Lena had offered Hal a world of variety, but he didn't need variety. He'd had five centuries of variety. He needed her, and he needed Pet. He was caught off-guard by how much he needed Pet.

Within a heartbeat of placing his order, Hal had his Pet in front of him, tattoos in place. Within a few minutes afterward they were collapsed on the bed, catching their breath after a near-frantic round of activity.

"I'm a mess," Pet eventually said. "So's the bed, for that matter."

"We can change the sheets when we're finished," Hal replied as he reached for the ubiquitous towels.

"We aren't finished?" Pet felt his spent penis twitch of its own accord at the thought. Apparently they weren't.

"I neglected foreplay," Hal said. "I think I should rectify that. Your body deserves more attention than I provided."

"I like the sound of that."

Hal laid his leg over one of Pet's. He languidly rubbed his foot up and down, enjoying his Pet's well-toned muscles. "Your transformations were enough foreplay for me," he said.

"I thought Beowulf might have set you back a bit," Pet teased.

"He did." Hal turned onto his side and began tracing the shapes of the tattoos across Pet's back. "This body more than made up for it. Aren't these koi? Good luck symbols, correct?"

"They stand for strength and perseverance. Red is for strong love, black is for overcoming adversity and pain."

"And these. Lions?" Hal began adding kisses to the touch of his fingers on Pet's skin as he moved down his lover's back.

"Tigers. Powerful, dangerous, courageous, and cruel."

"How did you decide on the design?"

"I didn't. The tattooist chose the design. They were done over a period of months."

"These flowers?" Hal had moved to Pet's side, and Pet rolled easily as he did.

"Cherry blossoms. The beauty and fragility of life."

"Why did he choose them? You are hardly fragile."

"We started with koi and water, and we talked as he worked. He got to know me and chose the tattoos that best represented me or some element of my life." Pet sighed. "For most people life is fragile. I've witnessed it often enough."

"And these? Why are they together?" Hal had reached Pet's abdomen.

"Peony and lion. Balance of beauty and power."

"Is this a dragon?" He traced the serpentine form that wound its way up Pet's body, at times disappearing under other tattoos. It ended with the dragon's mouth agape, sharp teeth surrounding a nipple, claws digging into Pet's chest.

"Yes, it is a Japanese dragon. They are water creatures, without the wings and fire of European dragons."

"Why is it about to bite off your nipple?" Hal placed his own mouth over the nipple and began to gently suck and nibble at it.

"Dragons represent the supernatural, and strength and longevity," Pet said as he put a hand on Hal's head to encourage his efforts. "They are guardians of treasure. My dragon guards my heart."

Hal began to follow the dragon's form with his kisses again. "It looks like your dragon is trying to tear into you and eat your heart, not guard it."

"Love is like that sometimes."

Hal heard the sadness in his Pet's voice and immediately stopped his kisses. He drew up to look into Pet's eyes, where he could find Lena, no matter what form she took.

"When did you get these tattoos?" he murmured as he brushed some curls from the edge of his lover's face.

"They were finished in 1653. I went to the Orient after Henry died and his family had grown." She had gone not just to search for the founders of the vampire species, but to cleanse herself of Hal's memory. She had covered herself with beauty and blood, and in the end she was left with him embedded in her skin.

Hal understood then. He was the dragon. Lena had believed in the strength of their love; she'd planned to spend his life with him. She had given him her greatest treasure, her heart, and he had been an unfit guardian for it.

Lena saw his understanding, read it in his face.

"Dragons can live forever, and they are extremely hard to kill," Pet said quietly.

Hal nodded. "An excellent guardian, then. One that will be a challenge to live up to." He kissed his Pet deeply and pulled their bodies together. "I love a challenge," Hal whispered into Pet's ear, "and my next challenge will be to kiss every bit of your beautiful skin."

He began with Pet's face and followed the hairline across his forehead and down to his other ear, which he grazed with his teeth. Pet's breath hitched. Hal gently terrorized his lover's body with kisses and licks and tender nibbles, down the colorful, sculpted muscles of Pet's arms, across his chest, over his ribcage and his tight, trembling abs. He brushed across Pet's erection as he moved past his navel and into the hollow of his hips. Pet whimpered as Hal lightly kissed him with each pass across his body.

"Turn over," Hal murmured.

Pet rolled onto his stomach with a sound that resembled a sob and Hal began again, kissing the nape of Pet's neck, across his firm shoulders and down his beautiful back. He followed the curve of waves and leaping koi that complemented the form of Pet's muscle. He pressed his kisses down Pet's spine as his hands worked their way up and down Pet's sides, caressing with just the right pressure to be sensual rather than to tickle his Pet. There would be no giggling from his lover tonight.

Pet gripped the sheets and tried to hold still but he felt himself beginning to rock his erection into the mattress as his arousal grew. Hal stopped him by lifting his hips from the bed.

"Now Pet, there will be none of that," Hal said. "Be patient."

"Patience is not my strong suit," Pet said breathlessly.

Hal chuckled as he sucked on the dimples at the base of Pet's spine and felt his lover twitch again. He worked his way over Pet's taut ass and down his legs. By the time Hal reached the back of Pet's knees he could tell by his lover's ragged breath and racing heartbeat that Pet was falling apart. Good. Pet would be pliable, perhaps begging again, by the time Hal was ready for sex. That time was fast approaching, so Hal finished kissing down Pet's calves and ankles.

He casually grabbed Pet's feet and twisted, and without further instruction Pet rolled over. Hal kissed Pet's toes briefly and began his teasing progress up Pet's legs, placing himself between them as he went. By the time Hal reached the insides of Pet's thighs his lover was tearing into the sheets to keep from grabbing his own erection.

When Hal's lips reached his erection, Pet arched off the bed and panted.

"Sweet fucking Cheesus!"

"Cheesus?" Hal murmured the question as he kissed the base and continued up the shaft. Pet didn't explain the reference. He was beyond words.

Hal got the Vaseline and began to lubricate and stretch Pet for his entry. Pet was quickly ready. "We're trying a different angle, Pet, if that's all right," Hal said as he set one of Pet's legs on each of his shoulders. "I'm sure you are flexible enough."

Hal set his hands on either side of Pet's body and braced himself as he rolled his hips and buried himself in his Pet without hesitation. Pet's neck arched and a gasp of pleasure escaped him as Hal filled him and pressed on his male g-spot. The angle was perfect, as Hal had planned.

"Now, Pet, you can touch yourself if you like," Hal said.

Pet's hands flew to his erection and he kept time with Hal's strokes. Pet had never masturbated with his own penis, but he'd worked on others enough to be very good at it. Hal's erection filled and excited him; his body was already swimming in delight from Hal's kisses; Pet didn't need to do much more. He came quickly with an explosion that made him light-headed. Pet's climax lingered because Hal was still moving in him and sending waves of ecstasy through him. Pet's hands flopped uselessly to the mattress and his head lolled to one side as he rode the waves.

Hal saw Pet's release—a spectacular sign of Hal's success as a lover—and it made him eager for his own. He held back in order to pleasure Pet as long as possible, until finally the dam broke and he gasped and shuddered as he filled his Pet. They grinned at each other as they slowed their movements and relaxed. He carefully set Pet's legs down on the mattress before collapsing next to his lover on the bed. Hal was done.

It was very early morning, before sunrise, when Tom finally returned home from the werewolf court at the Archive. He should have been exhausted but he was pumped up by the success of the court and the decisions that had been made in regards to their prisoner. He tossed Lena's coat over a chair, leaped up the stairs, and strode down the corridor toward Lena and Hal's room. Lena had been instrumental in setting the court on the right path, and Hal had been genuinely encouraging. Tom needed to share the news of the court's success with his mates.

Alex appeared at his side. "Go easy, Tom, they may be—"

"Nah, they're sleepin'. Too quiet for anything else." Hal and Lena's housemates had been quick to recognize the whispers of pleasure that carried through the walls.

Tom flung open the door to their bedroom and switched on the light. "Aye up, you two! I got new—"

He choked mid-word when Hal sat up abruptly in a twist of torn sheets, forcing the red-haired tattooed man in his arms to sit up just as abruptly. Tom stared at the two men, then clapped his hand over his eyes as Lena appeared in place of the tattooed man. She was naked. Alex had the wherewithal to drag Tom out of the room and shut the door behind them. They stood in the corridor, eyes wide, unable to process the image of Hal sleeping with a man. It didn't fit with the 'I've seduced thousands of women' line they were used to hearing.

Hal had blushed as he watched the shock appear on his housemates' faces. As soon as the door shut behind them he turned to Lena, trying to think of a lie that would explain what Tom and Alex just saw.

Lena returned his look calmly as she spoke. "Don't even ask me what I was dreaming, because you will never know," she said. She recognized Hal's embarrassment and took full responsibility for what their housemates had seen.

Hal was extremely grateful to be let off the hook. "Does that happen often?" He allowed a touch of anger into his voice. They were both playing to the audience on the other side of the door. "I nearly became the first vampire in history to die of a heart attack."

"Hah! As seldom as your heart beats, you'd be a rotting corpse before anyone noticed." Lena got out of bed as she spoke. "Come on, drama queen, let's see what Tom wants."

Tom and Alex moved swiftly down the corridor so their eavesdropping would be less obvious. They managed to look almost natural by the time Tom heard Lena call his name.

"Tom!"

He turned to see her standing in the door to their room, tying her robe around her. Hal was behind her wearing just his boxers.

"Are you in trouble?" Hal asked.

"No, sorry. We figured out what to do at the Archive. I just wanted ta tell ya, that's all." Tom was embarrassed and apologetic. He really hadn't been thinking when he burst into their room.

"I'd like to hear about it, Tom," Lena said. "Can you give me time to get dressed?"

"Yeah, sure, 'course. I'll just get some breakfast. I'm dead hungry." Tom smiled now, relaxing with the sound of her voice. She was encouraging rather than upset with him.

"I'd like some breakfast too," Hal said. "We'll join you shortly."

They stepped back into their room and closed the door. Hal looked at their disheveled bed. "We have some work to do."

"I'm a mess of Vaseline, and something is starting to run down my leg," Lena said.

"Get used to it." Hal didn't realize he'd said the words aloud until she flinched and stared at him. He moved quickly to strip the bed so he could avoid any punches that might be thrown his way.

"I'm taking first shower," she replied. She pulled clean clothes from her bureau and went to the bathroom. Hal's remark needed some thought.

When she got into the shower Lena noticed a bottle of washing-up liquid set discreetly with her bath soap and shampoo. It was just over half-full, and they had recently bought a new bottle but hadn't needed it yet. Lena pictured Hal carefully rationing the liquid between the two bottles before bringing one to the bathroom. His combination of thoughtfulness and forethought was a little unsettling.

The liquid was an effective degreaser, but the name Fairy was certainly a misnomer, as there was nothing delicate or ephemeral about it. "I'll need lotion, that's for sure, unless I want dry hands and a chapped ass," Lena muttered to herself as she washed.

It was early and she was cranky from lack of sleep. She was also covered in Hal's kisses and caresses, which made her very happy. He had been an attentive lover and had led her through some amazing experiences that her female form wouldn't have known were possible. She was gaining new insight into the male body and would be happy to apply that new insight to Hal's gorgeous body in turn.

They had been a couple new to each other as they ventured together into strange, exciting territory. He was learning her male form and she was relearning his, with extra understanding that a woman wouldn't have. They were a perfect fit for each other and their intoxicating new connection strengthened the bond between them. No wonder Hal wanted her to get used to it.

He came into the bathroom as Lena was drying off. When she began to put on lotion, Hal recognized the scent that had entranced him in London. He held out his hand without speaking and she put some lotion on his palm. He applied it across her shoulder blades and down her back as she set a foot on the toilet lid and lotioned a leg. He put his hand out for more, then worked his way down her lower back. She switched legs.

Hal silently requested more lotion and got it. Finally he spoke as he gently applied lotion to her backside. "I suspect that your lovely derriere should receive special attention, which I am happy to provide," he said.

"I'm happy to let you," she replied as she lotioned an arm. "Fairy Liquid is effective but not particularly gentle on my skin." They worked quietly again.

"I don't suppose your breasts could also use special attention?" Hal asked when he was finished with her backside.

"My breasts are always happy to receive your attention." She turned around.

Hal lotioned her breasts and shoulders. His smooth caresses made her insides melt and when his hands moved to her stomach she caught her breath. He worked his way across her navel and hips before stopping.

"I dare not do more," he said quietly. She read his hunger and agreed.

"If you could read me like I can read you, you'd know that I'm about two seconds from pinning you to the floor," she said. "You'd better get in the shower, now!"

Hal smiled at her comment but nodded in agreement and quickly stepped into the tub. She just managed to slap his ass before he closed the shower doors. He jumped but didn't complain. It was her turn.

By the time Hal came downstairs, Lena and Tom were putting the finishing touches on a huge fry-up. Lena had a fresh cup of coffee in her hand and was singing along to the radio, which was no longer on the station Hal had chosen.

"I wanna rock and roll all night, and party every day!" Lena head banged slightly as she finished an omelet. Alex sang along and danced as well, and even grabbed Tom and made him dance with her. Tom was enthusiastic and since there were apparently no actual dance moves required, just some bobbing and shaking, he did fine. Hal watched them from the doorway. They weren't just playing happy families, they were genuinely happy, and a family. Lena's immediate family, she had said last night, and Hal saw that she meant it.

Lena saw Hal and offered him a silent toast with her coffee cup and an arched eyebrow. "Good morning, lover. You want an omelet?"

Hal eyed his breakfast choices and nodded. "Three-egg, I think," he said, and began to assemble the additional elements as she cracked and beat the eggs into a bowl. Their teamwork had become flawless and spoken language was seldom required when they worked together.

Tom and Alex moved in much the same way, not just while at home, but at work as well. Alex sensed a connection between them, stronger than what she had with her dad and brothers; it alerted her to Tom's presence and occasionally called her to him. Each time she appeared she was needed. She no longer questioned it but responded instantly when she felt him tug on her consciousness.

Tom held the floor during breakfast as he explained the results of the werewolf court's proceedings. Their prisoner had given a full confession. He was heart-broken, had only recently been turned, and had believed that he was in a safe area for the transformation on the night he killed and maimed the Rileys. He didn't know what he had done until the next morning, when he found shreds of clothing clutched in his hands. He'd immediately gone into hiding and begun to consider suicide. The following full moon he'd padlocked himself into a cellar. Bernard had found him and Rook had captured him a few weeks afterward.

The court had sentenced him to immediate incarceration of a sort, but it was actually an apprenticeship with an experienced werewolf who had agreed to take him in and teach him to manage his condition. They would return to the court member's home, where Rook's people would provide resources to assure safe transformations and monitor their progress. All members of the court would receive monthly reports and other members could be called on to assist as needed.

The sentence was five years' incarceration with a member of the court. They had all agreed to take a turn and work with the prisoner if asked. If the man attempted to escape or injured a human during the course of his incarceration he would be killed immediately. If, after the terms of his sentence were completed, he killed or infected another human, he would be hunted down and destroyed.

It was a harsh but fair sentence. Nobody understood the damage the werewolf could inflict upon humanity better than the werewolves themselves. Tom was comfortable with the resolution they had reached and believed that it set a solid standard on which they could build a structure of law for their species.

The sun was up by the time breakfast was finished. Tom checked his watch. "I've got an hour to wake up and drink a pot of tea before I need to be at the hotel," he said.

"I'll go in for you, Tom," Alex offered. "Write me a couple of notes for the foremen. Tell 'em you're comin' in later. Sleep for a few hours."

"We're expecting the cabinet makers today, Alex. I need to be there, to make sure they get started a'right."

"That's not till noon. If they show up early, I'll come and get you." Alex got a notepad and pen and handed them to Tom. "Get some rest. I got this."

"Thanks, 'Lex. I don't know what I'd do without ya," Tom said with a tired smile. He wrote instructions for her to give the foremen onsite, telling them to expect him at noon. They had his mobile number in case of emergency.

Tom gave Alex the notes and she stuck them in a jacket pocket. He gave her a grateful hug and a kiss, which she returned with ease.

"Love ya, Alex."

"Love you too, Tom. See you in a few hours." She watched him trudge up the stairs before disappearing.

Lena smiled to see their comfortable show of affection, and a quick sideways glance at Hal caught him smiling also. They carried the breakfast dishes into the kitchen without comment and began the washing up.

They knew cleanup was their responsibility, even without a rota. Hal was well aware that he and Lena should accept most of the domestic duties as they didn't leave the house in order to earn an income. For that matter, Lena didn't need to earn an income at all. She could easily buy the finest home in Barry and staff it with servants as she chose. Hal thought for a moment. Based on what he had learned about Lena's extensive wealth, she could probably just buy Barry, but why would she?

Why wasn't she living in a mansion on a private island in a warm climate, instead of a rundown B&B in Wales? He knew the answer, and he respected her for it. Lena didn't require opulence to be happy. She didn't flinch from the most menial tasks, and she didn't expect others to do for her what she could do for herself. She did what she believed was right and what was best for her family, and now the residents of Honolulu Heights were counted among her family. They were very, very lucky.

"The weather is supposed to be much better today. Maybe we can finish our walk," Lena said.

"We didn't make it to the bakery or the tobacconist yesterday," Hal said, as his way of agreeing with her suggestion.

"I could use a few more hours of sleep, but not after such a big meal. Better to stay moving for a while and take a nap later."

"That sounds like a pleasant way to spend the afternoon."

"Hal, you do realize that I intend to actually sleep during my nap." She had picked up something in the tone of his voice that suggested Hal might have other plans.

"Perhaps you should invest in a turtleneck and a chastity belt." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her quickly, before she could protest. He kissed her until she stopped trying to pull away from him and began to push herself into him instead. Soon he was backed up to the cabinet with Lena standing between his legs as she leaned against him.

"Can you still buy chastity belts?" he continued teasing her. "I understand they are typically custom-made, although I suppose you might find a ready-to-wear model on eBay."

"Asshole," she murmured.

"Is that an offer, Pet?"

She felt his penis shift and grow against her. Their kisses had started the process, but mention of his Pet had definitely caused a reaction.

"Wow, you really like your new toy," she said.

"Not my toy, my lover."

"Well, your lover is going to want a nap on clean sheets before attempting any more strenuous activity, so you might as well cool your jets." She stepped away from him.

"Consider them cooled. What say we start a load of wash before taking our walk?" Hal was quick to follow her lead when she redirected them from sex, and he did so with a smile. He wasn't pushing for anything she didn't want, he was just happy to be intimate with her, whenever she was willing, in whatever form she needed to take for them to be safe. That's what he told himself, and he even believed it because an addict will sometimes deny his new addiction.

# # #

The tattooed man made an appearance a few evenings later, at Tom's request, sort of. They were in the living room watching television and Lena was working on her latest project: a floral needlework wall hanging. She had the fabric stretched on a frame that sat on the floor in front of the sectional, and she was working her way from the top down, creating a canopy of flowering vines as she went. She had a basket full of silk needlework thread; she had eight or more colors working at any one time on her fabric; she had no pattern. She was free-handing, making it up as she went, and the results were already astounding.

"You truly can't just sit and relax, can you?" Hal teased her as he watched her work. She claimed the corner against the wall so her mess wouldn't be in anyone's way. Hal sat near her and watched the design unfold as she went.

"You know what they say about idle hands," she said.

"How can you do that without a pattern?" Alex leaned over the back of the sectional to check on her progress.

"Practice. I've been doing needlework for a while," Lena explained. "I get a general idea in my head and take it from there."

"Is that how you made them tattoos?" Tom blurted out the question, then turned red as he realized what he was referring to. The housemates had tacitly ignored the tattooed man who'd appeared in bed with Hal.

"I didn't make those, Tom, I had them done by a tattoo artist. I just don't show them very often," Lena replied.

"Can I see em?"

"Sure. I was in Japan at the time, so this is the form I actually got them on." She moved away from her needlework and transformed into the tattooed woman Hal had met. After a moment of shock at her sudden change of appearance, Tom got up and began admiring the tattoos he could see on her arms.

"Wicked!"

"Hang on," Lena said, and she took off her t-shirt. She was wearing a modest sports bra that provided more coverage than most modern swimsuits, but Tom didn't notice anyway. He was admiring the koi leaping across her back and the lions on her sides. Alex joined him, but Hal stayed where he was on the sectional. He was focused on keeping the extent of his own interest to himself.

Alex asked the question, of course. "If this is what you looked like when you got tattooed, why were you a man the other morning?"

"I was having a crazy dream and transformed. I can do it again, if you want," Lena offered. "I could take the bra off without giving Tom a heart attack that way."

Tom blushed when she said the word 'bra.' It hadn't occurred to him until then that he was looking at her undergarment.

"If you're going to do that, you should put on shorts so they can see most of the display," Hal said.

Tom and Alex looked interested enough for Lena to agree. She ran upstairs to change while Alex gave Hal a speculative look. How did he know the extent of Lena's tattoos? Hal saw her look and answered with a half-smile and a raised eyebrow. "Tattoo woman introduced herself the other evening," he said. He left them to consider for themselves the implications of his statement.

Lena returned as tattooed Pet wearing Hal's shorts. He nearly came unglued at the sight of his Pet in his shorts, but his housemates didn't notice because they were too busy learning about the symbolism behind the tattoos and asking about the time-intensive process Lena had undergone when she got them in the 1650's.

She eventually went upstairs and returned as herself, sans tattoos, to continue working on her project. It wasn't until later, when they were alone, that she realized how much her appearance as Pet had affected Hal.

Hal liked routine. It wasn't a matter of keeping him safe; it was a matter of keeping a sense of order, of negating the chaos in which he had spent his childhood and his early years as a vampire. He had begun building routines into his life long before he used them as a crutch during his first dry period. Hal had small routines throughout his day—his tea prepared just so in certain cup-and-saucer sets; his clean laundry folded and hung in particular ways—that Lena learned to respect.

Their nighttime routine was well-established: Lena would 'retire to the toilet for her evening ablutions,' to use Hal's words, after which she would put on pyjamas and get into bed. Hal would take his turn in the bathroom, put on pyjamas, and join her in their bed. Once they were finished with the world and safely cocooned in their private space, they would proceed with 'whatever crazy shit they chose,' to use Lena's words. They followed the house rule Lena had established for masturbation since that umbrella covered some of their crazy shit. They didn't make too much noise and they cleaned up after themselves.

On this particular night the routine departed from its course when Lena returned to the bedroom to put on her pyjamas. Hal was waiting for her behind the door, already naked, and he shut and locked it as soon as she entered the room. His stealthy, vampire-hunter-style move startled her until she understood his
reason for it. She wondered briefly if he would have a big red bow tied around his erection, as he was clearly ready to give it to her.

There was no bow and there was barely any foreplay. There was Hal tearing off her robe. There was Hal throwing her over his shoulder, carrying her to the bed, and easily tossing her onto it. There was Hal frozen, staring at her as the curse flared dark over him, and Lena knew she'd better get the hell out of there, fast.

Then there was Pet, before Hal had whispered the name. Pet grinned up at him from the bed as the curse subsided; Pet eyed Hal's rock-hard erection greedily and asked, "That far gone already?" And when Hal nodded, Pet chuckled, a rich, hungry sound, and said, "Then get the lube and let's get this show on the road."

Later, after a few hours of sleep and a couple of shows, Hal suggested to Lena that it would be best if Pet stayed in their private space from now on. She agreed.