I don't think I'm ever going to get used to the sensation of waking up. Every time I do it reminds me of how corporeal I am. Before I open my eyes I take in all of the sensations around me. I can feel the heat radiating off of something behind me, the smooth supple leather seat beneath me, the gentle rocking of a driving vehicle, and the air as it shifts over my skin. The air has a specific feel to it that I can't quite place, spicy maybe? No that's only a food thing, I don't think air can be spicy. My eyes pop open when a shiver goes through me again.
"Is this was cold feels like?" I mumble to myself, still not fully awake.
I look at my arms and see little bumps everywhere. I'm so fascinated by them that I don't even realize that the car has stopped moving until something shifts behind me. I finally look up and behind me and see Drazik staring down at me with a contemplative look on his face. I give him a huge smile when I notice that I'm cuddled up against him like I've always wanted to do on all those movie nights. Without second guessing myself I dig myself further into his arms and sigh.
"You're so toasty." I say, laying my head on his chest.
"Are you cold, little one?" He asks.
"I think so." I say, biting my lip, "But I've also never been cold before so I'm not sure. Do you get these when you're cold?" I ask, holding up my arm so he can see the little bumps.
He chuckles, "Yes, you do."
The door on the opposite side of the car opens up and Forrest looks at us then sighs, motioning us to get out of the vehicle. With a grumble I climb, not so gracefully, to the other side of the car and set my feet on the concrete. Of course my stupid legs falter after taking one step and I fall into Forrest's back.
"Ah, Nyx's tit! I'm sorry, Forrest, apparently I have spaghetti legs." I remove myself from his back and wait for the rest of the guys to climb out of their vehicle and come over to us.
I notice my shivering has increased and I look around at the garage and the warm looking guys just standing around.
"How are none of you cold?" I ask.
Without any hesitation Leandre takes off his light sweater and hands it to me. It takes me a minute to get it on as I've never actually put an article of clothing on. I have, on the other hand, watched lots of people put clothing on so I do figure it out eventually. The sweater falls almost to my knees and the sleeves are way too long but I don't care. I simply roll the sleeves up then bring the sweater to my nose and inhale deeply. The scent of bonfire with the hint of metallic tang fills my nose and I smile.
I look up to see all of the guys staring down at me with varied expressions on their faces before Forrest clears his throat.
"Well let's get upstairs and we'll discuss what happened tonight once we're there." He says, making his way past me and to the elevator doors.
We all pile in with me situated in the center of the group and I can't help but giggle. It's like I'm in a man forest with them being all so tall. Then I remember our earlier conversation and I start bouncing on the balls of my feet.
"There's chocolate in the apartment, right?" I ask no one in particular, "Because I was told you guys had chocolate. That's first on my list you know. I figured I'd put chocolate before orgasms because it's just a more realistic thing to be able to obtain first."
I hear Kieran behind me as he starts to laugh and look around at all of the other guys. Leandre is looking at me with a wide smile and heat in his eyes, Drazik is looking at me with a smirk, Emerson's lip is tilted up in one corner, and Forrest's face isn't smiling but his eyes have softened somewhat.
I spin to face Drazik, "Do you still have any of that chocolate cake? I definitely want some of that."
He raises an eyebrow, "You watched me eat chocolate cake?"
I nod, licking my lips, "I couldn't help myself. It looked so fucking good and you kept making little sounds as you ate it so I figured that meant it was, in fact, delicious."
He chuckles, "I think there's a piece or two left. I'll find one for you after we're done talking."
I'm disappointed that I won't get chocolate cake right away but it's fine. As long as I get to eat it first, I'm willing to wait. When the door opens to the top floor I follow the guys out. They are still surrounding me as we get to the door and I smile, liking their current formation. I don't know why they're doing it but I feel sheltered within my man forest. I don't even realize that I've reached out and latched on to Leandre's pinky until we start to file through the door. I let it go reluctantly and make my way inside, taking off my shoes before plopping in the corner seat on the couch.
"Ugh it's so comfortable!" I moan as I settle myself further into the couch, snuggling into Leandre's sweater. Then I realize something, "Wait, if a couch is this comfortable I can't wait to feel how comfortable a bed is."
The guys take their places with Forrest in his usual chair, Emerson to my right, Kieran on the other side of him, and across from us on the other couch sits Leandre and Drazik.
I smile at all of them, "So, what do you want to know?"
"What are you and where did you come from?" Forrest asks.
I shrug, "No idea and no idea."
He huffs out a breath of air, "How can you have no idea?"
"I've been a ghost, or a ghost-like being, for 40 years. I don't remember anything before it. I didn't exist one day then all of a sudden I did." I tell them.
Emerson looks down at me, "What do you mean by ghost-like being?" He asks.
I give him a smile, "Well I wasn't a ghost because I could see other ghosts in the veil and they would talk to each other all the time but they could never see or talk to me. So it was like I was in between the material world and the veil with neither on of them being able to see me."
"Why did you start following us around?" Forrest asks.
"I had been floating around aimlessly for about 35 years. It was fun at first, I was able to see life happening around me and no one ever knew I was there so I got to witness some really real and wonderful interactions as well as some really shitty ones. After about 20 years of watching humans I stumbled into the supernatural world and for the next 15 or so years I followed them around. After being completely alone and without company for that long though started to get to me so I had begun to fade. I had lost the will to keep going without anyone or anything to help me through whatever weird existence I was living."
I look around then, giving them all a huge smile.
"Then I floated into a club and found you guys. I wasn't looking for anyone in particular, I just wandered in there while I was deep in thoughts. I couldn't help but follow you guys once I saw you. You guys pulled me out of my fade just by being you."
"And how much of our lives did you spy on?" Forrest asks.
"I mainly stayed around the apartment unless you guys went and did something dangerous, then I came along. Sometimes I'd go with some of you to work for a change of scenery but I never spied on any of your intimate relationships. I also stayed out of your bathrooms and bedrooms unless I knew you were fully dressed. I didn't want to be a total creep in case I became corporeal one day. You would never trust me if I had broken boundaries like that." I tell them.
"So you went with us on missions?" Drazik asks.
"Yeah I couldn't do much but occasionally I'd be able to help." I tell them.
"How were you able to help?" Emerson asks.
"Well remember a few years ago when you guys raided a warehouse to destroy a buttload of drugs that were killing supernaturals?" They all nod, "And remember when you found that trap that would have killed whoever triggered it?"
Kieran's eyes go wide, "That wee pebble that went flying across the hallway?" He looks to me, "That was you?"
"Yeah I was freaking the fuck out, man. I saw it and I couldn't do anything to warn you but eventually my panic grew enough that I kicked a stone while I was trying to kick the device. It all worked out in the end." I tell them.
Drazik looks to me, "Were you in my office the other day with me?"
I smile at him, "Yeah the pencil was me. I noticed you were going to be late for dinner and I know Forrest hates that."
"So you have no idea who or what you are? Do you even have a name?" Leandre asks.
I nod, "You guys can call me Raven."
"Why that name?" Emerson asks, always the observant one.
"I realized pretty quickly that even though humans and ghosts couldn't see me, some animals could. Ravens and cats have always been able to see me. Occasionally dogs can but only certain breeds, I'm not sure why."
"So only the harbingers and gatekeepers can see you?" Forrest asks dryly.
My eyebrows furrow, "What now?"
"Raven's are the harbingers of souls, they ferry them to the other side. Cat's and some breeds of dogs are gatekeepers. They are used to keep souls within the underworld as well as out of homes." Emerson says, "They never tried to attack you?"
I shake my head, "No, they were actually all very friendly. My two best friends are ravens actually."
"Why is it that you swear like a witch?" Drazik asks.
"I do what?" I ask, confused as hell.
"You use the name of Nyx when you swear sometimes, that's a witch thing to do. Nyx is the mother of all magic. Granted most witches and warlocks would never dare to use her name as a swear." Forrest fills in.
I shrug, "It's just something I've always done. Even when I followed the humans around for a while. I never thought about it until now, actually. It is definitely something I've always said out of instinct."
"Maybe you are a witch?" Emerson asks, "Do you have any magic?"
I shrug, "Fuck if I know. I've only had this corporeal body for like, a few hours. I'm not even confident I can walk at 100% yet."
I hear a snort come from both Kieran and Leandre. The room is silent for a while while they all think about what I've told them. There's a lot of silent eye communication before Forrest stands.
"It's late and we all need to eat something and get to bed. We'll tackle this issue again in the morning." He says.
It hurts a little that he referred to me and my situation as an issue but I don't linger on it long before his words register.
I turn to Drazik, "Cake time?" I ask, a huge smile on my face.
"You need to eat real food first." Forrest interjects.
I shake my head, "Nope. I promised myself the first thing I ate would be chocolate. I can eat whatever real food is after that."
Drazik chuckles, "Go take a shower and get ready for bed. I'll find you some food."
I look around at all the guys, "Which bathroom?" I ask.
"You can use mine if you'd like." Kieran says, giving me a wicked grin that I can't help but return.
Dammit Raven, I think to myself, chocolate first. Think about orgasms later.
"She will be using mine." Forrest says before he starts down the hall and I follow after him.
He shows me to the bathroom and I walk in. Forrest closes the door and I make my way over to the stand up shower in the corner. There's so many knobs and handles on the shower wall that I quickly become overwhelmed. I poke my head out of the bathroom and all the breath rushes out of my lungs when I see Forrest standing in his bedroom shirtless. His muscles flex as he digs out another shirt and I watch his back as he slips on another shirt. Coming out of my daze I clear my throat and Forrest spins to me.
"What?" He asks.
"I don't know how to turn on the shower." I tell him.
He huffs before coming in and starting the water for me. Once it's adjusted he leaves again, closing the door behind him. With the shower warming up I finally take a minute to look in the mirror for the first time. A heart shaped face and button nose stares back at me. My lower lip is considerably larger than my upper lip and my eyes are a piercing grey color with a dark ring around the outside. I lean in and see what Leandre meant by them being a pure silver. There are a few darker strands throughout that match the outer ring but overall they look like liquid mercury.
Once I'm done staring at myself I take out my braids and let my hair fall to my lower back. I take off my jeans and top when I see them. I grab my hair and move it off my neck, turning to see my back.
"What the fuck?" I say, probably louder than necessary.
I run my hand over the black markings and watch as they glow a dull silver color. My eyes are wide as I try to figure out what the hell is happening.
"Again... What. The. Fuck." I say, even louder.
The door swings open and I turn to see Leandre and Drazik standing there, each with a weapon.
"What's wrong?" Leandre asks, scanning the large bathroom for threats.
When neither of them find a threat they look to me and, at the same time, take in my underwear clad self. I'm too freaked out to notice their gazes as they heat up and take me in. I simply turn around, lifting my hair off my neck.
"What the hell is this?" I ask them, "Like don't get me wrong, I've always wanted tattoos but I was hoping for some flowers or some shit, not weird symbols covering half my body."
I'm too focused on the mirror to notice that one of them has left. The black ruins covering the back of me are small and intricate. They start at the back of my neck near the base of my neckline and run over my shoulders, coalescing into a single thick strip that runs down the back up my upper arm, ending just past my elbow. There's also a fat line of script running down my spine. I turn further and see that they also run down my legs, starting just below my ass and making their way down the backs of my legs.
I don't even realize that Emerson has come into the room until he's standing right behind me. I turn when I feel him and look up at him, still slightly panicked.
"May I take a closer look at your runes?" He asks simply.
I nod and turn around, keeping my hair wrapped around my hand and pulled over my shoulder so he can get a good look. I reach my other hand around and run a hand down the strip on my spine and it starts to faintly glow silver.
"There's no way this is normal, right?" I ask Em.
I feel his breath on my shoulder and his light fingers skimming different ruins and I can't help but shiver. His touch is so light and reverent that I can't help but notice the fact my lower stomach has started tingling, making me want to rub my thighs together just for some friction.
I look down to my front to try and ignore all of the sensations coursing through me and see that there's also a strip running from between my breasts to just above my belly button. I notice a hint of something on my hip so I reach down and tug down the hem of my panties, exposing a single marking on my hip that's different than the rest.
"This one is different." I say, turning to face Em.
He takes a look at it and sucks in a breath, leaning down to get a better look. The marking is a large crescent moon that is made up of bands of tiny runes that interlock to create a beautifully intricate and delicate woven pattern about the size of my palm. He reaches out and runs his fingers over it then stands, looking me in the eye.
"Take a shower while I research this." He looks down at me, noticing my attire for the first time, "I- Um- Come find me when you're done."
I smile at the slight blush on his cheeks and wait for everyone else to leave before I strip off the rest of my clothing and slide into the shower. I can't help but moan loudly when the water first hits my skin and cascades down me in a warm caress.
"Holy crap," I moan out loud, "Now I understand why people always take forever in the shower."
I take my time in the heaven-like shower, using Forrest's body wash and not bothering to wash my hair since it's not oily, just a bit dusty from the basement. Once I've gotten my fill I step out and wrap a towel around myself. I look around and realize that I don't have any clothes so I pad out of the bathroom with the towel still wrapped around me. I make my way down the hallway where all the guys are standing in the living room talking to one another.
I clear my throat, "Guys?"
They all turn to look at me and the oxygen filling my lungs abandons me. Leandre looks like he wants to devour me, Kieran looks like he's lost in his own world, Drazik actually growls and takes a step forward, Emerson is looking at me with such an intensity it's hard to look back at him, and even Forrest looks somewhat affected. His jaw is clenched and his fists are balled up at his side like he's keeping himself from stepping forward.
"I don't have any clothes." I say, not wanting one of them to actually act on what's obviously going through their mind.
Chocolate first, then orgasms. I remind myself internally.
When I hear a snort and watch the guys all relax I realize that I said that last part out loud. Oh well, at least they know what my priorities are.
Drazik steps forward and makes his way into his room. When he comes out he's holding a giant long sleeve thermal shirt and a pair of drawstring pajama bottoms. I take them gratefully and head back into the bathroom. I look at myself one last time in the mirror before I take a deep breath. The clothes are huge on me but Drazik's scent wraps around me and I can't help but smile as I drown in his clothing.
"It's chocolate time, Raven. You got this. It's going to be amazing I'm sure. You definitely haven't been over-imagining it in your head. It's going to be delicious and everything you've ever wanted. Remember your goals: chocolate, orgasms, and love." I smile at myself for the wonderful pep talk and turn to exit the bathroom.
It's time to start working on those goals.