the figure found the wolf’s jaws at his throat. With one motion the werewolf’s right arm came up against the man’s head, cupping a large clawed paw-like hand under his chin and ripping his head off.

The vampire was dead and dust before his werewolf companion hit the pavement of the alley. Case dropped into a crouch as the two vampires in front of her pumped their weapons, chambering rounds. Case leapt forward and tackled one and heard a growl behind her.

“Nooooo!!!” she heard the other vampire cry out. Case brought her head up under the vampire's chin she had tackled and heard a crack. In too much pain to attack, he dropped his weapon and grabbed his jaw. With rapid grace, Case had jumped forward and ripped out his throat with her fangs.

Case looked over and saw the other werewolf staring at her with unseeing eyes, his head having been removed from his body.

Case was left with bodies and a werewolf staring at her, breathing heavily.

The redhead slowly gained her feet and looked at the werewolf standing calmly in front of her. Then she saw the blue eyes.

“Nikki,” she said simply.

“Turn,” a cross between a growl and a voice told her.

Case turned for a moment and when she turned back around Nikki was standing there instead of the werewolf. Dressed in baggy black clothing and covered in blood, the only color seemed to be her flashing blue eyes. Even her face was blood streaked.

“Come with me, please,” Case asked, not daring to move forward.

“Get out of here before the cops show up,” Nikki started to turn.

“Please, little one, don’t leave again,” Case did move forward a couple of steps and then glanced behind her at the sound of a car. A quick look told her it was Dancer at the end of the alley. Nikki also noticed the younger man, her face expressionless.

“Why not?” Nikki demanded as she walked over to the alley wall and picked up a backpack.

“Please,” Case whispered.

The tone caught the young woman by surprise. Nikki turned and looked at the redhead with narrowed eyes.

“How many times have you said that in the last two hundred or so years?” Nikki asked.

“Not many,” Case admitted.

Sounds from the other end of the alleyway decided for them. With a surprisingly quick move, Nikki grabbed Case and was running along the alleyway with the vampire thrown over her shoulders, sticking to the shadows. Case kept from protesting aloud. She knew that to call attention to themselves with several dead bodies in the alley could be suicidal. Nikki leaped over the hood of the car with Case still over her shoulder and threw the redhead in the front seat. Nikki then jumped in the back and Dancer was driving away before either door was closed.

Once in the apartment Case rented in the city, she directed Nikki towards the shower and Dancer to the kitchen. The young werewolf's lean frame hadn't been lost on Case’s experienced eyes and she set Dancer at fixing food. The red-head followed Nikki into the bathroom to scrub her own face and change clothes before the werserker was done. Case resisted talking to Nikki while the werewolf was in the shower, the vampire didn't want to startle the skittish young woman, nor piss her off.

In about an half hour, Nikki came out of the hallway, towel drying her spiky hair, in a pair of cut offs and black T-shirt. She looked at the food on the table and unconsciously licked her lips.

“Go ahead, we can talk after we eat,” Case offered. She knew that Nikki just wanted to get out of there before any of them had a chance to talk but she was also hungry. Food won out.

Dancer grinned as Nikki attacked her rare hamburger, chunks of cheese and potato chips. He attacked his own set of food without a word and Case watched the two of them. She was glad when the body language of Nikki told Case that the young wolfling was beginning to relax a little. Nikki's eyes, however, were still dancing and dark. Case recognized the battle lust that could grab a Kin after a kill.

Case waited until Nikki sat back and sipped at her coke with obvious relish. The young woman had some new scars on her arms and hands and Case definitely wanted to ask about a slight limp she had noticed from the werewolf. Case caught Dancer’s eyes and he nodded. The young man with the new mohawk stood up, bent over and kissed the top of Nikki’s head.

“I’ll be back in a bit. Stay here,” he ordered and fairly danced out the door.

Nikki noticed that he had stayed around long enough for her to protest and smiled at his cockiness. Then the wolf turned to look at Case with guarded eyes.

Case was unsure what to say and how to say it when she finally thought about it. She decided to follow her instinct and, for once, her heart.

Case stood up, walked around the table with a panther’s grace and grabbed the younger woman’s face and began kissing Nikki. The vampire felt a growl beneath the lips and Nikki attempted to push her away. The redhead growled back and bit at Nikki’s lower lip. A moan from the werewolf answered this and Nikki reached out to pull the redhead closer. Nikki whimpered in her throat, the sound lost in the lips that refused to release their grip. The dark haired woman bit back and surprised Case with the intensity.

When the redhead drew back slightly, Nikki stood up and latched onto the taller woman’s neck at a most sensitive place at the base, hugging the vampire close to her. Case’s head was thrown back with a cry of pleasure as shudders ran through her body. Nikki’s hands began roaming under Case’s T-shirt, finding the nipples already erect and sensitive. Case’s hips jerked in reaction and she felt her knees go weak.

“Who’s the vampire around here?” she gasped, trying to draw Nikki’s head back. The young woman allowed her hair to be pulled and Case whimpered at the desire in the young woman’s eyes.

“Then take it,” Nikki growled and bared her neck.

“Oh gods,” Case whimpered. The alpha wolf in front of her baring her neck was totally unexpected. “I.......” Desire, confusion, passion, fear.....

Case hated being confused. It had been a millennium since she had felt something like this for someone. Emotions were dangerous, attachments even more so.

Nikki moved forward and pinned the redhead against the wall and kissed the taller woman again. One leg of the werewolf insisted on a place between the legs of Case and a hand against the wall. Nikki then lifted her hand and caught Case’s eyes. The werewolf smiled and the redhead’s eyes widened; Nikki’s fingers were longer and had vicious looking claws instead of nails. She grinned as she drew slightly back and let a claw run down from the neck of the T-shirt to the belt-line and Case’s breathing stopped.

Nikki could see Case's heartbeat increase and the nerves beginning to jump in the vampire's jawline. The elfish woman grinned and then growled, with surprising skill the T-shirt was sliced down the center and the skin underneath left unscratched.

Case’s eyes closed involuntarily as she shuddered, trying to remember to breathe as a claw traced its former path between her breasts. She cried out as teeth claimed one breast and a hand the other. Case tried to grab the wall for support.

“Gods, I can’t stand up,” Case whimpered.

A growl answered her as the other hand, once again a human hand, fumbled with her belt.

“Too bad,” Nikki mumbled.

Case felt shudders ripping through her and she ran her fingers through the hair at her breasts. She began pulling at the T-shirt on the young woman, causing Nikki to laugh and release her hold on the breasts long enough to let the T-shirt be removed. Nikki, in turn, removed Case’s T-shirt and unzipped the jeans in front of her.

Case, refusing to be totally passive, pulled back and showed Nikki her fangs. The young woman grinned and flashed her own. Before Case could react further, Nikki's head darted forward and claimed the other nipple, this time with teeth. Case felt a scream ripped from her throat and her hips jump forward, bucking, trying to pin the other woman’s legs with her own.

Nikki growled and literally swept Case off her feet. The closed bedroom door didn’t remain closed for long after Nikki kicked it open. The young woman half-heartedly swung the door behind her with her foot and threw Case on the bed, quickly following and covering the redhead with kisses on her lips and throat.

Case, trying to catch her breath, got leverage and shoved the surprised wolfling off the bed and onto Nikki's tail on the floor. The dark-haired woman sat on the floor looking up at the flushed redhead, total surprise written across her face.

“Hold it, little one! Oh gods, yes I want you,” Case said quickly, hoping to dispel any fears of rejection before they took hold. “I don’t think I want to make it through the night without feeling you but I am not a conquest. I demand more at this point in my life.”

Nikki looked thoughtful. “Are you asking me to marry you?” she asked with a grin and Case blinked rapidly in shock.

“Marry? I ....a relationship, certainly.” Case suddenly was very unsure of herself and her feelings. “Just don’t leave again, please,” she finished weakly.

Nikki slowly crawled to her knees in front of the redhead and rested her hands on the Case's knees. The young woman placed her head on top of the hands, looking up into green eyes.

“I’m asking.”

“Asking what?”

“Marry me. Become my mate," Nikki said calmly. "I don’t know what it is between us but I know you’ve felt it. Have you been the same since I left? I haven’t. I’ve been half a person, existing just for the hunt and survival. I’m barely human any more.”

“You fell into