Claws and code

Really good smells

They were leading me away from the vampires. Only Peter came along with us. In the hallway I saw some familiar vampires smiling at us. Everyone smelled so happy.

"Would you like to smell something really good? Just for you?" Mark asked me carefully.

"YES! You aren't it though! You started smelling sour just now. Do you need the really good smell to make you smell happy again?"

"No, this one is just for you. But if you like it, you will make me happy again."

"Mark? She's fucking high!" Sasha protested.

"I am NOT! Peter didn't give me drugs. They gave me blood for oats. No, for one oat. No, not an oat. A promise but it sounds like oats. It's an old promise. I'll remember shortly. My circuits are overloaded a bit!"

"She'll be pissed when she comes down."

"Yeah well, with a little luck he will convince her to be marked before that." Mark snapped.

"Mark. You're Mark! If you beat me in a fight does that mean I'm Marked?"

"I won't let you live this down! Remember that, Sis!" Cameron told me. I glared at him, then smiled wickedly. "If you do anything to me, I'll send mum all kinky porn files in emails from your computer!"

"I DON'T have kinky porn on my computer!!" Cameron growled while the rest of us laughed at his face. "You will, when it gets send to mum!"

They took me outside. Sasha didn't smell happy anymore and the others smelled like Mark. "Why aren't you happy anymore?"

"They are trying to help their Goddess work her magic." Peter replied when they wouldn't answer.

I could smell the most divine scent suddenly. And then I saw Jack. The beast quickly appeared in his eyes when I broke free and rushed into his arms. "Goddess help me! You smell as perfect as you look! You smell like all my favourite things!"

He started purring against me and looked down with a dopey smile when I didn't move away from him. The beast wasn't in his eyes but I didn't care because the smell and the feeling of his soft rumble had me relaxing in his arms. "And what are those, my love?"

"The systems and the library and old books and sugar and my big furry bastard and cake. I love cake! Mrs Benedict makes this chocolate and lemon cake and it is just so perfect and I never had birthday cakes after my parents died and Mrs B makes two every year on my birthday so I can have one all to myself and everyone else shares the huge one she bakes and I always have a piece of that too, so I can save mine for the days after my birthday! Mum makes the best sugar cookies, you fed me those while I was working, did you try any?"

"I didn't. But maybe you will let me try some, one day?"

"I would but I can't. My big furry bastard can't keep you away from me forever, Mark said so and Sasha says it unbalances you but you don't love me and I love you and your big furry bastard is the bestest, softest wolf ever and you are a Jackass because you won't let me have him and you should just fade away and let me have my big furry bastard!" I thumped his chest and pushed away.

"What is happening to her?"

I replied before anyone else could. "I got happy smell juice from all these vampires and I can taste air and smell everything and I can see things I would normally need a telescope for! It's an oat. Well not a breakfast oat but something like it. Not wheat I just can't remember what it is and nobody is telling me!"

"An oath? A blood oath?"

"YES! You know... I could have loved you more than anyone who had a wolf at birth but you don't want me because you think I lied and I didn't! You lied, so you're a hypocrite because you said you loved me just fine as I was, until you found out you'd never be able to bring back the wolf I never said I had!" Frowning, I stomped my foot. "I want my big furry bastard back! HE loves me!"

"I love you too! More than anything!"

"Do not!"

"Let me make up for my stupidity. Please! I am nothing without you."

"But I am nothing to you. You would have rejected me if it wasn't for my big furry bastard!" I was angry now.

"I have learned to listen to what isn't said. You haven't said you stopped loving me so I can hope for your forgiveness, can I not?"

The beast came back into his eyes while I tried to find an argument for his logic and I relaxed instantly. "Smell me." He ordered, his arms wrapped around me and I relaxed more as I inhaled deeply.

"Invite him in. Wouldn't you love to lay down and hold your mate for a while?" Peter was right. I did want that and I nodded. "I want him in my bed so I can feel him and smell him and taste him and ki_"

"Too much information!" Cameron growled. "So is the kinky porn on your computer!" I replied nastily. Then I turned to Jack. The beast was gone again but I didn't care. "Come. I have my own room here."

It was lovely to hold his hand while he let me drag him inside and the happy vampires we passed made me even happier. Mark and the others stayed back but when Sasha came close, just before I got to my room, she smelled like she was burning. I tried patting her down, but her hands stopped me. "You are smelling rage, Cloe. It isn't as sour, like anger. It where the expression, burning rage, comes from."

"Why are you raging? Do you need an oat?"

"I'm upset because you are high as a kite on old vamp blood and these men are throwing you in with a mate you don't want."

"Oh! Oh no! I want him Sash, I desperately want him! I love my furry bastard, even if I'm not supposed to love Jack anymore."

"They are one and the same."

"Well, Jack doesn't want me and his beast does. So, I'm keeping my beast. The Goddess has made him just for me and I won't let anyone take him from me."

She looked at Jack for a while. "Back away from her. I will put colloidal silver in your water. You will die a slow and painful death if you don't move now."

Before Jack could answer I laughed and threw myself in her arms. "I love your threats! It's a bit scary though because I know you would. Don't kill my Furry Beasty, Sasha, it's been hell without him, I love him!"

"You hear that. Our sister loves your beast. It is the only reason we are letting this happen. If she hadn't been so miserable without you, we would have killed you the moment we found out you were here. Now go and make up with her before she falls asleep. She's due to crash, she's been working ridiculous hours."

Sasha didn't let me go though. "No. She will get sober before I let him anywhere near her." Sasha was still burning but she wasn't hot. Rage. Some of my mind cleared. Sasha was the most placid wolf I knew, even more placid than her mother. The very reason she had become a doctor. If she was burning in rage and my brothers were all sour about this, maybe going with Jack wasn't the best idea. This wasn't my big furry bastard, this was Jack.

Sasha started backwards, lifting me with one arm around my waist, but I didn't fight her. Instead i wrapped my arms and legs around her like a koala and giggled. Jack tried to reason with her but my brothers looked relieved. Their smell wasn't as sour now that I was being pulled away from my mate. Peter looked on with a sad smile. "Maybe I can give your mate a room at the other side of the house and you can visit him when the blood high wears off?"

"You do that. But you make sure that your vamps keep him away from her until she is herself." Sasha ordered.