Surreptitious

Chapter 3: Territorial Part I

"Hey Josie... How are you?"

Josie was slightly startled from her thoughts at the timid greeting directed her way. She had been busy doing some school work in the library by herself when she was approached by the female vampire.

"I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you." Jade seemed to flush slightly in embarrassment when Josie didn't do anything other than stare at her. In Josie's defense, there had been so much occupying her mind lately that she had sort of forgotten about Jade being around now. She felt guilty.

"No! No, not at all. I'm sorry. Please, sit down." Josie ran a hand nervously through her hair and gestured for Jade to take the seat next to her. "I've... been okay, I guess. Thanks for asking. How are you?"

Jade sat down awkwardly, some books clutched to her chest as if she was trying to maintain some sort of protective barrier between them. "I'm fine, yeah. I'm an official student here once more. It's... really weird, I guess?" She grinned at Josie and felt elated when she received a smile in return, even though Josie still seemed to have that faraway look in her eyes.

"That's really great, Jade. I'm so happy for you." Josie cooed at the older girl and quickly noticed the hopeful look in her eyes. It made Josie's stomach twist into knots, unsure whether it was a good feeling or a bad feeling. She paused for another moment and inhaled deeply, then released the breath in a sigh as she added, "I'm really glad I'll get to see more of you now... officially, that is."

At this Jade's whole demeanor shifted to the extent where it seemed like she might burst from excitement at any moment. She flashed Josie the most charming smile she could muster before ducking her head down bashfully. Josie couldn't help but be tickled by how different Jade seemed now with her humanity switched back on. She was so much more demure, innocent, even fragile, than the hungry vampire that wanted to literally devour Josie within the first 2 minutes of seeing her in the prison world.

"Wendy also gets to finish out her senior year with me. We're really happy to be back. And I'm really happy that I will be able to get to know a whole different side of little Josie Saltzman." Jade braved the comment she delivered with a slight flirtatious edge to her voice and watched with delight as a light blush burned at Josie's cheeks.

Feeling almost uncomfortably warm now, Josie giggled and nodded shyly at the vampire, slightly disturbed by the knotting that intensified in her tummy. "Well, I hope I don't disappoint..." She almost purred as she watched Jade's hand slowly fall to her knee, amazed and intrigued by the daring show by the other girl.

"I'm positive I will be satisfied." The vampire smiled.

(...)

Josie inhaled deeply from the sweet air as she watched the sun slowly slump towards the horizon. The last few rays of sunshine left a light warm glow on her skin, which would start tingling soon after as the evening air drew in upon her.

But that was not the only reason her skin was tingling, nor the reason the fine hairs at the back of her neck stood on end as it grew darker around her. She could feel that she was not alone, yet she was not afraid. There was no reason to be unsettled. Her companion radiated nothing but warmth, strength... even affection.

"Hello girl..." Josie breathed as the white wolf brushed up against her where she sat comfortably in the grass a few feet from the cliff's edge, enjoying the beautiful view she had of the kingdom below. The dim lights from various fires and torches only served as a warm reflection of the stars that soon started sparkling above.

The wolf wasted no time in weaving her lithe body around Josie, ducking her head underneath Josie's chin as the girl wrapped her arms around the warmth of the fluffy body. The wolf sniffed here and there and nudged at Josie with her nose to the extent where it tickled, drawing delightfully melodic laughter from the girl. "You're so friendly. And so, so pretty, girl..."

At that the wolf happily licked at Josie's jaw, causing further happy giggles to erupt from the young witch, though it didn't last long. The wolf was suddenly on edge, something having caught her attention that she hadn't noticed before.

A scent.

She sniffed the air.

No.

She sniffed around Josie again.

Almost.

She sniffed at the hem of Josie's skirt.

That was it.

The wolf growled, baring her teeth - not at Josie, but rather at the scent she picked up on Josie. She pressed her twitching snout to the spot where the strange scent was most offensive, the deep growl in her chest never dissipating, causing Josie to stare nervously at the animal.

"Wha... what is it girl? What's bothering you so much?" Josie stammered slightly, not entirely sure whether she should be weary of the wolf's sudden show of aggression, yet somehow she felt that she needn't worry. She still felt safe with the snowy animal regardless.

The wolf whined and licked at the spot on the hem of Josie's skirt that she had been obsessing over, then started nipping at it with her front teeth, almost as if she was trying to suckle the offending smell out of the fabric. Josie simply watched as the wolf went about it, allowing one of her hands to come to rest between the canine's ears, stroking lightly.

When the wolf seemed satisfied that she had destroyed whatever scent she had found infecting Josie, she turned her gaze to the girl and Josie could see those eyes aglow again, the bright golden hue entrancing her. She found herself locked in silent communion with the wolf, as if their souls were somehow trying to reach out to one another.

Then it happened. It was so quick and so unexpected that Josie barely yelped.

The wolf had bit her.

Barely. It was more of a nip, almost seemingly out of frustration, rather than an actual bite. The wolf didn't even break the skin on Josie's hand. Yet still, there was a certain level of insistence from the wolf, a certain amount of determination behind those glowing eyes that Josie just couldn't quite put her finger on.