Dasha was pressing ice against the claw marks Akin left on her shoulder. The anger in her was strong and bubbling.

Angel was screaming, or rather howling, from somewhere inside the house. Everyone seemed to be crazy in that house.

Samira's baby started crying. The kid had serious pipes. Strangely, Ju got to be the easiest to live with out of all of the crazy wolf people. She didn't even mind her so much anymore since not competing any longer.

At least the lunatic went away. If he were to come back she needed to find another place to stay urgently. But she had no money whatsoever.

But if the date with David goes well... I could just stay over the night and never leave...

For that, she needed to first of all disguise the weird, huge scratches on her shoulder.

So skillfully applying bandaids made them look rather normal. She thought she was going to tell him she had a motorcycle accident.

Dasha dried herself up after the shower and walked into the adjoined bedroom.

Then she stretched out on the king-size bed with Egyptian cotton sheets. That life definitely had perks.

A wolf howled outside. Was it Angel?

Rather curious-natured, she opened the window blinds and looked outside towards the woods around the house. At first, she saw nothing but then her gaze caught some movement. There was indeed something or someone.

He was standing naked in the rain, water trickling down his very muscular and extreme naked body emphasizing all the edges. He was a giant and the moon and water gave his dark skin an almost unearthly shimmer.

Dasha noticed that he saw her and was staring back, she could feel his eyes on her skin. It reminded her that she was naked and the awareness made goosebumps appear and caused her nipples to tighten. She was far from shy and the wolf people had a habit of hanging around naked once in a while so for the people in the house it wasn't a big deal but he was a different story.

He was still there, staring and frowning.

Sucker!

Dasha leaned forward so her face and boobs were touching the glass and then she lifted both her hands to show two very obviously directed middle fingers.

The guy's eyes lit up. That frightened her a bit. When Kiril's eyes lit up it meant sex or murder and here it couldn't be the first. So she closed back the window blinds, totally shut this time and went to bed.

Before falling asleep her phone rang. It was Mila. So the one call she would always take.

Mila was in a strange mood but didn't want to spill yet what was up do Dasha entertained her with updates on her own life.

"You are going on a date with the ob-gyn doctor? And working there? That is kind of good and a bit surprising," said Mila.

She was not wrong.

"Yeah, it was a good day till I met Samira's brother-in-law who gave me a sniff and thought I was the antichrist. Now I have to move out of here if he continues coming over which he will. It's love for money or fear for my life and both are really strong in this one and battling."

"Akin is not a bad person."

He didn't want to kill you! Wait, actually, he did...

"He's batshit crazy," said Dasha. "But wolf people have those looks to die for and he was no exception." She recalled the recent images. He was too far away for a lot of details but he was most definitely tall and ripped so at least two things that had an effect on her.

"Dasha, you are going out with David. He is really sweet."

"I know, but I still have eyes. It's only eyes, because that guy gave me the creeps."

"So did Kiril and you still slept with him."

Yeah, no regrets there. I think you can get that meanwhile. Wait is this the issue?

"No, that was different. Kiril gives the 'there is a monster lurking inside me but it's my pet' vibes while for this guy the monster inside is still shitting on the carpet and biting his hands. Fucking Idiot, now I need to explain the bruises on my shoulder to my very sweet date."

"Tell him you hurt yourself and need a doctor."

Dasha giggled. It was rather unusual for Mila to crack such a joke. She then went to sleep rather jolly and woke up enthusiastic.

On the way to meet David that Saturday Dasha dressed in a skin-tight, nude-pink wrap dress and black very high heels. She knew she looked hot and slightly taller than him.

She was maybe a bit overdressed for the restaurant she entered. For many, how she was looking now was more than full glam, for her and many other Eastern European girls it was just casual chic.

She decided to take a taxi and not drive Samira's Porsche into the city. Not that she wouldn't have enjoyed driving a nice car for once but it would have given them the impression that she could easily afford to pay her part of the meal which was definitely not true. The taxi money was borrowed and she was rather pathetic in asking Samira for it.

Given the free babysitting she got, Dasha thought she earned a tip; given she lived there for free that was the least she could do. Sara was a very sweet child and unlike Mila's unborn calamity the worst thing she could do for the time being was to bite a bit harder with her inexistent teeth.

Supposedly she would turn too when it would be full moon. That was interesting. Despite her natural talent to pull the mob wife look without effort Dasha didn't dislike children; she didn't think she necessarily wanted any but she liked being the cool aunt for her two nephews and if it would come to that also to Mila's baby, that is if it would grow into not accidentally killing her anymore.

David was not there yet. Not a good sign. She looked at her phone. He had texted her ten minutes ago to let her know he was stuck in traffic. Not the best sign but at least he was not going to bail.

The place was decent; south Indian and Afghan fusion. Not her go-to neither high-end, but the reviews were good. She had enough time to read while making herself busy on her phone. Most people in there were on dates and there was no bar. She ordered a glass or rose and savoured the taste. Some of the guys on dates were stealing glances at her. She gave them a daring smile and then looked away.

"I am so very sorry I am late!" David walked to their table from the side opposite to where she was looking so he took her by surprise.

He was wearing dark jeans and a white dress shirt. At least he didn't come dressed in a t-shirt like a concerning amount of men do in the most inappropriate circumstances.

Dasha looked him up and down. He was a cute boy. Yes, boy seemed the appropriate term; he looked so youthful and sort of sweet. But he was a doctor and he also seemed a gentleman and sweet-natured. But he had no flowers. In the West that wasn't a big deal but in Ukraine bringing flowers to their date was a habit, and the lack of, disappointment.

His smile was pleasant with white straight teeth. Dasha noticed she had a thing for nice teeth lately. Wolf people had all very nice, white teeth and... fangs. Weird, but it did it for her.

"You have a pretty smile," she said, moving her index finger along the stem of her wine glass.

David followed her finger with his eyes and blushed. The colour of his cheeks was emphasized by the hue of his curls. It were big pretty curls, not at all frizzy. Nice hair. It might even look better if he grows it out. Dasha thought of long hair in men as weird until... Kiril. Then it was never the same again. Kiril was strange; his hair was long, he had a great fashion sense and wore jewellery but he was still weirdly manly. Masculinity was an interesting concept.

Dasha took a deep breath. She didn't want to think about Kiril. Again. She was on that date previously to not think about wolf people.

"It's a nice place."

"Thank you. It's one of my favourites. Has great vegetarian options. I uh, did some research after..."

He stopped a bit distressed.

"After what?" Dasha raised an eyebrow and gave him a half smile.

"No, never mind. It's not important."

"No, you tell me. You were also late, you owe me."

David sighed, visibly affected by what she said. He was feeling sorry.

"I, uh, didn't have a lot of dates in school. I was skinny and nerdy but in the last three years I started working out and stuff got better but I also had a lot of work... Anyway. I don't have a lot of experience dating. I went on a date lately and it was... Good until it wasn't anymore."

"Uh, competition... So why wasn't it good?" Dasha put her hand over his on the table and he blushed again.

"I guess the other person was disappointed or so. And... Ran off. My self-esteem suffer a bit, mildly said."

"Aww, I will not run off on you."

"You sure?" His eyes turned a shade playful and he tilted his palm to envelope hers.

So he has some fire in him after all... I can work with this.

The waiter coughs ostentatiously and makes them draw apart.

"Would you like to order now?" He gave Dasha a one-over. Dasha ignored him; he seemed rude. They were in the middle of something and he interrupted. David should have told him off. With Kiril, he wouldn't have dared to do that or lived to think about the mistake.

But I am not on a date with Kiril! Kiril is fucking Mila. Loving. Whatever...

Dasha orders kofta with Safran rice. It was rather expensive, more expensive than David's order and he was drinking water not wine.

This date wasn't swiping her off her feet but it was working. Likely no date with a human would ever swipe her off her feet again but the conversation was flowing nicely. David told her about his time as a student, and about how he chose the residency program that he would finish the next year. After that, his plan was to move to London. That all sounded good.
She told him briefly about her life in Ukraine and how she moved to the UK more than a year ago skipping over all the weird parts.

After the obnoxious waiter brought the bill he asked with a grin if they were splitting.

David smiled sweetly and stated that he invited Dasha so he would pay. That wasn't true; Dasha asked him out, but she released a short breath of relief when he said that, given that she barely had fifty pounds on her.

"I will visit the restroom shortly, then we can leave," said David.

Dasha nodded. After he came back she had to make her move.

"You can do better than that kid, sweet cheeks. A girl like you cannot be satisfied by a boy. You need a man."

Dasha looked behind her at the annoying waiter but said nothing.

"Where are you from? Your accent is interesting. Are you even legally here?"

Dasha looked the other way.

"I can get you off again and again until you beg me to stop."

Dasha turned to him and gave him the most obvious gaze of disgust.

"That boy is a doctor and a good one on top of it. I guess he wins in that department. Gynaecologist... He surely knows where the clit is. So getting me off will likely not be a problem for him... About you I am skeptical... Now walk away or I scream and you will lose your job not only the tip for the evening."

"You really think you are something better. You ain't. You are just overpriced cock candy."

Dasha looked at him daringly and opened the check to withdraw ten pounds from the money David left there, putting them in her purse.

"Everything ok here?" asked David.

"Yeah, our waiter was wishing us a nice evening."

Dasha grabbed David's arm and they walked out.

"What do you do in your free time? When you have some," said Dasha and smiled sweetly at him. That waiter made her angry on his behalf. David was actually an awesome guy.

"I like to play the guitar and write songs."

"That's... Amazing." Dasha liked art and appreciated everyone who had the discipline of practising art nicely.

"You can be... Uh are, very sweet."

Dasha almost burst out laughing. She knew the effect she had on people and David was so candid it made her want to hug him, but for staying over indefinitely they needed to get way further than hugging.

"I would like to hear some of them. Would you play for me?"

"Sure. I can do that one day." He smiled shyly.

"How about tonight?"

Dasha leaned over and gave him a long and extremely sensual kiss on the cheek that made him blush again.

"Ok, I guess..."

David was living on the outskirts of Edinburgh close to the clinic. On the drive to his place, Dasha kept asking questions about his family and his future plans. She learned that he was an only child and his father had died not long ago. His mother was living in Inverness and they had a good relationship.

"Don't you miss your family?" asked David.

It was sweet that he asked. He was sweet.

"I do. Oddly I miss my father most of all. He died six years ago. I might not seem but I was a total daddy's girl. He was the best husband to my mother and gave me an absurdly high standard in men."

"I am sorry. I really am."

"I know. You seem to be a very genuine person, David. I like you."

His apartment wasn't big or luxurious, his car was also old and not pricey but both were very neat and well kept. He was extremely clean and had a preference for white furniture, which Dasha found interesting and funny. After eight or more hours of work in a hospital, white would be the last colour she would choose in her home.

"Your house is..."

"Not fit for a doctor?"

"That's not what I wanted to say. It's actually very doctor-like."

"But what you likely thought." He wasn't wrong.

"I am sorry, I..."

"It's alright, Dasha. The last girl that I was trying to date, who was a nurse from the hospital, said the same thing. The thing is, I don't mind. It's the truth but I don't come from money and it's an accomplishment to pay off my student debt and this apartment in the next two years."

The he was speaking was so down to earth it made Dasha feel ashamed of herself. She didn't come from money either and knew how hard it was and he was so young and did great so far.

"You said you were going to play for me," she said, while a genuine smile stretched over her face.

David took his jacket off and walked into the bedroom. Not waiting to be invited, Dasha followed him there. A guitar was lying on the bed. He took it and wanted to walk back but Dasha plunged on the bed.

With a half smile, he sat at her side and started playing. It was sweet; it was rather obvious he wasn't a pro but the song came out well enough.

The name was Hey there Delilah or something like that. It was in years ago and Dasha happened to know it.

David's hands moved over the strings with enough grace to make Dasha watch them. He was a good man; possibly the best, kindest and sanest she had met lately. He didn't swipe her off her feet but the ones who did in the past weren't good for her.

Their life together could be nice and calm, with no constant anxiety. It painted a nice picture. So before finishing the song, Dasha leaned over and kissed him. It was a gentle kiss that he responded to naturally.

"I meant when I said that I like you, David," said Dasha. "I think you would bring peace to my life." At the same time, she grabbed his free hand and moved it over her thigh under her skirt.

Most guys would have taken the cue. He didn't. For the better and the worse.

It was the first time she had to hit on a guy. It was strange but maybe she could flip strange to interesting.

So Dasha took a deep breath removed the guitar from between them and then stranded him with a smile on her face.

"Dasha, I..." He seemed surprised and again flustered.

"Do you mind?" said Dasha and lifted her dress over her head.

The blush crept even deeper on his face but he also grew hard under her. That was a good sign.

"No... I... You are probably the most beautiful girl I have ever kissed. You are also very... intimidating. I guess it's me."

"Relax, we are going to have a lot of fun. I have been told I am good and I like you enough to want to make you feel good."

Dasha unbuttoned his shirt while holding eye contact. David's expression was dreamy, his pupils dilated. His body wasn't bulky, as expected but there were faint lines of abs on and slightly defined chest and shoulders. He was good-looking in a graceful slightly feminine kind of way.

"Do you have a condom?"

"Yeah, nightstand drawer." His voice was faint while Dasha was moving rhythmically on him, dressed only in lingerie.

Dasha opened the condom with her teeth and unbuttoned his jeans. She was... She couldn't quite put her finger on what she felt. It wasn't bad. It wasn't the wild passion she hoped to either. Hoped, not expected. But that was part of the point, to break her pattern.

She slid the condom over expertly and lowered herself slowly down. She was wet enough to not hurt, but not like... other times.

"You weren't joking when you said you were good. God, maybe it will work this time," moaned David.

What?

Dasha let the thought go. After a short while it felt off, though. David looked like he was enjoying it but also like he was very concentrated on... something, that wasn't her. And it looked like he was going to climax but then... didn't. Everything stopped.

"I am sorry... I," he said visibly distressed. He wasn't hard anymore, hadn't finished either and looked mortified.

It was one of the few times when Dasha didn't know what to do or say.

She stood up and prepared to say, "David it's okay..." It can happen. We can try again. Maybe later.

But David stood up just as abruptly and locked himself in the bathroom. He remained there ling minutes and Dasha had no idea what to do.

"David..?"

"Dasha, I am sorry, I don't know... I can't." He sounded broken, more broken than she imagined.

After more than fifteen minutes without a change or an idea of what to say, Dasha decided that it was best if she left. She asked if he would be ok to what David answered with a faint yes.

It was cold and about two a.m. She had just unlocked a new type of walk of shame and wasnÄt really proud of it. She might have done or said something stupid that made David react in that way. He even said he found her pretty but then everything turned abruptly to something awkward for both.

Maybe she had been too pushy. She definitely had and it didn't help with the feeling that no man was there to stay. Not for her. She wasn't the type of girl, guys settled with. She was just eye or cock candy, as the waiter had called her but not someone worth loving or fighting for...

Her feet were hurting from the heels but she decided to walk a bit to clear her head.

Sometimes when one thinks about bad things, on particularly bad days, they just find their way to you. Or so Dasha concluded when she turned her head to see who was whistling aggressively behind her. She didn't notice that she had been walking on the street with he restaurant.

It was indeed the stupid waiter and that day was now officially ranking in the top ten worst of her life.

"Yo, sweet cheeks, how was your night? Is that just fucked hair?"

Dasha continued walking. There was a park on her left and a deserted street on her right. Her damn luck. She dug in her purse for keys to have something at hand if ti came to defending herself.

"Not so ballsy now, aren't we?" said the guy and yanked her elbow, making her drop her purse and keys. And then he dragged her inside the park.

Fuck!

"Don't touch me!"

"Ups, already did and nothing happened."

The guy pressed her against a tree.

"You know what the best part about this park is? it's full of junkies and they don't really care if someone screams because they scream all the fucking time."

Dasha freed one hand and slapped him across the face, then she kicked widely and made him back of for a minute, cursing. But running in damn heels was a nasty affair and when he grabbed her dress she stumbled and fell on the grass.

He climbed over her and covered her mouth.

"Do you know what you pretentious little cunt did? My boss noticed your attitude and gave me a warning. This is my third so that means he can now fire me at any point and I don't get any unemployment money. But then God put you again in my way. And damn you are fine and I bet nobody will search for you in this county..."

Not God, the devil.... And sure they will, I hope...

Dasha was trying to kick but he was heavy and sitting on her knees and arms. And when he forced his other hand under her skirt and ripped her panties off she knew that what would follow was trauma material.

In her mind were the words please don't but she didn't want to beg for anything.

"Say you are sorry." He removed his hand from her mouth.

"Fuck you," she said and spit in his face which earned her a teeth-clattering slap.

Dasha closed her eyes to try to dissociate from what follows.

But then there was a scream, the guy was screaming, earth-shattering. When she opened her eyes again both his shoulders were pierced by... claws, bones and muscles were made to mush.

A big muscular guy with short-cropped hair and ebony skin flung him away like a rag doll. The guy's face was horrified and he crawled away leaving her alone with the bigger mennace if that was even possible.

"Shit..." muttered Dasha.

In seconds she was up on her feet, hoised up by they guy whose eyes were still glowing.

"How is this fucking possible?" he asked angrily.

"Don't touch me. If... If you kill me, Mila will know. She will find out eventually and then she will ask Kiril to take care of it. And he will. In his own way. And he can command you to claw your own eyes out and you will..."

"You..." he growled. It was really growling and his fangs popped out. "You are very rude, plainly disrespectful and annoying but stupidly courageous and I don't know how that is possible but... I think you are my mate."

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Hohoho. A long chapter. and all these are connected even if one might think these are random events. Stay tuned.