And her name is…

I shift outside of a small town and get dressed before walking closer. I make sure to change my face again, changing my hair to red, adding some freckles, but this time also elongating my face. I tighten the strap on my bag and walk down the main road looking for an inn. I can only find one and I go straight to the front desk passed the bar to ask for a room.

“Sorry lady, no rooms left,” the young man behind the desk announces before I even ask. “Do you have any family you could stay with?”

I hear the door close behind me as another patron enters and I watch him trade two rabbits for a silver coin, which he taps on the counter and mutters something about ‘the usual’. He’s given a glass of probably beer and a meal ticket is given to the kitchen.

I turned back to the clerk and shake my head with grimace. “Looking like a camp out tonight.”

“You don’t want to do that,” the patron at the bar warns. “I just came in from the woods. There are some strange animal tracks out there. Nothing like I’ve ever seen in these parts.”

I tilt my head to the side and look at him. “I just got into town, and I didn’t see anything odd. What kind of prints?”

“I wanted to say wolf when I first saw them, but the front and back marks don’t match. And they get deeper before disappearing, like it rose onto two legs and took flight.” He sounds awe’d, and terrified.

I, on the other hand, am trying to keep my inner laughter from escaping. “Really?” I gasp, but shrugged sheepishly. “Well up a tree in the woods is the best plan I have,” I admit. “Wouldn’t want to cross whatever made those.”

“I’ve got a room here,” the man offers and I give him a questioning look so he holds up his hands. “Unless you think it’s a herbivore.”

“Nothing with claws as you described is a herbivore,” I roll my eyes. “Fine, what do you want for it?”

He wags his eyebrows and I promptly rolled my eyes before sitting beside him at the bar. I didn’t ‘agree’ to his terms, but he certainly thinks I did. He orders me a beer, or what could be considered beer here, and even spilts his food with me. There’s a small amount of guilt forming in my stomach for what I planto do with him but his hand moves to my lower back and much of that goes away. I feel his hand lower and he pinches my ass, making me jump and squeak with surprise.

“Such an adorable sound,” he purrs.

Flame sears in my stomach where the guilt used to be.How dare he.I finish my portion of the food despite him finishing his own so quickly and then awkwardly watching me take every bite. Then, he picks up my bag while I’m using a napkin and smiles at me.

“Would you like to clean up from your long journey?” He offers.

I stand up on the opposite side of the stool from him to avoid him offering me a hand. When we reach the stairs to get to the rooms above us I gesture for him to lead the way. His ass is nice, but not worth it. He unlocks the door and puts my bag on the bed.

“Please help yourself to the space. You look like you’ve been through it.”

I check myself in the mirror. My hair is dirty and my skin dry, but I don’t want this sucker to consider joining in my shower. I walk slowly to the door and locked it before turning back to him.

“It’s been quite a life,” I murmur, heading to bathroom to wash my face and brush out my hair. I feel him following me and lengthen my strides enough to reach the bathroom first and throw my shirt back into his face. “I won’t be long.”

“You don’t want to shower?”

I shrug. “Makes more sense before bed, no? You seem pretty intent on getting you ‘payment’.”

He scoffs. “I kidd but I don’t want you uncomfortable. You’re welcome to shower now and tomorrow morning if you want. I’ll shower too if it’ll make it better.”

I don’t reply as I wash my face but I dry it off with a towel on my way back to the main room. “What? Not confident in youmanly musk?” I question but when I lower the towel I see he’s staring at me with his eyes slightly wider.

“What happened?” He gawks and he’s lucky I’m not offended.

“Consistent and prolonged torture,” I admit easily and watch his mouth fall open. “Rethinking your offer?”

“Yes.. no..” he returns and I start to grin wickedly at his response. “I mean.. I don’t want to hurt you.”

I feel like a bucket of ice was thrown over me just as I was about to start siphoning his energy. “What?”

He sits forward a little in his chair. “I’ve never known Sioga to scar so deeply. It must have been horrible.”

I nod numbly. “Terrible.”

“What happened to the bastard that did it?” He’s almost gritting his teeth, but he looks hopeful.

I smirk. “I’m on my way to kill him.”

He looks me up and down. “Think you can do it?”

I grin a little wider. “Absolutely.”

He smacks his knee. “Hot damn. Well I’m rooting for you. Want to give me his name so I know who to keep an eye out for in the obituaries?”

I shake my head. “He’ll be the name right above mine.”

He looks a little sadly at me with that, but he doesn’t argue with me. “Want to give me your name so I know who to avenge if it appears alone?”

My smile is softer now. “Theodosine.”

“Zaed.”

We shake hands and he gives me a toothy grin. I roll my eyes before going back to the bathroom, closing the door, and starting the shower. He seems like a decent enough guy, so I’ll rethinking my plan a little. When I come out ready for bed, he’s still in the chair with a book in hand. He’s not a round guy but he’s stocky; built like a bobber in the ocean. He looks like he’s fit in ways that benefit him; likely lungs, shoulders, and legs, for hunting. I meet his eyes when they run back up his body and he smiles at me.

“See something you like?”

The words make me freeze for a moment before I recover my smile. “Honestly, the last man who’s hands I had on me were so skilled that anything you have to offer would pale in comparison.”

He barks a laugh so suddenly I almost thought he was angry. “That good huh? Not even going to give me the chance to disappoint you then?”

I glance at the door and confirm it’s locked. “I was going to kill you as soon as I got settled in the room, but you made me laugh.”

“If you can get a laugh you can get a lay,” he jokes and I scoff.

“If you get a laugh you get to live.”

“Wait, what?”

I let my smile stretch a little too far across my face. “I think it’s funny that you thought I flew away.” His face goes incredibly pale and I accidentally let my shifted form’s laugh come out. “Don’t worry, it’ll be the best sleep you’ve ever had.”

I start pulling the energy from him quickly but evenly, and watch as his eyes get heavier. I take enough to keep him out well into tomorrow afternoon, and he’ll wake up slightly horrified, but alive with a story no one will ever believe.

I crawl into the bed, choosing a spare blanket from a shelf instead of any of the ones he’d been using.Gross. I hold my duffle bag in my arms like it’s a person, because I can still remember when it smelt like Wulfric. His hands will be the last to make me feel any pleasure, and I smirked at the unconscious man across the room.

“Sleep well.”