Date: Tue, 04 May 2004 01:10:36 -0700 From: Lisa Adams Subject: The New Werewolf The characters in this story are based off of the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter books by Laurell K. Hamilton. The characters and situations are purely fictional. The New Werewolf It was nearly 5:00 in the afternoon and Sean was fixing himself breakfast. He padded across his small kitchen, opening the refrigerator and pulling out the carton of eggs. Scrambled eggs, bacon, English muffins, that would be all that his breakfast consisted of, since it was basically all he had in the house at the moment. Since he had become a werewolf, Sean had had many odd things happen to him, but last night had to have been one of the strangest nights ever. Who would have thought that coming out of Bill's Bar, he'd have run into a werewolf, ready to shift? Not him, that was for sure. And as of right now, that werewolf was sleeping in his bed. Sean had called into work, then spent the day on the couch, trying to catch some sleep. It had worked for a while, but his couch wasn't overly comfortable, being quite old as it was. He cracked three eggs into the frying pan, wondering when the little gray eyed lukoi would wake . . . Her nose twitched, and Bekah's eyes fluttered open. Bacon ... and eggs. Her stomach grumbled loudly and she sat up, startled. This wasn't her room! Where was she! Then the memories came flooding back. She'd been shifting, turning into a werewolf, and then she'd stumbled into ... him. Her eyes swept the room she was in. Neat and tidy. NOT what she expected from a guy. Rising out of the bed, she found her clothes folded on a nearby chair and quickly shrugged them on. She wished she'd worn something more casual last night than she had. The short plaid skirt and skin-tight tee didn't leave much to the imagination. But then that had been her plan. Derek liked it when she wore skimpy stuff... She shook her head hard, as if trying to shake out the thought. She never wanted to see him again. Not after last night. Opening the door, she cautiously walked out of the room and made her way through the small apartment to the kitchen. There he was. That guy that had helped her last night. The other werewolf. Sean. "Um ... morning" she said shyly. Sean could smell her alarm from the moment she woke. The scent of her fear had traveled through the small apartment, mingling with the smell of cooked food and he had listened, training his ears on the sounds coming from the bedroom. Sheets rustling, the sound of clothing slithering over skin, then her soft footsteps as she entered the kitchen. He didn't bother to look back at her, "Morning," he said, splitting the scrambled eggs onto two plates. There was already bacon and an English muffin on each one, and a gallon of orange juice on the table with two glasses. "Hungry?" "Ravenous!" Bekah took her plate with a quiet thanks. The food smelled so GOOD! She couldn't remember bacon and eggs smelling this good! She caught other scents too - soap, deodorant, and cologne. She heard a loud flapping/swooshing noise and instinctively ducked. She blushed when she saw a bird fly past a window. This was all too weird. It was like someone had cranked up her Sense-O-Meter or something. She sat herself down at the little table and all but attacked the food in front of her. She was too hungry to care about what Sean thought, but she did try to keep the messiness down to a minimum. When she paused to take a drink of juice, she said "So ... what ... what happens now?" Sean sat down across from her and watched her eat for a second before picking up his fork. He rolled the question around his mind for a minute while he chewed. "Well," he said, after he had swallowed and taken a swig of orange juice, "Now you get acquainted with the pack." His brown eyes flicked up to meet hers, his gaze level. Bekah's chewing slowed and she swallowed her food and set the fork down. She merely looked into his dark brown eyes for a moment before saying softly, "The ... pack?" Sean nodded, "Yeah, the lukoi." He took another bite, chewed and swallowed, "There's more of us than you'd think. The news doesn't really do us much justice." He threw her a half smile, "They make us all seem like cold blooded killers." Bekah managed to mirror his smile half-heartedly. Honestly, she'd been of the mind that all ... lukoi ... -were- cold blooded killers. Sean didn't seem like one though, and she wanted to trust what he said. She was so glad he'd been there when she'd been about to shift. If she'd been alone... She shuddered at the thought. The hunt had been terrifying, yet it had thrilled her at the same time. Running, feeling the taste of warm blood. She dropped her fork and shuddered again. She'd eaten raw bloody meat! That realization totally threw her for a loop! She wasn't a vegetarian, but the thought of eating bloody flesh from a carcass... Her beast liked the idea, but her human side was revolted. "How ... how can you handle it?" she asked, avoiding his eyes and rubbing her arms, "The blood I mean...." Sean shrugged, pushing the last of his food around his plate, then looked up at her again. She was trying to avoid his gaze; she didn't want him looking at her. "You get used to it. And the cravings get easier once you gain better control of your beast." He could smell her excitement and her disgust at the same time, she was battling within herself. "The blood becomes just another part of the craving." To think like that ... to become ... a beast. Bekah couldn't handle that. She wasn't a monster! She was normal! She just wanted to forget this whole thing ever happened, forget that she'd been attacked, forget the bite area on her arm that even now she was rubbing hard at. "Why?! Why me?!" she suddenly burst out. "I don't want this! I ... I want to be normal! I'll never become a real musician if all anyone sees is .. is a monster!" Tears flowed unchecked down her cheeks, and she buried her face in her hands. Part of her was embarrassed at having broken down in front of a total stranger, another part railed against the unfairness of it all, and somewhere, deep down inside ... the beast lurked. Sean sucked in a deep breath. He had expected this. Unfortunately, he wasn't all that great at dealing with tears, especially from someone he barely knew. He got up and moved around the table, crouching down next to her chair, one hand on the back of it to steady himself. "Bekah, listen to me," he said, touching her wrist, thinking that maybe it would be enough for her to drop her hands and look at him, "You control your beast, it doesn't control you. No one has to know about it, there are plenty of lukoi who are in the closet. Your life will continue as it has, but there will be a new part that you have to learn to live with." His voice softened, "You're a lycanthrope now and that's not going to change." Biting her lip to stifle her sobs, Bekah dropped her hands to her lap. His words made sense, even if she didn't want to believe it. She was a lycanthrope. Now and forever. "M-Maybe no one'll find out" she said, as much trying to convince herself as anyone else. She turned her head to look at him. He was so nice. He was obviously trying to make her feel better, even if he wasn't the best at it. So nice ... so handsome .... Before she knew what she was doing, she leaned over and kissed him. Sean's eyes widened in surprise as he suddenly found Bekah's lips pressed against his. That was the last thing he had expected. He hesitated for a second before returning the kiss, softly, slowly. His beast swirled up inside him, rising to meet that warmth that flowed over his skin at her kiss. He pulled away, batting his beast back down, "What was that for?" he asked, his voice low. A crimson blush spread over Bekah's face and neck. "I ... I'm sorry. It's just that you've been so nice to me and I don't know what I would have done if you weren't there and you're just so ... so ..." Words failed her, but she could feel the beast in her stirring, wanting to feel that touch again ... and more. But the human side of her was afraid as well. She'd never done ... anything before. But she knew that she wanted to. Now. With this man. Sean smiled, a true genuine smile and stood up, backing away from her slightly, "Listen Bekah," he said, dropping hands to his sides, "I helped you because I couldn't just leave you there to shift. You don't have to kiss me as a thank you." He could feel her desire, throbbing through the air of the apartment like the beat of a drum, like a heartbeat. But she wasn't thinking correctly, she couldn't be. They had just met and she didn't strike him as the 'sleep with strangers' type. Bekah blushed even more furiously. Now she felt like a horny little schoolgirl or something. "This isn't some sort of payment I'm trying to give you Sean..." she said quietly. She stood up and placed a hand on his chest. "I know we don't really know each other, but I need ... I need ..." Hell, what DID she need?! Someone to be close to, to make her feel wanted, to make love to her. She explained that to him, and then leaned in again to kiss him, sliding her hand up behind his head to pull him gently closer to her. Her heart was hammering, but she knew this was what she wanted. He knew what she needed, he had known it before she said it. He could practically taste it on the back of his tongue, but why did she want him to be the one to give it to her? Sean let her pull him in for another kiss, but this time he slipped his hands up to her waist, fingertips brushing the hem of her skirt as he did. Damn that little skirt and that shirt! He felt his stomach tighten as the tip of his tongue traced over her lip, coaxing her into opening her mouth . . . Bekah felt her skirt shift as Sean's hands came up to her waist, and then his tongue was running across her lip as though begging entrance into her mouth. She gladly obliged, parting her lips and reaching out with her own tongue to caress his. Both of her hands were around his neck now, and her fingertips traced through his short hair. She pressed the length of her body up against him, loving the feeling of his hard, strong, totally male body against hers. Sean leaned into her a little more, his body reacting as she pressed against him. He hadn't put on a belt and his jeans had been hanging off his ass all afternoon, but right now he wished his pants were a little tighter. It would have been easier to hide the semi-hard state he was now in. His hand slid up her back, under the tiny shirt, caressing that soft flesh, tracing one finger up and down her spine. He pulled away from the kiss, his eyes flicking to hers, before lowering his face to the side of her neck and kissing along her jaw line. A tiny shiver ran up Bekah's spine as Sean's finger traced it. She hadn't worn a bra last night, and her nipples were starting to poke out of the thin t-shirt, testament to her arousal. When his lips touched her jaw, her eyes fluttered closed. This was so ... perfect. She felt like she was floating, and they'd barely done anything. She dropped her arms to his waist and grabbed hold of his shirt, gently pulling away from him so she could pull it off of him. Sean had felt her nipples harden against his chest and he had held back that soft groan that threatened to spill from his throat. He instinctively reached out to her when she stepped back, but stopped as she grabbed the bottom of his shirt. He latched onto the shirt and pulled it over his head, dropping it carelessly to the floor at their feet. It wasn't important right now. Standing that small distance from each other, allowed Sean to look at her again, to drink in the slender legs and tiny waist and those hardened nipples. He pulled her back against him, hands slipping up under that shift, lifting it until he exposed her breasts. He sighed softly, one hand reaching up to cup her breast. Perfect. Not too big, but a decent handful . . . A small gasp escaped her mouth as Sean touched her. Bekah had only been touched like that by one other guy, and the sensation was incredible. She reveled in his soft touch and wanted to return the favor. She felt his growing hard-on against her, and the corner of her mouth quirked up in a smile. She ran her hands on his bare chest, lightly touching him with her nails, and then dropped her hands lower. She traced the line of his waist just above his pants with one finger, then hooked that finger into his pants and pulled him a little closer. Her lips went to his neck and she kissed him softly, trailing her tongue down the column of his throat as her hands worked to undo his jeans. Sean let out a small moan as her lips trailed over his neck, her fingernails over his chest and finally down to his pants. He felt his skin prickle with goosebumps and he suddenly had the strangest thought. They were in the kitchen. It wouldn't be very comfortable to have sex on the kitchen floor, or even the table for that matter. Not like it hadn't been done in the past, but it just seemed like a very impersonal gesture. "Wait," he whispered, voice thick, breath on her neck, "Let's go into the bedroom." Bekah blinked, the sex-haze clearing from her mind a bit. A slow smile spread across her face and she nodded. Backing away, she took hold of his hand and pulled him to his room, heart pounding. This was incredible. Once in the room that she'd not too long ago occupied, she turned back to him and smiled, pulling her shirt all the way off and tossing it on the floor like Sean had done to his a moment ago. Then she sat on the bed and beckoned him to her. Sean didn't make her wait. He went to her, kissing her lips again and pushing her down gently beneath him. He held himself up above her, an arm braced on each side of her body as he kissed her collarbones, then down to her breasts, tracing his tongue lightly over one pink nipple. He shifted his weight just enough and let one hand trail lightly up her thigh, under the skirt until his fingertips touched panties. He suddenly didn't want to wait any longer and he pulled his hand from under that teasing skirt to finish undoing his pants one handed. He slid them down over his hips, catching the boxer briefs in the process and kicking both garments away. His movements became just a bit more urgent as he kissed her shoulders, trailing one hand through her pale pale hair. He pressed himself against those panties, as if willing them out of the way and a small sound escaped his throat at the pressure on the head. Suddenly Bekah couldn't breathe, couldn't think. She wanted this, she -knew- she wanted this! But she was so scared! Every touch made her burn with a fire that she knew only he could quench, and there was a sensation stirring in her groin like she'd never felt before. Small moans escaped her lips and her body begged for more, her beast all but growling in anticipation. Her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of his erection. It was ... big! Feeling it pressing against her panties like it wanted to go right through them, she nearly panicked. Her heart started beating so fast she thought it was going to burst out of her chest. Sean froze. It was the only thing he could think to do. His mouth hovered over the hollow between her breasts and his eyes rolled up to meet hers. Something was wrong. She was still warm, tingling with desire, but now there was fear there, slight but there. He drew back, just enough that his erection wasn't pressing against her, "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice nearly normal, though slightly wary. Bekah was surprised, and a little grateful. How did he know? Could he ... hear? She tried to calm herself down. This wasn't an enemy, this was Sean. "I ... I haven't really done ... this ... before" she said quietly, her voice barely a whisper. Part of her longed for him to touch her again - hated her virginal fear - but he needed to know. -She- needed him to know. Sean blinked. She was a virgin. He pushed himself up a bit more, straightening his arms and looking down at her. He suddenly felt like an asshole, kissing her, touching her . . . "Bekah, if you want to stop, I understand." Sean didn't want to stop, but he knew that a female's virginity was more sacred than a man's for some reason that he didn't understand. If she wasn't comfortable, then he would live without sex. He swallowed. This should have been something for her to share with someone she cared about, not some stranger . . . "NO!" Her first reaction was to reach up to him. She didn't want him to leave, didn't want to stop. "I don't want to stop. I just ... just wanted you to know, so that when... So you wouldn't be surprised and get mad at me." She wasn't worried about the prospect of losing her virginity. Most people in her family were already pregnant by her age. She needed this, and she couldn't stop now. It wouldn't be fair to either of them. She pushed herself up and kissed him tenderly. "I want this Sean." She reached down and unbuckled her skirt, lifting her hips to pull it out from under her. When she did, her groin touched his cock. She lowered herself down again slowly, now wearing only her undies. Sean was still a bit unsure, but who was he to argue? She said she wanted it. He knew she was telling the truth. When she slipped the skirt off and she rubbed against him, Sean let out a low moan. Yeah, he wanted this, and so did she. So what was he waiting for? Her panties were bikinis, and in the dim light he could tell that they were pink with little white roses. He felt his blood begin to pump faster and he leaned back, hands sliding down her sides, fingers hooking on those innocent panties and drawing them down. He felt his breath catch as those too ended up on the floor. There was nothing separating their bodies now and Sean lowered himself back to his hands. "Shit," he muttered, climbing half off of the bed and opening the drawer in his bedside table. He pulled out a condom and ended up kneeling between her legs again, "Bekah, please tell me to stop if it hurts too much?" he asked, unwrapping the condom and rolling it over his erection. Lying there naked on his bed, with him above her, Bekah had never felt so ..... exposed. Strangely enough it didn't bother her. He wasn't going to hurt her. She nodded to him, "I'll tell you." Then she spread her legs for him. Her heart was pounding, but now purely from lust and anticipation. She needed him inside her, or she was going to go crazy. She reached out a hand and wrapped it around his erection, gently fondling it. She looked up at him, catching his eyes, and smiled as she used her other hand to pull him down to her. Sean's breath shuddered out of him as Bekah drew him down and he kissed her again, his tongue darting into her mouth. He felt the tip of his cock touch her, and felt her body yield just the slightest, but it wouldn't let him in. He pressed himself into her a little harder, watching her face from only inches away as he did so. He'd never felt anything like it, it was so . . . tight and he barely had the head in! Bekah gasped as she felt him pushing into her. It didn't really hurt ... not yet anyway, but it seemed like trying to push a tree trunk into a cup or something. She realized she was tense as a rock, and willed her body to relax, trying to make herself stretch to accommodate him. Her breath was coming in little pants, and there was a light sheen of sweat on her forehead. Sean moved against her, small thrusts and every time he got inside just a bit further. He watched her eyes, her expression, waiting to see either pain or her beast. It was only a matter of time before her wolf side showed itself, but Sean would be there to push it back down, to hold it in check. He realized then that he was completely sheathed inside of her and began to make his thrusts a little longer. He could feel her body opening to him now, though she was still unbelievably tight. "You okay?" he asked, his voice just a bit deeper than usual. Sean's voice sounded like it was coming from the end of a long tunnel, and Bekah had to work to answer. "Y-yes ... oh yes...." she said. There wasn't much pain, but oh shit it felt good. All traces of fear gone now, she pushed herself up to meet his thrusts, closing her eyes and almost purring at the sensations. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him deeper into her. Then almost without warning, she felt a strange sensation deep inside her and then her beast was there, just below the surface. Her eyes snapped open - icy blue now - and sought Sean's. "S-Sean? What's happening?!" she asked fearfully, an unfamiliar growl in her voice. Sean ignored the panic in her voice and for the first time that night released some of his power. He pushed that warm crackling wave inside of her and her beast fought it, but he was Ulfric. He forced his power into her, pushing past all of her shields that she probably didn't even realize were there, shoving her beast down inside of her. It went snapping and growling, but it submitted to his stronger energy. He pulled his power back into himself, but his eyes were green now, wolf eyes. Her hips were rolling to meet his and Sean angled himself to try to hit that spot again, to try to force that orgasm out. And he would be there to catch her beast again. Bekah gasped in surprise at the strange sensation coursing through her. She felt the beast in her retreating, and silently thanked Sean for whatever it was he'd done. Then he was driving into her again, searching for that spot, and she moved with him, wanting to feel it again. She was afraid what her beast would do, but she knew that Sean would handle it somehow. A few more thrusts and ... there! "Ah!" she gasped. That feeling again, deep inside. This time she tried on her own to hold the beast down. Her eyes locked with Sean's ... hadn't they been brown before? And her beast fought with her, and she fought back, digging her nails into Sean's back. She could feel pressure starting to build within her, like a storm about to break out... Sean felt her tense beneath him and his breath hissed out as her nails convulsed into his back. He had the spot, now he only had to keep it. He continued pumping into her, long sure thrusts and his body fell into a rhythm, even as he pushed her beast back again. It was distracting somehow, having to keep her beast in check, but if he did it for her than she could just focus on her release. He lowered his face to hers, holding himself up on his elbows as he kissed her, lips trailing over her jaw to her ear, "Don't worry about your beast, I'll take care of it." Bekah shuddered and moaned, unable to even answer Sean. Every thrust now stoked the fire inside her, and her body felt like it was burning up. She let go, leaving her beast to Sean, and allowing herself to fully enjoy his passionate invasion of her body. The feeling was incredible, and she never wanted the sweet torture to end. Then, a different sensation started spreading through her, starting at the point between her legs and encompassing her whole body. It was like a wave, drowning her, and she let herself go. Her inner muscles started contracting, squeezing Sean buried deep inside of her. Her body started to convulse, and she screamed ... his name. Sean let out a low moan as she jerked beneath him and he felt her body tighten even more around him. He shoved her beast back, roughly this time, annoyed at the interruption. His own beast was snapping inside him, demanding to be released, but that wouldn't happen, not tonight. Sean's breathing was ragged as her orgasm rushed through her. She was sweeping him right along with her and he could feel the tightening in his stomach, so close to the edge . . . Still shuddering with her release, a small part of Bekah's consciousness realized that Sean hadn't come yet. She kept pushing herself up to meet him, tightening around his shaft like an invisible hand - releasing, tightening, releasing, tightening. Her hands wouldn't stay still, and ran all over his body - his arms, his back, his neck, and where they could, her lips followed - doing a dozen little things to turn him on, make him burn the way she was burning. "Sean ... Sean ... Sean ... " she whispered over and over, every word encouraging him to follow her into this paradise. Her caresses and the soft murmuring of his name helped to push him toward that shining edge of release. Sean's breath sped until he was nearly gasping, his senses stretched to their limit as he tried to soak in every part of her. So close . . . A fine shudder ran through him and his muscles strained with the tension as he exploded into her. He gasped, hips slowing, and he buried his face in the curve of her neck, breathing in the scent of her. He kissed her neck softly, "Are you all right?" he whispered, not moving. Bekah's hands trailed along his back and nestled into the hair on the nape of his neck. Her heart slowly began to go back to its normal pace and her breathing slowed. "I'm better than all right. I'm wonderful. That was ... perfect." She leaned her head on his and sighed softly. "Thank you ..." she whispered. Her whole body felt like it was tingling, and though she was a little sore, it wasn't anything to complain about. She sensed her wolf, buried deep but still there, and remembered... "Sean? What ... what did you do?" Sean rose up and backed away from her, stifling a gasp as he drew himself out of her. "Bekah," he said, carefully pulling off the soiled condom, "You have a lot to learn about the lukoi." He walked out of the room and dropped the condom into the trash in the kitchen, then returned and lay down on the bed beside her. "I have the ability to stop a wolf from shifting, to push their beast back inside. That's what I did for you." He raised up on one elbow to face her, eyes normal brown once again, "I wouldn't have minded if you had shifted during sex, but it probably would have been just that much for traumatizing for you." Bekah's brow furrowed as Sean walked out of the room. For a moment she worried that he was just going to leave her there, now that he was finished, but that thought abruptly vanished when he walked back into the room and laid next to her. She listened to him as he spoke, resisting the urge to reach out and caress him again. Now that she was fulfilled, she felt shy, and wasn't sure just what was OK between them. "I ... thank you. Maybe someday I'll be able to handle it, but now .... It's all just too new" she said quietly. He grinned, "No problem." Sean watched her, noting the shy expression on her face. "Hey," he said, reaching out and touching her chin, "Don't get all shy. We're pack mates, family. Hate to say it, but the lukoi will probably end up being more family then your parents and siblings." That surprised Bekah, but when she thought about it, it made sense. She used to be entranced with wolves when she was younger, and even did a report on them in grade school. Wolves stuck together through thick and thin, even in challenges... "Sean? Is there a ... well you know, a leader of the lukoi? Someone I should meet? I guess he'd probably want to know that there's a new lukoi in town" she said, managing a smile and even getting brave enough to kiss him lightly on the lips. Sean could barely return the kiss through the snort of laughter that escaped. "Funny you should ask," he said with a grin, amusement still shining in his eyes. "The most dominant male in the pack is the Ulfric, Wolf King. He's the leader." His voice was tight with barely contained laughter, "And strangely enough, he just popped your cherry." If Sean had just sprouted wings and a beak, Bekah couldn't have been more surprised. Her face was a mask of total shock, and her mouth moved as she tried to form words. HE was the ... Ulfric?! Her new leader?! And she ... he ... -they- ...! "I .... we ... " was about all she could stammer out. Sean rolled onto his back and laughed. "Yeah," he said, chuckling, "I'm the Ulfric, that's why I was able to hold your beast back." His laughter stopped and he lay staring at the ceiling, "Not all lukoi can do that. Not even every alpha can do that." He glanced at her, "I'm a bit more powerful than most, I guess." His tone wasn't modest and it wasn't haughty, he was simply making an observation, stating a fact. For just a second Bekah wanted to pummel him, but she quickly dismissed the notion. There was no point. She rolled onto her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows. She couldn't look at him. She wasn't ashamed really of what they did, nor was she angry with him. She was the one who had wanted this, and she got it. She'd lost her virginity to her Ulfric. Well, why not? Who better than someone who was now family to her? "It felt like you were ... I dunno, putting a band-aid on me or something. Covering up the bad parts so I could enjoy ... the good" she said quietly. The Ulfric. Now she -really- didn't know how to act. It was one thing to have just banged another lukoi, but the Wolf King ... well that seemed like a different matter. Or was it? Questions she didn't know how to put into words roiled around in her mind. Sean turned his head and watched her profile, listening to her quiet words. "Well, it was your first time. Probably would be been overwhelming to have to battle your beast at the same time." He smiled a bit, "I was just trying to make it a little easier for you. Hope you didn't mind." Now Bekah turned to look at him. "Mind? Of course not! How could I? It made it so much .. easier for me to ... you know" she blushed a little. Oh geez, here she was lying in bed with a man she'd just had sex with, and she was -blushing-? Oy. "I don't know what it must have taken for you to do that, but I appreciate it more than I can say" she said, a real, happy smile now lighting her face. Sean returned the smile, "It's no problem, really. It saps some of my energy but nothing that drains me too much." His grin turned sly at her blush, "And considering the circumstances I figured it important enough to sap a bit of strength. Didn't want your first time to be a disappointment." "Oh it wasn't, believe me!" Bekah said with a little chuckle. Except now she was really starting to ache. She'd been using muscles she hadn't even known she'd had before now, and they were protesting. And to make matters worse, she felt the slightest bit of wetness between her legs, and smelled blood. She pushed herself up, and didn't quite manage to stifle a quiet groan at the stretching of her abused muscles. There was a tiny trickle of red on her thighs, and a tiny pool on the sheet. "Oh ... I'm sorry. I ... I'll clean that up" she said, a little embarrassed. She tried to twist her body to get off the bed, but her lower half wasn't having it. The dull ache turned to a small sharp pain, and she froze, biting her lip. Sean sat up, one hand going to her back even as the coppery scent of blood reached his nose. He hadn't said anything to her about the blood on the condom, didn't want to embarrass her. He had never slept with a virgin before, so he wasn't sure how much blood there was supposed to be, or if it was supposed to hurt afterwards. He could tell from the look on her face that something hurt. Was that supposed to happen? "What hurts?" he asked, face etched with worry. "I dunno. It ... the muscles ... inside I think" Bekah said, trying to just suppress the pain, "I guess they're not used to this sort of workout." She was trying to be funny, but she didn't feel like she was doing a very good job of it. "I'm sure it's no big deal." Heck, how would she know? It's not like she'd ever done this before. "Um, can I ... take a shower or something? Mebbe that'll help" she asked. "Oh yeah," he said, "Definitely." Sean got up and reached out to help her get to her feet. He could have just carried her, but somehow didn't think she'd appreciate it too much. "Can you walk?" Bekah stood up with the help of Sean's hand and bit her lip hard as the muscles stretched. Taking a deep breath she tried taking a couple of steps, but nearly doubled over from the pain. This couldn't be normal! Maybe ... maybe it was because he was so ... big, and she was so ... small. "I ... I don't know. I'll try" she said, and took another step. Now that she was moving, a little more blood trickled down her legs, and she tried to clench her thighs together to stop it while walking. It didn't work so well. After almost falling twice and nearly biting through her lip from the pain, she sighed in disgust. "This is not as easy as I thought it'd be." Sean gave a small smile as her attempts to be tough, "Come here," he said, picking her up easily into his arms. He carried her to the bathroom and set her back on her feet, one arm around her waist to keep her from falling while he reached in and turned on the water. "Did I hurt you that much?" he asked, eyes meeting hers. Bekah's eyes widened a bit in surprise as she was scooped up into Sean's arms. Well, that certainly made it easier! She clung to him while they walked and even after he put her down. "Well, yeah" she said, trying to play it down a little. She didn't want him upset and thinking that he'd been all brutal or anything, "I mean, I'm sure it hurts no matter what, and I guess it didn't help that you're, um, well, so big, ya know? And I guess I'm kinda small, so it just didn't help. But it's not your fault! You were great. Really sweet and not too hard and ..." she cut off as she realized she was rambling. She gave him a sheepish grin. "I'm sure I'll be fine Sean ... Ulfric." He arched an eyebrow at her talking and tried to keep the smile from his face. He reached into the shower, one hand in the stream of water, testing the temperature. "Just Sean is fine," he said, throwing her a grin, "I think we've gotten to know each other a little too well for titles now." He grabbed her wrist and put her hand under the water, "That too hot?" When he was right, he was right. Bekah grinned back at him. "That's just fine, Sean" she said, and let out a little laugh. She'd been acting ridiculous. Holding on to him with one hand, she used the other to steady herself as she climbed into the shower. The warm spray felt heavenly. Bracing herself, she let go of him and moved her hand onto the wall of the shower. She nearly toppled over, but managed to catch herself. She looked at him with a self-deprecating smirk. "That was graceful, wasn't it?" she laughed. Stepping aside she cocked an eyebrow at him. "Well, are you getting in? You're just as dirty as I am" she said, trying to keep her expression serious. Sean watched her for a second, a half smile on his face. "Yeah all right," he said, relenting. Not that she really had to twist his arm . . . He stepped in and sighed as the hot water pelted his shoulders and one arm slipped around Bekah's waist again, helping to steady her. "Nice to know I can still make a woman's legs like Jell-O," he said, winking at her as he ducked his head under the water. "Getting old, you know?" he joked. Bekah chuckled. "Oh yeah `Grandpa' you're getting along in years. You really shouldn't have participated in so much ... ahem `exercise'. Not good for the old heart, you know!" she said, lightly tapping his chest over his heart. Idly, she wondered just -how- old he was. He couldn't be too much older than her. Not that it really mattered. She let the water stream over her, catching handfuls to splash on her thighs. Streams of watery blood rinsed away -- more really than she'd expected. In another circumstance she'd have been too embarrassed to shower with him, but after all they'd shared, such an emotion seemed childish. Sighing in relief as the hot water soothed her aching muscles, she clung to Sean with one arm and tried to push her white blonde hair out of her eyes so she could find the soap. Sean gently pushed her back against the wall of the shower, kissing her softly. He reached out with one hand and grabbed the soap, "This what you were looking for?" he asked her, pulling his face away from her's. He ran the bar of soap over her shoulder, tracing it down her arm, going back in for another kiss as he did. Well, Bekah -had- been looking for the soap, but now it just didn't seem all that important. The mixture of his lips on hers and the slick soap bar running over her skin made her shiver. She eagerly returned his kiss, running her hands over his wet body. She pulled back a bit, just enough so she could speak. "Well, I -was- looking for that, but now I think I've found something much more interesting" she said, her mouth quirking in a smile before seeking out his once again. She lightly sucked on his bottom lip, her desire - to her surprise - beginning to rekindle slightly. Sean let out a small chuckle deep in his throat as she pulled his lower lip between her teeth. She may have been new to the sex thing, but kissing was old news to her. He ran the soap over her belly, her hip, his other hand mirroring his movements. His empty hand slid between her legs and his desire welled up again as his fingers caressed her . . . Bekah let out a small moan as Sean's fingers gently caressed her most intimate parts, sending little lightning bolts of pleasure through her. It was incredible how easily he could stir her up, and quickly she felt her nipples harden, and a sweet moisture come from beneath his teasing fingers. Still clutching his him with one hand, her other slid down his body and gently wrapped around his cock. She stroked the length of it, the water making the motions smooth and even. Sean let out a little gasp, his lips pulling away from her's as he looked into her eyes from only inches away, his forehead against her's. He let out a shaky laugh, "You're learning fast." His finger slid inside of her, slowly moving in and out, even as his thumb rubbed that hard knob of nerves. His eyes widened suddenly and only a second later the shower curtain was pulled open. He groaned, "Hello Lucy," he said. His hand had stopped, but he didn't move it, nor did he turn his head. "Sean," Lucy said, a dirty smile gracing her features, "You didn't tell me you had a new girlfriend!" Bekah instantly stopped and her face was a mask of surprise and embarrassment. Oh ... my ... god. Who was this?! Sean's girlfriend? A friend? Was she lukoi too? The woman was attractive, even with her shaved head. The little lukoi had -no- idea what to do, so she just stood there, her hand on Sean and his in her. Sean kissed Bekah softly, "Sorry," he whispered against her lips even as he stepped back from her and turned to Lucy. "Don't stop on my account," Lucy said, that amused smile still on her face. "Right," Sean said, stepping out of the tub and grabbing a towel for Bekah. "Lucy, this is Bekah, she's new to the pack." Lucy shifted her weight, crossing her arms under her breasts; "I never got that kind of welcome when I joined the pack." Her tone was still light, joking, but there was something else there too, just a touch of hostility. Sean turned neutral eyes on Lucy, giving her a silent warning to back off. Lucy snorted and turned away, stalking out of the bathroom. Sean handed the towel to Bekah, "Sorry about that, she's a bit difficult to control sometimes." Bekah took the towel and quickly wrapped it around herself. She didn't know what to say. This woman seemed ... not quite angry, but certainly not happy with what she'd seen. She pushed her still dripping hair out of her face. At least she felt strong enough to stand on her own now, though she was still a little wobbly. The pain had lessened considerably too. She wished - oh how she wished - that they hadn't been interrupted. "Is ... is she your..." she didn't want to ask the question. It wasn't necessarily that she was feeling overly possessive of Sean (since of course he wasn't -hers- in any way shape or form), but if that woman -was- his girlfriend, she needed to know that, and she wouldn't stay here a moment longer. "No," Sean answered, shaking his head, "She's one of my pack. And I'm not sure exactly why she's here." "You were supposed to be coming to watch me dance," Lucy yelled from the kitchen. Sean winced. He had completely forgotten. "Well, that would be why she's here." He touched Bekah's face, "Come on out, she won't hurt you." Somewhat relieved that Sean and Lucy weren't an item, Bekah nodded, stepping out of the tub. She almost wanted to run and get her clothes from Sean's room, but she figured there wasn't much point. Lucy had already seen them naked and ... playing in the shower, so being seen in a towel seemed pretty normal now. She wasn't about to go out there first though, so she waited for Sean to precede her, and fought the urge to take hold of his hand. Sean did duck into his room to grab his jeans, simply for Bekah's comfort. Prancing around naked didn't seem like such a good idea with both Lucy and Bekah here for some reason. He came out of his bedroom buttoning his jeans and led Bekah to the kitchen, where Lucy leaned one curved hip against the counter. "You two look positively embarrassed," Lucy said with a smirk. She wore a pair of jeans and a tiny black shirt, black boots and no jacket. Her outfit was normal, but she had that air of danger about her. Sean didn't bother to answer, he just simply sat at the table. "I thought I was meeting you there?" he asked, brown eyes going to Lucy. Lucy gave a half shrug, "Thought I'd just meet you here and I could ride over with you." Now that Sean had put some clothing on, Bekah felt a little foolish sitting there with a towel on. "I'm gonna grab my clothes" she said in a low voice, not trying to keep Lucy from hearing, but still too embarrassed to talk very loudly. She walked back to his room and searched around for her clothing. Her skirt and shirt she found easily, but for some reason, she couldn't find her panties. Oh well, at least she'd have -something- on now. She took her time putting on the clothing, loath to go back in there. "So, who is she?" Lucy asked, nodding in the direction Bekah had gone. "I told you," Sean said, "She's the newest member of the pack." He tensed slightly, waiting for the smart-ass comments that were about to come. Lucy leered at him, "Didn't take you long to get in her pants," she said, "And don't even deny it, this whole place reeks of sex." Sean shrugged, "I wasn't planning on denying it. What's the sudden interest in my love life anyway? Don't forget, Luce, you were the one who ended our little relationship." Lucy snarled at him, "I haven't forgotten." Bekah paused in her dressing, her shirt halfway on and the skirt still laying on the bed. She should have been surprised that she could hear them, but that wasn't even on her mind. They -had- been an item. And what did Lucy mean 'Didn't take you long to get in her pants'? Was this a normal thing for him? Just bring a girl home, bang her, and then ... what? She slid the shirt all the way down and sat on the bed. Was she just a cheap thrill for him? She may have initiated their bout of lovemaking, but what if he'd had it planned from the beginning? She didn't want to think that Sean could be like that, but how would she know? She hardly knew him, and she'd given up her virginity to him. Did she regret it...? A few hot tears of embarrassment and guilt slid down her cheek. "Then what's the issue, Lucy?" Sean asked, leaning back in the chair and spreading his arms wide. "You ended it and I moved on. It's not my problem that you're still hung up on me." Lucy's eyes narrowed, "Sean, get over yourself," she hissed, "You were nothing to me but a good fuck." "Then I guess our feelings were mutual," he answered, voice level. Lucy growled, a low hair raising sound that never should have come from that slender throat. "Fuck you Sean," she snapped. "Do you really think that I sit around pining after you?" Sean shook his head, "Nope. You don't pine after anyone unless it gonna gain you something. The only reason you bothered with me was because I was powerful. Someone had to challenge Kevin and I was the most logical choice. You ended it when I refused to make you lupa." Though Bekah didn't understand what was going on, the anger in Lucy's voice was plain, as was the growl she heard. Now she had a whole 'nother reason for wanting to stay in Sean's room. Whatever the two were talking about, she didn't want to get in the middle of it. She drew her legs up against her chest, holding tightly to them. The room smelled of their recent lovemaking, and it made her wish, not for the second time, that Lucy hadn't shown up. Boy was she glutton for punishment. She wasn't sure of his intentions, and she wanted to have sex with him again. Wonderfrigginful. Maybe she should just leave. She hesitated, then reached for her skirt. "So you're gonna make her lupa?" Lucy asked, pointing toward the bedroom. Sean's eyebrows lowered, "Lucy, what the fuck are you talking about? Last night was her first shift, why would I make her lupa?" "You seem to do everything on a whim, Sean," Lucy said, her voice low with barely controlled anger, "It would be just like you to make her lupa." Sean stood up, slowly, letting his power curl out of him. "You're out of line, Lucy." Lucy gave a harsh laugh, "I don't think so." And with that she turned and headed for the bedroom, stalking through the living room and pushing the bedroom door open wide. "So what did you think?" she asked, eyes landing on Bekah, "Was Sean as good a lay as he told you he was?" Bekah heard someone coming, but she didn't know who it was until the door swung open and Lucy stood there. She just sat there in surprise, skirt in hand. She didn't have time to wipe away her tears, but she hoped Lucy wouldn't notice. "I ... he ... He d-didn't say anything like that. I-it was me, I wanted it ... from him" she said quietly to the other woman, head bowed. She felt a tightening in her throat, and more tears began to slide down her face, no matter how she tried to hold them in. Maybe `lupa' meant whore, or concubine, or something. Her imagination thought up dozens of meanings and reasons for Lucy to think that Sean would make her his ... whatever it was -- none of them were good. "He was very sweet" she whispered. She didn't want to tell her that it had been her first time, and hoped Lucy wouldn't notice, or pay any attention to the blood on the bed. Lucy snorted, "Sweet, eh? That's a first. Haven't heard that one before, not about Sean anyway." Her eyes scanned over the bedroom, landing on the small bloodstain on the sheets. Her face blanked until there was no emotion there, a mask covering all thoughts. Sean entered the room then, his anger apparent in the tension that sang through his bare shoulders and the power that leaked out of him. He followed Lucy's line of vision to the spot on the bed, "Lucy, get out. I have no more patience for you tonight." Lucy turned to him like a storm, the lines of her face hard as she snarled. "What are you gonna do, Ulfric?" she growled, "Kick me out so you can fuck your little virgin playtoy again?" That did it. Bekah quickly slipped her skirt and shoes on. She couldn't have said anything if she'd wanted to. Tears streamed down her face as she pushed past Lucy, not even looking up at Sean as she walked out of the room. She couldn't stay here a moment longer. She choked back sobs as she headed for the front door. As Bekah left the room, Sean jumped at Lucy, closing the distance between them faster than was humanly possible. He grabbed her throat and flung her out into the living room after Bekah. Lucy hit the couch, knocking it backwards and rolling over it. She flipped onto her back, eyes gone amber and went to get up, but Sean was already there. His fingers locked on her throat again, squeezing until Lucy's face began to turn purple. "I am Ulfric," he growled, voice bass deep. "You're below me." Lucy squirmed beneath his greater weight, mouth opening and closing, trying to speak, get air, anything. Her eyes, though still wolf amber, were wide with fear. But under that fear was something else, shame. She was embarrassed about what she had done . . . "Do you hear me?" Sean roared, his nose nearly touching her's. Bekah stopped short in her tracks when Lucy flew into the couch right behind her. She spun around to see Sean holding Lucy by the throat. Her eyes widened in fear and wonder at the tableau in front of her. It terrified her to see Sean - who had been so kind and loving with her not an hour before - roaring like an animal. But then again, he was an animal. All three of them were. And like it or not, she was part of the pack now. Silently she watched, all thoughts of leaving momentarily forgotten. A small, strangled sound squeezed from Lucy's throat, fingernails clawing at Sean's wrist, dragging bloody gouges through the skin. Sean let go suddenly, sitting back until he was on his knees, eyes hard with anger. Lucy flipped onto her stomach, bringing her knees up and crawling closer to Sean. "I'm sorry, Ulfric," she murmured, her voice thick. "I lost control." She grabbed his thigh, fingers twisting into the material of his jeans. Her face was nearly pressed into the carpet, but her eyes rolled up to meet his. Sean ran one hand over Lucy's buzzed head, caressing down the side of her face. "Keep your control Lucy," he said softly, "You get into trouble when you lose control." He raised brown eyes until they landed on Bekah, "Welcome to the pack." Bekah stood there silently for a moment, eyes on Lucy's prostrate form. Then she slowly walked over to the two of them, and also got down low. She tried to remember all that she'd learned about wolves and their behaviors, and just hoped she wasn't making an idiot of herself. "Lucy" she said quietly, "Please don't hate me. Sean ... he did what he did to help me, because I needed it. I was so ... afraid of what I am now. I just want to be part of the pack. Part of the family." She didn't know how the beaten lukoi would respond to her soft-spoken admission, but she couldn't stand being out of favor with anyone - especially anyone in her family. She'd always been like that, and was a little surprised to have the old instinct kick in here. Lucy looked at Bekah without raising her head. She studied the small girl, noting that she couldn't have been much younger than herself. All the anger was gone now; all the jealousy had been crushed out of her under Sean's dominance. She really didn't care who Sean slept with; it had just been that first surge of jealousy that she hadn't been able to keep in check. Lucy knew that Sean was a good guy and he'd never force himself into a girl's pants, but it had been the first thing that had popped into her mind. Sean ran his hand over Lucy's head again, but his eyes were on Bekah. Slowly he dropped his arm until the bloody scratches were in front of Lucy's lupine eyes. Lucy didn't need to be told twice. She latched onto his arm and began lapping at the wounds, running her tongue over the blood. When the scratches were clean and no longer seeping blood, Lucy pushed herself up, eyes blue again and eager, "Thank you, Ulfric." She turned to Bekah and held her hand out, "Lucy Miller, Skoll of the King's Rokke Clan." Relieved, Bekah smiled a happy, genuine smile at Lucy and grasped her hand, shaking it warmly. "Bekah Cunningham, um ... brand new lukoi?" she said, smiling sheepishly. She figured she was at the bottom of the totem pole, but she had no idea what sorts of titles were used. She really ought to have paid more attention to the news when it talked about the werewolves. She felt pretty darn out of the loop right about now. She wiped off her tear-stained cheek, still smiling. "So, um, what is a Skoll exactly?" she asked. She hated to show her complete ignorance, but there it was. Lucy grinned, sitting back and stretching her legs out in front of her, "I'm Sean's head enforcer. One of his bodyguards." Sean stayed where he was, watching the two females with wary eyes, "Lucy got to her place in the pack by challenging and defeating everyone who stood in her way. She beat the last Skoll and took his place." "I'm happy as Skoll though," Lucy said, her eyes bright again, "I know I'm not good enough to challenge Francesca and Billy. And Sean won't make me lupa." There was that word again! Except from the way Lucy said it, all the previous definitions Bekah had had in mind for it didn't seem to fit. Well, better to make the unknown known. "What -is- a lupa?" she asked, a little more intensely than she'd meant to. Her eyes darted from Lucy to Sean, and back again. Lucy's grin became a little evil. "A position that no sane female would want." Sean laughed, "Right Luce, I believe you were after it." Lucy shrugged, "I never said I was sane." Her eyes went to Bekah, "Lupa is the Ulfric's mate. She has nearly the same standing in the pack as he does. The Ulfric and the Lupa usually end up marrying outside of the pack as well as in it." "It's also the only position that can be attained by not fighting for dominance," Sean added. He shifted his position, sitting back and leaning on his hands, not unlike Lucy. Lucy leaned toward Bekah, "Imagine being tied to him for the rest of your life?" she asked, her tone teasing. 'That sure explains a lot' Bekah thought. No wonder Lucy had acted the way she did. If she was angling to be Sean's lupa - or -had- been anyway - then of course she'd freak out. "That would be absolutely horrible. Then again, he's probably not going to be around much longer. Isn't that right Grandpa?" she asked Sean, giving him a teasing wink, "He's getting along in years, you know." She laughed, crossing her legs Indian-style and plopping her hands in her lap. Lucy's eyebrows lowered a bit in confusion. She felt like she was missing half the conversation. Her lips twitched though as she noticed Sean's eyes dart down as Bekah made herself more comfortable. Of course he'd notice . . . Sean tore his eyes away from the little peep show Bekah was giving and focused on her face instead. No need to be so blatantly male. He grinned, "Yeah, twenty four, I'm surprised I can still beat up Lucy." Lucy threw him a nasty look, "You're asking for it." Bekah chuckled. Personally, she wouldn't take a chance on Lucy. She hated fighting, and Lucy looked like she'd earned every inch of her title. But ... she'd have to fight now, if she wanted to get anywhere in the pack. Did she? 'Ah well' she thought, 'Time enough to worry about that later.' "So Lucy, you're a dancer huh? What kind of dancing do you do? Interpretive? Swing? Ballet?" she asked, throwing that last one in with a grin. Sean felt his lips twitch as he tried not to laugh, "Yeah, Lucy's a ballerina," he said, keeping his voice normal. Lucy threw a halfhearted slap his way, "No," she said, "I'm a stripper. I work at Dark Desires." She let her eyes roam over Bekah's body, lingering on the spot between her legs that was so easily viewable, "I could probably get you a job," she offered, eyes finally going to Bekah's face. Bekah flushed in embarrassment, first at hearing Lucy's job, and second at the realization that she was giving them a free show. She closed her legs with a sheepish grin. Then she considered Lucy's offer. A stripper. Her parents would kill her. Then again, she desperately needed a job until her music career took off. The money she'd saved for moving here was quickly running out, and unless she got a job soon, she wouldn't be able to afford her next month's rent. "If you really could, that'd be great. I really need a job right now" she said honestly. She'd just have to deal with people ogling at her body. Lucy's grin stretched even wider, like the proverbial Cheshire cat. "Well, let's see what you've got," Lucy suggested, getting to her feet gracefully. She reached a hand down as an offer to help Bekah to her feet, "I'll help you." Sean arched an eyebrow at his luck. He didn't even have to leave the house and he'd have girls stripping for him. "Luce, don't you have to go to work?" he asked. Lucy shook her head, "Not for another hour. I had planned on jumping you when I got here," she said with a smile. Bekah's flush remained, but now a smile was on her face too. Now that the tension between her and Lucy seemed to have dissipated, she was more at ease with herself. She was no longer afraid of the Skoll, and was a little turned on by the thought of giving Sean a free show. She took Lucy's hand and stood up, subconsciously straightening her skirt. Where -were- her panties? Oh well. "OK, how do we do this?" she asked with a grin. Lucy crossed the room, stopping only for a second to tip the couch back upright, lifting it as if it weighed nothing, then went to Sean's stereo. "Do you still have that CD I made for you?" she asked, eyes scanning the rack of CDs. "Which one?" Sean asked, getting up and flopping down on the couch. "Oh, nevermind," Lucy said, pulling out one of the CDs and popping it into the stereo. She hit play and the apartment filled with porno music. Sean laughed, "The porno beats CD, perfect." Lucy grinned and turned back to Bekah, "It's just like clubbing. You've been clubbing right?" Bekah nodded, though her stomach lurched a bit. She'd gone clubbing last night with Derek when she'd shifted. Pushing the memory almost violently from her mind, she walked over to where Lucy stood, grinning a little at the 'music'. It certainly was porno tunes, complete with the 'bow-chicka-bow-chicka-bow-wow-wow'. She'd certainly never heard -that- kind of music in a club! "You know how everything you do when you at a club is sexual? Every little movement that your body makes, every expression, it's the same with stripping," Lucy explained, hips rotating a bit to the beat. "You need to get into it." Lucy sidled up next to Bekah, running one hand up the outside of her thigh, "It's easier to pretend that you don't have an audience if you have someone else you can focus on." Bekah nodded, a little surprised when Lucy's hand touched her thigh. She tried to take Lucy's advice, not thinking about Sean sitting there watching them, and just getting the feel for this. Her own hips began to move, her stomach twisting while her top portion stayed stationary. 'Looks like those belly-dancing lessons are gonna pay off' she thought idly. Her arms began to trace patterns all around her, sometimes touching Lucy on her arm, leg, or stomach. 'So far so good' she thought. At least she wasn't looking like a complete idiot ... she hoped. Sean leaned back and crossed his arms, one eyebrow arching slightly. He'd been to enough strip clubs to know when a girl can dance and when she can't. Bekah could dance. Lucy snaked one arm around Bekah's waist, moving around the other lukoi until she was behind her, all the while moving to the beat of the music. Her fingers hooked into the hem of Bekah's shirt and she pulled it up, exposing pale skin and hints of nipple as they moved. "Never take your clothes off too fast," Lucy said softly, her mouth near Bekah's ear. Bekah wanted to nod, but she was afraid she'd knock her head into Lucy if she did. So instead she just followed her lead. She felt a slight chill run up her spine feeling Lucy's breath against her ear, and her nipples felt pebble-hard. She brought her fluttering hands down to rest atop Lucy's, following them as her shirt slowly rose, exposing her pert breasts. She took a deep breath as the shirt came over her head, naturally causing her breasts to push out just slightly. Lucy's hands traced lightly down Bekah's upraised arms, fingers grazing over her hard nipples. She laid a soft kiss on the side of Bekah's neck as her hands cupped the smaller girl's breasts, "Help me with my shirt now," she said, tongue flicking out over the curve of Bekah's ear. Sean sucked in a deep breath as he watched, realizing then that this situation had great potential. He stayed silent though, not wanting Bekah to get nervous and have the shyness take over. Bekah bit her lip, holding back a whimper as Lucy's hands touched her. She felt that stirring in her groin again, and was surprised at how quickly she'd been turned on by this. She twisted around to face Lucy, dropping her hands to the other woman's shirt. She slid her hands underneath, slowly pushing the black cloth up, her hands running softly over her breasts. This was so strange, and yet ... she kind of liked it. Lucy arched her back as Bekah lifted her shirt, baring her breasts. Lucy was made of all curves, yet still slender and her breasts were a bit on the larger side. She had a wonderfully feminine body and knew how to use it. She pulled Bekah to her and kissed her deeply, tongue and all. Bekah was a little surprised at the kiss, but she was too into it now to pull away. Instead she returned the kiss passionately, her hands roaming over Lucy's full breasts, gently squeezing them and lightly pinching a nipple. Her mind was in a fog, and though a small part of her shied away from touching another woman, most of her didn't really care at the moment. The music fueled her libido, and she'd almost forgotten that Sean was even there. Sean's eyes widened as the little show seemed to go a bit further than he had expected. Lucy seemed right at home, but then again, she did this for a living, and surprisingly Bekah seemed comfortable. Sean could feel his blood rushing as he watched their hands roaming over each other and he sat up a little straighter, licking his lips in anticipation. Lucy could feel Sean's desire leaking through the room and she pulled away from Bekah's mouth, only to kiss her way down the younger girl's chest, stopping briefly to flick a tongue over Bekah's nipple, then continuing down her stomach. Her fingers undid the buckles on the tiny plaid skirt, then she pulled it away and let it drop to the floor. Lucy kissed low on Bekah's belly, letting her teeth graze the sensitive skin there. Bekah's stomach quivered as Lucy's teeth touched her skin. She was standing there, naked, in the middle of the room with another woman kissing all over her body ... and she didn't care. In fact, she liked it. Now she too could feel Sean's desire, but instead of making her uncomfortable it only served to get her hotter. She was wet, she knew it, and she felt more ... free than ever before. She reached down and ran her nails over Lucy's shaved head, wondering what she was going to do next, and - in the deepest part of her psyche - hoping... When Bekah's hand ran over her head, Lucy took it as an invitation. She slid one hand up the inside of Bekah's thigh, fingertips lightly caressing the folds of skin there. She worked her fingers in deeper until they played right at the edge of that wet opening. Lucy smiled a bit, eyes flicking to Sean. Sean leaned forward, elbows on his knees. His eyes soaked up every movement and he could feel his erection throbbing against the zipper of his jeans. This was, by far, the hottest sexual act he'd ever witnessed. Lucy bit softly into Bekah's belly, even as her fingers plunged inside of her . . . Bekah gasped as Lucy's fingers invaded her, the sensation of teeth on her stomach making it even more intense. All thoughts of dancing had vanished from her mind, as she was suddenly and totally involved in the woman kneeling in front of her. Though the fingers made her ache again slightly, the pain was small, and totally overridden by the pleasure she was feeling. Tonight was a night of new experiences, and she meant to savor every moment. Little moaning sounds escape from her mouth, and her eyes fluttered closed. Lucy continued kissing along Bekah's belly, but her eyes locked on Sean's. She gave a small gesture with her free hand and Sean rose gracefully to his feet, hands going to the button of his pants. He came up behind Bekah, stepping out of his jeans as he did so. One hand ran lightly up her back while his lips found her neck, sucking softly. He pressed himself against her back, one hand circling around her waist, the other coming around to caress her nipples. Bekah's eyes flew open as she felt Sean pressing up behind her. All three of them?! She relaxed though as his hands caressed her, and she felt his hard-on pressing against her. Her arms went behind her and wrapped around his neck, her head leaning back to lay on his shoulder. She bucked her hips a little, feeling Lucy's fingers plunging deep inside her. She realized that Lucy was the only one that still had any clothes on, and hazily thought that that had to change. She couldn't move though, with Sean's hands roaming over her breasts and being gently impaled by Lucy's fingers. Lucy slowly pulled her hand away and Sean's hand slid down Bekah's belly to take her place, his fingers working inside of her. Lucy kicked off her boots and shimmied out of the jeans until she wore nothing but the blue lace thongs. She took Bekah's wrist and pulled her away from Sean, lying back on the carpet and pulling Bekah down above her. She positioned the less experienced lukoi until Bekah was kneeling above her, one knee on each side of her head. Lucy's tongue flicked out, licking a quick wetness between Bekah's legs . . . Sean went to his knees between Lucy's legs, kissing her belly and biting into her hip until Lucy let out a gasp. One hand rubbed Lucy's hard nipples while the other slid over Bekah's back and lower . . . Bekah gasped as Lucy's tongue flicked onto the most sensitized portion of her anatomy. She felt Sean's hand caressing her back and ass, and moaned. This was so strange. As of last night, she didn't know these people, and now she was having a threesome with them. Strange world. The movement of Lucy's tongue on her was making her go crazy. Guys had wanted to go down on her before, but she'd always been too embarrassed to let them. The Skoll certainly knew what she was doing. Sean felt as if all his senses were running on overdrive and it was almost too much for him to take. With Bekah's moans and Lucy's curved body laid out so nicely in front of him, he could barely control himself. He pushed the crotch of Lucy's thongs to the side and thrust himself into her, not bothering with being gentle. Lucy's back arched as Sean suddenly shoved himself inside of her and she let out a surprised squeak, which quickly turned into a throaty laugh. Her hands curved up over Bekah's hips and Lucy nibbled at the flesh between her thighs, tongue running over her clit as Sean pounded into her. Bekah glanced back, watching Sean plow Lucy even as Lucy's tongue played with her pearly clit. He wasn't gentle, not like he'd been with her, but Lucy seemed to like it. She felt herself grow hotter as she watched them, and she quickly turned herself around so that she was facing Sean. She lowered herself back down onto Lucy's tongue and kneaded her own breasts as she watched him straight fuck. Sean was aware of Bekah's change of position and he looked up, only to find himself nearly nose to nose with her. His eyes were green now, wolf eyes staring out of his human face and he leaned in to kiss her, his mouth working at her's. He wanted both of them, Lucy's familiar body and Bekah's new, tight one. He pulled away from Bekah's mouth, "I want you," he growled. Bekah wanted him too, so bad that it hurt. Lucy's tongue was great, and fingers were incredible, but there was nothing in her limited experience to match Sean's cock. Her own eyes had bled into blue, and she could feel the animal inside her. She leaned in and kissed him again, damn near sucking his tongue down her throat. Then she climbed off of Lucy, her juices streaming down her thighs. She didn't lay down though, but got on her hands and knees and faced away from him, giving him tacit permission, and even -asking- for him to mount her from behind. This thought came from her beast, and Bekah was too horny to argue. Lucy's eyes widened slightly as Sean pulled out and she sat up, watching as he went to Bekah, spooning himself over her back until his mouth was next to her ear, "Are you sure?" she heard him ask. Jealousy reared up inside her, but Lucy fought it back, instead going to Bekah's side and reaching out to knead one of her breasts. "It'll hurt more," Lucy said, her eyes glinting amber. For a second Bekah -wasn't- too sure. She'd already been in plenty of pain tonight, why set herself up for more? Because, she wanted to experience all that she could. The realization surprised her. She'd never been terribly adventurous, but it seemed that becoming a lukoi had opened up a whole new world for her. She smiled a little at Lucy, then spoke. "It's up to you" she said, not sure which one of them she was speaking to. "I'll survive." Sean looked at Lucy, suddenly unsure. He'd never been on the receiving end of this, so he didn't know how much it hurt. Lucy knew though. That jealousy reared up again and she gave an evil little smile, "Do it." Sean nodded, taking Lucy's word for it, and pushed himself inside of her. It was just like before, and he had to work to fit himself in her, but he did it slowly, carefully. His hands slid over her hips, caressing up and down her thighs. He saw Lucy's hand slip up between Bekah's legs and he knew that she would be working the younger girl's clit. Trust Lucy to take care of everybody. Bekah gasped at his entry, her eyes squeezing shut. Oh, she'd been a little idiot. It felt like a hot poker was being driven into her vitals. Her teeth clamped down on her lip to keep from screaming, and she tasted salty blood. She didn't make a sound though. She was determined to do this, now that it was happening. She felt Lucy's hand go to her clit, and the pleasure helped distract her a little from the pain. Her eyes opened halfway and she sought Lucy's. She unclenched her teeth, hoping Sean would think the blood was from inside her. She begged the woman with her eyes not to say anything. She didn't want Sean to stop, and she knew that the pain would go away eventually. She hoped. She tried to relax herself again, knowing it would hurt less if she did. Sean felt Bekah tense around him and he looked at Lucy, but her face was blank. His sensitive nose caught the scent of blood and he pulled out of her slowly, looking for any signs of her bleeding again. There was nothing, no blood, but the smell was there. He felt his breath speed up as his excitement grew inside him. Blood, sex, all he needed was a little violence and he probably wouldn't be able to control his beast. As it was, he could feel it swirling just below the surface, ready to lash out the first chance it got. Lucy's face was utterly blank, but her hand was busy with Bekah's body. She wanted Bekah to finish first, so that Sean could still fuck her before he came. Lucy leaned toward Bekah's ear, "Does that feel good?" she whispered, "You like how he feels inside of you?" Bekah was just beginning to enjoy herself when she heard Lucy's question. It seemed a normal enough thing to say, but she knew there was hidden meaning. Lucy -liked- that she was in pain. Hell, she -wanted- it! Bekah hurt now, not from any physical pain, but from a sense of betrayal. She'd gone along with this because she'd thought Lucy and her were OK now. She'd been happy before, with just Sean -- even with just Lucy. It seemed that the trouble was when the three of them were in it together. She didn't say anything, because she was nearing her climax, and there was nothing to say anyways. Her icy blue eyes asked `why', even as she pushed herself back into Sean. Her beast was close now, just under the surface, reacting to the sex, the pain, and the anger and hurt she was feeling. `No' Bekah thought, `Not this time'. She violently shoved her beast down, hating it and Lucy equally. Even as she took what those despised fingers offered, she beat the beast back. She was on the brink, striving for the orgasm, but her anger and hate and sadness prevented her from reaching that shining point. Sean let out a low growl deep in his throat, eyes going to Lucy. It was then that he realized what her problem was. She was jealous again. She couldn't bear to watch him with another woman. Lucy kept her mouth near Bekah's ear, tongue flicking out over the graceful curve. She ignored the feelings that were playing over Bekah's face, but she didn't ignore the beast that rose under Bekah's skin. The Skoll felt her own beast rise up to meet this new one, wanting to caress and nip at that musty fur. Sean could feel Bekah tensing around him and he knew that she was there, right on the edge. He reached down and pushed Lucy's hand away, replacing her fingers with his own. "Back off," he growled, wolf eyes hard. Lucy snarled but backed away just a bit. She wasn't happy, not at all . . . Bekah was relieved that Sean had pushed Lucy away. Though she was still upset, she was able now to distance herself from the other woman and concentrate on just Sean, touching her and thrusting into her. He was always protecting her -- from herself, from others... Her fingers dug into the carpet as she finally climaxed, a choked sob wrenching from her throat as she spasmed. Sean groaned as her body convulsed around him, sending waves of pleasure through him, but he didn't come. He blinked suddenly and realized that he wasn't wearing a condom. His eyes went to Lucy again, but she was closed off, her face blank as she watched the show. She was pissed . . . and hurt. He leaned forward and curved his body over Bekah's back, placing a soft kiss on her shoulder, "Hold on." He pulled out of her and leaned back on his heels, holding one hand out to Lucy. Lucy's amber eyes were dark with anger, making them more orangey colored. Those wolf eyes focused on Sean's hand, then she crawled toward him. She rose to her knees in front of him, carefully not touching his body with any part of her's. Bekah half-collapsed on the ground when Sean moved away from her. She weakly crawled a couple feet away from them and curled into a little ball against the couch, her whole body shaking. Her eyes were squeezed tight shut. She didn't want to watch them, not now, not after seeing Lucy's jealousy plain on the other woman's face. She'd give them their damned privacy while Sean got off. Her beast was still there, reacting to Bekah's pain and anger, but the little lukoi would have none of it. She held it down just enough so she wouldn't shift, but that was about all she had the strength to do. Lucy watched Sean's face carefully, trying so hard to read what he was thinking. She wouldn't touch him, not yet. He could close the distance first. Sean felt his beast reacting to both Lucy's and Bekah's, but he pushed his own down, letting that little bit of sparking energy creep out to suppress both of them. He reached up and touched Lucy's face, leaning in to kiss her softly on the lips, "I'm sorry," he breathed into her mouth. Lucy didn't respond right away, but finally she reacted, her lips feeding at his and her hands sliding up over his shoulders. She pulled him down on top of her and felt him slide the crotch of her thong aside, then he entered her. She felt her own insides clench around him even as he began slowly pumping into her. Lucy ran her hands over his shoulders, his back, up and down his arms . . . Sean realized with a start that she was doing nearly the exact same thing that Bekah had done to him earlier, except Lucy gave one small variation. She sunk teeth into the front of his shoulder, forcing a small sound from his throat and Sean felt himself fall over that edge, his body building up and exploding into her. He shuddered, but managed to hold himself up, eyes wide. He pulled back away from her, creeping over the carpet until he was no longer touching her at all. Lucy kept eye contact with him for only a second longer, before rolling to her knees and crawling to Bekah, "Are you okay?" she asked, touching her shoulder. Bekah jerked at Lucy's touch. She wanted nothing to do with the woman. She had her hand in her mouth biting on it to keep from sobbing since her lip was already nearly bitten through. Finally she could hold it in no longer and whirled to face Lucy, her anger and hurt plain on her face. "I trusted you! I thought lukoi were supposed to be family! Why did you want me to hurt? Why do you hate me?! I'm nothing to Sean - you can HAVE him!" she shouted, her words pouring forth like a torrent of bitterness, and underneath it, self-loathing. The sobs broke free, and she clutched at herself, letting them come. She was in horrible pain, inside and out, and now she felt like her trust had been betrayed. She wished she hadn't stayed. She should have left the moment she woke up. Lucy snarled and her hand lashed out, catching Bekah in a fierce backhanded slap. She grabbed the back of Bekah's hair, pulling her face close to her own, "I don't hate you!" Bekah cried out in pain and surprise as Lucy's hand cracked against her face. How could she say she -didn't- hate her when she did this?! Too afraid to do anything else, she struggled, trying to get out of Lucy's grasp while at the same time wanting to bite the face that hovered so close to her own. Sean was there before it could go any further, tearing Lucy off of Bekah and tossing her almost casually across the room. He let his power out suddenly, letting it crash over both of them in a warm scalding wave of crackling energy. His eyes were on Lucy, "I am Ulfric of the King's Rokke Clan! I deal out the punishments!" Lucy snarled at him, amber eyes flashing in her face, but she lowered her gaze. She knew when she had gone too far. Sean answered her snarl with his own deep growl, "Get out." Lucy threw him one last dirty look, then gathered up her clothes. Without a backwards glance she headed for the door, pulling her shirt on as she went. She was fuming, but this wasn't the time to debate it. She would talk to him later. After Bekah was gone . . . Sean turned back to Bekah's cowering form as Lucy slammed the door behind her. She was huddled against the couch, looking smaller than Sean ever thought was possible. "Bekah," he said, taking a few steps toward her, "We need to talk." Bekah cringed at Sean's voice, but turned her head to look at him, still curled into herself. She didn't trust him now either. How could she? She didn't speak, but instead drew her arms tighter around herself, subconsciously pulling away from him. Sean sighed and pulled all of his power back inside himself. "Bekah, please?" He went to her and dropped down to his knees, careful not to touch her, "Bekah, that wasn't supposed to happen. I thought I understood Lucy, but she keeps surprising me." Oh how she wanted to believe him. His voice reminded her of his tenderness, comforting her and loving her. "She knew" she whispered, her voice barely audible even to sensitive ears, "She knew how bad it would hurt me, and she didn't care. She wanted me to hurt." A trembling hand reached up to touch her lip, seeing that it was still bleeding, though not as much. "I just wanted to make you happy" she said, a slight tremor in her voice now. Oh God, she hurt so bad... Sean didn't even pretend to understand women, so he wasn't exactly sure where this conversation was going. He touched her shoulder, "First of all, Lucy is vindictive as hell. You made her jealous and she wanted to get back at you. That's all that it was." He plunged onward, toward the bit that he was nervous about, "What do you mean about making me happy?" he asked, voice cautious. What was it that she expected? "You made me happy, I wanted to give it back. I didn't care if it hurt. I think my beast had a part in that too" Bekah said, her voice an emotionless monotone. She felt drained of anything. She didn't react to Sean's hand on her shoulder, just stared at a point somewhere beyond him. Where had all this gone so wrong? Sean's eyebrows lowered in confusion, "Bekah, we don't have to have sex for you to make me happy." Where was she getting this idea? he wondered. "Bekah, look at me, please? We need to talk and I can't do it unless I have your attention, all of it." Bekah blinked and finally looked up at Sean. She didn't have to ... Oh what a monumental idiot she'd been. This was all so new to her, she didn't know which way she was going. "Bekah, listen to me. I'm not really sure what all of this meant to you, probably a lot, I'm assuming, but I can't settle down." He focused on her eyes, making sure that she understood exactly what he was saying, "I can't settle down unless it's someone who's perfect for the pack. I can't settle down until I find a lupa." Did he give her the wrong impression? Did me make her believe that he wanted to be with her forever, boyfriend/girlfriend type of thing? "I know Sean. Maybe at first I didn't, but when I heard about the lupa I knew. That's fine. I should have been smarter. I tend to fall in love quickly. And you made it easy for me" Bekah said, a tiny smile playing on her lips before vanishing again. "No, I think my beast wanted you to ... take me like that ... to appeal to your beast. So I thought you'd like it too. Think of it more as a 'thank you' than anything else." She sighed, dropping her eyes from his for a moment, before raising them again with another small smile. "I hope when you find your lupa, she realizes how lucky she is" she said sincerely. Sean felt like an ass. "Bekah, I'm sorry. Really, I am." He ran one hand back through his hair, "Everything I do has to be what's best for the pack. It's really hard sometimes. There are times when I'd love to be able to give this all up and live a normal life, but it's impossible. I am what I am and it's not going to change." He sighed, "That whole thing with Lucy . . ." he let his voice trail off, not really sure what to say. "It's OK Sean, I understand. You do what you have to. I don't envy you, but I'm glad you're my Ulfric" Bekah said, uncurling a bit. "Lucy ... maybe she'll forgive me someday. I hope so." She stood up, a little shakily, but determined. She gently touched the side of his face, then embraced him. There was nothing sexual in it, just a reaffirmation of what she'd said, and hopefully, a small comfort. Sean wrapped his arms around her tiny waist. He liked what she said, about being happy that he was her Ulfric, it made everything seem worthwhile in a way. "Don't worry about Lucy," he said, "She'll have forgotten about it by tomorrow anyway." He pulled away a bit so he could see her face, "Do you want to stay here tonight?" he asked, "I'll sleep on the couch if you want. We can spend the rest of the night going over things you should know about being lukoi." "I think that would be a good idea. There's obviously quite a bit I don't know. Though I'm not going to kick you out of your own bed again. If anyone sleeps on the couch, it'll be me" Bekah said with a smile that made it pretty clear that she wouldn't mind sharing the bed in the least. "But first, I need to run to the store. I've had this idea brewing in my head" she said, with a secretive little smile on her face. "Well, if you want to share the bed, it's fine with me," Sean said, stepping back from her, "No sex, though." He grinned and threw her a wink, "Go ahead and go to the store, I'm gonna wash the sheets." Bekah chuckled at the 'No Sex' admonition. "Fine" she said. Pulling on her clothes, she once again had to hunt down her panties. Not finding them, she sighed. "Sean? Do you have -any- idea where my panties went?" Sean followed her into the bedroom, grabbing his boxer briefs from their spot on the floor and uncovering Bekah's panties in the process. He tossed them to her, "I believe this is what you were looking for." He pulled on his own underwear and sat down on the edge of the bed, "Are you gonna be gone long?" Pulling on her panties, Bekah shook her head. "Not long. It's only a couple blocks. I saw it on the way here" she said. Pulling her boots back on, she went to the door. "I'll be right back!" she called, then went out. In the next fifteen minutes, Sean had the sheets in the washing machine and the kitchen cleaned. He neatened up the living room and replaced the 'Porno Beats' CD in it's case. He was a bit of a neat freak, liking everything to be where it was supposed to be and he always took the time to clean up after company. He glanced around the apartment and everything seemed to be in order. Sean sighed and laid on the couch, still only in his underwear and stretched out with his head on the arm rest. It seemed like he had barely laid down when his eyes drifted shut and he felt sleep take him. The door opened and Bekah stepped in quietly, seeing that Sean was asleep. Trying not to wake him, she tiptoed to the bathroom, a brown bag tucked under her arm. Shutting the door behind her, she pulled out the two boxes of hair dye - one bright pink, the other coal black. Laying the bag out flat to keep from staining Sean's counter, she mixed the pink dye first, applying it carefully to the left half of her head. Sean barely opened his eyes as Bekah crept past him and into the bathroom. He had that vague sense of being half awake, then sleep rolled over his again. Rinsing out the pink, Bekah moved on to the black. She was more careful with this, since she didn't want the colors bleeding together. She managed it though, and washed that out too. Drying her hair she finger-combed through it, glad that it didn't tangle easy. She surveyed her new look, smiling. It was more than just a new look for her new life - the pink and black showed the two sides of her, totally different, but somehow working together. Throwing away the empty containers, she walked out of the bathroom, seeing Sean still out on the couch. She just watched him for a few minutes, loathe to wake him. He looked so ... peaceful lying there. "Sean?" Sean's eyes snapped open and he half sat up, his heart jumping into his throat. He was a bit disoriented from his little catnap, but as his eyes fell on Bekah he relaxed, laying back on the couch again. "Well, well, look at that," he said, with a grin, "Why'd you do that?" Bekah leaned on the back of the couch, grinning back at him. "I thought it was appropriate. I'm not the same person I was yesterday ... in more ways then one. This sort of commemorates it I guess." The details she kept to herself. Those were for her - reminders and comfort. She could be both. "Now come on. You've been asleep for a while. Might as well get into bed. Old men need their rest" she said with a wink. Sean sat up, swinging his legs off of the couch then got to his feet. "Hey, it's been a long day," he protested good-naturedly. He padded out into the hallway of the apartment building, to the little closet that housed his washer and dryer. He grabbed the now clean sheets and carried them back inside and into the bedroom. "You still want to hear about the lukoi?" he asked, as he started to make the bed again. Bekah nodded while she got to the other side of the bed and helped him make it. "As long as you promise not to fall asleep on me!" she joked. She really did want to learn. It was becoming more and more obvious to her that there were vast holes in her knowledge. Sean grinned and finished tucking in the sheets, "Naw, you're safe as long as you keep me talking." He pulled the blankets up and climbed into bed, lying down on his back with one arm up under his head. "Any questions, first off?" Bekah shucked her outer clothing, keeping her underwear on, and climbed into the bed as well. She normally couldn't handle sleeping in any sort of clothing, but she though it might be better for tonight. Lying on her stomach, she thought for a moment. "Well, first off I guess I should know what my place is in the pack. I figure I'm probably at rock bottom, but is there anything - titles, responsibilities, etc - that go along with it? Also, how do I rise in the ranks?" Not that she necessarily wanted to, at least right now, but sometime in the future... Sean was quiet for a moment, wondering how he could put instincts into words. "Well," he started, "You're pretty much rock bottom, like you said, which means that everyone above you is dominant to you." He glanced at her, "You don't have any titles, but you do have responsibilities. One of your major ones is to move up in the pack, so you're no longer one of the lesser wolves. To do this, you have to fight, or put on a good enough power show that the lukoi above you backs down. The fights aren't to the death, and there are different rules for each fight, but there will always be a victor." Sean's eyes studied the ceiling above him, "A show of power is like proving you're stronger without actually coming to blows." He wasn't really sure how to explain it, so he tried for an example, "It's almost like two natural wolves who have a problem with each other. They may square up in front of each other and do nothing, but something passes between them and one backs down, acknowledging that the other is dominant to them." Sean let a small amount of power leak out of him, sending it dancing over Bekah's skin in an electric rush, "You can't push away my power, you can't stop it. I am Ulfric and I am the most dominant male in the pack." Bekah shivered. His power was like a tangible thing, and though he'd only released a small bit, it was enough to let her know that she never wanted to receive the full force of it. She felt an upsurging of loyalty. "You are my Ulfric, and you are above me" she said in a quiet, submissive voice. She doubted that she had any of that power, not even a little. She felt so ... low. Well, she'd just have to try it out sometime. She couldn't get any lower than she already was! Sean watched her as she vocalized her trust and loyalty, admitting that he was above her. Those words were so hard for some of the lukoi . . . "Some have to test me, over and over again, instead of just stepping down. Lucy is one. She will always push me, push until I have to put her back in her place. It isn't something that I like to do, but it is necessary, otherwise the pack doesn't respect me, if they don't respect me, then they kill me." Bekah's eyes widened a little in surprise, and she glanced over at Sean. Kill him? How horrible! How bestial! But then her rational mind kicked in. They -were- beasts, and that was how it was done with wolves in the wild. The pack leader only held that position as long as he proved he was strong enough to. A small part of her wondered what she'd do if he was ever beaten. Most of her said that she'd follow him if he lived - even fight by his side. "So you killed the former Ulfric to take his place? Why? Was he too weak?" she asked. Sean's eyes darkened and he didn't speak right away. His mind flashed back to the times he spent in the tender care of the vampires. The nights with Brigid had been pleasurable compared to some of the other things he endured. "Brigid is the Master of the City, I'm sure you've seen her on TV at times. She has the ability to call wolves to her, natural wolves and the lukoi. Kevin wasn't strong enough to protect us all from her. She did as she wished with us." Sean wouldn't look at her as he spoke, "Kevin wasn't an overly bad guy and he did whatever he could to protect us, but it wasn't enough. Once I became powerful enough, I declared myself Fenrir, challenger, and fought him at the lupanar. I killed him in a fair challenge, then we ate him, so he would become part of the munin. After that, I challenged Brigid and when neither of us could defeat the other, we came to an agreement. She no longer uses the lukoi for her own pleasures." Bekah was a little overwhelmed by all this new information. She had seen Brigid on TV before, and had instantly feared the woman. She held no love for vampires. And she now held a new appreciation for Sean's power. If he could stand up against the Master of the City and hold his own... She was immensely glad to hear that the vampires no longer used the lukoi for ... pleasures. She shuddered a little at the thought. To do something like that with something so ... dead. She took a deep, steadying breath. "Anything else I should know?" Sean didn't respond, he just lay there, his mind rolling back through those memories. His brown eyes were haunted with those images, but finally he blinked and turned his head so he could look at Bekah, "Ah- I'm not sure." He couldn't really get his mind back where it belonged for some reason. "The lupanar," he said, finally, "It's our place of power. It's near Francesca's house, she bought it because it was so close to the lupanar." Bekah nodded her understanding, but she had noticed Sean's lapse, and the strange expression on his face. "Sean, are you all right?" she asked, concerned. He looked like he'd seen a ghost or something. Sean nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine," he said, but his voice sounded unsure. Too much had happened behind the walls of Dark Desires, so much that he wished he could forget. There were nights when he'd still wake in a cold sweat, pulling himself from dreams of icy steel being shoved through his flesh . . . Bekah didn't believe that for one second. "Yeah right." She scooted closer to him, wrapping an arm around his chest and snuggling against him. "You can tell me Sean. Whatever happened, you can tell me" she said softly. Sean inhaled deeply and shook his head. "I can't Bekah," he murmured, "I can't talk about it." So much had happened and he didn't know if he could ever say it out loud, like voicing it would make it all so real again. He had never told anyone about what had happened to him while he was in the hands of the vampires, even those who had shared the experience. He wondered if all of the lukoi got the same treatment, but he doubted it, the vamps were much too creative for that. Bekah understood. "Okay Sean, I won't push. Just know that if you ever need someone to talk to, I can be an ear." It was true too. Back home she'd always been the one her friends had gone to when they needed advice, comfort, or just someone to vent to. Sometimes it got a little heavy for her, but she would never turn away someone who needed to talk. Sean looked at her then, his brown eyes searching her own gray ones. She told the truth, she really would listen if he ever wanted her to, but he wasn't ready to speak of it and for some reason he didn't think he ever would be. "Thanks," he said, softly. Bekah gave him a little smile, just one to show she cared. "Hey, don't mention it. That's what family is for" she said, snuggling into him again. She was beginning to feel sleep tugging at her. "I think that's enough talking for now. Let's just get some sleep" she whispered. The End Comments are welcome - omuryn@hotmail.com