Amber Deen Leska

“What are you doing?” Amber Deen asked Erind despite knowing what was going to happen.

Not exactly this—Deen was super shocked that Erind went through with her threat. But Gabe did warn her to move her leg. She thought it’d be a twisty pinch, maybe a hard poke, or another cracking slap. Not a bite! Infected by the mischievous bug of curiosity, Deen didn’t follow and got her just rewards.

Deen repeatedly hit Erind’s head with the pink throw pillow. “Erind, stop that! STOP!”

It wasn’t painful. Maybe a bit. Not really.

More ticklish than anything else.

A tingle crawled up Deen’s back as she felt Erind’s teeth dig deeper into her thighs. Still not painful. Erind’s mouth was hot and sticky. Was that a tongue flicking on her skin? The tingling intensified into a shiver as if Deen had chills.

Very ticklish! And inappropriate.

“This is getting weird. Stop it!” Deen squirmed, trying to pull away.

Erind hugged Deen’s leg tight, continuing to bite down. The armchair threatened to topple as Deen thrashed as if possessed, though she took care not to hit Erind while flailing.

“I give up! I give up!” Deen repeatedly patted Erind’s head, minding her strength, as if tapping out. “Let go already!”

But Erind didn’t. Her teeth sunk further into Deen’s skin, threatening to break flesh.

Deen hissed at the first hints of actual pain. She had to urge to yank Erind’s hair or twist her ear, anything to make her let go. What would work? “Erind, if you don’t stop, I swear I-I’m go-going to—” Then came Gabe’s advice. That’d certainly make Erind release her.

She clumsily bent down, slid her arm into the neck hole of Erind’s shirt, and groped her friend’s bare left breast. Erind stopped biting, squealing in surprise like a mouse. Deen wanted to giggle at the adorable sound, but Gabe’s instructions popped up.

[Release Erind.]

Deen retrieved her hand before Erind could grab it.

“Why did you do that?” Erind raged with her soft voice that no one would take seriously. She looked up at Deen, wearing an angry cat face.

[Lean back.]

Deen resisted the temptation to tease Erind further and pressed herself into the chair’s backrest. The front part of the chair rose as if it were a roller coaster. Erind was flipping it!

[Tuck head. Tuck arms and legs. Roll back.]

Quickly following the rapid instructions, Deen curled up like a baby. Trust in Gabe, she thought as she rocked her body backward.

The world turned upside down. She felt herself rolling across the floor, the tiles cold on her skin. Deen righted herself into a kneeling position.

A fuming Erind stood beside the overturned armchair. The TV behind her showed another ad for the Tech Fair.

Deen chuckled as Erind adjusted the neckline of her shirt. “That’s what you get for—Erind? Are you okay?”

“I’m sorry, Deen!” Erind hid behind her hands and heaved. She dropped to the floor, her sobbing becoming more apparent. “I-I co-couldn’t control my-myself. I’m so hungry…”

“Hungry?” Deen felt a cold hand grip her heart. This can’t be happening. Was her Adumbrae side awakening? Was that why Erind bit her thigh? She wanted to eat me?

Erind shouldn’t lose control inside this building. So many people live here!

“The A-Adumbrae…” Erind curled on the floor, still covering her face. Her body was shaking. “I-I can’t…”

Deen tensely crawled forward, racking her mind on what to do. She couldn’t handle Erind if she turned into a werewolf. Gabe could only guide her on how to survive and escape. Right now, Gabe was telling her to stop approaching Erind.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

She hesitantly obeyed. Should I let Erind eat me? Maybe if Erind could satisfy her hunger, she’d calm down. Or would that make the situation worse? Erind rolled on the floor in agony, moaning, mumbling gibberish.

Deen wanted to hug Erind and let her suffering best friend know she was her. Perhaps, with encouragement, Erind could fight back the Adumbrae.

That was the way! Deen resumed crawling, ignoring Gabe’s warning. They weren’t that urgent sounding compared to other emergencies she had faced. They could still control the situation. Deen was confident she could break through the Adumbrae and reach Erind deep within her mind.

But then Gabe said something that made Deen stop again.

[Pick up pillow.]

Deen looked to her right. The small pink pillow was a couple of feet away. Was that supposed to be a weapon? She reached for it despite not understanding its purpose. Gabe’s next instruction made it more apparent.

[Cover your chest. Throw pillow—]

“Erind Hartwell!” Deen hurled the pillow at Erind’s head. “I see through your plans!”

Erind caught the pillow. She revealed a broad smile and a couple of tears, definitely not of agony. Erind lunged at Deen, but Deen was prepared. She parried Erind’s hands away from her chest, then dove over the sofa, avoiding the coffee table to scramble behind the TV.

Deen furiously pointed at Erind. “That wasn’t funny! Like at all! How dare you pretend—”

“How dare you grope me?” Erind threw the pink pillow at Deen. It went way off the mark and hit the corner of the TV. Deen steadied the TV. “Are you a closet pervert or something?” Erind asked. “How many times has it been now? Three? Four?”

“I did it because you were biting me,” Deen said.

“That’s what you’re going to say on the witness stand? Like seriously?”

“You shouldn’t have bitten me!”

“Why not? You won’t stop toying with me.”

“I’m just being playful with my best friend,” Deen loudly retorted over the noise of the TV. She reached for the plug with her toes and pulled it out. “Haven’t heard that being made illegal here in Vegas.”

“If that’s your argument, I’ll also say that my bite was being playful. You didn’t get hurt at all.”

“Yeah, but you got saliva all over my thigh.” Deen wiped her leg, then dried her hand on her shirt.

Deen struggled to maintain her angry face. She was having fun bantering with Erind. Maybe the relief from thinking moments ago that she’d have to tackle werewolf Erind added to her good feeling. She could tell Erind wasn’t really angry at her. Maybe a bit.

“What was up with your reaction when I bit you?” Erind asked. “Flailing like a weirdo. You’d think someone was tickling you. Did it tickle?”

“No! Why would I get tickled by that?” Deen crossed her legs behind the TV screen, remembering the sensation. Very ticklish. Her heart beat faster. She pushed down whatever was bubbling inside her and went on, “Biting my thigh? We may be close, but not that close.”

Erind shot her a quizzical look. “Are you implying that I could bite you if we were closer? Like emotionally closer?”

“What? No! I meant it’s not something friends do. Bite someplace else, maybe. But not on the thighs! Majorly inappropriate.”

“And your response to this ‘inappropriate’ act—” Erind gestured air quotes “—was to grope me?”

Deen sheepishly grinned. “In my defense, my Guardian Angel told me to do it.”

“You’re going to tell the jury an invisible entity told you to molest someone?”

“Hey, I wasn’t molesting you. Are we going to argue about definitions again?”

“Here’s an idea,” Erind said, easily picking up the overturned armchair as if it was made of cardboard and turning it upright. “How about we stop sexually harassing each other? I admit that the biting thing was probably inappropriate. But I didn’t have anything malicious in my mind when I did it. Basically just wanted to prank you, like the… the… our tongue kiss.”

Deen knew Erind well enough to tell her best friend was telling the truth. Many guys in the past would try something creepy with her. Not just those she knew, but even random men in public could be nasty creeps. She’d learn to sense their intentions and distance herself to keep safe. She didn’t sense any of those intentions from Erind.

In some ways, it made Deen feel safe and at peace with Erind.

“I bit you, and you groped me,” Erind said. “Let’s call it even and—”

“Even? No way.”

“Why not?”

“How about the trauma you caused by pretending to lose control?” Deen asked. “Moral damages can be recovered. Want me to take you to court for it?”

“Oh, come on. That was just a—”

“A joke?” Deen left the protection of the TV and stood in front, putting her hands on her hips. “I was prepared to offer you parts of my body so you wouldn’t go out and eat other people! How’s that for trauma? I was really worried, you know? I demand compensation!”

Erind rolled her eyes. “Let’s get this over with. What do you want?”

“Can…” Deen felt her cheeks hitting up. The words caught in her throat. She couldn’t believe she was going to ask for it. She pushed through and said, “Can I… bite you?”

Erind stared daggers at her. “Bite my thigh? No. I’m going to kick you out of—”

“Your ear. Can I bite your ear?”

The two stared into each other’s eyes for a few seconds.

Erind broke the silence. “Fine.”