In the World Away from It All

When she got outside, there were a number of people still standing there. It was as if they were waiting for her to come out of the building. She had quickly become Portlock's newest celebrity, it seemed. Even as her gaze met theirs, they did not budge. She heard the whispers increase as she hopped into her car. All those people staring at her all at once made her skin crawl. She was growing paranoid by the minute as she looked around. Had they figured out what she was? Was she that rare in the world of supernatural creatures? After all, Vicky had thought her kind a truly tall tale. She needed to find the mayor as soon as possible. That is where she would find her answers. She studied the map, placed it on the dashboard, and headed for City Hall.

The best thing about the town was that it was easy to navigate. There was no sign of modernity, at least not the way she had seen in Canada. Portlock reminded her of places she had seen in photographs. She did her best to avoid eye contact from onlookers as she maneuvered until she got to where she was going, City Hall. One could not miss the beautiful old white City Hall even if they wanted to. It was around four-thirty when she walked into the building. A lady was sitting at the front desk and immediately sat up, raising her eyebrows when she spotted Thesipha. She seemed suspicious of her the minute she entered the room.

"Hello there, I'm here to see the mayor of Portlock." Thesipha was confidently unaware of what she had just walked into.

The young lady was quiet for a while before bursting into laughter. "Who else would you be here to see, the mayor of New York?" she asked curtly, rolling her eyes. "And you are?"

"Oh, sorry, my name is Thesipha. I'm new in town and I just wanted to ask her a few questions about the town's history. Some residents as well," she responded ignoring the rudeness.

"The mayor is very busy, and you may have to wait a few hours. The town's history is something you can find at our local library. Save yourself the trouble and go there instead."

It was all in a bid to dissuade Thesipha and she caught wind of it. So in typical Thesipha fashion, she sat in the waiting area, took out a book from her coat pocket, and started reading, much to the receptionist's annoyance. It was Ray's diary which she had kept all these years, finding it intriguing even though she'd read it all already. Time had flown since then and she had not noticed until she spotted the lady get up and pack. Clearly, she was getting ready to leave.

"Wait, where are you going?" she asked naively. "I'm still here."

"So what? I already told you this would happen. I'm done for the day and so is the mayor," she answered tersely once again, not even lifting her head to face her prospective appointment.

Thesipha did not have a mean bone in her body, but this was far too disrespectful.

Annoyed, Thesipha opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. An extremely short-haired blonde woman--in fact, she could be considered an almost shaved bald woman--entered the secretary's office. The mayor's skin was pale and pink with freckles covering her face and delightfully pronounced cheekbones combined with long eyelashes and dark eyebrows. This combo gave her an exotically gorgeous look. She was wearing a suit vest over a very low-cut silk blouse, and dress pants with stilettos. Thesipha could see signs of tattoos on her neck and peeking out on her wrists. She looked like a bad-ass biker babe with a bashful bent to her personality as opposed to a government official. The receptionist just stood there with her mouth agape like all her malicious effort had been thrown out the window. The mayor was not what Thesipha expected. She also stood up when they faced each other and waited for her to speak. In an authoritative voice, she introduced herself as Cierra and invited Thesipha into her office then sternly asked the lady at the reception to go home for the evening as her services wouldn't be required anymore for the day.

Once they both sat down, Cierra offered her a glass of whiskey as she poured herself some from an ornate crystal decanter that sat on a table next to her window.

"I can see the whole town from here. It is quite a sight. I built this from the scraps left of man." She had a powerful, almost combative energy about her that oozed an earned confidence. Thesipha did not know what to say, reaching out for the glass passed to her in a bid to be polite.

"Thanks," she said softly, taking a gulp immediately. She needed that kick more than she'd imagined. What was it called? Liquid Courage. Cierra sat in her leather seat behind her desk studying Thesipha in an awkward pin-drop silence.

Thesipha cleared her throat realizing that the woman was waiting for her to say something.

"My name is Thesipha, and I am a nymph. I came--" She had barely gotten through her first statement when she was cut off.

"I already know what you are. I've not seen your kind in almost two hundred years." Cierra sipped from her glass amid an unsettling grin.

Thesipha should have known that things were not so simple here. Even as the mayor spoke, Thesipha found herself inspecting her tattoos, none of which made sense to her apart from what looked like a wolf on her wrist. It was also an odd placement, right in the middle of her index finger and thumb. It was hard not to notice because she kept touching it.

"Do you seek asylum in my town?" Cierra went straight to the point. She'd had a long day and wanted to go home.

"As lovely as that would be, I think I have had my fair share of protective domes. That's what you have here, is it not? I was in one just like this for a really long time and I have come to enjoy my freedom very much. Choice is more my modus operandi," Thesipha replied, gauging exactly the level of magic she was dealing with.

Cierra delighted at Thesipha's joust. She had an ancient wisdom in the way she spoke, even more so because she was aware of the barrier that covered the town. She did wonder how the nymph managed to get into town. Cierra would ask but her ignorance would be disadvantageous to her.

"I am from an ancient time when the goddess Artemis built a magical bubble to keep our world hidden from the rest of the humans. That was a long time ago, though, and she is gone," she explained peaking Cierra's interest even more. Thesipha knew exactly what this mayor was after--sovereignty, but she didn't quite know to what extent or how she'd achieve it.

"After the barrier came down, I lost a friend called Ray who turned werewolf, and I have been looking for him since. I have something to give him. That is why I am here, looking for him."

Cierra's brow shot up and she tried to hide it in her face that she knew exactly who she was talking about. She managed to plaster on a smile.

Cierra cursed her reaction. This nymph had played her a little too well, "What's that thing you want to give him?" Cierra asked, drinking from the glass once more.

"It isn't of much importance to you. More a proposition that was never put on the table from the last time we had seen each other," Thesipha confessed. That was as much as she could disclose to this mayor.

Unbeknownst to Thesipha, Cierra wouldn't even let the littlest of mysteries evade her. "I see. Well, it seems like it is your lucky day because he is here. In fact, I have grown quite fond of him." Cierra's words had an air of desire in them, and it made Thesipha jealous. "He's quite busy nowadays working for me. I have found him to be quite useful." Thesipha did not like how those words rolled off her tongue.

"How about you come back tomorrow afternoon when he is around and not as held up? I'm sure he would be elated to hear that proposition." Thesipha was shocked at her sudden kindness and honesty.

"Oh, and do not worry about the townsfolk. They get uneasy when they see a new face, but they are otherwise very good people. They will warm up to you soon enough."

Thesipha looked out the office window into the town. Cierra was right, she did see everything from her office. She wondered what kind of work Ray could possibly be doing for her. Either way, she took one last swig of the whiskey then bid Cierra goodbye before making her exit.

The hotel was oddly busier when she got back, and she freshened up as soon as she got to her room. Convinced she was done with the hectic day, she looked at her puffy eyes in the wall mirror as she prepared for bed. She was no longer sure if all this was worth the trouble. She supposed it was the jitters she got from knowing she would be seeing her beloved the next day. All in all, she had no way of knowing for sure and her doubts kept her up almost all night.

CHAPTER 5

Cierra's false smile had faded the moment Thesipha turned to leave her office that evening. She would never let another woman make her squirm with a power they held over her. Cierra wouldn't let anyone hold any power over her. Her mouth was so tired from forcing a smile all day and as she drove from City Hall to her grand mansion at the edge of town, she thought of all the ways she could make that nymph writhe in pain both emotionally and physically. She had everything she wanted in Portlock--the biggest house, the most important job, the strongest magic, the sexiest lovers, but she always wanted more, and now she wanted Thesipha and her secret. She threw her car keys on the marble table at the entrance and kicked off her shoes. She always had a servant light the fireplace when night fell because the grand halls of the mansion became chilly in this bitterly cold north.

As routine, she headed to the kitchen and took two wine glasses from the cupboard, pouring herself a bottle of the finest wine she had into both glasses. She loved to unwind with some liquor and a hard cock. A tall blond-haired man walked into the room as she picked up her glass. She smiled when she saw him because she knew she was up to no good. Even though he had been with her for some time now, Cierra always had a feeling that day would come when she'd need to bring in his leash. She knew he had a history even though she'd never asked him before.

"Follow me, Ray." She handed him a glass and led him into the spacious living room decorated in gold detail and cream-colored walls that wreaked of French lavishness. Her taste in décor complemented her style of powerful femininity and regality. As soon as they both sat down, she took off her stilettos and put her legs in his lap. Ray looked at her with a semblance of disdain. He always found himself tending to her on the borderline of being a slave. He knew behind cold doors she was a more domineering and aggressive manipulator than she let on.

"Massage me, will you?" It may have sounded like a request, but it was more of an order. Ray complied with her wishes. He was quiet, not having drunk from his glass yet. Cierra began to engage him in small talk about how hard her day was being mayor sometimes while all the while she observed him. The thought of him leaving with this Thesipha filled her with a blinding rage. No one got to have her things, but no one outside of her own mind could truly sense her vicious intent.

"Have the gnomes in the nearby forest been quelled?" she asked, jumping into business.

Ray often said very little even when they were talking. He hated having these types of conversations with her because they led nowhere but his own moral bankruptcy and self-loathing.

"The gnomes need food and warmth for the winter. You won't let them move closer to the town and they can't keep mining your gold and collecting your magic herbs," Ray told her frankly. "They're tired. I threatened them as you asked, and they agreed to comply so long as you give them a show of good faith." He was sick and tired of her selfish ravings. Everything Cierra did was for herself, Ray knew this town was some sort of scheme, but Cierra knew he knew and wasn't worried in the slightest.

Cierra laughed. "They will keep breeding until the whole town needs to support them. I'll allow them to move closer when the season changes and this current mine is spent," she exclaimed coldly and brutally.

"They are not fucking vermin, Cierra. They work hard just like everyone else," countered Ray in protest. He'd had enough of her prejudiced ideas.

Cierra's smile turned into an icy stare. "As hard as you do killing my dissenters? Because no one works as hard as you, Ray. There will always be blood in your teeth and on your soul."

Ray was silent all over again. He balled his fist in anger as he fought the wolf's urge to lash out. She always found a way to shut him down. His guilt was his collar and leash. How she convinced him when he was scared and wild to do all the things he did, he would never know. Now she held his truth over him as a brutal peacekeeper. He sickened himself. She was right about him; he was nothing but an attack dog--Cierra's muscle. No one in the town dared challenge a beast like him, apart from the good old mayor who ordered him to do it. He had learned from being around Cierra and other supernaturals that his kind was some of the worst to ever exist. Not even vampires dare confront a werewolf lest they be strong and trained. Cierra told Ray years ago exactly how she could kill him. First she'd remove his head. Then cut up his body and scatter it on separate parts of a river. Then burn the pieces of him. It was the only safe way to ensure an almost unstoppable beast like him wouldn't heal at the next full moon.

Caught in his thoughts, he stopped massaging Cierra and grabbed the glass of expensive wine, downing it in one gulp. It was partly only to spite his cultured captor. Cierra watched carefully knowing exactly when to stop twisting the knife. She put down her glass and put her feet down to get closer to him.

Cierra held his head in the palm of her hands and squeezed her face against his. "I'm sorry. What we do will forever stain both our souls, Ray, but what we do is to keep this haven together. I can't do it without you and where would you be without this haven? Without Portlock?"

Ray knew it was just a load of shit, but it rang true. He was truly lost and alone without her, living like a wild animal. He'd been losing his humanity to the beast inside of him every day until she found him. He remained calm when she pressed her lips against and pushed her wet probing tongue into his mouth. She proceeded to straddle him and kiss him hotly and passionately while he could do nothing to stop her. He felt like a dog and a whore to her but the wolf inside of him loved the sex she provided.

"You know I love the beast in you. They're not separate from Ray. You and the best need to be one," she whispered, pushing her tongue inside his mouth again. Ray hated her so much that he loved it sometimes. Other times it was just because he did not have a choice. Cierra was unconventionally sexy with a list of bizarre kinks. She liked it rough in bed and was never shy to show it. On top of her fearless personality, she had a very hot body. Cierra unbuttoned her shirt revealing her pair of supple perky breasts and pink areolas and nipples with piercings through both of them. They kissed haughty and frantically as Ray's hands explored her ass and legs and chest. He squeezed her body hard and aggressively.

"Suck my nipples," she commanded shoving them in his face. Ray quickly followed her command and sucked on one nipple aggressively and bit it before mauling the other with his mouth. Deep growls escaped him and mixed with the sounds of Cierra's hungry moans. Ray took his hands and squeezed her ass aggressively.

"Yes, baby, that's how I like it," she moaned, letting herself fall back and he grabbed her waist. He knew how to make her lose control; he'd had almost six years of practice. He quickly turned her over until she was lying flat on the couch. Ray aggressively yanked her pants off her body and smacked her ass powerfully causing her to yelp. Quickly, like a bitch in heat, she raised her ass in the air for Ray. He yanked off his jacket and shirt then dove his face into her ass, licking her folds while his arms wrapped around her thighs to keep her squirming ass in place. Cierra's moans had been muffled by the couch as she braced herself with manicured hands. She curled her toes as Ray's deft tongue found her clitoris and began vigorously assaulting it with flicks and long laps. One hand found itself reaching up to play with her nipples just how she liked. Cierra gasped and squirmed more violently as an orgasm built in her. She groaned and sighed pleasurably as the waves of pleasure crashed through her with the relentless assault of her lover's tongue.

After a few moments and collecting her mind Cierra spoke loudly, "Fuck me!" causing him to lose his senses.

He leaned away from her and fiddled with his belt and pants to free his cock that was straining within the prison of his jeans. She brought out a side of him that he didn't like to know he had. This hungry animal even in bed. He did not like the person he had become. It was as if he could not recognize himself anymore. Everything happened so fast with them. Finally he freed his big hard dick from his jeans and pushed them down just past his ass cheeks. He didn't have the patience at this moment to completely undress. He then quickly moved to her wet hungry slit and positioned himself to fuck her. Cierra leaned back into the pressure the head of his cock gave. Before they both realized, the head of his dick had pushed past the lips of her cunt. Ray didn't wait or hesitate to start fucking her with hard powerful thrusts in the hope it would cause her discomfort. But it was ultimately foolish--Cierra loved being fucked hard and wildly. In fact, she thought at times Ray underestimated what she could truly take. She was an immortal being after all.

"That's it, baby! Fuck me harder!" she screamed causing him to increase the speed of his deep thrusts. Their beastly souls intertwined every time they did it as he got pulled in deeper to the night of her depravity. He lost himself when he was inside her. But what else would one expect when fucking a warlock? Cierra's soul was bonded and promised to a demon lord of hell after all. He fucked her hard with her face pressed into the couch and her ass up and ready to meet the clash of his hips. The room filled with the lascivious sounds of slapping flesh. Ray began to sweat at the effort he put in and Cierra's guttural cries of pleasure only spurred him on.

Ray suddenly turned Cierra over and pushed her legs up for her to hold in place like a contortionist. One hand held her thigh in place while another hand reached for her neck to choke her.

"Fuck, yes! Fuck me like the animal you are!" Cierra cried out with disgusting perversion.

Cierra took the opportunity of Ray holding one of her legs back for her. She used her manicured and tattooed hand to play with her clit aggressively as he fucked her. He growled and plunged deeper and deeper into Cierra, whose face had gone cum drunk. Cierra was quivering. With each crash of his cock into her deepest depths she felt like she was cumming. But it didn't stop her. She could take more--no, she wanted more. Ray continued his assault on her until finally he let go of her leg. She wrapped her legs around him and grabbed his back with one hand while the other held on to his gold locks. His body was larger than her petite frame. His whole muscular form covered her body. He relentlessly drove into her. His cock was burning with pleasure.

Cierra was kissing and licking his neck encouraging him further. Each kiss and bite and lick sent electricity around his body. She was mad with lust and so was he.

"Yes, fuck me like you hate me. I know I make you so angry. You wanna ruin this face? You wanna cum on it, wolfie?" Her seductive words were taunting him. He wanted to, but he also knew it was exactly what she wanted. He cursed himself even now for wanting to give into her.