Satin Bruises

Reilly left Raleigh to her own devices with the reporter, a middle aged man with thinning hair the color of a mouse and thick glasses that made him look like an owl. She sauntered down the stairs towards Jean-Claude's office, determined to get some work done. As she rounded the corner, she slammed into Sylvie. Reilly stumbled back a few paces and looked at Sylvie, who laced hands with another woman. Suddenly, Reilly remembered Sylvie's sexual orientation.

"I am so sorry!" Reilly said in a hurry. "I was totally somewhere else."

Sylvie and her partner laughed together. "It's okay Reilly, we were actually trying to find you...or your sister, whoever isn't busy."

"Well, I'm not busy. What do you need?"

"First off," Sylvie said, pulling the mystery woman to her side. "This is Gwen, she's my girlfriend."

Reilly extended her hand to the blonde woman who was merely an inch taller than her. She had curly hair and fair features, bringing thoughts of a fine china doll to Reilly's mind. Her voice was cultured, intelligent.

"I knew Raleigh had a twin," Gwen said, a vague amazement tinting her tone. "But I wasn't expecting an exact replica. The only physical difference is your hair, it's longer."

"How can you tell?" Reilly asked, fingering her the bun on the nape of her neck.

"Raleigh's hair isn't possibly long enough for anything other than a ponytail," the she-wolf stated, as-a-matter-of-fact. Reilly smiled, impressed at Gwen's power of observation.

"What can I do for you?" Reilly asked as she moved passed the couple, waving her hand for them to follow her.

"We've been doing some research about fertility rites," Sylvie began. "Gwen and I were wondering if you two can perform one for us."

Reilly unlocked Jean-Claude's office door and welcomed the ladies inside. She flicked on the lights, followed them in, and shut the door firmly behind her. The women stood in the center of the room, still clutching each others hands. Reilly could sense their uneasiness and asked them to sit. Meanwhile, she plopped herself on top of the massive desk.

"Fertility rites are extremely simple and extraordinarily safe," Reilly explained. "But every party involved has to be absolutely certain this is what they want, otherwise it won't take."

"We are certain," Gwen answered quickly. "We've tried everything else at least twice."

"This is our last resort," Sylvie said softly. Reilly's heart was filled with sympathy.

"This may be completely out of line," she said. "But I need to know who is the 'problem' and why."

"We've both tried to carry," Sylvie explained, instantly understanding that Reilly meant no harm. "When I tried, the eggs just...didn't take. Gwen had more success, but we miscarried."

"You do understand that it could be because..."

"Yeah, we know," Gwen sighed painfully. "But we have got to try."

"What about Mowgli's Syndrome?" Reilly asked, suddenly remembering she had to discuss that with her sister.

Sylvie and Gwen looked at each other, than at Reilly. "If you aren't going to help..."

"Nono, no," Reilly stuttered. "I never said that and I apologize if I lead you to believe that. I'm just covering all the bases. If you truly understand the risks and you still want to conceive, how can I say no?"

"Really?!"

"Really. When is your next doctor's appointment?"

"We can set one up for tomorrow."

"Good. Decide who is going to receive the rite and meet me back here at....nine tonight."

Sylvie and Gwen stood up, shaking Reilly's hand, then leaving the office with broad smiles on their faces. Reilly shook her head as the door shut behind them and sat down behind the desk, turning the computer on. When the computer was thoroughly warmed up, Reilly opened up a search engine and quickly typed in the words "Mowgli's Syndrome".

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Upstairs, in the penthouse, Raleigh brewed a pot of green tea for herself. She handed the reporter, Mr. Harry Gregerson, a mug of the steaming liquid and sat down across from him as if they were old friends enjoying brunch. She added a small amount of honey to her tea and waited for the first question. Mr. Gregerson pulled out a little tape recorder and set it on the table.

"I hope you don't mind," he said nicely, indicating the machine. Raleigh shrugged.

"Oh, not at all. Whatever it is you do."

"Fantastic, let me know when you're ready."

"I'm ready when you are," Raleigh replied happily.

"Alright, well...where to begin? How about...ah! Tell me, what exactly do you do here in the uh..."

"The Circus of the Damned is it's proper name, but those who live here usually just call it 'The Circus'," Raleigh explained.

"Ah, The Circus. I love it. So, what is your job here?"

"I have pretty much taken over. I make sure the shows run smoothly, I watch over the employees and the residents, manage budgets, the same thing any other boss does, but that's for The Circus. I also manage the admissions for our boarding house and I'm currently looking for professors to teach at the boarding school we are starting."

"Boarding house and a school?" Gregerson asked, authentically curious. "For what?"

"For out-of-luck weres, witches, and psychics. Kids, families, you name it. They come to us from all over, looking for a safe haven to start a new life. We believe that these people deserve a chance, without being judged. Let's face it, America is more...accepting... of homosexuals than of weres. I just can't understand why. Neither group CHOOSES to be the way they are..." Raleigh's voice trailed off in an effort to not monopolize the conversation.

"That's very passionate, but didn't you choose to be infected...twice?"

"You are very clever Mr. Gregerson," Raleigh completed before drinking some more tea.

"Thank you miss."

"You're welcome. To every rule there is an exception. I am that exception. You see, I asked my fiance to...turn me, that's the preferred term, because I needed to prove a point to him and to his pard."

"That point being?"

"That I was going to take care of them come Hell and high water," Raleigh said simply.

"And this whole wolf business?"

"That was a completely unrelated favor to someone else."

"And Micah is fine with that?"

"Absolutely. Please understand, just because he is a wereleopard and the Nimir-Raj of a pard...doesn't mean he's cruel and incapable of love or understanding. That's unfair to say of any were. In fact, some of them are more compassionate than most humans, no offense to you or anyone else."

"None taken. You are very adamant about your convictions, it's noble. Now, what is this rumor about a wedding?" Mr. Gregerson asked, a teasing smile playing on his face. Raleigh smiled in return.

"Yes, there will eventually be a wedding," Raleigh answered. "We haven't decided on a date or anything really important, but my sister and I have settled on the color scheme."

"Which will be?"

"Creams and blues. Very simple, refined."

A loud thud was heard outside in the hallway. Raleigh stood, tensed, while the reporter merely turned around in his chair. The door swung open and Micah inched his way in backward, carrying a massive box. At the other end of the box was Jason, both of them had a film of glistening sweat across their foreheads. They finally maneuvered the box into the living room and set it down against the couch. Micah leaned over, placing his hands on his knees while Jason leaned against the box itself.

"Just had to have the solid mahogany bed set didn't you?" Micah panted, looking at Raleigh and the strange man. "Who's that?"

"Micah, Jason, this is Mr. Harry Gregerson. He's a reporter for St. Louis News."

Micah and Jason simply waved at the man, who simply waved back. Jason sat on the floor and wiped his forehead, Raleigh's cue to go fetch some water.

"I would shake your hand and all," Micah sighed, finally standing up and stretching. "But I'm kind of gross right now."

Gregerson paused a moment before realizing the were was talking to him. "Oh of course! I understand completely. My wife makes me move our furniture constantly."

Raleigh floated out of the kitchen with cold glasses of ice water. She handed one to Jason, who thanked her inaudibly. Micah took the other glass from her and kissed her forehead. The were's drank the water quickly then finished sliding the bed set into the master bedroom. Gregerson watched them curiously. Raleigh, on the other hand, watched Micah not with curiosity, but with something more animalistic.

"So that was obviously your fiance," Gregerson said once they were out of sight. "Who is the other gentleman?"

"That's Jason. He's the new pack alpha male and Micah's best friend. I assume that's how he got shang-haied into moving stuff."

"I thought weres were...inhumanly strong."

"They are, but Micah and Jason are seasoned were's. They are more aware of their strength. Sometimes...they won't use it...makes them feel more normal. Micah doesn't use it unless he absolutely needs it."

"Interesting," Gregerson mumbled.

"Aren't they though?"

Another thud was heard in the bedroom, followed my Micah's voice. "Dude, I swear to God, if you drop this thing again and it breaks and I have to buy ANOTHER ONE...you are carrying it up here yourself."

Jason laughed. At the dining room table, Raleigh smiled at Gregerson.

"See, just like normal people," she teased. Gregerson stood up and stuck out his hand, Raleigh followed suit.

"It's been a pleasure," Gregerson said sincerely. "I'll let you go supervise them. You have a good day."

"You too."

As Gregerson was going out the door, Reilly slid in. Raleigh offered her a cup of tea, but Reilly declined.

"We have a fertility rite to do tonight. Nine o'clock," Reilly answered simply. "We also have to talk about the baby."

"What about the baby?"

"I did some research on Mowgli's syndrome..." Reilly started, Raleigh interrupted her.

"Mowgli's Syndrome...isn't that...feral children?"

"For humans. For were's...Raleigh if the baby shifts inside you...it'll eat it's way out. It will kill you."

"Oh...my...God," Raleigh whispered, her face growing pale. Her hands began shaking, her breathing shallow and ragged. She sat down at the table and continued mouthing "oh my God, oh my God." Reilly feared she had sent her sister into one of her famous panic attacks. She sat next to her sister and took her hands into hers. She started stroking her hair, about to give her some comforting words, when Micah walked cautiously into the living room.

"Baby, what's wrong?" he asked. Raleigh, without hesitation, ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. He held her tight, feeling her heart race against his ribs. He looked at Reilly for answers.

"Our baby's gonna have Mowgli's Syndrome and it's gonna shift inside me and eat it's way out of my stomach and I'm gonna die and we're gonna have a Satan baby!" Raleigh sobbed hysterically into his shoulder. Micah's jaw dropped as he stared at Reilly. Reilly looked away from his green eyed gaze. Micah took Raleigh by the shoulders and pushed her away from him so that he could look into her eyes, red and puffy from unnecessary tears.

"Honey, you should have let your sister finish what she was surely going to say," Micah said softly, rubbing her arms and hands.

"There's more?!" Raleigh shrieked. "Oh God!"

"Nonono," Micah quickly answered. "Raleigh, the odds of our child having Mowgli's Syndrome are slim to none. Neither one of us were born a were, they are the ones at risk. You're going to be fine, there are plenty of weres who have children and they don't get eaten."

Raleigh stopped crying and looked up at her fiance who wiped her eyes with his shirt, despite the smears of eye make up already on it. "You promise?" she sniffed.

"I pinky promise," Micah whispered, holding out his little finger. Raleigh laced her pinky around his and smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry I picked the solid mahogany bed set," she mumbled. Micah chuckled, the noise sounding more like a purr.

"It's fine," he replied. "You can have whatever you want."

"I want a pot of coffee."

"Except for that."

"Ass."

"I'll throw that bed set out the window," Micah warned as he walked back into the bedroom, shaking his head.

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Nine o'clock, the appointed time rolled around. The twins were in Jean-Claude's office, awaiting the arrival of Sylvie and Gwen. Raleigh was feeling considerably better after talking to Lillian. Reilly, on the other hand, still felt bad for freaking her out.

"Raleigh..." she said her sister's name for the millionth time. Raleigh stopped drawing the fertility rune on the floor and looked at her sister.

"Reilly Corrine, if you say that you're sorry one more time, I'm doing this rite on my own."

"Pish, as if you could," the witch teased, the two snickered, and Gwen and Sylvie entered, both looking curious and a little wary.

"Just in the nick of time!" Raleigh chimed. The weres entered, and the rite was quickly in full swing. The ritual didn't last very long, and Sylvie merely watched as Gwen had various goddesses invoked in her, and drank a little wine. Everyone felt the hum produced when the spell caught and Reilly and Raleigh exchanged smiles.

"Now, you did say you were getting artificially inseminated tomorrow?" Reilly asked, fully aware of the heat produced by the spell. Every woman in the room was fairly panting, and ready to go jump the bones of the first thing that crossed their path. Distractedly watching Sylvie, Gwen nodded, and licked her lips.

"Thank you for the spell, Reilly-" the were began, trying hard to focus, and act civilized.

"Go, go have fun," Reilly said, with a tiny laugh. The three weres all looked at her and laughed. Within an eye blink they were gone. With a grin, Reilly left the room, bee lining for Jean-Claude's room. The guys didn't start work for another hour, Reilly thought that that was more than enough time.

She entered the room, closing the door quietly behind her, and leaning on the heavy wood. Asher looked up at her entrance, with a small smile.

"Where's Jean-Claude?" Reilly asked, barely keeping together. She nearly moaned when Asher stood to greet her.

"He had a call from one of the clubs, he left early," Asher answered, half way across the room to her.

"His loss," Reilly purred, running across the space, and tackling her lover to the floor. Surprised, Asher moaned as Reilly ripped his shirt away from his torso. She ate at his mouth hungrily, hands fisted into the denim of his jeans. Reilly yipped at a sharp pain in her lower lip, and tasted the copper of her own blood, and then she and Asher were falling into almost feral sex.

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Raleigh literally ran up the stairs to her penthouse, praying to various gods that Micah hadn't decided to go out with his boys. She didn't bother catching her breath outside the door and instead just burst right through it. The lights in the livingroom were off, same in the kitchen. Raleigh heard a faint voice in the direction of their bedroom, so she followed the noise. As she got closer, she realized it was actually a song.

"*She tied you to a kitchen chair, She broke your throne, and she cut your hair, And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah*," Jeff Buckley's sad voice sang. Mingled in his voice...was Micah's. Raleigh paused in the threshold of the room, smiling. Micah always struck her as more of an Ozzy kind of man. The light came from the bathroom, along with steam and the sound of water.

Raleigh automatically stripped out of her clothes and tip-toed into the bathroom. She reached out and grabbed the shower curtain, pulling it open. Micah looked over his shoulder at her, his leopard eyes flashing. He watched her as she gracefully stepped into the shower. Raleigh felt his eyes burning across her skin and her chest grew tight, her heart raced into her throat as he stepped toward her. He slammed his open palm on the wet wall behind her, making her jump and yelp. Micah smiled like the cat who caught the mouse. Raleigh's pulse went through the roof as she looked into those predatory eyes. The music in the background completely faded away amd Raleigh's head swam.

Micah inched closer to her, making her press against the back wall as if she were trapped. Raleigh lost all control of herself and threw her arms around Micah's neck, her lips hungrily seeking his. Micah's hands trailed down her sides to her waist and worked their way between her thighs. Raleigh became putty in his hands, completely surrendering herself to him, releasing all of her magical energy. Micah shivered when he felt her powers wash over him, hotter than the water on his back. He lifted Raleigh up by her thighs and wrapped her legs around his hips, holding her up with his hands on her ass.

He growled as Raleigh tried to wriggle herself onto his hard dick. He smiled, lifting her a little higher. She whimpered against his mouth and slid back down until she felt his tip rubbing against her. Micah rocked his hips against her, driving her insane.

"Micah," she groaned lustily. "I'm not playing this...oh my God!"

Her head slammed back against the wall as her lover finally pushed himself into her. Micah bit into her shoulder as she took over, rocking on his hardness wildly. Raleigh sank her nails into his lower back. Blood ran down his legs, tinting the water at his feet. His hands wandered from her ass to her shoulders, pushing her down onto him and holding her still while he continued slamming into her. Raleigh's legs, and vaginal muscles, tightened around him as her teeth cruelly bit into his lower lip. Micah jerked her head back, illicting a primal scream from Raleigh.

Without warning, Micah slid out of her. He knelt down, lifting her in the classic brides carry, and carried her into the bedroom without even bothering to turn off the shower. He dropped her onto the bed, crawling between her legs. He leaned over her and opened the drawer on his nightstand. Raleigh watched curiously as her lover pulled out a long black sash. Her eyebrow quirked as he held it up, looking at her imploringly. She sat up and closed her eyes, allowing him to blindfold her. Before she knew it, her wrists were tied to the headboard and her legs were over Micah's shoulders as he was slamming into her once more. Her toes curled, her hands fought with her restraints.

Suddenly, the sashes tore. She ripped the blindfold off and sat up. Her hands found the nape of Micah's neck, in one quick motion, Micah was on his back and Raleigh began riding him. When they both orgasmed, their beasts melded into each other. The powers they unleashed to each other rushed into them, then exploded. The leopards passed out against each other. Everyone on the floors below them, even Reilly and Asher, were caressed with the rogue powers.