| CHALLENGE PART 6 _________________________________________________________________________________________ I finally woke up around 6pm feeling very refreshed. I had three hours to get ready and no idea what I was wearing. I showered and fixed my hair the same as I had the day before but with extra tendrils hanging down here and there. I finished my makeup and went to put some extras in my purse. When I turned to go back to the bedroom area I accidentally knocked my purse to the floor, spilling its contents. I knelt down and picked everything up, discovering a picture of Nathaniel that I didn’t remember putting there. It was one of him crawling on the stage. I turned it over and smiled, there was a phone number written on the back along with two words “Call me”. I set my purse back on the counter and took the picture back with me, setting it next to the phone on the bedside table. I decided to dress to tease. I slipped on a spaghetti strap, mid-riff tee that was camouflage with little silver studs spelling out “Bombshell”. Next came the matching camo mini skirt and finally my twenty-hole Docs tightly laced. I checked myself in the mirror thinking I looked like a pinup for Soldier of Fortune. I looked at the clock: 8:45pm. Just enough time to get to the club. When I exited my apartment I felt a pull deep inside of me. I looked around to see if any of the weres had come to get me, this possibly being another side effect of being around them, but there was no one outside. I looked up at the sky as I walked down the stairs. The moon was nearly full, only a few more days. The tugging feeling grew stronger and I tried all the harder to ignore it. I arrived in what I had learned was the Vampire District and found a parking place. I locked up the car and headed to the entrance of Danse Macabre. I had left my camera at home, wanting just a normal night out, plus Jason had said it would be crowded and I didn’t want to risk my camera in that kind of environment. I had been standing in line for about five minutes when a guy wearing a security shirt came up to me. The girls around me started pointing and laughing. I heard one say “I knew they’d never let her in dressed like that.” “You’re Rachel, right?” the guy asked. “Yes.” He unhooked one of the ropes. “I was told to watch out for you. Right this way, the guys are waiting for you inside.” “Where inside?” “I believe they are on the main dance floor.” We had reached the doors leading into the building. “What’s the cover?” I asked pulling my purse around. “Don’t worry about it. Jason had Jean-Claude put you on the guest list.” He smiled at me as he held the door open and I walked through. I assumed he went back to telling everyone else that they couldn’t get in. Would serve them right for being rude. I made my way to the dance floor, shouting numerous “Excuse me”s in the process. “Good evening, Rrashell” I heard that French voice say. I turned to find Jean-Claude standing next to me. “Good evening” I replied. “I am glad to see you at yet another one of my clubs.” “You own this place, too?” “Oui.” He smiled. It was a beautiful smile. Arms suddenly grabbed me from behind, snaking around and holding me tight. A face was nuzzling my neck and I felt the warm, soft brush of a tongue over my now racing pulse as a cascade of hair fell over my shoulder. I grabbed a handful of that luxurious hair near the scalp and pulled Nathaniel around in front of me. “A simple ‘Hello’ would have sufficed.” I said smiling. He grinned wickedly as I tightened my grip on his hair. “I see our cat has found a new master.” Jean-Claude said. I wondered at his choice of words and then remembered the look on Nathaniel’s face. He excused himself saying he had some business to attend to but that he would find us later to ensure we were having a good time. I slowly released my hold on Nathaniel’s hair, running my fingers through its length. When I got to the end he grabbed my hand and led me through the crowd to where Jason and Zane were dancing. Jason looked like he was having a blast, dancing around singing with the song. Nathaniel leaned in close “He loves this song – calls it his theme song.” “What song is it?” “Sex on Wheelz by Thrill Kill Kult.” I had to smile. It fit him. Jason was such a flirt. “Dance with me” he yelled over the music. He was still holding my hand and used it to pull me close and started singing with the song. I turn you on like a tiger baby Hard body motor city …love life I take you for a ride down the mind wave baby Be my little human …sacrifice He spun me around and pulled my back to him putting his mouth near my ear so I could hear him. Do my kisses burn He lightly kissed my neck right below my ear. Do they take your breath He nipped my earlobe and I felt me knees go weak, glad he was holding me tight. You got a lesson to learn now I’m the kiss of death He licked up the outer edge of my ear and I dug my fingernails into his forearms “Do that again,” he purred. I obliged as he started singing in my ear again. History is written by winners baby So lets make a little of our …own tonight If you’re thinking my idea and thought …it’s a drag Then you’ve never been to paradise Do my kisses burn Do they take your breath You’ve got a lesson to learn now I’m the kiss of death The song ended and everyone stopped to catch their breath. Jason and Zane just looked at me standing there with Nathaniel curled around me. Jason got Nathaniel’s attention and pointed behind us. Nathaniel looked in that direction smiled and pulled me in that direction. I saw Jean-Claude standing, talking to a short dark-haired woman. He was smiling at her and she was looking very frustrated and trying not to smile back at him. We stopped right in front of them. “Having fun?” Jean-Claude asked. “Yes I am.” I replied. “Rachel this is Anita. She takes care of us wereleopards.” She extended her hand and I shook it; she had a firm grip. “Nice to meet you,” she said. “Same here. Are you the Anita I heard about on the news? The Executioner I believe they called you?” “Yes that’s me” “You’re friend Ted told me about you too.” “Ted?” she said seeming surprised. “Ted Forrester?” “He didn’t tell me his last name. I have amnesia and I met him at the hotel I was staying at when I discovered that the world is the way it is. I got him to explain it all to me and he said he was a friend of yours.” “If you ever see …Ted again, be careful ok?” she cautioned. “I will. I haven’t seen him since I moved into my apartment.” Nathaniel, who had been standing quietly grabbed Anita’s hand and took her a short distance away. I could see them talking. Nathaniel was smiling and going on and on, and Anita didn’t look happy when she looked my way. She said something to him that seemed to make him very happy by the looks of the hug he gave her, and then she started walking straight towards me. “Come with me.” She said still not smiling. I followed her and we ended up in the bathroom lounge. When the door shut behind us she turned on me pushing up against the wall hard. Once again I was looking down the barrel of a gun. Definitely a friend of Ted’s. “If you ever…hurt a hair on his head. I swear I will make you wish you had never come to St. Louis.” She threatened. “Nathaniel’s a big boy he can take care of himself.” I countered. “No he can’t and that’s the point. He is so submissive that he needs people to take care of him. The first time I met him he was laying in a hospital bed recovering from being gutted. He had enjoyed the pain, but regretted it later when he saw how close he had come to death. He has a hard time saying no to people and thus gets himself into situations where people take advantage of him.” A girl walked in and saw Anita pointing the gun at me. She turned abruptly and left. Anita continued. “He likes you, and I’m only allowing this because he says you haven’t done anything to hurt him. But the minute he’s injured because of something you did or he’s unhappy – it’s over and I won’t let you anywhere near him. Do we have an understanding?” “Yes, we do. And I had no idea of the things you said. I promise I won’t do anything to harm him.” She lowered the gun and reholstered it. The tension eased out of my shoulders. She pulled the door open and stalked out. I walked over the sinks and looked at myself in the mirror. What exactly had just happened? I asked myself. I think Anita had just given me Nathaniel. I smiled at myself in the mirror remembering the things he had done on the dance floor. The door opened and Nathaniel’s head popped in. “You ok?” he asked. I nodded yes and he took it as an invitation to come in. He came up behind me and stood staring at me in the mirror. “I take it Anita threatened you.” “Damn straight she did,” I said. “At gun point.” He didn’t look shocked. “That’s our Anita,” he smiled. I abruptly turned to face him and he took a step back. “So, Anita and I came to an agreement,” I said not smiling and taking a step forward, he took another step back. “You did?” The smile was gone from his face as I slowly backed him up. “Yeah.” He stopped as the back of his legs hit the couch. He had a look of anticipation, like a fear of what I might say and a desire for what I was about to do. “What was the agreement?” he said breathlessly. I plunged my hand into his hair and jerked his head back. He sank down onto the couch with a moan of pleasure. I leaned over him looking in his eyes, tightening my grip on his hair, a gasp escaping his mouth. “You’re mine,” I said and kissed him hard and rough, bruising his mouth with mine. I released my grip on his hair and grabbed his hands and forcing them up against the wall above his head as I put one knee on either side of his waist and eased down for a much more pleasant position. I put both of his hands in one of mine and scratched my nails down one of his arms. He whimpered into my mouth. “Harder,” he whispered. I complied with his request increasing the pressure as I ran my nails down his neck to his chest where I dug in even more making him shudder beneath me. I ran my hand over the ring that pierced his left nipple. He groaned as I gave it a tug. I moved my mouth from his lips to his neck and began nuzzling him as he had done to me earlier. I inhaled and smelled a wonderful earthy scent and a scent that was purely Nathaniel: his sweat and his cologne combining to form a tantalizing mix. Again I felt a pull inside me as I had earlier in the evening, this time like something was trying to crawl out of me. I could feel a wonderful energy rising off his body and I couldn’t take it anymore. I opened my mouth and filled it with the skin of his neck, biting down hard on the pulse that had been racing under my tongue. I ran my hand lower moving it to his lower back where I dug in my nails raking them slow and hard around to his side as I continued applying pressure with my teeth. He groaned low and long as his hips bucked under me causing a wonderful tingling sensation from head to toe. We both went slack breathing heavily. Applause erupted behind us. Startled, I turned to find two women standing in the doorway to the stalls. I blushed furiously, embarrassed that I hadn’t realized we had had an audience. I looked back at Nathaniel who had a very satisfied look on his face. “You knew they were there didn’t you?” I said smiling. He shrugged. “I wasn’t about to stop you.” We go up off the couch and headed towards the door, me pulling him along. He gave a slight bow to the women, “Sorry ladies but no encore tonight.” They actually looked disappointed but went on about their business as we exited the lounge. _________________________________________________________________________________________ PART 7 INDEX |