Running From Forever

by K. Aten

  Never stopping her motions, Keller worked her way down Sarah’s body. She slowed in time to lavish attention on the singer’s hard nipples, then continued on her way. Sarah was moaning by the time Keller reached her destination. Sarah gasped when she felt sharp points drag up each side of her clit, then she moaned when the fangs were followed by a hot, wet tongue up the center. Keller could feel Sarah’s inner walls tightening around her fingers and she knew she was close.

  Sarah pawed weakly at Keller’s arms. “Please!” That was enough to return the smaller woman’s attention to the matter at hand and she lapped at Sarah’s clit with practiced skill. Sarah threw her head back as her legs began to shake but still Keller kept on. Finally, when Sarah could take no more, the dam broke and she came screaming her lover’s name. As soon as she tumbled over the edge, Keller broke the skin with her teeth and continued to lap at that blood-filled bundle of nerves. The clouding of her mind meant no pain for Sarah, and the double feedback only seemed to take the orgasm to greater heights. All of it served to pull Keller along with her. After riding the orgasm for an unusually long time, Keller carefully removed her teeth then her fingers. The wounds closed instantly. Their connection was pulsing with pleasure but the sharp lust of earlier had faded. Keller collapsed on the bed between Sarah’s legs. Her own sex was throbbing but she had been more focused on re-establishing their bond.

  Sarah held out a hand and whispered to her. “My love.”

  Keller was next to her in an instant. “How do you feel?”

  She got a lazy smile in return. After a few minutes, Sarah roused enough to give her a more verbal response. “I never knew. All this time with you and I never knew.”

  Keller was confused. “Never knew what, my love?”

  “I never knew how it could be between us.” She started crying. “I’m so sorry, Keller. I’m sorry for leaving and for being so afraid. I’m sorry for hurting Annie—oh God, she must hate me!”

  The bar manager stroked her cheek. “No, love, she doesn’t hate you. We’ve all been so very worried but I knew you needed some time to think. But none of that matters because I’m here now. I will always be here for you.” Before Sarah could respond, Keller leaned in and kissed her with supreme tenderness. The strong bond between the two women was wide open, lending the kiss an ethereal quality. She pulled back and looked seriously into her lover’s eyes. “Now, let me show you how to keep your sanity.” She worked with Sarah for the next half hour, showing her how to build a shield in her mind. It was one of the most important lessons she could teach because it would keep the new vampire from being overwhelmed by all the emotions and energy around her. She grinned when she was sure Sarah was proficient. “Very good! Now, how about a kiss to celebrate?”

  Sarah laughed at her enthusiasm. “I’ve been waiting for you to say that!” She pulled Keller’s head toward her own and moaned when their lips made contact. Their bond had never been stronger and Sarah’s senses never more alive. Each touch of her lover’s skin was like heated silk. However, they were interrupted by a commotion in the hall before it could escalate much further. Raised voices could be heard. A familiar one, and the muffled sound of response then another familiar voice.

  “Let me go, my sister is in there!” The yell was followed by a loud thumping and another exclamation.

  “What the fuck?” The sound of a struggle and a desperate cry followed. “Don’t touch her!”

  Another loud thump and a pained cry was the last thing they heard as they finished getting dressed and bolted out the door. Keller was fastest and the first into the hall but Sarah was right behind her. They were both shocked at the scene before them. While it was one thing to have her lover tell her about werewolves and to actually feel their energy, it was quite another to see one up close and in person. They ran out in time to catch the last moments of the struggle. One large furred creature was just letting Annie go and another was staring down at a prone body on the ground. It was Jesse. Annie’s scream startled them all and they pushed through the two other people who were not yet furry. Sarah rushed to her sister’s side while Keller knelt down and turned Jesse over. She had an oozing cut on her scalp from where she had been thrown into the wall. Keller continued to check her over until she reached the younger woman’s midsection. There were bloody tears in her shirt where claws had sliced all the way through. Her first word was low and angry. “No.” She looked up at the werewolf that had thrown Jesse into the wall. In one fluid motion she rose to her feet and took a step toward the now terrified werewolf. Fury laced her every word. “You did this!” The strength of her anger pressed down on everyone in the crowded hallway. It was then that Sarah understood exactly how powerful her lover really was, how powerful she herself would become with time.

  That was the moment that Louve came rushing through a door at opposite end of the hall and raced toward the group. Louve stepped in front of Keller before she could advance any farther. Taking in the scene, the French woman immediately realized the gravity of the situation. She reached out her hand to plead for calm much the same way Keller had reached for Sarah earlier. “Keller—”

  Faster than even the she-wolf could react, Keller grabbed her arm and spun her around. With the arm pinned painfully behind her, the blonde forced her to look at Jesse’s bleeding body. “I thought we had an understanding, Louve. I thought we had peace between us. But look what your puppy has done—look!” She shook the small brunette, as if to emphasize her point.

  The Frenchwoman swallowed, her enhanced senses taking in the slow and steady heartbeat of the bleeding woman. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the damage done to Keller’s young friend, not wanting to face the damage done to their friendship. “I’m so sorry mon ami. Je voudrais prendre tous de retour, si je pouvais.”

  Keller abruptly turned her loose and shoved her forward. Only the French woman’s agility kept her from falling over the top of Jesse. Annie broke free and ran to the fallen woman when Sarah relaxed her grip. The younger Colby sister dropped to her knees next to her lover and pulled Jesse into her lap. She looked up at Keller with tear filled eyes. “What’s wrong, is she going to die?”

  “No, she will live.” Despite the verbal reassurance, the look on Keller’s face was one of mourning.

  Annie stared at her in confusion. “I don’t understand. Why are you so upset? We should take her to a doctor, she needs stitches.” She gently brushed dark hair away from Jesse’s wound. “She’s probably got a concussion.”

  Louve knelt down and put a hand on the Annie’s arm to keep her from trying to move Jesse. “She will not need a doctor, mon jeune ami.” She glanced up at Keller’s angry countenance and looked back into the young woman’s fearful eyes. “She is one of us now. She will heal quickly on her own. Did the wolf who held you, Joseph—did he scratch you at all?”

  The werewolf in question stepped forward and spoke with desperation. His voice was low, nearly a growl but still clear. “I swear, I did not touch her, Louve!”

  The small brunette’s fury lashed out at her troupe member. “Silence!” He immediately lowered his head and backed away. “Please, Annie, any scratches or punctures?”

  Annie had seen enough movies that she finally caught on. Her face paled and she swallowed loudly. Jesse was lying half in her lap and she clutched her girlfriend tightly when she answered. Her words were a whisper. “No.”

  Sarah looked from Annie to Louve then over to her lover. “Keller? What the fuck is going on?”

  Keller sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “The werewolf virus is very contagious when they are in their beast form. Their claws can easily infect an ordinary human. The other werewolf—” She paused, unsure of his name and Louve spoke for her.

  “Marcel.”

  “Marcel would have known this and was not careful. There was no reason to react violently against humans who could no way match their strength. There was even less reason to use claws.”

  Louve interrupted.
“He is new, only recently coming to us from Quebec. I did not know his control was so poor or I would have never left him down here to protect your privacy.”

  Annie gently moved Jesse back to the ground and stood. “So what does this mean? If Jesse is going to be a werewolf, what will happen to her? What will happen to us?” With each word that came from her lips the younger woman’s voice rose higher in panic.

  Keller’s gaze moved from Annie to the woman on the floor. Jesse looked as if she were simply sleeping. “It means her life is going to change and yours along with it. As for what will happen to her, only time will tell.” She bent down and gently picked the younger woman up in her arms. She glanced back at Louve. “We’re leaving. Send me the bill for the apartment repairs.”

  The circus owner shook her head. “Non. There will be no bill after what has happened here. I owe you a debt now.”

  Keller stared at her for a few seconds, then nodded toward the unconscious woman. “No, you owe her a debt. One I fear can never be repaid.” With that, she led the silent Colby sisters from the building. They had three vehicles at the club so it took a few minutes to work out the logistics of their trip back to Annie’s house. Keller decided to lay Jesse out in the back of Sarah’s RAV4. Annie didn’t want to leave her side but Keller reassured the younger woman that Jesse would be fine so she reluctantly agreed to drive herself back to the house. After they all arrived, Keller carried Jesse inside. She instructed Annie to get some fresh clothes so they could clean her up and get rid of the bloody ones.

  The younger woman gasped and covered her mouth when she saw all the wounds were healed. “She really is—”

  Sarah came up and put her hands on her sister’s shoulders while she answered. “Wow.”

  Keller let out a resigned sigh. “Come on, let’s finish getting her settled then we can talk. She won’t wake for a few hours yet.” Once they were all seated in the living room, Annie looked at her boss and friend. “Talk to me, Keller. Between Sarah, and now Jesse, I’ve about had it with all this metaphysical movie-type shit! What will happen to my girlfriend, is she going to change and eat me or something?”

  Sarah snorted, despite the seriousness of the situation. “You wish!” That broke some of the tension between the three of them and they started laughing. It was a desperate kind of laughter but necessary after all they’d been through.

  Once they calmed down, Keller filled them in. “Werewolves used to be very pack oriented a long time ago. But since the turn of the century they have begun doing their own thing. Society has changed a lot and it’s easier to be considered a little eccentric or different. Once they’ve learned to control their emotions, especially anger, there is no reason a werewolf can’t live a completely normal, if long, life.”

  Sarah looked at her with worry. “And before they learn this control?”

  “Well, that’s why they have safe houses like Louve’s apartment below the club. The new ones usually need to be contained when they first change, at least until they learn to control themselves.”

  Annie looked dismayed. “But we don’t have anything like that here! And when is she going to change?”

  Keller looked at the two sisters. “You know how doctors and nurses are always saying that hospitals are crazy on a full moon?” They nodded. “Well, for whatever reason, emotions are always stronger and more out of control at that time. Now you’re probably aware of all the old werewolf tales about how they always change on the full moon. That has some basis in truth simply because their change is tied to the emotions. The change is also more likely to occur during a female werewolf’s menstrual cycle for the same reason.”

  Sarah snorted. “Guess your girlfriend’s going to be a real bitch at that time of the month, sorry, A.”

  “Be serious!” Annie punched her in the arm.

  Keller continued. “However, once they gain control of their emotions, they can gain control of the beast. As long as Jesse keeps things fairly calm, there shouldn’t be any risk of her changing until the next full moon.” She shrugged her shoulders in apology. “I don’t know when that is, sorry.”

  Annie quickly pulled out her phone and brought up the information. “It’s in two weeks.”

  The bar manager nodded. “Good. That gives us plenty of time to have a crew come in and make some changes to the basement. Are the walls concrete?”

  Sarah answered. “Yes, except for the bathroom.”

  “Okay, I’ve got a crew I can call. It’s the same one I used on my apartment and at the club. They do a good job, they work quickly, and they won’t ask any questions.”

  Annie quickly interrupted her. “I can’t afford all that, Keller!”

  Keller laid her hand on the younger woman’s knee. “If a person can’t get rich after a few hundred years of life, they’re doing it wrong. Don’t worry, A, I can more than afford it. Jesse wouldn’t be in this situation right now if you’d never met me and been pulled into my world.” Knowing how stubborn her friend could be, she added, “Please, let me help.”

  Sarah rubbed Annie’s back in reassurance. “Come on, Annie, she knows what needs to be done. Let’s get through this together, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Keller pulled out her phone and looked at the time, then unlocked it and scrolled down the contact list until she came to the right name. It was a little late but she knew he’d pick up. “Hey, Jack, sorry to bug you so late. I need a favor. Yeah, time sensitive—” She explained what she needed and gave him the address then hung up. She looked up into two sets of questioning eyes. “His crew will be here Monday. He said they can have it done between three and five days. Now that is taken care of, let’s get something to eat. How about pizza?”

  The sisters spoke nearly in unison. “I’m not hungry.”

  Keller nodded in understanding but would not be deterred. She pointed at Sarah first. “You need to eat even if you don’t realize it yet. We filled your energy but you still need regular sustenance.” Then she looked at Annie. “And you still need sustenance as well. You cannot let worry cloud your head because Jesse will pick up on that and be more anxious. We need to keep her calm now. And werewolves need a significant amount of food after the initial infection and every time after they change form. Between the infected change and the healing, she will be very hungry when she wakes.” Keller did some calculations in her head. “She will need at least two large pizzas, to start. Meat lovers would be best. You could order an extra one for her just in case. The protein, carbs, and sugars will be building blocks for all the changes her body is going to go through.” She stopped and grinned at them. “Besides, you don’t want to see a hangry werewolf—it’s not pretty! You remember those Snicker’s commercials with Betty White? It’s like that.”

  Annie left the room to order pizzas and Sarah found a movie on Netflix for them to watch while they waited. When the younger sister came back into the living room she gave the two older women a pained look. “Really? This is what you want to watch right now?”

  Keller shrugged. “I’ve never seen it and I don’t really care what we watch.”

  The older Colby sister was unrepentant. “What? I wanted to see something with vampires and werewolves in it and I’ve never seen this movie either. Besides, Keller can tell us what they get wrong and right.”

  They settled in to watch the movie, only pausing for Keller to pay for the pizzas and to grab plates. By the time the movie was halfway through, Keller was openly making fun. She snorted at one scene. “Well I sure as hell don’t sparkle in the sun!” A little while later she started laughing and pointed at the screen. “Look at the size of those boys, are they on steroids? They definitely don’t get any bigger when they turn.” Suddenly, she remembered something and looked at Annie. She called out quietly to her. “Annie—” The younger woman paused the film. “—the change, when Jesse changes—it’s going to hurt. A lot. And she will need you to be strong without interfering. Okay?”

  Anni
e swallowed. “H—how bad?”

  The older woman looked at her with intense blue eyes. “She will be in agony.” After letting the information settle in for a few seconds, she continued. “She’s strong though, and the pain is the best incentive of all to learn control.” Annie nodded and Sarah gave her hand a squeeze as Keller restarted the movie.

  The film was near the end when Jesse wandered out with a confused look on her face. “Hey guys. How did I get home? The last thing I remember was going to the club to look for Keller and Sarah.”

  Annie walked over to her girlfriend cautiously. “We did go to the club but there was a…well, an incident with Louve’s troupe. They—one of them, he—” She hung her head, unable to go on.

  Jesse looked at her with concern. “Babe? What’s wrong? What happened? How did I get home and changed?”

  Both Keller and Sarah could feel the younger woman’s anxiety level rising quickly, so they both stood and walked over to her. With only a look from her lover, Sarah knew what she wanted. In unison, they began projecting calming thoughts to Jesse. Keller clasped the younger woman’s shoulder and spoke. “Let’s go sit down and we’ll explain. Are you hungry?”

  Jesse nodded and then looked at her in surprised. “Yeah, I’m starving, how did you know?”

  “Annie will go get you some pizza from the kitchen and we’ll explain everything, okay?”

  “You guys are acting weird, but you can explain whatever you want as long as I can eat something.” She grabbed her stomach as it gave a loud rumble.

  Once the young computer programmer was seated on the overstuffed chair with a full pizza box in her lap, she waved toward Keller. “Okay, explain please.”