She hurt. Like a train had hit her full steam and continued to roll over her battered body. Every joint ached as if she had been in the freezing cold for hours on end. Her muscles seemed to be tensed and as she woke up, they slowly released, causing her to hiss at the tingling feeling in her limbs and skin. She felt… like she had when the lightning had struck her, only… this was far stronger than that had been. Her fingers twitched before she found her grip on the cloth in her hands and tugged it closer, burying her nose in the warmth of the cloth and the…

Ashton's eyes shot open, her body protesting how quickly she had gone from finally relaxing to tensing every muscle once again. Her wrists trembled a fraction. She was lay on top of something far too warm and far too firm to be anything other than a larger body, not a bed. Nope, and as she blinked and tilted her head up an inch, two, three, to met the grey storms of the lightning dragon slayer, Ashton felt a trickle of lightning rush up her spine that was very different than anything shed felt so far in her short life as a mage with her magic.

She blinked again, seeming as if the moment was stretching as he felt the weight over her lower back tighten and she realized it was his thick corded arm holding her atop his chest and stomach, his palm splayed over her hip and gently touching the strip of skin bared by her clothes there. Ashton swallowed thickly, fear quickly taking over her senses.

Laxus Drayer was a womanizer, she knew that, had seen it herself from her corner of the guild hall on many occasions. She was waking up in his bed, laying on top of the much larger male and she couldn't remember what had happened after… after the lighting struck her? Again?

"Hey, easy…" his voice, smooth water trickling over pebbles, startled her so much she went to escape his warmth, to push herself off his solid chest and away rom the scent of rainstorms and hurricanes that as invading her senses so strongly. His cologne was strong...

Ashton didn't get too far, only few inches before the hand on her hip solidified and his other hand came forward to cup her cheek in his large palm. The touch sent and electric bolt under her skin and she gasped, barely suppressing the shiver that shook down her spine at the contact. She did stop moving though and locked eyes with Laxus again.

"Damn… like lookin' at a pile of gold…" her eyes scrunched up, still trying to figure out why his touch calmed her so much and why he was… wait…

"What?" Laxus' lips quirked at the corner and his thumb brushed over the apple of her flushed cheek softly.

"Gold, you got golden eyes, Blitz."

Ashton blinked, blinked again, then tore herself off the slayer. She paused only for a second to spot a door and the corner of a shower before she bolted and frantically searched for a light switch. When she found the little flicker on the wall she blinked in the fluorescent lights and found the mirror across from her and stumbled backwards till her back hit the shower door with a clatter. Hand to her mouth as she stared at the blue haired woman across from her.

Gold, shimmering molten gold shone in her eyes. She stared for who knew how long. Long enough that she didn't notice Laxus softly lean on the door frame and look at her reflection, locking eyes with her through the mirror.

"How?" her voice was tiny, scared as she blinked and locked eyes with her own reflection gain. Hand trembling as she went forward and touched the mirror. Gaze trailing over her face and when she looked past the terrifying scene of her own eyes with color, she noticed why her body was in so much aching pain. colorful deep bruises marked over her skin in odd shapes and streams. As if lightning had dragged over her flesh and in its path her skin purpled and blued.

Shimmer caught her gaze and ashtons tilted her head to the side, on her neck was something shiny and as she went to touch it with her fingertips, she heard Laxus breath in sharply through his nose. A sound shed never heard come from his chest and her knees locked din place before she could drop to them on the tiled floor. Laxus exhaled through his nose and Ashton turned more, pulling her hair from her neck and with wide eyes she stared at the flickering golden and white scales dotting over her bruised skin. Spanning from beneath her ear to nearly her shoulder. And in the middle, a red and scabbing over wound that looked like an animal bite but…

"We should talk." Laxus' voice was so soft Ashton almost didn't hear him. She turned her scared wide gaze to his own and he stood from the doorframe, a tight-lipped frown on his face as he turned and headed to the trunk at the end of his huge bed. His big body sitting down heavily and his hands scrubbing over his face as he stared at the floor near her feet when she came closer.

"Laxus what's… what's going on? I'm… I don't understand…" Ashton's arms wound around herself and she just now noticed she wasn't even in her own clothes. The matt black sleeveless shirt was far too large for her and nearly hung off one shoulder, she shorts on her hips were snug though and she wondered whose they were and how got changed. Or why she was changed?

Laxus sighed through his nose and growled softly before looking up and taking his hands from his face.

"I claimed you." Her neck pulsed…

Ashton blinked at him. "What?"

Laxus kept staring at her, willing her to understand and finally the wheels started to slowly turn in her head because she reached up and gently touched the glittering skin at her shoulder. The slayer sucked in a breath and was suddenly wrapping her up in his arms, his nose to the crown of her blue hair and Ashton gasped at the proximity.

"I claimed you, Blitz, you're mine." Her neck warmed and her body melted into his arms.

Oh shit…