~Chapter Seven~

Lovesick

You're so beautiful,
But that's not why I love you.
I'm not sure you know
That the reason I love you – is you.

Yeah, the reason I love you is all that we've been through.
And that's why I love you.

I like the way you misbehave.

~I Love You, by Avril Lavigne

Disclaimer: Me No Own; You No Sue.


"Thank you, Hatori, for everything."

He simply nodded in response. Nonetheless, I knew that he easily understood the depth of my emotions, because he'd had Kana in his life, and the two of them were happy together, if only for a while. The dragon was forced to give up his mate, and he was warning me against making stupid mistakes in order to prevent such a thing from recurring.

And I didn't want to lose my precious girlfriend. I was in head over heels in love with her, for better or for worse. Sammy held my heart in her small hands. I could only hope that she didn't break it.


Sammy's P.O.V.

For the first time in my life, I was truly at a loss for words. My lips were frozen together and my eyes were wide with shock, which was perfectly understandable, given the sight standing before me. I stared, openmouthed, at the man that I had supposedly been living with for the past three or so months. He'd apparently undergone a drastic magical transformation, like a Pokémon on the verge of evolution or something.

One moment, I was staring at a tall, handsome man dressed in a tan yukata – and the next, my boyfriend was dressed in an expensive suit, with his hair slicked back and gray eyes bright in the soft glow of the streetlights. He elegantly offered me his hand, gesturing for me to exit the car, but I merely stared up at him, shocked. I mean, seriously! He'd gone from cute Charmander, to fiercely sexy Charizard.

Oh, I choose you, Charizard! I dreamily thought to myself.

As his large hand wrapped itself firmly around my much smaller one, a feeling of contentment settled in my stomach, and I smiled softly at the sensation. I couldn't help it. To me, this was natural. It felt good, safe...and so very right to be his girlfriend. It was perfect.

I turned to glance up at my boyfriend with that very smile still on my lips, and he smirked down at me in return, before winking in a conspiratorial manner. My heart skipped a quick beat in anticipation of the evening. The plans had been made without my input; however, the older male had seen fit to mention that we were having dinner together at a new trendy restaurant.

It was very rich, very fancy, and very posh, blah, blah, blah…

And if Shigure was going to strut – er, walk – around in that attire, he could take me took anywhere he damn well pleased. The man could take me to the McDonald's on the next street over, and it wouldn't faze me in the least. Of course, I'd always been a fan of the tasty Big Mac, even if it was loaded with enough calories to kill Lindsay Lohan with a single bite. I loved ordering a meal of burgers, cold soda, and long, greasy fries – the latter of which included copious amounts of ketchup!

But, that willingness to eat a heart attack on a bun was probably just the American in me screaming out for attention…

"Where exactly are you taking me anyways?" I inquired, curiously. My eyes were intent upon his handsome face as we exited the car. "Ayame refused to give me any hints, even though I all but offered him his brother on a silver platter."

Shigure caught my eye and smirked widely, perfect teeth glinting in the moonlight as he cheerfully declared, "Telling you would only ruin the surprise, my darling witch! And that's no fun…"

"Fine!" I grumbled under my breath. "Be that way, you mean old man."

At that precise moment, a young man – approximately twenty or so years of age – approached us. Insulting my boyfriend would have to wait for the moment, it seemed. And after a brief conversation, we discovered that this young man was the valet, and that he'd come to retrieve the car. Hatori had, oddly enough, been kind enough to loan it to us for the evening, despite the fact that it was clearly an expensive vehicle. It was a Mercedes, or perhaps a Maybach.

Yes, being a doctor apparently came with a lot of nice perks. Like having access to lots of money, and nice cars!

Nevertheless, I would have to remember to thank the wonderful dragon later. I was having difficulty walking in these flats, as they were brand new and had yet to adjust to my large duck feet. Quack.

The moment that the valet left, I sighed wearily and said, "Alas, this is my prize for robbing the graze. Curse my Jackal heritage to the ends of the world." I sniffled pathetically. "Must I always choose the dead ones?"

No answer. Shigure was refusing to rise to the bait; thus, it was time for me to resort to my second scheme. This was Plan B: Seduction! (Or, my hopeless attempt at seduction, at least…)

I grinned coyly and leaned into his embrace, gently brushing the side of my right breast against his arm. The dog faltered briefly, an obvious look of shock crawling across his tan, handsome face. Gray eyes glanced down in my direction in blunt curiosity. I shivered at the dark intensity boiling in their depths; this was a gaze filled with lust. He wanted me, too.

A strange feeling of pride flickered to life inside of my heart, shining brightly in intensity. It was this that made me picture myself as a lioness bringing down her prey for the very time. I am Nala, hear me roar!

Shigure wrapped a strong arm around my waist and tugged lightly at a fistful of my dress. The white material sank even lower on my form, clutching at my curves like a second skin. My hips were swaying gently with the fluttering motion of the cloth, but my breasts were straining against the neckline. Both were clearly visible to his hungry, gray eyes.

Admittedly, I was a little embarrassed about being so exposed; however, I couldn't help but glance down at the sight in faint amusement. I absently wondered if my cleavage was capable of beating the Grand Canyon in either size or depth. I would have to consult my copy of The Guinness Book of World Records upon returning to the United States, if only because it was a brilliant piece of literary work! Fear its omnipotence.

"You know," he said in my ear, nipping it gently as he continued, "Curiosity is said to have killed the cat."

"Ah, yes! But the wonderful feline isn't here tonight," I pointed out and smiled at the sight of his blank, confused expression. It was so adorable! "Tom is at home, intent upon chasing after Jerry – and eating him."

Shigure sighed in mock irritation. "I do wish that you would quit referencing things that make no sense to someone of my intelligence, good looks, and culture," he haughtily declared. "It is most frustrating."

Gleefully, I crowed, "And it severely pisses you off that you are incapable of saying anything witty in return!" He lunged at me. I laughed and dodged his grasping hands, exclaiming, "You missed me!"

And then, I promptly turned tail and ran, towards the safety of the restaurant. I scampered down the street, cackling with glee and easily evading him as the older male laughingly chased after my small, quick form. Shigure would never catch me – not if this were a life or death situation. That night, however, I wanted to be caught. So, I pretended to falter and waited for his long legs to take advantage of the situation.

The moment that Shigure caught me, he pulled me closer and wrapped his strong arms around my waist. He kissed me, hard. Once, twice, and then three times he pressed his burning lips to mine. I panted against his mouth, trying desperately to keep up with the fast pace of his tongue as it repeatedly thrust itself in and out of my mouth. My mind childishly likened this to the feeling of him thrusting into my womanhood, but there was nothing there – no experience – for me to compare it to. I wanted that experience, though, and it unnerved me that such a kiss could have me mewling for more.

Shigure smirked and whispered, "Someone is feeling rather playful tonight." He leaned in for another heated kiss, sliding his tongue along my bottom lip and into my mouth. "I can't help but wonder – why is that, my dear?"

My cheeks flushed pink in embarrassment. "Well, it's actually, uh, a rather funny story, but…" I stammered and laughed nervously, squirming under the intensity of his stare.

I immediately clammed up. Somehow, I sensed that he already knew the answer to that loaded question – the egotistical mutt merely wanted me to speak it aloud for the sake of his goddamn pride. Thankfully, I was saved the misery of answering by the sudden reappearance of the valet! I wouldn't have to explain to my boyfriend that I was hoping to take the next step in our relationship in the near future, and that tonight might be that night.

And now, I wouldn't have to worry about how that consequential leap of faith might affect our relationship, either!

I mean, it was pretty sad, after all. I was utterly clueless in regards to complexities of romantic relationships and the mysteries of sexual intercourse. My mother had died almost twenty years ago, in childbirth. And there was only one other female in my life with knowledge in that particular department – that was my best friend, Katie. But she was never given the chance to sit down and properly explain the concept to me.

In other words, I had avoided her at every turn, plugging my ears with my fingers and loudly singing the lyrics to Barbie Girl in an effort to drown out her colorful descriptions of The Birds and The Bees. I did not need to hear about the intricacies of having sex in the bathtub whilst one was on her period, thank you very much!

That little story fell under the category of Too Much Information, or rather: Information Overload. Please reboot system and try again.

Needless to say, the idea of having sex with a member of the opposite sex (or the same sex, come to think of it) was still a foreign one. And the thoughts currently brewing in my mind were the worst ones of all. But amidst all of the worries, the only one that was consistently beating its way through my ear canals was the one in regards to the future.

Would Shigure still want me if we were to sleep together? That had been his original purpose in chasing after me for that first month, after all. We were together now, but would he fixate on another young woman, leaving me in the dust in order to chase after another one of his beloved high school girls?

I bit my lower lip, trying to ignore the thoughts, but the thoughts still pounded against my temples. Will he still love me?

"Will you sign this for me, sir?" Mister Valet politely inquired. His brown eyes were twinkling merrily; thus, he'd obviously seen our playful chase down the sidewalk.

Shigure grinned smugly, despite the cheeky attitude of the valet, and responded, "Certainly. And thank you for taking such care of the car." He pocked the ticket and cheerfully added, "It's quite an expensive vehicle."

The valet blanched, having heard the threat loud and clear. "Yes, sir! I'll be sure to keep an extra sharp eye on it this evening. No harm will come to your car," he promised with a faint squeak.

And then, the young man darted away in an explosion of brown eyes, parking tickets, car keys, and shiny, black shoes. He was currently running down the street at breakneck speed, probably seeking the safety of his parent's recently remodeled basement – like that guy in Failure to Launch.

I returned my attention to my boyfriend, and I dryly asked, "Was that really necessary, Shi-kun?"

"Yes." Shigure waggled his eyebrows playfully in the affirmative. "It was indeed an absolute necessity. I must keep up appearances, my dear," he purred in a voice as rich as velvet.

Now, the only thought on my mind was in regards to his idiocy. The older male was always trying to act as though he came equipped with a pedigree; however, he was a mutt. He was a cute mutt, but a mutt nonetheless. And he was my mutt, too.

I shook my blonde head at him exasperation. "You are the only person capable of sounding like a rich, arrogant asshole with a borrowed car," I drawled, lazily, and with a smirk.

Instead of responding to my insult, however, he gently kissed my cheek and held the door to the restaurant open for me, waiting patiently for his turn to step over the threshold. I blinked up at him in surprise – my boyfriend was suddenly acting like a gentleman. My gaze wandered over his fancy suit, his erect posture, and the polite smile adorning his face, before narrowing in suspicion.

Had the crazy mutt attended obedience classes these last two months, in which the majority of my time was spent searching for a cure to the family curse? Or was Shigure pulling my leg?

I felt the sudden urge to yell, "Sit boy!" in the hopes that he was distantly related to InuYasha. If so, he would immediately respond to the command, as if he too were wearing a pair of obedience beads. That was such an amusing affliction…

"After you, my darling," Shigure murmured. His dark gaze was focused on my face, and only my face, as he gestured for me to enter the restaurant. "Ladies first…"

Faintly, I smiled to myself and walked through the open door, calling, "Thank you, love."

I was blissfully unaware of the fact that this endearment had escaped the confines of my lips, almost as unaware of how it truly affected my boyfriend. His gray eyes widened with shock, before settling into a gaze of burning lust – and love – as his heart quickened in pace. I would have understood just how deeply in love with me he really was, surprisingly so. And all of my worries would have vanished into thin air, because I was in love with him, too.

Shigure was my boyfriend, and he was the love of my life.

"Hello! May I ask for your name and reservation number, please?"

"Oh, yes." Shigure stepped forward and gave her the required information, adding, "We would also appreciate a table in the back, near the kitchen or an emergency exit, if at all possible." He offered her a charming smile. "But only if you have the available space."

"We do have a table in such a place, but it is on the second floor of the restaurant," she responded with cheerful ease. "Will that be suitable to your tastes, sir?"

The two of us exchanged a quick glance, each wondering if this would serve as the proper emergency exit, should things go south. It was fine with me, as indicated with a subtle nod on my part. My boyfriend smiled and assured the woman that this was perfect.

And with that, the Hostess turned around began to lead us away. "Right this way!"

Oddly enough, Shigure was rather quiet on the way over to the table, and he remained silent whilst we were being seated by the perky woman. He didn't speak or flirt with her, despite the fact that she was quite attractive. The woman truly was a beauty, and she was much more beautiful that I could ever hope to be in this lifetime – even with the aid of my magic.

She was thin, voluptuous, and had a heart shaped face; in contrast, I was short, curvy, and had a childishly round face. There was no competition between the two of us. And, if there ever was one, this woman would easily beat me, hands down.

I was discreetly observing her through my bangs, when it suddenly occurred to me that her two large, chocolate eyes were trained solely on my handsome boyfriend. An expression of hunger flickered in her gaze. And it had absolutely nothing to do with the wonderful smells wafting through the air as the cooks filled their patron's orders. It was almost as though this woman was undressing him with her dark eyes – and in front of me, his girlfriend!

The entire situation made me sick to my stomach. I wanted to vomit, directing the bulk of the mess at her expensive high heel shoes. A few chunks of partially digested rice would work well with those pale, pink sequins on the side. And then, this woman would no longer look so pretty in pink!

Molly Ringwald had that part for a reason, lady… I grumbled, sourly cursing to myself.

"Would you like to order now, or would you like a few minutes to peruse the menu, miss?"

I fiddled with the menu, refusing to meet their curious eyes. "Do you mind if my boyfriend and I discuss our options for a few minutes?" I asked, softly. "I'm new to this country, and it still takes me a little while to decipher your written language."

"Of course, honey! Take as long as you need, or want," The Horny Hostess purred. She angled her ample bosom towards my boyfriend. "If you need anything – anything at all – just call for Yuki, ne?"

I sat there in silence, grinding my teeth together. How dare that stupid bitch flirt with my man?

Based upon the length of the menu, this trendy restaurant offered a wide variety of dishes. I did not, however, expect them to attempt to serve sex as an appetizer! I was under the (mistaken) impression that this establishment was a restaurant. But it appeared that it might actually be a whorehouse. Banzai…!

I ripped open the menu and scowled angrily at the hundreds of tiny, black characters. The lines were swimming around the page, a sea of black that was virtually illegible to the human eye. It took me a minute to realize that there was a reason for this – I was on the verge of tears. That was surprising. I swallowed the lump in my throat and actually attempted to read the menu.

This restaurant appeared to offer everything under the sun. There was a nice selection of chicken dinners, too. I smiled and squinted at the laminated papers in amusement. The last option on the third page was a chicken finger plate; it reminded me of the one available at Denny's Restaurant, the chicken dinner with the tissue paper and the little, red, plastic baskets. And that place was a childhood haunt of mine, so I would know!

Daddy has always believed that grease, fat, and ketchup are an important part of the Food Guide Pyramid. We were regular customers at our local Denny's, and most of the waitresses knew us by name. Come to think of it, that might explain the reason behind my stubborn weight issues. I was a chubby child, and a chubby teenager – and a chubby adult, too.

"I'm so sorry about that," Shigure whispered quietly, hands clenching and unclenching around the edge of the table, over and over again. He was obviously frustrated with the situation, as well.

I shrugged carelessly, trying to make it appear as though her actions hadn't bothered me. "It wasn't your fault, you crazy mutt." And then, the busty women winked at us, or rather – at Shigure. "If anything, I should be angry with that damn slut for flirting with my boyfriend!"

A slow, sly smile crept across his lips, and gray eyes danced with glee. "Well, this is an interesting development. Is someone actually falling prey to the evil that is known to us all as jealously?" he drawled.

I blushed at his words, embarrassed, and turned my head in a different direction, observing a nearby fountain with exaggerated interest. Without warning, a large, warm hand grabbed my own and held it in a tight grasp. I'd startled at the touch, but my blue eyes remained glued to the fountain. It was made of gray stone, and the entire thing appeared to be at least ten feet deep.

My thoughts were morbid, and the one currently drifting through my mind was – Why can that stupid bitch not drown in it?

Perhaps was one required to toss in a coin of some sort before their wish could be granted? I resisted the urge to check my pockets for any spare yen, against my better judgment. It would have been nice to see a kelpie reach up, grab her by the scrawny neck, and drag the slut down to the depths of despair. Oh, well.

Shigure gently insisted, "You don't have to be so jealous of her, you know. She may be pretty, or beautiful – gorgeous, in fact…" Nervously, he trailed off at my sour expression. "But, she could never, ever compare to you, Sammy-chan."

I sighed sadly, shook my head, and muttered, "That's a really sweet thing for you to say, but we both know that – given the choice – any man would easily choose her over me." I smiled, somewhat bitterly. "It's always been that way."

Growing up, I was seen as the weird kid, and people, both male and female, tended to avoid me at all costs. Katie was always the center of attention, and she received special attention from the male population, even the guys that I liked – no matter how hard I tried to divert their attentions to myself.

When I was thirteen, it crossed my mind to simply slip them a few love potions to gain their affections. But then, I thought to myself – that might backfire, simply because potions were not my forte. I was not Lily Evans, or Severus Snape. My expertise was in summoning demons and the spirits of the dead, neither of which were particularly romantic.

So, I let them drift away, into the open arms of the redhead beauty, Katie. My friend did, however, offer to send them my way first. But I wasn't interested in pity sex. I did not want to give my virginity to some Brad Pit wannabe. I wanted someone to love, and for that person to love me in return.

Oh, God. Those thoughts made me sound just like Barney.

I love you; you love me. Let's get together and make babies!

Don't look at me like that, people! That scary, purple dinosaur really does sing that song! And, okay, so I might have made a few minor adjustments to the lyrics. The true question for a person to ask here is – why was Barney not extinct?

The Horny Hostess suddenly reappeared with a cute little apron and notebook in tow. "Have you decided on your orders yet?" she chirped, pink pen poised in the air and ready to take our orders.

I motioned to Shigure, irritated, and muttered, "Would you order for me, Shi-kun?" I grimaced at the thought of his normal diet and hastily added, "And no seafood, please!"

If I were being honest with myself, however, I didn't really give a fuck, so long as the stupid slut was given her orders and sent along her merry way. I wanted to be left alone. And, well, I didn't care at all about dinner – until the moment that Shigure requested something that sounded vaguely like 'suck on a yak.' Now, that scared me.

The sound of such a dinner wasn't very appetizing and, feeling uneasy, my hands snatched up the menu once again. I reopened the menu and frantically scanned the list of available dishes, praying that my boyfriend wasn't trying to trick me into eating monkey brains, or something. I finally focused on one in particular that was referred to as sukiyaki. Apparently, it was a nabe dish, which meant that it was prepared with thin slices of meat, vegetables, mushrooms, and noodles.

And every single piece of food in this dish was supposed to be dipped in…raw…egg…before consumption. Yuck.

I made a face at the thought of eating anything with raw egg. Asians were batshit crazy! I mean, seriously! Had these people never heard of salmonella before? Then again, this might be the real reason for their small, slender forms. I envied them for that, but I was not willing to partake in their diet of fish, rice, mushrooms, and more fish.

Salmonella – the new, super diet! I thought, dryly, and snorted. Puke your guts up, and you can lose ten pounds instantly!

I poked at my growling stomach and wistfully mumbled, "That Big Mac is starting to sound better and better with every passing second…" My lower lip jutted outwards in a petulant pout at the thought of said greasy burger.

Shigure smiled at my immature pouting, which was apparently somewhat attractive to him, oddly enough. He hummed softly to himself and stared at me with a strangely thoughtful expression on his handsome face. Dark eyes scanned my facial features, trailed over my chest, and back up. I felt my face flush at the sudden, unwavering attention. The older male reached across the table and, with a slender finger, traced the bridge of my nose. I closed my eyes at the sensation, savoring his gentle touch and praying for more – so much more.

Oh, it was so hard not to reach forward and capture his finger in between my lips. My nether regions tingled at the thought, and my panties were suddenly a little damp. Oh, god. I really wanted him inside of me.

As if hearing my silent pleas for attention, my boyfriend continued the journey down my face, trailing a finger over my slightly parted lips. He slowly inserted the tip of his finger into my mouth, and my eyelids fluttered shut at pleasurable sensation. I nipped at the foreign appendage as it brushed over my tongue, absently wondering how these actions did not embarrass me, especially since we were in a public space brimming with people.

I was not – to my knowledge – an exhibitionist.

"Oh, sweetheart," Shigure huskily breathed. "You are definitely a little minx." Gray eyes darkened to hues of black, and he heatedly whispered, "But you are my littleminx – and only mine."

Warm heat pooled in my belly, and the sensation quickly sank lower, into a region that I'd hardly bothered to explore before meeting the man currently seated across the table. That had certainly changed in the last two weeks, as I tentatively surrendered to the temptation of touching myself in a sexual manner. But I only did so when graced with a bit of unexpected privacy. I did not want Shigure to stumble into my bedroom during such times, because I would not have been able to say no to his advances whilst in such a state.

Even now, the mere memory of rubbing my breasts, stroking my womanhood, and sticking my fingers inside of my vagina was enough to send the magic trickling through my veins. It pulsed into the core of my womanhood, as my magic subconsciously sought to satisfy my needs. My entire body was humming, buzzing, and roaring with magic.

Oh, fuck. I was drunk with power, and I was lovesick.

Every single one of the blue tattoos on my shoulders was beginning to tingle. And every single one of them was also clearly visible to other people, thanks to the small straps and thin material of my white dress. My magic rippled through them, one by one, and somewhere, in the back of my mind, I could hear a tiny voice screaming at me. Chibi Sammy was ordering me to stop acting like such a whore because magic had a nasty tendency to rear its head when it was least expected, especially in situation such as this – magic really liked sexual stimulation.

"Sorry about the wait! And, here is your order. I have one large plate of sukiyaki, two glasses of vintage wine, and – oh, dear Kami! What the fuck is that freak doing?"

The stupid woman had arrived at the wrong moment yet again. This time, however, her arrival was signified by a loud, frightened scream; apparently, she'd caught sight of my tattoos, all of which were glowing with power. And, if one were feeling particularly nasty, that person might classify the sound as the shrieking of a banshee, or the caterwauling of an emotionally distraught poltergeist. Her next scream was also accompanied by several pieces of miscellaneous, flying silverware and wine glasses.

I emitted a startled yelp as a rather sharp knife was thrown at my head, grazing my ear and cutting a few pieces of my blonde hair. Oh, my God. Oh, my fucking God! Another weapon of mass destruction quickly soared over my head. Fuck! That crazy bitch almost scalped me!

And one moment, Shigure was seated in his chair, gray eyes wide and shoulders stiff with angry tension; the next, he was flying across the table and tackling my attacker to the floor. She gave another startled scream upon hitting the floor and, thankfully, closed her brown eyes against the impact – the older male had disappeared in a cloud of smoke and fluttering clothing, which was not the best way to convince people that he was a normal human being.

Shigure crawled under the table on his belly and gave a loud, anxious bark of surprise. "…yip!"

Oddly enough, it appeared as though he'd momentarily forgotten the fact that he was cursed to transform into a dog upon contact with the opposite sex. That silly mutt had such a short attention span, even shorter than a goldfish! Three seconds, and poof!And then, Shigure was all like, "What were we talking about again? Yeah, that's totally tubular, man. Rock on."

The cloud of smoke was finally beginning to dissipate, so I knew that we had to resolve this situation – and fast. Otherwise, the other patrons would notice his sudden change in species. If I was unsuccessful in diverting their attention to something more noteworthy, the head of the Sohma family would be most displeased with the two of us. Akito might actually deem it necessary to erase my memories of the time I'd spent with my boyfriend and his family.

And I didn't want that to happen to me. I didn't want to lose Kyo, Yuki, and Tohru. I didn't want to lose Hatori and Ayame.

I didn't want to lose my Shigure…

"Fire…!" I screamed the word at the top of my lungs. "Everyone needs to exit the building, now! There's a fire in the kitchen." Pointing at the doors near our table, I called to the other patrons – "See the smoke? There's a fire!"

The result of my screams was utter chaos, which was only to be expected. Fire and brimstone rained down upon us, as directed by the Dark Prince, Lucifer, and his horde of evil, demonic minions. Everyone in the restaurant, be it patron or staff member, was promptly running for an exit. Most of them were attempting to do so in an orderly fashion, but there were also a few that made to shove others out of their way as they barreled through the crowds.

Like little Miss Horny Hostess, for example. Thus, our problem had been solved, and with minimum effort on my part!

"Come on, you silly girl," Shigure barked up at me, dancing around my ankles in a dizzying circle as he urged me towards the nearby emergency exit. "We need to leave, before someone sees us! Hurry up!"

I quickly gathered up the articles of clothing that he'd shed during his transformation and shoved them into my white handbag for safekeeping. Now, it might come as a bit of a surprise, but I didn't want my boyfriend to catch a chill as we were making our daring escape. The cold wasn't very good for Mini-Me, and I was becoming rather attached to the idea of that particular part of his anatomy ridding me of my virginity. It wouldn't do me much good if it decided to shrivel up and die after being exposed to such cold temperatures. Chill willies were no fun.

"Where the fuck are we going?" I hissed under by breath, not wanting to seem crazy for talking to a member of the canine species – yet again, I might add.

Shigure cocked his head to the side in thought, and then, he sheepishly admitted, "To be honest with you, my darling, I've absolutely no idea at the moment!" We ducked to avoid a small group of people as we snuck by the dumpsters. "But, I'm open to any suggestions you might have!"

"Right…" I twitched faintly at his honest declaration and silently cursed him for deciding to be blunt with me now, of all times. "On a side note, I suppose that it could be much worse."

The older male paused, eyeing me with obvious interest as he pessimistically asked, "And how is that possible, my dear?"

With an amused snort, I pointed out, "Well, you could have turned into a Chihuahua!" I smiled at his deadpanned expression and patted him on the head in a condescending manner. "Am I right, boy?"

"Hey! Did anyone else hear that? I swear to all that is holy in this world – that dog just spoke in fluent Japanese!"

Shigure released a startled yelp, but I remained calm and collected (if wildly flailing my arms about and glancing at my boyfriend in panic counted, of course.) I grabbed a fistful of his thick, black fur and tugged at the scruff of his neck, leading him away from the curious eyes of various onlookers. Without a thought, I dragged him behind the wall of an old and abandoned lingerie store. There was a torn advertisement on the side of the building for a nearby hotel; apparently, this establishment was created with lovers in mind. Perfect!

I tapped the black dog on his head and hurriedly gestured to the sign with a shaking hand. He perked his ears and read the sign, before spinning in a wide circle. Shigure wagged his long, thin tail in approval. The crazy mutt had apparently decided it to be more beneficial for him to keep his big mouth shut, in order to appear more like an actual canine. He was sticking to simple barks, bowwows, and woofs at this point in time.

We hurried down the filthy alleyway, through a broken, wooden fence, and made our way towards the next street. I mentally recalled the directions on the poster and veered left, heading for the hotel mentioned in the advertisement. Once sighted, the building shocked me into silence, as it would have for any normal, sane person – which I was not, by the way. And that is saying something.

The building was large – approximately five stories – and appeared to be a rather expensive place to stay the night, despite its outward appearance. It was made entirely of brick, all of which were painted a ghastly shade of bright, neon pink. The sign on the front of the building also bore a rather clichéd title. Twelve red and white letters declared the name of the hotel to be…The Love Shack.

My first thought was of the B52s. And that did not instill within me much confidence. Oh, boy.

I cringed, horrified, and tried to avoid thinking about the fact that it would be up to me to enter such a place and rent a room for the night. It made me sick to my stomach. But, it was the only way that my boyfriend and I would not be discovered; thus, it was in my best interest to suck it up and get a move on. After a moment of stunned silence, I whispered my plans to the black dog and made my way inside, leaving him hidden behind the (pink, very pink) marble pillar at the entrance.

A younger man with black hair and bright, green eyes raised a single eyebrow in amusement at my nervous entrance. I was cautiously approaching the front desk, acting as though it might explode into itty bitty bits if someone were to come too near it. And, with that man sitting behind it, there was a distinct possibility that such a thing might occur. There was an unnatural air about the man. I was immediately reminded of the demons that were commonly brought forth by the power of my summoning spells.

And with his rich, arrogant manner, this young man quite suddenly reminded me of Kazuya. It occurred to me that my instincts were trying to tell me something – something about his dark, unpredictable aura – but I was clueless as to what that something was at this moment. And that something was very, very important. I was already aware that Kazuya was capable of powerful magic, after all.

Blood to blood, I summon thee. My heart stuttered at the memory of the spell that still clung to my skin like a parasite. Sooner or later, I would have to deal with his summons. Blood to blood, return to me. Yes, Kazuya was indeed a very powerful man – unfortunately.

The young man placed his chin on a large, strong hand. "Welcome to the Love Shack, my pretty. Do you have a reservation with us?" He smirked at my silence and quipped, "Or, is this your first time at our establishment?"

After running his eyes over my small form, however, it appeared that he had discovered the answer to his own question. It was probably pretty damn obvious that my feet had never brought me to such a place in my entire life. And, based upon the way his eyes lingered on my white dress, the man clearly thought me to be a virgin. Well, the pervert was right in both instances, but he didn't need to know that!

My eyes twisted upwards in a small smirk of my own. I leaned over the edge of the desk, proudly displaying my ample cleavage in the motion of this action, and placed my hand on his arm. His hungry green eyes immediately focused on the sight of my smooth, white breasts, and he subconsciously licked his lips, clearing his throat as he did so.

I bit back a triumphant grin. Thank you, Ayame! It is going to be so damn easy to trick this creeper into giving me a room for the night. His eyes were still on my breasts, which was both amusing and unnerving. Wow. This guy is very easily distracted…

With a coy smile, I twirled a lock of blonde hair around my finger and saucily retorted, "What do you think, honey?"

He cleared his throat again. "It appears that I misjudged you, miss." The young man blinked at me for a moment, before his attention returned to my chest, and he muttered, "But, I would be happy to remedy the situation, should you wish for us to get to know one each other a little better…"

I tilted my head cutely to the side, pouting, and turned to him with a whine. "Oh. I already have a date for this evening, dear," I exclaimed, "You and I can become better acquainted next time, okay?"

I fluttered my thick eyelashes at the young man in convincingly seductive manner. This was doubtful, but a girl could hope, right? With my luck, however, it more than likely appeared as though I had a twitch. Perhaps it was nerves, or epilepsy. Oh, well. At least I attempted to act like a mature, sexually attractive young woman. Give me some credit, man!

A small, knowing smirk claimed his lips, and he cheekily said, "I'll be holding you to that little promise, miss. For now, you may have this key, which leads into the most exquisite love suite that we have available."

"Oh, thank you so much!" I purred, placing my hand on his cheek, despite the fact that such physical contact on my part was giving me the creeps.

He bowed his head faintly and placed the key in my hand. "Enjoy your stay."

"Oh, I am quite sure that it will be very enjoyable," I murmured, watching with dark, hungry eyes as a black dog snuck through the front door and scampered up the steps.

Well, this was going to be interesting!


***Author's Note***

In the old note, I asked if you guys wanted the lemon in this chapter or the next - most of you voted for the next. :)

I considered combining the both of them this time around, but figured that it would be rather pointless, as both are much longer. This chapter alone has almost two thousand more words! XD So, I left it as is, for my old readers. For the new ones, uh, tough luck? LOL

Well, the next chapter will be updated, too. And then, the new chapter will be added Tuesday! Yay...!