Crimson Wine and Cadaverous Company

"I never claimed to be nice."
She smiled at him in return, gazing at him softly.

Perhaps in time he would learn just how cruel she had been, she hoped not, in case he thought less of her for what she had done.

Slaughtering your way through the most of Europe was not a trait that most men found attractive in a woman.

"My hair? Yes, it was silver when I was born. All of my family have silver hair."

Silver hair and red eyes, that was how you could tell a Rozen apart from the rest of her clan.

The man rested his cheek on his palm, propped up by his elbow as his other hand continued to idly run through the few strands of silver hair.

His eyes were hooded and the content, albeit goofy smile returned to his face. Were he not feeling buzzed, he probably wouldn't have been so bold with a woman he wanted to value as a friend rather then a fuck.

"It's pretty." He said softly, before letting the silky hair slide from between his large fingers to rest back in place again.

He reached over and picked up the bottle, rolling onto his back and taking a few more guzzles, letting the rim of the bottle pop from his thick lips when it pulled away.

"Thank you."
She muttered softly as she looked at him, they way he smiled entranced her and the fleeting moments where their eyes met only pulled her in more.

The way he pulled the bottle from him lips made her want to kiss him. She pulled herself into a seated position as she convinced herself that it was the alcohol talking, she would have to lay off it.

The last thing she wanted was to do something stupid and make things awkward, she was sharing a room with his man's sister after all.

She leaned over and undid the buckles of her boot, pulling them off of her feet, in this state walking in heels that high was just asking to fall over.

"Walk time."
She announced as she pulled herself onto her feet, hoping that is she were moving her mind would no keep wandering like that.

Tahir looked up at her, still laying on his back. In the back of his mind he realized that she had him at a bit of a disadvantage. If she wanted to hurt him she could very easily. But something about her he trusted, there was no fear inside him against her.

"But I was just getting comfortable." He said with a lazy grin, shamelessly checking out her legs now that she was standing and he was laying down. He blinked once and rolled over, standing up and stretching out again.

He brushed his hair back out of his face, the thick locks staying still for only a moment before falling back over his forehead.

"Okay Captain, where to?" He asked, holding the bottle carelessly in contrast to how carefully he treated it before.

"Get too comfortable and you'll fall asleep out here, not something that I can risk doing."

If she passed out on the lawn and no one found her before day break, she would not be waking up again.

"Good thing I am wearing stockings."
She chuckled as she watched him check her out, after nine hundred years she was use to men doing that, she was flattered really.

"I have no idea, I just want to move."
She replied as she just began to wander around the grounds.

"What do you look like as a wolf?"
She asked, not really registering what she had asked, it wasn't an overly personal question but it was an odd thing to just randomly ask someone.

He let out a guilty laugh when she made the comment the stockings, but then immediately reverted to a clueless expression.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He denied, looping one of his thumbs in the pocket of his jeans.

He followed her as they strolled along aimlessly.

The night had a warm breeze and the stars were bright in the sky. A few fireflies glowed in the thicker patches of grass, and the air was filled with the chirping songs of crickets. It couldn't have been more perfect.

"Want to see?" He asked, looking down at her. He wasn't at all taken aback by her question. If she had an alternate form he'd wonder what that looked like as well.

"You're really short without your boots by the way. You know, just in case you didn't all ready know that." He enlightened her of his observations with a lighthearted tone.

She lifted an eyebrow at him, jokingly throwing him a scolding look.

Alexis did at all mind being checked out, it was a part of life but she just wanted to make sure that he knew that she had noticed what he was doing.

"Yes." She replied brightly, looking up at him with shining golden eyes, she was fascinated by lycan transformations, and she suspected that in his wolf form he would be huge.

"I am aware of that, thank you, hence why I normally like to keep them on. Just so happens I don't fancy falling on my face tonight."
She replied with a chuckled, reaching over the take the bottle from him, taking a long drink from it, nearly empty, well they had polished that off rather quickly.

The guilty smile returned to his face, but he wasn't at all ashamed. Just clearly caught red handed. Ah well, she seemed to be okay with it. All the more reason to like her.

He pulled off the gray shirt he was wearing and let it drop to the ground. A few scars littered his torso, stab and slice wounds from the battles he had been in. The worst was on his chest, right by his heart, and then another just above his belly. The paler, healed over skin welled up above the unabused flesh.

It was clear just from looking at him that physical pain was not something he hadn't experienced to the fullest. Back when he had been a prideful man he would show off his scars purposefully, battle marks to show that he always came out victorious, measuring the strength of a man.

But now that he kept the cuffs on his wrists, he did more to cover the scars. He wasn't' ashamed of them, but he didn't want to display them for attention either.

"Yeah I guess I can understand that. I'll never understand, however, how you women manage to walk in those things, even when you're sober." He said as he took off his belt and lazily tossed it over to his shirt.

As a lycan he wasn't embarrassed or anything to let another person see him nude. He had the decency to cover himself, but since she asked he was totally fine to strip down so he could make the transformation.

He didn't have very many clothes after all, and didn't want to go around tearing up the ones he did have.

He placed his hands on the button snap to his jeans before looking up at her with a raised eyebrow. He should be safe, just in case.

"You don't mind do you? I don't really want to tear up these jeans. Just broke into them so they fit me nice." He explained.

"It's a skill we women pride ourselves with, wear them for a few hundred years and you don't even notice the difference to wearing flat shoes."

Any young lady struggled with wearing high heels for a long period of time but once your feet adjust it was fine.

"Go ahead, I'll turn around for you."
She replied with a smile. Did she want to watch? definitely. Did she trust herself to watch without shamelessly staring at him, nope, not at all.

Staring at his manhood was a step beyond him checking out her legs.

He gave her a smile before she turned around. Would he have minded if she watched? No, not at all. But they had just met so he understood completely. Were she the one undressing he would have turned around as well, out of respect. She all ready caught him gawking at her shamelessly.

He unzipped the jeans while simultaneously kicking his boots off. Pulling down on his pants and boxer briefs he tossed them to the side as well. In a quick instant he made the transformation from man to wolf.

Okay Lexi I'm no longer indecent.

He informed her with a playful tone.

If he was large as a man, he was even larger as a beast. His jet black fur was thick and blew around gently in the hot summer breeze. He was nearly the same size as Alek, maybe even a little bigger.

His tail wagged back and forth and his ears flopped around. His tongue hung out of the side of his mouth as he panted in a canine like fashion. He had the potential to look very intimidating, were he not feeling tipsy.

But a tipsy lycan was a funny sight, not scary in the least.

Alexis turned around and her mouth fell open slightly, he was massive. She had never seen such a large wolf.

"Remind me not to annoy you near the full moon. Last thing I need is a angry wolf that large on my tail.

Tail...

A grin spread across her lips.

She took a few steps forward and reached up, getting onto her tiptoes to stroke his muzzle softly.

"Do me a favor? Turn around for a moment."
She asked, as she took a step away from him.

Tahir closed his eyes and tilted his head cutely, mocking his own big size.

Oh come now beautiful, I could never get angry at a girl like you.

He admitted in his less then sober state.

He peeked his silver eyes opened again and noticed the grin spread across her lips. The lycan bowed his head down so she didn't have to be on her tiptoes, the pace of his wagging tail picking up when she pet his muzzle.

The burly wolf then looked at her with a puzzled expression. Why would she want him to do that?

Better not do anything crazy Lex.

He warned playfully as he turned himself around like she asked.

"You say that now."
She replied with a chuckle, she would never say that should could never get mad at someone, if she got caught on a bad day, she could snap at anyone.

A gentle smile spread across her lips as he lowered his head, she ran her nails through his thick fur before stepping back as he turned around.

"Crazy is what I do best."
She chimed in before going silent.

The only sound she made was the gentle rustling of clothes moving against skin as she peel off her stockings and unbuttoned her dress dropping it to the floor.

He was not the only one that could transform.
The vampire's slender body changed, growing smaller.

You can turn around now.

In this form she was at her most vulnerable, she had other transformations, ones that she could still defend herself in, this one however was not made for fighting.

He was at his strongest, she was at her weakest.
She sat on the floor, her fluffy silver tail swaying happily behind her.

On top of Alexis' clothing sat a small silver fox with bright golden eyes.

Well here, let's make a compromise. If I ever get to acting terse feel free to knock some sense into me okay?

He said, and if wolves could smile he would be. It shone in his eyes though, the grin that would otherwise be on his face.

His tail swished in the grass as he faced the opposite direction, ears flickering as he listened. If he didn't know any better it sounded like she was taking off her clothes.

That's reassuring.

He retorted to her crazy being what she does best comment. What was she up to?

When he turned around, at first he didn't see her. That is of course until he looked down, way down.

He couldn't help but let out a small bark in approval. The large wolf padded over to her and then flopped down on his side, rolling over a few times before resting back next to her.

He curled up beside her almost protectively, she was so tiny in this form.

She yipped softly as he lay down beside her, in his wolf form he was roughly the size of a large bear, and she was not exactly a large breed of fox.

The size difference between the two of them was much greater now, but still she was not the slightest bit intimidated by him.

Instead, as he lay down she climbed up his body, nestling into his side, almost lost in his mass of black fur.

Things didn't feel so intimate in animal form, it was simply how animals interacted.

She crawled up higher, leaning her muzzle up to his face and catching his ear in her jaw, giving it a playful tug.

The vampire was tipsy and playful and undoubtedly would feel slightly silly in the morning for acting so childishly. But for now she did not care, her bushy silver tail wagged in the air as she gave a playful little growl.

He let out a content little grunt when he felt the tiny fox crawl up over him, his tail wagging a bit more then before.

Silver eyes glimmered when she playfully tugged on his ear. For someone her size to do that to someone his size showed a lot of spunk, and he loved it.

A playful and unintimidating growl came from inside him as he wuzzled his nose under her chest, giving her a puckish push upwards in response. He wasn't going to let her get hurt, but he wasn't going to treat her like a delicate little flower either.

Alexis had proven herself to at least be equal to him, and it was relieving to have to opportunity to befriend a woman like that.

Alexis scrambled up his face, being sure to avoid hitting him in her eyes with her paws as she climbed on top of his head.

She sat perched up there, his ear still caught in her mouth as she gave another playful growl, giving it a tug.

Anyone walking by would of thought the tiny fox had a death wish, crawling over a wolf of that size like that but Alexis felt nothing but safe around him.

In these forms he could of torn her apart in a blink of an eye but he had shown absolutely no signs of hostility towards her.

I have more forms than just this one.

She admitted, rubbing her muzzled against the top of his head with a contented purr.

Tahir held his head high, ears pressed down. Not because he was angry though, just to give her a bit more space for her footing.

They must have been a sight. A tiny silver fox perched on top of a large beast such as himself. And all the while his tail couldn't stop wagging blithely.

Slowly he rested his head down when he felt her rubbing her muzzle against him. He made sure to be careful as to help her keep her balance while he did so.

Silver eyes looked up at her the best he could from the angle the little fox was at.

Well so far I've liked both Lex's.

He communicated, taking a deep breath and letting it out with another content grunt.

And I have liked both Tahir's.

She admitted, looking down at the wolf with bright gold eyes. Alexis didn't want to confess it to him or herself, but she liked being close to him.

She let out a happy little whine as she nestled into his fur, for a man who looked so rough in his human form, his wolf form was surprisingly soft.

Without thinking the little fox licked the top of the wolf's head softly before setting her head down on her paws and wrapping her bushy tail around herself.

The large wolf would have smiled if he could, closing his eyes. He was glad to hear the compliment returned. He wasn't the type to really care what people thought of him, but he liked Lex, and it was good to know that she liked him too.

In this moment he felt like the luckiest man alive.

He had always been a happy drunk, and the wine sitting in his system made a beautiful night all the more so.

After centuries of being locked away, he was finally free again. He and his sister had found a wonderful new home. Both of them were safe, and had all they needed and more.

The night was pleasant, his health was well, his mind at ease.

There was no war weighing over his shoulders, no fear that the people he knew wouldn't live to see the next day. Some people might take that for granite, but Tahir Sijistani never would.

Furthermore, he was in the company of one of the most compelling people he'd ever met, in every sense of the word.

Alexis closed her eyes and relaxed against him, her body happily nestled in against his fur.

Don't let me fall asleep out here.

She murmured softly, alcohol had a calming effect on her, it made her cheery and playful but also quelled any anger she stored inside and more often than not, made her drowsy.

Bursting into flames because she fell asleep on the wolf would kind of ruin the evening and she would rather avoid doing so.

It had been a surprisingly wonderful night and she smiled inwardly, grateful that they had chosen this coven to live in.

Yeah, that would be a downer.

He said, opening his eyes again. He definitely would never forgive himself if he let that happen to her.

So tell me Alexis, now that we have the whole evening to ourselves, why did you and your brother come to this coven?

He asked, remembering how she said she would tell him another time, when they had more time.

Her little body tensed slightly as he asked that question, she had wanted to avoid telling him about her past but chances were that he would find out sooner or later.

How long would it be until another bounty hunter showed up, the other lycan had found her, if he could, others could too.

Remember how you said that you were bound? So was I.
I came to the coven seeking retribution for what was done to me.

She would not lie, there was no point, if he found out who she was the information about her could be found in numerous places.
There were books written about her bounty, she even kept one of her old wanted posters, which she had taken from a dead hunter.

The wolves ears tilted up and back, a bit of surprise inside of him. He remembered when she said that being locked away was hauntingly familiar, but dismissed it.

You were trapped? For how long? Why?

He asked without thinking. Tahir then realized that he was being intrusive and bombarding her with questions. He needed to slow down.

Sorry... It's just... wow I can't believe it. I mean I can but... wow.

He let his buzzed mind wrap around the fact that she too would know how it felt to be cursed like he was.

It's fine, it really doesn't bother me that much anymore, it's just...

She shuffled a little, wrapping her tail tightly around herself.
Try not to think less of me.

She didn't know how he would react to what she was about to tell him, but she hoped that he took it well enough to not be disgusted by her.
The little fox sighed softly before she continued.

I was sealed away in a coffin for about one hundred years, stuck in a state of unconsciousness as my body slowly decayed.

By the time she had escaped her body was unrecognizable, she had killed many people to get herself back like this.

As for why...I was sealed away because I could not be killed, I have a bounty on my head and no hunter they sent after me could kill me so one of them, an elf, sealed me away because she could not beat me.