Seeds of Corruption Ch. 02

Chapter 2 - The week from hell

Waking up was easier than it should have been for Alice. When she finally got in bed and checked her phone last night she saw a few missed texts from Christina saying she'd got home safe and asking where Alice had gone, ignoring them she showered and went to sleep but that was at about four in the morning. Checking her phone and seeing more texts and a missed call from a withheld number, it was only eight and she realised she was wide awake and had no hangover.

Getting her phone up she texted Christina a quick apology and told her she was fine and checked her emails. A booking had come in for a month from now. A request to perform at a wedding last minute, sending a quick email back with a list of her pricing, she shut her phone off getting up. Infuriatingly that damned citrusy scent still clung to the room around her but thankfully at least the room no longer smelt of sex. Throwing on a loose top and a pair of leggings she went to the bathroom and quickly went about her morning routine.

After a quick shower and wiping the steam from the bathroom mirror, Alice was slightly shocked. Other than the dark bruising on her neck that was a poor reminder of the previous night, her skin looked flawless, checking each angle she couldn't see a single blemish on her face. Prodding at her face it even felt slightly softer. Mumbling to herself

"HRT still has its miracles." Finishing up, Alice walked into the living room and stopped just before reaching the table. On the floor she saw most of the glass had been swept to one side but there was a bit of blood on the floor. Concerned she popped another text to Christina asking if she was okay and set about cleaning the living room, she was only slightly traumatized to see her underwear piled in the corner of the room.

It was late morning when Christina finally emerged from her room, in tow the large ginger Werewolf from the night before.

"Morning guys, how are ya feeling?" Christina sat at the table and folded her head in her arms, Mark didn't look much better but answered for the pair.

"Rough, I think they lace their drinks with jet fuel. I shouldn't be hungover like this." He sat at the table and Alice placed a glass of water in front of both of them, Mark chugging his and Christina not even raising her head. " How much did you end up drinking after you disappeared or did you come straight back home?" Turning back to the kettle to finish pouring her tea Alice responded.

"Not much, some guy convinced me to try the drinks on a different floor, we tried like a shot of each then danced. I feel fine though the cocktails were all lovely. Christina groaned with her head in her lap. "Didn't catch a word of that Chris." Pulling her head from the table with seemingly all the effort she had Christina repeated.

"I only had two, those cocktails are evil and should be consigned to the fiery pits of hell." Alice just shrugged sitting at the table.

"Who's the blood anyway?" Mark just lifted his foot and Alice could see the bright pink plaster on the heel, she cringed away from the sight.

"Sorry I think we knocked it off when I came in, I didn't even realise." Mark just shrugged.

"It'll be fine, quicker healing, perks of being a wolf." Christina managed to sit up at that and after taking a sip of the water in front of her and shuddering turned to Alice, either looking at her with suspicion or just squinting at the light.

"Anyway, what or who did you get up to last night missy? It's not everyday I have to move your bra off the dining table." Alice blushed which just caused Mark to laugh.

"I kinda met a guy, but I'm over it." Christina's eyes went wide.

"You met a guy at the club, who is he? What is he? Did you end up." Christina mock placed her hands over Marks ears before miming the word "fucking?" Alice's blush only deepened as she sipped her tea. Christina squealed, her energy seeming to come back to her with the news. Before she got a word in, Mark spoke.

"I'm gonna head out before you two start gossiping. Saturdays are for the pack." Alice rolled her eyes as he placed a kiss on his temple, nodding to Alice he made a quick exit.

"So are we gonna talk about that?" Alice asked, nodding to where the werewolf had sat. Christina just shook her head then closed her eyes in pain.

"No, we're not getting off topic. Who did you bring home?" Alice sighed.

"He was some guy I met at the bar. He talked to me about trying drinks upstairs in Lust. I think. He was, well, seemingly very sweet and we just sorta hit it off. I may have left with him when the club was closing..." Christina's eyes somehow got wider.

"Wait, pause. I have to ask, was he human?"

"Chris, you're being weird."

"Answer the question." Alice rolled her eyes but eventually answered.

"No he was a Demon." The laugh from her friend was followed by her tapping her feet excitedly against the floor.

"What kind? Oh my gods, you went to Lust. Alice please tell me you fucked an Incubus." Her pause gave it away and suddenly Christina was laughing even harder. "This is literally the best day of my life. How was it?" She shrugged in response.

"It was, I mean it was good but he kinda left right after." Christina laughing cut off looking more sympathetic she made her way round the table to sit next to Alice.

"Aww babe I mean, not to be rude but he's like a literal sex Demon. I don't know if I'd expect spooning after you know?" Alice just shook her head.

"I don't mean like that, like literally as soon as we finished he looked. I don't know, panicked? He held his head to my chest and then looked like I'd shot someone before storming out. It was just really weird." Leaning out of Christina's embrace she continued. "I kinda just want to forget about it honestly, I was wrong about him but I can just enjoy the night up to that point I guess." Alice finished with a shrug before asking about Christina's night. Christina went into great detail about how rowdy the Werewolves got before getting thrown out, leading to them going to a pack bar and her and Mark hooking up. It didn't take long for Alice to regret asking.

---

The rest of the morning went by easily enough aside from a few grumbles from Christina about Alice not feeling as rough as she did. Honestly, Alice couldn't remember feeling as good as she did currently, she felt energized? She had felt similar at the club but the details were hazy. She couldn't help but wonder if they put something in their drinks that wasn't above board. Regardless not one to look a gift horse in the mouth Alice spent the morning getting all the mundane chores she'd put off all week in between buying Chris' forgiveness with snacks and drinks as she refused to move from the sofa.

It had taken her around three hours in the end to deep clean the entire flat, and she still had energy in spades. Pulling on an old t-shirt she found in the back of her wardrobe and some leggings she left her room and passed Christina's near catatonic state while watching TV.

"Whatcha watching?" Christina didn't move, responding.

"Claws and rings, it's about supernatural weddings. Did you know Vampires can get married?" Alice just shrugged.

"I mean, I guess. Can't everyone?" Christina pushed herself up shaking her head.

"No, most Undead don't do anything. It's something about seeing marriage as still too tied to the church and stuff, but Vampires do it themselves, have their own little ceremonies, I saw one couple on here, the man was human and the wedding ended with him being turned. It was very gothic though, pretty cliche." Christina collapsed back onto the sofa, her excitement dwindling out. "This episode is a dud though, two werewolves and the whole ceremony seems like something straight out of the American swamps, very yokel." Alice laughed.

"Putting you off the idea then?" Chris leaned back so she was looking up at the blonde and scowled.

"Shut it." The scowl was quickly replaced with a smirk. "Oh we could look up if demons marry for you? Maybe you do it in a pentagram while sacrificing a goat.

"I'll sacrifice you if you mention this again." Chris however was not cowed by the threat but sitting up noticed that Alice had her trainers on.

"Where are you going? You've got nothing booked right?"

"Just a run, still feel like I've got energy to burn to be honest." Christina's face looked dire as she slowly slid back down into her pit on the sofa.

"Speak for yourself, I think I'm just going to sleep forever honestly." Alice just laughed.

"Well I'll leave you to your wedding plans. Do you want me to pick anything up on my way back? Think I'm gonna pick up some bits while I'm out." Chris shrugged.

"Chinese maybe, text me and let me know where you are." Alice nodded and left the apartment, as she was waiting in the elevator trying to ignore what had happened in here last night she thought back on Christina's words and something bugged her but she couldn't place what exactly, shrugging her shoulders as the elevator opened she walked past the new body guard on duty who smiled at her as she left.

---

Forty minutes into her run and she had barely broken a sweat, Alice had never been athletic, years of dreading getting changed for PE in school left her with a horrible distaste for the idea. Which really made her question, how was she doing this now? Her last run was about three months prior at the end of August and she'd managed maybe half an hour total before having to take a bus home. She'd managed to sleep fine so it wasn't drugs as far as she knew, she wasn't feeling sick, just fit? Is this why Levash had panicked, had he done some demon magic thing by accident when he, well. The idea didn't sit well with her, she felt good, great even. Her skin looked like she drank as much water as she pretended to and actually kept on top of her skin care, her entire body actually felt softer and while yeah HRT does that, maybe not five years in.

The thoughts continued to plague her on her walk back, she managed to get her shopping done but couldn't get her mind off, one if something had happened to her that she needed to be concerned, should she go to a church? Confess her sins? Two, what had happened to her last night? No matter what little things just kept reminding her about his grip on her, how he held her, pinned her. Shaking her head she continued on her walk home, checking the time it was only three so decided to avoid getting Chris' chinese, she could order for Chris later. Walking around London during the day was always such a contrast to seeing it at night. Some supes were out, mostly Fae folk, and she imagined Weres who didn't stand out, but otherwise the streets were packed with just humans.

She wondered if the entire world was so clearly split into two separate worlds, walking the same streets, using the same buildings, but never crossing paths. Or at least trying to avoid it. Well most avoided it, even those who didn't outright hate supes knew there were dangers and didn't really want to be involved. Alice knew the dangers. She had seen how badly Chris had been treated towards the end of her relationship with Sebastian the Vampire. So why had she decided to go home with Levash? Going to the club was one thing, Julia was her friend so some allowances had to be made, but sleeping with him? Has she been manipulated in some way? Was that why he was so apologetic? Before her thoughts could spiral she arrived back to the flat and made the split decision to forget what had happened. She was alive, and for better or worse she was feeling good, she had fun and didn't think she'd been coerced or hypnotised or whatever. It was a fun night with admittedly a probably awful man, Demon, again whatever.

Purposefully blanking her mind on the elevator trip and her walk back into the flat, she put away her groceries and decided to go have a shower, cool herself off and let that be the last effect of her night at seventh layer. As she went to enter her room she noticed though, Christina was yet again asleep on the sofa, Netflix having long since paused to ask if she's still watching. Going over to the girl and prodding her only made Chris shift but not wake. Clapping hard did nothing so in the end Alice did what her mother had always done to her as a child, getting a spray bottle full of water from the kitchen.

She came back to the sleeping girl and spritsed her in the face which shook her awake somewhat. Chris mumbled abit wiping her face on her sleeve sitting up.

"What the hell was that for?" Alice just looked at her with concern.

"Are you feeling okay? It's nearly four and you're still sleeping, did anything else happen last night?" Seeing the salacious grin start to overtake the sleep on her friend's face, "Other than sex." Christina just shrugged.

"Nothing untoward as far as I know." Shrugging again she went to lay back down before Alice quickly moved to stop her.

"Maybe you shouldn't sleep anymore, should we call anyone, maybe you had a reaction to something?" Christina replied with a sardonic look.

"I had an allergic reaction to a drink and now want to sleep? I'll be fine mother, go have fun without me since you didn't bring me any food." Alice couldn't shake her concern and decided to leave the girl to go to her room grabbing a spare blanket and draping it over the already sleeping girl before heading into the shower.

---

The shower had been useless, well Alice had gotten clean, eventually. She couldn't however scratch the itch that had developed after last night at all, the peak seeming to avoid her. Last night had awoken something in her that she thought estrogen had killed years ago, and it had come back with a vengeance. Taking her time getting dressed, the scent that had invaded her room with Levash's visit had finally dissipated, be it through time, or extensive cleaning, Alice would take the small victory. Taking some time to do some real skincare to try and maintain her new glow Alice ended up spending most of the afternoon in her room only leaving once it had gone dark.

Going back to the living room she found her roommate finally up and sitting at the table with Julia who looked just as rundown.

"You've seen better days." Alice walked over and sat next to the werewolf who was nursing a cup of water.

"Chris warned me that you were feeling too cheerful today. We never should have stayed in fucking Sloth, it serves me right." Alice's brow furrowed as she looked at Chris who seemed nonplussed at the comment.

"What does sloth have to do with it?"

Julia turned in her seat facing Alice as she spoke.

"It's their magic, the floors all represent sins yeah?" Alice just nodded along. "So if you go to Sloth you're going to feel slothful, or if you go to Lust you're going to go home with an Incubus." Alice felt her cheeks heat as she turned her glare on Chris who was sitting with an innocent smile. "Regardless, I imagine all three of us are filled with aches, we just want to sleep off. You especially." Alice felt her blush burn harder as she turned away from the wolf hearing both laugh. At least that explained the urges she's had though, and maybe her inability to deal with them.

"Does it wear off?" Julia nodded at the question.

"Yeah it lasts about as long as a hangover does, tomorrow we'll all be right as rain." Chris just laughed.

"I think I'd go for lust next time, what do ya say Alice, wanna go back for round two."

"Absolutely not, once was enough." Julia decided to join in the teasing at Alice's comment.

"Aww did the Demon not live up to your high standards?" Alice scowled at the Were as Chris responded.

"Clearly not, he ran off scared after as well, seems he couldn't keep up with our own little fiend here." Enough was enough. Alice turned facing Chris and an innocent smile appeared on her face.

"Chris how was Mark's foot in the end he didn't hurt himself too badly did he?" Julia looked at her confused as Chris' laughter stopped dead.

"What happened to Mark?" Alice turned to Julia.

"Oh you didn't know?" Chris was shaking her head violently now at this point as Alice continued with a smile. "Chris brought him home last night, they seemed pretty cozy as well this morning, must have been a fun night right chris?" Chris started to stammer an excuse as Julia turned to her perplexed then quickly her face dropped.

"For the love of, please tell me you didn't Chris." The girl just gave a lopsided grin which Alice has to give her, was brave with the large werewolf sat across from her.

"Oh for, one man! I told you one man was off limits and you couldn't help yourself!" Seeing the heat was well and truly off her, Alice got up and left for the living room and decided to try and order the Chinese that would be needed as an apology. Alice couldn't help but laugh though, definitely worth it.

----

The evening passed without any major issue, Julia calmed down with a promise from Chris that it would never happen again. The trio ate, watched awful TV as two of the members drifted in and out of sleep and eventually Julia called it a night heading home. Chris went to bed not long after and soon Alice was left laying in bed and struggling to sleep.

Her thoughts kept going back to the night before, still. She could even tune out Levash, kind of, it was the actual sex she couldn't get out of her mind. It made sense if having gone to Lust had inspired this, she just needed to try and sleep it off which was a struggle. After another unsuccessful attempt at dealing with the issue herself she forced herself to try and fall asleep. It was very restless but eventually she managed to pass out. Her dreams were odd. Vague and hazy things flickering past with only the barest hint of her conscious clinging on. The only thing that she remembered upon waking the next day was the symphony in the background, its words lost, except for one, a whisper traveling on the winds.

"Al......ice." In a moment she heard it but couldn't process it in full before it disappeared and she was lost to nonsensical dreams yet again.

----

Waking the next morning Alice stretched sitting up she realised, her stomach was still tied in a deep knot of lust. Falling back to the pillow and taking a deep breath. She tried to focus and clear her mind but it did nothing to help. It almost seemed worse today, her thoughts recreating the entire scene from Friday in her head and more, phantom touches trail her skin, where Levash's had once been, if she focuses, more could be felt brushing against her, mostly her back and side, almost like parting the crowd... Shaking herself off and getting up Alice went for a cold shower which seemed to do the trick, getting ready in the bathroom mirror she noticed her hair looked a little longer, pushing it all back over her shoulders she noticed it wasn't by much, barely below her shoulders but it was noticeably longer and perhaps shinier than Friday when she styled it. Shrugging, she left it and carried on with her day. Must just be because it's wet.

Getting ready she threw on plain jeans and a white tee. Leaving her room she noticed Chris was up cooking and singing along to her phone. Not noticing her when she entered, Chris jumped as Alice entered her periphery.

"Bloody hell. Don't sneak up on me like that or I swear I'll get you a collar with a bell on it."

"Promise?" Chris just laughed.

"Freak." Alice slid past the girl and made herself a quick cup of tea sitting at the table.

"Least you seem bubblier today, finally over your indulgence in sloth?" Alice spoke over her shoulder.

"Thankfully. I do want to see the other floors but I think I might give Wrath a miss you know?" Alice just laughed.

"I think I'll avoid all of them, sorry you three were enough warning for me. Besides, I don't think I'm fully over it." Alice admitted with a blush.