Author: JkMack
Rating: NC-17
Copyright: Joss Whedon created the Buffy universe we all know. Thank you Mutant Enemy for not expanding the W/T relationship. I don't own anything here but the story idea and a few people I made up.

The persistent beat of the speakers thumped in my head. Strobe lights flickered off the walls as I sat in the dark corner of The Riot Club. Which sadly enough plenty of young flesh was wildly moving with the techno.

I leaned back in my chair lighting a cigarette. Inhaling the smoke I surveyed the dark figures sexually assaulting each other with their hips. I wanted so desperately to be in the mitts of all that action, to be tearing a fresh, female throat open while her breasts bounced against me and her crotch pressed hard into my thigh.

I shivered at the thought, took a deep breath and caught something other than human. Instantly my senses tingled. I wasn't the only creature here tonight.

Trying not to look too obvious I smashed my cigarette in the tray provided and sat up straight. I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Most likely they'd look human.

But something else passed my nose. It was an earthy smell, like of dirt and leaves. I shook my head like a dog would and tried to get it out of my nostrils. The scent grew stronger and clouded my mind, I wanted to run, to blot like a wild animal but couldn't, something kept me still, like if I moved something would attack me.

Then it dawned on me. I was being watched. Not only was I being stalked, some sort of spell was being worked to keep me where I was. But I had never knew a spell to have a distinctive smell and taste. I literally could taste the wetness of the earth, like breathing in the Ireland air.

That made me relax thinking about my homeland. I let the tension run out of my body and I slightly slouched in my chair, allowing the warm cloud to engulf me. Embracing the spell it passed over me slightly and allowed me to think again and open my eyes to sound and sight that had disappeared a few moments ago.

I was startled to see a woman sitting next to me. I jerked up and scrambled back a bit.

The woman provided a sheepish smile, her full red lips elastic around pearly whites. Her round blue eyes stared deep into mine and long honey gold hair fell past her shoulders. She was a woman all right, as my gaze slid down the top half of her body. She was wearing a green shirt that clung to her body tightly, enhancing her round, voluptuous breasts. She was wearing a blue over coat that from what I could tell went to the floor. She was curvy and beautifully woman. Her creamy white skin gave off the previous smell and made something low in my body go tight.

Leaning back in her chair she seemed to be waiting for me to speak. But what could you say to such a beauty?

"Um." I bit my bottom lip. "What brings you here?" I asked my voice slightly high.

She laughed, it was like it's own symphony rolling though the air like sitting in on one of Leopold's conduction's.

"I came here to see you." She answered the light of laughter still in her eyes.

"Why see me?"

"Well I've followed you for awhile now. You smell of earth, and connection and above all you smell alone."

I looked down at the table averting my eyes from the sea of blue before me. Then as quickly as the thought came to pass I said it. She smelt me as I was her."You're a werewolf?"

"Yes I am." She stated calmly.

This was truly something to puzzle. "Then what do you want with me?"

She furrowed her brown and seemed to think for a moment.

After a short pause she looked at me truly perplexed. "Why would I want anything from you? I simply wanted to meet you."

Now it was my turn to be confused. "You know we are not allowed to just meet, unless there is a treaty to discus or something happening that the vampires need to know about."

She nodded at my words. "Yes I do know this. But there is something about you, the way you move and go about your night that fascinated me."

If there was enough blood in my veins it went to my face as I blushed the color of my hair. I could feel the heat radiating off my skin.

"What is your name?" I asked.

That seemed to catch her off guard. ''M-my name?"

"Yes your name." I urged placing my hands on the table.

"Well my pack name is Tarashitia Moongrian. But everyone just calls me Tara"

I nodded smiling. "That's a beautiful name."

She blushed and ducked her head, hiding her face with her hair. I found the gesture oddly sexy.

"I'm Flame." I added sticking out my right hand. Tara looked at it if it might bite her then slowly slid her hand into my extended palm.

Her hands where silky smooth and she had long, graceful fingers and held such power to them.

By asking her name seemed to take away all the confidence she mustered to bespell me and even come and talk to me. By making us on a first name basis, not vampire and werewolf, seemed to heighten the reality of the situation.

"Flame," She said softly to herself "it fits."

"Yeah I get that all the time." I said smiling.

"Is that your real name or a nickname?" She asked.

"No it isn't my real name but only two people, well vampires know that name." I answered hoping not to offend her. Only my father and William know my first name it's not something I share with many, too many memories.

"Oh." She said shyly.

I nodded my understanding. "Don't take that the wrong way okay?"

Tara looked up at me a new shine in her eyes. "So you're not mad about the spell?"

"Uh." I had forgotten about the spell. "Maybe if you explain why you did it I won't be angry."

She looked looked at me intently one eye quirked. "Well, how else could I get a beautiful woman to sit and talk to me?" There was a slight bitterness in the last of her words.

"I'm not sure you have that problem. You are quite a sight to behold."

She shook her head and looked up at me with what seemed like sadness.

"I am nothing special Flame. Can't you smell the weakness on me? If my pack knew I was here they would surely beat me senseless."

I looked at her and took in her beauty, her soft tone and eyes. The way she was sitting there in her sky and grass outfit I felt anger stirring in my gut. A protectiveness that I thought I only had for the Master. A deeper caring that I would like to admit. I had only just met this woman and I already wanted to beat the living daylights out whoever harmed a hair on her head.

"I cannot find an inch of weakness on you." I sated firmly.

She blushed and it seemed to crawl down her neck line into her green shirt.

A loud bump startled me as I looked around. A new song was playing and I had just realized we were still in the club.

I leaned over the table and put my hand on hers. "Do you want to go some place else? It's kind of loud and um human in here?"

She jerked her hand back like I had struck her and nodded slightly.

I took my hand back tentatively and shoved it in my coat pocket gesturing with my other hand to proceed. "Shall we?"

I pushed on first with the blonde beauty at my heals. The night air was refreshing and calming. I allowed Tara to catch up to me and we matched paces as we started down the cool sidewalk. I noted she was wearing blue jeans along with blue sneakers. She matched perfectly.

I broke the silence first, "How is it that you are a witch if you are a shapeshifter?"

She wrung her hands together as we walked and stared at her feet. "Well I was a witch before I was bitten and for some odd reason my talent never went away with the first change."

I crinkled my face thinking hard. I remember reading somewhere that most werewolves cannot repel or even control magic. Just for the simple fact you're giving part of yourself over to the wild nature not the controlled.

"That's quite rare you know? Does it come in handy like tonight?"

She had the decency to look embarrassed, "Well it helps me survive I guess you could say."

"How?" My curiosity getting the better of me.

When she didn't answer I mentally kicked my self in the gut. "I'm sorry that was quite personal. Forgive me?"

"N-no no its not that. I've just never had anyone ever to really tell my woes to. I think once I start I won't stop." She laughed nervously.

"Well if it's any console to you I would like to be your friend. I feel a strange connection to you. I'm not sure what it is perhaps we were friends in a previous life, all I know is you approached me first and now that I do not fear you, you're stuck with me as a tag-a-long."

Tara laughed again sending that warm feeling up and down my body, I looked at her with a new understanding, a new craving. This girl was not only a friend but something I could take a bite out of. No pun once again.

"In that case. I use my magic against the ones who challenge me." When my face showed no understanding she went on. "I'm not very good at fighting I guess you could say. I'm easy prey. The new members of the pack test out their strength on ones like me, passive and easily tolerant to pain. This is if they choose to be initiated in that way."

I nodded. "We have something like that too. Either you are fucked in or you go around the room and let every member take a bite out of you. Like a tasting ceremony to see how fresh and pure you are."

I noticed how flushed Tara's face was when I used the word fuck. It made me wonder how truly venerable she was.

"How, I mean what one did you choose, Flame?"

I smiled it was something I was very proud of. "I was bitten in. I was a virgin when I was bit and I still am to this day. I wanted to keep myself pure until I found the right person. William never made it a point to push me on my own mind and body"

Tara looked startled for a moment and seemed to find something quite interesting on her jacket. "Who's William?" She asked still not meeting my eyes.

If I didn't know any better I swear I could see a bit of disappointment on her face. "William is my Maker. Sort of my father figure. He saved me when I was a child."

"So he's not like your lover or anything like that?" Tara asked looking me right in the eyes.

I shook my head turning from the quizzing gaze I was under. "No, no nothing in that department. I've never had a lover, haven't found the right one I guess. I've never even been kissed before, just a pecks here and there by William."

I heard her exhale and her steps became more brisk.

"Now if I may ask how where you accepted in your pack?"

Tara sighed. "I'm not sure you'd look at me the same if you knew how."

I grasped her hand in mine and interlaced our fingers. This time she did not jolt away but accepted the touch. "Tell me. I've seen a lot over the years I might just understand."

She nodded and after a few moments we came upon a bench

"Mind if we sit?" She asked.

"No, I don't mind." I replied. We both took a seat.

She crossed her legs and leaned back. I let my back rest on wood and sighed contentedly.

"They didn't give me much choice when I was brought in. One of our first tests is to see how well we perform in sex." Her voice rang instantly catching me off guard.

I placed my hand on her leg and felt a jolt twinge my body. We both gasped at the contact and I let my hand rest there, moving my thumb back and forth. When I didn't interrupt and our breathing went back to normal she went on.

"I was passed around the pack until they tired of me. Men, women, anyone who fancied me. I never fought back and I figured it was the way things where done. When I finally refused to allow any one to my bed that's when they used me as their warm up wolf. It was never gentle or caring lovemaking it was always rough and animalistic. Which don't get me wrong parts of me wanted that, but not all parts. I've wanted love, not to be alone anymore or used." She stopped and looked down at my hand on her thigh. "What is it that you look for Flame? Why is it when I've watched you from afar your eyes are always distant, gone and confused?"

I looked at her pleading eyes. "I don't know what I want. I never did."

She placed her hand over mine and our skin mended together. "You are part of the earth too you know. I can feel it. Mother nature is in your blood and your soul. That is why I think I can feel you anywhere I go in this wretched city. That's why you search for something you know nothing about isn't it? You don't know your purpose."

My face must have held my shock because she turned beat red again and looked down at our hands again. "I am sorry. I'm not usually this um blunt."

"No it's fine, what you said is true. I am quite lost." I smiled warmly at the woman next to me. I've been to hell and here was a tiny slice of heaven.

Something caught my eye and I looked toward the dark sky. "Dawn is coming."

"Oh, oh yes I understand. Y-you need to get back, don't worry about me bothering you anymore. I just always wanted to meet someone l-like you." She said and the stutter didn't go unnoticed.

"Look you better be meeting me again or I'll hunt you down like you did me." I joked.

The scared, hurt look on her face dissipated like a puff of air out of lungs. "Oh really!?"

I nodded my head. "I said you were stuck with me. Now can I see you again tomorrow?"

"Oh yes. How about the Moon Cafe around eight? It's always one of my favorites, we can talk some more and get to know each other better?" She said excitedly.

I looked deep into her eyes and felt something stir in my stomach and the same tender look met mine.

"I've never been with anyone that has made me feel so warm. And that's pretty new to me." I added laughing.

"Well in that case it's a date." She said winking.

I blushed and removed my hand from her warm body. "I'll see you then." Getting up slowly I gave her one last look of promise and walked off into the dark. The wind whipping my coat around my legs and my dead heart with a new beat.