The Orchid Thief Ch. 01

I was intrigued by the subtle display of wealth in the heart of the city slums. Outwardly, the long building looked like an inn, but I'd been watching it for days. It was always the same people coming and going. Small flashes of gold, silver, and jewels were hidden among the dirt and dust, priceless works of art were displayed on cracking walls. The locals were either regulars or they kept a respectful distance.

Clearly this belonged to some sort of criminal organization. I wondered what other treasures were hidden within? The compulsion to find out was too strong to resist, so I watched and waited and learned. I picked out the guard rotation that blended in with the crowd. My shapeshifter senses smelled no enchantments on the outer walls.

After a week of obsession, I found myself padding softly through the darkened hallways. I always felt safe in the shadows. My catlike eyes could see with only the barest hint of light, and my sensitive nose and ears could alert me to hidden danger. I blended in easily wearing form fitting black leather, my long dark hair wild around me like a cloak of darkness.

The lower floor was still alive with drunken humans singing songs and gambling away their modest earnings, but up here on the third floor everything was quiet. I never saw any lights up here. It seemed abandoned. The air smelled stale and dust coated the floors.

I reached into my belt and withdrew my tools, then got to work picking the lock on the door in front of me. It was a massive double door, the fanciest door on the floor and therefore the one I wanted to open. It took no time at all. There was no lock in the world that could keep me out for long.

I slipped into the room and closed the door behind me, my senses immediately on alert. This room was lived in. It did not smell like old dust. The bedding was rumpled from use, the red and gold fabric vibrant, and the fireplace smelled strongly of a recent fire. There must be a hidden entrance to the room somewhere because I would bet my life that nobody used the hallway I'd just come from.

Well. Nobody was around just then, and the wealth in this room wasn't subtle at all. I smirked as I explored, dipping my hands into chests and cabinets and coming away with gilded knives, expensive rings, and other knick knacks that would fetch a decent price. I didn't need the money, but I had a thing for collecting pretty things and the owner of this room would be fine without them.

And then I found it. A safe hidden behind a painting. How cliché. I smirked to myself and got to work, shifting so my ears changed shape and became more feline, and therefore even more sensitive. I pressed an ear against the cold metal and listened for the telltale click of a job well done.

I was too late in realizing my mistake. I was in a human city, so I expected human victims. But the powerful hands that suddenly gripped my waist were tipped in claws and I understood immediately that the overpowering scent of fire I'd smelled didn't come from the fireplace at all. It was his scent, fire and fur, that now enveloped me as my body was pulled back into a hard chest. I could feel his deep growl vibrating through my body.

A hellhound. Shit.

"I don't know you, little thief. That's the only reason you aren't dead right now." His voice was low, rough, and sexy.

I squirmed in his grip, which only made my body rub against him. He was stronger than me. I wasn't used to that since I mostly stole from humans. "Guess I'm just that good," I responded airily, as if I wasn't concerned for my life. In my defense, I was that good. I'd never been caught before now.

He chuckled and one of his hands moved up to grip my throat. "I know every thief that moves through my domain and you aren't one of them." His other hand slid around my body, slipping into my pockets and removing my stolen trinkets one by one. He didn't remove my weapons though. Interesting.

"What can I say?" I rasped, "You missed one."

"Not likely," he replied, his grip tightening, "I should punish you for lying to me."

I really should not have been turned on by that, but I always had been a little weird in that department. Nothing got my pussy going quite like fear, and getting tangled up with a hellhound? That certainly got my adrenaline going. I would have whimpered if the pressure on my neck allowed me too. Instead I just squirmed, pressing my ass back against him and squeezing my thighs together.

"You smell like sex, little thief. How about I wash your filthy lying mouth out with cum? Maybe then we can have a more honest conversation. Nod if you understand."

I nodded. I wish I could say I was planning on lowering his guard so that I could fight back and escape, but truthfully I was only thinking about hot demon cock. Maybe once I had an orgasm or five I could kick his ass and leave sated and a little wealthier.

The hand around my waist moved lower, dipping under my leather pants and feeling my wetness. There was no doubt that I was turned on by this stranger. A stranger I haven't even looked at yet. Once he was satisfied, his other hand released my throat and tangled roughly in my hair instead. I gasped for breath and he used my brief recovery time to pull me down to my knees.

The hellhound stepped in front of me, still holding my hair in a painful grip, and I got my first look at him. He was wearing his human guise, huge with eyes like fire. His skin was a deep bronze and his hair was golden, wavy, and wild. Like all demons, he had wicked sharp fangs. No demon could ever look fully human, but the more powerful the demon the harder it was to hide their nature. Looking into his smoldering eyes, I could tell this one was quite powerful.

Yes please.

Now that I was on my knees, I didn't wait for further instructions. I reached for the waistband of his pants and pulled out his thick cock. It was slick, red, and hot to the touch with a knotted bulge near the base. Delicious. I didn't hesitate to slurp it into my mouth.

"You're an eager little thing, aren't you?" he mocked.

I'd kick his ass for that tone later. I was busy. For now, he could feel my growl rumbling in my throat as I took him deeper. I'd never tasted demon cum before, but I bet it was powerful and I was feeling greedy for it. Sex for a shifter was a primal thing. It consumed us, invigorated us. I wondered how much experience this demon had with shifter lovers. Did he know the gift he was giving me?

"So good," he groaned, "You're doing a great job earning my forgiveness, little thief."

Hungry for his cum, I started to purr. The hellhound gasped from the new sensation. "Oh fuck!" He gripped my head tightly, his claws digging into my skin, and started to fuck my throat with wild abandon. Tears stung my eyes as I gagged and choked, but finally I felt his cock swell.

Hellhound cum burned hot. It tasted like smoke as it pumped into my willing mouth, quickly filling me up and spilling out over the sides. Holy fuck demons could cum a lot! I swallowed as best I could, embracing the flare of power that came with every drop. A girl could get used to this.

The demon released me and I collapsed on the floor, lazily licking his cum from my lips and fingers with a catlike grin on my face. I got my cream. I didn't even fight when the demon scooped me into his arms and placed me face down on his bed.

"Tell me your name," the demon demanded.

"They call me the Orchid Thief."

"Because you leave an orchid in place of the objects you steal. I've heard of you."

That surprised me. I was nowhere near my usual territory. I rolled onto my side so I could look up at him. "And who are you?"

His answering grin was dark. "They call me King, little thief. The King of Thieves and all the other things that go bump in the night. And no thief, not even one as infamous as you, steals in my domain without permission. So let's make a bargain."

"With a demon?" I snorted. "Not likely."

"In that case, I'm afraid you'll have to give up your life of crime if you want to stay here."

"Mmm, pass."

"Then I'll just have to keep punishing you, won't I? Until you either leave or agree to my terms."

"I guess so."

With one swift movement, he gripped my pants and pulled them down to bare my ass. I didn't wear undergarments. My pussy, glistening with my wetness, was on full display. "Let's start now, shall we?"

"I thought the blowjob was my punishment."

"For lying. I still haven't punished you for trespassing or attempting to steal my property." His hand came down hard on my ass, making me yelp. That was going to leave a mark. "Here's my offer." Smack! "I'll let you thieve as much you like in the Wilted Rose district." Smack! "In exchange, you'll visit me after every job you pull to let me use your sweet shifter body however I want until dawn." Smack!

Maybe it was the powerful cum warming my belly, but that really didn't sound like a terrible offer. "I'm not signing a contract." Smack! "Damn it, I'm trying to-ouch!" His hand came down again hard and I realized he wasn't going to give me a reprieve to negotiate. Fine then. The words spilled from me in a rush, shouted out each time he landed another bruising hit. "I'm not signing a contract, you can't cause harm that'll last longer than two hours, and I stay for four hours unless I choose to stay longer."

He paused finally, considering my words. "Agreed. You have until the second full moon. After that, if you wish to continue our bargain, you will sign a blood contract."

No way. "Deal." I knew better than to sign a blood contract with a demon. But in the meantime, I got myself new territory and a powerful fuck buddy. I wasn't mad about that. Hopefully this temporary bargain would give me time to get to know my new surroundings, and negotiate stronger. "Now make me cum."

The demon laughed. "You're being punished, remember? Only good little shifters get to cum. Perhaps if you beg...I do enjoy the sound of a horny cumslut begging for pleasure."

Fucking damn it. Asshole. I squeezed my thighs together and considered leaving. I could always make myself cum when I got home. But home wasn't exactly nearby and my pussy was aching. My gaze drifted towards the demon's cock, which was already hard and ready.

I sighed heavily before looking up at him, batting my eyelashes and offering a cute pout. "Please make me cum?"

"Oh you can do much better than that, flower. I want your desperation. If you aren't desperate for it, what is the point?"

I growled, but he was right. I was aching for it. "Please!" I hissed angrily, "I really need to fucking cum, so please shove your hard hellhound cock and fuck me like you want to kill me."

He laughed and pulled my hips up so my back was arched. "I'll fuck you, my pretty little flower, but if I do I'm also going to bite you. I'll taste your sweet shifter blood and feed from you the way you fed from my cum. Understand?"

"Yes! Just please, please, fuck me!"

He didn't make me wait any longer. The demon thrust his cock into me so hard and so deep that I couldn't stop the scream that came out of my mouth. Moments later his fangs sank into the tender flesh between my shoulder and my neck. Fire poured through my veins and all my nerve endings lit up. I was overwhelmed with sensation as he pounded me into the bed.

I don't know how many times I came or how long he fucked me. It felt like forever while I bled for him, my body writhing from pain and pleasure. His claws left bloody marks along my ass and I reveled in the sensation.

At some point, I lost consciousness. When I woke, the room was dark. My thighs were sticky with cum, but my wounds were already healing thanks to my shifter nature. A note was left on the bed beside me, and my feline eyes were able to make out the words in the shadows.

"If you steal from me, I'll only have to punish you harder the next time we play."

Well, that sounded like an invitation and a challenge. Grinning, I snooped around the room until I found a dagger decorated in elaborate gold filigree. In its place I left a small purple orchid.

Until next time, my King.