^^ Alda ^^

--- 5 days ago ---

--- James ---

I sighed. "Do I seriously have to come with you?" I complained to Arthur.

He nodded. "You're going to apologize."

"What for?" I growled.

He simply appeared in front of my, his face inches from mine, his eyes blazing gold. "For sending a woman's rapist into her room while she was not only sleeping, but naked, as some petty revenge for an imagined slight!" He snarled.

I growled. "I was just playing around, and besides, it's not like she's actually her rapist, she just scared her a little, and they're mates! It's not like she'd ever hurt the annoying witch, mores the pity."

His fist crashed upside my jaw, and I was launched off of the hood of the car, crashing to the dirt.

"Get off your high horse, twerp, you wanted to hurt her. I'm not stupid, and neither are you. Now, you'll apologize, and then you'll never bother her again. I still don't know why you bother her now!" He snarled, kicking my leg.

"She's a black witch! She doesn't belong here, or anywhere else in the world! Anything that uses death for magic should join their victims." I hissed.

He froze, then slowly looked at me. "Was that a threat, boy?"

I gulped, and looked away. "Just my opinion." I grunted.

"Then fucking get over it. Do you know how many of your bones she's healed? Go on, count them out. Maybe I'll re-break them to refresh your memory of the pain she saved you from." He growled threateningly.

"She's never healed a broken bone of mine!"

"Oh? That's what you think, huh? What about your legs, and collarbone, from that motorcycle wreck? She also healed your road rash. She had to kill a raccoon to knit all of the shredded pieces of skin on your back together again." He snarled.

I blinked. "You said-"

"I know what I said. I lied, so that you wouldn't feel indebted to her. I didn't know it would mean you hating her, or I would've been more honest. You've always been healed by her, ever since you were six. Along with every other weir in this clan. Every wound, big or small, was handled by her in one way or another." He waved off my protests.

I blinked, remembering all the times I'd gotten hurt. I'd broken every bone in my body, at least once. Most of those wounds should've been fatal...

"Good, now that you've realized how much of an ass you are, let's go." He nodded.

Abigail came out of the house, and climbed into the passenger seat, ignoring me.

I grumbled and climbed in the back.

---

I hopped out of the truck bed, and followed Abigail and Arthur into the witches shop. "Why are we here? I thought she was at a bar?" I asked.

"So are we. It's secret though. Not a word to anyone. It's bad enough I'm bringing you here." Abigail said, and led us into a stairway to the basement.

We passed through an illusion door, and then there were more stairs.

"Ugh I've asked her again and again to install an elevator..." Abigail sighed, and we started walking.

---

We reached a glowing doorway, and I stepped back. "What's that?" I growled, smelling black magic already.

"It strips away the effects of the magic alcohol. Don't drink anything, the drinks aren't meant for normal weir, only witches and Vamps and the occasional daring weir who doesn't mind having polka dot skin." She warned me.

"Oh, because I was definitely planning on drinking the witch brew." I said sarcastically.

Arthur slapped my ear. "Be respectful to my mate." He growled deeply.

"Whatever. Let's get this over with." I huffed.

We stepped through the barrier, to see Sam about to drink a flaming shot, and Abigail growled, looking at the tall Cat next to her.

She said something I couldn't make out, and tossed the shot back. She tapped the shot down, and her eyes visibly dilated.

I sighed. "And how do I apologize to a drunk woman?" I snapped.

"You don't. We'll try again-"

I stopped listening. A scent was in the air. I sniffed, and began wandering around, following it. I must've walked around the entire bar six times when I almost gave up. "Argh, I'm walking in circles!" I growled.

"Looking or someone?" A voice asked behind me.

I froze, my heart melting and reforming repeatedly at the beauty of that sound. "God dammit... I think I just found my mate... In a witch bar."

She laughed gently, and moved in front of me. I was in such awe I wasn't listening to her words correctly, but I caught, "-I'm Alda. And you?"

"I'm... I'm Uhm... Uh... James! Yeah, James..." I stuttered.

She smiled. "Would you like a drink, James?"

"Not especially, but I'd love to buy you one and talk a bit." I said honestly, the truth feeling odd on my tongue.

She blinked. "Wow. A snake, telling the truth... Amusing. So this is what the mate bond does to weir... I've never witnessed it for myself... Alright. Sure. I'd love a drink, and I'd love to talk to you for a bit-"

"Let's go, little brother. Sorry if he's bothering you, he's an ass, ignore him-" Arthur walked over and grabbed my collar.

I shifted into my snake form, that of a Viper/Anaconda mixed breed, and hissed at him as loudly as I could, my nine inch long fangs dripping deadly poison, and my coils nearly touched the roof.

He stumbled back, surprised, and I slowly slithered and coiled around Alda's legs, careful not to put too much pressure into it. My body was extremely strong in this form.

She gasped at the shocks, and slowly knelt, running a nail down my spine. "A glorious coloring... Python Constrictor?"

I linked her. 'Viper/Anaconda mixed breed...'

"Oh? That's rare... Hmm... Shift back for me..." She asked quietly, her nails tickling my chin.

I shifted back, and stood slowly, so she had time not to be surprised. She smiled, and I realized she was much taller than me. She had blood red hair, and stormy grey eyes, along with porcelain skin, and peach colored lips.

Arthur slowly stepped back further. "Alright... Call me when you need a ride home, James..." He walked away.

I slowly turned my head to the bar, and its multicolored glowing beverages. "What would you like, Alda?" I asked, her name sliding off my tongue like oil.

She shivered, and smiled. "Get the gold one. It's my favorite color."

I smiled and shifted my eyes to their golden reptilian slits. "As the lady commands..." I hissed gently, and walked to the bar, which was now manned by a small male white witch.

I pointed to the golden shot, and he nodded. "$200." He said.

I blinked.

"Hey, that's what the boss lady wants for them." He shrugged.

I nodded and slid my credit card across the bar. He scanned it, and nodded, handing it back.

I tucked it into my pocket, and picked up the golden beverage, walking over to Alda, and bumping the man who was talking to her suggestively.

He stumbled, and I handed her the shot, before looking at him with golden snake eyes. "Excuse yourself, before I become offended by your rank odor." I hissed gently, my hands questing for Alda's hips.

She smiled and gently smacked my hands, and I removed them reluctantly.

He growled and shifted into a cat of some kind. Maybe a panther?

I struck, shifting in mid-stride, cooling around his entire body, squeezing. I rose my gleaming white fangs in front of his face.

'Who is he?' I asked her mentally.

"A bother." She said briefly.

'Should I kill him?' I hissed softly, letting him hear me.

"No, that'd be a bit extreme..."

'Blinding it is, then...' I said, and spat venom in his eyes.

I held him still as he squirmed and shrieked, and she looked on, blinking slowly, looking rather uninterested.

'God she's sexy... I wonder if she's a snake as well?' I thought to myself.

"No... I'm a different fanged being..." She hummed.

'Oh? What then?' I asked, releasing the cat, who had gone limp as the poison caused him so much pain he passed out and shifted human.

"Guess, James..." She smirked.

I slithered around her, and once I reached her shoulder, I flicked out my tongue, scenting her neck.

'Hmm... Witch? Vampire?' I asked.

"Heh. Close... But no. I'm just a little bit of a Dragon..." She said, her eyes turning reptilian as well, and a deep, deep red.

The entire bar stiffened, as her overpowering presence and scent filled the room as thick as honey. I shivered and rubbed my long neck along her chin, slowly climbing down her body, deftly avoiding her shapely chest, (I didn't want to offend her), and then once I was on the ground again I shifted.

I slowly stood, and met her eyes. My knees buckled, but I kept eye contact. She smiled. "Cute... I just want to eat you up, little one..." She hissed gently, and I smiled.

"I'd say same, but that'd be an Ouroboros, and not very pleasant for either of us." I grinned.

She laughed, closing her eyes, and I was released from their binding spell. I stood, and wrapped my arms around her hips.

She smiled, opening her eyes again. They were her normal grey this time, I noticed. "Very true..." She nodded, and tossed back that golden shot.

She gasped as her skin turned a golden hue, and she started making a sound that closely resembled purring, almost, gazing at her skin.

I smiled and sat down in a chair, pulling her into my lap, wrapping myself around her. She purred at her skin again, and then looked at me.

"Ah! And we're supposed to be speaking... What do you want to know?" She asked, turning and straddling my waist, wrapping her arms around my shoulders.

"Do you live near here? Where is my new clan?" I smiled, pulling her even closer.

She pulled back a little. "Any closer, and we'll be screwing in a bar, James." She chided, and smiled. "And you don't have to leave home-"

"I'd prefer my prey in its natural habitat..." I said quietly, smiling.

"Prey?" She raised an eyebrow.

"... Mate. I meant mate." I grinned.

She smiled. "No, you meant prey... But that's fine. I can handle you... And if you want to come to my clan, I'm sure my chief will allow it. It's a mostly reptile clan, so you'll be welcome." She said.

I grinned. "Good. When do you need to be back?"

"In about two days? Why?" She asked.

"That gives Arthur time to pack my things, and me time to get to know you." I shrugged.

She smiled. "Arthur?"

"My brother. The bear from earlier. He's the chief of this clan." I said.

She nodded. "Interesting..."

"And you? What do you do?" I asked.

"I'm a treasurer. A real one, at a bank." She smiled.

"Oh? That's dangerous..." I smirked.

She waved it off. "No, not with paper money, obviously. I don't hoard paper, so it's fine. Golden Watches have been known to disappear, however..." She smirked, mirroring my own.

I laughed. "That so? Hmm... Well, I know what to get you for presents... Golden flowers..." I grinned.

She raised an eyebrow. "Flowers die."

"Not flowers made of gold." I mirrored her expression.

She was confuse for a second, and then realized I'd meant literal golden flowers. She purred. "Ooh, now that would be quite appreciated..."

I laughed. "Duly noted..." I nibbled on her neck, and she gasped.

"Mm! Oh we're going to have to take this to a private setting..." She growled sexily.

"I know just the place..." I grinned, standing, and setting her on her feet, then pulling her with me as I slipped through the crowd without touching anyone.

---

I removed my hands from her eyes, and hugged her, kissing the back of her neck as she gasped and gazed around the large, immaculate Art Studio/Treehouse. It was an adult establishment, of course, and perfectly hidden in the trees.

"What is this?" She asked slowly.

"This? A little something I built when I was a kid. I improved on it as I got older, and converted it into an Apartment/Studio... No one except my sister even knows it exists." I smiled and leapt into the rafters, shifting.

I hissed in contentment as I looped around a thick pillar, and squeezed tightly, making it creak. I slowly slithered out of the rafters, and shifted.

"How do you like it?" I asked.

She smiled, her eyes still staring at the room. "Mmf... It's... Wow... A reptile's paradise..." She said, and stood in a patch of moonlight from one of the many skylights.

I hugged her from behind. "I did mean to build it that way." I smirked, and gently nibbled her throat.

She gasped, and slowly turned, pushing me up against the wall. I felt something hard between her legs, and realized the mistake I'd just made.

"Oh fuck me." I sighed.

"Hmm, with pleasure..."