Magnus has long locks of dark brown hair and deep red eyes that consume me with promises for later. I know he wants to fuck me. He already wanted me to suck him off under the table.

However, I was Lycan-sick for Anubis.

And that was going to be a fucking problem.

I wouldn't know it until later. Being dumb, deaf and blind to all others around me, while my mind swam with thoughts of my pretty Anubis. Wondering if he was really going to murder me, when he loved me, when I loved him. He was my first love.

He –

"Dessert."

Waiters come forward as if in slow motion before speeding up, the time warping sharply around us. I consider it's just the alcohol I've consumed that went straight to my head. I didn't cope with it very well.

A steaming drink of hot chocolate is put below my nose, with mini marshmallows floating in the pond of chocolate milk.

I'm staring at it, licking my lips.

At the same time, Magnus' hand is rubbing over my ankle under the table, because my foot is on his lap, and his hand is now over my feet and toes, massaging them, distracting me further.

I sense a disturbance as Silvia gasps loudly and Onyx is looking over his shoulder. When I try to look too, Magnus swings my foot out from under the table to the side, leaning down he bites my toes hard.

I yelp, I almost scream, because it hurts that bad, and I pull my leg back to kick him in the face. My sole connects to his face, and Magnus uses the excuse of a fight to jump up from the table and leap over me, knocking my chair over in his frenzy, I fall backwards with the chair.

Crash.

It all happens so fast.

My head is pounding from the impact with the ground, and now it lolls back so I can see the restaurant upside down.

I get a glimpse of the newcomers, before Magnus has sprinkled some kind of red powder onto my face. It fills my vision and gets up my nose, and instead of sneezing, it weaves chains around my mind.

I lay back looking at the newcomers, as my vision starts to blur.

I see a head of silver moon hair, and red eyes, on a large man, with a pack of Lycans behind him.

Full grown.

Teeth as bright as the sun.

A flood of new and strong pheromones enters my system – before the dark sets in, and I collapse into a void, before I'm thrown into it.

Thrust into the Present Future.

More precisely?

30 years into the future.

****

Urgent – casual ticketers needed. I hand over the ticket of the job, to the manager of the carnival.

It was the most exciting part of Summer. A carnival was in town, on the outskirts of the country town Lorry, set up in a parking lot. It was surrounded by the Wilder mountains, and there was a ski resort in the winter, but right now, Lorry was a hiking town. The carnival was set up for the warmer months.

This area was right near my house. Well, 'my house' was a bit of a stretch. I had a small flat with a nice view of the hiking trails.

2 years after being thrust into the distant future, I had been a lone wanderer ever since, but with a small amount of direction now.

I had been working odd jobs around this town to pay my small amount of rent. I lived in a commission home. I had been assessed by a psychiatrist for amnesia 2 years prior, after stumbling out of the forest directly into police. The amnesia I faked well to get special benefits from the government.

The fae had their way, and I was well educated on policy in the earthly realm, even as a human myself. So, so far, I had managed to survive 2 whole years on my own, in this new future.

Now I was just excited about my next job.

"My name is Cleo, I'm 20 years old, and I'm free to work," I explain a bit about myself to the manager looking me over.

"Perfect, so you can start any day now, and be called in at any hour?" the manager asks. I nod, and he continues, "My name is Jacob. It's nice to meet you, Cleo. You'll be in charge of handing out tickets. However, you came in a bit late, so all the exciting rides are taken... but we do have some of the kids rides available. We have the house of horrors, the freaky fairy cave, the elf boat –"

"The fairy one sounds cool!" I perk right up.

"I love your enthusiasm. Right this way, I'll show you around," Jacob gives me a friendly wink and takes me through the show grounds toward the kids section.

We walk into a medium to large tent, with the set up already in place. The area has no lighting except for the fairy lights, decorating the makeshift hills and wired skeleton fairy's and other scary fae hiding around the set.

"The kids walk through along the path, from the entry to the exit, that's it, they can't get lost and the can't get hurt – it's all inspected and ready to go. You're happy to hand out the tickets for this?"

"Yes," I answer, "What are the hours?"

"From midday to late, as we close at varying hours depending on the weather, but we should be open until 9pm each night."

"Thanks, when do I start?" my hands float over the set, well-made but worn, with some of the paint etching off in parts.

"Later today at 5pm, if you can come around, I'll mentor you for a bit on the process, it's really easy, nothing too concerning," Jacob chuckles and walks me through to the exit, "There is an emergency 'stop' button if there was an issue with the electrical stuff, but you shouldn't need to use it."

"Great. I'll be back at 5pm, are there any clothing requirements?"

"None, I mean, just closed shoes, and this yellow bib," Jacob looks ready to get off to his next inspection of the carnival as he hands me the rolled up yellow 'bib' from his pocket. I take it and smile and wave goodbye. Jacob is busy, and I was hungry.

Time to head off back home.

I pass one of the more adult rides, called the Lycan Loop rollercoaster.

The cars on the track are in the shape of a wolf, it makes me shiver with embarrassment at the memories... well, of me. And my behaviour.

After settling into this human skin, with this human mind, even though I had no soul, and only a Fate – I could logically see myself in the past, and my present self was disgusted with my prior behaviour in Dire Wolf City.

There were limits, boundaries, dignity, self-respect – all kinds of emotions I had no time to adjust to. Well, now I was fully adjusted.

I was aware of what shameful behaviour was.

I was aware how I came off to Silvia, when I first entered Onyx Lycan Nightclub.

What a big fucking mistake. Lycans. Loving – thinking I loved those monsters, was the mistake. A huge misstep in judgement.

With my hands dug deep in the pockets of my second hand coat, holding all my possessions, I see a man in a high-vis jacket on the sidewalk, walking by putting up metallic signs on the telephone poles. He hammers them in, and keeps walking to put up more.

I walk right up to the sign to read it.

Pray in Hell.

8 different types of symbols.

And a number.

And... a company name.

T L T.

The colour drains right out of my face.

Oh, fuck no.

"The Lycan Temple," I whisper, feeling immediately sick.

A cult. T L T were a cult that promised to absolve sin through 'alternate' forms of therapy.

The eight priests? You could choose.

One. Sardonix

Two. Clypto.

Three. Gamma.

Four. Astral.

Five. Pluto.

Six. Comet.

Seven. Tron.

Eight. Star.

Choose one to pray with.

Hope to hell you don't fucking die.

A lycan pack worth millions from their fantasy cult, they acted like celebrities or actors, or rockstars. Demons who lived in the light – just to kill it. Yup, I knew all about them.

I had been sacrificed into this time for them.

So of course I had researched them from afar, to understand exactly who Sardonix and his pack were.

They had never come for me.

Even though I had been gifted to them.

They had left me alone.

Now, in Lorry? Was this just a coincidence? Were they just visiting the town on one of their tours?

The ground rumbles beneath my feet, with the morning light blinding my eyes as I look down the road.

Eight black mercs drive past in a quick flash. Fully tinted windows, with number plates with their names. Oh – oh, I... I don't have time to hide, not even behind a telephone pole.

They go by so fast, I barely have time to react.

I wait until they pass, until I can cross the road, head down, hands in pockets, heart racing as I pick up my step.

Did they see me?

Hopefully they were just passing through.

I see her. Standing dazed on the grass next to the sidewalk, next to the road.

I do a double take.

Familiar...

In an old green coat.

Head up.

Eyes blinded.

Squinting almost directly at me through the tinted windows of the car.

Then at the cars behind.

She looked so fucking familiar.

Little red lips, with pointy ears, her bob of black hair had grown out to her waist and was tied back in a pony.

Her white sneakers were grey and brown from walking through puddles.

Her jeans had holes, and not from fashion, but from wear and tear.

Cleo.

I glance to my driver.

"Pull over, offer that girl a ride," I snarl it quickly, before its too late, "Chuck a u-turn or something–" we've pulled over into the curb instead, "Wait here," I jump out of the side door and look down the street, watching her run off into a block of flats. I clench my fist but then I glance to where she came from.

I relax.

A carnival.

Staff were walking around wearing yellow tops. The same yellow she had been holding.

I knew where to find her.

If I wanted to sniff around – and just see... what had become of her.

The gift I didn't want. I mean why would I want a female as a gift..?

I did not chase females.

The dumb bitches came to me.

Knowing how it worked. There would be no difference here.

She would come to me. I turn to get back in the car and growl at my chauffer to move off.

A sweet lily scent lingers up my nose, a smell I whiffed on the street.

I rip out a tissue and blow into it, to get rid of it.

Sickly sweet.

It remains, tickling my sensitive Lycan senses.

I pick up my coffee and rip off the lid, drinking some of that. The smell of coffee finally wipes away the other scent, and I find myself squeezing the cup, until it fucking bursts – and coffee spills everywhere.

It goes all over my car and all over my new suit.

The driver flinches but does not comment.

"That fucking bitch," I snarl under my breath, looking into the mirror, my cheeks are flushed and my red eyes glow with a hellish fire.

I need to fuck.

I can't stop picturing her running off like that, triggering my need to jump.

Making me spill this shit all over me.

Calm down. Fuck.

"Continue to the hotel," I speak as professionally as I can, mimicking my father's tone when it came to business, keep it business.

"Yes, sir," the driver responds more relaxed and he focuses better on the road.

Hell.

I needed a new suit.

I needed a few bitches cleaning me up.

Then I'd be fucking fine.

Lily-fae-sweetness.

It wasn't in my nose anymore.

But it was a memory now.

If I couldn't shake it. I'd have to ki –... or fu –...

Or do something.... to the poor fae-bitch.

She looked poor.

Fucking charity case.

I shake my head of unwanted thoughts. She. Would come to me.

I could feel it in my obsidian blood. I could feel it in my wolf bones.

And in the hole where my heart should be... I feel a faint beat.

Dumb bitch.

Who did she think she was?

I smirk to myself.

I had nothing to obsess over here. I was obsessed over. Drooled over. Bitches killed each other to get the next ride on my dick. No fucking fae would –

I need. To calm down.

Fuck.

My phone vibrates in my pocket and I see it's my second, Clypto.

"Was that that fairy bitch from 2 years ago –?" Clypto immediately snarls and I snarl back.

"Shut up, who gives a fuck who she is," I hang up on him, crushing my phone so hard it breaks in my fist. My driver looks at me like I'm mad, and I fight the urge to rip his head off, "Drive," I warn him not to look at me like that again, "Just... drive."