Ash Ch. 03

He didn't know what he was doing here. Glancing at the girl, Linda, beside him Ash frowned wondering just how he'd got himself in this position. They sat side by side in companionable silence, companionable only because Linda had fallen asleep. His ears ached from all the questions she had bombarded him with. Now she leaned against him, her head on his shoulder and her breast squished against his arm. Every time the bus hit a pothole flattened teasingly against him. He wasn't sure if it was the best or the worst journey of his life.

This time yesterday his world had been undisturbed. Go to work five nights a week, take the odd day shift to boost his savings, eat, sleep, trying to resist shifting into a wolf was the only thing that made it interesting for him. Until today.

Last night he'd thought he'd helped a young woman escape from a brutal rape outside a nightclub. Today he was the most wanted man in the city they were leaving behind. Wolf; the most wanted wolf. The two guys that had been abusing the girl turned out to be valid punters. She was a whore, they were her clients and it turned out that they had righteously paid for the services they had been enjoying. He hadn't even realised till he'd woken up this morning that she was a wolf too. He could curse his own stupidity all he liked but he'd pushed his forced change of skin beyond its limits and had been heading to the park to change at the time. He'd been somewhat distracted.

She'd been preparing to leave when those same two wolves had broken into his apartment and attacked him. He'd woken up hurt and bleeding. The worst part was that the two goons had been completing their original transaction when he'd come to. Worst because, yet again, his wolf had jump to conclusions that were unfounded and 'rescued' the unlikely damsel again. This time he'd killed the guy. It was the wolf way; defend your territory and all that is in it. Well Linda wasn't his territory but she was within it. It wasn't helped by the fact that she had been play-acting the reluctant victim for them. It had been too much for his bruised wolf to endure. He'd been in like Flynn before his brain to could make the more rational connections.

Now he had lost his jobs, his apartment and his anonymity. Stuffed into his backpack were his savings and a few clothes. That was all he had to show for two years of knuckling down and trying to fit in. Old angers and resentments rose to the surface when he had thought he'd buried them. His life had turned into a bag of shit since he'd been unfortunate enough to survive a werewolf six years ago. How bloody ironic that his life might have been improved had he died that night.

Now he was stuck with Linda for at least a few weeks whilst they waited out the wolves' decision. Ash wasn't sure if this was a good or a bad thing. After the best part of six years alone it was more than a little disconcerting to be saddled with twenty-four hour company all of a sudden. Before becoming a wolf he would probably have been using the free time whilst Linda slept to work out whether or not to make a move on her.

She was a ripe woman. Shorter than him, much shorter, he guessed her to be about five foot two inches. She had an impish face, big eyes and wide mouth that seemed to constantly be moving. For her size she had large boobs, they'd spill over his hand if he cupped them, and a firm round arse that also begged to be squeezed. Problem was she was a whore. Ash's experience of the darker side of life made him wary of that specific type of female. To his knowledge they were an untrustworthy breed, women in general were a mystery to him, whores even more so.

A reluctant grin spread across his face as he thought about his savings in his backpack. There was no reason why he couldn't pay for he wanted though. Damn it, two weeks locked in a cabin with her and he'd leave a pauper. An exhausted, very satisfied pauper.

Ash shook the thoughts from his head and nudged Linda awake; she stretched and yawned, looking up at him sleepily. He was already missing that soft insistent pressure of her breast pressed to him, but he couldn't resist watching the way her t-shirt stretched across them as she arched her back to stretch out her cramped muscles.

It was going to be a long couple of weeks.

Linda adjusted her holdall across her back for the hundredth time. Whoever it was that Ash had borrowed a hideout from must live like a hermit. They were miles from anywhere. The woods were ten degrees cooler than the mild early summer that was happening elsewhere. Linda didn't feel ten degrees cooler, she was feeling hot and sweaty, in a less than pleasant way. It was on the tip her tongue to ask how much further it was but Ash had been decreasingly patient with questions since they stepped off the bus.

She couldn't even complain really since this was her idea. Well not the whole middle of nowhere, ten-mile hike thing, but getting out of the city at least. She fixed her eyes on the spot in the centre of Ash's shoulder blades and just kept walking. It was the devil in her that pushed her forward. Every now and then her fixed gaze would irritate Ash enough that he would turn and glare at her. It was a wolf thing.

Anything that watched you was a challenge, either you backed down from that challenge or rose to it. She wasn't making eye contact so she wasn't being challenging but Ash couldn't tell that without see her. It was naughty to tease him like that since he thought he was doing the honourable thing. She bit her lip; he was going to be mighty pissed off when he realised. There were two possible outcomes, he would never see or speak to her again, or he would simple kill her. He was capable of it. He must have moved fast to take out the city Alpha. He didn't get to the top dog spot without fighting for it. Then again he was balls deep in her arse at the time and only two thrusts away from heaven.

Linda stopped dead. "Wolf." She muttered. "Shit, are we muscling in on someone's territory here?"

Ash looked over his shoulder without stopping. "Friend of mine, we have permission to be here."

"Wow, you have friends?" She didn't know why she let her mouth run off like that; it seemed she just couldn't help herself. "You guys stay friends because you don't visit or despite it?"

Ash curled his lip; she could hear low edge of a growl rumbling from his chest. Yep, she was pressing his buttons all right. Not necessarily the buttons she wanted to be pressing but she was still getting his attention.

"We're not friends exactly. He owes me a favour; I called it in today. Feel better now?"

"Much." She called. With a hiss of temper she sped up. She was never usually this easy to ignore; this guy was really starting to bug her. "You don't get out much do you?"

Ash stopped and turned around. "What?"

"You." She pointed her finger at his chest, taking the time to catch him up properly. "Don't. Get. Out." She spread her hands to indicate the wilderness surrounding them. "Do you. You have the social skills of a skunk babe. It's not a complaint; it's an observation."

"You expect me to hold out my arm for you, throw my coat over puddles for you after you caused all this?"

Ah, here it was. They hadn't had this out yet. Give him credit; she hadn't thought it would happen for a day or two. He looked like he could be a brooder.

"I caused all this?" She repeated sourly. "You chewed out the throat of the alpha of the city and it's my fault."

"Everywhere I turn you are taking two cocks and weeping for help at the same time, it's confusing." Ash muttered. He blushed, from neck to brows, something that hadn't happened since he'd left school.

"Can I help it if I am good at my job?"

"Are you?"

Linda stumbled at the softly spoken question. She twisted to look at him; there was no judgement on his face just open curiosity. "Yeah, I am very good. You tell me what you like and I'll make it happen."

Ash swallowed. "And you must get asked for all kinds of weird stuff."

Was that a statement or a question? Linda didn't know. She walked backwards for a few steps, shoulders back and hips swinging, he didn't directly look but she was fairly sure he noticed.

"Oh yeah. Honey I am a wolf girl. Do you know how unusual that is?" She laughed and turned away from him, forgetting that he needed to lead since she didn't know the way.

"I know."

He didn't sound too happy at knowing. Linda rolled her eyes; he didn't seem overly happy about anything, at all, ever. It was her turn to feel his eyes boring into her. It didn't make her snappish or unsteady, she liked it. She liked it when men looked, even more when they liked looking. She wasn't convinced that Ash was enjoying the view. He might want to fuck her but he wasn't happy about wanting that. Still she couldn't tell if that was because she was a wolf or a whore. Sex worker. She corrected herself.

"Are you going to be this glum for the whole time?"

His voice was sharp with indignation when he finally spoke. "Glum? You expect me to be jolly about wondering if the wolf pack will hunt us down and kill us today or tomorrow."

"Not a lot you can do about it, might as well make the best of it."

"Make the best of what?"

"This." She turned a circle holding her hands out to indicate the woods surrounding them. "Middle of nowhere, big empty space. We could slip skin and take a run whenever we wanted to. Catch us a deer; pig out. Run around naked if we like. It's a great place for a couple of wolves."

"We aren't a couple."

"We are two people. Two of something is a couple." She sighed, this was too hard, and she should just let him know what would happen when he made it into the city and run for it.

"Do I have to pay for you to run around naked?"

That was it. Linda spun round; she shrugged off her holdall and let it fall to the ground with a thud. "Ok mister, you want to tell me what your problem is?"

Ash actually took a step back from her. He stepped forward again as soon as he realised what he had done, but initially he had backed off. Maybe he wouldn't wholly kill her when he found out.

"I don't have a problem."

"Like hell." This time when she moved forward she jabbed her finger to his chest and shoved him back that step he had retaken. "You've been on my case about being a whore since the start, now what is your issue with that?"

"I don't have an issue with prostitutes per se." He pushed his hands through his thick blonde hair. "I was just disappointed you know?"

She pulled sneer and cocked her hip, folding her arms and watching him. "No, I don't know. What do you do? For money."

His eyes darted about the forest nervously. "I work the door at a club, a bouncer mostly. Why?"

"So you look after people for money? Should I be expecting a bill when this is over if you have to protect me in that time? Or do I have to pay just for you being here?"

"No!" he frowned. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"People aren't the sum total of their jobs mister. I'm a person, a werewolf and a person. Just because I fuck for money doesn't lessen that." She was yelling now. Taking a deep breath she stepped back.

"Well when I fuck someone I want to know that they're getting off, not that they're just good at their job."

That made her blink. "Are you saying you want to fuck me?"

"Darling, I haven't had sex in two years, right now I could hump a three-legged scabby dog."

She swung for him; he caught her wrist just like she thought he would. She kicked his shin with the point of her toe and had him hopping back from her, his hold on her released. Placing her hands on her hips she swaggered towards him.

"You want to repeat that in a nicer way? Do you want to fuck me?"

"Yes, like I said I..."

Linda placed two fingers on his lips to shut him up. "Yes is more than enough information." She smiled up at his confused scowl. "You got me hot this morning."

"You were hot for the blood I spilled this morning."

She rolled her eyes at him. "I am a werewolf, I like blood, so sue me. To me it's an alternative to licking whipped cream of your body."

Ash straightened up and stared at her. She could see this had never occurred to him before.

"You're a werewolf, that affects the sort of stuff you like." She continued, she walked around him as she spoke. He didn't once look down at her. "Bet you like a bit of dominance, maybe a bit of rough play with a submissive woman, doesn't that get you hot?"

He was thinking about something, something that made his cock nearly burst through his jeans. Was he remembering or imagining, she wondered.

When he spoke his voice was hoarse, whatever was running through his mind had made his throat dry out.

"And what do you like?"

Linda smiled, and face-splitting all out grin. "Do you know what? Nobody has ever asked me that before."

Ash was lost in pictures of a slender blonde crouched on all fours looking over her shoulders at him whilst he pulled her legs wider apart and set his throbbing cock to her shiny wet cunt. She had been so wet, so ready to fuck that he could have cried with delight at the sight. But it hadn't been him that she'd wanted; it was her lover, the Hunter. She'd been hot for his reaction to another man's cock stretching her cunt and making her cum. It had not been about him. He wasn't bitter about it, or not much anyway. They'd been so good together, the Hunter and her, that Ash could only be grateful that he'd had the chance to sample that kind of sexual heat.

He looked down at the bizarre woman before him; he could easily make the transition from long slender blonde to shorter, curvier redhead. Her breasts were large enough that they would slap against her ribs when the rhythm got going. Her bottom would jiggle just the right amount should he slap his palm to it. The image soured slightly when the rosy picture show turned into a replay of her working her 'job' this morning, whimpering and pleading with the two goons and taking their money for it.

He swallowed, or tried to. His mouth was dry. She was looking up at him with the sexiest smile he'd ever seen. Ash had to struggle to replay what it was that she'd just said. Damn, his cock was so hard he could hammer nails with it. He rubbed his hand over his face.

"Look the cabin is just over that rise, let's get there and dump our stuff." He felt bad when her smile slipped; when she looked like that it was like he'd kicked a puppy. He couldn't get to grips with the girl. "How come nobody asked you that before?"

She bent down and picked up her holdall once more. "I guess I haven't had real sex in longer than you." She shoved her hands into her pockets and set off determinedly.

Ash set off after her. She may have been a foot shorter than him but she could sure move fast. Within minutes the cabin came into view. First the roof and then slowly the rest of it was revealed. From top to bottom like a picture loading on a computer.

"Oh wow." Linda stopped to stare at the tiny house. "That is seriously cute. Like a real house only smaller."

"You don't like it?" He didn't know why he was disappointed by her reaction.

"A house is a house honey, I like it just fine. Nice garden too."

He nodded to himself. He had to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other, his cock was so hard that it was chafing against his jeans, he couldn't tell if it was going to fall off or if he might cum in his pants.

They climbed the rough-hewn steps leading to the front door, Ash reached over Linda's head to run his finger along the frame. Just like Sheila had said. He set the key into the lock; unable to stop the memories of the last time he'd been here. He'd been a kid still really; angry with everyone over the turns his life had taken. He licked his lips unable to deny that little had changed for him.

He let Linda walk in ahead of him, she grinned up at him and dropped her bag just inside the door. He watched her look about; well he watched her arse sway as she looked about anyway.

"So how do I know?" She turned and raised her eyebrow at him. "If you're getting off when I'm fucking you or whether you are just good at your job?"

She looked thoughtful. "I would think you would tell when I cum on your cock really."

Ash nearly choked. He cleared his throat; the presence of the woman seemed to be having a bad effect on his hydration. Before he could respond she stepped up to him and looked all the way up to his eyes.

"I have an idea. You brought some money with you right?"

Ash let out his breath; his stomach sank to his knees. So they were going to make a business deal after all. She slapped at his shoulder and walked back to her holdall. For a moment he thought she was going to bail on him. Leave him alone in the woods to wait for the wolves to get him.

After a rummage through her bag she pulled out a man's wallet, a thin black fold out job. Ash frowned wondering if that was hers or if she'd stolen it from someone. He stopped the thought almost before he finished it. Just because she made a living selling her body didn't mean that she was a thief of any kind.

"Tell you what, I've an idea for how to make this work."

Ash folded his arms and watched her, half warily and half drooling. Making this work sounded much like getting hot, sweaty and satisfied. That was exactly what he what he wanted.

She took a ten-pound note out of her wallet and held it up to him. "Ten pounds a time. Every single thing either of us wants to happen will cost ten pounds."

He frowned. By his reckoning he'd clocked up a couple of hundred pounds and she had spent nothing.

Linda rolled her eyes. "Don't look at me like that. It's a fair system, tit for tat. One request from you, one request from me. Fair and square."

"For ten pounds a pop? Sounds expensive."

"Not at all." She grinned at him and her eyes twinkled with mirth. She strolled over to him waving the money as she moved. "I want you to get naked." She held out the note to him.

Ash frowned; tentatively he took the money from her fingers. "You're giving me ten pounds to strip off?"

"I am." She took a step back and leaned against the counter of the breakfast bar and watched him.

Ash took a deep breath. Very slowly he slid off his jacket, Linda nodded at him encouragingly. He was sliding his jeans down his thighs when she cleared her throat.

"And what is it that you want?"

His balanced faltered and he had to cling on to the sofa to stop from tumbling over. So this was it, this was the catch.

"You want a list?"

"No." she folded her arms and let out an impatient sigh. "Tit for tat. Quid pro quo. Tell me the very next thing you want to happen."

Ash thought, his mind was taken up with all the images of hard-core porn he had ever watched. He dragged his mind away from his intentions and concentrated on the meaning of her words.

"For you to get naked." He almost made a question of it.

She grinned, took a step forward and plucked the ten-pound note from between his teeth. "Now you're getting it."

Ash stood, breathless and achingly hard, watching her strip down. Jacket, boots, t-shirt over her head revealing those luscious breasts, she kicked off her jeans and raised her arms to show off all those wonderful curves. It was on the tip of his tongue to make the next the next request but she waved the money at him.

"I want you to kiss me like you did this morning."

He swallowed and closed the distance between them. He couldn't think how he'd kissed her; his mind was blank. He leaned down and placed his mouth on hers, she rose up to meet him and the move rubbed her breast against his chest. His breath shuddered; he put one hand to the back of her head to hold her still whilst he plundered her mouth. His tongue roamed along her teeth, the inside of her cheek, everywhere. Her tongue lapped at him, she suckled at his tongue, drawing a moan from his lips. It took a moment for him to notice that she was pushing the money into his hand. He pushed it back at her.