The Courtesan and the Werewolf Ch. 05

Raven met her in the office, she shut the door behind her and crossed the room in two long steps, his head rocked back as she backhanded him.

"Bastard," she growled.

Raven glared at her, eyes bleeding to amber. He grabbed her by the hair, kissing her deeply.

As she broke off the kiss, she pulled back and looked at him, "If you ever dare allow someone to use a girl like that again, I will skin you and make a rug."

Raven stared at her in shock, "You bitch, what the fuck are you doing?"

He grabbed her hand as she pulled it back to lay another blow across his jaw. She snarled at him, green eyes glowing with rage.

"What is the issue? I thought you knew what was going on?"

She snapped, "It wasn't that, I knew what was going on, but she did not. Never expect me to glamour a girl like that again. He could have permanently hurt her. She didn't know what to expect, she was terrified and hurt."

"Why the hell do you care? She was paid well, and besides aren't they are just food to you?"

Bianca whirled away, breaking his grip on her wrist, "Because I was used like that once, and swore that no man would ever do it again and live. I can't bear to watch a girl be treated that way against her will. A planned role play session where everyone is in agreement is one thing, but being forced and then having her memory wiped is entirely another. I will not do this thing again, if you expect me to, I will consider our agreement null and void and I will do a great deal more than simply ruin your business."

Raven growled at her, eyes flashing. She stared defiantly at him, daring him to say anything else.

He sighed, "Fine, you won't have to do that again. You have my word, now can we get back to what we were doing?"

She stepped back from him, "I think not, I believe I will be going now. I have had enough of your company for one night." She spun on her heel and stalked out, signaling to the jaguar that was waiting patiently by the door.

He padded after her, pausing to throw Raven a calculating look over his shoulder. The werewolf could almost hear the big cat, "I am watching you, dog," he seemed to say.

Raven sighed, "Good night."

Bianca gripped her steering wheel so tightly she heard it groan slightly in protest, she forced herself to loosen her grip before she damaged it. Shaman chuffed at her from the passenger seat.

"What?" she asked, glancing at the big cat, who shook his head at her, ears flapping, he snorted at her and looked out the passenger window.

Bianca sighed, "Smartass cat."

Shaman simply flicked a near at her in response. She pulled up to a stoplight, not glancing at the car beside her, where she knew the occupants were staring in disbelief at a Jaguar sports car with an ACTUAL jaguar in the front seat. The thought caused her to smile slightly, relaxing a bit. Men, she thought, they never change. She remembered a time long ago, when she was still human and getting started in her "career", she had several experiences with some not so savory individuals. Once she learned her way around, things changed, her reputation soared and she became the most successful and wealthy courtesan in Venice. Which, ultimately led to her transformation.

She shook her head slightly as she accelerated from the stop light. Memories flashed through her mind, it had happened on a perfectly normal night. She was out with one of her regular clients, a devastatingly handsome man, when she was attacked. Religious zealots had invaded the city and a mad priest had approached them, shouting about the sins of the flesh. When she tried to brush past him, he had pulled a knife and thrust it up under her ribs on her right side. It had pierced her lung and she began to slowly drown in her own blood. She still bore the scar. As she lay there bleeding out her life on the docks of Venice, her lover had scooped her up and swept her back into the boat and ordered the gondolier to take them home immediately.

Bianca lay in his arms as he applied pressure to her wound, he lowered his head to her ear and whispered, "I can save you, all you must do is ask."

Her eyes fluttered open, "Yes," she gasped, blood bubbling on her lips, "please."

When the boat reached her own private dock at her home, he gathered her up, soothing her whimpers of pain, and carried her up to her bedroom.

"My love, look at me."

She struggled to focus on him, the world becoming gray around the edges and her breathing shallow. She coughed painfully, blood trickling out of the corner of her mouth, her eyes fluttering closed.

"No, no doll, you must stay awake."

She opened her eyes again, starting slightly as she met his gaze, his eyes startlingly bright blue.

"Do not be afraid," he whispered as he tilted her head, exposing her neck. She gasped at the sharp, brief pain as fangs pierced her neck. He took little, she had lost so much. He withdrew from her, raising his wrist to his mouth and slashing his veins, he pressed the bleeding wound to her mouth. She remembered the hot blood flooding her mouth, the sudden jolt of NEED and the sweet copper taste. He fed her from his wrist until she could drink no more, lying back with her head pillowed on his chest.

As the blood began to take effect, she started to shake, the world seemed sharper suddenly, more intense, richer. Her breathing sped up along with her heartbeat, and then just as suddenly, stopped. She panicked, struggling to sit up, forcing herself to breathe in and out. Strong arms encircled her, holding her to a sculpted chest.

"It is all right, you are not dying, not permanently in any case."

She stopped struggling and lay still, her blood like fire in her veins, roaring in her ears, her eyes fluttered shut and the world went black.

Bianca blinked sharply, realizing she was sitting in her car in the garage of her own home. Shaman was rubbing his big head against her shoulder and making chuffing noises, trying to snap her out of her reverie, the eastern sky was lightening in the distance.

"Good boy," she said, ruffling his ears.

She got out of the vehicle, holding the passenger door for the big cat. She climbed the stairs to her room, waving away the attentions of the servants as she went, Shaman padding in her wake. She slipped out of her clothes and showered quickly, she could feel the dawn pressing in. She dried off and slipped between her silken sheets, her eyes closing before her head hit the pillow. Shaman sniffed her briefly before leaping onto the bed and stretching out across the foot, lowering his head to his paws, keeping watch.