Chapter 4:

I woke up the next morning shivering inspite of the mink blankets. It took me a couple seconds to realize that Sean wasn't in the bed. I sat up quickly and scanned the room; there was no Sean in sight. I hopped out of bed and ran to my door. That's when I smelled the steak. I walked briskly to the kitchen and saw Sean over the stove in my favorite 'play' apron. He must have smelled me or something because he turned around slowly; the faint scent of burnt coffee was surrounding me.

"G-Good Morning. I thought you'd like something for breakfast..."

He pointed to a plate of steak, eggs and orange juice on the table. I shifted my hips and crossed my arms but it's hard to be serious with a smile on your lips. When Sean saw me smile, his face lit up and for the first time, he smiled. It was genuine smile; that's when I saw his fangs. His smile faltered and he turned back to the stove. I heard him sniffle and smelled rain, so I called his name.

"Sean..."

He didn't move; he kept messing with the steaks in the frying pan.

"Sean... Look at me."

He turned around slowly, head down. He looked up slowly, eyes shinning with unshed tears. I held out my arms but he shook his head. I walked to him, arms extended but he just stood there.

"Come here Sean," I said in a small reassuring voice. He shuffled slowly to me as Josh came through the door. I grabbed Sean's arms and pulled him to me. He started sobbing as I hugged him.

"What's wrong with him?" Josh asked walking into my kitchen. I shrugged as I lifted Sean's face and wiped away his tears with my thumbs.

"Sean, why are you crying?"

He shook his head violently. I was afraid he might hurt himself or get his hair in the grease so I grabbed his face.

"Sean's what's wrong? Tell me... tell us."

He looked at me with pain filled eyes then quickly turned back to the steaks. He brought two plates; one for him, one for Josh and set them on the table. Josh and I looked at each other, shrugged then sat down. Sean starting cutting his steak into small pieces then looked at me.

"Why were you crying Sean?"

He hung his head but quickly looked back up.

"Please eat... It's getting cold."

"Forget the food damnit and just tell us what's wrong!" Josh's sudden outburst made us both jump. Burnt coffee and rain blew into the room after I kicked Josh under the table. He glared at me and cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry..." he grumbled and Sean glanced at me as I nodded at him. Before I knew it Sean was in tears and curled up in his chair, head on his knees.

"No one-- no one has ever been this nice to me... without...without wanting something in return."

He buried his face into his knees and kept crying. Josh flicked his head in Sean's direction and told me to handle him with his eyes; Josh took his food into the living room. I got up and wrapped my arms around Sean the best I could. He looked up at me for a quick second before nuzzling his head against my chest.

"What did Nikita do to you?" He just looked at me, no emotion just numb. "You don't have to tell me Sean... You don't have to say anything if it hur--"

"I-- She-- She would make me shift when she wanted..sex, but I could shift back until she gave me a shot... which sometimes would last for days.

"Is that why you have fangs?"

He nodded slowly and I squatted down to his eye level, kissing his cheek. I sat back down and ate breakfast.

Josh and I were arguing about what to do with Sean when I went to work just as he came out the bathroom/

"Do you really think Christiana will let you bring a stranger to the club?"

"Yeahh, I do Josh... She's my best friend and she'll love him..."

"I know Christiana just as well as you do Mika..."

Sean cleared his throat and we snapped our heads toward him. I held out my hand to him, he took it and sat behind me, resting his head on my shoulder. Josh rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air in defeat... almost.

"I'm telling you, Christiana ain't gonna let you bring... him into her club..."

Sean rolled his eyes up to look at Josh, and I felt my anger rise when Josh didn't use his name. His voice held anger in 'him' and the smell of habenero peppers was diminished by my own anger. Sean must have felt it as a power, his body tensed against mine and hemade a tiny whimpering noise in my ear. He then slowly ran his tonguy from my collarbone to my ear and my angry power waves receded.

"He has a name Josh... Why don't you try and fuckin act like a human being?" I took a deep breath as Sean played with my hair. "You know what, come with me to the club too and I'll prove you wrong ignorant jackass."

"You're on bitch."

I threw a pillow at Josh and ran to my room, slamming the door behind me. I opened my closet doors, grabbed my leather pants and the one-button vest. When I turned around, Sean was there taking me by surprise.

"Sean, don't do that... You scared me!"

He hung his head but looked at me with laughter in his eyes. I playfully pushed him out my way.

"What do you want?"

"Do you have any clothes like that for me? If not Josh said he did..."

I thought about it for a second before I called Josh into the room.

"What Mika?"

"Bring Sean your other outfit you used to wear to Silver Lining... I've got to hurry."

Josh nodded and left, Sean close behind him. I closed my door as I took off my shirt. Slipping on the one-button shirt was hard as usual. I could never get the button in the hole without going to my mirror or sweating a little. When I finally got it on I heard the front door open as JOsh walked in. I opened my door and peeked into the hall as Josh handed Sean a pair of leather pants and a black tank top. I quietly closed the door and slipped on my pants right before Josh came in with Sean. I noticed as they both gave me a quick glance over; Josh laughed nervously.

"Christiana's making the club sluttier, I see."

"Oh shove it up your ass Josh..."

Christiana had a habit of making our 'outfits' show more and more depending how she was feeling. On Saturday's the attire was practically just strips of cloths covering us and fig leaves. Wait, she's actually done the fig leaves. Now, she got even worse, not just the workers but her clothes too especially after the whole break-up with Josh. I stopped thinking about it and noticed Sean trying really hard not to stare at me below my neck. I turned to look in the mirror and noticed for the first time, how my pants fit my hips snuggly and the shirt gave them and me an extra curvyness. I smiled at Sean and looked at the clock.

"You might wanna get changed... I gotta leave soon..."

Sean clutched his clothes tighter and scrambled to the bathroom as I went hunting for my boots, allowing Josh to change quickly.

"Josh, have you seen my-- woah..."

I turned around and Josh was right behind me, naked from the waist up. I never noticed how evenly tan he was and I couldn't help but notice the way his muscles rippled up his chest and arms and he tied his pants. My eyes traveled down from hischest, past his six pack to his 'v' line. I snapped my eyes back to his face before he noticed anything. I felt the heat creep up my face and laughed nervously.

"Josh... Is that what you're wearing to Silver Lining?"

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?"

He cocked his eyebrow at me and I gave him the finger before I pulled my boots out the closet. I sat on the bed as Sean walked out my bathroom all ready to go. I stopped and my breath caught. I never really noticed how muscley Sean was until I saw him in Josh's old clothes; they left nothing to the imagination. Sean's face turned a light pink and the smell of oranges circled the room. I looked away and attempted to get on my boots. The smell of oranges receded and Sean squatted down and helped me with them. It would've taken me five mintues each to get them on, but with Sean's help it only took seconds. He helped me up and we left.

We headed out the door around six, just as the sun started to set, illuminating the skies. I grabbed Sean's hand and he played with my fingers; Josh grunted but kept moving. We got to the car; Sean went to open the door just as my black haired, blue eyed stalker appeared out of the shadows. I looked at Josh, who in turn nodded at Sean. The guy stumbled for a second as burnt toast blasted past my nose and Sean wrapped his arm around my waist, squeezing me against him. I looked up into his eyes as they bled a deep dark blue.

"Sean..."

The guy stalked closer and Sean squeezed a little harder. I grabbed Sean's hand, pried him off my waist and took a step forward. Josh tried to grab my arm but I shook him off.

"Josh... Sean.. Get in the car, I'll handle this."

Sean walked to me and tried to stop me but I placed my hand on his chest; an electric charge passed through us.

"But--"

"Now Sean..."

Sean shook his hed before getting into the car. He stopped and glared at me.

"He's a lycanthrope... a powerful one."

He slammed the door as I walked farther away. The closer I got the more I felt his power course through me. I started getting angry that he was stalking me and his power receded quickly. He stopped walking, clearly surprised by my 'power' and leaned against a tree trying to hid his nerves. When I got close enough I noticed his eyes, I mean really noticed them and how they stood out against his hair and face. When I noticed the intensity of his eyes, my anger receded and I heard my heart beating in my ears. When I got within a few feet of him, I felt stronger; I had felt as if whatever lycanthrope he was, had entered my body and gave me strength. I stopped and reached out to touch his face but stopped myself. He got down on one knee, head bowed, hair moving in front of his face. He didn't move until I took a step forward. He stood up quickly, grabbing my hand and placing it over his heart. I felt every muscle in his chest move as he took a breath. When he spoke, my entire body tingled.

"Don't be afraid Kaida..."

He pushed my hand harder onto his chest and I felt his power, beating with his heart, course through his body as if his heart and power was one with my blood. I yanked my arm back, fighting off the urge to rub my hands up and down his chest. It took me a few seconds to get my voice back.

"Who the fuck are you? And why the hell are you stalking me? My boy--"

He grabbed my hands quickly before I said or did anything. He pulled me closer to him and it felt like his animal was trying t o climb into me. It wasn't painful, at all, it was amazing. When he let me go, I was weak in the knees and panting; I had to hold on to the tree to keep myself from falling.

"I know he's not your boyfriend. He's too submissive ..." He paused long enough to lean in. When he spoke the words eased themselves into my ears and through my body, "...for someone like you"

I quickly fought off the urge to kiss him. He let me turn away from him, but grabbed my hand before I could walk away.

"Don't go Kaida... I mean no harm to you... or your companions."

He slowly leaned down and pulled my hand up to meet his lips. He kissed my hand, closer to my wrist, sending his power through my blood and into my heart. I yanked my hand from him one last time as I started to feel all tingly.

"My name is not Kaida... It's Mika."

"Mika... Such a beautiful name for such a beautiful woman... It means New Moon doesn't it?"

I nodded slowly as he bowed one last time.

"Mine is Rhys..."

I nodded my head quickly trying to hurry up and get away from him. I looked up into his eyes as they turned blue, blue as the blue on the American flag. He took a step closer to me and I felt the hairs on the back ofmy neck stood up as his power licked across my skin.

"Panther," I whispered. I quickly covered my mouth with my hand, not knowing how I knew that or why I even said it. I took off running towards my car as that guy Rhys whispered my name. I glanced back as he became a shadow among the buildings. I looked around for him with one leg in the car. Sean touched my leg; burnt coffee flew into my nose.

"Sean.. Don't be scared.. I promise, no one will hurt you... okay?"

Sean whimpered softly, taking his hand off my leg so I could get into my car.

"Mika, you're gonna be late if you don't hurry up.." Josh said as the smell of buring hair filled the car and Sean sneezed violently. I turned to face Josh, noticing the annoyance on his face. I looked at Sean who quickly turned his head to look out the window.

"Sean... You smell that too don't you?"

Sean leaned over me and yanked my door closed. I pressed the ignition and waited in total silence as my car started. I didn't know what to say, I had never seen Sean so mad or upset; I liked it a lot. I looked at him, then at Josh and put my car in drive

The car ride was silent except for Josh's heavy breathing, making the noise from the inside of Silver Lining almost unbearable. We walked up to the front as a group of couples walked through the doors. My favorite guard, and ex-lover Wolf Adai, was at the door in his usual stance; arms folded across his chest, hair pulled back and muscles bulging. When he noticed me, he stood up straighter and placed his hands behind his back. We walked up and he glanced down at me, lips curling into a smile.

"Hey Wolf..."

"Mika..."

He went to move aisde but paused as he noticed Josh and Sean. I placed my hand gently on his chest and my power jumped from me to him. He shuddered before moving out my way; Josh and Sean walked in front of me. I looked back at Wolf; he stared and his eyes went from the normal... well normal for him... clear evening blue with specks of orange and pink highlights to a deep green that was his animals.

"Wolf..." I whispered as I walked into the club. I was greeted at the door by one of the male dancers. He was in the normal dancers wear, almost nothing. He grabbed me by the waist, pulled me close to him and appeared to kiss me. Sean took a step forward, growling but Josh threw his arm into his chest, shaking his head. I focused my attention back on the guy in front of me.

"Christiana is looking for you Mika..." He whispered with his hands on the back of my head. I pushed at his chest with one hand and smiled.

"Tell her to meet me in the red room..." He nodded and waved at Josh.

"Thanks... Ricki."