The Rise of Venus

The Hybrid's Versatility

Song: lofi for witches and sorcerers by Lunar Hour Studio

"I'm not so sure about this," I said. Putting the battered car in park, I eyed the seedy motel with distaste. It looked like a place where you could get murdered at and people would tell you to stop screaming. That's how rundown it was.

"It's perfect," Pride huffed. "People don't ask questions here and we need a place where no one will question this."

Pride motioned to our haggard appearance. The cuts and scrapes that still lingered on my skin. The fact that his clothes were in black tatters with him having to hold up his shorts to make sure they didn't fall.

We looked like hell.

"Wait in here and keep an eye out." Keeping a tight grip on his shorts, he pulled out some of the cash Dion gave us for the journey. Try not to leave a trail. Use the paper, was what he'd told us. Between Pride and I, we had a couple thousand dollars to keep us comfortable.

I locked the doors as soon as he left. Tossing my journal and the paper I took from the dead wolf into my bag, I moved our things to the front. My eyes scanned every person that passed but not one of them looked back at me.

Pride was right. This was a place where no one cared about what anyone was doing.

I almost felt invisible here.

My nose crinkled at the sight of a scantily dressed Siren leaning against a cracked green door. Her low humming pulled at my heartstrings and I had a faint urge to offer my services to her. The magenta haired woman smirked. Even though her eyes never met mine, I knew she knew what her hypnotic voice was doing to me.

The door opened a crack to reveal bright red eyes and nothing more. I stiffened at the sight. It was a Vampire. And judging by his piercing orbs, he was starving.

The Siren slipped into his room after sharing brief words and I glanced away.

If Mother only knew where I was now...

Pride waved at me from outside the front desk. Shouldering our bags, I met him outside and nodded at the white bag he held. "What's in there?"

"Some things I needed," he replied cryptically. Motioning for me to follow, I trailed behind him until we got to our room.

Unfortunately, room 126 was next to the Vampire and Siren's room. I groaned at the sound of his moaning and rolled my eyes at her constant squealing. Pride smirked at my uneasy expression and I resisted the urge to pants him right here for everyone to-

Shit.

No one would probably bat an eye if he walked up and down the street naked. This was quite the sordid place indeed.

My nose crinkled at the smells that hit me as soon as the door opened. By the Moon Goddess I didn't think anything had been thoroughly cleaned in here since the early 2000's. Pride kicked the door shut with an equally disgusted face.

"Tell me again why we're here?"

"We need to sort ourselves out before we meet up with the others," Pride grunted. The corners of his eyes crinkled as he single handedly dumped the mystery contents of his bag out. A box of matches, cigars, and travel sized toiletries tumbled out. "Go take a shower. Put all of your clothes in here before you shower. Don't touch them when you come out."

Tightening his grip on his falling shorts, he whipped off his tattered blue shirt. As he tossed it into the white bag, mischief shined over his dull eyes as he raised a brow at me. "Panties and bra too."

Snatching the bag from him, I shoved him to the side and raised the cheap cigar. "Why?"

"We smell like their Pack." Pride plucked the brown roll from me and tossed it back onto the bed. "And we smell like the remedies those Witches used to cook up that perfectly timed explosion."