《Werewolf's Midnight Hunt》


 The Hunt Begins

    A man sat at a bar in the spacious interior of the building, a glass with a dark liquid and ice cubes in his hand. He is burly, with wide shoulders and a broad chest. He looks at the glass with blood red eyes, a deeper, darker red than what his hair and beard are colored, an unnerving mismatch of colors, almost as if the eyes didn''t belong to him. He was dressed in business casual wear, a black button-up covering his upper body, the top two buttons of his shirt undone, the sleeves rolled up. The black pants and shoes matching the shirt, clean and pressed, as if the man has just left some important meeting. He finished his drink before standing, and, grabbing his long, black jacket, walked out the door onto the almost pitch-black street. The night was warm enough that he didn''t need his jacket as he meandered the streets, eyes and ears open for anything that might need his attention. The slight breeze wafted a scent toward him and his nostrils flared, the smell warning him that he was being loosely followed. The man remained relaxed, not giving away that he was aware of being followed, the only potential sign being his red eyes glowing in the darkness. He slowed his pace slightly, hands in his pockets, acting as if he was peering into a window of a closed shop while his keen hearing worked overtime. The individual following him slowed too, maintaining a distance of about seventy feet between the two of them. The night was quiet, the slight breeze bringing the smell of a second and third person closing from a different direction.


    ¡°Well, gentleman, who wants to open this dance?¡± Erik Ulfvaldr asked, red eyes flashing danger in the darkness.


    The three attackers rushed Erik, drawing clubs out from underneath long jackets. ¡®Well at least I don''t have to contend with bullets. That means they want this kept silent. That gives me an advantage¡¯ the man thought to himself. ¡®Don¡¯t get too cocky. They still have the numbers advantage.¡¯ Another voice spoke in his head.


    He withdrew his hands from his pockets, and clawed fingers followed. He launched his coat at the first man that got within arm''s reach, blocking his vision, and sidestepped the club of the second man, causing the two to collide with one another. The third man swung his weapon, and the man grabbed his hand, driving an elbow into the attackers'' ribs, breaking one and stunning the man. The next second Erik stepped and twisted, bending and almost breaking the attacker''s arm before kicking out with his foot, catching the attacker in the side of the head, putting his lights out. The other two attackers recovered from their collision, and stood, looking at the heap that their comrade had crumpled into at the feet of the dangerous man they faced. They both hesitated in pressing their attack, giving Erik a moment to launch his own offensive. He slashed his clawed fingers at the face of one attacker, partially blinding the man as the clawed fingers sliced him from his forehead to chin, destroying one eye completely, and causing him to drop to the ground from the shock of the pain. The remaining attacker lashed out with a fist, grazing the side of Erik¡¯s head, knocking him back a couple of steps. He snarled, baring teeth that were dangerously sharp, causing the attacker another second of hesitation. That hesitation proved fatal, as Erik leapt at the attacker, clawed fingers grabbing the attacker''s hair as he sank his razor-sharp teeth into the attackers'' throat. The assailant attempted to scream, but had his throat completely crushed, and the attacker died choking on his own blood. Erik stood over his attackers, blood dripping from his hand and mouth, breathing heavy.


    ¡®No time to clean up the mess. I need to disappear.¡¯ He melted into the darkness, leaving the mangled bodies behind.


    Erik ducked into a high-rise apartment complex, after glancing around to make sure he wasn¡¯t followed by anyone. He entered his rental, and tossed his coat away, then proceeded to the washroom to clean the blood off of himself. ¡®Dammit, who the hell were those guys?¡¯ Erik thought to himself. He was used to running, hiding and even killing men who wanted to hurt or even kill him, but that was a lifetime ago. Erik had secrets to his life. His secrets had secrets. The biggest of the secrets being that he was ¨²lfbl¨®e, or wolf-blood. He had been born a few thousand years ago. He had seemed to lose count after a few hundred years of staying hidden from threats and constantly running. He washed the blood from his hands and his face, and stripped his shirt off, wrapping it in a plastic bag to avoid getting more blood on anything else. ¡®It seems to me that you have made a friend somehow.¡¯ the voice from earlier spoke to him. Erik scowled inwardly. The voice belonged to Alastair; the reason he held immortality in this lifetime. An incubus that had been inadvertently bonded to him, the result of a cult meddling in his life so many ages ago. ¡®Offering sage advice as usual I see. Do you have anything to add that might be worth a damn?¡¯ Erik asked Alastair. ¡®Of course not. If I knew what those weaklings wanted, you would know as well. It¡¯s not like I can hide anything from you.¡¯ Alastair had a point. Since they had been bonded in a summoning gone wrong, they just couldn¡¯t separate from each other. They had learned to get along, if only for the convenience of staying alive. Nothing they had attempted had been successful in splitting the two from each other. Erik walked to the bar in his living room, pouring himself a glass of whiskey on ice. ¡®It¡¯s very unlikely they are cult members. We wiped that stain from existence a few hundred years ago. So, who could they be? It didn¡¯t seem random. They were waiting on me specifically to leave that bar. They used clubs, meaning that they didn¡¯t want to draw attention to what they were doing. They obviously didn¡¯t know what they were up against, or they would¡¯ve been more cautious.¡¯ Erik thought out loud, to both him and Alastair. ¡®Well, that was their mistake, one they won¡¯t make again. You absolutely mangled them.¡¯ Erik grunted his reply, taking a gulp of his whiskey. He tapped his clawed fingers on the leather and wood of the chair he had taken residence in, his mind working overtime, sifting through what he had done recently. He could think of no one he had crossed that would seek to cause him harm. He stood, walking to the window of his luxurious apartment he maintained, staring into the darkness of the night. He already decided not to return to the bar he had been at, nor would he return to the scene of the fight. No reason to bring any attention to himself over this, although he was sure that whoever was responsible for the attack had already cleaned the mess up themselves. If they knew who he was, or, at the least, that he was dangerous, then the last thing they would want to do would be to draw attention to their activities. ¡®At least I don¡¯t have to worry about any authorities knocking on my door asking questions.¡¯


    As that thought was passing through his head, there was a rapid knocking at the door to his apartment. Immediately, he shut down all the lighting in the apartment and crept quietly to the door. ¡®Seems like you might¡¯ve spoken too soon.¡¯ Alastair pointed out. Erik sniffed the air as he moved closer to the door. ¡®Whoever it is, they aren¡¯t human. The scent is all wrong.¡¯ Erik countered with, as he peered through the peephole on the door. The figure standing on the other side of the door seemed nervous judging by the body language that Erik could make out. He couldn¡¯t see its face, or much of any details for that matter, as whoever it was had a hood pulled over its head. He slowly turned the knob for the door, clawed hand ready to strike if it became necessary. He slowly opened the door, ears and nose working overtime to catch any unusual sound or smell that might be within range of his senses.


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    ¡°Who are you, and what do you want?¡± Erik asked the figure standing in his doorway.


    ¡°Um, yes, hello, um, are you Mr. Erik? I was looking for you, I have something that may interest you.¡± The creature, who still hadn¡¯t revealed its face to him, said.


    ¡°You did not answer my question. Who are you, and what do you want?¡± Erik repeated, a slight edge to the inquiry.


    ¡°Please, the information I have is vitally important, and it is not safe out here with prying eyes and ears. I will not reveal anything until we are somewhere that is away from these things.¡± The creature insisted. Erik narrowed his eyes for a moment, thinking hard about the situation. ¡®This creature seems rather meek. No match for myself if it comes to a fight. Besides, I smell genuine fear and not fear of me. They are running from something.¡¯


    ¡°Fine, but you will tell me everything when I let you in.¡± Erik stepped aside to allow the creature to swiftly enter the abode, before giving the hallway a quick scan for any danger, and then closing the door, locking it behind him.


    ¡°Now, explain yourself before I decide to thro-¡± Erik stopped dead in his tracks, sentence cut off. The creature had pulled its hood down, revealing pale, ice-blue eyes, fiery red hair, and soft, feminine features. A being of pure beauty. ¡®I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen you struck silent before¡¯ Alastair goaded. ¡®Shut up, you. I don¡¯t need you making things worse. Just be quiet until I work this out.¡¯ Erik thought to himself.


    ¡°I apologize for the secrecy, sir, but I have important information that I¡¯m only supposed to reveal to Erik Ulfvaldr. How can I be sure you are who you say you are?¡± The creature said in a hushed, almost breathless tone.


    ¡°Now hold on a moment. You came knocking on my door, demanding to be let in, without any reason or explanation, expecting me to trust you, and then you question if I am who I say I am? Who the hell else would I be? You know my name, so obviously you know more about me than I know about you.¡± Erik growled out, temper rising slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to offend. You are correct, I have demanded a lot of you without reciprocating that trust. I am named Sassy. I was sent here by someone who seeks to help you figure out who the people who ordered the attack on you today.¡±


    ¡°And this person wishes to share this information with me why? I didn¡¯t need help handling them, I sure don¡¯t need help finding the rest of them and dealing with it myself. What could this person so graciously offer me that I can¡¯t find out for myself.¡± Erik spouted, becoming slightly annoyed at the gall of this mysterious stranger.


    ¡°Only a chance to expedite the process slightly. The people who ordered your attack have also been slowly eliminating the population of¡­¡­non-human species in the city. The person who sent me knows who the organization is, and where they are located. Until now, we have lacked the capacity to deal with them, but if we combine our efforts, us with our resources and you with your unique abilities, then perhaps we can slow or even halt their progress entirely.¡±


    Erik pondered this information for a moment. How much did these people know about him and his past? How had they gathered this information about him so easily? He took every precaution to hide himself from prying eyes. ¡°You speak as if you know me. How is that possible? I¡¯ve been in hiding for longer than this city has existed.¡±


    ¡°My boss makes it a point to know about non-humans that come and go. It took a lot of digging, and he is only slightly aware that you exist. We have a person on the inside of the organization that has been killing off non-humans, and somehow you ended up on their radar. That¡¯s how we found out about you.¡± Sassy replied, not making eye contact with Erik. ¡®I don¡¯t sense any hostility in her, nor do I sense she is lying. Either she is being truthful, or she is so well trained that it¡¯s impossible for me to sense.¡¯ Erik thought. ¡®Well I sure can¡¯t sense anything off kilter either. It seems that, at least from her perspective, she is being truthful.¡¯ Alastair replied.


    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s say I believe you. I still don¡¯t see how you can help me. It would be easy for me to find these people and put an end to them. Why do I need your help with this?¡± Erik asked.


    ¡°After the failed attack earlier, they will now expect you to do just that and will be ready for you. We can track them down and provide certain back-up to assist you.¡± Sassy replied. Erik stared for a moment, his blood red eyes seemingly staring into the very soul of the creature that stood before him.


    ¡°Hmmm. It seems I have no choice but to trust you for now.¡± He moved past her, into the living area of the apartment. ¡°You cannot and should not be traveling in the middle of the night around the city if what you speak of is true. I will provide you with a place to sleep for tonight. Tomorrow, you can return to where you came, with a message for whoever it is you report to.¡± He opened a closet near the living room, pulling out some pillows and blankets. ¡°For now, you can stretch out on the couch and rest. You look like you are about to collapse from exhaustion as it is.¡± Sassy hesitated, slightly fearful of the being before her.


    ¡°Um, I I I ....are you sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡± She squeaked out.


    ¡°Come now, I don¡¯t bite. Besides, if something were to happen to you on your return trip, I might never get the information I need to deal with these people.¡± He tossed the blankets and pillows onto the couch. ¡°You can sleep there. You will not be bothered here. Don¡¯t try to leave before I allow it though. I have my own¡­..ways of protection for this place. Now, sleep. You can explain further after a night¡¯s rest.¡±


    ¡°Th-thank you sir. I won¡¯t go anywhere until you are ready to send a response back to who I work for.¡± Sassy gathered the blankets and pillows and made herself comfortable, falling very quickly into slumber. Erik sank into a chair near the window, staring out into the inky darkness of night. ¡®What do you think Al? Could this organization actually be a credible threat to us? No one has been since that cult we wiped out all those years ago.¡¯ Erik asked of the incubus soul-bound to him. ¡®Threat? Highly unlikely. But I never turn down a good chance to deal some misery to those who harm our kind.¡¯ Alastair replied. ¡®You aren¡¯t going soft on me, are you?¡¯ Erik teased, laughing to himself. ¡®Me? Never. I love dealing out misery to the human race. This seems like a perfect chance to do just that.¡¯ Erik, never one who needed sleep ever, started coming up with and shifting plans in his head on how to deal with this new threat, however small it was. He agreed with Alastair that it needed to be handled. Anyone harming any non-human being was a problem to be dealt with swiftly and violently. He would see if the information that these people could provide would be of any use to him. He glanced over at the sleeping form of the one who called herself Sassy. He put it together that she was a shifter almost immediately, as he could tell the form she wore was not her own, but rather one to hide herself amongst humanity to move around undetected. ¡®Well, this will certainly make things more interesting.¡¯ He thought to himself, and for once, Alastair had no comment to add.

 The Shifters Quest

    The sun was just starting to peek through the dark curtains of the high-rise apartment when the sleepy form of Sassy started stirring, a mouthwatering aroma hanging in the air. She looked around and spotted Erik in the open kitchen, cooking something on the stovetop.


    ¡°What are you doing in there?¡± Sassy questioned, wary of the man she had only heard rumors about.


    ¡°I''m not planning on having my guest go hungry, and you don''t seem to have brought yourself any food or money to purchase any, so I''m cooking something up.¡± Erik replied, not looking up from his cooking.


    Sassy¡¯s face turned slightly red. ¡°How do you know what I did and didn''t bring with me?¡± She asked hotly.


    ¡°I went through your stuff of course. I may have listened to what you had to say, but that doesn''t mean I believe or trust you.¡± Erik stated, flipping some sausage patties that were cooking in a skillet.


    ¡°What do you mean you went through my stuff! That is a gross betrayal of my privacy!¡± Sassy shouted, angrily glaring at the man.


    Erik stared at her, his blood red eyes flashing. ¡°Just because you are my guest doesn''t mean I trust you. You are in my home, do not raise your voice at me.¡± Sassy felt a chill creep down her spine when she looked into his eyes, the eyes of a dangerous being. ¡°I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have yelled at you.¡± She squeaked out. She cleared her throat, regaining some of her composure. ¡°But that doesn''t give you permission to go through my things.¡±


    ¡° I had to make sure there was nothing that could be tracked to this place. I haven''t lived my life this long by blindly trusting every being that tries to feed me some story about offering help when I don''t need it.¡± Erik shot back, a slight sneer appearing on his face. He finished with the cooking, setting a plate on the counter. ¡°Now, eat. We are leaving within the hour, and I''m not waiting around for you to drag your feet.¡± Sassy glared at him, thinking to herself ¡®My Gods, this man is the most frustrating person I have ever encountered. I hope Margrave knows what he''s doing.¡¯


    She sniffed at the food, and her mouth started watering. It smelled delicious. She looked toward Erik, noticing he hadn''t fixed himself a plate of the scrumptious looking food. ¡°Are you not going to eat anything?¡± She asked. Erik shifted his eyes toward her. ¡°I don''t require the same sustenance you shifters do. I feed differently.¡± Sassy looked startled. ¡°How did you know I was a shifter?!¡± She blurted out, louder than she intended. She was sure she hadn''t revealed that information the night before. ¡°You smell of something non-human, you were careful about revealing yourself before entering my home, and when you questioned me about going through your things, you lost focus for a second and your eyes changed from blue to gray. You should be more careful about that by the way. It would be a shame for something like that to ruin a disguise because you can''t maintain your composure under duress.¡± Erik answered, almost taunting her for the split-second loss of control. Her face flushed red, anger flooding through her at the shot at her secret being discovered so easily. ¡°Well I''m¡­.you um¡­..¡± she stammered, unsure of how to respond. Erik moved in front of her, staring at her like he was looking into her very soul. ¡°Relax. You have nothing to fear of me. I have a talent for noticing what others don''t. I''m not going to harm you. Not unless you give me a reason to.¡± The thinly veiled warning echoed in Sassy¡¯s ears. She stared back at him for a moment, uncomfortable under his piercing gaze. Her eyes dropped down to the plate in front of her, breaking the eye contact between them. Erik returned to cleaning up from cooking her breakfast, and they were both silent for a time as Sassy ate her breakfast.


    Sassy hurriedly cleaned her plate, ready to be on the way back to relative safety, and away from the intimidating creature that she had been sent to fetch. Margrave hadn''t told her much more than his description, and where she could find him. She was slightly scared of Erik. His eyes alone seemed to warn of danger, deep red pools of anger. She pulled the hood back up her head, hiding herself from the fierceness of his gaze. Erik walked swiftly towards the door, opening it slowly and peering out, his senses searching for danger of any kind. When he finally determined that it was safe, he stood to the side to allow Sassy to exit, before stepping out and closing the door behind him. He walked in front of her, senses still working to root out possible danger. ¡°How exactly did you get here?¡± Erik asked Sassy, making her jump slightly at the suddenness of the question. ¡°Oh, um¡­.I walked and used the buses.¡± She replied, wary of his questioning. Erik grunted his displeasure at the thought of walking across the city. ¡°I''m assuming that wherever the hell we are going isn''t very close either, is it?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­n-no it isn''t. It will take us at least the full day to walk there.¡± Sassy replied. ¡°Ugh forget that. Follow me, I have a better idea.¡± Erik said before turning down a side street, walking toward a garage. He stepped inside the garage, Sassy following closely behind him. Erik walked over to a motorcycle in a corner of the garage, pulling keys out of his pocket. Sassy stared at the bike, horrified. ¡°You can''t expect me to ride that. I''ve never been on one in my life.¡±


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    ¡°This is how I get around. You can either get over it and get on, or you can forget this whole thing. I''m not walking across town.¡± Erik dug into the storage compartment on the bike, pulling a helmet out of it. He held it out to her. Sassy took it, scared to not accept the helmet. She pulled it over her head and nervously climbed on behind Erik. He started the bike and turned to shout back at Sassy on the rear. ¡°Grab around my waist and hold on tight. I promise I won''t do anything to throw you off.¡± Sassy grabbed tightly, afraid to let go of the bigger man. Erik twisted the handle, slowly creeping toward the opening for the garage. He pulled out of the underground building, glancing around to make sure there wasn''t anyone following them, and took off down the street. ¡°You''ll have to direct me where we are going.¡± Erik shouted to Sassy. ¡°I know the city, but I¡¯m assuming that whoever sent you is deep in hiding, as I¡¯m sure this organization that has been killing non-humans has them at the top of the list of targets.¡± Sassy only nodded, afraid to speak as her breakfast wasn¡¯t sitting well in her stomach. She managed to squeak out some directions as to the general area they were going, and Erik throttled the motorcycle up, weaving in between the daytime traffic of the busy city. Cars flashed by as Erik sped towards their destination. ¡®Has the thought occurred to you that this might be some sort of trap?¡¯ Alastair questioned. ¡®The shifter seems genuinely scared of me. If someone has set a trap, she is unaware of it. Besides, if it is a trap, they better have some exceptional weapons to take me down.¡¯ Erik answered. ¡®I am no whelp who doesn¡¯t know better. I can take care of myself.¡¯ Alastair seemed satisfied with the answer, as he pursued the subject no more.


    The pair finally arrived at a run-down building, seemingly abandoned to the weeds and elements, but Erik knew better. He could smell the scent of magic, and non-human beings. ¡®Cute. They have protected this place with simple spells. Anyone with some sense could bypass these spells. There must be more layers of protection than what¡¯s visible.¡¯ Erik thought to himself. He looked around to Sassy, who was struggling to get off the bike. ¡°Do you need assistance?¡± He asked, smirking at her. Sassy glared at him. ¡°I thought you said I didn¡¯t have to worry about being safe with you!¡± She shot back hotly. ¡°I never said anything of the sort. I just said you wouldn¡¯t be thrown off, and that I wouldn¡¯t hurt you if you didn¡¯t give me a reason to. Neither of those things has happened as of yet.¡± Erik reminded her.


    ¡°You¡­.you¡­..¡± Sassy sputtered, at a loss for words. ¡°Cat got your tongue?¡± Erik teased. Sassy glared anger at him. ¡°Fuck you, you absolute asshole!¡± She shouted before stomping off towards the building. ¡®I¡¯m starting to like this one!¡± Alastair chuckled. ¡®Yeah, she got me with that one didn¡¯t she. Seems someone is growing a bit of a backbone.¡¯ Erik replied, before walking off to follow the woman toward the run-down building. ¡°Where exactly is the entrance to this place? I can smell the magic a mile away, but I highly doubt your group is so dim as to make the entrance so easily found.¡± Sassy tossed an annoyed look back at Erik. ¡°Just hush and follow me. The spell won¡¯t let you in unless you are with a member of the group.¡± Erik eyed her closely. ¡°Lead the way then.¡± He motioned, waiting behind her. Sassy walked around the side of the building, placing her hand on a particular spot on the wall. In response, the wall glowed slightly, revealing a set of stairs leading underground. ¡°It works similar to a touchpad, except there are extra precautions taken to prevent someone from just attaining the fingerprints or even the hand of a member and using it to gain access.¡± Sassy said, proudly. ¡°It¡¯s something I came up with myself when we first started using this as our base of operations. I remember the keypads from those old movies, and improved on them if I do say so myself.¡± She beamed.


    ¡°Hmmm. I¡¯m assuming the precautions include having to have a pulse, and extra scanning to test the DNA of the member. Smart move. Added layers to prevent unwanted visitors. Color me impressed.¡± Erik stated. Sassy turned several shades of red and hid her face from him. She proceeded down the stairs, Erik following closely behind. The opening to the stairs disappeared suddenly, trapping them in a dim lit area. Erik¡¯s senses started working overtime, not liking being trapped underground so suddenly. He forced himself to remain calm and continued to follow Sassy further underground. They finally arrived at the end of the long stretch of stairs, with them opening up into a corridor that was just as dimly lit as the stairs. ¡°The rest of the group is just on the other side of those doors.¡± Sassy said to Erik. ¡°Margrave is our de facto leader, a position he¡¯s not quite thrilled with, but he¡¯s taken the mantle nonetheless.¡± Erik grunted his reply. At the very least, he could understand not wanting to be a leader of men. He had the same responsibility foisted upon him at a young age, many, many years ago. He shook those memories away and focused on the present. ¡°This is your show. You lead the way.¡± Erik said to Sassy from behind her. She walked towards the door, opening it and stepped inside, Erik right behind her.

 The Seers Request

    The room behind the door held various different computers, monitors, tables, and other assorted furniture strewn around the interior of it. Sitting in a chair amongst the mismatch of computers and monitors was a being that seemed more dead than alive. Erik recognized the creature as a seer, a non-human that possessed the ability to use a neural connection, a sort of mind control, to control animals, and have them do its bidding. This one, though, seemed to have modernized, using technology to achieve what animals couldn¡¯t do in this concrete jungle. ¡°Margrave I assume?¡± He asked Sassy. Margrave turned to address the voice that spoke. ¡°You would be correct Erik Ulfvaldr, ¨²lfabl¨®e. I am Margrave. You have also correctly assumed that I am a seer, although my creatures are these computers, gathering information for me.¡± Margrave stood, with physical ability that didn¡¯t seem possible for the death-like way his body looked. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you Wolf-Leader. I am happy to see that Sassy has returned to us unharmed, thanks to you I¡¯m sure.¡± Sassy scoffed as Erik took the offered hand, shaking Margrave¡¯s hand. ¡°Almost killed me on that damned bike is what he did.¡± Sassy muttered under her breath. Margrave chuckled at that, and addressed Erik. ¡°I¡¯m sure Sassy has informed you of why we sought you out.¡± Erik nodded. ¡°For the most part. I¡¯m still not convinced as to why I need your help for anything. I can certainly handle myself.¡± Margrave had to laugh at the audacity of the man standing before him. ¡°I¡¯m sure you certainly can. Think of this as a partnership of convenience rather than you needing us. We may be a small group, but we have access to things that might be slightly out of your reach as an individual.¡± Erik processed this information before speaking, his interest piqued. ¡°Items such as¡­.?¡± He trailed off in question. ¡°Items that would enhance your already considerable skills. Weapons, technology, the works. Think of us as your support party. We will not interfere with how you decide to handle those who attacked you. All we shall do is provide intel, supplies, and anything else you will need in your quest to rid the city of those who are a danger to our kind.¡± Margrave opened his hands in a gesture of what Erik perceived as welcome. ¡°Our entire organization is available to you for whatever you shall need. Sassy will be your contact in our group, and, if you are open to it, will join you on your endeavor.¡± Margrave finished, staring at the pair with his blank, white eyes. Sassy began sputtering from behind Erik. ¡°Now wait a second, what do you mean join him? I was only supposed to retrieve him, I don¡¯t know if I want to go anywhere with this maniac.¡± Erik shifted his eyes to Sassy, causing her to turn shades of red again, as she looked down from his gaze. ¡°I got you back to your people without being injured, didn¡¯t I? Besides, I may have use of your magical aptitude. I never did pick up any magical ability in my years of travel.¡± Erik said to her. ¡°Got me back without being injured? You almost gave me a heart attack weaving through all that traffic on that death machine of yours.¡± Sassy shot back at him. ¡°Yes, well, I do apologize for scaring you. I was doing my best to make sure we weren¡¯t being followed. I didn¡¯t mean to scare you half to death.¡± Erik said sincerely, stunning Sassy. She turned a deeper shade of red, and when she spoke, it came out as just barely above a whisper. ¡°Yes, well, you should apologize.¡± She hesitated for a moment before continuing. ¡°If you promise to not do it anymore, then I will consider assisting you.¡± She said with a bit more conviction. Erik stared at her for a long moment before replying. ¡°Fine, I can make that promise. We probably should not use my bike anymore anyway. It does sort of stick out, even in this city.¡± Margrave interrupted at this moment. ¡°We can provide accommodations for yourself and anything you need to keep. We have an area that is apart from the rest of our little group here ready for you. Your residence is being watched closely. It may be better for you to stay here for the time being, so as to not cause unnecessary risk to your belongings, and the other residents of the complex you reside in.¡± Erik nodded in agreement. ¡°Of course. They have no reason to be dragged into this conflict without cause. I will stay here until we can resolve this issue.¡± Margrave seemed to be excited by his response. ¡°Excellent, Sassy can show you where we have made arraignments for you. Sassy, if you would please show Mr. Ulfvaldr to the room we prepared for him.¡± Sassy made a face in disgust, but nodded her head. ¡°Sure Pops, I can do that. If you¡¯d follow me in this direction, I¡¯ll show you around a bit as well.¡± Erik followed Sassy in the direction she had indicated.


    ¡°Through here is what we call the common area. It holds our kitchen, entertainment for the younger ones that have been forced into residence here, a sleeping area for the majority of our people here, as well as a meeting location for any discussion between anyone who wishes to be involved.¡± Sassy spoke as she indicated another set of double doors, similar to those that would lead to a school gymnasium. ¡°Off to the left of the common room is the section of rooms we have for the families that are still together.¡± Sassy said with a tinge of sadness in her words. ¡°Not all of them have made it. Some of the children we have here have no one but us.¡± Sassy turned to indicate another room close to the common room. ¡°That is our mismatch of an armory we have. I¡¯m sure Margrave will give you free reign over whatever you need there.¡± Sassy said to Erik. ¡°I have very little use for the weapons of war that humans use.¡± Erik snorted his reply. ¡°Nonetheless, you have the option.¡± Sassy replied with an eye-roll that Erik couldn¡¯t see. ¡°And down at the far end of this hall will be your room. Margrave insisted that you be provided your own private quarters, although for what reason I have no clue.¡± Sassy said, a slight bit of anger behind her words. Erik looked at her, his red eyes almost staring into her soul. ¡°You don¡¯t think that I deserve my privacy?¡± Sassy raised an eye at him. ¡°We are basically one big family here. Every single creature here has been subjected to one horror or another at the hands of those monsters. We all rely on each other, and every one of us has laid our lives on the line for each other. It seems like Margrave believes that you are some sort of savior to deliver us from this hell that has become our city. A lot of us have been fighting this battle for years, and we¡¯re supposed to just blindly put our faith behind someone we know nothing about? I personally just find it hard to believe you are what Margrave says you are.¡± With that, Sassy turned and stalked off toward the common area, leaving Erik alone. ¡®Well, I¡¯ll give her this; she definitely has more backbone than I first gave her credit for.¡¯ Erik thought out loud. ¡®Yes, she does have fire. It¡¯s easy to see why she was trusted to retrieve you.¡¯ Alastair commented. Erik grunted in reply, and turned to enter the room that had been set aside for him.


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    After about an hour, Sassy returned to notify Erik that Margrave would like to speak to him. She entered his room without knocking, and began speaking. ¡°Margrave would like¡­..¡± She suddenly trailed off when she realized she was staring at Erik¡¯s shirtless back. She noticed a strange looking symbol seemingly branded into his skin before he turned to look at her. ¡°I see among the other traits you possess, not respecting privacy is one of them.¡± Erik said as he toweled off his still wet hair. Sassy turned multiple shades of red before averting her eyes from his naked upper body. ¡°S-sorry I-I was sent to let you know that Margrave would like to speak to you when you have a moment.¡± She stuttered out, clearly embarrassed at the situation. ¡°He wants to introduce you to some of the other creatures who provide assistance here.¡± Sassy continued to look everywhere but Erik¡¯s face as she spoke. Erik walked across the room, grabbing his shirt off the bed and slipping it on. ¡°I¡¯m ready whenever he is.¡± ¡°Well everyone is waiting in the common room for us.¡± Sassy stepped back out of the room, her face still slightly red from embarrassment. Erik walked out of the room, closing his door behind him. Sassy glanced at Erik as they walked. ¡°Um, if you don¡¯t mind my asking¡­..¡± Sassy started. ¡°You saw the mark on my shoulder?¡± Erik cut her off, knowing that she had spotted it when she barged into his room. Her face turned red again and she refused to make eye contact with him. ¡°Um, yes, I did catch a glimpse of it. What is it?¡± She asked. ¡°That is a story for a different time. It''s something that I don¡¯t like to speak of.¡± Erik said, with a hint of rage and sadness in his words. Sassy was a little surprised at the tone in his voice. She kept silent, letting the question in her mind die. They walked in silence until they reached the doors for the common room. Sassy stepped in, Erik right behind her, and they made their way to the group of creatures standing near the front of the room. Margrave spotted the pair, and waved his hand toward them. ¡°Folks, this is Erik Ulfvaldr. We are going to work together to try and bring an end to the threat that faces us all. Erik, I¡¯d like to introduce you to a few of those that make up our little group. Firstly, this is Hovrud.¡± He waved his hand towards a small creature, a dwarf Erik told himself, covered in grease and wearing thick gloves. ¡°Hovrud handles our armory. Anything you need, you can find there. I suggest you arm yourself with some sort of weapon. The men who attacked you may have only been armed with clubs, but that doesn¡¯t mean all of our enemies will be.¡± ¡°Aye, I can get ya set up with just about anything ya want. Just swing by whenever ya feel the need to and let me know what ya poison is.¡± Hovrud said, clearly excited at the prospect of putting his skills to work. Margrave pointed at another creature wearing an apron, with straw colored hair all about. ¡°This is Lyndra. She runs our kitchen, as well as serves as sort of an unofficial den mother for all of us. She keeps you well fed, as well as taking care of any injuries you might accrue throughout the various conflicts you might find yourself in.¡± Lyndra wiped her hands on her apron before taking Erik¡¯s offered hand. ¡°Pleasure to meet you sir ¨²lfabl¨®e. Always nice to meet another wolf. We shall have to speak soon about our homeland.¡± Erik nodded. ¡°The pleasure is all mine Lyndra.¡± Margrave pulled Erik¡¯s attention back to him. ¡°We won¡¯t sit here and go through every single person here. You¡¯ll meet most of them as you venture around our compound. Lyndra very nearly has dinner ready for everyone, so we shall speak more at length after we have all had a chance to eat.¡± Margrave walked off, as a slender creature ran up to Sassy, ¡°Oh Sas, I¡¯m so glad you made it back safely!¡± the stranger exclaimed. ¡°Erik, this is Saphielle. We have been best friends for as long as either of us can remember, since we were both young.¡± Erik nodded at the elf. ¡°Nice to meet you Saphielle. You seem to have a more pleasant disposition than your friend here.¡± Erik said, his eyes showing a slight glint of humor in them. Sassy huffed, while Saphielle giggled. ¡°My disposition is only rotten because I have to deal with you.¡± Sassy spouted. Erik grinned slightly. ¡°Well ladies, I think Lyndra is serving dinner to everyone. Go grab a bite.¡± Erik turned and walked off before Sassy could retort in any way. ¡°Wow, he¡¯s so¡­¡­mysterious.¡± Saphielle said to Sassy. ¡°He¡¯s an ass is what he is. So full of himself, so insufferable so..so¡­.what are you laughing about?¡± Sassy growled at Saphielle as the elf started laughing. ¡°Oh, nothing. Absolutely nothing at all.¡± Saphielle replied. ¡°Whatever you say weirdo.¡± Sassy said before walking off.

 The Wolfs Pain

    The room behind the door held various different computers, monitors, tables, and other assorted furniture strewn around the interior of it. Sitting in a chair amongst the mismatch of computers and monitors was a being that seemed more dead than alive. Erik recognized the creature as a seer, a non-human that possessed the ability to use a neural connection, a sort of mind control, to control animals, and have them do its bidding. This one, though, seemed to have modernized, using technology to achieve what animals couldn¡¯t do in this concrete jungle. ¡°Margrave I assume?¡± He asked Sassy. Margrave turned to address the voice that spoke. ¡°You would be correct Erik Ulfvaldr, ¨²lfabl¨®e. I am Margrave. You have also correctly assumed that I am a seer, although my creatures are these computers, gathering information for me.¡± Margrave stood, with physical ability that didn¡¯t seem possible for the death-like way his body looked. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you Wolf-Leader. I am happy to see that Sassy has returned to us unharmed, thanks to you I¡¯m sure.¡± Sassy scoffed as Erik took the offered hand, shaking Margrave¡¯s hand. ¡°Almost killed me on that damned bike is what he did.¡± Sassy muttered under her breath. Margrave chuckled at that, and addressed Erik. ¡°I¡¯m sure Sassy has informed you of why we sought you out.¡± Erik nodded. ¡°For the most part. I¡¯m still not convinced as to why I need your help for anything. I can certainly handle myself.¡± Margrave had to laugh at the audacity of the man standing before him. ¡°I¡¯m sure you certainly can. Think of this as a partnership of convenience rather than you needing us. We may be a small group, but we have access to things that might be slightly out of your reach as an individual.¡± Erik processed this information before speaking, his interest piqued. ¡°Items such as¡­.?¡± He trailed off in question. ¡°Items that would enhance your already considerable skills. Weapons, technology, the works. Think of us as your support party. We will not interfere with how you decide to handle those who attacked you. All we shall do is provide intel, supplies, and anything else you will need in your quest to rid the city of those who are a danger to our kind.¡± Margrave opened his hands in a gesture of what Erik perceived as welcome. ¡°Our entire organization is available to you for whatever you shall need. Sassy will be your contact in our group, and, if you are open to it, will join you on your endeavor.¡± Margrave finished, staring at the pair with his blank, white eyes. Sassy began sputtering from behind Erik. ¡°Now wait a second, what do you mean join him? I was only supposed to retrieve him, I don¡¯t know if I want to go anywhere with this maniac.¡± Erik shifted his eyes to Sassy, causing her to turn shades of red again, as she looked down from his gaze. ¡°I got you back to your people without being injured, didn¡¯t I? Besides, I may have use of your magical aptitude. I never did pick up any magical ability in my years of travel.¡± Erik said to her. ¡°Got me back without being injured? You almost gave me a heart attack weaving through all that traffic on that death machine of yours.¡± Sassy shot back at him. ¡°Yes, well, I do apologize for scaring you. I was doing my best to make sure we weren¡¯t being followed. I didn¡¯t mean to scare you half to death.¡± Erik said sincerely, stunning Sassy. She turned a deeper shade of red, and when she spoke, it came out as just barely above a whisper. ¡°Yes, well, you should apologize.¡± She hesitated for a moment before continuing. ¡°If you promise to not do it anymore, then I will consider assisting you.¡± She said with a bit more conviction. Erik stared at her for a long moment before replying. ¡°Fine, I can make that promise. We probably should not use my bike anymore anyway. It does sort of stick out, even in this city.¡± Margrave interrupted at this moment. ¡°We can provide accommodations for yourself and anything you need to keep. We have an area that is apart from the rest of our little group here ready for you. Your residence is being watched closely. It may be better for you to stay here for the time being, so as to not cause unnecessary risk to your belongings, and the other residents of the complex you reside in.¡± Erik nodded in agreement. ¡°Of course. They have no reason to be dragged into this conflict without cause. I will stay here until we can resolve this issue.¡± Margrave seemed to be excited by his response. ¡°Excellent, Sassy can show you where we have made arraignments for you. Sassy, if you would please show Mr. Ulfvaldr to the room we prepared for him.¡± Sassy made a face in disgust, but nodded her head. ¡°Sure Pops, I can do that. If you¡¯d follow me in this direction, I¡¯ll show you around a bit as well.¡± Erik followed Sassy in the direction she had indicated.


    ¡°Through here is what we call the common area. It holds our kitchen, entertainment for the younger ones that have been forced into residence here, a sleeping area for the majority of our people here, as well as a meeting location for any discussion between anyone who wishes to be involved.¡± Sassy spoke as she indicated another set of double doors, similar to those that would lead to a school gymnasium. ¡°Off to the left of the common room is the section of rooms we have for the families that are still together.¡± Sassy said with a tinge of sadness in her words. ¡°Not all of them have made it. Some of the children we have here have no one but us.¡± Sassy turned to indicate another room close to the common room. ¡°That is our mismatch of an armory we have. I¡¯m sure Margrave will give you free reign over whatever you need there.¡± Sassy said to Erik. ¡°I have very little use for the weapons of war that humans use.¡± Erik snorted his reply. ¡°Nonetheless, you have the option.¡± Sassy replied with an eye-roll that Erik couldn¡¯t see. ¡°And down at the far end of this hall will be your room. Margrave insisted that you be provided your own private quarters, although for what reason I have no clue.¡± Sassy said, a slight bit of anger behind her words. Erik looked at her, his red eyes almost staring into her soul. ¡°You don¡¯t think that I deserve my privacy?¡± Sassy raised an eye at him. ¡°We are basically one big family here. Every single creature here has been subjected to one horror or another at the hands of those monsters. We all rely on each other, and every one of us has laid our lives on the line for each other. It seems like Margrave believes that you are some sort of savior to deliver us from this hell that has become our city. A lot of us have been fighting this battle for years, and we¡¯re supposed to just blindly put our faith behind someone we know nothing about? I personally just find it hard to believe you are what Margrave says you are.¡± With that, Sassy turned and stalked off toward the common area, leaving Erik alone. ¡®Well, I¡¯ll give her this; she definitely has more backbone than I first gave her credit for.¡¯ Erik thought out loud. ¡®Yes, she does have fire. It¡¯s easy to see why she was trusted to retrieve you.¡¯ Alastair commented. Erik grunted in reply, and turned to enter the room that had been set aside for him.


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    After about an hour, Sassy returned to notify Erik that Margrave would like to speak to him. She entered his room without knocking, and began speaking. ¡°Margrave would like¡­..¡± She suddenly trailed off when she realized she was staring at Erik¡¯s shirtless back. She noticed a strange looking symbol seemingly branded into his skin before he turned to look at her. ¡°I see among the other traits you possess, not respecting privacy is one of them.¡± Erik said as he toweled off his still wet hair. Sassy turned multiple shades of red before averting her eyes from his naked upper body. ¡°S-sorry I-I was sent to let you know that Margrave would like to speak to you when you have a moment.¡± She stuttered out, clearly embarrassed at the situation. ¡°He wants to introduce you to some of the other creatures who provide assistance here.¡± Sassy continued to look everywhere but Erik¡¯s face as she spoke. Erik walked across the room, grabbing his shirt off the bed and slipping it on. ¡°I¡¯m ready whenever he is.¡± ¡°Well everyone is waiting in the common room for us.¡± Sassy stepped back out of the room, her face still slightly red from embarrassment. Erik walked out of the room, closing his door behind him. Sassy glanced at Erik as they walked. ¡°Um, if you don¡¯t mind my asking¡­..¡± Sassy started. ¡°You saw the mark on my shoulder?¡± Erik cut her off, knowing that she had spotted it when she barged into his room. Her face turned red again and she refused to make eye contact with him. ¡°Um, yes, I did catch a glimpse of it. What is it?¡± She asked. ¡°That is a story for a different time. It''s something that I don¡¯t like to speak of.¡± Erik said, with a hint of rage and sadness in his words. Sassy was a little surprised at the tone in his voice. She kept silent, letting the question in her mind die. They walked in silence until they reached the doors for the common room. Sassy stepped in, Erik right behind her, and they made their way to the group of creatures standing near the front of the room. Margrave spotted the pair, and waved his hand toward them. ¡°Folks, this is Erik Ulfvaldr. We are going to work together to try and bring an end to the threat that faces us all. Erik, I¡¯d like to introduce you to a few of those that make up our little group. Firstly, this is Hovrud.¡± He waved his hand towards a small creature, a dwarf Erik told himself, covered in grease and wearing thick gloves. ¡°Hovrud handles our armory. Anything you need, you can find there. I suggest you arm yourself with some sort of weapon. The men who attacked you may have only been armed with clubs, but that doesn¡¯t mean all of our enemies will be.¡± ¡°Aye, I can get ya set up with just about anything ya want. Just swing by whenever ya feel the need to and let me know what ya poison is.¡± Hovrud said, clearly excited at the prospect of putting his skills to work. Margrave pointed at another creature wearing an apron, with straw colored hair all about. ¡°This is Lyndra. She runs our kitchen, as well as serves as sort of an unofficial den mother for all of us. She keeps you well fed, as well as taking care of any injuries you might accrue throughout the various conflicts you might find yourself in.¡± Lyndra wiped her hands on her apron before taking Erik¡¯s offered hand. ¡°Pleasure to meet you sir ¨²lfabl¨®e. Always nice to meet another wolf. We shall have to speak soon about our homeland.¡± Erik nodded. ¡°The pleasure is all mine Lyndra.¡± Margrave pulled Erik¡¯s attention back to him. ¡°We won¡¯t sit here and go through every single person here. You¡¯ll meet most of them as you venture around our compound. Lyndra very nearly has dinner ready for everyone, so we shall speak more at length after we have all had a chance to eat.¡± Margrave walked off, as a slender creature ran up to Sassy, ¡°Oh Sas, I¡¯m so glad you made it back safely!¡± the stranger exclaimed. ¡°Erik, this is Saphielle. We have been best friends for as long as either of us can remember, since we were both young.¡± Erik nodded at the elf. ¡°Nice to meet you Saphielle. You seem to have a more pleasant disposition than your friend here.¡± Erik said, his eyes showing a slight glint of humor in them. Sassy huffed, while Saphielle giggled. ¡°My disposition is only rotten because I have to deal with you.¡± Sassy spouted. Erik grinned slightly. ¡°Well ladies, I think Lyndra is serving dinner to everyone. Go grab a bite.¡± Erik turned and walked off before Sassy could retort in any way. ¡°Wow, he¡¯s so¡­¡­mysterious.¡± Saphielle said to Sassy. ¡°He¡¯s an ass is what he is. So full of himself, so insufferable so..so¡­.what are you laughing about?¡± Sassy growled at Saphielle as the elf started laughing. ¡°Oh, nothing. Absolutely nothing at all.¡± Saphielle replied. ¡°Whatever you say weirdo.¡± Sassy said before walking off.

 The Incubus Mark

    Erik spent a week preparing himself and Sassy to combat the forces they would soon face. During that time, Erik was pleasantly surprised at Sassy¡¯s grasp of magical combat. ¡®Well, at least she seems to be able to hold her own for the most part. We''ll see how she handles herself when shit hits the fan though.¡¯ Erik thought. Alastair remained silent, and Erik took notice of this. ¡®What the hell is wrong with you. No snarky comebacks, no doomsaying, no taunting. You''ve been like this for the last week now. Very much unlike yourself.¡¯ Alastair ignored him. ¡®You can''t ignore me forever, and you can''t hide this shit from me forever. Eventually, you''ll have to tell me what''s going on.¡¯ Alastair finally spoke up. ¡®You and I need to have a conversation. Something has come up.¡¯ Erik took this seriously, as Alastair has never acted this way. ¡®And the girl needs to be included. We have things to discuss with her as well.¡¯ Erik''s eyes shifted to Sassy, who was practicing to maintain control of a higher level spell than she was used to. ¡®Is it that serious that we have to reveal intimate details of our life to someone we know very little about?¡¯ Erik thought. ¡®To put it bluntly, deadly serious. It''s a bit of an unexpected side effect of our bond, but she has to know.¡¯ Erik sighed to himself. ¡®Fine. I have an inkling of what it is you are talking about. I''ll ask her to speak with me later tonight, and then we will discuss this further then. For now, go back to being your surly self.¡¯ Alastair grumbled to himself, but didn''t retort. Erik watched as Sassy finally released the casting of the spell, and then walked over to her. ¡°I have something vitally important I need to discuss with you Sassy.¡± She looked at him, slightly out of breath from the spell channeling. ¡°Um, okay. What is it?¡± ¡°It''s not something I wish to discuss in front of others. After supper tonight, please visit me in my quarters. I don''t want anyone else coming with you.¡± Erik turned and walked off, leaving Sassy clueless and stunned.


    Later that evening, after everyone had eaten and retired for the evening, Sassy knocked softly on Erik''s door, slightly nervous as to what it was that was so important that Erik had requested to speak to her in private. The door opened, and Erik stepped out, tucking a pistol he had acquired from the armory into his waistband, letting the back of his shirt fall over it, concealing it from view. Sassy watched the movement, eyes wide. ¡°Don''t worry, it''s only for emergencies. Follow me, we''re going to do a patrol of the area, and then we will discuss what needs to be discussed.¡± Sassy nodded, and silently followed behind him. They made their way up the hidden stairs, and eventually stepped out into the cool evening. It was almost pitch black outside, and they both moved silently, eyes watching the darkness carefully for any unwelcome visitors. They followed a patrol route that had been determined by Erik, and ended up several blocks away from the hidden entrance of the underground base. Finally, after almost an hour into the patrol route, Erik stopped, and turned to Sassy. ¡°This will be a good enough place for a short discussion.¡± Sassy hopped up onto a short wall to sit, as Erik shifted around, listening for any nearby sounds. When he was satisfied that no one was going to interrupt them, he shifted his eyes to Sassy. ¡°What we are going to tell you doesn''t reach anyone else. This stays between us.¡± Sassy raised her eyes to meet his. ¡°What do you mean ¡®we¡¯? There''s only the two of us here.¡± Erik leaned back against the wall next to her. ¡°When I was young, much younger than I am now, I was the leader of a warrior clan that contained about seventy-five men, women, and children. We were self-sufficient, not needing to trade with others to survive. I was born ulfa blood, or wolf-blood, which is why I was given the title of Clan leader. I was named Erik Ulfvaldr, or wolf-leader. Due to my wolfblood, I was stronger, faster, and more deadly than any of the other warriors in my clan. I never sought battle like other clan leaders, but I was not afraid to fight, and fight viciously, to protect my own. Eventually, other clans learned to avoid us. Some made the claim that I was a descendant of one of Odin¡¯s wolves, and that made me somewhat special. I never paid any attention to these claims, but they were made nonetheless. After twenty years of prosperity and peace, my clan was targeted. My people started disappearing in the middle of the night, without a trace. I couldn''t even track them. I learned that a very old, very powerful cult was kidnapping my people, to lure me into their trap. They knew of me, and that I was a very powerful, very dangerous foe. I hunted them down, and managed to kill a few of them before they overpowered me. I was taken to their lair, as were the rest of my clan. Their leader told me they needed me for a ritual, and if I didn''t cooperate, they were going to slaughter everyone I held dear to me. I agreed to be a part of his ritual. They were attempting to summon a powerful demon lord, an Incubus by the name of Alastair, and they wanted my body as the vessel for the demon. Something went wrong with the ritual though. As far as I can tell, they didn''t account for me being wolfblood. The next thing I remember was waking up, covered in blood. The lair of the cult was littered with bodies. Bodies everywhere. Bodies of cult members, as well as the bodies of my people. When the ritual malfunctioned it caused the two of us to be bonded, fused into one singular being, who then went on a rampage. We slaughtered everything within reach. Men, women, children, all dead.¡± Erik stopped for a moment, rage, hate, and sadness etched in his face. Sassy placed a hand on his shoulder. Erik continued with his story. ¡°With the botched ritual, I became bound to the demon, his symbol seared into my skin. The bonding created complications. We have yet to figure out a way to separate from each other. We have to coexist to stay alive. There was conflict, at first. We learned to live with each other.¡± Sassy felt sadness at his story. She looked at him. ¡°Why are you telling me all of this? This doesn''t seem like something that is easy for you to talk about.¡± Erik shifted his eyes to her. They were slightly damp with the painful memories that had been drug up. ¡°One of the complications of being bound to Alastair, the demon, is that some wires got crossed. My eyes turned red, I am virtually immortal, and I don''t get tired, or grow hungry. On the other hand, Alastair has inherited some of my qualities. One of those is what we call imprinting. When a wolfblood meets their mate, they imprint on each other. Usually this only happens between two wolfbloods, but in very special circumstances, it can happen with other creatures. In this case, with things being crossed, it happened. The reason that we''ve been drawn to each other is Alastair, and by extension myself, has imprinted on you. He''s become bonded to you in a way that makes it impossible for either him or myself to ignore. The longer we are around you, the stronger it becomes. For now, whatever magical ability you have is fending it off from your side, for now. It''s shielding you from it. Eventually though, it will become overwhelming, and you will begin feeling the effects as well. The longer we are together, and the closer we are, the more overwhelming it will become.¡± Erik finished his statement to a shocked Sassy. ¡°Hold on, what do you mean imprinting?¡± Erik took a deep breath before explaining. ¡°Imprinting is something that happens with mates. They bond. Not the same type of bond that Alastair and I were forced into mind you, but a bond nonetheless. There is a limited connection. Emotions, certain other feelings, things like that. It becomes shared.¡± Sassy looked down at the ground, speechless. Erik stood there, letting her process all of this information. He gave her some time, waiting for her to speak. When she finally did, her voice came out almost at a whisper. ¡°So ... .so what does this mean? Does this mean that we''re stuck together?¡± She finally looked at him. ¡°Um, I mean¡­..that sounded worse than I meant it to sound.¡± Erik smiled a little bit. ¡°I know what you meant, and no, it doesn''t mean that. From this moment on, you have a choice to make. A choice I am not going to force on you.¡± ¡°What choice do you mean?¡± Erik took another deep breath before proceeding. ¡°Well you can do one of two things. You can forget about all of this. The entire conversation never happened, and you know nothing about it. We continue on how we were, take care of this little problem in front of us, and I do my best to avoid being in proximity to you, so as to not force the feelings that come with this on you.¡± Sassy listened closely, contemplating. ¡°The second option is, you embrace what this connection means. Not fully, all at once. Bit by bit, we can teach you what you need to know.¡± For the first time since she met him, Sassy saw hesitation in what Erik was going to say. ¡°Sassy, I''m not going to lie to you. The last week, things have been developing. I''ve had to reevaluate exactly what I think of you, and how I feel about you. But, I''ve been alive long enough to know how to separate my feelings from getting the job done. This decision is totally yours to make, and I don''t expect you to make it right now. But, you deserve to be informed enough to make the decision properly.¡± Erik glanced at Sassy, trying to read what was on her face. What he saw startled him. Erik expected anger, or fear, or something other than what he did see. ¡°Sassy, is your face red from embarrassment? What are you embarrassed about?¡± Sassy looked up at him, her face turning an even brighter shade of red. ¡°Fucking Saphielle was right, and I absolutely hate her for it.¡± For the first time since they had met, Erik had to laugh. ¡°I understand now why she''s been laughing every time I see her. Now that I''m in on the joke, I see the humor in it.¡± Sassy looked up at Erik, and the two shared a moment of understanding with each other, before Erik spoke. ¡°So, there you have it Sassy. Everything is out in the open. It''s your decision to make. I''ve already told you I won''t force you into anything.¡± Sassy was lost in thought for a few moments. Erik watched her closely, wondering what she was thinking. Suddenly, Sassy leaned close to Erik, kissing him softly on the lips. When she didn''t pull back from him, Erik leaned into her, kissing her back, keeping his lips pressed to hers. They both withdrew slightly, but kept close to each other. Sassy was the first to speak. ¡°Um, well, I''d say that answers your question, doesn''t it?¡± Erik laughed softly. ¡°Yes, yes it does. I''m sure you have a lot of questions. I promise I''ll answer them when the time comes. For now, we need to get back to the compound. We have been gone for too long.¡± Erik wrapped his arms around her waist, and helped her down from the wall. They started back toward the compound, hand in hand as they walked.


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 The Shifters Decision

    Erik and Sassy arrived back at the compound, eyes shifting back and forth across the shadows, closely watching for any threats in the darkness. When they were both satisfied that they were alone, they opened the hidden door to the staircase that would lead them underground, into the compound that housed their people. As they walked deeper into the underground, Erik hesitated slightly. ¡®This girl doesn''t know what she''s getting herself into with all of this. I think we should spare some of the problems that will arise, and keep this as professional as possible when we aren''t alone.¡¯ Erik thought to Alastair. Before Alastair had a chance to answer, Sassy interrupted the two of them. ¡°Is something wrong Erik?¡± She asked, a puzzled look upon her face. Erik looked at her closely before replying. ¡°Sassy, I think we should try to maintain some sort of professionalism around everyone. I''m not sure if anyone would understand this relationship as easily as you do.¡± Sassy¡¯s stubbornness reared its head. ¡°Why should we hide it? We are both adults, we can both make our own decisions.¡± Erik sighed. ¡®She is right you know.¡¯ Alastair offered. ¡®Adults we may be, but there are few centuries of difference in our age, not to mention none of these others know about the connection between the three of us.¡¯ Sassy poked Erik to get his attention. ¡°Hey, if you''re going to talk to him, the least you could do is speak out loud as well so I can keep up with the conversation.¡± Erik grinned slightly. ¡°Feeling left out, are we dear?¡± he teased. Sassy gave him a look that would''ve wilted flowers. ¡°If you''re concerned about our age difference, I don''t care. If I want to walk around holding your hand, then I''m going to. I don''t care what everyone else thinks.¡± Erik sighed again. ¡°It''s not just the age dear. There''s a lot of things that no one else knows or would understand.¡± Sassy fixed him with a determined look. ¡°No one will question us. Besides, all they know is that you are wolfblood. They don''t know anything more about you.¡± Erik thought hard for a moment before replying. ¡°Alright. If that''s how you feel, then fine. But, just expect a lot of weird looks either way.¡± Sassy nodded her head, before grabbing his hand again and walking with him down the corridor. ¡°Erik, um¡­..I would like to stay with you tonight. In your room. I don''t want to be apart from you.¡± Erik stopped dead in his tracks. ¡°I''m not sure if that would be wise. I''m still not entirely sure what would happen because of this imprinting. Things could¡­.escalate rather quickly.¡± Sassy stared at him through icy blue eyes. ¡°I''m not afraid of what could happen. I want to understand more about what this all means.¡± ¡°It''s not a matter of fear. It''s a matter of respect, among other things.¡± Sassy stepped closer, her voice low. ¡°Erik, I don''t mind being close with you. In any way that means. I want to be close with you.¡± Erik looked down at her, and leaned down and kissed her again. She leaned into him, kissing him back. His arms wrapped around her, as he continued to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around his waist, getting as close to him as she could. They lost themselves in each for a moment before Erik regained control of himself and pulled back. ¡°Sassy dear, this is neither the time nor place for this. If you insist on staying with me tonight, then I will accommodate you in my quarters. Tomorrow, if you insist on staying, then we can move your stuff into my quarters.¡± Sassy composed herself before replying. ¡°This is what I want. YOU are what I want.¡± Erik nodded. ¡°Okay. Then there is something that I need to do.¡± Erik led her to his quarters, and closed the door behind them. ¡°I would like to share something with you. Alastair and I share this link that allows us to communicate with each other. We have discussed it, and being as you are now involved, we would like to share this link with you, if you want it. You need to think very hard about this. We will be linked. We will know each other intimately. Feelings, thoughts, everything.¡± Sassy sat quietly in thought. She finally spoke. ¡°I said I wanted everything. I understand that this is a very, very big step, but I am ready for it. There''s nothing I want more than to be connected to you. Both of you.¡± She reached out for Erik''s hand. ¡°I want to learn everything there is to learn, and I can''t think of a better way to do so.¡± Erik squeezed her hand. ¡°The connection will be intense at first. It will be very hard to sort your own thoughts out at times. Alastair and I will help with that by maintaining discipline over our own thoughts until you can control and divide up what''s your own.¡± Sassy nodded her head in understanding. Erik led her over to the bed, sitting on the edge of it. ¡°I will need some time to prepare the ritual to bind you to us. In the meantime, I suggest you practice meditation. That will be one of the easiest ways to separate yourself from us.¡± Erik sat crossed legged on the bed, and Sassy wiggled into his lap. ¡°Deep breathing is one of the best ways to meditate. It allows you to breathe in control, and breathe out the problems that are bothering you.¡± He led Sassy in some breathing exercises, showing her how to best maintain control over herself. As they say there, Erik wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to his chest. She blushed slightly, hearing his heart beating in his chest and his slow breathing. She leaned back into him, the bulk of his body making her feel safe and secure. She could feel his breath in her ear, sending chills down her spine. She looked up at him. ¡°Being here, in your arms, I feel so safe. I feel like all of our problems are gone.¡± She turned to face him, remaining in his lap. He leaned down to her, pressing his lips to hers. She returns the kiss, feeling the warmth of his body enveloping her. Her fingers started working at the buttons of his shirt, undoing them while being lost on the feeling of his lips on hers. She finally undid the last of the buttons, and pushed his shirt off, running her hands along his chest, feeling the scars of many lifetimes lived. His hands wandered to her waist, and began pushing her shirt up. The two broke lip contact long enough for him to pull her shirt off over her head, and then they returned to kissing each other. He began kissing her neck, inhaling the scent of her into him. Sassy gasps slightly, the warmth of his lips making her skin tingle where they touched. Her fingers ran through Erik''s hair, gasping and moaning at the feeling of his lips on her neck and collarbone. She buried her face into his chest, breathing in his intoxicating scent, feeling his fingers trace down her spine. She kissed one of the scars on his chest, while his hands explored her waist, moving up her body until he got to her chest. He teased her nipples with his fingertips, eliciting another moan from her lips, her body tingling with the sensations she felt at his touch. Her fingers fumbled at his waist, the pleasure she felt making it difficult to focus on the belt there. Suddenly, he lifted her, rolling her gently onto the soft sheets of the bed. Erik halted for just a moment to allow her to finish working his belt undone, and then pushed his pants off onto the floor. She could feel his cock through the underwear he wore. Erik began working her own pants off of her, sliding them off onto the floor to join his own there, a moment before he tossed his underwear off as well. Both Erik and Sassy took a moment to admire each other. Erik leaned down over her, kissing her while her hands slid downward to his cock. She had experienced being with someone before, as had Erik, but they took their time and explored each other''s bodies, Sassy feeling Erik''s thickness, Erik feeling Sassy''s wetness. They both moaned, feeling each other''s fingers touch their most intimate parts. Sassy sat up and whispered into Rick''s ear, ¡°I need you inside of me. I need to feel you.¡± Erik positioned himself right at her entrance. ¡°Are you sure this is what you want?¡± Erik asked her. In response, Sassy pulled him closer, sliding his cock into her slowly. She moaned at the feeling of him filling her up, and they laid there for a moment. ¡°Slowly there wolfman. This may not be my first time, but you still need to be easy on me.¡± Erik nodded and slowly thrust his hips into hers. They both moaned and panted, settling into a slow, steady rhythm, bodies intertwined with each other. Sassy approached her first orgasm, the slow steady thrusts pushing her closer and closer. She gripped his shoulders tightly, moaning and panting as her orgasm came, riding through it with her face buried on Erik''s shoulder. After she finally recovered, she spoke to Erik. Looking directly in his eyes. ¡°Erik, I want you to cum to. I¡­..I want you to come inside of me. It''s safe right now. Please, would you cum for me?¡± She asked him. ¡°If you''re sure Sassy.¡± She nodded, and he started thrusting again, slightly faster than before, pushing himself closer to his own orgasm. Sassy could feel herself coming close to another orgasm of her own. ¡°I''m gonna cum again baby. Cum with me, let''s cum together.¡± Erik felt himself getting ready to cum, and thrust deeper into Sassy, panting hard. Sassy felt herself cumming, as Erik had his own orgasm, cumming deep inside of her, filling her up as they both finished together. They lay there, panting and sweating from the vigorous activity they had just engaged in. Erik slid off to the side, sprawling in the bed, while Sassy slid close to him, laying her head on his chest, Erik wrapping her in his arms. ¡°That was something else.¡± She said to him, while trying to catch her breath. ¡°Yes, it definitely was.¡± Erik agreed, out of breath himself. They both lay there for a moment, enjoying the closeness and comfort of each other. Sassy was the first to speak. ¡°Erik, sweety, I have been thinking about nothing but us since we spoke earlier. There''s been some sort of connection between us since that first moment you opened your door to me. I think from that moment, I fell for you already. I love you, Erik, and I don''t want anything else but you.¡± Erik lay there for a moment processing. ¡°Yeah, I know what you mean. You interested me from that first moment. You were afraid, sure, but you didn''t back down from doing what you needed. There has always been a closeness from that first moment. I love you Sassy.¡± They wrapped themselves around each other, and slowly drifted off to sleep.


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 The Next Day

    A loud pounding on Erik''s door awoke the both of them out of a deep sleep. ¡°Erik! Wake up! Sassy didn''t come back from patrol last night. Erik we need to¡­¡­.¡± Saphielle burst through his door, stopping short at the sight of Sassy wrapped in Erik''s arms. She looked dumbfounded for a moment before a massive grin split her face. ¡°Oh my God are you two¡­.?!¡± She half shouted before Sassy shushed her down. ¡°Saphielle hush! Keep your voice down, we don''t need everyone to know!¡± ¡°But you two¡­.!¡± Saphielle started again before Erik froze her with a look. ¡°Saphielle, if you absolutely need to know, then quiet down, step in here, and close the damn door.¡± He growled at her. Saphielle quickly did what he said, then spoke to them, much quieter than before. ¡°Oh my Gods I can''t believe the two of you hooked up like this. What were you thinking?¡± Erik spoke first, as Sassy had buried her embarrassed face in the covers. ¡°Saphielle, everything is fine. We spoke a lot yesterday, and last night, and came to a decision between the two of us. We ask that decision be respected, and that there isn''t a big fuss created by it.¡± Saphielle shook her head. ¡°No, not a big fuss. More surprise and shock. The way you two spoke to each other, you made it seem to everyone you couldn''t stand each other. Of course, I knew better, but I just know these things.¡± Saphielle giggled, and Sassy turned even more red. Erik patted her on the head. ¡°We would still appreciate it if you wouldn''t make a big deal of this. It''s already going to be hard enough on Sassy to have to deal with everyone gawking at her, I think she''ll need her friend to be understanding at the least.¡± Saphielle nodded her head in agreement. ¡°I won''t give her any shit over it. So does this mean you two are official?¡± Saphielle giggled again. Erik looked to Sassy. ¡°That is entirely her decision. I am not forcing anything on her whatsoever.¡± Sassy tried to speak, but all that came out was a little squeak. Erik and Saphielle had to laugh at that, while Sassy glared at them. ¡°It''s not funny you two. Of course this means it''s an official thing. Why the hell would I have slept with you if it wasn''t.¡± She lightly slapped Erik on his chest, which drew another laugh from him. Saphielle slid over toward the door, hand on the knob. ¡°Look, I''ll tell everyone that you both are in here practicing some sort of new spell or something and to not bother you for a bit. If I were the both of you, I''d get cleaned up and presentable before you join all of us. Mrs. Lyandra is almost done preparing breakfast.¡± She slid out of the door, closing it behind her.


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    Erik looked over at Sassy, still a little red from Saphielle walking in on them. ¡°So you told her you were going on a patrol, but not going out on patrol with me?¡± Erik teased her. Sassy grumbled her reply, hiding her face from him. Erik laughed, and then stood up out of bed. ¡°Come on dear. We should probably get you cleaned up. I have a shower you can use. Unfortunately, I have no clothes for you, but we can deal with that later. We''ll get some of your stuff moved in here.¡± Erik walked over to a door that was across the room, swinging it open for her. ¡°I would join you, but that would probably draw too much attention to us. I''ll clean up in the sink.¡± He walked back over to the bed, and leaned down, kissing her mouth. ¡°Now hop to it dear. People might start suspecting things if we take too long.¡± He walked over to the sink and began washing his face, while Sassy turned the shower on full blast, hopping into the hot water. The water felt amazing on her skin, washing away all of the tension and everything else from her body.

 The Build Up

    A knock on the door signaled to Sassy that Erik had found her some clothing. He poked his head in and spoke quietly. ¡°I managed to sneak into your room and grab you some clothing. Later tonight, you and I will gather up your things and move them into my quarters. How does that sound?¡± He asked, fully stepping into the shower room after peeking up and down the hallway, making sure no one was watching him. Sassy nodded her head in agreement, and shut the water off, stepping out of the shower, not being shy about displaying her nakedness to Erik. She saw his eyes flick up and down her naked body, taking in every inch of her, before he crossed the room to her, pulling her close to him. ¡°You are amazingly sexy Sass, and every inch of you belongs to me now. Do you understand?¡± He said to her, eyes piercing deep into her. She blushed red and nodded, unable to find her voice with the intensity he was displaying. Erik reached around behind him, grabbing a towel off the wall. He signaled to her to raise her arms, and she did, and he began drying her off himself. He worked his way down her body, wiping the water away from her, before tossing the wet towel on the floor. ¡°Now time to dress you Sassy. I hope you like what I picked out for you.¡± He turned and grabbed the clothing he had snuck out of her room earlier, and helped her dress herself. He had selected a crop shirt that showed off her taut stomach, and a pair of low rise shorts that showed off her hips and thighs. ¡°You just couldn¡¯t help picking out something sexy for me, could you?¡± Sassy teased, giggling. Erik looked into her eyes with the same intensity that he had earlier, and she suddenly found herself weak in the knees. ¡°Oh just you wait dear. I¡¯m taking you shopping later. If you think this stuff is sexy, then I can¡¯t wait to see your reaction to some of the clothing I plan to buy for you.¡± He smirked and turned to open the door, leaving her speechless for a moment. He peeked his head out the door, making sure no one was in the hall, and ushered her out, walking toward the common area where everyone else was currently. He looked at her for a moment before grabbing her hand, and continued walking toward the common area. The room suddenly went dead quiet when they entered together, and they were very aware of every eye discreetly on them, watching them walk through the room. They strolled together, hand on hand, over to the sitting area, and plopped down on the couch, Sassy leaned against his chest. Erik glanced around the room, then spoke up. ¡°You all act like you¡¯ve never seen two people together before. Go on about your business people.¡± The activity picked back up in the room, although the eyes around them were still glancing in their direction on occasion. They ignored all the eyes on them, enjoy each other''s company. Saphielle walked over and flopped down near them, a grin still planted firmly on her face. ¡°Well you two definitely know how to catch everyone¡¯s attention. No need to keep anything a secret anymore I guess.¡± Erik eyed her, a slight grin on his face. ¡°I would still appreciate it if you don¡¯t spread it around to everyone exactly how you found us this morning, for Sassy¡¯s sake. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s ready for everyone to know about that.¡± He grinned at Sassy as she blushed slightly. Saphielle giggled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that part a secret. How long before you move her into your quarters?¡± She asked, not expecting a serious answer. ¡°Oh, that will be happening later this evening.¡± Erik replied, shocking Saphielle. When she finally managed to regain her voice, she spoke in slightly more than a whisper. ¡°Are you serious? You think everyone is staring at you now, wait until they realize that she has moved in with you.¡± Erik shrugged his broad shoulders before replying. ¡°Oh well. It doesn¡¯t bother either of us. Let them stare and whisper amongst themselves, we have already talked it through and decided that is what we both wanted.¡± Sassy nodded her head in agreement, and Saphielle stared at both of them with wide eyes before standing up and walking away, muttering to herself. Sassy wasn¡¯t able to catch what she said, but Erik caught most of it, and chuckled at what she had said to herself. ¡°It seems like your friend there thinks I¡¯m some dirty old man. If only she knew.¡± He chuckled again and Sassy slapped his shoulder. ¡°Oh quiet you. We don¡¯t need anyone knowing about our extracurricular activities together. Besides, there are children about.¡± She watched as some of the children ran around, giggling. She smiled at them as they looked at her, and they ran on by, chasing each other around the room. ¡°Soon, little Sassy, we will have to go start gathering your things. Then, it will be off to town to do some shopping. I¡¯m sure we will need some more bedding, as my current bedding provides very little in the way of comfort.¡± He chuckled as he laid his arm across her shoulder in a protective way. She nodded her agreement. ¡°I want big, comfy blankets and soft, fluffy pillows to sleep on. You¡¯re stuff isn¡¯t very comfortable. You need a woman¡¯s touch.¡± She giggled as she teased him. He chuckled back and stood, dragging her up with him. ¡°Come on Sass. Let¡¯s go get your stuff moved in and go get some comfy bedding.¡± He slid his fingers into her hand, walking out of the common room toward her room.


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 The Rising Threat

    They returned from their shopping spree ladening with bags and dropped everything on the floor as they stepped into his room. They began the process of stripping his bed down and replacing the sheets and blankets with what they had just bought. After they were finished, Sassy flopped down on the bed, rolling around on the comfiness. ¡°Ahhh, finally, some comfy blankets.¡± She giggled, rolling onto her stomach and looking at him. He had a big grin on his face and chuckled a bit. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like them, Sass. They do look comfy.¡± He walked over and flopped down next to her, stretching out on his back, arms up behind his head. She slid over to him, laying her head on his chest. He smiled down at her, rubbing the top of her head. ¡°Well, you have made this space your own now Sass. The only thing left is to dig through all of the new clothes you got.¡± He smirked a little as she made a face at him. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll do that later. Right now, I want to enjoy being close to you.¡± She snuggled into him as he wrapped an arm around her. They laid there for a while, Erik rubbing her head, enjoying the closeness of each other. After a while Sassy raised her head, staring into his eyes. She moved herself to where she was straddling him, eyes still locked onto him. She leaned down and kissed him, hands rubbing his chest as she did. His hand slid down to her waist, pulling her body into his, their lips busy as they kissed. He rubbed her back with one hand, tracing her spine with his finger. She arched her back into him, moaning softly as his hand rubbed her back. She nibbled on his lip, causing him to groan slightly. He slid his hand up the back of her shirt, sliding his fingers up to her bra, and unhooked it. She pulled herself away from his lips long enough for him to slide her shirt off of her, chest bare in the cool air of the room. He slid his hand up her waist to her breast, rubbing a thumb over a nipple, bringing more moans from her lips. Her hands were busy trying to pull his own shirt off of him, and he raised himself slightly to allow her to slip his shirt off of his chest, baring his own chest for her. She ran her hands over the scars there as he continued to tease her nipples with his fingers and thumbs. She rocked her hips against his, feeling his hardness pressing into her. She leaned back down and kissed his lips again, while her fingers fumbled at his belt. She finally managed to undo the buckle and unbuttoned his jeans. He slipped one hand down to her waist, unbuttoning her pants as we. He stopped her long enough for them to slide their pants off, and she crawled back onto him, both of them now fully unclothed. He pulled her down to his lips, nibbling and softly biting them. She moaned into his mouth, and rocked her hips back again, feeling the hardness of his cock in between her legs. He nuzzled into her neck, kissing and sucking on it, leaving a slight mark there. He slid a hand down to her wetness, teasing her slightly, causing her to moan again. He continued to tease her as he kissed her neck, bringing more moans from her lips. ¡°Erik, stop teasing me. I need you inside of me. Please.¡± He smiled up at her and placed his hands around her waist. ¡°You are in control right now Sassy. If you want it, then take it.¡± She slid her hips back, feeling his cock press against her entrance. She slowly slid him inside of her, moaning as his cock filled her. She sat for a moment, feeling his thickness inside of her. She slowly started rocking her hips back and forth, sliding his length in and out of her, drawing moans and groans from both of them. She controlled their pace, moving frustratingly slow, teasing him with her pussy. ¡°Dammit Sassy, you¡¯re driving me crazy.¡± Erik groaned out. Sassy smiled wickedly at him. ¡°Well, you did give me control there, mister. If you don¡¯t like it, do something about it.¡± She raised her hips, almost all the way off of him. He growled at her and grabbed her hips. He swiftly flipped her, pinning her down on the bed, her legs wrapped around his waist. He stared down at her, causing her to blush. ¡°You thought teasing me would be a good idea?¡± He growled out, his cock still on slightly inside of her. She looked up at him, eyes wide. He suddenly thrust himself inside of her, bringing a moan of pleasure from her lips. He thrust himself in and out of her at a steady pace, groaning and growling as he did. She moaned from the pleasure coursing through her body as he continued to fuck her. She reached up and grabbed onto his shoulders, digging her fingers into his back, leaving scratches across his back. He growled at the scratches being left in his back. An orgasm shook her body, and he slowed his pace slightly as she rode her orgasm out. She looked up into his eyes and pulled him in for a kiss, biting his lip, drawing a bit of blood from him. He growled at her, and started fucking her again, pushing them both toward the end. He felt her body tense again as another orgasm hit her, and her body squeezing him finally pushed him over the edge as he filled her with his hot cum. He stayed inside of her for a few moments, both of them panting from the exertion. He finally rolled on to his side, pulling her into his chest, holding her closely. ¡°Damn Sassy, you sure know how to wear me out.¡± He chuckled. She giggled into his chest, still catching her breath. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I love how you make me feel.¡± She snuggled deeper into his arms, eyes already getting heavy and hard to keep open. ¡°Goodnight Sassy. I love you.¡± Erik whispered into her ear. ¡°Goodnight Erik. I love you.¡± She whispered back as she nodded off to sleep.


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 The Conflict Begins

    They were abruptly awoken the next morning by a firm, rapid knocking on the door. Erik jumped from the bed, pulling on clothing, while Sassy dashed into the adjoining bathroom, still naked. Erik flung the door open to see Margrave standing there, visibly pale and shaken.


    ¡°What is it, Margrave? You look like hell.¡± Erik demanded, eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Sorry to wake you, Erik, but we have a problem. Some of our people that were patrolling last night haven¡¯t reported back in. No sign of them anywhere.¡± Erik scowled at this information. ¡°What about comms, physical signs, anything like that.¡± He questioned. ¡°We haven¡¯t been able to find a single thing anywhere. Comms are completely dead, no signs of any type of struggle. They vanished without leaving any type of trace.¡± Erik¡¯s temper slipped for a moment. ¡°GODDAMMIT!¡± He yelled, before recomposing himself. Sassy stepped out of the bathroom, face as pale and colorless as Margraves. ¡°How many have disappeared?¡± Erik probed, after he had managed to reel his anger back in. ¡°There have been six who have gone missing.¡± Margrave said quietly and hesitantly. ¡°One of them is Saphielle.¡±


    Erik sat quietly; Sassy held close to his chest as she sobbed. Hot anger burned in his blood red eyes, a quiet rage that was ready to be unleashed. ¡°Sassy, I give you my word, I will return our friends safely. The cultist wouldn¡¯t have killed them outright, not when they know that I would stop at nothing to obliterate them in their entirety if they did. Most likely they are being held as prisoners, to keep me from razing their organization to the ground.¡± He held her close to her chest as her sobs began to turn to whimpers. ¡°P-promise?¡± She choked out, only managing a single word. ¡°Jeg lover deg, lille. Nothing will keep me from returning them to us safely.¡± The look in his eyes spoke volumes, reassuring her that he meant every word. ¡°For now, though, I must go look and see what clues have been left behind by those who dare to cross me.¡± He gently laid her down in the bed and walked out of the room. He made his way to each location that each patrol had reported clean, eyes sweeping for any clues. He found things that only he could notice, a hidden footprint, a smear of blood. Someone had, rather poorly, attempted to conceal all traces of what had happened. Erik spotted an article of torn clothing, and picked it up, giving it a sniff. He recognized it as being from one of those on patrol the previous evening. He lifted his head and sniffed the air around him and smiled savagely. ¡®It would seem that we have exactly what we need to find the cultist and make them pay for what they did.¡¯ Alastair stated. ¡°Yes, we do. I can track this scent to the end of the world if needed, although I doubt it will be. They are still in the city, that I am sure of.¡¯ Erik stated in his head. He made his way back toward the entrance of the underground complex. ¡®You have grown fond of these creatures, haven¡¯t you?¡¯ Alastair asked him, no hint of taunting in his tone. ¡°Of course I have. They are survivors and have fought tooth and nail for their place here. I can respect that.¡¯ Erik thought back. ¡®They are my people now, and I will protect them, no matter what.¡¯ Alastair didn¡¯t reply, and Erik didn¡¯t expect one back. He walked into the central room of the complex, and all eyes shifted to him. Sassy stood close to Margrave, eyes still red and puffy from crying all morning. ¡°I thought you¡¯d still be laying down min elskede.¡± He said, eyeing her closely. ¡°They took my friends, and they will pay for it. We¡¯re doing everything we can to track them all down.¡± She said, steel in her voice. Erik had never seen this side of her, and it surprised him. ¡°Well, I have a good idea of where they are hidden. I found clothing from one of the scouts, and with the scent still on it, I can track the scum to exactly where they are keeping our friends.¡± He smiled, but the smile didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes. They still burned red hot with hatred and anger. ¡°We will assemble a team to go with you then. We will fight for what is ours and will hold nothing back.¡± Margrave stated, steel backing his words as well. Erik looked around the room, seeing the same resolve in each and every being that had gathered around. He laughed out loud and nodded in understanding. ¡°Alright, if you insist on sending some of your people, then I know I can¡¯t stop you. But they will listen to my every order without question. Is that understood?¡± He said, enough warning in his voice that no one even tried arguing with him. ¡°Good. Sassy, you will remain here. I will not have you put in harm''s way.¡± For the first time since they had met, she stood at her full height, staring him down. ¡°I will not stay here while my friends are in danger. I am going with you, and there is nothing you can do to stop me.¡± She practically yelled at him, her eyes flashing from the normal blue to red, the only sign of the deep anger inside of her. Erik stared at her for a moment, jaw clenched, but she didn¡¯t back down. ¡°Fine.¡± He finally relented, ¡°But you will stay right by my side, no matter what. No arguments.¡± She nodded her understanding, and everyone started rushing around, gathering weapons and supplies, preparing for the assault that lay before them. ¡°Margrave, I need you to find a location for me. It will most likely be a place similar to this, somewhere big enough for a sizable group to gather, and will be in a part of town that our kind completely avoids, for obvious reasons.¡± Margrave nodded, and turned to his system of computers, searching for what Erik asked of him. After a moment, he turned back to Erik. ¡°This location is the only place that makes sense. A number of creatures disappeared from this area about a year ago, and since, none have ventured there. More than likely, this is where this group has taken up residence.¡± Erik smiled. It wasn¡¯t a smile of humor, but one of savagery. ¡°I¡¯ve found you; you scum. Now, time to make you pay for everything you¡¯ve done to me, and the creatures of this city.¡± Erik turned to Margrave. ¡°How soon can your people be ready to move out?¡± He asked. ¡°They are ready. Everyone has enough weapons and ammo, and other supplies to take on anything that comes their way. They are ready, waiting on you. Even Sassy is raring to go.¡± Margrave managed a smile, even with the current circumstance. ¡°Good. Transport?¡± ¡°We have several vehicles that will be used, each of them armored for protection. They also have some protection against magic, although that is up to each of the individual casters that will be in each transport.¡± Erik nodded, deep in thought. ¡°How many are going to be attacking the compound with me?¡± He asked. ¡°Every able-bodied creature we can spare. I¡¯ll be staying behind to coordinate on comms, the kids, and some of the women to take care of them. We have some rabbit holes if we need to flee, in case of a counterattack.¡± Erik grimaced at that thought. ¡°There won¡¯t be a counterattack. I plan to finally wipe this cancer from the face of the Earth, down to the last person. They have caused some much pain to everything they touch, and I will not let this rot continue anymore.¡± The anger behind the words caused Margrave to recoil slightly. The words were said with such conviction that Margrave believed he would accomplish his goal. Erik turned without another word, walking toward the rest of the group, all eyes on him. He stopped in front of all of them, and they looked toward him, eyes hard. ¡®I think they are waiting on a speech from you.¡¯ Alastair quipped. Erik didn¡¯t reply and instead faced the group. ¡°All of you need to be warned now, this group we are getting ready to face is extremely dangerous. They have persisted for thousands of years, and I personally have attempted to exterminate them before, and yet they are still here. I will not make that mistake twice. We are going to wipe them from the face of the Earth. They are a sickness, a cancer, and they must be dealt with in totality. I want you all to be aware of that fact. If any of you refuses to kill an enemy combatant, and that results in the injury or death of another, I will personally see to it that you spend the remainder of your life locked up, and I will throw away the key. If any of you can¡¯t deal with that, let me know, upfront, right now. There will be no mercy for these people. We will rescue your friends, our friends, and we will do it my way.¡± He eyed the group closely. ¡°They most certainly will be waiting for him. There¡¯s a chance some of us might not survive this conflict. If that bothers you, now is the time to change your mind and stay. You will not be judged for your decision.¡± Not one of them waivered. Erik half-smiled, then turned toward Sassy, who was waiting near his bike, helmet in her arms. ¡°You sure you are ready for this min elskede?¡± He said as he walked over to her. ¡°As ready as I¡¯ve ever been for anything. I want to save my friends, and I will be right there with you when we finally end this.¡± Erik nodded his head, and mounted his bike, signaling for everyone else to mount up. He led the group out of the underground, and toward what he knew was going to be the final confrontation.


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 The Final Confrontation

    The convoy moved quickly through the city streets, a sense of urgency in how they moved. Erik was lost in his own thoughts as he led the convoy, laser focused on the monumental task ahead of them. He knew that this wasn''t going to be easy. The cult was expecting them to come storming in, guns blazing to rescue their friends, and he was happy to oblige them. Sort of. He smiled that savage smile to himself again, knowing damn well that they weren¡¯t prepared for his type of surprise he was planning. The convoy slowed as they got closer to the cult''s territory, and Erik stepped off his bike, signalling to everyone to dismount for a moment. ¡°They are going to be expecting us to ride in the front door, guns blazing. So that¡¯s exactly what we are going to do.¡± He smiled, and everyone around could tell her had a trick up his sleeve. ¡°Well, sort of anyway. Sassy and I will ride my bike straight to the entrance. We are going to be a distraction. Some of you are climbers. You will climb to the higher points and take out anyone who is providing overwatch. The rest of you will wait for the signal and come storming in from the sides. We already know that the north side of the compound is guarded by the sea. So, we are going to push them straight into it. No one gets away from us.¡± He looked at every single creature around him, enforcing his point. When no one voiced any objections, he moved toward his bike. ¡°You all know what to do. Let¡¯s go save our friends.¡± He hopped back on the bike, and turned toward the entrance of the compound, Sassy gripping tight on to his waist.


    They pulled up to the front entrance of the compound, stopping and parking the bike, stepping off of it. They casually strolled up to it, acting like they were meant to be there. A harsh voice called to them as they walked closer. ¡°Ah, Mr. Ulfvaldr, it seems like you have come wholly unprepared. You honestly think you and this creature are enough to save those who you have been protecting?¡± The unknown voice taunted. Erik¡¯s eyes flashed red and dangerous as he spoke. ¡°Oh, I think that I am more than enough to handle the likes of you and these disgusting subhumans here. Remember, you were wiped out before, it would not be hard for me to do it again.¡± Erik kept the eyes of the cultist on him, but he could see that his people were very swift in dealing with those who were keeping eyes on him from the rooftops. He smirked, knowing that the cultists'' time was coming to a close. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare attack by yourself. We have hostages and will kill them all if you even attempt to harm any of us. You are alone and outnumbered. Surrender to us and we may spare them.¡± Erik¡¯s laugh started low, before rolling into a mighty sound, bouncing around the entrance of the compound. ¡°See, you all have made an error, one that will cost you all your lives. You assumed I had come alone to face you, but I am not, and you all will pay for what you have done to me, my people, and all of the creatures of this city, and for all the other numerous crimes you have committed. I will not be accepting surrender from you. I will wipe you all out this time.¡± Erik suddenly dashed toward the gate of the compound, unleashing a mighty roar, fangs bared and claws at the ready. He had already instructed Sassy to duck behind the closest cover, protecting herself until he gave all clear. At the moment Erik roared his anger and hate, the rest of the attackers began pouring in from two sides, creating mass confusion and panic among the cult members. ¡°NO! HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ALONE!¡± Erik heard someone shout as he launched himself upward, climbing the gate to confront those who were his enemies. Several explosions occurred beyond the gate, and Erik noticed that those on the rooftops had taken it upon themselves to start raining explosives down on the scrambling cultists. He smirked at the fact that they took the initiative and continued toward his target. He reached the gate controls and found several cultists there. He dealt with them in a swift and final matter, then opened the gate slightly, allowing Sassy to make her way through, reuniting the pair. He smiled at her, then signaled for her to follow him. She stuck close to him, wide eyes darting everywhere, watching for potential enemies lurking in the shadows. ¡°Don¡¯t worry dear. We¡¯ve got them on the run, it¡¯s very nearly over. We took them by such surprise that they had no time to mount a defense before getting creamed. Most of them seemed to have gathered in one building, trying to save themselves. It¡¯s time to finish this.¡± He moved swiftly toward the building the remaining cultist had taken refuge in, the rest of the creatures gathered outside of the doors. ¡°They must be holding everyone in this building. They might be using them as shields to save themselves. If that is the case, then I want everyone else to stand down. I will handle it without any of our people getting hurt, I promise you all that.¡± Erik said, eyeing everyone around him. They all nodded in understanding. Erik pushed the doors open, stepping inside.


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    The cultists had gathered the prisoners they had taken, and they were shielding themselves with them. Erik looked over his friends, who had been beaten severely, but stood proud before him. Erik¡¯s eyes burned red, his anger boiling over. He spoke loud enough to be heard around the entire room. ¡°Listen right now! I will tell you this now, you are all going to die. Whether you die quickly, a merciful killing, or slowly at my hands, entirely depends on what you do next. If you let them go, I will grant you a quick death. If you harm them though, I will make your death slowly and painful.¡± He let the threat hang in the air, eyes shining like two bright rubies. The cultists didn¡¯t yield though, and Erik grimaced. ¡°Alright, we do this the hard way then.¡± He rolled up his sleeves, and stood silently, waiting. He whispered to Sassy, only loud enough for her to hear. ¡°What are the chances that you can shield everyone but me and the cultists?¡± He asked her quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I haven¡¯t cast a spell that size before. It is possible, but I can¡¯t guarantee that everyone will be safe.¡± She whispered back. Erik thought carefully before responding. ¡°I don¡¯t want to take any chances.¡± He looked back at the cultists. ¡®Looks like we are going to have to do this quickly. You think we can pull it off?¡¯ Erik asked Alastair. ¡°I have every belief in our ability to pull this off.¡¯ Alastair replied, as if offended that Erik would question their ability together. ¡®Alright, let¡¯s do this. Speed blitz all of them. There aren¡¯t many left. We can make this quick¡¯ Erik readied himself, eyes picking out his targets. He suddenly rushed forward, quicker than the eye could track. He ripped through all of the remaining cultists, shredding them to pieces in the blink of an eye. As he stood there, blood dripping from his claw fingers, he looked around at the group of prisoners they had saved and smiled slightly. They had been beaten, some of them tortured, but their spirits hadn¡¯t been broken. Some of the less injured held up the more severely injured, supporting them as they walked toward the exit of the compound. Sassy strolled over to Erik, eyes on the survivors. ¡°I¡¯m not one that is prone to violence, but those who did this to our friends¡­¡­¡± She trailed off, anger burning hot in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m glad we dealt with them. You were right. This cult was a sickness that needed to be ended.¡± Erik took his hand in hers, following the group out the door. The split second before they exited the building, Erik heard the slide of a round being chambered into a weapon. He spun and covered Sassy as a shot rang out from the darkness, the bullet striking him in the shoulder, spinning him around and dropping him to one knee. Sassy shouted to everyone else to get down, her magic swirling around her as she casted a spell to decimate the area around the shooter, burying him in a pile of rubble from the collapsing roof. She ran to Erik¡¯s side, kneeling beside him. Blood poured from the open wound on his shoulder, his eyes wide in shock. ¡°Erik, you¡¯re bleeding badly. I need to wrap the wound, and we need to get you back.¡± She gasped out in worry. Erik turned his eyes toward her, shock and pain spreading through his body. ¡°Sa-sassy. This is no normal bullet.¡± He gasped out, his eyes fluttering as he fought to keep from passing out. ¡°Silver, d-dipped in something damaging to demons. I-I feel¡­..¡± He trailed off as he collapsed forward, the floor rushing up to meet him as everything went black.

 The Final Chapter

    Erik slowly awoke, trying his best to remember what happened and gather his bearings, then it all came back to him. He had been shot. He gently moved his hand to where the bullet had buried into his shoulder. It was heavily bandaged, but with very little pain. Someone had managed to dig the bullet out of him, and his body had begun healing quickly. He sat up slightly, looking around the room. He spotted Sassy, curled up into a ball on a chair against the wall, seemingly asleep. He swung himself to a sitting position on the side of the bed he had been laying in, and slid off of it, keeping a hold of the bed to make sure his legs would support him. When he was sure he could walk without falling over, he crossed the room to where Sassy slept, and placed a hand on her shoulder, attempting to gently wake her. Her eyes shot open in surprise, and she almost shouted when she saw him standing in front of him. ¡°ERIK! You¡¯re okay! Why are you out of bed, you should be resting still.¡± She jumped out of the chair, wrapping her arms tightly around him. He hugged her with his good arm. ¡°My body has already begun to heal itself. I¡¯ll be back to full health in no time. Are you okay Sass?¡± He asked her, looking her over to make sure she hadn¡¯t been wounded as well. ¡°I am uninjured. The assassin didn¡¯t have another chance to fire at anyone else. I dropped the ceiling on him.¡± She said, eyeing his shoulder closely, checking to make sure he wasn¡¯t bleeding through the bandages. She led him back over to the bed, plopping him down on it to check him over. Other than the slight pain from the healing wound, he seemed in perfect health. No nasty side effects of whatever it was that the cult had dreamed up to attempt to assassinate him. ¡°So do I get the all clear doctor?" He said, teasing her. She looked at him through narrow eyes and punched him in his good shoulder. ¡°You big asshole. Why did you have to go and scare me like that! I thought you couldn¡¯t be hurt, and when I saw all the blood I cried my eyes out. I thought I was going to lose you.¡± She said, trying not to cry out of happiness. Erik pulled her into his chest, calming her down a bit. ¡°It¡¯s going to take a bit more than some silver to bring me down. I am alive and healing quickly. I¡¯ll be fully recovered in a couple of days dear.¡± He softly whispered to her, gently rubbing her back. She sniffled, wiping away tears. She looked up at him, and he leaned down, kissing her soft lips. He held her for a bit longer before she took a step back and spoke to him. ¡°I need to fetch Lyndra. She¡¯s going to want to give you the once over before you leave here, make sure there aren''t any side effects of whatever evil thing those cultists had dreamed up.¡± Before Erik could offer any argument as to his health and not needing to be looked over, Sassy turned and walked out of the room to search for Lyndra. Erik sat, awaiting her return, and touched the spot the bullet had struck him. ¡®I had no worries about your ability to recover from this wound. You do possess a habit of healing extraordinarily quickly.¡¯ Alastair chimed in. ¡°Nice to see you¡¯re still around to bug me.¡¯ Erik replied, but with a slight smile on his face. ¡®Well of course I¡¯m still around. You shan¡¯t be rid of me that easily.¡¯ Alastair huffed back. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way. Do you think we managed to get rid of them this time?¡¯ Erik questioned Alastair. Alastair was silent for a moment before replying. ¡®Unlike the first time we dealt with them, I was in the right state of being to sense if any were left. I do believe the assassin who attempted to murder you was the last-ditch effort for them. They won¡¯t be bothering us anymore.¡¯ Alastair stated with a sense of finality in his words. Erik didn¡¯t reply, but relief rushed through him.


    A moment later the door to the room burst open, and in rushed Lyndra, with Sassy following closely behind. They both crowded around Erik, poking and prodding at him, giving him a full check over to make sure he was indeed recovering properly. After a half hour of thorough study, Lyndra declared that Erik was indeed almost fully recovered but warned him to leave the bandages on his shoulder for at least another day, and to do no strenuous activity for at least two more days. ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t have to tell me that. Tell her, she¡¯s the one you have to warn.¡± Erik said with a sly grin on his face, indicating Sassy standing close by. She turned red and shot him a look that could¡¯ve killed, and he laughed. Lyndra exited the room, and Erik pulled his shirt on, before turning to Sassy. ¡°Well, Alastair seems to think that we have wiped the cult off the face of the Earth. They shall not be bothering any of us anymore. The people here are free to return to whatever homes and family they have left.¡± He stated. Sassy walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, tears beginning to form in her eyes again. ¡°Thank you. For everything. You didn¡¯t have to help us, yet you took it upon yourself to do so anyway and almost died because of it. But you saved all of us. We will always owe you our lives.¡± She managed to say, fighting back the tears threatening to overwhelm her. Erik wrapped his good arm around her. ¡°No, none of you owe me anything. You all have become my people, the ones I was actually able to save this time. Thank you, Sassy, for believing in me.¡± He held her tightly, kissing the top of her head. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go check on everyone else. I need to speak to Margrave about making plans.¡± Sassy looked up at him with confusion. ¡°Plans for what?¡± She asked him. He smiled mysteriously at her. ¡°Follow me, my dear. I have a surprise for all of you.¡±


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    Some months later


    Erik stood on a small, grass covered hill, looking out over his newest project, smiling. The community he had funded, and contracted some of the best builders to construct, was nearing completion rapidly. He turned his head as he heard footsteps behind him. Sassy, Margrave, and many of the other creatures he called his people approached him, smiles on every face. ¡°Everything''s coming together quickly. Most of the families have already finished moving into some of the larger homes. This ambitious project of yours has finally given them a place to live and begin healing. None of us will ever be able to repay your kindness.¡± Margrave said, blank eyes wet with tears of happiness. ¡°There is nothing to repay. I have created a community for our kind who has suffered, allowing them to rebuild their lives in peace. It¡¯s something I have always wanted to provide, and now I have.¡± Erik said simply. ¡°Besides, with none of the cultists resurfacing yet, it would seem that I have accomplished the goal I set out many, many years ago to do. It¡¯s time for me to let go of the anger and hate and rebuild myself as well. I will have my own residence here as well.¡± He stated. Everyone but Sassy, who knew of Erik¡¯s plan to stay and agreed with it, was shocked for a moment, then cheered. They all crowded him, offering hugs, handshakes, and claps on the back. After a moment the crowd dispersed, all heading off to handle the various different tasks still needed to be completed in the short amount of time remaining. Sassy stood by Erik, hand in his. ¡°Everything is so wonderful. I have already had everything moved into our new home. I took the liberty of buying us some new furniture as well.¡± Sassy said with a giggle. Erik laughed, then replied. ¡°I am not surprised. There is one other thing though that needs attention.¡± He said, a smile on his face. She looked at him, a questioning look on his face. ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯ve already done so much for everyone, what more could you possibly give us.¡± He turned to her and looked into her eyes. ¡°This is something special, for someone very special. Sassy, in the short time I have known you, I have come to love you unconditionally. You have shown me that, even with what I am, that there is still something in this world worth fighting for. If you¡¯ll have me, I would love to spend the rest of my life beside you.¡± As he spoke, he reached around his back, pulling something out of his back pocket. ¡°Now, traditionally for my people, this would be done completely differently. But, seeing as the traditions of my people are somewhat outdated and would be difficult to accomplish, I thought this would work better.¡± He knelt down, pulling a ring out, holding it out to Sassy. ¡°Sassy, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?¡± Sassy was stunned, completely speechless. Tears formed in her eyes as she jumped into Erik¡¯s arms. ¡°YES, YES, of course I¡¯ll marry you, you big dummy!¡± She said, crying tears of happiness. Erik slipped the ring on her finger, and they kissed, Sassy still crying. She heard cheering as all of her friends suddenly appeared around them. ¡°You all knew this whole time, and no one said anything!?¡± She nearly shouted, still crying. Saphielle ran over to her, giggling. ¡°Erik made us all swear to secrecy. You know how hard it was for me to keep this a secret.¡± Saphielle said as she hugged Sassy. Everyone gathered around the two of them, celebrating the love the two souls shared with each other.