a thousand instincts (#1)

Lying Bastard (46)

Aeress

     She shut the door behind her and took in a deep breath. The scent of him immediately came to her. 

     Low and behold, the man who haunted her sat on her couch, lounging around like he owned the place (technically, he did?). Her first instinct was to yell at him, but she didn't think he deserved that much effort, so she ignored him and went about her self. 

     She held her breath as she neared him, speeding up intentionally past him, knowing that no matter how much she hated him, she would always feel a pull toward him. She reached her bedroom and shut the door behind her.

     The room itself was simple, decorated with darker hues of blue and grey. This was her second favorite place to stay, besides her old place in Chicago, which was her next destination. 

     Her heart was racing. She couldn't believe he was in her place. How did he get in? The answer was obvious: Premier can get in anywhere, no matter the obstacles. She wished he was someone different, someone she could avoid. But with Warrick, it was impossible. 

     "Get yourself together!" Aeress whispered frantically to herself. "He's just a man." Yeah, a man who's touched her like no one else, who was on her mind constantly. 

     Maybe he would leave and she wouldn't have to deal with him at all. But that wasn't like Warrick, now, was it? 

     Aeress struggled to get the skirt off. And while she was the fittest she'd ever been in her life, that didn't mean she was skin and bones, far from it actually. Even with powers of a goddess, she could never fully get rid of her imperfections. 

     "Let me." 

     Aeress literally jumped in surprise, and very few people could do that to her nowadays. After a quick thought, she stood still against her better judgement and allowed him to approach her again. She'd be hopping around all night if she didn't accept his help. Yeah, that was the reason.

     His fingers brushed against her bare back as he began pulling the zipper down. Chills ran up her spine, which was covered by dark blue, overlapping scales, raising goosebumps in the process. She swallowed and steadied her breath. She blinked, once, twice. Calm down, Aeress, he's just a man. She was in charge, she had all the power. 

     And while she felt her knees weaken, it was true. Everything was in her control. 

     As he reached the bottom, he inhaled sharply. So he noticed she wore nothing underneath! "Aeress," Warrick breathed out. 

     She almost forgot everything and fought the desire to lean into him. Instead she stepped away from him and marched into the bathroom. Aeress made a point of locking the door behind her with a rather obnoxious slam. 

     With her top and skirt on the smooth, tiled floor, she removed the gold bands off her arms and pulled on a nearly sheer, floral robe. Her most private parts were carefully hidden. She braided her hair back in a simple style and washed her face of any makeup. 

     She was finally accustomed to the person she saw in the mirror after so many months of adjusting. Her once tan skin had a light blue, glittering tint to it, shimmering here and there whenever hit by light. Dark blue nails. Eyes tinted red. Inky black locks. So completely different from the face she had known all her life. A fusion of Aeress Lupyn and the mother of all werewolves. 

     A lot of things were different now. 

     She looked to the bathroom door. Too many things.