Bitten (Book 1 - Book 4)

They all turned to see Mina. Lafton, her man, was with her.

“Uri. Grazie. Nattie,” Lafton said with a nod.

“That is no fair,” Uri said with a frown.

Mina laughed.

“All's fair on Festival night,’ she said.

Grazie paid his fee. The attendant placed a new dart board.

"You're just throwing money away," Uri said.

Grazie threw his darts as fast as Uri.

“Even second place is a hundred bucks,’ Grazie said.

Mina paid her fee and the attendant place another dart board.

"You meant third,’ she said, throwing her darts faster than both of them. “And your prize is only fifty." The attendant smiled.

Mina smiled.

“Rigged,’ Uri said, dragging Natalia off.

“All three of you looked the same,” she said.

“Mina can get all three points of her darts practically in the same space. Grazie was one space off on two darts. I had two in, but one space off on the third one.’

'So no one can beat Mina?’

“They best they can do is tie.’

“What about her sister, Char?’

He shook his head.

“No one has ever beaten Mina.’

Natalia was noticing a lot of henna tattoos. Many vendors were doing them. Uri stopped and she was able to watch one for a few seconds. The artist worked blindingly fast.

“Well, what do you think?" he said.

'I already have a henna tattoo.’

“No. Not that."

“Then what?’

She didn't know what he was referring to since there were numerous vendors in the area and elbow-to-elbow people. Someone else ran a hand across her ass. She was seeing a lot of that around her by both men and women. There were a lot of shoulder brushes and cheek rubbing, too. “Street sign,” he said.

She looked up.

“Nattie Ave?’

“We own this block. The buildings on both sides of the street for one block.”

“Did you get to name the street?’

He nodded while he led her down the street.

All the storefronts were empty. There was one where the whole front was glass. She was actually surprised it had survived its time in Hell,

“We own all of this? I thought you only owned a few buildings."

“Well, when the decision was made to clean up Hell, all the owners were notified of the costs. And that was just for the streets. Then everyone was notified to clean up their buildings. A few people then decided they didn't want to own property in Hell. I was able to get a few more buildings at pennies on the dollar so to speak.”

“A few buildings?’

“Cost me almost more to just get the landscaping improved. All the trees had died. I had to get them dug out and plant new ones. As well, I had to put in the flower pots and benches.’

She could tell that all the flower pots and benches she had seen so far looked the same, giving the area a uniform appearance.

He turned the corner. There were no store fronts on this section of street. In the middle, an alley ran behind the buildings. Just within, Natalia caught movement.

“Oh, my word,’ she said in a whisper.

A few yards down the alley she saw Harold standing on a box. Bent over a chair in front of him was a woman. He was having sex with her as fast as he could. There were two other women waiting. “He's popular at Festival time,’ Uri said, pulling her along.

“Where's his wife, Nadine?"

“Probably out sampling and having fun like him. There is no jealousy allowed at the Festival of Sex, he said. “There are, however, two rules."

“What are they? No fighting or biting?"

"You got one right. No biting. And no breeding.’

He paused at the next corner.

“Uri Ave,’ she said.

“We own this block, too. Buildings on both sides.’

He turned and led her up the street.

“This is a lot of real-estate, she said. “It's going to cost us a mint to renovate these buildings.’

“I have two people wanting to lease buildings already. They get a reduced lease if they do the renovations.’

“That will save some costs.’

“Plus, Moralis was able to put into place tax incentives for those who invested in the area. Reduced sales tax and real-estate taxes. However, taxes here are already pretty low.’

They reached the corner. It was hard to navigate. People pressed against them in all directions.

'I can't tell if that's you touching me or someone else.’

“Could be me," he said into her ear.

“What are you doing?’

“Ever have sex in the middle of a crowd?

“Don’t you dare bite me."

'l can’t. Not allowed here.’

He was slowly pushing her into the middle of the intersection. There seemed to be other couples standing there. However, there seemed to be an erotic sway to the crowd as well.

“Native music in the background,” he said in her ear.

She felt the beat through her bare feet and chest even though it wasn't loud.

Jungle smells.”

There were misters overhead increasing the humidity and adding an earthy odor to the air. “Almost like grubbies.’

“Exactly like grubbies,” he said.

She bumped into something that wasn't a person.

“Put your foot up here.’

“What? Why?"

“Do it."

It was a whispered command in her ear. He then nibbled her ear. For some reason, she suddenly felt as if they were the alone in the middle of a jungle. Even the blue lights in the area were dimmer. The earthy smell seemed to have a leafy smell as well. The gentle jostling of others around them was like the underbrush of the jungle swaying in a breeze.

Uri touched her, sending heat between her legs. He helped her put her foot on a riser. She couldn't tell what she was backed into, but she suddenly didn't care. He rubbed his cheek against hers, then lifted her up slightly and slid himself into her.

The breathing around her was synchronized.

They weren't the only ones having sex.

Uri was grinding against her. It was the move that optimized her pleasure. He continued until she tightened around him, then he stopped and withdrew, keeping hold of her while she enjoyed her orgasm.

"You didn’t come,’ she said, breathlessly.

“No. I will pleasure you all night."

He suddenly bumped a man who moved on.

'He wanted to cut in.’

“People can do that?’ she said.

Uri smiled.

"You're rather vulnerable around here. You don't know how to refuse an advance. That's my job. You don't want to wander off.’

“That ruins your fun.’

He smiled again with a little head shake.

“No. It enhances it. I'm ecstatic that I have a woman who wants only me. And I only want her.’

He held her close while he edged them out of the intersection. She could now clearly see that everyone in the middle of the intersection were having sex. Once out of the intersection, they strolled hand-in-hand down the middle of the street.

Natalia found herself enjoying the stroll and watching the vendors that lined the sidewalks. She flinched when a hand gently caressed her ass. A hand touched her shoulder, and she reflexively turned. The man brushed his cheek across hers. Then he was gone like a shadow into the crowd. She could smell his scent and was surprised to find it clean and fresh with a hint of pecan.

'Fluorescing clothing is becoming popular,’ Uri said, drawing her attention.

She decided he hadn't seen the man. With only two rules, there was a lot a man could do. She had the feeling that there were unwritten rules and she was at a dangerous disadvantage not knowing them.

'I know someone who put a fluorescing sign on their suit. It was a circle with a slash through it. In the circle were the initials of his boss.’

“That's popular?’ she said.

“Only when your boss in an Undent and can't see it. A silent snub.’

A group of women were checking out t-shirts that glowed. Natalia could hear them grumbling about how shirts and blouses weren't cut right. One was trying to stuff her breasts into a t-shirt, but was unsuccessful.

“Let's get some of this," he said, pulling her along.

The vendor was selling a light orange drink.

Natalia knew what it was by the smell.

'Soursop,” she said.

“How did you know?’

He ordered two.

“I had it at Sophie's house.’

“Damn, I'm going to have to talk to Mirren. I bet he found a source when he and Moralis were resolving the sanguine tea shortage.’

They took their drinks and continued to stroll down the middle of the street.

'I have to look at this.’

Uri swerved, jerking her along. She felt like a toy on a string.

From where they were, she could see they were aiming for what looked like a six by six foot pane of glass. When they reached it, she could see it was about five inches thick and filled with dirt. There were grubbies burrowing and moving around. It reminded her of an ant farm.

“Hanti, did you fix your problem?’ Uri said.

The man, standing by the display, laughed.

"Yeah. I had to thicken the glass.”

“He had a beetle hatch in the display one year. It was a big one.’

“Ingus took it, once we found it. It was the biggest one he had ever seen. I swear standard beetle stock became one inch wider after that one entered his breeding program.’

“Found it?’ she said.

“It broke the glass and escaped,’ Uri said. 'l don't think the five inches of space is wide enough in there.’

“I learned not to have any ready to hatch,’ Hanti said.

“Hanti is a specialty breeder.’

“I've made them bigger. Now we'd like to get rid of the purple and poisonous bristles. I can get them to be smaller, but can't seem to get rid of them altogether. I'm starting to think it's part of the bacteria they coexist with. Can't get rid of the bacteria or we'd stop glowing."

Natalia also knew this enhanced their venom. She was amazed when a couple of grubbies lit up their bristles. Then one flashed colors like lightening down its side.

“Wow. Why do they need to flash colors underground?’ she said.

“That's a side effect,” Hanti said. "When you see a flash of color, they are actually sending out a vibration. It's how they communicate. We can already tell which are male grubbies and which are female and can separate them out. The males are figuring out the density of how many other males there are and whether they need to go find new territory or fight for what is around them.’

“That's why when Mag and Zena do a harvest, they have to dig up the whole basement. Sometimes males head to isolated corners to pupate.’

“Females always group together,” Hanti said.

“I learn something new all the time,’ she said.

Hanti chuckled.

“Best part is I can eat my failures,” he said

Natalia didn’t think he looked like he had too many failures. He was lean and muscular. A faint odor of pecans emanated from him. His body looked lightly oiled.

A group of women arrived. He headed over by them, immediately starting to flirt.

“Don’t get any ideas,’ she said.

"You already quashed my mini grubbie farm. Specialty breeding takes way too much time and effort.’

Natalia spied Tia and Grazie. He was also holding her hand like Uri was holding hers.

“Grazie isn't going to let go of Tia," Uri said, showing he had also seen them.

“Maybe it's the other way around,’ she said.

He chuckled.

“That could be right, but I think Grazie is heads over for Tia. He's not going to give her up.’

Natalia already knew that Tia was very much in love with Grazie.

“Monogamy must run in the family,” she said.

“A... nope. I saw Sophie on her own. That means Mirren is on his own.’

Uri always referred to his father by his first name. They still maintained the image that they fought, even thought they were close.

“Unless they couldn't find a babysitter.

“I know Sophie's mom doesn’t come to these anymore. I'm sure she’s babysitting.”

“At what age do people stop coming?"

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she spied Cora. She knew Cora was in her early sixties. “Never mind,’ she said. “I just saw Cora who works at the courthouse.’

"You're never too old to go to the Festival.’

“And I now know why very few Viperians are overweight. They keep in shape for the Festival."

Uri grinned.

“And what is that pecan scent? Some people seemed to be oiled up like a body builder.’

“Pecan oil. If you're actively looking for a partner, you oil yourself up.’

“Glad to see you didn't.

I'm taken. Ooh, let's see if we can get some heart.’

A small crane was hoisting up a dead cow. It was already striped of the hide. However, the head was still attached with horns and hide intact. Natalia swore the muscles were still twitching on the animal. Blood was dripping from a slash in the throat. There was a large container beneath the cow catching the blood. A woman was stirring the blood with sticks, then handing out the sticks. There was a glob of clotted blood on the ends.

The moment the cow was hoisted, a crowd gathered. Natalia didnt think they had a chance, but Uri pulled her through. He managed to get up to the front toward one side.

One man was shaving thin pieces of meat from the carcass. People would scan their cash card, then receive a pile of shavings on a piece of wax paper.

“Heart,’ Uri said to another man. “Still have it?"

The man nodded.

Natalia had never seen the heart of a cow. It looked huge. It was also red and bloody. The man whipped out a knife. He cut a pile of thin slivers.

“Two,’ Uri said.

The man added more slivers. Uri scanned his card. The man handed him the slivers on a piece of paper.

“Thanks.

Uri pulled her out of the crowd and back to the middle of the street.

“Raw heart?’ she said.

Tender,” he said, taking a piece.

She swore he swallowed it whole. He handed her a piece, and she popped it into her mouth. It tasted like a fine piece of tenderloin with just a slightly tinny blood taste.

“Wow. Why don’t we get this at home?’

He laughed.

“Hard to get unless you know a rancher. Delicacy. Undents ground them into sausages before we showed up. Or just threw them away."

There seemed to be a wave of people moving fast.

Natalia sniffed the air.

“Undents?

"Yeah," Uri said. “Some of them mustn't have wanted to go to the Summer Fest and still thought Hell was a place to party.’

“Sort of like falling into a rattlesnake’s den,’ she said. “However, there is the Teddy bear law.’

“One bite doesn't turn them into a Teddy bear. I'm sure some ladies will use them for a while, but outside of the Festival.’

She started noticing people with blood on them.

“What's going on with the blood?"

She grabbed away the paper with the heart on it before Uri ate them all

“Hunt house. There is always one or two on Festival night.’

“What is a hunt house?’

She snarfed down two pieces while he was distracted.

“Seal a building. Let loose rats and mice. Scent mark one of them. Then charge people to find the marked one. You get a prize. Harold is always good at that. You have five or ten minutes to do it. All depends on how large a building they use.’

Natalia could see a line near a building.

“It's fun to do," he said when she frowned.

I don't need to hunt a rat. I hate rats.’

She ate two more pieces of heart before Uri grabbed a piece.

“Why are they bloody, though?

“Snack,’ he said.

“Say what?"

"You can eat what you catch.’

“Why do I ask these questions when I'm eating?"

She ate the last piece of heart.

“They don't use sewer rats,’ he said. These are specially bred to be meaty and juicy.’

She slurped the last of her soursop. He took her cup and threw both of their cups into a trash bin. She was glad to see that people were using the trash bins and there was no trash on the ground. 'I really need to see this place in daylight. I love all the trees.

“A thousand bucks a tree,’ he said with a shake of his head.

“Why so much?

“They're mature trees. Require a big hole. Must be of a certain variety, Ginko. And must be males only."

She eyed him.

“Females fruit and are messy. So, maybe next weekend we can come during the day.’

"Yeah. Tomorrow we have Victoria's birthday party. Everyone is going to be tired. Except for the children.’

“No one gets tired during Festival time, he said.

Natalia saw Harold bump in front of the line for the Hunt house.

They passed another crane with a cow hoisted up. However, this cow was almost skeletonized.

“I bet they go through a lot of those,’ she said.

"Yep. We can see one zapped if you want."

'Zapped. Oh, I remember what you said. It is electrocuted, sliced, then served.’

“Best way."

The atmosphere around them suddenly became charged with tension.

“Oh oh.’

Uri led her farther down the street. They were almost to the front gates. A crowd was gathered, but the mood of the people wasn't festive.

“What is it?" she said.

People were forming a tight circle.

Uri pulled her over to a building.

“Climb. It's safer up there.’