Once parked, in the space beside a cobalt blue coupe, Estinien got a duffle out of his trunk and quickly headed up to his room. As soon as he locked the door, he dropped the duffle and started to strip, growling heatedly in the privacy of his room and dropping down onto the floor.

A few minutes later, his phone rang. Seeing it was Aymeric, he swiped quickly to answer it, then resumed his workout, grunting heavily.

"I thought I heard you return," Aymeric's cultured voice murmured absently, "but you didn't check in with me so I…" he paused suddenly, listening, "Ien? What are you doing?"

Estinien paused mid push-up, panting to catch his breath, and glared at his phone. "Press-ups, why?"

"Ah," Aymeric was somehow able to indicate he'd gotten flustered with just one word, "no, of course. For a moment, it sounded like you were… nevermind." He quickly cleared his throat. "How did it go tonight?"

Estinien closed his eyes and clenched his teeth, feeling fresh hunger raging through his body. His heart was pounding, and he resumed working out, growling loudly, sweat rolling down the lines of his muscles. "It went great, Aym! Absolutely great!"

"If it went great, why are you so worked up?"

"Because… that Dushane woman…" Estinien leaned his head back, clenching his teeth again and forcing himself not to moan. He took several deep breaths, forcing himself back under control. "Fuck… I can't get her out of my head…"

"Oh no, Ien… Don't tell me…" Aymeric started to chuckle sympathetically.

Estinien knew that tone and growled at him warningly. "Don't say it!"

"Ien! Good Gods, did you fall in love with her?"

"Dammit, Aymeric!"

"Sweet Halone, you did? It's been one night! What on earth happened?"

Estinien closed his eyes again, this time with an irritated sigh. "Please shut up, Aym… I'm trying to deal with it…"

Aymeric chuckled some more, but Estinien could tell he was trying to muffle it with his hand, even if he was less than successful. "I'm sorry, Ien. This is just… too rare! At least let me enjoy it for a minute." He brought himself under control, clearing his throat again. "Did you find out anything about her? So we can at least pretend we've been doing our jobs?"

"I think she's mixed," Estinien let himself drop onto the carpet, frustrated, and sighed again, pushing his hands into his hair, "she has fangs, and she purrs."

"Oh? Like we do? Or…"

"More like how a Miqo does, but she doesn't have a tail."

"Now that's interesting. On top of possibly being an Empath?" In the silence, Estinien could hear Aymeric typing. "How'd you find out she could purr?"

Estinien covered his face, rolling over onto his back. "How do you think? She spent the whole night flirting with me!"

"Really? Is that how you got so worked up?" Estinien groaned loudly and Aymeric started laughing again. "But… that means she must like you, too…"

"She told me to my face that she finds me attractive. She's confident Aym, it's hot." He sighed heavily. "How am I supposed to earn her trust when Thordan could order me to hurt her at any minute?"

Aymeric lowered his voice gently. "By being honest with her, Ien. It's all you can do."

Estinien stared up at the ceiling, trying to calm his breathing again. "I was."

That made Aymeric pause. "Oh? …How much did you tell her?"

Estinien closed his eyes. "Not a lot, really, but probably enough to still get us in trouble."

Aymeric sighed softly. "Alright. Well, try not to get too carried away, Ien. We're not in the strongest of positions here."

"I know. Believe me, I haven't forgotten."

"And try taking a cold shower, before you poke an eye out." Aymeric started to laugh again, teasing him mercilessly.

Estinien snarled and hung up on him. He blushed furiously, then got up and strode into the bathroom to start the shower.

Back at her apartment, Rifka sat in her living room with the radio on, eating her burger and potato wedges, having added a dipping cup of spicy ketchup. She wiped sauce from her lip with her thumb as she finished and licked her fingers clean. She washed the meal down with a long sip from a glass of iced tea.

In the silence that followed, her mind wandered to Estinien. It had been a long time since she'd felt those feral urges, the ones that had won her the name Hellcat in the first place. The growling, untamable creature with teeth and claws and a habit for lunging at throats…

A new song started to play, and she wasn't really listening, but it was something with a slow, deep rhythm that made her heart start to pound in time with it. She started thinking about his rough voice, how it sounded when he complimented her… The way his breath shook in his chest when she teased him… The hungry way he looked at her…

Her back arched and she gasped quietly, closing her eyes as arousal spiked inside her. She pushed a hand into her hair, slowly rubbing the side of her neck as she breathed deeply. Her mind continued to replay the night; the way he blushed, his little smirks, his intense gray eyes… The way his chest had rumbled when he kissed her… Oh Gods, and that kiss… She felt her face getting hot and leaned her head back with a soft groan.

"Dammit," she whispered to herself, "how is he so hot? Why? Gods, what are you doing to me? I've never been this easily distracted before… Fuck!"

She pushed to her feet, taking her empty containers to the kitchen and washing them out, setting them upside-down on a towel to dry, trying to force her mind to focus. As she finished the task, her mind wandered back to Estinien again, recalling his anger and helplessness at being trapped under Thordan's bloodthirsty thumb.

"I really hope Thordan doesn't try to make him fight me…" She sighed, shutting the water off and drying her hands, "I'm not gonna want to do it."

She went for a shower, finally removing the pretty red dress. She hung it up, smiling at it fondly, and stepped under the water. As she soaped up, she suddenly remembered his hands, caressing her back, pulling their bodies together… and the promising heat she'd felt between his legs…

Her hand slowly slid down her belly and between her thighs. She pressed her other hand against the wall with a gasp, arching her back and slowly rolling her hips. She'd never been this hot for someone so quickly before. She showed her teeth with a sharp moan, leaning her head back as she quickly brought herself off.

"Fuck," she gasped, panting to catch her breath, "Pull yourself together, Dushane!" She finished her shower and did her skincare routine, forcing herself to return to normalcy.

Stepping out of the bathroom in a towel, Estinien shivered a little as he dried his hair with a second towel and tried desperately not to hyperfocus on the droplets of cold water sliding down over his skin and hanging off the tips of his nipples.

"Ien,"

Surprised, Estinien turned sharply, seeing Aymeric standing just inside the entryway, slowly closing the door behind him. His icy blue eyes were intense, staring at him with the same hunger he had been growling with just moments ago. His chest was heaving with barely restrained arousal.

"Aymeric?" His heart started to pound as Aymeric slowly walked toward him. "Aym, what…?"

"I heard you… Through the bathroom wall…" He didn't stop until they were standing face to face, and his voice softened. "You sounded like you were in pain…"

Estinien closed his eyes, breathing deeply. He could already feel the warmth of Aymeric's body, and he wasn't even touching him yet. "It wasn't pain, Aym…" He opened his eyes and gazed at him quietly, heatedly. "You know it wasn't."

A hand reached out. Fingertips slowly traced the pelvic bone peeking out from under the towel. Estinien leaned his head back with a sharp shiver. "She really got under your skin? In one night?"

"I can't explain it," Estinien was starting to pant softly, shivering heavily as skilled, familiar hands teased his body, "you have to meet her… Then you can tell me if I'm insane…"

"I would never think that of you…"

The towel dropped to the floor, and Estinien grunted as he was pushed back against the wall. Aymeric's teeth were on his neck, his arms clutching him tightly around the waist. One hand gripped his muscular cheek, fingertips digging in, before sliding around his hip and coming to rest on his shaft, beginning to stroke firmly. Estinien clenched his teeth with a gasp, then rolled his eyes back, shuddering in pleasure and moaning sharply. "Oh fuck, Aym…!"

"Mngh… I haven't heard you make that sound in so long…" Aymeric whispered huskily into his ear, panting softly with his own arousal, "and now I hate him even more for trying to keep us apart…" He suddenly growled hotly. "You belong to me…"

Estinien blushed deeply, leaning his head back on the wall as he gasped and groaned in time with Aymeric's movements, his hips starting to thrust into his tightly squeezing hand. A breathless, exhilarated grin stretched his lips as he clutched his lover, pulling him close. "This is a first… I actually made you jealous for a change?"

Aymeric closed his eyes at Estinien's taunting, clenching his teeth on a strained moan. "I've never seen you even look at a woman before…" He looked into his eyes, so his lover could see he was flushed and excited, not angry. "She must really be special…" His hand slowed.

"I… Aym, she's…" Estinien groaned deeply as his rising need was halted by the sudden change of pace. He shuddered again, gasping to catch his breath. "Furies, Aymeric… Please…"

"You're right, I'm being terrible… Forgive me." Aymeric kissed him passionately and reaffirmed his grip, beginning to pump quickly.

Estinien clutched him tightly, gasping into his mouth, and kissed him breathlessly as he arched his back in pleasure. Eventually, he cried out against his lips and threw his head back, pressing a hand against the wall as his muscles flexed taut. He showed his teeth, shouting as he heaved and came hard.

"Angh! Fuck! AYM!"

For a moment, they panted quietly together, holding each other and leaning heavily against the wall. Estinien reached up and slid his fingers in Aymeric's hair, gripping tightly and turning his head so he could kiss him deeply. Hearing Aymeric's muffled, tortured moan, he pushed off the wall with a hungry growl and guided him backward into the bedroom, kicking the door closed behind him.

At sunrise, Rifka awoke with a sharp inhalation. She was breathless and flushed, and pushed a hand into her hair with a soft groan as she sat up. Her body was growling with hunger, and she took a deep breath, slowly calming herself down. What had she been dreaming about? She reached for the dream, but it was already slipping away. With a sigh, she slid out of bed and went to the yoga mat positioned in front of the Eastern-facing window. The sun slowly washed over her, and she closed her eyes, bowing reverently to the celestial body.

"Good morning, Mother," she murmured, "good morning, my brothers and sisters. I'm still here, and I'm still fighting. Thank you for giving me your strength."

Her hands flowed around her as she sank into a ready position, drawing power into her core. She began to glow with it, and leaned her head back, feeling herself humming with energy. She went through her full routine, stretching, strengthening her core muscles, limbering up. When she was finished she glanced over at the cute little radio sitting on her table.

"Hey, Allag!" The radio's lights flickered on with a chirp. "Play my favorite station."

"Playing."

The music began to play, and the song was something soulful and bluesy, with a heavy edge that made goosebumps rise on her skin. The song made her think of someone specific, someone pale and broody, and brimming with passion. His face in her mind's eye made her shiver, but then she was distracted by the song's lyrics.

"Hey Allag, what's the name of this song?"

"The song currently playing is Dragonfly, by Shaman's Harvest."

"Dragonfly… Amazing. Maybe a bit too on the nose?" She danced through the apartment, starting a pot of coffee before heading into the bathroom to wash up. Once she was clean and smelled nice again, she got dressed.

Going back into the bathroom, she did her hair and makeup, brushing out her wavy hair and taming it again with her customary strategic braids. She turned her head from side to side, making sure she liked everything about the look. Her ears were visible today, so she adorned them with a pair of silver filigree cuffs. She grinned at herself, liking the glint of confidence in her dark eyes.

She headed out to the kitchen and checked the time. Nodding, she warmed up the steak and made some eggs to go with it for breakfast. The coffeepot had finished, so she poured a cup and added creamer and sugar. She sighed and relaxed with her food, listening to a few more songs before cleaning up and slipping into her sneakers at the door. Sliding into her leather jacket, she checked the inside pocket to make sure her wallet and was safely hidden away with her money and ID. Assured, she checked her phone to see if she had any messages.

There was a short one, from Thancred. He'd called sometime late at night, after she'd fallen asleep. He was apologizing for leaving her alone that night. He was confident that she would be fine, but still felt sorry, nonetheless. His sincerity made her smile, and she thought about her evening again.

Estinien had given her plenty to dream about, enough that she didn't have a single nightmare. She had awoken with a unusual amount of hunger, though. She could still feel it gnawing at her, and closed her eyes, going through her breathing techniques again. The hunger was tempered by patience, and she sighed, opening her eyes again and grabbing her patrol bag and keys.

She wondered if she would see him again tonight… The idea made her smile. She locked up the apartment and set off on her patrol route. It was quiet and uneventful, for the most part, but she ended up enjoying it anyway, for the city folk she passed while making her rounds were all out and about, tending to their own lives and duties, running errands unimpeded. When they saw her, they waved, or gave her small tokens of their appreciation for having been the bringer of their freedom.

She was finally heading for home when she heard the growl of a familiar engine. She turned a corner, and the black Rolls came into view, the hood down and Estinien at the wheel with one hand resting lightly on the wheel and the other draped idly over the door. Rifka was surprised at first, but then she remembered that he and his Handler were in town with orders to spy on her. Of course they'd found her patrol route. Probably easily, since no one from Ishgard was a slouch at anything.

He was talking, and then reached out to flick a screen. Rifka recognized the motion – he'd been on the phone. Probably with his Handler. She wondered what they'd been talking about, but all thoughts seemed to fly out of her head when he turned and speared her with his bright, gray eyes.

"Well, well," he purred, "if it isn't the Hellcat herself…" he smiled, "Hello again, Kitten."

"Thanks for not pretending to be surprised to see me where I'm supposed to be," she smiled back, slowly approaching his car, "Dragon."

"I've been advised that I should remain as honest with you as I possibly can," he took a breath, glancing away, "which is a dangerous dance, but I'm quick on my feet."

He'd piqued her interest again with that statement, he could see it in the way her eyebrow went up. She'd changed her hair slightly today, too. Her ears were out, and now he could see that they were pointed, but they didn't look like any Elven shape he'd ever seen. He also saw that the winged eyebrow was slashed across the middle by a bright white scar, and at the crest of her cheekbone was an adorable little beauty mark.

"Don't put yourself into danger just for me," she told him easily, "I don't need to know everything. Not at the expense of your friend's safety."

Estinien leaned his head back, gazing at her quietly. There was something in his gaze… Relief, or possibly thankfulness, but then it vanished behind a shameless smile. "Wanna go for a drive?"

She shivered excitedly. Taking her hands out of her pockets, she turned her wrist over to check her watch. She had a few hours to kill before she needed to show up at the bar. She smiled at him again. "Yes, definitely. Will you take me to my apartment first, so I can drop some stuff off?"

"Of course. Hop in."

She walked around to the passenger side and did as she was invited, planting her hand on the seat and vaulting easily over the door. He watched her, his mouth falling open slightly, but then he threw his head back with a laugh and revved the engine. The Rolls roared to life around them and they charged off toward her apartment, their hair flying in the wind.

He waited for her in the car this time as she sprinted to her apartment. She set her bag down in the kitchen and ran to the bathroom and made use of the facilities. As she washed her hands, she checked her face and hair quickly. She refreshed her deodorant, just in case, then sprinted out the door. She paused long enough to lock up again, then fairly leapt down the stairs and out the door.

He was watching her when she reappeared, and she literally hopped into his car a second time, making him grin. The Rolls roared to life, and they surged forward.

"So, what's there to see in this humble little city of yours?" He asked with a smile.

"Depends on what you're into, Varlineau. Do you like nature, music, or tech?"

"Nature." He replied easily, quickly, even. She looked over at him, smiling curiously, but the smile sharpened into a grin.

"I know just the place." She motioned to his GPS screen. "May I?"

"It's programed for my voice, but I remember how to add a user." He glared at the machine. "Voice activation, add user."

The GPS screen flickered on, and a pleasant voice purred out. "Waiting for additional user."

Estinien waved his hand at it, and Rifka smiled, leaning forward. "Rifka Dushane."

Her name flew onto the screen, and a picture of her popped up beside it. She was smirking at something off-screen, and she recognized it as her photo ID. "User added." Spoke the machine.

"Take us to Final Prayer."

"Finding Final Prayer," mused the computer. "Location found, providing directions."

Rifka sat back and looked at Estinien with a playful grin. "Your car's voice is hot."

He blushed and tightened his hands on the wheel, snorting sharply. "It's my Handler's…"

She snickered a little at his reaction but didn't poke him about it, which he appreciated. He glanced at the map and turned the car around to follow the directions to the place she called Final Prayer. It was a moderately long drive, which they mostly spent in an easy silence, enjoying the ride and the company.

When they arrived, he discovered that Final Prayer was the destination at the top of a hiking trail and arched his brows at her curiously. "I take it there's nothing to this one?"

She smiled at him. "Nothing at all, I promise. You won't even break a sweat. Lots of people come here, at least once, and usually at sundown."

"Oh?"

"You'll see. Come on!"

Her eagerness was adorable. Estinien smiled at her, charmed, and parked the car and climbed out. He turned back briefly, pushing a button on the fob and watching as the hood curved into place. Another button and the Rolls honked once as he locked it. Putting his keys away, he turned to follow her.

She lead him onto the trail, and he could see the path was clean and well-worn, an indication of its popularity, as she had mentioned. The walk was easy, only slightly uphill, and she leaned her head back, folding her arms behind her head. There was a light breeze, carrying the scent of soon-to-be fall weather. She breathed deeply, smiling, and glanced up at him.

"You seem familiar with this place," he observed, smiling back at her.

"Mhm, the trails here are nice to run for exercise, and the view is killer. You'll see. We're almost there."

He tucked his thumbs into his belt, chuckling. "I'm intrigued, Kitten. I hope you're not over-hyping this view."

Her eyes slanted slightly, and she gazed up at him quietly. "Hmm. I think you'll like it, but I guess we'll see."

They walked for another few minutes, and Estinien saw the trees and shrubs falling away as they came up to a cliff. A deep canyon stretched beyond the safety railing, with a large river running through it. A mountain range of vibrant orange aether crystals rose in the distance, and he could hear a soft humming in the air.

"Oh," he stepped up to the railing, slowly taking in the view. He felt her step up beside him, her dark eyes softening at the corners. "Yeah… this is good, Kitten."

She grinned and glanced toward the West. The sun was slowly setting, and she looked up at him again. "Just wait."

"There's more?"

"There's more."

The sun slowly set around them, and he watched her as she closed her eyes and closed a fist over her heart, murmuring something to herself. There was a swirl of light around her, and a glowing in her chest, but right when he was about to ask her what she was doing, the humming in the air got louder. His attention was drawn back to the crystal ridge, and his mouth fell open when the mountains began to glow.

The canyon was lit with warm, golden light, and the hum was pure and musical. "Halone's Fury," he breathed, stunned, "it's gorgeous."

Rifka grinned. "It never ceases to be, either. It's as breathtaking the hundredth time. I love this view. Anytime I'm out this way, I run up the trail to see it…"

He looked down at her and was surprised to see bright red highlights in her dark hair catching the light from the crystals. He reached out and touched them, fascinated, and grinned when he saw her blush and look up at him quickly. He slowly leaned down to her and heard her make a soft noise just before he kissed her.

She slid her arms around him and pressed against him tightly, deepening the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer, and felt her shiver. He could feel her hunger as clearly as he felt his own, and gently released her again.

They were both slightly breathless, and he could see heat in her gaze when she looked up at him. "I guess you really liked it…" She joked quietly.

"The more I learn about you, the more I like you," he admitted, his voice low.

He liked the way her mouth fell open slightly when he told her that. Her brown eyes were warm, clear, and fathomless. They were drawing him in. He bent to kiss her again and felt her fingertips stroke across his cheek and slide up into his hair. He shivered and pulled her against him, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Ien…" she whispered his name heatedly when they came up for air again, and he drew in a deep, shaky breath before meeting her gaze. "I'm… I don't usually…"

"I know, me either… but I can't seem to resist you…" he ran his fingers through her hair, stroking his hand slowly down her back. He felt her shiver again, felt her arch into his palm as though eager for his touch. He growled softly, holding her to him tightly. She closed her eyes and hissed in a soft breath, pressing against him tightly and slowly grasping a handful of his shirt.

"I've never wanted someone this quickly, before…"

"Something's happening," he whispered to her, "Or rather, it might be…" He sighed and closed his eyes, frustrated with himself. "Dammit, I shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry."

"It's alright." She opened her eyes and stared up at him quietly. For a moment, all they did was breathe, feeling each other's hearts pounding in their chests. "I think the Gods might be having a laugh."

He quirked a brow, smiling curiously. "You? Religious?"

She shrugged, laughing softly. "Sort of? I feel like they definitely exist… and I know they definitely take sides, when it suits them." Her gaze went out over the crystal ridge, then meaningfully to the west, where the last rays of sunlight were fading. "There's a weird feeling I get, sometimes, when I know I'm about to make a decision because something else wants me to…" Her hand slid over her heart, then down to her solar plexus. She shivered and shook her head.

He swallowed, staring at her. "Are you feeling that way right now?"

She smiled up at him, sliding her hand down his arm until she could lace their fingers together. "No." Her expression faltered slightly with uncertainty. "At least… I don't think so. I usually feel Guided when I'm going into a fight. I feel drawn to you in a way I never have been before… it's different."

Estinien squeezed her hand, gazing into her eyes. "Are you sure?"

She let out another laugh, but it was more like a nervous giggle. "No." She grinned sheepishly and hid her face.

That made him chuckle softly. He held her close for a moment longer, then gently released her. He took her hand and squeezed again, turning toward the path. "Alright, let's go do something else. Something that won't push us over the edge. Deal?"

She squeezed his hand, laughing softly as they started making their way along the path, back to the car. "Alright, deal." She looked at her watch. "Wanna grab food?"

He grinned at her. "That sounds perfect. At the Everything? Or somewhere else?"

She grinned up at him. "That depends… Did you like the food at the Everything?"

"It was pretty good, I'll admit." He paused and smiled slowly, teasing her. "I liked the music, too."

He enjoyed the sight of color rising on her cheeks again, but then she smiled up at him. "I hope you did. I might be singing again tonight." She reminded him.

They reached the car, and he took out his keys, unlocking the doors. As they climbed in, he looked at her again. "Are you going to flirt with me the whole time, again?"

Her grin sharpened, until he saw her cute little fangs again. The shameless grin made her dark eyes glitter, and he felt the hunger in his heart rising up. "I guess that depends… Did you like it last time?"

There was a quiet creak of his gloves as he gripped the steering wheel tightly. She hid her mouth as she laughed softly. "Alright, alright. I can take a hint. I'll go easy on you tonight, Dragon."

He growled at her. "We're supposed to be going easy on each other, Riffie!"

She leaned her head back on the seat with a shiver and drew in a breath. "I know, I know! You're right… It's just…" She trailed off, looking up at him again. "For some reason, I can't resist…"

Estinien sighed and started the car. He poked the screen to activate the GPS. "Directions to Everything Bar & Grill." As the computer pulled up the map, he met her gaze. "We are in so much trouble, Kitten…"

She grinned sheepishly again, closing her eyes. "Yeah… Yeah, we are…"