I head over to Martha's around nine with a bag of clothes and a half full bottle of vodka. On my way there I pop by Li's shop. It's after hours but he's a workaholic and I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a family since he never leaves. The shop is boarded up for the night but I wrap on the metal and call his name. A few moments later there's a shuffling sound and the metal slides up.

"What?" he demands angrily.

When he sees me he grunts and holds out his hand expectantly. I dig around in my bag for a second until I find the little cardboard box. I produce it with a flourish.

"Tada!"

He snatches it out of my hand and pries the box open. Nestle inside, wrapped in tissue paper to keep it safe, is the pyrite charm.

"Quick work," he nods approvingly, "You're sure it works?"

"Li," I feign hurt, "You wound me! Of course it works. Money back guarantee."

I grin at him but he doesn't so much as crack a smile in response.

"If it doesn't work then next time you pay double." He says and, without saying goodbye, pulls the metal back down in front of my face.

"You're welcome," I grumble as I walk away.

Martha's apartment is above her shop and is filled to the brim with excess stock. Boxes of yarn, rolls of fabric, and leaning towers of planter pots fill the entryway. I carefully manoeuvre around them and make my way to Martha's bedroom, the clearest room in the house, while Martha fixes us some tea. When she comes in with the steaming mugs I have three outfits laid out on the bed.

"It's chamomile," She says as she hands me the mug.

I take the bottle of vodka and pour a generous amount into each cup.

Martha winces, "in the tea?"

"In the tea," I nod and take a bracing sip. It's disgusting.

Martha tries on each of the outfits I've brought her. She asked to borrow something long to hide her hooves and I've brought two floor length dresses and a jumpsuit. She decides on one of the dresses, a black number with a plunging neckline and jewelled belt. I help her arrange her hair into a complicated braid that hides her tiny horns and put on a little bit of makeup. She's already beautiful so I decide against anything too heavy. Instead, I dust some blush on her cheeks and apply mascara..

For myself I've brought a black sequin dress that barely covers my butt and shimmers when it catches the light. I wear my curly black tresses loose down my back and swipe dark eyeshadow over my eyes. My eyelashes are dark and thick already so the little bit of makeup is enough. Just for fun, though, I add bright red lipstick.

I force Martha to take two more shots of the vodka in addition to the shot I put in her tea so we can save some money buying drinks at the club. Not that we would have to buy anything if we didn't want to. Especially with the amount of cleavage Martha is showing tonight. But I've always hated the way men act like they're entitled to my attention for the whole night if they buy me a drink.

The Labyrinth, our favourite club, is in werewolf territory and the streets are packed with people dressed up and ready to hit the dance floor. We skip the line and head straight to the bouncer.

"Hey Derek," I smile, "Busy night?"

He gives us an approving once over. "Not so busy that there isn't room for two more."

He moves aside and lets us pass as the people in line protest behind us. Martha and I weave through the crowd, headed straight for the dance floor. The music is blasting. People jostle all around us. I grin.

The club is packed tonight. The press of bodies is a familiar and welcome feeling. I sway, letting the crowd and music carry my body. The taste of the magic in the air is a heady medley of flavours. Sea, fire, dirt, sunshine. I breathe it in. Delicious. I can't get enough.

Two men saunter up to where Martha and I are bouncing to the music and give us suggestive smiles. I glance at Martha who gives a shrug. Fine for now. I grab the hand of the man closest to me and pull him in so our bodies press together. His hands grab my waist and together we twirl through the crowd. He's almost a head taller than me and my cheek is against his chest. He smells strongly of cologne and tastes of nothing. Human.

After a few songs I excuse myself and make my way to the bar. I spot a pile of red hair at one end and weave my way over to it through the thick crowd. Martha is paying for two beers when I arrive. She hands one to me.

"Where's your guy?" I shout over the music.

She shakes her head and rolls her eyes. A dud, then.

We take our drinks and head up to the second floor. Each floor of the labyrinth has a different genre of music to dance to. The first floor plays the most popular music, the second plays reggaeton, all the way up to the rooftop which has a live band and an intimate seating area. The second floor is a smaller space which means there are fewer people. It tends to be a livelier crowd, though, which makes up for it. When we climb the stairs and push through the doors, I'm hit with a wave of magic. I lick my lips.

I take Martha's hand and begin following the magic towards its source. As I step onto the dance floor, I realise it isn't one person, it's the pack. Even though the club is on their territory they rarely come out as a group and I've never been around when they have. It seems like tonight is my lucky night.

At first I have a hard time spotting the pack members. Then I notice the slight shimmer around them. I can see the threads of magic between them, too, which links them as one. The thing they call a pack bond. It's beautiful.

Martha and I move to the beat and I feel their eyes on us. I wonder if Martha can feel it too but, if she can, she isn't showing any sign of it.

I scan the crowd, looking for the one I want to take me home tonight. There are probably two hundred people in the space and at least forty of them are werewolves. Their alpha is easy to spot. I don't even have to look for him, the pull of his magic leads me right to him. He's on the older side with greying hair and a bit of a gut. No thanks. Flanking him on either side are his second and third. They're both handsome enough. The one of his left, his third, is watching me with a hungry stare. I give him a wink. He'll do nicely.

He whispers something in the alpha's ear who gives him a dismissive wave then makes his way towards me. To my surprise, the second follows suit. They move gracefully, like they can't help but walk silently even in this loud environment. I nudge Martha and tilt my chin in their direction. She takes a look and gives me an approving smile.

"Hi," yells the second as he comes to a stop in front of me, "I'm Clyde."

The third moves submissively out of his way, allowing the wolf that outranks him to talk to me first. I turn my attention to the second and smile.

"Hi Clyde, I'm Emily" I lie. I know he'd be able to hear me from all the way across the room if he wanted but I use the excuse of talking in his ear to get close to him. "Dance with me?"

His hands move to my hips as they sway against him.

"You're a good dancer," he murmurs against my hair.

I'm not sure if he meant for me to hear it or not. Sometimes the Flooded forget how it is to be human. It's easy to over or underestimate what a human is capable of.

I pull back from him slightly so I can see his face. His eyes are sharp as he watches me, waiting to see what I'll do next. They're the eyes of a hunter looking at his prey. I pull him down and kiss him.

He tastes like pine trees and moonlight. His magic pours into me. I know the exact moment his body reacts to my powers because his fingers grip me so hard I think the spots will bruise. He moans against my mouth.

Whenever I steal magic from someone, the experience for them is so strong it can almost be euphoric. The more I take, the stronger it gets. When I come to the Labyrinth, that means that the crowd dances harder and longer than any other night. When I feed from just one specific person, it means the best sex of their life.

I pull away and let the music take hold of us. He takes the lead which doesn't surprise me and twirls me around. Again and again our bodies collide and separate in time with the music. Song after song. I laugh as he swings me into his arms. His sandy hair falls into his eyes and he tries to blow it away to no avail. I reach up and tuck the piece of hair behind his ear and he catches my hand and kisses it.

"Let's get out of here," I shout to him. He nods.

I wave goodbye to Martha who flashes me a thumbs up. Good luck, she mouths with a wink.

Outside I gulp down the cool summer air, the breeze chilling my sweaty skin and giving me goosebumps.

"I've got a place just around the corner," He tells me.

"Perfect." I smile.

He takes me to a glass and concrete high rise. His apartment is on the top floor and the elevator feels like it takes forever.

When the doors finally open he pulls me eagerly to the end of the hall and punches in a code on a keypad on the door. It's obvious from the second we walk in that this isn't his place. This is a pack safehouse. No doubt he lives in the packhouse with the other werewolves but he's high ranking enough to know the location and code to this place.

"This is gorgeous," I muse as I walk around the spacious two bedroom apartment.

It's decorated for functionality rather than style but the view of the city is breathtaking.

"It sure is," He says, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist.

He kisses a line down my neck. I turn around and put my hands on his chest. There's a couch behind him and I give him a little shove so he sits. I make a good show of reaching behind my back and slowly unzipping my dress. The fabric glitters as it slips to the ground. The whites of his eyes disappear as his control slips and his wolf takes over.

"God, Emily, you're so hot," He growls. It sounds like him and not like him at the same time.

I climb on top of him, straddling him. His hands wander my body. I feel, rather than see, his fingernails turn to claws. Well, this night took an interesting turn.

He grabs me by the hips and effortlessly flips me onto my back. He's on top of me in an instant, pinning me to the couch.

"Emily," he growls. "I have to be honest with you. I have a hard time controlling myself around beautiful women."

His laidback smile slips from his face as it begins to morph.His canines elongate and hair spreads across his face. He pulls away, springing off of the couch and putting some distance between us. He begins to take deep, calming breaths.

I laugh as I stand and saunter over to him. "Don't worry about it, handsome," I say, "I've got enough control for both of us."

I catch him by the mouth and pull. He's right, he has no control over his magic and it slips free without any resistance. It pours into me so quickly that it makes me a little lightheaded. Clyde moans against my mouth. One of his hands comes up to cradle my cheek. I twine my fingers into his soft hair and use it to pull him closer, deepening the kiss.

I wrap my legs around him and he lifts me, carrying me to the bedroom. Neither Clyde nor the wolf are in control anymore. There's only me tonight. I am the alpha.

I take my time with him, making it last. Now that I have a leash on him he's submissive and eager to please and I take full advantage. When I'm satiated and Clyde is asleep, I find a bathroom and get myself cleaned up. I debate taking a shower but the only shampoo they have is the kind that hotels give out so I decide against it. Instead, I locate my dress which is still by the window and my underwear which is under the bed and get dressed. It takes me a few minutes but I find a pen and paper in one of the drawers of the kitchen and write out a quick note.

Had to run early. Thanks for everything. Text me.
-Emily

I add the number for my burner phone at the bottom. It's the one I use specially for hookups. Clyde will be tired and sore tomorrow. Tired, sore, and feeling the best he's ever felt in his entire life.

He'll wait a few days to play it cool but he'll text me. They always do.