"This isn't fair," Elise muttered to the headrest in front of her. Ivy had made Elise get up and get ready so they could go do whatever business Ivy had to do. Then that Judah man had arrived at Ivy's house and when they all were getting in Ivy's car, Ivy had made Elise sit in the backseat, like a child. Elise didn't enjoy that.
Ivy looked at the little Elise in her rearview mirror. "He's bigger than you, he needs more leg room."
Elise kicked the back of Ivy's seat and glared at the back of Judah's head. Ivy rolled her eyes and kept on driving. Judah remained silent, his huge hands fisted on his knees. Sniffing the air in the car, Elise's eyes narrowed. That Judah man and his weird scent was stifling. He smelled of fear and... wrongness. Elise hated that she couldn't find a better word than 'wrong'. She scooted to the middle seat then leaned over to stick her face right between Ivy and Judah's seats. There was only one way to figure out why that Judah man smelled so weird. Ask.
"Are you enhanced?" Elise asked curiously. She looked to Ivy. "Is he enhanced?" It wasn't all that uncommon that humans enhanced themselves using potions and spells and whatever backdoor magic they could get their hands on. They always had a certain scent, still human, but with a little oomph. Elise had smelled enhanced humans before, and Judah didn't smell like any of them, but maybe he was using some new magic concoction.
Ivy parked the car, then turned around in her seat. "Why?"
"He smells funny."
"No, he's not enhanced."
Elise looked Judah up and down in his seat, then she turned away and got out of the car. That Judah man was a mystery but Elise didn't deem it necessary to figure him out. Whatever he put in or on his body behind closed doors was his business.
Pushing that Judah man out of her mind, Elise waited for him and Ivy to get out of the car. Ivy led them all to a subway entrance, one that Elise knew was frequently used as an entrance to various Pre clubs, shops, and places like the Underground Forest. Ivy clasped Elise's hand, and Elise let her. Elise knew that the magical entrance was dangerous and it was her job to protect Ivy. Judah could protect himself, Elise thought. She didn't want to hold his hand. And anyway, Judah had the scent of an enhanced, or something similar, and he was huge. A Pre would think on it for a while if they wanted to mess with him or not. Elise thought that was a good enough reason for her not to have to keep contact with him, and Ivy didn't say anything about having to.
As they descended the steps into the subway station, the world went dark. Inky blackness surrounded the trio, then suddenly there was light. Small and far away at first, but it quickly rushed towards the three and engulfed them in a bleak ray. Ivy tightened her hold on Elise's hand. Slowly, the world became clear and the three could see again. They were surrounded by hundreds, thousands of people. Elise blinked to fully clear her vision and pulled Ivy closer, not wanting the human to get caught in the rush of people. The subway entrance did lead to numerous different places but the Hub, as Pre's liked to call it, was the first place everyone came to. It was like a hallway that you had to navigate in order to find the door that leads to the place that you wished to go. The Hub had little kiosks and stands and, over the years, those small businesses turned the Hub into an infinitely expanding marketplace.
"Do you know where you want to go?" Elise asked, leaning over, close to Ivy, so that the woman could hear. Elise looked around to make sure that Judah was still close by, and he was. There was a thin bubble of nothingness around him. People deliberately avoided him, as if they knew of his wrongness too. A few occasionally bumped into him but Judah was essentially free to roam wherever he pleased and he wouldn't be stopped.
Ivy pushed herself up against Elise and gripped Elise like a life preserver. "I hate coming here," she muttered.
Elise was impressed that Ivy had come to the Hub before, and survived. Then again, if Ivy always came with that Judah man then she was pretty safe, or at least a little bit safer than just two humans coming alone. Now that Elise was present, Judah and Ivy were much, much safer. Elise wrapped her arm around Ivy's midsection and kept Ivy as close as possible. Ivy didn't complain or even squirm.
"It's this way," Ivy said, pulling Elise along and motioning for Judah to follow. Judah stood on the other side of Ivy, effectively putting Ivy in a safety bubble. With Elise on one side and Judah on the other, people steered clear of Ivy. Most didn't even look her way. Elise enjoyed that. No curious eyes meant less trouble.
Ivy continued to drag Elise through the throng of people. She slowed and looked around, biting her lip. She pulled Elise to stand between a kiosk selling cheap jewelry with small spells ingrained in them and a kiosk selling scarves. "It's around here... I think," Ivy said. She pulled Judah into the space between the kiosks then looked around some more. "Or was it over there...?" She was confused. The stands and kiosks moved around in unknown ways at random intervals, which made it hard to place landmarks and find the destination you were trying to reach. It was one of the reasons the Hub was so dangerous to humans.
"Where are you trying to go?" Elise asked. "Maybe I know it."
Ivy brought her eyes to Elise hopefully. "Uhm. Carmenita's. Have you been there?"
"Carmen's!" Elise's eyes lit up. "I love that place!" Carmenita's was owned by a lovely mexican witch who sold almost everything you could imagine. From toys to potions to books to food- Carmen sold it all. Carmen even had a back room for fortune tellings and seances, even exorcisms. Elise had been introduced to Carmen by way of a mutual friend. Carmen and Elise had hit it off immediately thanks to their shared heritage. Elise's mother was born and raised in Tijuana and had been adamant on Elise knowing her roots. Elise's father, though white as they came, had wanted Elise to know where her roots were as well. Though Carmen was a witch, she knew of the traditions of mexican wolves and loved that Elise was so in sync with her ancestry.
Elise squeezed Ivy's hand then dragged her further into the sea of people around them. Elise knew the way to Carmenita's by heart and couldn't wait to get there. When Elise reached the space that would lead them to Carmenita's, she finally looked behind her to see if that Judah man was following. Luckily, he was standing right behind Ivy. Elise took a step into what looked to be an eggshell covered wall, but was really a doorway to Carmenita's. The world melted away then snapped back within a second. Elise smiled at the trinkets around her that lined the shelves of the sudden shop that came into vision. The earthy colors of the walls and the smoke of incense made her smile widen. Carmenita's was a comfortable place.
Ivy finally let go of Elise's hand to walk around the surprisingly empty store. Elise wanted to search the shelves and things to see what secrets she could find, but knew she had to help Ivy first. Ivy made her way to the back of the store where the check out counter was and she tapped at a golden desk call bell. As the echoing died down Carmen came out of the back room, clutching a shawl to herself. She smiled at seeing Elise.
"Ah! Mi lobo!" Carmen hustled around the counter and embraced Elise. She grabbed Elise's face and kissed Elise's nose. "What are you here for today?"
Elise chuckled and grabbed Carmen's wrists, kissing Carmen's palms one at a time. "Mi amiga necesita algo."
Ivy and Judah were uncomfortable that they couldn't understand the conversation but they didn't voice it. Elise and Carmen continued to chat in spanish, laughing every few words or so. Finally, Carmen cleared her throat and turned to Ivy.
"Sorry, I had to catch up. Okay. The usual, Ivy?"
Elise was surprised that Carmen knew Ivy, especially by name. Carmen was the second friend of Elise's that Ivy knew. Elise found it suspicious. But then again, Carmen and Rayna were people that knew people. They owned businesses that had lot of demand and lots of customers. Elise was still suspicious but she didn't think it was anything worth looking into. As she was thinking on it, Elise noticed that Carmen was taking Judah into the back room.
"Hey, what's he going in there for?" Elise asked.
Ivy started to stroll through the aisles and study the shelves. "That's his business."
"You're telling me we came all the way out here just so that guy could get his fortune told or something? Why couldn't he do it on his own?"
Ivy turned to Elise, her stare hard. "I already told you he'd be around a lot. This is what we're doing. You can keep complaining if you want but it's happening." She returned to perusing the shelves.
Elise harrumphed, disliking Ivy's answer, but she followed Ivy through the aisles anyway. Elise picked up a cup-and-ball toy and played with it while she strolled along. As Elise got the ball in the cup for the third time in a row, Ivy stopped walking, and Elise stopped just short of crashing directly into Ivy. Ivy didn't take a step back, leaving nothing but a strip of space between their bodies, so Elise moved away.
"I didn't know you spoke spanish," Ivy commented. "It didn't say anything like that in your file."
"That's because I didn't tell Jeff. It lessened the amount of people that wanted me since I wasn't bilingual." Elise swung the ball and it landed directly into the cup. Four in a row. "Probably should have, though. Instead of you I could have had a nice mexican woman to make me homemade tortillas."
"Your priorities are somewhere else."
Elise shrugged. "Eh."
Ivy started walking again. "What else don't I know about you?"
"A lot of things."
"And those things are?"
"None of your concern."
Ivy stilled. "If you're living with me, and you are, then they are my concern."
Elise stopped playing with the cup-and-ball toy, placing it on a random shelf. She knew it'd find its way back to where it was supposed to be. "Well, I'm living with you so does that mean you're going to tell me all the things I don't know about you?"
Ivy pursed her lips then turned away. Elise smirked and maneuvered herself so that she was standing in front of Ivy. The movement was so quick that Ivy didn't see it coming and ended up crashing into Elise's front.
"What?" Elise grinned and put her hands on her hips. She leaned forward and raised an eyebrow. "Share time's over?"
Ivy tried to push passed Elise but it was like trying to move a brick wall. She sighed. "Look, if you don't want to share, that's fine. Can you move now?"
Elise moved out of Ivy's way but didn't let the subject drop. "The only reason you're allowing me not to share is because you don't want to share. What are you hiding? Is it something weird? Gross?" She slithered to Ivy's side and nudged Ivy's shoulder. "Are you a hoarder? Are you addicted to magical masturbatory aids? Are you hiding a dead body under your bed? Are you-"
Using a good amount of strength to smack forward, Ivy pressed the heel of her palm to Elise's nose. Elise squeaked and pulled away, holding her nose in one hand. She sneezed and shook her head, then frowned at Ivy.
Ivy only shrugged, a small smile playing on her lips. "I heard that was a good way to stop dogs. Who knew it actually worked?"
Rubbing her nose, Elise growled. "That wasn't cool."
"No, it wasn't. That's why I hit you."
"What? I meant what you did wasn't cool!"
"Are you going to cry about it? Want me to kiss it all better?"
Elise crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin in defiance. Ivy brought her hand to Elise's face and laughed when Elise moved into a defensive position. Ivy had no intent to hit the wolf in the first place. She pat Elise's cheek then turned and pretended to check something out on a nearby shelf. Elise grumbled to herself at being had so easily. Her meager time with Ivy, since she first moved in, had been a non stop odd ride. With frequent trips to weird places and uncomfortable encounters with Ivy, Elise had never been in such a predicament. She wouldn't categorize her relationship with Ivy as friendly but it was something close, she guessed. Elise was just happy that they weren't rivals. That would have made the living arrangement unbearable.
Ivy lifted her head and jerked her chin behind Elise. Elise turned around and saw Carmen and Judah coming out of the back room. Elise and Ivy made their way over, and Elise almost gagged as she approached Judah. His scent of wrongness was much, much stronger.
"Gross," Elise said. She made a face at Carmen. "What did you do to him? He smells."
Carmen only smiled. "Doctor patient confidentiality."
Elise gave Carmen a look. "You're not a doctor."
"En la medida en que sabe. Look, just ask him. If he wants to tell, he'll tell." Carmen shrugged then gave Elise a kiss on both cheeks. She planted an extra one beside Elise's mouth, leaving her lips there for a few moments. "It was great seeing you again. Come back again soon?"
Elise whined softly. "You want me to leave already?"
"I don't, but they do." Carmen turned Elise's head to show that Judah and Ivy were already halfway out the front door. Ivy was watching, waiting. Elise grumbled, gave Carmen a return kiss, then went off to follow Ivy and Judah. As soon as Elise was within reach, Ivy took Elise's hand for safety. When they all stepped out of Carmenita's they were immediately back in the Hub. Even more people steered clear of Judah, this time around most of them started to murmur and whisper about him.
"Can you get us out of here, please? Quickly?" Ivy asked, pressing close to Elise. Elise nodded and placed her arm around Ivy's waist. Elise stepped behind Judah so that she could push him forward with a finger. She would have grabbed his hand but she didn't want to get his stink all over herself. They advanced speedily through the Hub and soon enough they were back at the subway entrance. Elise stood as far away as possible from that Judah man and gulped in fresh air. His scent was strong and completely messed with Elise's sense of smell. She dreaded having to spend time in a car with him. They would have to drive with all the windows down.
Luckily, Ivy was willing to oblige. Elise was grateful and stuck her head out of the window as they drove, shutting her eyes against the wind and loving the chill on her skin. Ivy watched from her side mirror and smiled.
"You really are a dog," she shouted.
Elise pulled herself back into the car. "You don't have to yell. My hearing is just fine, thank you."
"Not going to fight me on the dog comment?"
"So you can laugh and make fun of me some more? No thanks."
"You're strange."
"Says the woman who takes her Host to the strangest of places."
"You're the one that ends up knowing the women we meet. Which, by the way, is the strangest thing of all."
Elise rolled up her window then leaned her head on the glass. "Why is that?"
Ivy raised an eyebrow at her rearview mirror. "Have you seen you? It's a surprise that you know, and get along with, so many different types of women. I honestly would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself."
"It's not that hard to make friends."
"Obviously not for you. You know, every woman that I've seen you with you have kissed in one way or another. You sure do get around a lot."
"It's called being friendly."
Ivy smirked. "You haven't kissed me."
"Because we're not friends."
"Ouch. That was pretty harsh."
Elise shrugged. The two didn't converse for the rest of the ride home. Judah's scent wasn't as strong but Elise stuck her head out of her window again and stayed that way until they all got home. When they did, Elise looked down her nose at Judah. He was heading inside. What business did he have inside? Elise stopped Ivy before she could enter the house.
"Why's he going inside? Shouldn't he be going home or something?"
Ivy snatched her arm out of Elise's grip. "He's staying the night. Is that going to be a problem?"
"No, I guess not." Elise frowned. "Who is he? A relative or something? Boyfriend? He freaks me out."
"He's nothing. He's just staying the night. It's late. Can I go inside now?"
"Where's he sleeping?"
Ivy sighed. "In my room, okay? Calm down, he won't be anywhere near you."
Elise made a noise of suspicion but finally let Ivy head inside. Elise didn't want that weird smelling Judah man anywhere near her. If Ivy wanted to take responsibility for him, well, Elise would let it happen. That Judah man didn't seem like a threat so Elise went to her room feeling sure that she wouldn't find Ivy swimming in her own blood when morning came around.
-----
Elise could smell traces of that Judah man all through the house. His scent was in the kitchen, the halls, the living room, but it was scarce. Elise ate an ice cream cone- vanilla- for breakfast and sat on the counter to wait. She wanted to send Judah off on his way when he awoke. Unfortunately, the person that walked into the kitchen first was Ivy. Wiping her eyes sleepily, Ivy padded over to the refrigerator.
"That's not a proper breakfast," she yawned. "I don't want you eating so unhealthily in the morning anymore."
Elise wrapped her tongue around the tip of her ice cream. The cold felt heavenly. "Why not? It's my body."
"Yes, it is." Ivy poured herself a bowl of cereal. "But if you get sluggish and can't protect me anymore, how does that fare well for you?"
"Sounds more like it wouldn't fare well for you."
"And when something bad happens to me...?"
Elise groaned and repeated the best she could from memory what she had read in the Host manual she received from Jeff. "If a Host's human is injured the Host will be held personally responsible." Then she added: "But that's only in cases of negligence or whatever."
Ivy pointed her spoon at Elise. "Exactly. You purposely letting yourself get sluggish is you being negligent."
"Whatever." Elise finished her cone as Ivy ate her cereal. "So... where's Judah?"
"He went home."
"Already?" Elise licked her hands of the vanilla that had melted on to her fingers. She wished she could have seen that Judah man off and that stink that came with him.
"Yes, already."
"It still stinks in here, though. Is he going to come over often?"
"Just spray some Febreze, stop being a baby."
"You wouldn't be saying that if you were the one that could smell him."
Ivy finished off her breakfast and put her dishes in the sink, filling the bowl with water. She left the kitchen, not even bothering to respond to Elise with a grunt or hum. Elise hopped off the counter and ran over to the edge of the kitchen to peek out into the hall that led to the back of the house. "Well, at least buy me the Febreze!"
Ivy's door shut with a hush. Elise sighed and went to her room to get dressed. If Ivy wasn't going to buy the Febreze, then Elise had to head to the store. Elise opened the pet door in her room to let the scent of fresh flowers waft inside as she got dressed. The smell was excellent and Elise decided to get something that smelled like nature to spray around the house. If Ivy didn't like it then she could buy her own products and change it. Closing her pet door, Elise set off on foot to the nearest store. It was only about a ten minute walk but Elise was glad for the small amount of time to stretch her legs. She hadn't had a run in a while. Her wolf was begging to be let free and go wild in a wide open space. The excess energy was making Elise itch but she had nowhere to run, not yet. Besides that, she knew she couldn't let her wolf run free, at least not too free. She was mostly in control of the beast inside her but with all the power she held, sometimes it got out of control. She always needed a running buddy to help her stop when she got too wild. That was were Cav came in. Elise was eternally grateful for all the help that Cav provided. Elise had never gotten out of control in Cav's presence. With all that trust, Elise wanted to ask Cav to go for a run, like they always did when they needed some time out in the open. Elise smiled and made a vow to call Cav and ask for a run when there was time.
The store suddenly made its appearance and Elise almost missed it, she was so wrapped up in her own mind. She stopped abruptly and rounded back to the store's entrance. The air conditioning blew in her face as she made in her way inside. The store was relatively packed, mostly by house moms, Elise suspected. Elise grabbed herself a cart, not to actually use but so she could ride around on it and get from aisle to aisle faster. Putting her weight on the cart and pushing off, Elise made her way around the store like a child. She glided around and around, ignoring laughter and odd stares, until she found the aisle that held what she was looking for. She skidded to a stop and made little popping noises with her mouth as she scanned the shelves. On the bottom shelf, she finally found an air freshener that wasn't overpowering and had at least some aspect of nature to it. It wasn't exactly what she wanted but it would do. Someone stepped directly beside Elise as she grabbed a second bottle, and they didn't move. Elise turned slightly, still squatted down, and looked up. Savvy was smiling down at her.
"H-hey." Elise hadn't expected to see Savvy out in public, ever. It just didn't occur to her that it would, or could, happen.
Savvy placed a hand on Elise's head. "Hey."
Elise's mouth dropped open slightly. She wasn't sure what to do. With her in a squatted position and Savvy's hand on her head like that, Elise was sure the situation looked inappropriate from a distance. Embarrassed, Elise looked straight forward and found herself eyelevel with Savvy's crotch. Savvy was wearing a short skirt and her scent couldn't help but be caught by Elise's nose. Standing quickly, Elise shook her head and wiped under her nose with her first finger to try and get rid of Savvy's scent. It only partly worked.
"What, uh, what are you doing here?" Elise asked, putting the air freshners in her cart. They were the only items in it. Suddenly she wished she hadn't gotten a cart so that she'd have something to hold without looking awkward.
Savvy smiled. "Shopping, silly." She held out her shopping basket filled with various things that Elise didn't bother trying to remember. "Why? Is there something else I could be doing at the store?"
Elise chuckled nervously. It was weird for her to see Savvy in such a normal environment. For some reason that made Elise nervous. "No, right, of course not. Well, I guess I should let you finish your shopping." She turned round and tried to speed off but Savvy wouldn't let her. Savvy stepped to Elise's side and linked their arms. Elise wasn't sure what to do. She already had everything she needed but didn't want to push Savvy away and be rude.
"Have you just started?" Savvy was looking in Elise's cart. "What else do you need?"
"Oh. Actually, this is all I need."
"You got a cart for that?"
"I'm peculiar."
Savvy grinned and squeezed Elise's arm. "I like it."
Elise smiled. "What about you? Do you still need to get some shopping done? I can let you go if-"
"No, no. We can check out at the same time. Come on." Pulling Elise along, Savvy made her way to a check out counter. Despite Elise's please not to, Savvy bought the air fresheners along with her groceries. She was happy to do so and told Elise that as well. Elise wanted to grab her items and leave but they were mixed in with Savvy's things, and Savvy was holding the bags. Elise sighed inwardly and followed Savvy out of the store, hoping that Savvy would give the air freshners up and go home. She did no such thing.
"Did you drive here?" Savvy asked, holding a flat hand against her forehead as a visor.
Elise eyeballed the grocery bags in Savvy's other hand. "No. I walked."
Smiling, a twinkle in her eye, Savvy turned to Elise. "Then I can drive you home. Come on."
Elise held back a groan. This is exactly what she was trying to avoid. Savvy was a nice woman but Elise wasn't sure how things would play out since they weren't at the club. At the club, at least, Elise had means of escape. Out in the real world she was trapped.
Just deciding to go with it, Elise slid into Savvy's car and mumbled out directions to Ivy's place. It was a quick drive but Savvy's small talk felt like torture. Elise just wanted to get home, spray the house, and get rid of that Judah mans awful stink.
As Savvy parked her car next to Ivy's in the driveway, Elise reached into the back seat where the groceries where so that she could get her air fresheners. Then Savvy asked a question that Elise was hoping wouldn't be asked.
"Can I come in?"
Elise slowly retreated from the car, clutching the air freshners to her chest, wishing she could come up with an excuse that would pass. She crept around the car awkwardly, making an odd noise like an animal trapped. She made her way to Savvy's window then bent down and gave Savvy a polite smile.
"Sorry," she said. "The human I'm hosting doesn't like it when I have people over. It's one of her rules. You know how it is." Elise shrugged and sighed for effect.
"Fuck her." Savvy's car door almost smashed into Elise's knees as Savvy got out of the car. Elise tried not to show her disappointment at Savvy not buying the excuse. Savvy grabbed Elise's hand and walked up onto the porch and front door. Elise opened the front door and hoped Ivy was out of her room so that she could send Savvy away. Sadly, Ivy was nowhere to be found. Elise made her way through the living room, the halls, and to the kitchen, but Ivy wasn't around.
"So." With a huge smile on her face, Savvy studied the kitchen. "This is where you live. It's pretty nice."
"Yeah..." Elise cleared her throat and spoke again, much louder. "It's nice. Would you like a tour?" Sadly, her obnoxiously loud voice didn't bring Ivy out.
"How about you show me your room?"
Chuckling indulgently, Elise nodded and slowly made her way to her room. She sprayed as she walked to get rid of the stink still present in the house. It helped somewhat. Elise put the air freshners in the bathroom then finally got to where Savvy wanted to be. Without any introductions, Elise opened her door and let Savvy inside. Savvy was clearly excited and enjoyed being in Elise's space.
"A lot... barer than I imagined," Savvy commented.
Elise sat down on the pile of clothes in front of her closet that had accumulated without her realizing it. "Yeah. The move in was pretty recent. I haven't really marked my territory, so to speak."
Savvy nodded knowingly and plopped down on Elise's bed. She smiled at the pet door nearby then refocused on Elise. She liked the way Elise sat: the bottoms of her feet pressed together and her legs forming a diamond shape. Savvy's smile widened. "So, who's the human you're hosting?"
"That woman you saw me with at the club."
An odd emotion flitted across Savvy's face. "Oh." She plucked at the sheets underneath her. "Do you... are you and her...?"
"Sleeping together?" The way Savvy's jaw twitched made Elise almost lie and say that she was sleeping with Ivy. But she decided against it. If she lied to Savvy then eventually she'd have to lie to someone else and then Ivy would have to lie as well, and that seemed like wasted energy. "No, we're not together, in any sense of the word. I'm just her Host. That's all."
Relief washed over Savvy. She bit her lip, slid onto the floor, and begun to crawl over to where Elise was. Elise flushed and scooted back, the sudden change in atmosphere startling her. Savvy progressed slowly, her eyes devouring Elise bit by bit. Her cleavage was perfect for Elise's viewing pleasure, but Elise wasn't focused on it at all. Elise was too busy trying to escape Savvy's approach. Within seconds Elise's back hit the closet door and she had nowhere to run. She broke out in a nervous sweat as she watched Savvy get closer and closer. Soon enough Savvy was crawling over Elise's body, smirking and declaring what would happen with her eyes. Elise gulped. She wouldn't have minded kissing a bit, maybe cuddling, but she could see that Savvy wanted more than that. Much, much more.
"S-Savvy," Elise mumbled. "I don't think I can..."
Letting her face drift close to Elise, Savvy placed her hands at Elise's sides. "Is it because that woman is home? It's okay. We... can be..." Savvy's lips were almost pressed up against Elise's, "quiet..."
The moan that the kiss elicited from Savvy was entirely unexpected for Elise. She didn't think she could make a woman have that kind of reaction so quickly. It boosted her confidence. She kissed Savvy back just to see if she could get Savvy to moan again. It worked all too well. Savvy wrapped her arms around Elise's neck and moaned again, over and over, sliding her tongue into Elise's mouth. Elise started to panic and regretted pushing her limits. Her anxieties about sex came rushing forth and she pushed against Savvy's shoulders, but Savvy wouldn't let go. In a moment of discomfort, Elise bit down on Savvy's tongue to get things to slow or stop. Savvy yelped and pulled back, a sad, sad look in her eyes.
"You... you bit me..."
Elise sat up straighter and removed the arms around her neck to gain some semblance of control. "I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." And she really hadn't. The bite was instinct. She just wanted things to stop, and now. Sex was unappealing to her, for a variety of reasons, but she didn't know how to voice it.
Massaging her tongue with two fingers, Savvy groaned. She pulled her tongue back into her mouth then cocked her head at Elise. "Do you like to bite?"
The redness that spread over Elise's cheeks was burning hot. "That's... that's not..." She was wildly confident when it came to flirting, thanks to the wolf inside her, but when things got too real, her words stopped working and she became a human, bumbling mess.
Savvy giggled. "You're so cute when you're nervous." She ran her hands up Elise's thighs and giggled again at the way Elise shook and made small noises, her nervousness that much more obvious. "Want to bite me again?"
Elise felt like she would explode. She hated that when things got hot and heavy she was nowhere near as confident as she usually acted. Always, no matter what, she reverted to her newborn puppy state- barely able to do anything. The wolf inside howled and tried to claw its way out, wanting to ravage Savvy then and there, but her human was so nervous and scared that she was frozen still. As the hands on her thighs gripped harder, her mind fogged even more.
"Mmm..." Savvy exposed her throat and pulled down the collar of her shirt, pushing her breast upward. "This is what you want? A bite..."
"I..." Elise couldn't say anything more. Her throat closed up and she felt dizzy. She tried to swallow and ended up almost drowning herself with her own spit.
Savvy's low chuckles didn't help one bit. She lifted her skirt to reveal thin, sheer pink panties. "Or is this what you want to taste?"
As Elise felt like she was about to pass out, her door swung open, pounding against the wall. Both Savvy and Elise jumped in surprise. Ivy waltzed into the room, took one look at the scene before her, and placed her hands on her hips. Her clear distaste was etched into her features. Relief washed over Elise in gallons and she crawled to kneel before Ivy, wanting to praise the woman for interrupting Savvy's seduction.
"Oh, thank every god that's ever existed and will exist," Elise muttered to Ivy's shoes. She looked up at Ivy and pleaded with her eyes, trying to ask silently for help.
Luckily, Ivy got the hint. "I thought I told you I didn't want you inviting people over."
Elise's body calmed slightly. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have. I'll tell her to go."
"You better."
"Now hold on," Savvy interrupted, making Elise's stomach drop. "Elise is a Host, not a hostage. Why can't she have visitors?"
Ivy crossed her arms over her chest, trying not to laugh at how absolutely spent Elise looked. "Because I said so. Hey, wait, aren't you that girl from the club?" She looked down at Elise. "Isn't that the girl from the club?"
Elise nodded, still trying to push her wolf down and calm her human. She felt like she was going to collapse to the floor. At least she was already on her knees and she wouldn't hurt herself from falling so far.
Ivy helped Elise stand, the poor girl's legs were shaking. "Show your friend out, will you? Now."
Savvy opened her mouth to say something but Elise grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the room. Elise was so relieved that the situation was over that she practically ran outside. The quick exit had Savvy believing that Elise was afraid of Ivy. When they were outside, Savvy turned on Elise.
"What's up with her? Are you actually afraid of her?"
Elise took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "If I'm not accommodating then she'll call my representative. That wouldn't be good for me."
"Well, you need to stand up to her. I can't believe she just barged in on us like that."
In her mind, Elise thanked Ivy again for the interruption. "It's just how it is. You should probably leave before she gets angrier. Wouldn't want to get me in trouble, would you?"
Savvy smiled sheepishly. "No, of course not."
"I'll come visit you at the club, okay? Don't worry about it."
"Okay." Savvy gave Elise a generous kiss, holding tight to Elise's face. The affection caught Elise off guard. The animal inside hooked onto Elise's ribcage and had her heart pounding much too rapidly. Frightened, Elise whimpered and tried to control her birthright. Her head ached and she could feel her magic speeding through her veins. The wolf was about to run free, unwanted. It was too much power to control, too much magic to try and wield. It was the reason Elise never overexerted herself. She couldn't control what was inside her, but she couldn't let it remain dormant either. She walked a tightrope when it came to her wolf. Since she hadn't run with Cav or used her wolf in a long time, it was starting to get anxious, wanting to break free. Savvy had broken the dam.
Elise was scared, absolutely terrified. She broke Savvy's kiss and pushed Savvy away harshly. Elise ran back into the house and collapsed as soon as the front door was shut behind her. She hadn't lost control in such a way since she was child, when she didn't know what her limits were. Her human was riddled with anxiety when her limits were being pushed, and right then, she felt on the verge of a panic attack. She wished she had just told Savvy the truth, told her that sex was number one on the list of activities that made things get out of control, told her that sex was damned near disgusting.
Wheezing and tearing up, Elise clawed at the hall floors, clawed at the walls, trying to make it to the safety of her room. She wished she would just pass out already. Her magic made her bones hurt and her wish came true. Halfway through the living room, she lost consciousness.