Antonio smirked, “Little wolf, you are the one that nightmares fear.” He turned away, letting Nia in the room. He shouted through the bathroom door, “Did you leave any hot water for me?”
Candace replied under the cascading water, “You need a cold shower. Anyway.”
Antonio looked at Nia, “That’s just a myth.” His smiled bared teeth and humor. He turned back to the door, “I always run hot. I’ll be ready in a few.”
Candace didn’t reply, so Antonio spoke to Nia, “Any problems?”
Nia replied, “Nope. She said to me quote “It’s alright. I’m a cop. Are you in trouble?” After I made a hole in her chest and done, I told her corpse that I didn’t really give a shit what her profession was.”
Antonio huffed with a laugh. Candace came out of the bathroom, dressed, and dried her hair. She pinches Antonio’s butt as he slides past her. Nia wrinkled her noise in both embarrassment and youthful revulsion, “Can you two not do that, it’s creepy?”
Candace locked eyes with Nia through the mirror above the dresser, “Nia, when you’re this old and still have that spark, you’ll understand why that request is impossible.”
“Yeah, well... well seeing my uncle, the mighty Get himself, striding in a towel, isn’t putting me in the mood for breakfast neither.” To punctate it, they heard Antonio yip awkwardly in the bathroom. The two ladies laugh as they hear Antonio complain about the icy shower.
Antonio shouted over the blasting iceberg water, “Nia? Still hungry after your snack?”
Nia returned his shout, “Girls need to eat.”
Candace shared a smile with Nia. Afterwards, the trio, fresh and in new clothes, walked down the urban streets. Nia followed a half-step behind Antonio into a bus station.
“Why are we here? What about the others?”
Antonio’s gaze remained on the traveling public. “We need to meet two people first.”
Candace nodded to a corner near the bathrooms. “There, my love.”
A homeless woman who sat in the corner caught sight of Candace and Antonio and shuffled over. The wrinkling of their noses spoke volumes of her hygiene. The scent of stale cigarettes and piss surrounded her. Her eyes cast downward, she barely whispered. “Change?” Antonio sniffed and smiled.
“Always.” His reply was loaded with pride. “Supatra.” At his nod, she knelt in front of him before she stood and beat her heart twice with a fist. “How may I serve?”
“Supatra, mistress of espionage, you and yours have served many lifetimes with cunning and tragedy. Thank you.” He paused, taking note of the emptying station. “We await one other.”
Supatra nodded. Nia checked Supatra with mild acceptance, with an elbow to her side. Candace continues scanning the crowd. Long minutes go by.
“I think he had other plans. He’s not here.” Candace spoke as she watched.
Supatra sniffed the air. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Is he the one?”
She pointed to a well-dressed man sauntering in. A light-skinned African American, forty-one years old, Jason was casual and at ease. He vaped while looking at his tablet. Airpods covered his ears. Jason glanced up as he stepped closer.
[https://storage.googleapis.com/rocky-production/story_images/big_eefd95bfbf2c4879f917e6afecb901b6.jpg](Image credit: [Jason] Gencraft AI prompt generated]
Antonio studied him. He grinned when Jason smiled. Jason sauntered over. A tattoo of a dark Lovecraftian spider on a purple backdrop was drawn on his neck. He dropped the vape into a pocket. His voice held an Australian accent. He came before Antonio and knelt. He rose and beat his heart twice with a fist. “How may I serve?”
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Antonio man-hugged him. “Jason, long time.”
“It has been. Hijinks and unholy amounts of booze. Not utterly horrifying, but honestly, I got a lot done.”
Supatra’s brows furrow slightly, a subtle sign of irritation, as she tries to maintain a sense of composure. Yet her eyes betray her true feelings, sparkling with a flicker of intrigue and undeniable attraction. They lock onto Jason’s gaze, drawn to his presence and the magnetic energy that surrounds him. Her lips, slightly pursed, offer a hint of resistance and a shield to protect herself from the growing attraction she feels. However, a softening in their corners betrayed the spy. There’s a subtle playfulness in the tilt of her head, a sign of the internal conflict she experiences. She teeters on the edge of annoyance and fascination, torn between wanting to resist his advances and being drawn closer to him. charm, her annoyance gradually gives way to a reluctant admiration. The occasional upward twitch of her lips hinted at the genuine enjoyment she derives from their interaction, even as she tries to maintain a facade of indifference.
In her eyes, a battle unfolds between her rational self, wary of getting too close, and her instinctual attraction to the man before her. There’s an irresistible allure that draws Jason even closer. It’s a captivating display of conflicting emotions, where the tension between resistance and desire becomes a magnetizing force, leaving both eager to explore what lies beneath the surface. She gruffly said, “Why is ‘he’ here? It’s not surprising. I mean, you’re dulled, marred by sludge, and smell of disappointment.”
He faced her as he spoke, “I’m not as outrageous as I used to be. My hunt didn't fail as you may think.”
“Why do you have to be so…both bizarre and intoxicating?”
“Cause, admittedly, you’re a rare and exotic creature: observed, desired, something to be flirted with. This and…” he stroked her lower cheek with the back of his finger, “There is a resilient spirit that emanates from this wolf. Its posture remains proud, though slightly hunched with fatigue. Its determination shines through, because after all this time, there’s a mysterious moon spirit he’s aimed for despite the darkness he hunted in.”
“So animalistic.” Supatra said in a voice so soft that it was difficult even for a werewolf to hear. Her defenses crumbled under the gentle touch of Jason’s hand. His fingers, tracing a path across her cheek, carried a delicate balance of tenderness and underlying desire. The sensation of his touch ignited a cascade of emotions within her, causing her to shockingly surrender to the intoxicating mix of vulnerability and longing. As his hand caressed her cheek, a subtle shiver ran down her spine, a physical manifestation of the electricity that coursed through her. The warmth of his touch seeped into her skin, leaving an indelible imprint of his presence. The tenderness of his gesture wrapped around her, enveloping her in a sense of security and connection that she found both comforting and exhilarating.
In that fleeting moment, Supatra’s barriers melted away, giving way to a newfound surrender. Her eyes, once guarded, have now revealed a glimmer of trust and anticipation. Her body, attuned to his touch, responded with a soft lean into his hand, a subtle invitation for further exploration.
Her submission was not one of weakness or subjugation, but rather a conscious choice rooted in the delicate dance of desire and intimacy. In this moment, she willingly offered herself to him.
Antonio spoke, breaking the subtle tension between the two. It was obvious the two held a rivalry tethered by desire. “You can quench the thirst later.” Antonio motioned everyone to follow him. He spoke over his shoulder as he walked away. ’We have work to do.”
He walked ahead of the gathered royals. “Even shadows have darkness. Both sides look black and see different things.”
Supatra followed Antonio, her feet dragging and keeping a careful distance from Jason. She was determined to maintain her composed facade despite the nasty thoughts that played in her mind. The connection between them, a rivalry stemmed from an intense desire, made her feel uneasy and angry. Despite her best efforts to hide it, she felt the warmth of his gaze on her.
She picked up her pace. Antonio smiled warmly at her before continuing, “We must balance understanding between both our worlds for our goal to be reached.” Supatra nodded in agreement, trying to brush away the uncomfortable feelings she had towards Jason. She would just have to endure it until they were back at their respective homes. Jason saw this and smiled with faux innocence.
“He stinks of…” she started to say.
“Of desire and ambition. You’re not so rosy and perfumed either.” He wrinkled his nose. “I do smell something else…underneath.” Jason slyly smiled at her.
She moved away from him. He walked closer to her while they continued to follow Antonio. He grunted at a sexual suggestion that she rebuffed.
“I have not forgotten who you are and what you did.”
“I believed what happened was the right thing to do. I didn’t come here to apologize.” He caught her side-eye. “My brakes only disappear when I’m near you.”
“You still don’t get it.”
“What don’t I get little Scorpion?”
“You spend enough years with vile trash, you become as twisted and repugnant.”
Jason took no offense. He stared at her. She stared in indignation.
“Look, that was a long time ago. Antonio helped me, let’s say, regain my path.”
“Why should I believe you? And why do you stare at me like this?”
Jason put on all his charm. “I can still smell your arousal beneath your guise. If this is true enough, then everything else is moot.” His voice cooled to a seductive tremble. “I’ve always loved what I see... your curly hair splayed around your curves when you sway, with all my senses.”
In a shuddery breath, Supatra tried to maintain her composure. “You disgust me.”