Trigger warning for anyone who may not want to relive the experience of someone who's a bit too handsy. My post reading author's note may make this seem longer than it is.

So Talia set Zenia and Brendan up with a hiding spot. She advised the two not to appear in public together until Zenia's clan assumed them dead. Apparently they couldn't handle house arrest and claimed they drove the clan away. To celebrate, they invited Carmen and me to eat at the Tavern. I didn't want to go since it wasn't the end of the episode when I usually go, but what the Hell! I had no choice in the matter. So I sat at the table and drank nothing. I, however, had to put up with their sickening PDA. Carmen, who supposed to be on the wagon, was fighting every urge to order something alcoholic. Good thing Talia was a potions master. She made her the 'I Can't Believe It's Not Alcohol' elixir—enough to make you feel drunk without getting drunk.

"Zenia and I were thinking we could have our home in the Suburbs," Brendan said while cutting his steak into small pieces. "We found the perfect place that's not too ostentatious but also fit for her."

"One day, baby, we'll have a palace where we can live together," Zenia said, adding a giggle at the end of that.

Carmen said little other than drink her elixir. For the person who loves going out, she wasn't enjoying herself.

Neither was I.

The two lovebirds? They weren't being practical. "Sure, if you want to get caught."

And their moment soured, more or less for Zenia. "You don't have to rub it in our faces that you got away from your problems."

"That still doesn't mean living life as the main attraction. If I can recall, you took your high status literally. You'd dress like you were daughter of the clan chief even she got kicked out of her own parties. Not that she was the partying type. What else? You'd boss people into doing things for you, and if you didn't get your way you'd threatened them. Your opulent lifestyle will out you!"

"That's enough from you!" Brendan had to step in to defend her from my insults. Jeez, we've been doing it for over a century she didn't need someone to protect her from that.

"I'm not going to meddle with your relationship, Brendan, but—"

And before I could get my comeback argument or statement or whatever together, a pack — okay, it was three people — approached our table. It was obvious by the two guys and one girl they were the same shifters as Brendan as they sported similar tattoos and fur gauntlets. "Look who's here in town," taunted the guy that screamed alpha male. He had the muscles, the trendy hairstyle, the rugged beard, and the pungent stench of spray-on deodorant. Not sure what kind of ladies or men he was attracting, but he wasn't my type, werewolf or not. I learned he's bisexual a few days later. One can't assume all pack alpha males are straight, can they?

"I guess you owe me that hundred bucks then, cuz," the lone female said while leaning against Alpha Male. She appeared to be a teenager, or she was just petite. Maybe she was both.

He pulled out a folded banknote from his pocket and gave it to her. "Not a word to your parents, okay? They may let you run with my pack, but will have my skin if they learn you've set foot here for a split second."

The girl snatched the banknote and sauntered off to the bar.

Zenia was curious as I about the girl and had the guts to ask. "Is she ... how old?"

"She's legal, but her pack is part of a conservative movement. They want her to dress up in less revealing clothes and not hang out in places that serve alcohol. Heck, they don't even want her to shift at all since things can get frisky while in wolf form. So, Brendan, who's the lucky girl?"

Brendan gave Zenia a squeeze with his one arm around her. "She's my girl, Zee."

"You've learned the right moves from the best." He took ahold of Zenia's hand and introduced himself, trying to be suave hoping to elicit an orgasmic response. "M'lady, Jedward Cable, pleasure to make your acquaintance. My cousin, Meleeza, you've met." With his free hand he gave two hard slaps on the other male's back. "My right hand here, Giancarlo, had his tongue cut out, so he doesn't talk at all."

Irritated, Giancarlo tried to voice something, but produced only the noise of someone without a tongue. Well, whatever remained of it.

"Giancarlo, you know that's disgusting, and ladies are present."

Carmen stirred a bit, looked up, and mumbled something before putting her head back down. Whatever noises Giancarlo made were unpleasant, and I had to agree with Jedward whether ladies were present.

Jedward released Zenia's hand. "So, what abouts? Come join us at our table. The rest of the pack would love to hear what you've been up to."

Zenia glared at Brendan. She didn't want him to leave but at the same time didn't want to join him.

"I got this Zee. Even though we haven't seen each other in years, he's still my Alpha." Brendan stood up, his ass rubbing against Zenia's face as he moved from the booth, and followed Jedward and Giancarlo to the bar.

Zenia faced us and placed an elbow on the table. "I can't believe it. A guy who tells me he doesn't want to be part of the pack anymore goes back to it."

"It's possible he hasn't outed himself to them." I leaned in closer to the table. "The way Jedward talked to us, he seems okay with us not being werewolves, or thinks we are."

"Look at me, Ileana! Look at me!" She stood up and turned around slowly. "I'm wearing a short tube dress. Do you see any marks or scars on me that indicate I'm some sort of shapeshifter?"

"What kind of parents name their kid after some Irish twins?" Carmen randomly chimed in. Once she took notice of our blank stares, she found the answer to her question. "Damn this elixir is good!" After clearing her throat, she continued, "Believe me, Zenia, if your boyfriend comes from a good, Christian, family, it's best he keeps up the facade he's still Christian. Let him tell people he doesn't believe anymore when he feels everyone he knows is ready."

I agree with Carmen. I knew a girl in the '60s in a similar situation with her sexuality, but I'll save it for another time.

"Your human companion is right, Lena." Zenia sat back down. "He hasn't told his pack about his beliefs and I have said nothing to the clans about mine. What would be super convenient is my ex-boyfriend showing up with an entourage of his own."

And speak of the devil, he did along with three voluptuous women surrounding him. The vamp himself was tall, large-nosed, and somewhat tan. Spray-on. Definitely spray-on. I saw why Zenia hated this guy if he was going to treat her like one of the satellites orbiting him—scantily clad and worshipping the ground he trotted on.

"Zenia, fancy meeting you here," he greeted her.

"Harant, glad to see you," she reciprocated with a heavy tone of sarcasm. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll order an Extra-Bloody Mary and get my boyfriend out of here."

The moment she stood up, Harant grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm. "I will not have you treat me like this. You take your place by my side at once."

"Let go!" Zenia said as she winced. "I am not your property."

"You are mine and you can't escape that." He placed a hand on her ass and she grimaced. I wouldn't want anyone to grab my ass but then it clicked: the asshole branded her. Just like all the satellites he had orbiting him she had a burn mark somewhere on her body. To him women were merely cattle, yet Zenia was that special one he wouldn't let go. Or he didn't want to lose any of them.

"Let her go!" I stood up ready to attack, but those satellites were armed to the tooth, if satellites had teeth. The busty redhead, who had a shade of red that was obviously from a dye job, drew out a dagger and hissed at me. I could fight, but even with a fork I wouldn't stand a chance against her.

"Let me at her!" Carmen stepped up to help rescue Zenia. Not a great idea for a human to take on four vampires at once.

I swung my arm out. "You'll die before you can even breathe."

She folded her arms and sat down."Where's that Social Justice Warrior Bitch when you need her?"

And Social Justice Werewolf wasn't in the Tavern to call foul. What plot convenience! And speaking of werewolf, Harant took a whiff of Zenia and grabbed her neck with his free hand.

"I smell wolf all over you. Show me who he is and I'll slit his throat. Or I make him watch me fuck you first then kill him in front of you. Or I–"

Just before Harant could come up with another genius torture idea, Brendan leapt over one satellite and kicked Harant in the head. The vampire fell to the floor holding onto Zenia.

Brendan landed in a crouched position then stood up. "You wankers are all talk. Always 'this is what I'm gonna do to—'"

Dark Hair took out a knife and stabbed Brendan in the back. As for Zenia, she wriggled free from Harant's grip, took the cutlery set from the table and threw a spoon at the stabber, only for it to land on the unarmed blonde. She ran to Brendan to help him.

"Stay with me, baby," She said, applying pressure to his wound.

"I'm fine, Zee," he said while standing up. So did Harant.

"You betray me for him?"

"I left you because you're a controlling jackass!" Zenia reached across Brendan helping him stand. "You think you can make me jealous with your haremtourage? Fat chance I come crawling back to you."

Well said, Zenia. Well said. I wasn't going to leave out the wolf pack, was I? Well, those guys moved to our area again the moment they caught whiff of the scuffle.

"Do you have a problem with one of mine?" Jedward pushed aside two of the satellites aside to allow his pack mates into the circle.

"It appears your pup wants to shag my girlfriend," Harant spat.

"I'm not your motherfucking girlfriend!" Zenia yelled at him.

Jedward's frame towered over Harant who what a head shorter. "You heard the lady. She's not with you as she says."

"Oh really? She smells as if she's with you." He plugged his nose and wave his hand in front. Rude much?

"She's not with us either, but you should treat her with respect."

"Treat her with respect? Doesn't your kind treat young women as nothing but fucking machine to strengthen the pack?" Hello, Pot, meet Kettle.

"Doesn't your kind treat young women like blow-up sex dolls?" His pack joined in with oohs as if he had the better comeback.

"You see here, you inbred mutt! All my fighters are women. You seem to forego the gender equality by only allowing men into your pack."

"You take that back!" Meleeza stepped in. "Jedward treats women with respect! We may be two at the moment, but we aren't treated like sex objects."

"Oh girls!" Harant summoned his haremtourage, as Zenia put it. They formed a wall defending him.

"Giancarlo, Fitzgerald." Jedward summoned his muscle.

Both werewolves and vampires faced each other in a Mexican standoff. Mexican standoff, could it be any other nationality? Anyway, just as the wolves started their transformation, Bartender leaped onto our table, cocked a shotgun, and fired a shot into the air, taking out a light fixture. He took a swig of some potion and with a heavy, Russian accent, he yelled, "Enough!"

The wolves stopped transforming midway. The vampires still stood in their defensive positions. Neither side turned their attention to the bartender.

"You make fight. You fight outside. You fight in here and ban."

"Come on! We have to settle this right here!" Harant growled.

"We wolves never back from a fight," Jedward growled.

Bartender turned to Talia who was wiping the bar. "Chto chto?"

Talia sighed, jumped over the bar, and made her way to our table. "This is a safe space for everyone. You want to carry out your Underworld wars, you take it outside. You destroy one piece of furniture I'll add you to the ban list. All of you. Not even my cousin who runs the Moscow Tavern would let you in." Talia's cousin Nadia wasn't the best at making drinks, so I've heard, but she allowed things at her place that Talia wouldn't. Strippers, for example.

Both sides backed down and lowered their guard. The girls supporting Harant moved to the back and he stepped forward. "Well, we should call it a night." He pointed a finger at Brendan. "But before we go, I challenge you to fight me two nights from now. The winner gets to keep Zenia."

"Seriously, are we fighting over me like I'm some object?" Zenia groaned.

"You are an object Zenia," I said. "An object of affection, apparently."

"Yeah, true. But–"

"Done," Jedward said. "But you'll be fighting me as well."

"And me," Meleeza added in.

Giancarlo just smirked and nodded.

"You challenge one of the pack, you challenge us all." Jedward made a fist and pounded it into the palm of his other hand.

"Fine by me," Harant agreed. "Girls, we're leaving."

So the haremtourage resumed their satellite positions around their planet and exited the Tavern. The frat pack and cousin left the place shortly after. Zenia and Brendan were a bit shaken, a bit being an understatement, so Talia offered them some free food and calming down drinks.

As for Carmen and I, let's just say we could've done more to help, but neither of us we're in tip-top fighting shape. Believe me, we would have whooped their asses but Harant's haremtourage seemed to be descended from Amazon warriors. We didn't want both factions to fight each other to the point Brendan is torn to pieces and Zenia in the clutches of the evil, crazy ex. So we sought out some reinforcements.

-----------------------------------------------------

Things aren't looking so well. Of course Brendan can decline but wolves (or majority of shifters I should say) can't turn down the opportunity for a good fight. Considering Zenia's situation, when a woman says no, she means no. Of course if two consenting adults are in a, uhh, let's just say kinky relationship, even then there are boundaries. If a woman, or partner says the magic word (or gesture) to stop the play, you stop the play. Don't assume your partner, whether it be woman, man, or something in between or outside, is playing hard to get or teasing you. I'm not factoring partners who may be faking they were assaulted but beware of those people too. Consent is always key, controlling people's actions in a relationship is a no-no, and if someone is stuck in an abusive relationship, find ways to help them get out. If you're stuck in one, don't be afraid to seek help, partner may be mindfucking you just to keep you in your place. And of course there are resources on the internet to look further.

Question to make things more interactive: Most I've come across from answering the previous interactive questions like staying indoors or aren't party people. Let's say you want to host a big (arbitrary term) celebration for some milestone or accomplishment. Where would you host it (your house, a rented mansion, in Spain, local restaurant/fast food place)? What events would you have (night on the town, dance party, movie marathon, playing twister)?

And you know the drill by now.

Song featured: "The Boys Are Back In Town" by Thin Lizzy

Edited: 30/01/2019