How We Doth Quell Boredom [FxF] (Clearsight x Javorcek)

Cooking always put Lena in the zone. Whenever she was stressed, whenever she was anxious, whenever there was just far too much on her mind, she knew that she could find comfort in making something delicious. As the chef puttered about, she hummed softly to herself, carefully stacking the perfectly poached eggs on top of the English muffins. By the time she was pouring the hollandaise sauce and sprinkling on a few micro-greens for color, she picked up the sounds of Haley moving around the apartment. Right on time…

Slender arms wrapped around her and Lena instinctively stopped what she was doing and rested her arms on top of Haley's. Her fingers played lightly over the pale skin, her lips parting slightly to wish her lover a 'good morning'…but before she could do so, a soft 'I love you' came from behind her.

"Yeah?" Lena asked, a hint of disbelief in her voice. She turned in Haley's arms, finding a slightly hungover, but incredibly serious looking girl staring back at her. The alpha broke out into a bright smile, eyes lighting up in joy. She had wanted to hear those words for so long…longer than their actual relationship, "I love you too…" she leaned down to kiss Haley, slow and sweet and with all the tender mushy feelings she had been holding onto for who knew how long. Then her lips began to wander, kissing Haley all over, moving down to work under her chin and to her throat…but then the scent of alcohol hit her. A worried frown replaced the absolute happiness that had been there a moment before as she pulled away to inspect her hungover little fool.

"Did you take the ibuprofen I left for you on the nightstand?" No. Of course she didn't. So Lena nipped at her and pat her behind to send her off on her way. "Go, go take it. And then we can have breakfast together. And thhheeennn uh, well, Jocelyn texted me that she's going to be out all day and not to worry." There was a very real possibility the two of them could have sex uninterrupted all day! But…Haley did look quite hungover still, with her eyes squinting just the slightest bit inresponse to the morning sun streaming in through the kitchen windows. "If - if you feel better, we could maybe fix this problem of you not being marked by me," Lena was starting to fidget and ramble, nervous about going down this new road in their relationship. She wasn't a virgin herself by any means, but she was a romantic and did put more stock into sex than she probably should. "If you want to, anyways. I could shift or we could just use a strap…" Lena trailed off.

"But only if you feel better. We can snuggle on the couch and goof off all day too," and Lena meant it too. She wasn't one of those huffy, puffy alphas that would make her beta service her. If Haley wanted to just cuddle, then that's what they would do.

————

It felt like bright light accosted Jocelyn out of nowhere! One minute she was blissfully asleep, and the next she was getting blasted with the rays from the sun. With a displeased groan, she rolled over…right into a warm wall of muscle.

Ah…shit…

Her entire body was pleasantly sore from being ravished all night. Her throat felt a little scratchy from moaning for hours. And her head had that fuzzy, headachey, hangovery feeling from lots of cardio and a little too much alcohol. Usually, this wouldn't be such a bad way to wake up. But…well, she -really- wasn't supposed to sleep with coworkers. Like. -really- reeaaalllyyy wasn't supposed to. This was an HR nightmare. This was a potential lawsuit waiting to happen.

As far as 'stupid mistakes Jocelyn has made while drunk' went, this was pretty high on the list. This act of stupidity was only surpassed by that one time she had gotten super drunk as an undergrad and had slept with her close friend Haley. That had been awful…and awkward…and a huge mistake…. This too was a pretty colossal mistake. Jocelyn had no technical rank Lykos Industries yet but she was the boss's daughter! This was bad…real bad… But! She could spend the rest of her day being remorseful, beating herself up for this mistake. Orrrrr…she could dive down this hole of bad choices further. It wasn't like she could un-sleep with Elle…and it wasn't like sleeping with her some more would make things worse.

Jocelyn had all of the work week to be responsible. It was the weekend! This was what weekends were for!

So rather than lay there and contemplate an escape, a walk of shame, and how she would avoid Elle Monday morning, Jocelyn slung her leg over the other girl and gently hopped on top of her. She planted kisses along the wolf's bruised throat, licking and sucking over last night's hickeys and bite marks. When Elle immediately didn't awaken, she moved lower, kissing down her sternum and then over to her breasts, letting out a playful growl as her teeth came to lightly bite at a swiftly hardening nipple.

"Morning," Jocelyn grinned and perked up when Elle woke. "How do you feel about some room service, a shower, and maybe booking another night?"




~~~~~~~ 3 Months Ago ~~~~~~~~


"I love you, you dumbass!" Sasha snapped, angry tears in her eyes. She knew that Bellamy was hurt, physically and emotionally and she just…she just couldn't keep her temper in check, not when faced with this ghost of her Bellamy. It frustrated her, infuriated her, all these walls her lover built, all her recent efforts to push the wolf away…. Sasha could -feel- the dragon's sorrow and it killed her to love someone so much and not be able to take the pain away.

"I…I obviously can't help you, Bell," Sasha's voice grew small, the realization that she was only making things worse cut through her heart. "I love you so, so much. But you're not allowed to hurt me just because you're hurting too," the wolf sniffled, then swiped at her eyes to clear the tears. "Let me know when you want to talk…" and with that, Sasha grabbed her keys and left.

————

Bellamy never did call her back.

It had been a day. Then two. Then a week. And then…then Sasha knew. Bellamy was just going to push her away.

That was it.

Their break-up had destroyed her. Sasha grieved the loss of all the foolish plans she had made in her head. Marriage, kids, naive little dreams she concocted when things had been perfect and Bellamy had been whole. Unwilling to have any reminders of her old life, she had left -everything- behind in their old apartment. She would have probably just left all her clothes there too had Haley not marched over there on her own, told Bellamy off for her, and retrieved some of her clothes.

Then the task of forgetting began. Her social media scrubbed clean, the few odds and ends that reminded her of Bellamy tossed out and replaced with something new. Places the pair of them would frequent were avoided. Songs that reminded her of her ex girlfriend were switched off.

Sasha had moved in with her sister and had stayed in a drunken stupor for weeks…at least until Haley ratted her out and her mother came over to 'help.' Alex had poured a bucket of cold water over her while she had been hungover in bed, then dragged her kicking and screaming to the bathroom before tossing her into the shower. (It was little wonder why Sasha had such trouble consoling people when she had Alex as a role model.) The promise that her mother would come do this shit again if she didn't ease up on the alcohol did make her find sobriety quite quickly though.

Recovery had been slow after that. Her friends and family had pushed and supported her for months until she felt like there was less of a gaping hole in her heart. It took a long time, but eventually Sasha was ready to get out there and be in the public eye once more.


————-

~~~~~~~ Present Day ~~~~~~~~~


"So, you ready for that photoshoot Sasha? With a Ms. Wainwright?" Glen, Sasha's manager, was quick to get her back on schedule and make up for the time she'd been off the pro-circuit. All of the top surfers were being scheduled for short interviews and photos for a seasonal spread in one of sports magazines. Sasha, despite her being under the radar for a few months, was not going to be spared this fanfare.

"Bellamy Wainwright?" Sasha panicked at the name. She had already been skittish about the interview, and now she was finding out that her ex was going to be taking the pictures?!?! No. No way! "Absolutely not. Find someone else. I'm not doing it."

"I know you and Ms. Wainwright have a history, Sasha…but she's the best in the business." Glen sighed at his client's unconvinced expression. "Look, it'll be five, ten minutes, tops, then you can carry on your day."

—————

Photo shoots are never, "five, ten minutes, tops." Whoever had scheduled all the shoots had decided to do so alphabetically by last name…so the youngest Reigns was stuck waiting until end of day for her turn. End of day - when the hair and make up people were itching to get out. End of day - when everyone had gone home, except for her and Bellamy…

Normally Sasha excelled at hiding her feelings. But when Bellamy was near her? When Bellamy touched her? When they were trapped in a room together with no one else around? Well, there was no hiding anything.

That's why she had been studiously avoiding the dragon for the last few months.

Now she wished she was back to hiding in her room.

It had been innocuous enough: Sasha's hair wasn't doing what it was supposed to so Bellamy came over to fix it. There was immediately that spark…the dragon called to her wolf and siren in a way no one else ever had. It was so immediate, the wolf -wanted- and so it took. Sasha was kissing Bellamy before she knew what happened.

Sasha knew that Bellamy would yield. If she pushed, the dragon would naturally bend to her and seek pleasure, trapped in a siren's spell that Sasha didn't even mean to cause. She wanted this too, so completely and violently. The storm inside of her swelled, her wolf howled, and her human mind…her rational mind…it said 'no.'

No, they could not do this. No, they could not want this.

The dragon was a tempest, set on a course to bring destruction to Sasha's finally healing heart. As good as this felt, she remembered how terrible things were when rational minds took over. She couldn't be a captive to their nature…it would only end in heartache again. And so with great effort, Sasha tore herself away, a pained whimper escaping her throat as she did so.

"Ineedtogo," she breathed out the words at once, and all but ran off the set and out of the building.
 
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“Yeah you do!” Haley said with pure joy when Lena returned her feelings. Yeah, they loved one another. They were in love! Lena loved her! Every thought went back to that one thing, and she quickly returned the kiss, showing more restraint than usual as she did her best to convey the emotions that practically overflowed from within.

“Hmm? Ibu… oh… no...” Haley muttered absentmindedly as she took over and started kissing Lena’s neck.

“Now?” Her whining expressed just how unpleasant she found the idea, but she did stop kissing long enough to listen to Lena’s absolutely lovely itinerary for the day. She stuttered and stumbled, leaving things up in the air, but the thought itself caused Haley to grin.

“You’re going to mark me, huh?” She growled playfully and leaned in to bite at Lena’s neck. A trail of kisses followed, and she made her way up to Lena’s ear, pulling at the lobe.

“I can’t think of anything I’d rather do today. But maybe we start out slow. Mark me first, then some cuddling. We can save the shifting and excitement for later.” They had all day, and Haley wanted to make the most of it. Maybe show her beautiful lover how nice sharing a place would be.

-----

Bad decisions. Michelle was no stranger to making poor choices in life, but few of them reached the magnitude of what she did the night before. She slept with Jocelyn. The simple admittance didn’t do justice to what happened between them, but it captured the essence, and she felt ridiculous for doing it. It was the last thing she should have done given her situation, yet the moment she woke up, she knew she was about to repeat the mistake.

The sight that appeared in front of her when she opened her eyes was heavenly. Jocelyn sat atop her, kissing and biting at her sensitive flesh while letting out the cutest growl.

Fuck. What is this woman?

Jocelyn did things to her. So many things.

“Morning,” Michelle responded, fighting back a small moan as she did.

“Yeah…” Anything you want.

She managed to keep the last words to herself, but a good night’s sleep didn’t erase the part of her that found a thrill in being beneath the beautiful alpha. If anything, she wanted more.

But Michelle wanted food first. Keeping up with Jocelyn for an entire night left her drained. Motivated by hunger, her hand fumbled around for the phone on the nightstand.

It should have been easy—connect to the front desk, order more food than either of them needed, and maybe even get something to soothe her throbbing headache—but Jocelyn made it more difficult.

“Behave,” Michelle hissed as Jocelyn took the opportunity to tug at her nipple with her teeth. She didn’t listen. She would pay for that.

-----

Bellamy stared at the door to the studio, a phantom of Sasha’s retreating figure playing tricks with her eyes.

Nothing went the way it was supposed to. It didn’t back then, and it didn’t today, and it left the normally confident dragon saturated with feelings of inadequacy and failure.

“Why do I always make things worse with you?” Her voice trailed off, the question fading in the empty room.

Her trembling fingers rose to her lips, trailing across the warmth still lingering after their kiss. It felt incredible, just like it had when they were still together. Better even. Bellamy missed their connection so much that she chose a brief moment of pleasure over doing the right thing. Instead of being a professional, she let her emotions get the best of her.

“I already hurt her so much.” Bellamy felt as if she were going insane, her fingers dropping to her leg as she leaned back into the couch. She sank into it, consumed by the past she wished didn’t exist.

Back then, all she felt was pain and anger, her entire world torn apart by a single moment. Those emotions refused to be contained, and they exploded in the faces of the people around her. And as the closest person to her, Sasha took the brunt of things. The person she cared for the most received the worst of it.

It destroyed them. Bellamy let it.

There was nothing Bellamy regretted more than allowing things to happen the way they did, but she had no way to change the past. She decided to stay out of Sasha’s life instead. Now she failed at that. No, she failed at that when she sought her out as a photographer.

“I really am an asshole.”

It made her feel even worse that despite all of that, despite knowing better, she had no plans on stepping back now. She couldn’t.

“See you soon, Bambi.”
 
Mara hadn't even had her Sunday morning breakfast before her entire day was ruined by trashy magazine photographers trying to extort money out of her. "I'm. Going. To. Kill. Her," the old wolf growled between grit teeth as she perused the photos of her daughter with one of her promising new hires.

So the rest of her Sunday was spent paying off vultures, talking to her lawyers, and getting the papers drawn up that would cover her and her company's asses.

First thing Monday morning, Elle was summoned to her office. Mara was tempted to roar at the young wolf…but she was fairly certain this entire matter had been 100% her daughter's fault. Jocelyn was impetuous, just like her mage mother, so the blame probably lay squarely on her shoulders. So she wouldn't yell or make threats (at least as long as Elle just signed the damn papers).

"My daughter forgets that eyes are on her at all times…not just mine," Mara tossed down a few 8x10 glossy photographs of Jocelyn and Elle in the parking lot at the company picnic. The photos were a little grainy, as though they'd been taken from far away…but surely they'd work just fine on the cover of some trashy supermarket magazine. The tabloids were always curious about what such an eligible bachelorette was doing, especially because Jocelyn did not keep a low profile. Partying, drugs, dating other rich or famous wolves…Jocelyn was a gossip jackpot. Honestly, she could have probably sent her kid to college ten times over with the amount of hush money she had had to shell out over the years.

But, she couldn't throw stones. She had been very similar in her early 20s.

"You will sign an NDA," Mara spoke in a way that made it obvious she expected her orders to be followed. Very few people had the gall to tell her 'no'…and if they did, they found themselves quickly kicked out of her building and kept out by a slew of lawyers and security guards. "It's standard stuff, similar to the one you signed upon your hiring here. And then this…" Mara pulled out another small stack of papers. "This is just a document to formally acknowledge that Jocelyn has zero power over your position in this company and that I will not fire you in retribution in the event you two terminate whatever arrangement you have going on…."

Once Elle signed everything, Mara nodded a bit to herself and gathered up the papers. "Excellent. IVA. Please forward a copy of the agreements to Ms. Klein's email and have Sammie come show her out,"

"Of course, Mrs. Marrok."

"A bit of personal advice before you go…" Mara regarded the young wolf shrewdly, "If I were you, I would avoid my daughter, Ms. Klein."

————————-

[Hey, do you want to meet up for lunch sometime?]

Alice was nervous meeting up with Syri. -Not- because she was into the wolf as her friends and strangers claimed! She just…she just had to reveal a carefully hidden part of herself and that was difficult. Well, she didn't -have- to. But not telling Syri and having her nerdy friend miss out on such an amazing opportunity to go to an event that wasn't open to the general public? That wasn't very fair. Alice was just going to have to be brave and come out with who she was…even if it was terribly embarrassing.

She had Syri meet her at a nice little cafe near the Armistice campus, an hour before her next class so that she had an excuse to bail just in case everything went south. Hopefully everything would be okay and Syri wouldn't think she was the biggest closet pervert on the planet. "So, erm…uh…" Come on, just rip it off like a bandage. "I brought you something I thought you might find interesting," Alice braved on, reaching into her side satchel and withdrawing a thick stack of papers. The cover sheet read: 'Redemption by Jane Shepherd.' When Syri flipped through it she would see that it was the latest manuscript of the newly award winning author. Something along the lines of James Bond meets 50 Shades of Grey. While Alice usually stuck to historical fiction because it was easy to research and world build that way, she had really wanted to write something -exciting.-

"I'm Jane Shepherd…I, uh, wrote 'Off into the Sunset when I was 16…so I guess you can see why I haven't had any book signings or author talks in five years," Alice confessed, blushing profusely. 'Off Into the Sunset,' had been her first novel. It was a bit of a cheesy cowgirl romance story; a cute story but lacking any real depth. From that book, her stories had grown dramatically, writing a few other novels, including 'The Tethered Mage,' which had just won several awards and had earned her a slot in the Armistice Author Showcase.

"I wanted to tell you because I think you should go to the Armistice Author Showcase…it's a really neat event and I think you would really enjoy it. And if you want…you can give those tickets back to your friend and you can come as my plus one."


———————-

When Lena had asked her mom to schedule her off from the restaurant tonight so that she could go to a rave, the old wolf had looked at her like she had grown two heads. Lena -loved- working in the restaurant, especially when she had the same shift as her mother. Plus raves weren't really Lena's style. A bar with good choices of microbrews or wines? Sure. But a rave? Ehhhhh… Raves were a lot. Loud, hot, bright, with too many scents and too many bodies. But Haley had scored a VIP booth at one of the most sensory-overload clubs in Armistice and Lena wanted to go, if only to be with the person she loved in an environment that was less than ideal.

Now, the young chef peered over the balcony, at the sea of bodies bouncing around to music that played too fast and had too many beats. She could see why people did a bunch of drugs before coming here. Not that she was here to judge, Jocelyn and Haley both got into things and it was whatever; as long as they didn't take anything that they could overdose on, she didn't really care. Drugs just weren't for her. The alcohol was working fine for her so far. It helped reel in her nerves and dull her senses, making the chaos around her slightly more bearable.

Well…except for what Haley was wearing. Nothing was going to dull her senses enough to make that thing bearable. Her girlfriend was wearing a dress that was going to make Lena combust. The neckline dipped low, held together by a thin piece of string, and the whole thing was backless. So not only did Lena have to resist the lovely, pale, expsosed skin all over Haley's neck, collarbones, and shoulders, she also had to marvel at whatever engineering miracle was keeping that dress up. She was fairly certain only a slight tug would send the whole thing tumbling down, or shifting sideways enough for her to be able to play with her lover's cute little breasts.

She does this shit to me on purpose.

And then there was the problem of Haley being sweet! Staying by her side and not running off to do whatever stupid (but probably really fun) thing Jocelyn was going to do as she peeled off from their little friend group.
 
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Michelle regretted everything and nothing. It really was a complex state of being. On one hand, the sex was the best of her life. The things Jocelyn did still lingered in her mind and on her flesh, reminding her of the hedonistic weekend like phantoms she couldn’t shake off. One the other hand, she slept with Jocelyn as Elle! Not as Michelle, the childhood nemesis and member of the family disdained by the Marroks.

Fortunately, a good time rendered the guilt and regret meaningless, dulling the sensation enough that she judged the weekend to be a net gain overall. That was until she arrived at work and found herself in Mara’s office, standing across from a very intimidating mother wolf.

Mara struck fear in people on her lonesome, but when something involved Jocelyn, things went up a notch, and Michelle found herself the sole focus of the older wolf’s anger. The only solace was that the anger was silent, all held behind the eyes. It was there, but it was less jarring than yelling and threats. Still terrifying, though, even for Michelle.

“Understood.” Michelle gave a clear and crisp response to Mara’s demand, leaning down and signing the NDA with steady hands. She did as she was asked without hesitation, but she still kept a spine and calmness that she believed spoke volumes over meaningless words.

Michelle signed every piece of paper, not worried in the least. It wasn’t because she signed the documents using a false name, either. It simply made sense. She knew why Mara acted the way she did, and frankly, it was for the best. At least, if she were a normal employee with ordinary intentions, she would have appreciated the gesture.

When she finished, Michelle didn’t linger, turning to leave the office. She only paused when Mara gave her the advice.

Michelle turned, a small smile on her face as she said, “You’re probably right. But I’m already caught in her web.”

—————

Syri still couldn’t believe the past few weeks. It all started at the picnic. She saw everyone again, which was great, then there was Alice. Deny it or not, she couldn’t escape the truth, Alice grew up into a beautiful woman. At the time, she held herself together, acting the same as ever as they briefly talked about books and made plans to attend the author showcase together. But that was it, Haley made sure of it with her antics.

Then Alice reached out and invited her to lunch. Syri tried not to read too much into it, but she still felt happy to be grabbing a bite with her nerdy companion. It wasn’t what she expected, though.

What seemed like a little lunch date, or perhaps just an innocent meeting between two book lovers with plenty to discuss, turned into Alice revealing quite the secret. It started with some adorable stuttering, but it opened into a full-blown revelation that brought Syri’s brain to a stop.

“Wait…” Syri furrowed her brow as she flipped through the manuscript, her expression slowly relaxing into a look of shock. She never did complete that sentence.

“Amazing.” It took some time for Syri to respond, her mind failing to take everything in and form words simultaneously.

She looked up from the manuscript—which she gripped like a priceless treasure—with shining eyes. “I love your books.” It dawned on her that admitting that and gushing over them meant revealing her preferences and fantasies, but she couldn’t help it.

By the time she calmed down and started grasping at the remaining strands of her dignity, Alice knew far more about the kinds of things she liked, even if she only skimmed over it all while talking about literature. Primarily, Jane Shepherd’s literature. Alice’s literature.

Syri also agreed to go to the showcase as her plus one, jumping at the opportunity.

The true treasure was still the manuscript, though. Even after she calmed down, she held it to her chest protectively, afraid someone might snatch it from her.

“I get to read this, right?” she asked with a gentle purr, instinctively adding a flirtatious tone and charming smile to her request. It was how she got what she wanted, and habits could be a real bitch to shake.

---

The Armistice Author Showcase ended up being memorable. Syri got to see and do everything she wanted, and being Alice’s plus one added quite a few unique experiences. She even got to act as Alice’s energetic assistant.

Syri prepared a backpack with everything a busy author might need. The attentive alpha packed Alice’s favorite snacks and drinks, among other things, and she followed her around the entire time. It was a worthwhile day.

However, the author showcase only proved something that Syri already suspected—she liked Alice. Enough that Haley managed to convince her to go to a rave. She even let her sister help pick out an outfit. It was all a mistake, but Syri’s brain stopped working properly when Haley hinted that Alice would be there. She really had to stop underestimating Haley’s cunning.

The fact that Alice wasn’t there when Syri arrived only made matters worse. Jocelyn was there, for a moment, so they chatted some, but she quickly ran off to get into trouble. As for Haley and Lena, she found it best not to disturb the two, who had finally decided to stand out in the open with their relationship. Finally.

It left her sitting alone and sipping at a beer.

“What are you doing?” Haley asked, breaking away from Lena to check on her sister.

“Drinking.”

Haley rolled her eyes. “No, dumbass, I’m asking why you’re not out there doing what we both know you do best. Come on, have some fun.”

Syri looked up and narrowed her eyes at Haley feigning ignorance, but that only got an annoying smile from her sister.

“Oh? Don’t tell me. Alice?” She knew the answer, but she prodded the grumpy alpha into giving an answer, showing no signs of leaving until she heard it from Syri’s mouth.

Syri refused to answer, but Haley nodded and showed a knowing expression regardless. However, she sat down across from Syri after a moment, her face looking serious as the annoying grin faded.

“If you plan on hurting her later, you need to find someone else to go home with tonight.” Haley looked across at her sister, whose face had turned solemn.

“I don’t plan on hurting anyone.”

The muttering was difficult to hear above the music, but Syri waving her away was clear.

“Just go be with Lena. I don’t need to be looked after.”

Haley sighed and started to get up, but Syri stopped her.

“I want to try and be happy,” Syri said, releasing Haley’s wrist once she did.

Haley looked down at her sister, who was now staring down at the beer in her hand and avoiding the gaze.

“Then go be happy. If I can do it, you can too.” Haley smiled and left, double-timing it back to the source of her happiness.

When Haley returned to Lena, she pulled her into a tight hug from behind.

“I love you.”

The words came out naturally now, and she said them often, perhaps too often. But she liked saying it, and Lena seemed to like hearing it, so she had no plans to stop.

After savoring the hug, she let out a satisfied hum and asked, “Shall we dance?” The big children called Jocelyn and Syri were settled, even if they were up to no good and moping respectively, and they had enough alcohol to be all warm and fuzzy and loose. It was time to have fun, just the two of them.

Haley released Lena from the hug and wrapped around to the front, tugging at her hand. “So? Join me?”
 
~Bing!~

[Hey!!! Where are you?!?!]

Alice peeked her head up from the arm of the couch to check on her phone. It was a Saturday night, she had finished her research paper, and now she was snuggled up on her couch with a cozy blanket and an episode of, "The Great Armistice Baking Show," queued up. The only thing that stood in the way between her and a nice relaxing night was her good friend, Haley.

[I told you I didn't want to go!!] The dragon texted back.

[OMG please?! Syri is all alone :( Jocey is doing Jocey things and I want to be doing Lena things ;D]

Alice rolled her eyes. Of course Haley wanted to just find ways to flirt with Lena. Maybe if she just ignored her friend's ridiculousness, she could carry on with her evening. She didn't think Syri needed her there either. It seemed like the older wolf's type of scene, surely Syri could just find a girl to dance with or something…..

[Alice]
[Alice]
[Alice]
[Alice]
[Alice]
[Alice]
[I know you read these! Stop ignoring me!!]
[Pllleeeaaassseeee? I just want to dance with my girlfriend and not feel bad that my sister is drinking all alone at the bar :(]

With a sigh at the realization that Haley wasn't going to stop spamming her phone, Alice agreed. [Fine. Okay. I'll be there in a little bit.]

[Awesome!!! Thank you!! And dress nice!! My VIP powers are only so strong :p]

The dragon groaned. This. This is exactly why she hadn't wanted to go to the rave in the first place! The last thing she wanted to do on a Saturday night is be packed in a large room with far too many people, loud music, AND be forced to worry about her looks. She really shouldn't worry, half her genetic code was technically 'perfect'…but that only increased her annoyance because all people ever saw when she dressed nice were her looks, not her personality. And that's fine for some people she supposed, but she would really rather be valued for her intelligence rather than her genes.

Choosing a dress that was far more whimsical (and waaayyyy more conservative) than a typical raver would wear, Alice set off. The goal was just to look good enough to get past the bouncers but not attract any other attention in that cream colored dress adorned with shiny silver polka dots and stars.

Haley must indeed have VIP powers tonight, because one of the bouncers led her straight to the booth that the group had been occupying. Well, no group anymore, now just one lonely looking alpha wolf sipping a beer. As she slid into the booth, she felt Syri staring at her like a physical touch. At first, the dragon felt self conscious, like she had made a mistake and chosen the wrong outfit. But after a few moments she realized that this is the first time Syri has seen her like this. All dressed up, with her hair done and makeup on, Alice looks much different than normal. She blushes a bit at being appraised by the alpha, but doesn't shy away. Her fellow nerd is safe in her eyes; alpha wolf or not, she knows that Syri won't do anything to make her feel uncomfortable. So she scoots closer, just so that she doesn't have to yell as loud over the roar of the music. "Hey! So I see Haley dressed you. Where's the rest of that shirt?" She teases with a smile, knowing the joke is lame but that's usually how hers all are: so bad one can't help but laugh at them.

—————

Lena cannot stop staring at Haley.

She hasn't touched her yet, afraid that if she does, things will just go downhill from there. She'll lose control, she knows she will; Haley just looks too good in that glittery, slinky dress. Shiny, like a present just for her.

"Huh?" Lena blinks. Haley is looking at her like she wants a response and Lena realizes that she had been staring so intently at her girlfriend's chest that her ears had switched off in order to divert more power to her eyes. The beta tugs her hand, and it's then that Lena realizes that she wants to dance.

Okay, sure, she could do that.

There are sooooo many people around them on the dance floor and the music is too loud. Lena isn't quite drunk enough for this part of the evening. So she leans into Haley, trying to find comfort in familiar feelings: her lover's body, her scent, the smooth flesh of her throat… It's then that Lena starts to lose control, tucking her head like this into Haley's neck. What starts as nuzzling soon becomes nibbles, bites even as Haley does this thing with her hips that makes Lena groan. Her grip on her girlfriend becomes tighter, and she bucks before she realizes what she's doing, obviously she's getting way too worked up for a public place.
 
Perhaps for the first time in her life, music and beautiful women seemed tedious to Syri. She watched the sea of people with a heavy heart, barely even managing a disinterested smile when someone glanced her way with interest. She wanted nothing to do with any of it.

What Syri kept thinking about was curling up under a blanket with a hot drink and Alice’s manuscript. At this point, the pages were already showing signs of wear after multiple reads, and it quickly became her favorite piece of literature—at least her current favorite. The only reason she ignored that picturesque evening and chose to show up to such a ridiculous place was Haley, who lured her out using Alice. It was enough for her to glare every so often, seeking Haley out in the crowd just to bore through her with eyes full of dissatisfaction.

Syri built up that frustration over the course of the night, which started well before arriving at the rave with Haley giving input on every piece of clothing she tried on. It was a deep resentment, yet her first look at Alice sent it fizzling into nothingness.

“Beautiful,” she said, her voice too low for Alice to hear as she approached the table.

The cream colored dress caused Alice to stand out like an angel among the hedonistic devils that filled the room. Syri gulped, suddenly feeling underdressed.

The closer Alice came, the more stunned Syri felt. The makeup, the hair, the outfit—it all came together and highlighted the natural beauty of the woman sitting across from her.

Syri smiled brightly, the mood around her soaring as her shoulders straightened and her eyes filled with life and excitement once more. It only elevated further when Alice leaned in, giving Syri a whiff of her pleasant scent. Her wolf approved.

“Right? You have no idea how many things she made me try on before choosing this!” Syri laughed, then leaned in a little closer and said, “You look incredible, by the way.”

Even though she could go on about Alice’s beauty, complimenting her for the rest of the night if need be, she stopped at a single earnest remark. Then she just started talking. It was natural, it always was with Alice. They spoke about how ridiculous Haley could be and what they had been up to since they last saw one another—which was redundant since they often texted.

Eventually, they began to talk about the manuscript. That conversation was inevitable, with Syri barely able to contain herself. She spoke critically as well, giving equal attention to what she loved and what she felt could be improved!

The two of them sat there, surrounded by people and music, in their own little world.

Syri found herself so absorbed in conversation, and perhaps once or twice in Alice’s enchanting eyes, that she forgot common courtesy entirely. It took her who knows how long to finally stop long enough to realize that Alice still didn’t have a drink.

“I just realized I’ve been talking your ear off since you sat down.” She laughed, a bit embarrassed. Syri was known for being charming and attentive, yet it all flew out the window when she was around the one person she actually wanted to impress. Moreover, she hadn’t even given her the gift she prepared ahead of time, everything falling to the wayside once they started their conversation.

“How about this. I need to go out and get something from my bike. In the meantime, do you mind getting us some drinks?” She even whipped out the charming smile.

---

It seemed like a safe enough task. Alice could grab her another beer and get something for herself while she ran out to grab what she hoped to be a sweet and thoughtful gift.

What she saw when she returned quickly shattered Syri’s expectations. The trip outside didn’t take long, not even long enough for Alice to finish getting the drinks at the crowded bar. But it was long enough for someone to cause trouble.

Alice was still at the bar, looking very uncomfortable as some sleazy-looking asshole leaned close to her, clearly invading her personal space. Whether it was actually that bad or not, Syri didn’t pay any further attention, pushing her way over to the bar and putting herself between the man and Alice without so much as an “excuse me” to the now furious male.

“Back off.” Her voice didn’t raise by much, but the aggression and threat were clear enough to shock the man into taking a step back. It was the usual response when Syri showed her teeth, even for men. She learned from the best, after all.

Not even bothering to wait and see if he would listen to her good advice, she turned to Alice, her expression softening. “Are you okay?”

—————

Haley’s self-esteem shot through the room, causing her already impressive confidence to swell. It was the obvious result when her looks alone caused her girlfriend to lose herself, staring like an idiot just because she had a particularly inviting dress on. She loved it!

Haley loved knowing she could cause Lena to grow so distracted that it stood out, enough not to hear what she was saying. It made her want to dress that way every day, just so she could have the chance to tease and tempt more than usual.

“Heh, so distracted.” Haley’s chirping was full of joy, and she practically skipped her way to the dance floor, dragging her little lecher with her.

Once they arrived amidst the madness, Haley pulled Lena close, taking the lead since they were in her domain of chaos and loud music. Lena seemed agreeable, leaning into her, causing the two of them to press tightly together.

They didn’t try to match the music or the pace, Haley all but ignoring the rapid thrum as she held Lena close, satisfied with feeling her lover’s heat. But when Lena began to nuzzle and nip at her neck, she needed more, her appetite quickly growing.

“Naughty girl,” she said, leaning in to nip at Lena’s ear. She moved her body with more purpose then, moving with purpose. Then Lena bucked, seeking out more, bringing a very mischievous smile to the beta’s lips.

“So needy…” She pressed her body against Lena as she spoke, not stopping at all as she uttered tempting words, poking and prodding at Lena’s waning self-control. “Do you want to fuck me?” she asked, a playful smile on her face. “Because all you have to do is say the word.”

Haley reached out and took Lena's hand to move it to her chest. She showed her just how easy it would be to yank the fabric away. Then, with a sultry, eager voice, she said, “Right here. Right in front of all these people. Make me yours.”
 
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Lena huffed softly at the accusations that she was needy and naughty. She wasn't! She just… She wanted to be close to Haley…really close…and mark her neck a bit to show claim… She's not like most alphas - all huffy and puffy and domineering - she likes to snuggle, she likes to be sweet. It's not always about sex with her. But with Haley constantly pushing her buttons, the beta drew out reactions that weren’t unwanted but were definitely new. Lena's normally docile wolf is really prodded to life by this playful little beta and she likes it…she's just unsure how to behave. Caught between wanting to be respectful, wanting to be sweet, and wanting to be feral is difficult when Haley is grinding against her and saying all these dirty things.

Do you want to fuck me?

Yes. Of course. Lena couldn’t think of anything better than fucking Haley in her bed while the beta clings to her and moans to the ceiling. But Haley pushed things further by suggesting they do so -here,- in this very non-private space. No one was looking at them, she knew they could probably pull it off. Everyone was either too drunk, too high, or too worried about their own personal conquests to pay attention to the two of them.

"You - I - Fuck, Haley," Lena stuttered, obviously a mess. Part of her wanted to shift, pick Haley up, and impale the naughty little beta on her cock. But she's still sober, and still very aware that if she shifts now, she'll bust the seams in her tight pants and form-fitting vest, and then she'll be walking out of here naked later. Gah. She couldn’t do it! She's too much of a chicken to actually commit to fucking Haley here on the dance floor.

But…she could do other things, right?

The hand that is still clinging to Haley's hip moves to ruck up her dress, just enough to slide up her thigh and towards her heated core. She meant to tease, she really did, but then her fingertips collided with wetness and her brain just about short circuits.

Haley is not wearing underwear.

It shouldn't surprise her that her lover has thoroughly planned out all of this. As carefree and ridiculous as her girlfriend comes off, she knew deep down Haley was incredibly smart and cunning. With the realization that she's at an extreme disadvantage, Lena tried to scramble for something, -anything- that would put them back on an even playing field…and that's when a slightly mean plan takes hold.

Her fingers dipped just a bit lower than usual, to the root of her lover's swollen little clit. There's a spot there that she can easily find with her tongue - but she supposed from Haley's sudden stiffening that she's right where she needs to be. She started to rub, lightly and quickly in tight circles, and it becomes evident that Lena's plan is to not only make Haley come, but to make her come so hard that she'll make a mess all down her thighs. It's a point of pride for the alpha; Haley hadn't even known she could squirt before her and had been absolutely mortified the first time it had happened. Just to be Haley's first -anything- was exciting, she knew her girlfriend had a lot more experience than her and that's fine. It just turns Lena on a little more to know that she can do this one thing that no past lover could.

She’s tempted to tease as the beta attempts to hold off what they both know is coming. Her alpha wanted to be insufferably smug just to put this conniving little beta in her place. But Lena, just regular ol' Lena, just wanted Haley to feel good. "Come on baby, I've got you, you can come," Lena murmured her encouragement as she nibbled on her girlfriend's ear.


————-

Chatting with Syri is always so easy. The alpha was smart and charming and just so genuine that it was hard to not like talking to her. Alice liked that they could nerd out together; they had a lot of the same interests when it comes to books and TV. And they liked to speak in lots of hypotheticals which was fun; 'what if this character did this', or 'what if this world included that.'

When they started to talk about her manuscript, she wished she had a notepad for all of Syri's feedback. Alice didn’t shy away from criticism - sometimes it hurt, pouring her heart and soul into her writing and then having an audience not think it's good enough. But she's young and she knew if she wanted to grow, she needed to take other people's opinions into consideration. Syri's comments were thoughtful, and the two of them are excitedly talking back and forth, even throwing out ideas for a sequel and further world building…and then the wolf seems to realize Alice didn’t have a drink.

It's not like she was really all that into alcohol, but she did feel a little thirsty (and if she's honest, pretty hungry because her original plan had been to eat her body weight in popcorn while catching up on her shows). So when Syri asks if she can get them drinks while she goes to get something from her motorcycle, Alice is quick to oblige.

Of course there is no food here (unless one counts some weird molecular gastronomy thing that is really just solid alcohol as food), so getting drinks at a bar should be easy. She placed an order of something fruity for herself and another beer for Syri when this guy just showed up next to her, trying to chat her up and offering her a drink. Alice doesn’t accept drinks from strangers; not only because she disliked the possibility of being drugged, but also because it comes with expectations. She knew that if she accepted this drink, then she would be bound to entertain conversation, which in turn would snowball into more drinks, more conversation, the expectation of a dance, and then the expectation of sex. The dragon really didn’t want to open up Pandora's box with this free drink, so she politely declined.

But this guy doesn't take 'no thank you' for an answer! Alice didn't really know how to defuse situations like this. She doesn't want to give up her position at the bar (because she was doing the very important task of getting drinks), nor did she want to have her personal space further invaded by this man. She had already politely declined the drink he bought her, what more did the man want?!? Thankfully before she had to further contemplate a tactical retreat or to aggressively stand her ground (the latter being unlikely because she was a pacifist), Syri swooped in. The wolf was tough, much more authoritative than her little sisters, just a flash of teeth and a stern tone had the stranger backing down for a second. Alice seemed relieved by her presence; even though she was theoretically more powerful than Syri, the dragon didn't like to burn people to a crisp.

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you," the dragon visibly relaxed. But movement in her peripheral vision had her tensing up again. "Syri!!" Alice panicked, giving a rather poor warning as she watched the man wind up and then sucker punch the alpha to the back of the head.
 
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The dynamic between Haley and Lena remained the same now as when they were younger, from the deep affection to Haley’s desire to poke and prod at the alpha until she got an adorable reaction out of her. Only the stakes changed once they became lovers, but that suited Haley just fine. She loved it even, loved Lena.

Haley loved Lena enough to offer something crazy like having sex in the middle of a crowd of people. Of course, her “offer” was more a devil’s temptation, but Haley reserved such things for her beautiful childhood friend, never daring do something so absolutely debaucherous with anyone else. Such things never crossed her mind when she fooled around before Lena, not even with the copious partying.

“All you have to do is say the word.” Haley tried to pull her in, a shiver running through her spine as she thought about the moment Lena broke down and took her right then and there.

Do it. She cheered Lena on in her mind, watching her struggle with it. Part of her knew it wouldn’t happen, but just the chance proved enough to light a fire in the beta.

A sharp inhale interrupted the playful grin on Haley’s face, her body jerking slightly when Lena found one of her secrets—she wasn’t wearing underwear.

“Oh my, you found out.” The grin returned, growing even further as she watched Lena’s mind crumble due to the discovery. How she loved that expression, the lost look as her panic-prone lover ran into something unfathomable. The sight fueled her daring behavior, filling her mind with new ideas, leading her down a path where she leaned in and nibbled at Lena’s ear. She chose to strike while the iron was hot.

“One less thing in your way. Just think about how easy it would be.”

Haley felt a thrill, felt in control, then she saw Lena’s face. When she pulled away from Lena’s ear, she spotted a new glint in her lover’s eyes, one that promised good times. Oh how familiar a look it was—the one that meant she had a plan.

Every single one of Lena’s looks was catalogued in Haley’s mind, allowing her to read the other woman’s intentions with ease. If only it prepared her body as well.

Haley knew something was coming, but Lena’s fingers still managed to get the drop on her, forcing her body to stiffen and a moan to escape her lips.

“Y-You’re going a bit fast for foreplay.” Haley didn’t bother to hide her moans as Lena continued to assault the sensitive spot, knowing how alluring Lena found her voice. The music served to drown it out anyway, allowing them a moment to themselves even as others danced around them. Perhaps nobody even noticed, or perhaps they already gathered a few sets of eyes.

Haley’s ability to worry about others faded when she realized that Lena’s intention wasn’t to warm her up but to set her off. The assumed rough foreplay ended up being the endgame, and she was already a moaning mess by the time the realization hit her.

“I was right about you being naughty— Ah!” The whining voice ended in a particularly sharp moan that definitely pierced through the music.

Of all the things Haley was proud of, endurance was not one of them. A light touch managed to get her going, and Lena’s focused attention managed to push her over the edge with ease, pushing her precariously close to the edge of the cliff and then sending her hurtling off the side with a ruthless push, or in this case, merciless rubbing.

Suddenly the tables were turned, Lena’s voice softly drawing her towards temptation followed by teeth playing at her ear. The soft, encouraging voice, the fingers that knew her better than she knew herself, and the familiar teeth pressing into her skin proved overwhelming.

“Leeeena!”

Haley cried out the name as her arms wrapped tightly around her, hanging on for dear life as control of her body started to shake free from her control. Pleasure, embarrassment, satisfaction, all tangling together and leaving Haley foggy, unable to do more than cling to Haley as she panted in an attempt to catch her breath and return her body and mind to a stable equilibrium—a place where pleasure didn’t overwhelm even her ability to form words.

“Mean… So mean… God, I love you…” Judging by the look on her face, she wanted more.

—————

Syri let down her guard, forgetting the teachings Alex drilled into her head because of a single relieved expression on Alice’s face. She seemed to share the emotion, so relieved that nothing happened that she failed to see the sucker punch coming.

“Son of a…” Syri growled, golden flecks quickly forming a threatening coat across her otherwise serene eyes.

Alice’s warning, late as it might have been, allowed her to avoid the brunt of the attack, but it still sent her head spinning for a few seconds. The way she turned around showed no signs of her condition, though, with the intimidating aura from her earlier threat exploding into a tangible aura that thinned the air.

Syri was the act-first-think-later type, a trait adopted from her mother. Aside from a snarl, her lips remained sealed as she summoned the maximum amount of power possible without shifting and ruining her clothes. It proved enough as she lifted the man by his collar, stopping just short of strangling him.

The man’s eyes nearly popped out as he looked down at the single arm managing to hold him in the air, dangling helplessly as he began to scream for her to let him go.

The commotion quickly drew attention, but Syri barely managed to stop herself from ripping him apart in a bout of wolf-inspired rage, so explaining herself was even less likely. Instead, she slammed him into the bar, knocking the wind out of him, then tossed him away, far enough for a group of onlookers to have to dodge away in a hurry.

Syri’s muscles tensed as every fiber of her being urged her to shoot forward and continue, turning the back and forth into a one-sided beating. The feeling of Alice’s eyes on her back stopped her, even managing to pull her furious wolf back by the scruff of its neck, causing it to pace in a circle instead of thrashing about.

Don’t scare her

Right, a goal enough for Syri to keep control and not let the ill-mannered shadow of her past re-emerge in a fit of anger—enough to settle her wolf too.

Syri turned back to the bar, the golden flecks in her eyes starting to diminish, albeit slowly. She grabbed the drink sitting there, her hand shaking slightly as she brought it to her lips and tilted it back to empty the contents in one go. Then and only then did she turn to Alice, a complicated look on her face.

“I’m sorry.” that I lost it.

She really wasn’t sorry for hurting the asshole, especially since the angry jerk’s original target was the beautiful dragon.

“Are you okay?”

It wasn't Syri's voice that asked the question, though the same words had been on the tip of her tongue. Instead, Alice was asking her, looking worried, not scared, and quickly moving to take a look at where Syri had been hit. When she couldn't get a clear look, she pouted and pulled Syri back towards their seat, fussing the entire way about something that Syri was too busy smiling like an idiot to hear.
 
Foreplay?! Hah! Haley had been teasing Lena for what easily felt like hours; purposefully wearing that dress, propositioning her with absolutely filthy ideas in public, wearing no panties, it was little wonder the poor alpha's self control was waning. She was reduced to what she wanted most: to hear her beta moan and to feel her squirm and writhe in pleasure. Her senses were in tune to every little change in Haley's body: her heightened pulse, her frantic grip, even the little change in her voice, the high pitched note of surprise as she realized what Lena was about to do. The alpha's fingers were relentless, not even bothering to tease Haley's entrance or meander elsewhere along her folds. Her lips curled into a grin as she felt the first rush of arousal coat her fingers, and rather than gently carry Haley through her orgasm, Lena threw her headfirst into it.

As Haley cried out, the alpha's teeth sank into the soft flesh of her neck, marking this dirty little beta as hers. Her free arm wrapped tighter around her girlfriend's waist, holding her up just in case her legs gave out as she shook against her. The last breathy, high pitched moan of her name nearly destroyed her. Lena let out a very un-alpha like sound, something between a groan and a whimper. Her wolf desperately wanted to be buried inside of her lover, marking her. The closest thing Lena could do was to thrust two fingers into Haley's eager entrance, pumping a few times while she ground the palm of her hand against the beta's sensitive clit. Lena whined again, obviously frustrated. This was the best part! This was the best part and she wasn't getting to experience it fully. Hearing Haley's sweet voice and feeling her body lose control as pleasure rocked her - all of it was tainted slightly. The clothes, the people, the loud music, all of it split Lena's focus.

"I love you too. Can we go home now?" the alpha looked like an excited puppy, vibrating with energy. Pumped full of the hope of lots and lots of sex, followed by sleepy cuddles, and Lena was eager to go back to either of their apartments.

————-

All hell broke loose as Syri rounded on the man. The poor fellow didn't know that he had just sucker punched the daughter of a Champion. Alice knew the beating could have been much worse, Syri could have shifted and mauled him half to death. But as it was, the wolf was intimidating…maybe a little terrifying? The fact that she could lift a grown man with one hand was a testament to her wolf's power.

She must have looked scared, because Syri was quick to apologize. The dragon schooled her features, not wanting to further upset her friend. "It's - it's okay. I understand," Alice soothed. And she did. Kinda. Being a dragon wasn't the same as being a wolf…she was herself, that was all, there wasn't another magical presence living inside of her mind that she had to argue with. But she understood a bit about instincts and how they could be difficult to control - it's why she firmly embraced Bender teachings, just so that she didn't have to be afraid of her own power. "Really, it's okay. Thank you for defending me."

"Are you alright?" The dragon asked, just as Syri was doing the same. She managed a fond smile and nodded. "Yes, I'm fine, silly, I'm not the one who received a haymaker to the head. Here, let me see." When Syri bent to allow her to examine her head, she gently combed her fingers through the silky strands. She could feel the bump that was starting to swell, but didn't see any blood. Alice huffed softly, muttering to herself how it was a shame her magic wouldn't work. If the skin had been broken, she might have been able to do something. But as it was, the wolf's flesh acted as a natural barrier to magic and there was nothing she could do to fix the rapidly forming goose egg on Syri's scalp. "Come on…let's go sit down," she tugged at Syri, holding her hand all the way back to the booth just in case the wolf was woozy.

She was fussing over Syri, asking her if she felt like she had a concussion, and checking her eyes to see if her pupils were blown out. The first thing she noticed was that the flecks of gold had come back…. That was…strange. The -way- Syri was looking at her was also different. As if I'm…prey! The sudden realization dawned on her just as the wolf lunged forward. In a burst of panic, she tore mana straight from The Veil, using it to bind the wolf in place.

"Oh shoot," the dragon frowned at the purply-blue, wispy bands of mana that kept the wolf bound. She didn't like to tamper with The Veil, preferring to respect the natural flow of mana. It's not like mana was sentient, but still, she felt guilty. But there was nothing for her to bend here! Even the air was nearly impossible to bend, too recycled to be of use. As she lamented about the poor little mana that had been torn from its home, she seemed to finally remember that she had just tied up her friend with it.

"Gosh, Syri, I'm sorry. You - I -" I thought you were going to attack me. There was a tingly, ancient part of her mind that believed it to be true. But that was just crazy. This was Syri! And Syri would never hurt her. Alice scooted closer as she examined the wolf, trying not to appear nervous, even if she was a little way of Syri's previous sudden movements. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

————

Because their friends were still here, Lena and (mostly) Haley decided that they couldn't leave just yet. Besides, if they did actually leave, there was the very real possibility that Lena might lose it and fuck Haley senseless in the back of a cab, and that would just be super rude to the driver. So Haley took her by the hand and led her away, promising somewhere more private where the alpha could take the edge off. The journey to the coat check had been mostly uneventful. A few alphas had turned to check out the beta that smelled like sex, but upon seeing the bite on her neck and the very agitated little alpha following her, their eyes turned away. There were much easier things to hunt tonight.

After Haley bribed the coat check boy, the two of them snuck inside the large room. The wolf wasted no time unbuttoning her vest and kicking off her shoes. She was halfway through shucking off her outfit when she heard the change in music volume - as if someone had closed the door and then opened it wide again. "Haley! Shut the door!" Lena squeaked. She had just pulled off her shirt and bra and was now topless.
 
Even though Syri showed a side that she preferred remained hidden, Alice managed to smile at her. The sweet sign of fondness warmed her heart and soothed her worries, allowing Syri to relax and follow along like an obedient pup as Alice led her around and made sure everything was fine. It felt nice to have someone care for her, even if the series of events that led up to it left her with an aching head.

Aside from the throbbing, Syri felt fine—more than fine, even. She found herself floating, the mundane back and forth about her injury almost pleasant. At first, Syri attributed it to her newfound feelings about Alice. She spent a good chunk of the week silently swooning about their first few dates, and now the third unofficial meeting was underway and shaping up to be delightful, save a few details.

Syri only realized something was wrong when she felt her wolf clawing its way to the surface, acting so unusually combative and determined that a trace of panic rose within her.

Alice seemed to notice at the same time, reacting quickly as Syri lost control and lunged forward. The unfamiliar sensation of magic holding her in place caught Syri off-guard, jarring her enough that she managed to regain control for a moment, but it didn't last long. Her wolf howled inside, bucking against both her rational side and the magic blocking its way!

Syri looked into Alice's eyes, her own flickering with angry flecks of gold that seemed set on taking over.

"I… don't know."

The alpha had no idea what was wrong. Her wolf never acted this way, not since she was little and angry and hot-headed. But now, it showed signs of taking control, pushing her to act on emotions she kept contained. And it won.

Syri leaned in, not too quickly, but without warning—almost sneakily. It was the result of an impatient wolf and Syri's tampering, which refused to let that side of her free from its cage entirely.

When their lips connected, Syri's brain short-circuited, both her rationality and inner wolf indulging in the euphoria of finally acting upon the urge to kiss the beautiful woman she observed with increasing fondness. The two sides of her cooperated, sinking into it.

No, stop! You'll ruin everything!

A panic alarm blared through Syri's head, causing her to pull away and put distance between them. The retreat was so violent that she managed to move a few feet through the magic binding, only to stop there with a nervous look on her face.

"I'm sorry… I…" Syri's heart was beating against her chest as she tried to find the words. "I'm so sorry."

Something was seriously wrong, and fear began to surface on Syri's features. Then it hit her, a single clear thought pulled out from the chaotic panic that had her spiraling—the drink.

The single thought seemed to put the pieces together, turning the horrifying darkness of ignorance into the panic-inducing clarity of truth. Either she suffered a brain injury from the weakling's punch, or the bastard had slipped something into the drink he was trying to force on Alice, only for it to be ingested by her in a moment of stupidity.

"Oh no…" Syri looked over at Alice, her expression lacking its usual calm confidence.

"A-Alice… That drink…" She gritted her teeth and turned her eyes away from the subject of her desire. She had control, but there was no way it was going to last. She was in trouble.

—————

Going home was the last thing on Haley's mind. Actually, it was the second thing on her mind, but it might as well have been the last since the number one thought had control of every bit of her brainpower.

Thought number one—have sex with Lena immediately.

Thought number two—spend the night with Lena.

Okay, the second thought wasn't exactly going home. Haley just wanted the night to end with them snuggled up together, regardless of the location—home was a preference.

However, her preference fell far short of her number one thought, desire, and purpose—sexual relations with the woman of her dreams. How lovely it was to have the girl of her dreams also be the girl of her reality.

Huh, the alcohol really seemed to be kicking in. Fun.

Haley grinned like an idiot as her thoughts grew free and loose, bouncing around playfully, only kept on track due to the primal nature that existed on a higher order than conscious thought—desire. Her reptile brain always won out in the end.

The funny part was that the rest of Haley's brain, the intelligent, developed parts, always kicked in to make herself convincing in the pursuit of her baser desires. One would think that would snap her out of it, make her realize how silly some of her choices were, but they had some sort of agreement, so it never happened.

"The coat check room, our oasis." There was quenching to be done! Only, Haley didn't need water. Not yet, anyway.

Haley watched as Lena started to remove her clothes, then an idea came to her mind, and she wasn't one to say no to an idea, not in her current state of being.

The grin on Haley's face said it all, and the cracked door said the rest. But she did offer some words to bridge the gap, looking at the stunning alpha as she explained with a tone that said it all made sense.

"I wanted you to fuck me in front of everyone. If we leave the door cracked, it's almost like we're still out there, in the same room. Just with fewer prying eyes."

Right, it made perfect sense, or so she chose to believe. No, she really believed it, to the point that she sauntered over to Lena, leaving the cracked door untouched.

"Or do you not want everyone to know who I belong to?"

Those were the last words Haley spoke, allowing her actions to continue the conversation—one piece of shed clothing at a time. It was a quick conversation. She was damn convincing, though.
 
Aside from her golden eyes and anxious behavior, Alice couldn't see anything wrong with Syri. She was so focused, eyes searching for an answer, that she didn't notice the wolf had slid forward for a kiss until Alice was pressed against her. The dragon froze, torn between wanting to pull away and slap the impetuous creature that dare kiss her…and wanting to just melt into a puddle of desire. She'd be foolish not to think that Syri was absolutely gorgeous, incredibly intelligent, and a treasure. And, if she were honest, maybe she'd written a couple of erotic short stories that featured a wolf very similar to Syri. But! This was a terrible idea! Syri was much more…forward…than Alice. Dragons were known for being very, very choosy when it came to partners and she couldn't see herself with someone that hopped from fling to fling.

"Uh…" Alice was at a loss for words, her mouth slightly ajar in surprise as they separated. Not only because of the kiss, but because Syri had managed to fling herself clear across the the booth, wedging herself into the corner and away from Alice, magical bindings and all. "Right. Ahem. Well. Maybe stronger bindings next time." Next time?!?! Why would there be a next time you dolt!! The dragon flinched at her own words, seeming to realize they implied one of three things: another kiss, another event that caused Syri to lose control, or a venture into a parallel universe where she had to bind Syri for bondage purposes.

"The…drink?" Her mind was still reeling from the kiss, but once she realized that Syri was referring to the beverage that had been meant for her, she seemed to focus up. "Oh! Oh. The drink. Okay. Um. Let's call your sister," Haley partied a lot, she would know what to do! So Alice dialed her friend…only to feel something vibrating the leather bench.

[Brrrrrzt. Brrrrrzt. Brrrrrzt.]

Alice looked down at the source of the buzzing, noticing Haley's clutch here, left behind in the VIP booth. "Well… Alright, let's try Lena." Of course Lena didn't pick up either. Either she couldn't hear Alice's phone over the music or was too inebriated to notice it.

Welp. There went that plan.

Syri didn't look like she needed medical attention. The wolf was alert and aware of herself and her surroundings. She must've been drugged with something that only lowered inhibitions and increased a sex drive, something that would have been perfect for drugging dragons who were notoriously picky. "Ugh, if I ever see that guy again, I'm going to fry him to a crisp," Alice grumbled. Apparently the wolf thought she meant that she was going to leave and go find the man from the bar right this second, because Syri appeared even more anxious. "Hey, it's okay. I'm right here, I'm not going to leave you," the dragon soothed. She reached out, nervous but wanting to be brave for the rattled wolf, and took her hand, hoping to ground her. "We should get you somewhere quiet…" Right, sensory overload probably wasn't helping Syri's current condition.

"I took a cab here, but you brought your bike?" Alice's brow furrowed as she thought about it. "I could take us back to your apartment and then get another ride home?" As far as plans went, it wasn't terrible. Maybe some fresh air would even help clear her head. "My mom has a motorcycle too, I promise I'll be super careful."

————

Lena felt something vibrating in her pocket…but Haley was currently undoing the clasp that held her dress up and revealing her cute little breasts. If it were really important, whoever it was would call again. She had much more pressing matters to attend to right now! Haley was continuing her mission to push all of her buttons, and now was actually succeeding. Lena nearly tripped over herself getting out of her dress pants and boy shorts, her mind zeroing in on the singular desire of letting everyone in the immediate area know that this crafty little beta was hers. "Mine," the wolf repeated, low and feral. Yes, she wanted that, she wanted Haley to be hers, more than she cared about hiding her own nudity. With a growl, she rushed forward, transforming along the way, picking Haley clear off the floor and pressing her into a nearby wall.

"Sorry, sorry," Lena muttered between feverish kisses, realizing she had probably been a little overzealous in her slamming of Haley into the wall. The beta didn't seem to mind it, in fact further egging Lena on to the point where she nearly tore Haley's flimsy dress in her excitement to push the garment upward. She urged her girlfriend to more securely bracket her thighs on her waist, so she could let her go for a second and line up her already throbbing cock.

"Holy... Fuck," Lena panted as she sank her hips forward. She pulled her face back a little bit, still holding her lovely little beta up but putting just enough distance between them so that she could see her and check on her. A new wave of frenzied sexual energy crashed over Lena as she gazed upon Haley and noticed the level of debauchery her girlfriend radiated. Her styled hair was now a mess from all of Lena's pulling. The glittery dress was pooled around her midriff. Her pale flesh was marked up with hickeys, scratches, and flushed pink from heat and desire. The breaking point was when Lena's green eyes lowered, settling on the sight between her legs. Just looking at Haley's pretty pink folds wrapped around her, and the glistening arousal that stained her inner thighs drove her feral.

"Mine!" the wolf suddenly roared, hips snapping violently. "My beta. My Haley. My mate," Maybe Lena was babbling and partially delirious from pleasure as she drilled her girlfriend into the wall, but she really did feel that way.

"Mine... Mine to fuck... Mine to mark…" Lena panted, eyes glued to the visual of her cock pistoning in and out of her lover, the sight framed by that stupid glittery dress that had taunted her all evening.

————

"Syri!" Alice squeaked as the wolf's hands drifted reeaalllyyy low down her stomach. The bike jerked slightly and she quickly pulled over before she crashed the motorcycle, causing the car behind her to honk angrily as it sped by.

"You can't do that!" The dragon huffed as she got off the bike to properly yell at the wolf who was looking at her with big puppy dog eyes. "And don't you look at me like that! You know what you did!" she scolded, if Syri was going to behave like a big dumb dog then she was going to treat her like one! But nothing really seemed to be getting through to the wolf.

Alice wracked her brain. She had done extensive research about the other races for her novels and was now trying to recall something, anything that would help her deal with this horny wolf. Wolves respond best to physical touch… When it's a full moon, they're incredibly wild so proceed with caution… They're really in tune to body language, tone of voice, and scents… They respect strength… Alphas are protective… Great, all the facts I know are useless! She sighed, not sure what to do with the nearly wild animal that was just staring at her.

"Okay, look," Alice came closer, reaching out to gently cup Syri's cheek and urge her to look into her eyes. "I need you to control yourself for just a little longer, okay? And then…and then I'll get you something to eat and we can snuggle, would you like that?"
 
Nothing was going the way it was supposed to. Syri wanted to spend the evening talking, perhaps flirting a bit under the guise of friendly conversation. She wanted to see how Alice reacted, probe the dragon and find out if she had even a slim chance of making their pleasant meetings into something more. The alpha wanted the date-not-dates to just be dates.

It seemed the universe decided to kick her in the shin for even considering such a thing. But even her inner self-doubt struggled to rise to the surface amidst the tumultuous waves of unfettered desire.

The situation devolved further when Alice called Haley only to find the phone sitting nearby, followed by an equally disheartening unanswered call to Lena. Of course, Jocelyn also started her night at the club, but even Alice seemed to know how pointless dialing her number would be. So it left just the two of them, and Syri instantly started to whine and whimper to herself.

The last thing Syri wanted was to do something she couldn't take back with the one person she wanted to impress. She really didn't need to further the deficit her previous lifestyle had created.

"Just call a cab…" Syri forced out as she tried her best to focus and remain clear-headed. She knew well enough that she didn't need to go to the hospital, only needing to return home and sleep it off. The night would be miserable, especially since she was positive her suppressants were affected, but she would live.

Of course, the part of her panicking about her sudden lack of control refused to remain hidden—appearing in her eyes more than she would like—but she didn't want to be a burden to Alice, nor did she want to be a threat.

Not that she was the only threat. The moment she heard Alice talk about driving her home on her bike, the panic returned.

—————

Haley watched with absolute joy as Lena lost control of herself, relishing in the sight of the gorgeous alpha demonstrating a side of herself that nobody else seemed capable of drawing out. And when Lena finally snapped, lifting her up and slamming her against the wall, Haley let out excited laughter, the broad grin on her face that of a victor proud of her accomplishment.

"No, I love it!" Haley practically squealed the words out, her voice loud and unabashed as she returned Lena's hungry kisses. Then she paused, leaning back far enough to deny Lena what she wanted long enough to push her a little further. "But you'll need to do more if you want me screaming your name."

Yes, more. She wanted more, needed it. Every fiber of her being begged for the unleashed beast that promised a hoarse voice and worn body by the end of the night. Lena gave her what she wanted, too, not wasting a second before plunging inside and sending pleasure shooting up Haley's spine.

"Oh, Lena. Fuck." Haley's voice remained something for only the two of them, a mere appetizer for the fevered panting and begging to come. It always started that way, with Haley tempting the alpha with sweet sounds and low ramblings, forcing her to push harder if she wanted more. And she always wanted more.

Haley's constant teasing seemed to do its job, working Lena up enough to send her into a frenzy the moment they began. It left the beta with precious little time to prepare herself before Lena went at her—no time, in fact.

But, even as Lena took control, forcing moans from her lips whether she liked it or not, Haley kept pushing. She wrapped her arms around the alpha, moved her hips in rhythm to make both of them feel better, and whispered words she knew Lena wanted to hear.

"I'm yours, and I always will be. So mark me."

—————

Syri was slowly losing to her wolf, who found it easier to pull away with the waning suppressants. It started with a few sneaky touches, brief moments where she let her lust gain the upper hand. But once they got on the bike, things took a serious turn for the worse.

The alpha wanted to control herself, she really did, but her arms were already wrapped around Alice. She was pressed up against her, and to top it all off, she smelled absolutely irresistible. Syri simply couldn't hold back, not with her body craving contact and her mind flooded with the persistent and ever-more-reasonable voice of her wolf. So, she reached down, her hands exploring the phenomenal body of the gorgeous woman driving her home.

Syri barely realized how far down she had actually wandered, not connecting the dots between Alice's squeaky voice and the jerking of the bike until Alice pulled over and began to lecture her. Even then, Syri's natural instinct was to pout and look as harmless and adorable as possible, a once go-to tactic when she was younger and more prone to making trouble.

Fortunately, Alice promised something her wolf wanted badly enough to cooperate, and it wasn't the food.

But even that only lasted so long. The drive back to her place was long—not at all—and her patience was limited—didn't exist. It all led to her keeping up the good-puppy act for a few minutes before her hands began to be extra attentive once more. Only, now, knowing they could only go so far south before causing Alice to pull over and stop the fun, she ended up branching out.

Syri leaned in, Alice's scent filling her nose as she began to nip and nibble at her neck. She even worked her way up, slowly but surely placing lips and teeth against Alice's ear, her hot breath and gentle attention spilling over tender flesh.

"Sorry." It sounded less sincere now, clouded by need that rose from the very core of her being. It didn't help that the words were followed by more, with Syri even nuzzling at her neck with a needy whimper.

------

Eventually, they arrived at Syri's place. She had her own apartment in a nice building, one with a doorman. None of that mattered to her, but when Alice realized someone was watching, she grew extra firm in her admonishments, refusing to let Syri do as she pleased. It earned her another whine and pitiful look, but that failed to change the fact that Syri had to behave if she wanted the promised snuggles. Really, it was surprising that it was still on the table, but she didn't complain—much.

There were a few times on their way through the building that got her a slap on the hand, like when she got handsy in the elevator or the time she got handsy walking down the hull. There was even the time she got handsy when Alice was unlocking the door, a task she insisted the dragon do since she had the keys. It was all stuff she would definitely regret in the morning but felt great about in the moment.

Everything changed once they got inside.

Syri's apartment was large, but it seemed empty. It was incredibly neat and tidy, and there was plenty of furniture but little else. One or two photos of her family, but no personal touches. It didn't feel much like a home. The bedroom wasn't much different.

Syri had a nice bed, a really nice one. It was the most expensive thing in her apartment—probably. Large, comfortable, and covered in pillows that she laid on, hugged, and surrounded herself with as needed. They also provided the perfect landing pad for Alice, who she scooped up and tossed on the bed the moment they stepped through the threshold.

Before she could give her actions any thought, Syri joined her, crawling up to the beautiful creature on her bed with a playful smile—one far less dangerous and lustful than a person might expect, given the circumstances.

The innocent affection contained within the smile only extended so far, though, because, in the next moment, she was slowly leaning in, seeming determined to steal another kiss from the lovely dragon.
 
I'm yours and I always will be. So mark me. Lena's pointed ears twitched, as though the wolf were trying to hear the words again. On a good day she struggled to hold back upon hearing the words 'mark me,' on a day where she heard a promise of forever plus a plea for her mark, she was doomed. Her hips stuttered, her thrusts uneven as she suddenly came, filling Haley with her arousal and a room with a surprised shout. "Fuck! Ohhh fuck…" the alpha moaned, fingers digging rough enough to bruise as she held onto her lover, trying to ground herself so she didn't float off from all the pleasure. She was holding up the two of them, and very aware that she couldn't just succumb to the pleasant tingly sensations zipping through her body.

"Damnit… Haley!" Lena panted as she nipped at her girlfriend, "I hate when you do that." Hated that she basically came on command! Well, really she loved it, as could be told by how quickly she came, but it was embarrassing for an alpha to be so wrapped around a beta's manipulative little fingers. "You're in so much trouble now," the wolf growled, withdrawing and then slamming her hips forward to punctuate the sentence. One of the problems (or maybe one of the benefits?) of Lena's wolf was it's stamina. She might not be the roughest or the strongest lover, but she definitely lasted the longest.

Round after round, her wolf craved more; a true glutton for pleasure, continuing on even when the pleasure danced on the razor's edge of pain. Even hypersensitive, she didn't care. She just wanted more. The wolf rarely stopped unless it's lover fell limp in their arms…which was becoming the current case. After the last orgasm, she felt her mate relax, boneless in her grip.
The alpha was tempted to lay her mate out and lick at her poor, fucked raw little slit until it felt better. Her saliva did have healing properties…plus Haley was absolutely delicious. But the human side was telling her 'no.'

But she would want us to enjoy ourselves… The wolf argued.

Yeah! Of course she would, because she's an irresponsible little fool.

…just a little taste?

No! We have to take her home and protect her.

The wolf whined, obviously very food driven. Most of their nights ended with the wolf buried between Haley's legs, eagerly lapping up whatever arousal it could find. Now they were supposed to break tradition just because their mate was a little unconscious in a semi-public place?! If Haley were awake, she would -want- them to devour her!

Ugh. Fine. We can eat her out when she wakes up in the morning. But right now we need to bring her somewhere safe.

The promise of later seemed to satisfy the wolf, and the animal relinquished control, willingly going back into its cage so the human side could figure out a way to get this passed out puddle of beta home safely.

—————-

I'm going to die here.

Not only did Alice have a warm wall of sexy muscle snugly pressed into her back, she had hot breath tickling her neck and wolfish teeth offering love bites. This was absolutely the worst kind of torture because her body desperately wanted this but her mind couldn't reconcile any of what was happening to be right. Her friend was drugged! Besides, even if she wasn't, it was all just a bad idea. On the one hand, Syri was everything a girl could want: intelligent, successful, sexy, charming, and thoughtful. On the other hand: slut. No matter how many pros she could conjure up, it didn't matter, the dragon couldn't ignore the glaring con that the wolf wasn't a devoted monogamist.

She was trying her best not to get aroused, knowing that a change in her scent would make the wolf think it had an open invitation. But holy gods, it was difficult. Syri nipped at her ear, sending a bolt of desire straight to her clit, and Alice nearly crashed the bike again. The dragon bristled, and the wolf had the good sense to apologize…even if it wasn't sincere.

Finally arriving at Syri's fancy apartment building did little to provide Alice with a reprieve. Being in a well lit, public place didn't seem to temper the wolf's desires, the dragon still found herself being the subject to wandering hands. She chased the invading digits away, stopping them early before the wolf could all out grope her in public. "No. Behave." Alice's tone was clipped, as one would talk to a naughty dog. During her previous scolding, Alice had become aware that she was dealing with Syri's wolf and not the actual, rational human part. So she focused more on her tone of voice and body language, trying not to show interest. But the silly animal thought that that meant 'try harder'! Briefly, as she was being fondled in the elevator, she wondered if a bite would communicate her displeasure, but the doors opened before she could make up her mind.

Just…just a little longer…

They were almost there! Finally, finally in the wolf's apartment. Immediately, Alice couldn't believe how sterile Syri's apartment appeared; she was pretty sure she had been in hotel rooms that were more expressive. The only area that seemed to have any personality was the bedroom, sporting a bed with far more pillows than any one person needed.

"Eek!!" The dragon squeaked as she was suddenly lifted up. She instinctively wrapped her arms around Syri's neck to hang on. "Syri!" Alice huffed as she was tossed onto the comfy bed, then prowled upon by a playful wolf. "No. No, we are not going to play." There was a rush of wind, a silvery glow from one of her wards, and Syri would find herself lifting and turning in midair. By the time the wolf had figured out what happened, Alice would be perched atop her and her wrists would be bound by thick, whirling bits of air.

"I'm sorry Syri," the dragon did look a bit sad. She didn't like to use her magic in such a way. "But I don't trust you right now…you're burning up and being very forward…I think that drink put you into your heat." Syri was a veritable furnace right now…and Alice wanted nothing more than to snuggle into that heat and be taken care of. But the wolf was out of control! Syri's normally alert eyes were glazed over with lust and Alice didn't trust it! No amount of cajoling was going to make the dragon undo the bindings.

"But I said we could have a snack and cuddles and I meant it. So just sit tight, I'm going to get us something to eat and then I'll be right back," despite her better judgement, Alice leaned up and gave the wolf a little kiss on the forehead, hoping that would soothe her long enough for her to get them a snack.

——————

Alice had barely slept at all.

She had all the things she needed: full tummy, comfy bed, cozy pajamas (these had been stolen from Syri)…but there was a squirmy, whiney, wolf next to her. She snuggled her friend as promised, but Syri needed more, more than the dragon was willing to give.

Alice knew it must be awful, being a slave to wild urges, lost in one's own mind. She did what she could to help ease the poor wolf's suffering. Nimble fingers scritched along Syri's scalp, the dragon even offered up her neck, knowing she could just heal away the bites and bruises in the morning. But all of this meant she forced herself to stay awake, knowing once she fell asleep the magical bindings would fade. It was probably close to three in the morning when the drugs that Syri ingested finally wore off. Alice finally let her spells fade away, only to find herself immediately wrapped up and being clutched like a teddy bear by an unconscious wolf. With an exhausted sigh, she resisted her arms on top of Syri's, and settled in to be the little spoon.

Morning came far too quickly. Alice's internal clock didn't care that she was barely functioning, it was time to wake up. Time to meditate and do her morning yoga and Bending exercises! Ugh. Too tired. And also not in her own apartment. It was a little startling waking up somewhere that wasn't her home, but the bed was still warm and still smelled like Syri so it put her a little at ease. She lay there, melting in the sheets and trying to go back to sleep for a little while before surrendering and getting up. She could hear the wolf puttering around and making breakfast and she was starving.

"I'm fine," Alice offered a sleepy smile at Syri's concerned face. She knew what she must look like: exhausted, pale…frail. Bending magic was taxing on the body and she had sustained her spells for quite a long time. It was little wonder she looked the way she did. "Just feed me a little breakfast, put me out in the sun, and I'll be right as rain in no time," the dragon stepped forward to investigate what was for breakfast. She was obviously pleased, while not a strict vegetarian in her adult life, Alice had been raised that way for so long that she still adhered to that diet. Syri seemed to remember this, having cooked meats for herself and a vegetarian omelette for Alice.

"What about you? Are you feeling okay?"

————-


After a surprisingly not that awkward breakfast, Alice left to go back to her apartment, shower, change, and then meet up with Haley at a coffee shop. Haley had made these plans with her awhile ago, she had some song lyrics that she wanted Alice to look at. While poetry wasn't really the dragon's forte, she has agreed to help.

The chipper little beta would be greeted by a glaring dragon reading a book and on her second cup of coffee, "I can't believe you!!!" Alice hissed. "Your big sister was drugged and you were busy…fornicating! With Lena!" as angry as the dragon was, she faltered a little bit around the word 'fuck'. One would think that with the amount of smut she wrote, she'd be a little more comfortable saying it.

Judging by the massive bite mark on her friend's neck and the extra-pleased-with-herself glow that Haley was sporting, the beta had obviously gotten laid, probably several times. It wasn't fair! Alice felt like sleepy death still and Haley was her usual hyper self.
 
Watching Lena tremble and succumb in an instant brought Haley an immeasurable amount of satisfaction. The sense of accomplishment almost felt better than the physical pleasure, her mind reveling in the fact that she could push Lena to such extremes with a few words.

“That’s it, oh fuck!” Haley cried out, letting her voice carry as Lena marked her, expending the last vestiges of her energy to push back and make it feel that much better for both of them—greedy for more.

“Liar,” Haley said, panting gently as Lena nipped at her, knowing full well that her girlfriend enjoyed their dynamic. If anything, the challenges of dating someone like Haley seemed to empower the reserved alpha. Or maybe Lena just loved her enough to like everything about her. Haley hoped so.

“Am I?” she asked with a grin, summoning enough energy to taunt her lover as Lena tried to sound big and strong. Haley absolutely loved a growly Lena.

Haley moaned as Lena put her words into action, her expression one of absolute delight, as if to say that everything was exactly as she wanted it.

While Lena usually remained calm and level-headed, that wasn’t always the case. Haley, through a combination of playful poking and temptation, could bring out the side of Lena that rarely showed itself—a side that craved pleasure nearly as much as Haley’s hedonistic self. She succeeded in bringing that side out at the club. The end result left her as the first to tap out, even if unwillingly as darkness enveloped her exhausted—and completely satisfied—mind.

—————

Play? The word sounded wrong to Syri’s one-track mind. She didn’t want to play, even if she felt playful! She wanted to devour the gorgeous creature she had been nibbling on and courting all the way back home! Alice made the trip, came to her place, and even entered the bedroom—leaving only one thing to do.

Syri only grew further confused when magic appeared. No, bending. The wolf had enough sense to recognize it, but the look on her face expressed just how lost she was about what was happening. They were supposed to be doing something else, yeah?

The part that really confused Syri’s wolf was that Alice wanted it too! It could sense that she liked the attention, but then, the restraints. Was that what Alice liked?

Seeming to have a new thought in mind, Syri looked at her wrists, at the bindings. Then she nodded. Yes, she kind of liked it, especially when she turned her attention back to the beautiful woman perched atop her. She even gave a rather radiant smile as if to express that she approved of the situation and was ready to continue. Yeah, not bad, I like it—or something like that.

When Alice simply continued talking, Syri started whining, even struggling a bit to no avail. Her struggle could only be seen as gentle, though, with her wolf behaving oddly obedient, despite the situation. If anything, squirming as she complained with pitiful noises served as a more apt description.

“Please.” Syri eventually started to beg, but at that point, Alice had steeled herself, going to get some food with a kiss to her forehead. So cruel!

---

The rest of the night continued down the same disappointing path. Alice refused to give in, even when Syri did everything she could, from trying to tempt her to begging. The only consolation was that Alice allowed her access to her tender neck, allowing the wolf to indulge in her intoxicating scent while nibbling and biting like a teething pup. She took full advantage.

—————

The next morning began with Syri seriously considering jumping from the roof of her building. The thought proved fleeting and non-serious, but her head was filled with drastic thoughts about how to erase the embarrassing memories from the night before. Just this once, she wished she couldn’t remember the details so vividly. But the things she did were burned into her mind, refusing to be forgotten.

Syri groaned softly as she escaped her own bedroom, slipping away without alerting Alice.

“Sneaking out of my own bedroom…” It was a novel experience, yet it was the least embarrassing thing from the past eight or so hours. The real concern was how she was going to look Alice in the eyes after everything she did. It was a devastating blow, especially since she had been trying so hard to separate herself from the slutty reputation that undoubtedly colored Alice’s opinion of her.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t think of a way to undo the damage. The only thing she could do was try not to let the awkwardness overshadow everything else.

---

Syri needed to keep busy, and she also wanted to add a few positive points to a value that was almost certainly in the negatives. So she made breakfast, digging through her barren kitchen with another drawn-out groan. If she had expected company, she would have bought groceries! At least then she could have cooked some of the dishes she knew from her travels and sprinkled something impressive over the disaster of a so-called third date.

Yeah, their unofficial third date, the one where Syri tried to get Alice into bed. Regardless of the circumstances, it was a real cluster fuck.

Syri’s mind was full of doomsaying, and it was written all over her face—enough for Alice to immediately speak up when she walked out.

“I… Alice, I’m sorry.” Syri offered the apology with a weak smile, her concern remaining despite the assurances. It only made her feel worse when Alice tried her best to keep things natural, even asking if she were okay.

“Yeah… Thanks.”

Thanks for so many things.

If only she could bring herself to talk about how grateful she was for the night before. But she couldn’t. As uncharacteristic as it was, Syri felt cowardly, unable to bring herself to push forward and talk about everything. Instead, she smiled, pushing her worries deep down and trying her best to make everything feel normal.

—————

“What? Syri was drugged?” Haley sounded concerned, but just barely. Instead, she looked at Alice oddly, as if asking whether it was true or not. She found it so odd that she didn’t even manage to grin and poke at Alice for being unable to say the word “fucking” out loud.

“Who would want to drug Syri? Who would even dare to?” Haley asked, spending a good bit of time after that trying to drag details out of Alice. She didn’t get much, but she got enough.

After hearing the story, Haley’s mood seemed to return to its usual loftiness. She wore a bright, teasing smile as she leaned back in her chair and looked over at Alice.

“My sister really likes you.”

It sounded like an absurd statement. Well, not to Haley, who already knew that fact. But to say such a thing out of the blue to the dense Alice, it would likely seem as such.

“Syri has one of the strongest wolves I’ve ever seen, and yet she managed to behave herself in full heat?” Such an agonizing experience, yet her big sister controlled herself. Good for her. Just for that, she decided to give her a helping hand and tease Alice a bit more. She was definitely helpful!

—————

Michelle originally planned to do the bare minimum when it came to working at Lykos. She did well in everything she was assigned, but she didn’t bother taking on more unless it came with some benefit. After all, it was a cover, one that she wouldn’t be at for too long. So, doing community service wasn’t necessary. She already did enough on her own time anyway, as herself.

Right, yet there she was, at the Halloween event in a ridiculously meticulous Supergirl outfit. And it was all because of Jocelyn, her apparent kryptonite. After finding out that the other woman was going to be there, she couldn’t stay away. It was definitely a problem, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.

To top it off, once the kids started showing up, she lost her usual cold demeanor, completely forgetting who she was supposed to be and showing off to get some laughs and smiles from the young ones who came for a scare and some candy. It was fine though—probably. After all, she was Supergirl, and she had to protect the adorable citizens!

Just as she was talking to the little ones about justice, she caught a familiar figure—Jocelyn. It wasn't the first time she saw her that night, but she always seemed busy before. Now, not so much.

"Oh no, look who it is!" Michelle gasped, pointing in Jocelyn's direction. "My nemesis, Captain Marvel!"

Michelle jumped up, standing between Jocelyn and the children, her arms spread out wide in a protective stance.

"You! I knew I'd find you soon enough." Michelle's exaggerated acting might seem cheesy, but the kids instantly started growing noisy, cheering as Michelle stepped forward got ready for a completely real fight. Her eyes even started to glow red, as if she were about to use heat vision.
 
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A couple of weeks had gone by, and Jocelyn wasn't outright avoiding Elle but she also wasn't actively seeking her out either. One fateful afternoon, she noticed the other wolf inspecting a large poster in the break room. It advertised a call for volunteers for the annual Children's Haunted house, set in downtown Armistice.

"Thinking about volunteering?" Jocelyn smiled as she sidled up next to the other wolf. "You're contractually obligated to volunteer at two of the charity events a year, or have ten percent of your gross salary deducted as a 'charitable donation'," it was a strange condition, but one that had been part of the company even before Mara. "My grandfather thought a sense of community was very important to a happy workplace," Jocelyn said with a shrug. She understood it: give employees a sense of belonging and greater purpose so that they wouldn't run off and work for someone else who would probably treat them poorly. David Marrok had been of the belief that people could be trained to be good; and it seemed true, only a few die hard grumps had their wages taken away out of the thousands of employees that worked for Lykos.

"This and volunteering for a shift at the medical tent at The Games are probably the two best opportunities, maybe I'll see you around at one of them," the young wolf smiled, then sauntered off. As much as she was tempted to flirt with Elle, she actually was rather self-disciplined at work and had quite a lot to do today.

———————

When Alice had been little, the highlight of her childhood had been watching her mothers Bend fire during the Lykos Haunted house. Miranda would conjure a blaze and her and Jack would toss it around above the heads of spectators, warping it into shapes and designs, dancing with the orange flames and providing some warmth to their audience on a chilly night. Other kids would shriek and giggle, but Alice would always quietly sit there, eyes transfixed and mind wondering, When will I get to do that?

This year was the year.

She had practiced in secret, just in case she got too nervous and needed to back out. Not that she would have an opportunity to jump ship anyways - because Alice had said she would do this, her parents had gone on to make some very cool (and probably insanely dangerous) magical fireworks with Jocelyn's mom. So she had practiced even harder and roped one of her friends in to help.

Despite her preparation, the dragon was still very, very nervous. What if she couldn't pull off as intricate a display as her mothers'? What if the fire got away from her? What if -

"Heeyyy there buddy, looking a little nervous!" Sasha piped up, startling Alice. "You nervous makes me nervous. You're not going to light me on fire, right?" the wolf chuckled nervously.

"I. Uh. No. Of course not! …not on purpose, anyways…" Alice muttered.

Sasha groaned, fidgeting in her armor. Alice, being the storyteller that she was, had wanted to make her part of the evening more dramatic! Which involved Sasha being roped into this as a knight coming to battle the dragon; they had figured their pairing would be the safest - if Alice fucked up, Sasha could use her siren magic to put any fires out. And the knight's costume was really made out of mithril - flame retardant just in case. "Should I put the helmet on or…?"

"Uhm…I mean…it'll probably be fine," Alice smiled, hoping to convey a little more confidence than she felt."

—————-

Jocelyn loved dressing up and playing with little ones! She posed for pictures with tiny Avengers, handed out candy, and soothed the small ones who got really scared from the haunted house (not that the haunted house was particularly terrifying, it was actually pretty cheesy, but these were just little kids!). It was fun to see the kids preen when she praised their costumes and make up. There were lots of booths and activities to assist with, but she preferred to just wander around and give directions, flowing about as her mother would. It was as she was assisting a parent who was asking where they could get balloon animals that she suddenly heard a voice calling her out.

"My nemesis! Captain Marvel!"

Huh? Who? Me? Jocelyn blinked, looking around, only to find Supergirl pointing at her from a little bit away. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it was Elle dressed in a very dashing and very high quality super suit. Heh. Nerd. The other wolf was adorable! Jocelyn made a mental note to tease her about it later, but for now she had to go fight! "Supergirl! We meet again. But you won't be so lucky as to walk away from me this time."

The little ones were going absolutely bananas as the two of them sparred. Jocelyn wasn't particularly talented at using any of her magic like Elle was, but she had taken gymnastics as a kid and could do flips and tumbles that would rival any stunt double. She also had extensive self defense training (her mother had been paranoid that she'd be kidnapped as a child and had made her go to lessons for yeeeaaarrsss), so she knew how to fight well enough to make things look interesting for an audience.

"There are far too many civilians here for me to continue to fight you, Supergirl!" Really there were far too many increasingly frustrated parents trying to corral sugar high little ones. Jocelyn took pity on them though and with a flourish, vaulted over a nearby bench and retreated down an alleyway.

It wasn't long before Elle caught her, the taller wolf had little trouble making up the distance. Jocelyn giggled and grinned now that the pair of them were alone. "You are such a dork…it's adorable. You're really good with the kids." Her eyes flicked down to Elle's lips for a moment, and before she could even talk herself out of this stupid idea, she leaned up and stole a kiss.

"So tell me, Supergirl, how many times have you come, thinking about last time?" Jocelyn wore an incredibly smug grin, confident at least one of Elle's orgasms had been to the thought of Jocelyn's tongue in her ass.
 
Michelle never backed down from a challenge, and Jocelyn proved herself to be the same. Although their little act started innocently enough, with Michelle calling her out and Jocelyn responding, it turned into an entire show, causing the surrounding children to cheer and shout.

Jocelyn received the most encouragement from the little voices, clearly already liked by many of the kids, but Michelle made a splash by using both magic and athleticism to make all of it look awesome. It gained her some fans.

That being said, the price for their enthusiasm was exhaustion—for both them and the parents—so it didn't last long. It was just long enough for Michelle to get into it. She even ran after Jocelyn when she made her retreat, spouting a few enthusiastic lines about not letting her get away as they disappeared down an alleyway.

Michelle caught up easily, but she didn't have a plan for what came next. Before she knew what she was doing, Michelle grabbed hold of Jocelyn and pushed her against the wall.

"Now I've got you right where I want you, Captain Marvel." How right those words were, but they had a playful quality to them that matched the smile on her lips.

"Dork? Me?" Michelle asked, acting as if the accusation were outrageous, even after uttering such cheesy words mere moments earlier. They were true, but she would never admit it.

"You're also good with kids. They like you so much that they wanted to see you beat me." Of course, the look that flashed through Jocelyn's eyes said that she always did anyway, but Michelle chose to ignore that, wanting to preserve her upper hand. Michelle's body was so very close to Jocelyn's, trapping her against the wall. Right where she wanted her.

But Michelle's upper hand didn't last long. After all, she was wrong from the start. Jocelyn had all the power.

A single kiss was all it took for Michelle's brain to stall, her body reacting on instinct as she melted into the brief lip-lock, her stance softening.

Damn it.

Michelle barely lasted a minute before she fell into the habit slowly developing, which involved her growing very eager and malleable in front of Jocelyn. It wasn't good! But what could she do? It was already too late for her. Jocelyn's giggle, her smile, her lips—they disarmed her completely. It left her open to the teasing that followed. And she enjoyed it.

Even as embarrassment colored her face, desire filled her eyes, and she stole another kiss. Only when she pulled away did she answer, her eyes sparsely clouded with lust as she said, "More than once." As for how many times, Michelle left it to Jocelyn's imagination.

"Your moaning when I pinned you beneath me is particularly memorable as well," she added with a less bashful look. As if Jocelyn were the only one who left an impression. Hah! "You remember, right? Or do I need to remind you?"

Michelle's hand was already starting to grow impatient. She wanted what she wanted, and she wanted it without delay.

—————

Syri finished work exhausted, having spent hours in a stressful surgery. However, her first action after finishing up wasn't to drive home and plop down on the bed. Instead, she hopped on her bike, made a few quick stops, and headed directly to the haunted house being held by Lykos.

By the time Syri arrived, the entire thing was winding down, but she paid the lingering families and staff no mind as she made her way inside.

In the usual Lykos style, everything was done magnificently—the best of the best. Mara would have it no other way, and her standards trickled down to her employees, causing them to put in as much effort as their boss would. Therefore, even if she wasn't involved, the events hosted by the company always impressed.

However, Syri's eyes only wandered a bit before finding what they were looking for—Alice.

The dragon was as beautiful as ever, though she looked tired. No doubt her exhaustion came from spending the entire day concentrating and fretting—information she got from Sasha when she called to make sure Alice was still around. It was cute how worried Alice was over something so innocent. She wanted to be the best fire-breathing dragon she could be!

Just like Alice, Syri had a desire to impress. Only their targets were different. It was why she rushed over directly after her shift, and it was why she currently had an entire bag full of goodies slung over her shoulder.

Syri approached Alice with a bright smile on her face that betrayed the calm and collected image she wanted to portray. She felt more of a need than ever to seem calm and in control around Alice after the rave, but she always failed.

"Excuse me, my lady, but have you seen a rampaging dragon around these parts? I've heard she has been causing some real trouble, burning down buildings and sending knights running. I'm hoping to appease her with gifts of food and drink."

God, kill me. What am I saying?

Smooth, Syri. Real smooth.
 
Jocelyn's eyes lit up with glee at the admission that Elle had thought about their previous encounter. Hah! I knew it! The wolf grinned, loving to leave an impression, especially on such a strong wolf. Jocelyn thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of luring another alpha into submission…to the point where she pretty much only slept with other alphas.

The wolf laughed as Elle pinned her to the brick wall, arching her body into the Girl of Steel. Anyone else would be more wary around such aggression, but Jocelyn saw all of this as a game. There was no way this could backfire! Elle was obviously a big dork, a muscular, powerful, growly dork…but still a dork. So she encouraged the closeness by wrapping her arms around the taller wolf's neck with their next kiss. "Mmm…as much as I would love a reminder, I'll have to decline," Jocelyn purred as she pulled away. She she slid her hands down to Elle's sternum, giving a soft push and. preventing her from advancing any further with those talented hands. "I have a lot of work to do…but, maybe after the fireworks?"

——————

Alice sat on the edge of a small, pop up stage that had been put together for her little bout with Sasha. The kids had loved it! And she hadn't lit her friend on fire! Now she was just waiting there for the werewolf to get back here so that they could find a spot to watch the fireworks together.

The dragon was surprised to see Syri approaching her. She had thought that the eldest Reigns wouldn't be able to make it; she had mentioned that she had had work tonight. But here she was, with snacks and cheesey lines that made her smile. Alice grinned, still feeling the rush from doing an amazing job and willing to show off. She blew out a stream of fire, collecting it in her hands to shape a ball, and then tossing it up into the air where it exploded into a shower of sparks. "I would be the rampaging dragon you speak of…and I have to admit that I am amenable to snacks and beverages," the dragon was eyeing Syri's bag, as if trying to discern what treats were in there. "Your sister left to get the armor off, but do you want to watch the fireworks with us?"

——————

It was turning out to be an especially chilly October evening. A few volunteer mages had gone around, casting little fires for the families so that they could stay warm while they sat and watched the fireworks display. Alice had conjured up a few herself, and now her and Syri sat before the flames. They were snuggled together under a blanket to stay warm and had already broken into some of the snacks when Sasha came stomping along.

"You will not -believe- the time I've just had. Scoot over Syri, I'm freezing!" Sasha wriggled her way between her sister and her friend under the guise of wanting to steal some warmth, but really she just wanted to cockblock her sister. Blanket? Snacks? Romantic cuddles under the fireworks?!?!?! She knew what her big sister was up to!! Alice couldn't handle the heartbreak that Syri certainly had in store for her!!

"I saw Bellamy, she was dressed up and tried to hit on me. As if I wouldn't know who was under the mask!" There was a growl in Sasha's voice, but the rage also tinged with the soft notes of hurt. Even though months had gone by, the break in her heart hadn't healed…seeing Bellamy just ripped at the bandages that held the whole thing together.

"Aw. I'm sorry Sasha," Alice was quick to console the little wolf, knowing how hard the breakup had been on her. She wrapped her arm around her and let her rest her head on the dragon's shoulder.
 
Even the annoying parts of Jocelyn were cute, like how she perked up and wore a victorious grin when Michelle admitted to thinking about their last encounter. What wasn't as cute was the fact that the gorgeous wolf enjoyed teasing her so much. She gave away a bit of control and pulled her in with suggestive actions, then proceeded to crush her very soul by pulling away with equally damning decisiveness.

"Ah… but..." Michelle stammered as everything she desired was ripped away from her. She could still feel Jocelyn's lips lingering on her own, the phantom sensation remaining as the alpha slipped away.

Michelle's mind was a mess, and she barely even managed a dazed affirmation when Jocelyn suggested they continue later. She seemed frozen in place, and she only came to when the other wolf started walking away.

"You're such a tease," she said, her voice dragging out into a slight whine as she watched Jocelyn start to leave.

Only when the other wolf was about to round the corner that she realize there was no reason she had to just watch her walk away.

"Hey, wait up!"

With nothing better to do, she might as well help. Maybe they would finish faster!

—————

Everything went exactly how Syri planned it. No, it went better. Alice was in a great mood, and when she got there, Sasha was nowhere in sight. All of that added up to the perfect moment where she got to impress the gorgeous dragon with all of her favorites, side by side. They even ended up snuggling beneath a blanket!

It was only when Sasha arrived that Syri realized just how quickly things could go wrong. In all of twenty seconds, her sister barged in, stole her spot, stole all the attention, and started leaning against her Alice! She had a good reason too.

Syri found herself in the worst spot possible—between utter disappointment at losing a great opportunity to snuggle with Alice and her responsibility as an older sister. Unfortunately, she loved her little sister more than she hated having the moment ruined, forcing her to swallow her annoyance and make sure Sasha was okay. Not that it stopped her from pouting on her own as the fireworks started and she had to watch them from the side, like some sort of third wheel.

---

When Sasha first arrived after seeing Bellamy, Syri could feel the pain in her voice. So, despite everything else, she said a few comforting things when given the chance and allowed her sister to enjoy the gentle comforting of a far more eloquent Alice. However, as the night went on and Sasha got ahold of herself, Syri began to notice just how intent her sister was at getting in her way.

Sasha didn't stop. From the moment she first sat down to the moment the fireworks ended and they saw Alice off, Sasha stayed glued to the dragon's side, keeping Syri away while throwing warning glares from time to time. It was infuriating!

The moment Alice was gone, Syri turned, her eyes narrowing into slits as she looked at her sister.

"Any particular reason you spent the entire night getting in the way?" she asked, not one to beat around the bush with her siblings. The feeling was clearly mutual, with Sasha laughing as she shot a knowing look her way.

"You think it's funny? I barely got to talk to her all night."

"Good!" Sasha glared back, showing that Syri wasn't the only one who knew how to glare.

They both just stood there silently until Sasha finally broke the silence. "You're not going to break her heart just because she's pretty now!"

Syri waited to hear what she had to say, but when Sasha finally spoke, she found herself gritting her teeth in frustration.

"What the hell, Sasha! How little do you think of me?"

"Oh, come on!" Sasha dragged her words out, finding it ridiculous that Syri didn't expect it. "You go through women constantly. You're not going to do that to our friend!"

Anger surged up, but Syri's voice grew calm as she tried to keep it pushed down. "You're right, I'm not going to hurt her. I like her—a lot. And on top of that, I'm not stupid enough to approach someone I've known for most of my life with the same intentions I approach some random woman at a bar. Is it really so insane to you that I might want to genuinely be with someone for once?"

Whether she was convincing or not, it was the truth, and after taking another look at Sasha, she just sighed and gave up. After a long day at work and a disappointing evening, she didn't have the energy. "Forget it. Did you drive here, or do you need a ride home?"

—————

Michelle held Jocelyn up with one arm as she stretched the limits of her ability to multitask. Keep balance, kiss the gorgeous wolf, open the hotel room door—it was a struggle. But like any determined individual, she triumphed, managing to do all of it and more.

The trip to the bed ended up being the difficult part, with her overzealousness adding clothing removal to the list of tasks and almost causing the entire thing to come crashing down on itself. She ended up stumbling, slamming her shoulder into the wall as she turned her body to stop Jocelyn from taking the brunt of her clumsy blunder.

Michelle stood there, a look of panic still glued on her face. Then she looked at Jocelyn, and when their eyes met, they both started to laugh.

"Idiot." Out of context, it sounded harsh, but there was a touch of affection when Jocelyn said it, drawing out a smile from the idiot in question.

"Shut it," Michelle responded, equally soft and affectionate. She even nuzzled her slightly before kissing her again, deciding to seal her mouth before she could say anything else. There really wasn't another way to keep the alpha quiet. Well, actually, there was one more way…

Michelle threw Jocelyn onto the bed to free up both of her hands and immediately started stripping, removing the costume as quickly as she could before making her way to the edge of the bed and looming over Jocelyn menacingly—kind of.

"I hope you're ready, because I'm about to make you pay for being such a relentless tease."
 
After the fireworks, Jocelyn's intention had been to bring Elle back to her place. There were many new and exciting toys in her bedroom for them to play with; lots of fun things that she could use on the other wolf…and if Elle was -really- good maybe she'd let the stronger wolf try out a few things on her.

The journey to the penthouse apartment was one of wandering hands and feverish kisses. Perhaps if she thought about it a little harder, Jocelyn might be disturbed by how easy all of this was….maybe it was because Elle was technically her underling? Usually Jocelyn flirted with those of equal social standing and not someone who worked for her family's company. But Elle didn't cower or seem jealous of her position; quite the contrary, she acted like they were two normal people which Jocelyn actually really appreciated. So normal though that the big tall dork was nibbling at her ear and cupping her breasts while she was fishing out her keys. Jocelyn gave Elle a little nudge with her elbow and a playful snap of teeth as she tried to get the door open…only to freeze when she caught the sound of voices inside.

"Haley! Those are not appropriate pajamas and you know it-" there was some laughter, a thud, and then a moan…as though the two lovers couldn't be bothered to make it to the bedroom.

Jocelyn cringed, of course the sounds led to her mind envisioning her two friends fucking on the living room floor (which shouldn't even be happening because Lena was supposed to be getting up early tomorrow for work!!!!!) Lena was the closest thing she had to a sister so thinking about the rather reserved wolf having sex with someone like Haley was pretty traumatizing. "Let's ah…let's go get a hotel room."

——————-

~~~~~~~~~ 2 Months Later ~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Lykos Charity Auction was one of the premier events of the year. Rich and famous individuals from all over the world showed up to bid outrageous amounts of money for charity (and tax write off purposes.) There were all sorts of winnings to be had: experiences, trips, luxury items…but what was perhaps the most anticipated part was the date auction. Ten very exceptional bachelors and bachelorettes were handpicked by Mara Marrok herself to be auctioned off for a night of romance…or just a fun outing (for example, Sasha's date was more a private surf lesson than a true date). Jocelyn Marrok, Sasha Reigns, and Timothy LeBlanc were the three singles with the biggest hype, but there were others too who would fetch a pretty penny for the sake of charity or the chance for rich families to basically pay their way to thrust a suitor forward.

The dress code was strictly enforced - black tie for all, except for the ten men and women who were in dashing tuxedos or colorful gowns. It was obvious Mara was a shrewd businesswoman, choosing to further advertise the potential dates by individualizing their packaging.

Alice was sipping wine, engaged in quiet conversation with her mothers along the edge of the grandiose ballroom, eyes on the small stage that would later house the band. Currently Mara Marrok was up there, thanking everyone for coming and delivering all her pleasantries before the auction kicked off. Alice's family wasn't here to bid on anything, they were all just looking forward to the dinner and dancing that would take place after the auction. As she took another sip of wine, marveling at the glittering chandeliers and trying to commit them to memory for her book, she saw a flash of blue hurrying towards her.

"Alice!! I need your help, excuse us, hi Mrs. Naught's," Sasha flashed a smile and then tugged her friend away. "Bellamy is here and if she bids for me - I need you to outbid her."

"I'm flattered you think that I'm rich…but I'm definitely not Wainwright rich." Alice fidgeted slightly, acutely aware that Mara Marrok's eyes were burning into them, well, really burning into Sasha because she was supposed to be up by the stage.

Sasha pinched the bridge of her nose, trying not to stave off the oncoming stress headache. "No, dummy, if she bids on me, then -you- pump up the price, win the bid and I'll have my mom reimburse you."

"Oh!" This didn't seem like a great plan…but Alice liked being helpful so she gave a little nod. "Okay, yeah, sure."

———————

Lena had her hand possessively situated on the small of Haley's bare back. The black gown was fairly conservative in the front…but the deep V that revealed delicious pale skin along her back was much more risqué. She knew that Haley was wearing this dress just to draw attention and make Lena jealous and of course it was working. While she trusted her girlfriend completely, the fact that she had behaved and not marked her throat in any way did agitate her when others were staring at the gorgeous beta.

She spotted her mother rushing (while trying to appear like she wasn't rushing) straight towards them, holding her ever present planner. On a night like this, Sammie never stopped working, events such as the charity auction had too many moving parts for her to just relax and sip champagne.

"Haley? Could you p-puh-please try calling your b-big sister? The au-auction is s-s-starting soon and your aunt is b-b-becoming enraged," Sammie stammered, looking a little panicked. Mara would never, ever direct her anger at her most favorite assistant ever…but being around her while the old alpha was throwing a fit was quite unnerving.
 
Michelle sat in her car and looked at the venue for the charity auction, her eyes trembling as she struggled with her thoughts.

"You can't do this, Michelle. You promised yourself." Her fingers dug into the steering wheel as her inner dialogue spilled out into the open. "How much longer can you pretend to be ignorant."

Michelle slammed her head back against the headrest in frustration and closed her eyes. All she wanted to do was think, but everything was so loud, her wolf especially. She also felt nauseous, which seemed to stem from something akin to a panic attack as she struggled to listen to logic over emotion.

"Why is this so difficult…" Michelle whispered the words, swallowing with some difficulty. None of it was supposed to become real. She wasn't supposed to be happier as Elle than she was as Michelle. Nor was she supposed to fall in love, not with anyone, and certainly not with Jocelyn.

The realization dawned on her weeks ago that she held budding affection for the other wolf, but she played stupid, allowing herself to go along with things. And then those budding affections blossomed and ruined everything. Because Michelle couldn't be in love with Jocelyn, not when she knew it would end in heartache for both of them.

And yet, after a few deep breaths, she turned off her car and stepped into the crisp night air. It was a stupid choice to go inside when she knew what fate it would bring, but she couldn't help it. And just like that, under the influence of making the emotional decision, happiness filled her chest, stifling the panic and terror that still waited around the corner, even if just for the moment.

Just one more night of blissful ignorance.

—————

Syri looked at the phone vibrating next to the glass on the table of the bar, but instead of reaching out for it, she chose to grab the liquor instead. A tilt of the head and a slight burn later, and she was sitting it back on the table and nudging it forward to signal the bartender to keep them coming.

"That's enough. Give me your phone." The bartender refused with a stern expression, ignoring the angry glare from the drunken alpha. Even if she jumped over the bar, he wasn't going to change his mind.

"Who should I call?" he asked, waving her phone in front of her face.

"Nobody," she grumbled, snatching the glass back up and looking to see if perhaps she had missed a drop or two. No such luck.

"Fine, I'll just call whoever you call the most." Although it was meant to be a threat, Syri seemed absentminded, barely paying him any mind as her expression grew distant. The bartender shrugged when she remained unresponsive, going into her call history and tapping on a name.

The bartender didn't know her that well, but he looked over with concern as she continued to sit there, fading in and out. It wasn't her first time in the place since she came with other doctors every now and then, but it was the first time he saw something like this.

Someone finally answered the phone and started talking right away, but he quickly interrupted and explained what was going on.

After giving a brief explanation, he hung up and placed the phone back in front of Syri. "Someone is coming to pick you up."

Syri glared at him, then gave up with a slight nod when she realized it wasn't doing anything. After that, she placed her arms on the table and buried her face in them.

The bartender sighed. "I'll get you some water."

—————

When Haley failed to get ahold of Syri, Sammie’s panic intensified, and she wasn’t the only one. Haley stared at her phone with a furrowed brow. Syri was a lot of things, but unreliable was not one of them. When her older sister made a promise, she kept it, and she liked being punctual. So being unable to reach her caused the beta to start worrying as well.

“She’s not picking up.” Haley looked from her phone to Lena, who quickly calmed her down with a simple gesture.

“I’ll keep trying to call her.” Right as she was about to hit her number again, she saw Alice walking towards them. “Alice, have you seen Syri?” she asked, tapping to call Syri once more as she did.
 
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Jocelyn, like all of those who were part of the date night auction, was busy working around the room, playing the part of social butterfly. Although she wore a smile, she had no joy in pretending to flirt with snooty wolves from well off families. Dates with these types were so stuffy…and so dreadfully, dreadfully boring. She could put up a professional facade just like her sire, but her heart was as wild as her mage mother's. None of the dates with potential suitors ever amounted to anything…and those happened under much more agreeable circumstances. It was all for a good cause though; she could deal with suffering through a mediocre date if it meant hundreds of thousands of dollars would be thrown into a charity.

A glimpse of a familiar face had her eyes lighting up. Even across the room, Jocelyn could spot her. Elle had rapidly become one of her favorite people. They weren't dating…not formally anyways. However, Jocelyn slept with the other wolf exclusively at this point and if there was an event or even just a gathering of her friends, Jocelyn would invite Elle. It was just so fun and easy to be with the other engineer. Rarely did Jocelyn ever encounter someone her age who could keep up with her mentally, and rarer still did she find someone who wasn't intimidated by her or her mother.

She offered a little wave and an apologetic look to the other alpha. She couldn't go over there and talk to her. (Well, she could, but she didn't want to open up that can of worms with her mother.)

—————-

A little after Sasha released her to go back to doing the rounds about the hall, Alice felt her phone begin to vibrate. She blinked, surprised that it was Syri. Even though she actually seen the older wolf, she just sort of supposed that she was out there somewhere charming potential donors. "Hi Syri, where are you? The auction is about to-"

"Hey, good evening, sorry to bug you but this isn't the doc." Hearing a strange man's voice over the line flooded her with a sense of panic. Had something happened to Syri? Had she lost her phone? Was she in the hospital?!?! And why was she the one being called?! The man, the bartender, quickly explained the situation. While it sounded like Syri was indeed not okay…at least it seemed that she was somewhere safe. Syri was drunk, obliterated really, and needed to be collected.

Alice thanked the man for his concern and then looked around for Haley, figuring the little beta would want to know where her big sister was. Once she approached to the group she found that they had already been looking for Syri, so she relayed what she had just learned.

"D-d-drunk?!!! Oh dear…" Sammie grimaced. Well. This was not ideal. But! She could probably fix this. She tapped out a few things in her digital planner, rearranging the schedule so that the dates would be last and then put Syri last for the bidding as well. "Alice c-could you guh-go get her? I'll have M-M-Mara's driver t-tuh-take you," normally Sammie would just do it herself but with Mara's patience already stretched thin, she would rather stay here and try to prevent anymore wrenches from being thrown into the works. Besides, if Syri couldn't be recovered soon, Sammie was going to have to do some convincing to get a little music producer to pretend she was suddenly single and looking for a date.

——————-

"Joseph is this really necessary?!" Alice squeaked as she clung to the armrest in the back of the car. The poor dragon was getting motion sick with the amount of weaving the driver was doing.

"I apologize, Ms. Naught. Mrs. Lowell said it was 'time sensitive'. We're almost there though, no worries," the old wolf soothed as he revved the engine, accelerating to fit in another gap, causing the driver who was now behind him to blare their horn.

Alice gulped, having the feeling that Joseph was secretly enjoying driving the car as though he were in an action movie. Her death grip on the armrest would soon be relinquished at least; they pulled up to the bar within a few minutes as promised. Alice barely had time to collect her trembling nerves before Joseph was opening the door, offering a genial smile as he assisted her out of the vehicle.

"Here we are, Ms. Naught. All in one piece. Again, I apologize for my haste, but it is rare that Mrs. Lowell uses the phrase 'time sensitive'." Joseph looked up at the establishment, frowning a little. It wasn't a dive bar… but it also didn't look like somewhere a young dragon in an evening gown should be. "Shall I collect Ms. Reigns on your behalf?"

"I'll be fine, I'm sure," Alice seemed oblivious to the fact that she was quite eye-catching in the black evening gown. Her focus was entirely on Syri now and making sure she was okay. She rushed inside, easily finding Syri at the bar. It was still a bit early for drinking and dinner, so there weren't that many patrons here to begin with.

"Syri?" The dragon called, announcing her presence before she reached out to rest a hand on her shoulder. She gave a little squeeze, then moved to sit down in the barstool next to her. "Are you okay?" Obviously just looking at her, Syri was very not okay. Oh boy…I doubt Mara will want me to bring her back like this. And that was fine, whether or not they ended up back at the charity auction, Alice didn't care. All she wanted to do was make Syri less sad right now.
 
Michelle disliked large events. She hid it well, walking in as if she belonged, but she felt uncomfortable the moment she stepped into the main room. People talking and making little deals and introductions from atop their perches always turned her stomach. But it was mostly because it reminded her of the past, back when her father used to pull her here and there to show off his talented daughter. Behind closed doors, things were dark—suffocating—but nobody knew. They just saw his smile and the touch of pride he forced on his face and remained completely oblivious to his true face.

Yet even the darkest memories dulled with time, and upon catching sight of Jocelyn across the room, a smile found its way to her lips. Just a glance, and she was filled with joy, her features lighting up to the point that it was hard to believe she always walked around with a cold look on her face at work.

Unfortunately, they both knew a look was all there could be. Jocelyn had her duties, and Michelle knew better than to be greedy with Mara around. So she gave the other alpha a little wave and let her get back to her networking. Then she went to find some hors d’oeuvres because she was strangely hungry.

—————

Syri loved her job. She got to help people, and she couldn’t imagine another job that would be as fulfilling. But it wasn’t always easy to love her job. Sometimes, reality reared its head and sent a clear reminder that no matter how good a doctor was or how hard they tried, they were only human.

Normally, Syri took losing a patient well. Perhaps her time secretly traveling with Doctors Without Borders gave her the perspective she needed, or maybe she was good at coping with loss. Whatever it was, it failed her this time.

Syri held back tears as she hid her head in her arms, with anger and sadness coming and going in waves.

The adorable voice of a young girl with a lisp rang in her head. Syri still remembered when they first met. Lily was so small then, chasing after her while calling her name, a bright smile always on her face. Unlike some of the kids at the orphanage, Lily never seemed sad about her situation, always cheerful and full of energy. She reminded Syri of a young Haley. It wasn’t a surprise when she was adopted.

After Lily left the orphanage, Syri kept volunteering, but she never met another little one who brought quite as much brightness to a room. A memorable girl that Syri remembered the moment they met again.

Their reunion left Syri shocked. Lily was sick, and she was assigned as part of her team. Yet, even as she stood there, unsure of what to do, Lily smiled. She remained bright and cheerful, even surrounded by doctors and aware of her fate. To her, she had lived a long life, and she just wanted everyone to smile.

It wasn’t fair. Syri watched for weeks, fighting to find a way out of a desperate situation, and today, it all ended in failure. Medication failed. Her body failed. Surgery failed. Syri failed.

It all sent her to the bar, and as much as she knew that drinking was just hiding, she did it anyway. And she would have kept doing so if not for the bartender. It left her in a bad mood.

When someone touched her shoulder, Syri intended to turn and take out her bad mood on them, glare at the ready, but when she turned her head and saw Alice, the opposite happened. Without even realizing it, Syri broke out into a smile, her face brightening up for the first time in days.

“Alice.”

Syri held more affection for Alice than she was brave enough to admit. The dragon was special, and her presence alone seemed to lighten the load Syri carried on her shoulders.

“I’m not okay, Alice.” After a brief silence, the truth came out, and she simply said it, revealing a side of her that she stubbornly hid from everyone else. She felt a stubborn loner no more.

“I lost a patient today. A little girl that I knew since she was a pup.” Syri choked up a bit. “She was such a bright kid. Always smiling. But I couldn't save her."

Syri gravitated towards Alice, her body instinctively moving to a place of comfort. But as much as she wanted to bury herself in that comfort and hide away from everything, Syri knew better. Even drunk, she wasn’t out of it enough to forget where she needed to be. And the fact that Alice looked gorgeous in her evening gown served as a further reminder. But just for a moment was okay. Just to... calm down.

“We need to go, right?” Syri eventually mumbled the words and started to get up from her seat. She was unsteady, and it took her a moment to find the jacket that sat right behind her on the back of the chair, but she did it. And she was ready to go, even if she looked a bit disheveled and out of it.
 
"Gosh, Syri…I'm so sorry. I can't imagine what that must feel like," Alice enveloped her friend in a warm hug, words failing her. She was lucky that the largest loss in her life had been when the family dog, Varren, had passed away. She couldn't even fathom the depths of sadness that Syri felt in comparison. So she merely offered her condolences; no silver linings, no ' at least's…such empty sentiments wouldn't change the gravity of the situation. The best she could do was be present, hold the grieving wolf, and let her speak.

Their embrace was short-lived. Even drunk, Syri remembered her duties and meant to soldier on. "We don't have to go anywhere, you know?" she'd like to say 'your aunt will understand' but they both knew that wasn't true. Mara had impossibly high standards and could hold a grudge for a long time, it was probably best that Syri put on a brave front for now and then took some time to herself later.

The car ride back to the banquet hall was spent in silence and with Alice clutching to Syri as Joseph drove like a maniac through the city streets. Syri seemed numb to it, either used to the way the man drove from her childhood experiences or just too drunk and disheartened to notice they were in a speeding metal death trap. Alice was glad to be out of the vehicle and into the cool night air as Joseph dropped them off right in front of the main doors.

"Here…let me fix your tie," Alice moved to straighten up Syri's disheveled state of dress. Slender fingers ran along the wolf's collar, tickling along her neck as she adjusted the stiff fabric and then gently tugged her silk tie back into perfect position. Then she worked to smooth out the jacket, forcing it to lay correctly over the alpha's strong shoulders. Her hands finally came down to the lapels of Syri's jacket, brow furrowing slightly in concentration as she tried to make sure everything was even and in line. Part of her wanted to adjust Syri's belt buckle because it was slightly off the centerline of her vest, but she stopped herself from going so far. "There, much better, you look lovely. I'm sure you'll win a high bid."

"S-Syri!" Sammie called from the doorway. The old beta somehow managed to look relieved as well as in a panic as she rushed down the stone stairs towards them. From seemingly out of nowhere, she shoved a coffee cup into the young doctor's hand. "Here, d-duh-drink this. You're on soon!" Without any of Alice's reservation, she roughly tugged on Syri's belt buckle to put it in line and then floofed her hair so that it was in place, fussing over the girl just as she would fuss over her own pup. Then she gave her a nudge and chased her up the stairs, herding her off to the auction with the sound of Alice's amused giggles behind them.

————————-

Where. The. Fuck. Is. Alice.

It wasn't like it was particularly difficult to spot the dragon in a crowded room, there were only so many sets of horns to look for. But Sasha didn't see the stupid wavy black horns that belonged to her stupid friend who was supposed to be saving her from a date with her stupid ex!!

"The next lovely bachelorette up for bid is Sasha Reigns. Sasha is a professional surfer who loves the outdoors. Her date will include a trip out to Puka Beach for a surf lesson, followed by a casual dinner on the coast. We'll start the bidding at ten thousand dollars."

"Ten thousand!" Right out of the gate, a tall, handsome alpha that Sasha recognized as a Berges called out his bid.

"Twenty!"

"Thirty!"

"One hundred thousand!"

"One thousand ten!"

"Two hundred thousand!"

Oh no…

Being part siren, as well as the daughter of famous pop star Tessa Reigns, Sasha knew that she was going to be a big ticket item. There was a lot of interest for her, but Bellamy was going to bury everyone with her outrageous offers. Trying her best not to visibly panic on stage, Sasha looked around, trying to formulate a plan. Her bright eyes finally came to her Aunt Arlann. With a little concentration and a twitch of her hand, she managed to flick the water out of her Aunt's glass and hit her with a few droplets to get her attention. Now all she could do was hope that her aunt could take the hint and help rescue her.
 
Knowing that Alice cared about her enough to comfort her and risk Mara's anger was enough for the depressed wolf to pull herself together and do what needed to be done. She still carried a heavy heart, and she found herself lost in thought on the way to the banquet hall, but things were getting better. Just being around Alice made everything okay.

Once they arrived, Syri stepped out of the car and did her best to sort her appearance out, prepared to go in and put on an act. When Alice stepped up to help, the alpha stopped moving, looking over at the beautiful woman as she helped in ways she didn't need to. Every gentle tug and accidental touch caused the drunk wolf's heart to jump.

Syri simply watched her, a gentle look in her eyes as the young dragon got everything in order. Then, for a moment, her lips started to act ahead of her brain, and she almost said the words hidden in her heart. But she couldn't have that, and in the end, she caught herself and managed to say something else instead.

"I don't know about a high bid, but at least I'll look better now. Thank you."

In Syri's mind, she was the least appealing date up for auction. She lived an isolated life, and while there was a time in the past where her name was known by Parakura fans and beautiful socialites alike, those times were long ago. Now, she was just a doctor. The daughter of the Reigns family, sure, but the adopted eldest daughter who rarely showed her face in high society.

Before either of them could say more, Sammie came rushing out, catching an out-of-it Syri by surprise. She barely managed to take the cup of coffee shoved into her hands before Sammie began tugging at the rest of her, finishing Alice's gentle touch-ups with a rather jarring finale. Then, apparently, she was ready, and she was being dragged off whether she liked it or not.

—————

Arlann had two reasons for attending the auction. The first was to be the loving and supportive wife that everyone knew her to be. Or maybe she just wanted to flirt and tease Mara. Either way, she was there for her wife—and Sammie. And perhaps the rest of their little "friend" group. Okay, she was just there for what happened after, and maybe to be a pain in her wife's ass. But at this point, it would be stranger if she wasn't doing those things. Mara needed her! And clearly, Mara wasn't the only one.

When water splashed on her, the immediate reaction was confusion. If it were a mage or dragon, the mana would have tipped her off, and she would have reacted before being hit. So she immediately thought of Tessa, but that didn't make sense. Tessa always behaved at important functions, assuming she wasn't avoiding them. So it didn't take her long to turn her attention to the stage.

A smile spread across Arlann's face as she realized what was happening. Sasha panicked as Bellamy continued to raise the bid in amounts that scared off the competition. Some people stayed in it, but they wouldn't last long. Whether it was the Wainwright name or the actual dollar amount, both applied massive amounts of pressure.

"You did the right thing coming to your Aunt Arlann." Although Arlann only whispered the words, she projected them to Sasha's ear, then immediately walked over and joined in.

"One million."

Arlann's voice was quiet, but it seemed to penetrate all the noise in the banquet hall. And when people turned to see who was crazy enough to raise the bid by such a large amount, they saw her, and they understood. It was Arlann, enough said.

—————

Bellamy made her debut as a stalker a few months back, and it had been quite a series of events since then. She would make romantic gestures, show up places Sasha was at, and even send her messages from time to time. None of it worked, but she did it with a powerful mix of determination and shamelessness that seemed to throw the gorgeous siren off balance. And that night, she planned on continuing the trend and taking things up another notch.

It all started with her showing up just in the nick of time to participate in the auction—like any soon-to-be victorious hero should—then walking into the banquet hall with a dashing suit on. Sasha always liked when she wore a suit, after all, and she needed everything she could get.

After arriving at the last moment, she would make her way to the front of the stage and start bidding. Not just any bidding, either, but ridiculous bidding that made her intentions clear for all to see. She would win, and nobody could stop her. It was the perfect, idiotic plan that was meant to do one thing—get some alone time with Sasha.

Everything went as it was supposed to at first. Bellamy arrived, attracting plenty of attention but returning none of the greetings as she headed directly for the stage. Then, right after letting the non-essentials make a few bids, she shouted out her first number.

"One hundred thousand!"

Everyone looked, then someone dared raise the stakes again, though they quickly showed just how out of their depths they were. A mere ten thousand more? They didn't stand a chance.

"Two hundred thousand!"

Bellamy felt confident, excited even. Finally, she would have her chance.

"One million."

Bellamy's eyes widened as she turned her head to look at the source of the voice. But even before she saw who it was, she knew—Arlann.

After dating Sasha for so long, Bellamy was familiar with all of the people in her life, and the moment the realization struck, her heart sank.

"Two million!"

Not yet. She could still go higher. She could lack everything, but she could never lack money.

"Four million."

Unfortunately, Arlann was the same, and the look on her face almost dared Bellamy to go higher, amused by the situation more than anything.

Bellamy opened her mouth, wanting to bid higher, but she already knew how much she could afford, and it wasn't enough to keep up with Arlann, not even a little. Should she go higher?

"Sold!"

Before she could make a decision, Mara shouted out, ending the bidding war between the two. Bellamy turned, wondering what the hell happened to the countdown, but all she saw was a very, very angry-looking Mara glaring at her. The look said one thing—shut up.

---

After the auction ended in defeat, the first thing Bellamy did was find alcohol. She felt miserable, and it was worse because Sasha looked relieved on the stage. It hurt, even if she knew why. Even if she was the one at fault.

And that should have been it. But the more Bellamy thought about it, the more desperate she became. How much longer could she keep going? Months of pursuing Sasha led to nothing. She needed an opportunity, even if it meant revealing something she originally planned to keep private.

"Right, do everything you can," she muttered to herself before emptying the flute glass in her hand and handing it off to a nearby waiter. Then she turned and went to find Arlann, ready to do anything to spend an evening with Sasha.

—————

Although everyone made a point of rushing Syri inside and getting her backstage, she still had to wait a bit until it was her turn, and she spent that time with her head down, trying to sober up as much as possible. It was an impossible task, but after seeing how panicked Sammie was, and knowing how furious Mara would be if things went anything less than perfectly, she decided to give it her best shot. Unfortunately, she didn’t have nearly enough time, nor the ability to work miracles.

When the time came, Mara simply came up to her, made sure she looked presentable, and gave her… advice?

“Don’t make yourself look like a fool on stage.”

It seemed like advice, maybe? Syri didn’t know, but with her head pounding, she found herself barely able to listen, much less anything else.

“Do I really have to do this?” Syri asked as she reached up and rubbed her eyes.

It was a stupid question with an obvious answer, but it slipped out naturally as her body begged her to sit back down and close her eyes until sleep took her. Moreover, her wolf was getting irritable now that she was devoid of both alcohol and Alice.

“Go out on stage.” Mara didn’t bother with the question, and she didn’t need to since the answer was obvious.

“But I already love Alice…” Syri whined, not even realizing she said it out loud as she walked past an unfazed Mara and headed towards the stage.
 
Oh come on! Sammie -just- got done settling Syri behind the stage when she heard Arlann's voice ring out with an absolutely ridiculous number. Please don't- "Four million!" Sammie whined as Arlann threw out another insane number. The poor beta was torn between going to Arlann to try to convince her to shut up or going to Mara and try to keep her from leaping over the podium. In the end, she ended up at Mara's side, waiting for the inevitable Crack! as her boss snapped the gavel in two. She quietly drew out a replacement gavel from her side satchel, picked up the pieces, and then made herself scarce.

"Sold!" Mara barked, totally forgoing auction etiquette in her effort to put a stop to this madness. Even without Lykos, their family was worth a few billion dollars…but those billions were tied up in illiquid assets such as her many properties, private jet, and collection of cars and jewelry. Right now Arlann was busy tearing their bank account to pieces and if she went any further, Mara was going to be selling a vacation home.

And for what?! Because Arlann wanted kinky sex tonight so purposefully pissed her off by bidding on their niece?!?! She could have accomplished such a feat for much less than four million dollars!!

Her eyes narrowed dangerously at Bellamy when the dragon opened her mouth to object. Then her furious gaze was leveled on her mate. The only thing that was keeping her from going down there and publically disciplining the mage was that she had a job to do. But once this auction bit was over, her wife was in a lot of trouble.

—————

Sasha was visibly relieved when one aunt called an end to her bid which let her be won by the other. With a grateful smile to her Aunt Arlann, she retreated off the stage, glad to be out of the limelight for the moment.

Bellamy was making it exceedingly difficult to avoid her. Seeing the dragon all dressed up, looking so handsome in her suit…it brought back memories of when Sasha would just pounce on her gorgeous lover before they could even get out the door. She remembered being so completely and utterly head over heels in love that it hurt to see the dragon now and be apart.

Their relationship had ended so abruptly that she couldn't possibly go back and pretend their breakup hadn't happened. Bellamy seemed to want to pick up from where they had left off and Sasha just couldn't. From childhood friends, to lovers, to two serious partners who had been looking at the next step (well, Sasha had been looking anyways)…everything had just evaporated when they hit their first brick wall. There had been fights, sure; arguments and compromises as there were in any relationship… but when things had gotten really, really hard for the first time, their bond hadn't been strong enough to weather the storm. Sasha couldn't be with someone who would push her away when things were terrible.

She just…she just didn't want to waste anymore time. She wasn't old but she was definitely at a part in her life when she wanted to get married, wanted to settle down, wanted to start a family. Hell, sometimes she even thought about retiring from surfing altogether whenever she saw her friends' kids. Maybe she'd give lessons or open up a surf shop because she loved the sport so much; but she frequently imagined giving up chasing waves from continent to continent in favor of chasing tiny little ones around her home.

Bellamy had been the center of those idle fantasies for a long time. But with how things had ended, Sasha just wanted to move on. Unfortunately the dragon wasn't going to let her do so without a fight.

—————

Alice trailed a little behind Sammie and Syri before stopping near Haley and Lena who were near the front of the crowd, in prime viewing distance of the Arlann debacle. Oh shoot…I was supposed to be bidding on Sasha! At least it seemed someone else had come to Sasha's aid, saving her from confronting her ex. Part of Alice felt really bad for Bellamy…she knew as a dragon how hard it was to find someone to love. Their race was so inherently picky when it came to mate choice that some of their kind spent their whole lifetime alone.

"But I already love Alice."

The sound of her name drew her out of her thoughts. The dragon blinked. Had she heard that right? No… That couldn't be… Was Syri…had the wolf been trying to court her this entire time?

Upon reflection over the last couple of months, yes, she supposed that what they did could be construed as 'dating'. Maybe the two of them were treading that line between close friends and girlfriends. Syri hadn't kissed her again after that first time, but they did snuggle on couches more than two platonic people probably should.

"Five thousand!"

"Six!"

She gazed up at Syri, standing on stage, the poor woman trying to not look miserable. Even now, Alice did find the warmth of fondness tugging at her heart when she looked at the wolf.

"Twenty!"

"Twenty five thousand!"

This was crazy… But- What was she really risking if she called out a bid anyways?

"Fifty thousand," Alice called. A few people turned to appraise the new contender. Haley wore such a shit eating grin when she looked at her that Alice actually blushed.

"Fifty thousand going once, twice. Sold! For fifty thousand dollars," Mara banged the gavel. "That concludes the auction portion of our evening. I would like to extend my thanks to all our donors, sponsors, and volunteers. If you have won an item, experience, or date, please see my assistant, Samantha Lowell to collect your voucher." Mara offered a smile to the crowd…though anyone who knew her would know that such a gesture was strained as the wolf's gold flecked eyes searched the room for her prey who was apparently hiding. "Enjoy your dinners and have a pleasant evening."

With the auction now over, Alice stepped up to the stage. She gave a stunned looking Syri a little wave. "See? I told you you would fetch a high bid."
 
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