I opened my eyes to the first drops of rain smattering against the cafe window. Chills ran through my neck. The smell of lightly burned milk and coffee grounds mingled with the petrichor and dew outside. I closed my eyes again, smiling and leaning back into the padded seat. There was something about a rainy morning that always tickled me. Grey skies, grey city, broken up by just enough green and brick.

Another beautifully boring day in paradise.

‘Leah?’ called one of the baristas. I opened my eyes. A short, red-headed girl with heavy specs and a fox-tail had a cardboard cup in her hands. ‘Double shot cappa for Leah?’ She looked around with a soft smile. Her fingers danced around the butt of the cup.

I sighed. ‘Yeah.’ I stifled my squeaky yawn. Waking up at stupid o’clock in the morning after a late night did that to me now. I wasn’t a twenty-something anymore. Pulling stunts like this were starting to catch up to me.

The barista smiled at me. ‘Leah,’ she said, with a fuzzy timbre, ‘with the cute yawn.’

Shit.

I turned my head down to hide my cheeks. I took the coffee from her and blinked more than I should have. ‘T-thanks,’ I squeaked out. Squeaked. I was at least twice her size, and I wore the suit jacket. And it wasn’t the first time she dropped something flirty at me either. Really, it was a few months, but I never stopped to chat. I straightened up and cleared my throat. ‘I usually know someone’s name when they hit on me.’

The barista’s eyes widened. Her jaw wavered. Her next move was either a cough or a laugh. Then she bit into her pouty lips. ‘Kay,’ she said. I turned my head. She smirked and raised an eyebrow. Silence set in.

‘Okay?’ I shook my head. ‘Seriously, what’s your name?’

‘Kay.’ She laughed. ‘That’s my name. Like Special-K.’

‘Uh-huh.’ I nodded. I sipped the coffee. The milk was a touch burnt, but the coffee itself was a treat. It was a sweeter blend. I couldn’t put my finger on why. She hadn’t taken her eyes off me either. Suppose I should say something. ‘So do you flirt with every woman in a suit jacket? Have a thing for tall brunettes?’

‘Mm, no.’ She tilted her head down. I took another sip. Then her mouth twitched. ‘Just the gay ones with hickeys.’

I coughed. Thankfully, I saved the coffee. I might have had a heart-attack if I coughed a mouthful of drink in a cute girl’s mouth. I curled my lips at her as I swallowed. She fluttered her lashes. Then I remembered what she said. I took my phone out and quickly checked my neck.

There was a bruise right under my choker. The bruise that choker was supposed to cover.

‘Okay, okay,’ I said, nodding and trying to keep the lump in my chest stuck there. I put my phone down and handed Kay my coffee. ‘Hold that.’ She took it with a grin. She was good. I wasn’t used to being flatfooted like that. I buttoned up my shirt tighter than usual.

Kay sighed. ‘Shouldn’t tease.’ She handed my coffee back. The smirk seemed to slip off her face. ‘Someone special give you that?’

‘Nah, it…’

It was a hickey from an adorable pain doll I strapped to a crucifix last night. She took one look at my plastic claws and riding crop, and she practically jumped into the straps. I scratched her back, whipped her thighs, and smacked every soft part of her body. She shook and cried all the way. The hickey was a thank-you from her. One little bruise for a body full of nicks and welts. She was a great kisser too. My cheeks turned hot and flush thinking about her on the rigging.

I turned my face down. ‘Last night’s hook-up.’ It was, technically. Hell’s bells, I couldn’t even remember her name. ‘One-nighter from the club.’

‘Club?’ She furrowed her brows. ‘The only club on a Thursday with that crowd-’ Her brows shot up. She bit her lip again. ‘Luna Light. Knew you were a freak.’

‘Guilty.’ I took another sip. I swallowed before she could get another word in. ‘So what’s got you interested? I’m not the only catch in the city.’

She smirked again. She flicked her eyes up. Another long silence. She was leading me somewhere. At the very least, she was playing a game.

‘Hmm,’ she purred. She looked at me and adjusted her glasses. ‘Girlboss me, pretty lady?’

Nope, she was testing me. She wanted a reaction. The nerve to do it on someone getting a coffee too. I had to respect it. Well, if she wanted a reaction, I’ll give her one.

‘No.’ I tilted my head. ‘We just officially met.’

Kay’s smirk turned sour. The rain seemed to get louder now that she wasn’t trying to command the room. Her voice seized in her throat. She rubbed a hand over her cheek. ‘Oh, God, I’m sorry. I- you’re right. I didn’t mean to make you… I’m sorry. Leah, right?’

My phone buzzed. I pulled it from my pocket and thumbed the screen. It was quarter-past nine, and the buzzing was from my manager. I was late. A cafe half a street down from work, and I was fucking late. And I was late because I was chatting up a barista I just met.

Oh well. My head was going on a plate anyway. In for a penny, in for a pound.

‘You can make it up to me.’ I took a long drink from my coffee. Finally, with a good taste of it, I realised why it was sweet. It was because of Kay. She smelled like hibiscus and lemon. It tinged the coffee in just the right way.

I gave her my best office smile. Kay looked up, expectant and pleading. She looked like she braced herself, but wanted to know what was coming next. It was like the look that pain doll gave me last night. I hid my free, buzzing hand behind my back. My heart thumped. I felt my teats harden beneath my shirt. The cute girl, the smattering rain, and the slightly limp plants in the window sill: just the right moment.

I brought the coffee to my lips. ‘Free this weekend?’

Kay stifled a gasp. She looked over her shoulder. I remembered the other guy working here, too. The barrister at the machine tried to hide his grin behind his oiled, swept hair. I brought my eyes back to her. Kay had the look of every other pretty thing I had cuffed to a rack: eyes wide open, mouth quivering, and her eyes darting between me and every exit. She got herself into this mess, and she knew it. If she says yes, she outs her freak flag to everyone looking on. If she says no, there’s no promise I’ll come back. She started rattling.

Then I finished my thought. ‘Just a wine and dine tomorrow. A game of Twenty Questions too.’

Kay caught herself with a slight gasp. The barrister tugged the handle for the steam wand. She jumped. He wasn’t even trying to hide his grin now. Kay shook again when she turned back to me. ‘Where?’ she squeaked. She cleared her throat. ‘And Saturday night. I have Sundays off.’

I blinked. I turned my eyes up, and turned the office manager face off. ‘The Horn? I’m in the mood for spice.’

Kay laughed. Something little and reassuring at first. ‘Wouldn’t have guessed.’ She was smiling again. She braced herself against the countertop before continuing. ‘I’m more of a whips and chains kind of girl though.’

A woman after my heart. ‘Add ropes and you have a deal.’

Kay leaned in. ‘I tend to bust out of those. Chains make me work for it.’

An escape artist too. I leaned my cheek on my knuckles. ‘Then brat me all night afterwards?’

She shook her head. ‘Biting and scratching privileges after that.’ Her eyes flicked up and away, and her smile became a smirk again. ‘Until you can get me back in.’

‘Deal,’ I said, sipping the coffee again. A trickle of dregs was the only thing left. My phone buzzed again. I sighed. ‘Sorry. Lemme see this.’

Kay took the empty cup as I fished out my phone again. A missed call, and now a message: Leah, where u? Meeting’s starting. I glanced at the time. Work started half an hour ago.

‘Well, shit… now I’m really late.’ I put the phone back in my breast pocket.

‘You’re welcome.’ Kay smiled and bit her lip. She giggled. ‘Worth it?’

Oh, hell yes. ‘Get me another coffee,’ I said, ‘and it will be.’

Kay backed away from the counter. She was still smiling. She racked a fresh puck from the grinder. ‘Double shot cappuccino again?’

I nodded. ‘I’ll need it.’

The barrister between me and her flicked glances between us. His buttoned shirt was open, and a series of straps and studded bracelets lined his arms. I might have seen him at Lunar Light once or twice, even. I couldn’t be sure. He looked too much like every other scenester.

Under the light, he had his own pattern of bruises and marks. His eyes were looking right through me. He knew I knew what they were. He lifted an eyebrow and nodded toward his chest. I had to admit, whoever went to work on him knew what they were doing. His marks were around nerve bundles around the neck and chest. Those were too hard to service with paddles. I liked tenderising my meat before tucking in.

‘Leah?’ Kay said. ‘With the cute yawn?’ She pushed past the barrister with a fresh coffee cup.

I took it from her. ‘You’re never letting that go, are you?’ I asked before sipping the fresh drink. The milk was just right this time.

‘It sounds like a puppy,’ she said, grinning. ‘And I’m a dog person.’ She blinked. She leaned in, and nudged her glasses up. The heavy lenses drew me into her mossy, green eyes. She fluttered her eyes. My heart thumped again. ‘See you Saturday. Might want to watch your hands too. Don’t want to wreck your nails.’

I squinted. I didn’t have polish on my nails. Still, I moved my fingers away from the underside of the cup. I laughed. ‘Alright, I should go before someone really does kill me.’

The barrister threw the steam wand on again. He was leaning in this time, and looked both of us dead in the eye. He smirked at his own joke before turning to refill the grinder. Kay licked her lips as she waved me away. As I turned to leave, I saw her give the barrister a look so filthy I could have bathed a pig with it.

The rain hadn’t eased. At least it gave me an easy out for work. I kicked the coffee back as fast as I could, and tried to look like I hadn’t spent the last however long chatting someone up. Once I reached the safety of the lobby, I turned the coffee cup around. Her phone number was on the underside of the cup.

I put the number in my contacts. I double and triple checked that I had all the right details. It was the closest thing I had to a U-Hauling since I started dating. Once I was sure I had everything, I threw the cup away. If I was lucky, I could slip in through the lifts without anyone the wiser.

Crossing the bland, stony atrium to the elevators was the easy part. Most of everyone was still in their offices. I thumbed the button to call the elevator. It was sitting at the top floor for now. I sighed and tried to hide my face. I could look like anyone at this distance.

My mind drifted back to Kay. The way her lashes fluttered at me. The way she turned her head, her fox-tailed hair behind swaying in time with her hips. The pleading look when I turned her game around. The playful grin she had lingered most of all. I gasped. I undid my shirt’s top buttons, desperate for cold air. The fragrance of hibiscus and lemon came back.

My heart started racing as new thoughts pushed their way in. I closed my eyes. She was on her knees, hands cuffed behind her. I pulled her tied-up hair back with one hand. I had her cheek in the other while she suckled on my thumb. Sweat mingled with the rain water, soaking my neck and chest. Kay tried to get her wrists and ankles free from the cuffs, but I cinched them with padlocks. I teased her with the keys, and told her to scream for me. I traced my fingers over her soft figure as I caressed her fringe with my lips. She begged me for the crop. She begged me to claw her back. I obliged her, raking her soft flesh with the claw tips.

The elevator dinged as the doors opened. ‘Leah?’ asked a man’s voice.

I opened my eyes. The one half-reasonable guy in HR was inside. His face always seemed to be in a state of shock. This time, he looked like a missionary stumbling on a pair of cuddling nuns. I tripped on my cover story. How was I going to explain how hard my nipples were? The sweat was its own problem: it was early spring, and way too early for any heat. My lip gloss had to be smudged from all of the coffee I drank. No chance he missed my flushed cheeks either.

‘Stuck in traffic?’ he asked, trying to inch past the doors.

‘Something like that,’ I said, scurrying inside. Scurrying… God, I was a mess. The elevator doors closed before he got another word in. I sighed. It was going to be a damned long wait until the weekend.

I had some time before my floor. I fetched my phone to send a message. Just a tease, as a treat.

****

The usual greys of the city were a nice shade of orange tonight. There wasn’t supposed to be rain tonight, but a girl could dream. The day was finally here, and it was almost a perfect start. The only thing missing was a small, green-eyed and bratty barista.

Neither of us could sleep last night. We started messaging after I finished another microwave dinner. We just talked, almost about everything we could think. Before I realised, it was well past midnight. Just my luck that it was the weekend. Another late show at work might have got me in hot water. Not that it really mattered.

I posted myself up by the restaurant door. I looked down the road to see if she was coming. The only people either way were people going home, or straight vanillas on dates of their own. A gust of cold wind cut across my face. I dipped my face into my scarf. She didn’t seem like the type to flake like this. I’ve been wrong before.

I sighed. The wind passed.

I caught my reflection in the window. Just shy of six feet with lean muscle, a fresh side-shave, and a blazer and slacks that hid my twiggy frame. The moon, somewhere between full and three-quarter, rose behind me, giving my reflection a soft halo. My heart sank. The Leah staring back at me was a stereotype. The only way it could be worse was with a leather harness tucked somewhere under the blazer. A cold sweat pricked my neck. I buried my face deeper into my scarf. It seemed like a bit much for a first night out. If looks could kill, I’d send her running to the hills.

‘Waiting for someone?’ asked a sweet, velvety voice.

I looked to my side. Kay was standing there with her arms behind her. She fluttered her eyes. The wind carried her hibiscus and lemon perfume straight to my nose. She had a plain jacket over a school-girl shirt, and a helping of sharp and smoky makeup.

‘I was,’ I said, pushing myself away from the window. I stopped a short step from her. She craned her head back to meet my gaze. ‘Hugger, or no?’

Kay smirked. A sharp canine poked out from under her lip, digging deep into her red lipstick. She brought her arms around my waist. Her head came just under my bust. I slowly brought my arms over her shoulders and pulled her in.

‘Not used to hugs?’ she asked. Her eyes peeked up from under my bust.

I cupped the back of her head, rubbing my thumb against her hair. ‘Didn’t want to ruin the view.’

Her eyes went wide. ‘I…’ she squeaked. ‘Madame, you can’t just say these things in public.’

‘Well, you’re getting a good look in,’ I said. I turned my head. ’Aren’t you?’

‘Guilty.’ Kay pulled away. She fumbled her step a touch. She brushed a lock of hair out of the way, and waved her wrist ever so slightly near her cheeks. I narrowed my eyes. Her tooth went deeper into her lip as she tried to avoid my gaze.

‘Um, s-should we?’ Kay nodded towards the door. She smiled. ‘Not that I’m not enjoying this.’

Not that I’m not enjoying it either. I hooked a finger under her chin and guided her behind me. She fell in step behind me, stroking my finger with hers.

The Horn was a dimly lit restaurant, more of a late cafe, with beaten booth seats and tables worn down from hundreds of past diners. Only a few people were here. The ones that were eating were bent over dishes of flat breads and stews. The old woman behind the counter had been serving people longer than I’ve been alive. She greeted us with a short wave.

I held up two fingers. She pointed to a window seat and gave me a leather-bound menu. I led Kay to the booth, and I took the opposing chair. She took the menu. I already knew what I wanted. I sat quietly while she browsed.

The old woman came by when she saw Kay had put the menu down. She smiled and turned the leather covers towards us.

‘Hi. I’ll have the uh…’ Kay leaned in and adjusted her glasses.

I cleared my throat and waved my fingers. The old woman turned to me. I pointed to one of the meaty platters.

‘Oh, that’s what I wanted too,’ said Kay.

I signed that we would share it. The old woman smiled and took the menu away. She disappeared behind the counter.

Kay leaned towards me. ‘Is she-’

‘Deaf,’ I said, poking one of my ears. ‘Been that way forever.’

Kay nodded. ‘So what about you? What haven’t you told me yet?’

I steepled my fingers and leaned in. There were a lot of things I hadn’t told her. My first crush was a girl with an unhealthy wolf fixation. I had an embarrassing amount of cat-ears when I was 18. I was almost expelled for punching the worst bully in high school, the principal’s son. Every other Wednesday for five years, I dressed up like a vampire for an improv theatre troupe.

‘I was a mascot for a theme park,’ I said. I felt my voice crawl back through my throat. Of all the actually interesting things I could have said, I went for that. Well done, Leah.

‘What kind of mascot?’ Kay leaned in.

I shrugged. I ground my fingertips into my knuckles. ‘Nightfill for a carnival. I was a pixie before the fireworks show.’ She tilted her head. The back of her hand pressed itself flush against her cheek. I swallowed. My heart shuddered. At least she would let me finish before she laughed. ‘After that, I’d get some fake blood and a cleaver. Chase some people around.’

Kay smirked. ‘Pretty, psycho fairy?’ She licked her lips, but didn’t laugh. She was fluttering her lashes, the same way she did at the cafe. ‘Part of a show, or just the park?’

‘Some trashy horror movie theme,’ I said, shaking my head. ‘There were vampires, ghouls, witches, ghosts. Didn’t envy the guy dressed as a werewolf. He roasted alive in summer.’

Kay winced. She still smiled, but it faded when I mentioned summer. It was the same look of someone who has worn a full-body suit before. ‘I know that look,’ I said. ‘Been in one of those?’

Kay lifted her head. She pursed her lips, eyes darting all over the place. ‘No, uh…’ She sighed. She laced her fingers. ‘You know how I said I get bitey after getting out of restraints? My mistress and I roleplay monster scenes sometimes.’

My heart thumped once, then went dead silent. There it was: she had someone else. I kept quiet, but moved my knuckles in front of my frown. Kay stopped. She didn’t seem to notice, or she was too polite to break. Either way, after she found the right words, she went on. ‘She got me a lot of fur for a werewolf scene. Doing it in summer sucked, but we liked the scene. Kept everything for colder nights.’

I nodded. I wanted to say something, to have my lips move and just pretend I didn’t have a million and one thoughts screaming at me. If I opened my mouth, though, there’s no guarantee I wouldn’t chew her out. Kay caught me. ‘TMI? Or not into something?’

I took a deep breath and sighed. Not telling me about a mistress, for one. I couldn’t care less about a furry fetish or her oral fixation, but I won’t be an accessory for a cheat. When I had something that wasn’t too charged, I spoke. ‘You’re already seeing someone.’

‘Oh.’ She looked at the table. ‘I’m poly, if that helps. She knows I’m out tonight, and we’re only playmates.’ She pressed her pointer fingers together. ‘And I really didn’t want to scare you off.’

I narrowed my eyes. ‘Listen.’ Kay shot back, her eyes wide with anxiety. I looked away. That was way too curt. I took a deep breath and tried again. ‘I’m sorry. Kay, you should have just said. I need to trust you before we do anything. Not telling me that there’s another domme involved-’

‘I know, I know, stupid.’ She rubbed her palm against her forehead. ‘Wasn’t thinking.’

I leaned back and folded my arms. Maybe I was being too harsh. This isn’t the first time her mouth outran her head, if the last months at the cafe told me anything. It looks like I would need to pick up the slack from time to time. Not a dealbreaker, but something to watch.

‘Fun time’s not off the table,’ I said, relaxing my arms. Kay looked up. Her body tensed, like she was ready to dash before food arrived. I felt a small smile curl the corners of my lips. ‘Thank you for saying something now, not after a hook-up.’

She relaxed her posture a little. ‘You’re…’ She leaned in. ‘You’re sure?’

‘Let’s see how dinner pans out,’ I said. ‘But I’m still interested.’

Kay lowered her hands back to the table. She went to speak, then closed her mouth. She tried again, and again. Finally, she settled on, ‘Me too.’

The old woman came back with our food. She laid a broad platter on the tabletop. A broad flatbread covered most of it, with a boat of marinated meat at its side. I mouthed her a thank-you before she turned to leave.

‘So this-’ I began. Kay had already torn a chunk of bread from the mass and dunked it in the marinade. I had barely closed my mouth again before she gulped down the snatched food and went for more. The heat and spices didn’t seem to bother her. Chewing seemed like an afterthought to her.

‘I’ve had this before,’ she said between chews. Her eyes were fixed on the food. A hungry grin came and went, replaced with a look somewhere between ecstatic and ravenous. I raised an eyebrow and nodded. She looked at the torn bread and her face went red. She swallowed the mouthful. ‘Sorry, I… um… I think I forgot to eat today.’

Kay took her hands away from the platter. She let me soak the bread with a helping of meat. I took a share for myself. ‘As long as you don’t expect me to be a lady either,’ I said. I felt the corners of my mouth curling into a smile.

Kay looked back. She looked like a puppy who got caught chewing my shoes. The sunset light gave her green eyes a strange sheen. She watched me take a second handful before she reached for another helping. She took a more modest strip this time. Once she saw me nod, she began working at the edges again.

‘Thanks.’ Kay looked up again. I looked at her eyes. Her mossy greens were deeper now, almost like they were more polished. They seemed a little bigger, too. I blinked.

‘Kay,’ I said as she wolfed down another mouthful, ‘your eyes.’

‘It’s my glasses,’ she eked out between shallow chews, ‘I swear.’

I licked my lips. She glanced at me and smiled before turning back to the food. I didn’t press the matter. We already had a few near-misses. Sticking my nose where it didn’t belong might make it worse for her. Better to just shut up and eat.

It didn’t take long to finish the plate. There weren't any scraps left this time around. This time, though, I had a hungry date. I hailed the old woman over. Kay sucked the excess juices off her fingers. The old woman put the bill on the table. She looked between Kay and I, before deciding to hand it to Kay.

‘Guess I’m the top tonight,’ she giggled. She fetched a credit card out of her purse and slipped over the tray. The old woman took the card and waddled behind the counter.

I turned my head. ‘Very funny. I thought the one asking the date paid up.’

‘Aw, Boo.’ She smirked. She leaned in. I felt her leg brush against mine. ‘I could take you to mine then. Boss me around there.’

I raised my eyebrow. Again with the bossing. Besides, it wasn’t even my thing. But a cute girl offering to take me home was a nice first. ‘And where’s home for you?’

Kay tilted her head. ‘Burwood, close to the reserves.’ She looked down at the table. Her hands fell flush on the wood. ‘But I bussed in.’

I reached out and traced my fingers over her knuckles. ‘I think I’m a little closer.’ A few blocks away closer, to be exact. ‘As long as you don’t mind walking.’

Kay looked at me and licked her lips. She bit her lip as her cheeks turned red. Her tooth drew blood this time. ‘Better take my hand then.’ Her eyes fluttered, slow and unsure this time. ‘Don’t want to get lost.’

I stroked her knuckles with my thumb. ‘I’ve got you.’

The old woman came back with the receipt and Kay’s card. We took them as we stood up from the booth. I took her hand in mine and pulled her in close.

The wind slammed into us once we left the building. The weather took a turn for the icy since we started. I turned my body to shield Kay. She barely even shivered, while my teeth chattered a small storm of their own. Her hand felt like holding an overwarm mug of coffee.

‘Come on,’ I said. ‘Wind’s going to get worse from here.’

The streets were already dark. The last, dingy beams of sunlight were barely enough to see where we were going. The paths were clear of people, more or less. Kay bundled her arms around mine. The wind cut through my blazer, but my date was warm enough for the both of us. She didn’t speak. Her head was dug into my elbow crook.

My apartment block was coming into sight. I fumbled about my blazer for my keys. Kay clung to my arm. ‘Do you really need this arm?’

I stroked her cheek. ‘You want to freeze to death out here?’

‘But you feel so warm,’ she purred. I stifled a giggle, and tugged my arm. She unlatched herself with a huff. I found the keys and scanned the security fob. When we got in the elevator, I gave her my arm back. She wrapped herself around it like a plushie. Unlocking the final door to my apartment wasn’t too hard with one hand.

My apartment was a small place, furnished with a couch and a small office space. There was a patchwork library of books pulled together by the window overlooking the street. The kitchenette was in the worst shape, with a mountain of dishes I was praying that Kay wouldn’t notice.

‘Nice place,’ she said, lifting her head out of my elbow crook. She yawned. ‘Gosh, I’m stuffed. The couch looks like a nice place to crash.’

I swung her around and pulled her close to my chest. ‘Leveraging the couch now?’ I asked, stroking her fringe.

Kay looked up, half asleep and biting her lip again. A long, sharp tooth poked past, digging into her skin. ‘And I don’t even have to kiss you for it?’

‘Well…’ I wrapped my arms around her waist. I pulled her in before I slipped an arm free and brushed a lock of red hair out of her face. ‘If you’re offering.’

She reached up. Her hand found the shaved side of my head. She pulled me down to her. I closed my eyes. Her lips found mine. The kiss was deep and tender. Her fingers wrapped tighter around my head. Her nails pricked the skin above my neck. I felt her tongue stroke my lips. I opened my mouth a little wider and let her in. Deeper, harder, more and more she kissed me.

I was lost in her. I pulled her closer to me. Her nails dug deeper into my skin. She bit my lip. A little moan escaped my throat. Me getting the pain was a nice change. I reached up and seized the back of her neck. She sighed and dug her fingers deeper into my skin.

I leant forward and carried her down with me. Her tenderness left her kisses. Something more demanding and hungry came forward, like she was ready to swallow my head whole. Whatever fluttering I felt in my chest gave way to heat. An unbearable scalding rippled through my clothes. Her snaggletooth bit deeper and deeper into my lip. Her fingers around my head and neck curled tighter and tighter, until I felt my skin tear.

I pulled away. ‘Ow,’ I whispered. I reached back and felt blood from where Kay had dug her nails in. She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. ‘Little hard for the first date.’ Kay didn’t answer. I noticed a little more blood near her lips. Then I felt blood trickling over my tongue.

I stepped away from her. She tried to close the distance again, but I held her back. ‘Hold up. I’m going to take five and plug these holes. And then we’ll take it a little easier.’

Kay didn’t flutter her lashes this time. She wasn’t flustered like before. She smirked. There was something about her look that brought me back to the Horn. She looked hungry, like she saw me like our meal. She glided back, and gently tilted her head to the side. I stepped around her, hand covering the little wounds on the back of my head.

I pushed into the bathroom. Most of the blood came from my mouth. I stepped to the mirror and curled my bottom lip over. Kay had torn a gash through it. She couldn’t have bit me that hard. It had to be that tooth of hers. The wound seemed like it stopped leaking by now. I turned my head and checked my scalp next. The scratch marks had already closed over. The streaks were smudged a bit, but not enough to hide the blood.

‘Hey, Kay?’ I called out. Some faint voice in my head tapped a familiar sign: no playtime on the first date. Certainly not before we’ve had a very long, very awkward talk with and about her mistress. I kicked my shoes off. Fuck it, she was here already. ‘Can you mind your vampire tooth? It gave me a surprise lip piercing.’

She didn’t answer.

I turned to face the door. ‘You there, Kay?’

The lights in the next room flicked off. She was a handful already. Alright, if the brat wanted to play, I’ll indulge her. I swung off my blazer and scarf and hung them from one of the towel hooks. I opened the door and thumbed the light switch.

The moon shining through the window cast the living area in a dull, silver light. I stepped over the threshold. Kay was nowhere in the main area. I looked back towards the kitchen. Maybe she was behind the countertop. I rounded the corner and found nobody.

‘Don’t tell me you’re in my room,’ I muttered. I marched around the corner and back to the main area. I strode across the carpet until my foot snagged on a stray bit of cloth. I looked down.

It was Kay’s button-down shirt, split down the middle and missing its buttons. Her leggings and jacket were near the shirt too. The jacket had almost been ripped off, and the leggings had scratches gouged into them. I had to remind myself that bears weren’t a thing in this corner of the world. It had to be some trick. I left the clothes and turned to my bedroom door.

A pair of lambent, green eyes in the shadows looked up at me. The smell of hibiscus and lemon came from my room too. I blinked, and my eyes adjusted. A small, naked woman standing on her toes stepped out of the darkness.

Moonlight streaming through the window lit Kay’s face. She didn’t have a playful smirk this time. She had a mouth full of teeth and a need to eat me alive. I stepped back, as far as my legs would go until I hit a wall. Kay followed me, the moon shining over her naked frame. Cuffs and pockets of red fur had burst from her joints. A tail hung behind her, moving in time with the wolfish ears poking out of her scalp. She reached out with her clawed hands, and pinned me to the wall. She leaned in and smelled around my neck.

‘Kay?’ I breathed. ‘What are you doing?’

Kay traced a claw around my jaw. I lifted my chin, and let her bring the claw to my collarbones. She drew more of my blood, and she growled. The acrid smell of iron mixed with the leftovers of her perfume. Her eyes flicked up from my fresh cuts. I looked long and deep into those glowing, green halos. It was then I realised that she couldn’t tell me. Then again, she didn’t need to.

Kay was a werewolf. An honest to God werewolf. She saw I’d put the pieces together.

She pressed herself against me again, teeth bared with a ravenous grin. She was going to take whatever she wanted. My heart thumped so much I thought it would shatter my ribs. I couldn’t breathe. My legs buckled and melted. The faintest tug from Kay threw me to the ground. I tried to crawl back, but I couldn’t move my arms or legs. I was dead, and I knew it.

Kay loomed over me. The light from the window shone over her sex, the bunch of red and white fur there slick with wetness. Her muscles tightened as she dropped to her knees. Her clawed hands pinned my shoulders to the floor. She licked her black lips, then drew them back into some twisted, savage, murder-horny grin.

The first coherent thought in my head was, “Hot.” The second was, “I’m going to die.”

I tried to scream, thrash, or even just spit. All I could do was look up at my date’s teeth. I tried to think about the barista from yesterday, the hungry girl from the restaurant, or even just the dork glued to my arm on the way home. Those images flashed through my mind. They all grew fangs and claws and pounced, just like the bitch on top of me now. There was no escape. They were all going to kill me.

I was going to die, and I would thank her for it.

Kay leaned in. She sniffed around my neck again. A low hum rumbled from her throat. Her tongue glided over my collarbone. She kissed the meat above it, working her way up my throat and face until she came to my ear lobe. She nibbled around the edges while a clawed hand found its way to my cheek.

I closed my eyes. I had enough space to take small, shuddering breaths again. I could feel Kay’s fingers and teeth probing around my face and neck. She swung her leg over my hips, and her hands seized my wrists. She brought my arms together and held them down above my head.

I struggled against her grip. My legs found enough strength to try bucking her off me. She leaned to and fro with my thrashing. She smirked, and her tail started beating against my thighs and groin. I gave up, huffing for whatever mouthful of air I could get. A halting rumble left her throat. It had to be a laugh.

That laugh was something I used. Kay had to be in there. ‘Please,’ I whispered. ‘Let me go.’

Kay turned her head to the side. Her wolfish ears fluttered. She looked up at the roof, then back to me. I felt her tail whip me even faster. Every whack between my legs sent tremors through my spine. A gasp slipped loose. I shut my mouth as soon as a second got free. She leaned down, slowly and gently, and hushed me with her free hand. Then her lips found mine.

My heart stilled a little while when I found her tenderness again, gentle kisses with a barely leashed threat of pain behind them. Everything ached. Kay had given me a taste of the lash I was so used to turning on others, and holy shit, I was addicted. I wanted more. I needed her to give me everything she could give.

Caught in kissing throes, I bit her lip. She pulled away, her eyes narrowed to slits. She snarled, and my wrists popped and curled under her grip. Her claws dug deep into my skin. I yelped.

‘I’m sorry,’ I whispered. My breathing sped up. Panic sent my heart racing in my chest again. ‘I won’t bite. Please. I need...’

Kay stroked my cheek. She brought her claw over shoulder, cutting my top loose. The murder-horny grin came back. Another gravelly rumble came from her. She slackened the grip on my wrists. Her maw opened. My heart stopped. I know this move well: listen to the brat when I’ve decided on a punishment. There was only one thing an open jaw like that meant.

‘No, don’t-’ I shouted, too late. Her fangs tore into my shoulder muscle. A scream caught itself in my throat. Pain ripped through everything, from every strand of hair to the last frayed nerve. I couldn’t breathe. My arm went limp, then my legs, then everything else after that. Kay released my wrists as she released my shoulder. She sat up, her mouth and neck soaked in my blood.

Heat spread from my shoulder, first from the blood and then from the bite itself. Pain and agony and scalding hotness burrowed its way under my skin. I tried to scream, but the only thing that came were low, weak moans. The pain tore into my muscles and ripped into my spine. I arched my back and bucked my hips.

Kay’s hips rocked with mine, her honeypot oozing nectar onto my stomach. Her weight kept me from thrashing about the place. She leaned forwards, bringing her face to mine. She kissed me again and again, each new kiss something hungrier and more possessive than the last. She bit my lips, my ears, and my neck. Each bite made the pain and the heat worse. Unbearable, scalding, tormenting, I felt little things dying in the moonlight.

Pain in my arms. Pain in my legs. Pain in my spine. Pain everywhere. And I wanted more. More of it all. My arms answered, stronger and faster than anything I had before. I pulled Kay into me. I scratched her. She growled, contented, and she spread her arms at my sides. I scratched more, and felt blood at my fingers. Kay welcomed me with a whimper.

Heat came. So much heat. Heart, lungs, muscles, blood, everything burned. I ripped the clothes I could reach. Kay tore the rest. It didn’t help. It made everything itch. My back, my legs, my wrists, and my chest were the worst. Where my body itched, hair grew. When my head itched, my ears grew. Kay kissed the little patches, and kissed my head, and kissed her bites.

My mouth hurt. My teeth grew. I tasted my blood. I wanted hers. A sweet treat for my hurt. My throat rumbled. Kay’s ears twitched. Her heart quickened. She sighed and she gave me her neck. I bit her shoulder. Blood filled my mouth. It tasted like her scent. She whined. Her sex ground against mine, harder and harder.

My spine cracked. The itch there stopped. Something grew from its end. It spasmed, and then came more pain. I pushed against Kay’s weight. She pushed back, until her legs turned weak. My hips went up, and my tail was free. Kay shook and howled when I bucked. I stopped thrashing then. She laid on top of me.

The pain stopped. Everything was hot. I smelled our blood and sweat mixing. I heard her heart and mine beat together. Kay pressed herself into me. She huffed, happy and worn. Her tail found mine. I licked my blood from her face. It wasn’t as nice as hers. She was prettier clean.

Kay took my hand. She suckled the blood from my claws. She reached for my neck and pulled me up. I sat. She closed her eyes as she cleaned my hand.

I looked at my free hand, clawed and bloodied. My wrist furs were wet and stained. I looked in the window. I saw… me, and not me. It had my face. My eyes were not yellow before. My lips were not black either. I didn’t have fur on my chest, or around my wrists. And the tail was strange, an arm that isn’t. But they were there.

Kay whined. She took my fingers out of her mouth. She pulled my head away from the not-me in the window. Her arms wrapped around my neck. She wanted my eyes on her. She nuzzled my head. Her lips left little kisses behind.

Kay. The pain, this heat, everything, it was her. A surprise, but just once. I know I am stronger. Faster. This prey-thing on my hips can’t hold me now. And this prey-thing will learn how I like my meat. I seized her throat and threw her back. She landed at the wall. She whined. I pounced at her. I pressed her against the wall. I wanted to say words at her, but I growled.

Kay’s teeth showed. She laughed. I held her wrist and grabbed her throat. She made a human gasp. Fresh arousal came from her, and from me. She was mine. And I wanted to be hers.

---

I woke up with the worst hangover I had in years. I’m sure I didn’t even drink last night. The sun, however, made a dawn appointment with a migraine. I peeled my bleary eyes open just a crack. What I was greeted with was bomb wreckage. The couch was gutted and clawed. My walnut coffee table was in splinters. I assume someone had body-slammed someone else into my television. That was the only way I could think why it was split in half. Our clothes were in a shredded mess by my bedroom door. And there was enough blood on the floor and walls to call for a murder investigation.

I tried to lift my head off the ground. An arm pinned me down. I traced along the skin to the source. Kay was underneath me, naked as a plucked chicken and surrounded by shed fur. Her snaggleteeth poked out from under her lips.

I planted my hands on the ground beside Kay and pushed myself up. She stirred with a soft groan. I pulled her up with me, until she finally let go.

‘Mm, no fair,’ she mumbled, her eyes still closed. ‘I’m enjoying the snuggle.’

I shuffled onto my knees beside her. I rubbed my eyes. Or, really, I tried to gouge them out. Anything to kill this headache. I opened my mouth to take a deep breath. Something sharp stabbed my dry lips after that. I shut my eyes and reached around my lip. Besides having ripped a fresh hole in my skin, my tooth felt longer than before.

‘Great,’ I sighed. I dropped off my knees and onto my glutes. Then I found something to kill my migraine: an even worse pain going through my spine. ‘Gah, fuck!’ I screamed. I screamed until my voice croaked out.

Kay sat up with a start. She rubbed her half-closed eyes. ‘You alright, Leah?’

I threw myself onto my hands and knees. I tried to crook my head around to see what I sat on. On the back end of my spine was a thin, bony rope wrapped in my skin. There was just enough length on it that it curled up for me to look at it.

It was a tail. My tail. And then, with my mouth split open in shellshocked horror, last night came screaming through my head. Kay’s ambush. Her biting my neck open. Me twisting and writhing on the ground. Us fighting for control. Everything in the lounge in our way. Us finally tuckered out at dawn. Me waking up trapped in her arms.

I turned my head to Kay. My mouth curled into a snarl, not unlike the one I saw on her last night. ‘What the fuck did you do to me?’

Kay opened her eyes fully. She covered her mouth with her hands. Blood was still caked in the nooks of her nails. She shook her head. ‘I-I-I…’ she stammered, ‘I bit you.’ I curled my eyebrow and tilted my head. She hiccoughed. ‘The full moon was days ago! It should have been safe. I-I-I shouldn’t have-’

‘Shouldn’t have is right!’ I snapped. Kay turned away. She exposed a part of her neck. She hid the rest of her face behind her arms. Some fur hadn’t completely shed from them yet.

I looked down at my body. Some brown and silver furs were still stuck to my legs and forearms. My nails were longer, sharper and thicker than yesterday. My muscles had more tone than a desk jockey like me had any right to. My snatch smelled like wet dog, and there was still a sawn-down tail hanging over my ass.

I looked at Kay. She was hunched over and peeking over her shoulder. I growled. ‘I really fucking hate you right now.’

Kay huddled up tighter. She nodded. I heard her sniffling. ‘Okay, I deserve that.’

‘Not telling me about your mistress is one thing,’ I snapped, ‘but you gave me a bug too!’

I felt something thrashing in my chest. It wasn't my heart or my lungs. More like a feeling, but it was as real as my organs. Last night’s heat came from there. It swallowed up my arms and legs. The fur around my wrists came alive again. The heat and pain got so bad I clamped my eyes shut.

‘Oh, God, what have I done?’ I heard. Her breathing was short. Her heart sounded heavier. I smelled acid in her tears. ‘I’m so sorry, Leah.’

Leah. My name. My heart stopped when I heard it. I like when she says it.

I took control of my lungs. I took in mouthfuls of air. When the feeling calmed down, the heat died out. My thoughts organised again.

‘Just…’ I breathed. I opened my eyes again, and blinked them clear. Kay’s stumpy tail end was trying to wrap around her leg. She hid her face behind her knees and hair. One mossy green eye poked out, still trying to face me.

I took a deep breath. I was still on all fours, and we were both still naked. There was still the stark fucking obvious: I was a werewolf now, too. I run her out, and I’m stuck dealing with this on my own. And Kay had ripped her clothes to pieces. She would be bussing home in broad daylight in her birthday suit.

I’m angry, and I deserve to be, but it’s no excuse to be a bitch.

‘Kay,’ I said as calmly as I could manage. I slowly sat on my haunches, careful not to hit my tailbone erection again. Kay lifted her head from her knees. I took a deep breath. ‘Why didn’t you just say something?’

She hiccoughed. ‘Are you joking?’ She rubbed the tear streaks from her cheek. ‘What was I supposed to say? “Hi, I act like a dog on the full moon. By the way, you can get it too.” The last day I turned was-’

‘Okay, okay,’ I said. My headache was creeping back through my temples. I rubbed them gently, careful not to have my nails gouge new holes. I sighed.

Kay sniffled. ‘Can I just borrow a coat? Give it back to you at work?’ I looked up. She backed herself into a small nook between my room and the wrecked television. Poor thing tied herself in knots to stay out of sight. That feeling from earlier stirred. I looked Kay up and down, and it pushed out of my gut. Like it was reaching to get a hold of her.

I crawled forward. Kay shrunk away when I stopped in front of her. I stroked her knee. ‘We, uh…’ I sighed. This new feeling kept pushing me, guiding my hand across her leg. ‘Let me get you some new clothes first. I can replace the TV.’

Kay shook her head. ‘After I fucked everything up?’

Firstly, objection: we just fucked the lounge up. Secondly, objection: I’m the horny idiot who took a stranger home. I ignored my rules about funtime, this was the fallout. Third, she was the best kisser I’ve met.

And fourth and final, she fucked me up. It wasn’t just a cheap fuck either. I don’t remember the last time I woke up feeling anything with a hook-up. ‘Not my best first date,’ I said with a slight laugh. My hand found hers. It was still wet and cold, but as soft as her lips. I stroked her knuckles. ‘Not my worst either.’

Kay’s lip warbled. A soft chuckle escaped. ‘I’m supposed to be upset.’ She rubbed her eyes dry with her wrist. Wispy clods of shed fur stuck to her cheek. ‘Big hug too?’

‘Don’t get too excited,’ I said. ‘It’s not the clap, but this is still one hell of an STI.’

She nodded. She dug her nails into her thighs. Her jaw was still wavering. ‘Did you have fun, at least?’ she asked.

I closed my eyes and tried to think back on when I blacked out. Nearly getting my neck torn out wasn’t a highlight. But getting on the receiving end, getting a little pain and punishment for once, that was a nice change. Little things came to me, bit by bit. Using actual claws was a thrill. Even after turning, she made me work for her.

I remember we crashed at the end, tangled together after we cleaned our wounds. Sharing her warmth, drinking in what was left of her perfume, feeling her little aftercare nuzzles; sloppy communication and the trashed lounge aside, gods above, last night was a hot, little hook-up.

‘Maybe next time,’ I said, stressing each word, ‘we don’t wreck the place.’

Kay smiled. Her laugh was slight, but she knew what I meant. She took my fingers into her hand. We were going to have some long and painful conversations ahead.

But we could take our time, for now.