The beauty sitting at the bar closed the compact mirror she had been staring into to double check her disguised appearance, adjusting her purple locks so they were in the perfect position. The other demons called her Lavender due to the color of her hair in which she used whenever she presented herself as human. Her mother would have preferred that she be the traditional blonde as the most succulent souls seemed to have a weakness for fair hair.

However, Lavender found that purple hair was key to attracting a certain type of soul. Ones that had often been crushed by human society. Dark, inky black souls that had tasted the blood of another and had a kind of beautiful aftertaste to them. Those were her favorite to consume.

She flew into town the night before, having tired of her regular hunting grounds in Greendale after she was nearly hexed by a warlock who caught onto her before she could finish the ritual needed to acquire his spirit. Riverdale had this cookie cutter image on the outside, but deep down she knew it was teeming with the darkness she so craved so very much. Especially south of the railroad tracks where the streetlights didn’t burn quite as brightly and the air seemed foggier. There were more places to tuck into and hide.

The teeming underbelly of any small town was where she preferred to search for unfortunate men looking for trouble. In fact, this ramshackle bar she happened upon was perfect. It smelled distinctly of old beer and stale cigarettes. Clouds of dense smoke curled around the patrons in the dim lights.

She didn’t stand out and while that could have been disadvantageous to most of her kind, she found it useful to blend in with her food.

Lavender flicked her manicured hand to move the hair off of her shoulder as she sat up straight on the bar stool. The pink haired girl that was tending the bar slid her the drink she had ordered. Old Fashions were her weakness. It tasted like a begrudged human spirit. 

“You must be new around here.” The short girl said with a dazzling smile. For a moment Lav wondered if she was one of theirs. A demon poised in the bar to prey on humans that were perhaps not so innocent. She sniffed the air discreetly. No, this adorable bar keep was no demon. Though perhaps she was something else…

Her brief statement had Lav chuckling lightly. New? She was centuries old. No place was truly new to her. She hunted here long before the town with pep was even established. She had not been new for quite some time. “You could say that.” She replied coyly. No use in telling the truth.

A tall man with tan skin and fluffy hair sat down next to her. “Hit me, Toni,” he said in a gruff voice as he looked at the bartender. She nodded and grabbed a bottle of beer for him. Lav took a sip of her drink, savoring the flavor as she glanced at the newcomer out of the corner of her eye.

He noticed the head of purple hair sitting next to him, eyes quickly raking over her almost bare thighs as her leather skirt had ridden up when she sat down. It left very little to the imagination, just as Lav had wanted. A glint of light caught his eyes and he saw an amethyst belly button ring dangling from her exposed navel.

A look passed over his face, she looked like she was from the Southside, sure. But he’d never seen her. Not that it mattered much to him. He just got finished with a shitty job and had just been looking for a drink, but getting laid wouldn’t hurt. He noticed the drink in front of her and how it wasn’t some fruity cocktail that most girls drank. He briefly wondered if she had any other piercings he could possibly run his tongue over as she squealed in delight.

The image seemed so clear in his head. Had he been in the right state of mine he would have found it weird to be fantasizing so vividly over someone he hadn’t even spoken to. Of course he had no shortage of imagination when it came to women, but his train of thought had escalated very quickly.

Maybe it had just been a while. Josie had been out of town recently on gigs. She was normally his go to when he didn’t feel like seducing a stranger. Sometimes he didn’t have the energy for a one night stand. However, he had quickly decided that tonight would not be a night for just him and his hand. This gothic beauty was definitely going home with him. 

“Never seen you here before.” The biker said coolly, turning his body on the stool to face her after he took a sip of his beer. Lav watched him, playing dumb to the way he was looking at her. The feverish look that was developing in his eye that made them glint in the smoky atmosphere.

“I’m,” She paused. What had the little girl just asked her before? Oh yes, “new in town. Thought I’d get a drink.” She answered simply, her hand no longer obstructing her face. He saw the thin black septum piercing with pointed ends instead of the usual balls. She also had an amethyst stud philtrum piercing as well as two adjoining black snake bite hoops. So he had been right, she did have more piercings. Color him allured.

Sweet Pea eyed the metal. He couldn’t see her ears as it was obstructed by her straight, lavender hair. “Why did you come to a shithole like Riverdale?” He asked, trying not to sound too curious. He did his best to keep his tone callous. Lav saw straight through him. Poor thing had bitten straight down onto her hook.

She smirked at him, expression dripping with charm. “I’m looking for some souls to devour.” He mistook her seriousness as a dark joke. Certainly she wasn’t being truthful. It was just some act that girls like her like to put on. Alternative chicks were so strange.

“Good thing I don’t have one then.” He replied without much thought, almost as if he’d said the line before. Lav looked at him with her piercing hazel eyes. She looked inside of him, seeing the black aura around his heart. A serpentine green shape streaking through it. Her mouth was watering at the sight. It was in perfect condition. Aged with pain and strife. How beautiful, she thought briefly.

Her eyes flicked back up to meet his brown orbs, “is that so? Well, then I guess you’re not in any danger.” Her voice was deceptively light. He was in grave danger, but he was too cocky to see it. Too human to detect the danger poised before him. Mortals were so adorably naïve.

Lav took another sip of her Old Fashioned, the metal on her lower lip clinking against the glass. She crossed her shapely legs, the movement catching Sweet Pea’s lustful gaze as the skirt lifted even higher. Arousal curled in his stomach like a snake waking from slumber.

“I have some souls back at my place.” Sweet Pea said, not really thinking before speaking. The stupid line just came out of him and he immediately wanted to smack himself for it. Usually he was smoother than this, letting his prey drink more before offering to take her home. The girl laughed lightly and he wondered if she saw his sudden insecurity.

And of course, she did. She had this effect on men. Made them trip over their own tongues just to get into her pants. It was always amusing. She turned to him, eyes roving over his body rather crudely. Her mouth watered again, so much that she had to swallow. Sweet Pea watched the muscles move in her throat and he wondered if that’s what she’d look like drinking his cum.

“Do you?” She asked, the question sounding more innocent than it truly was. “I’m just so…hungry.”

A cocky smirk spread across Sweet Pea’s mouth, eyes beaming with pride in the success of his admittedly cheesy pick up line. He took out his wallet and paid for both of their drinks, hoping it would reel her in even more. “Then let’s get you something to eat.”

The double entendre was not lost on her. She could feed by simply sucking his dick dry if she wanted to, but that wasn’t her preferred method of feeding. Plus she hadn’t ridden a human in so long that she craved a throbbing cock inside of her as she worked her magic laden hips.

Lav slid off the barstool, flashing her black lace panties at Sweet Pea as her legs uncrossed so she could stand. His teeth sunk into his lower lip at the sight, his arousal jumping even more. This had to have been the easiest lay of his life. Maybe today was his day after all.

Sweet Pea drained his beer bottle before standing up next to her, amused by how much taller he was. He always did like short girls, and she couldn’t be much taller than five feet, though the stiletto heels did somewhat disguise her petite size.

“Hope you don’t mind riding on the back of my bike.” He said, knowing most chicks that hung out in places like this had an affinity for motorcycles. The dangerous element of riding on them only turned them on more. Not that he really thought she needed to be any more convinced to come back to his trailer.

A smirk curled on her red painted lips, “only if it’s not a bitch bike.” She replied with a seductive wink that was the proverbial nail in his coffin. She walked in front of him, hips moving back and forth in a way that made her ass look downright delicious. His internal excitement grew as his pants started to feel the tiniest bit tighter.

He led her outside and walked over to a black Harley in the corner of the lot. A pleased look cross the demon’s face as she looked over the machine. It was quite beautiful and the way he threw his leg over the side to straddle it was enough to make her drip with anticipation. This was going to be a great ride, she thought to herself as a devilish smile spread across her mouth.

The bike purred the life when Pea turned the key. He revved it before looking at her, eyes begging her to get on. The desperation fed into her tarnished soul and she felt exhilarated by the fact that soon she’d be feasting on him. Her empty stomach turned almost painfully. It had been so long since she had a good meal.

Lav got behind him, her arms wrapping around his waist as she pressed her body tight up against his back. He could feel every curve of her and he fought back a shiver of excitement. His teeth sunk into his lower lip as her hands dared to trail down towards the button of his dark jeans.

Sweet Pea revved the engine again before starting off towards his trailer. The woman behind him clutched his shirt with one hand while the other grabbed onto the top edge of his jeans. His jeans which were becoming even tighter with arousal due to how close she was. He held his breath as he felt his button release and zipper slide down.

He tried to concentrate on the road while a slender hand slipped into his pants. His lip was nearly bleeding now from his teeth digging into the soft flesh so tightly. His cock twitched at the feather light touch, growing harder and throbbing for release.Over the sound of wind whipping past his ears, he heard a faint giggle come from her throat.

He desperately sped up, racing home to try and get his release faster. God he just wanted to be inside of her right now, filling her up and stretching her out. The thought sent a shiver of anticipation up his spine. Lav felt this and smirked to herself.

She ran her index finger along his shaft playfully, earning a grunt from the driver. Her thumb ran over his tip and guessing by the damp fabric of his boxers, he was already leaking pre-cum. This effect that she had on men was so satisfying to her. Watching them fall into her trap time and time again. Her expertise in seduction and murder was hand in hand.

Thank God that Sunnyside wasn’t far from the Whyte Wyrm. That was Sweet Pea’s only saving grace from crashing his bike. He kicked out the kickstand and parked in his dirt driveway. Lav let out another giggle, this one more audible than the one before. She slid off the bike, adjusting her skirt momentarily after she did so.

Sweet Pea tried to take a deep breath to calm himself down but it wasn’t very effective. The demon’s hands clutched the open edges of his jacket where the zipper was and pulled him closer to her. “How about those souls now?” She asked playfully, looking up at him with beautifully lustful eyes.

He couldn’t resist. Not that anyone could really resist her. Not a demon of her magnitude and strength. His head dipped down so that his lips crashed upon hers. Lav drank him in, his saliva tasting like the cheap beer he had downed at the bar. Her grip on his jacket tightened as she pulled down on it to bring him closer.

His hands made their way to her hips to pull her closer to him. Of course he was discreetly aware that his fly was down and his pants were liable to fall off at any moment, however he couldn’t care less.

One large hand moved from her sides and roved across her plump ass, squeezing it hard enough to leave bruised fingerprints. So he wanted to play rough? She could do that.

The kiss was sloppy, wet. His tongue fumbled along her lips and she opened them, giving silent permission for it to enter her mouth. Her own tongue met his, battling it out for space and dominance. Eventually he was pushed back and it was her tongue in his mouth. Sweet Pea wasn’t sure how this had happened, it just did. For once in his life he lost a battle of wills against a girl.

Lav pulled away from him slightly, still looking up at him with those same large hazel eyes, “let’s go before you lose your pants.” She said playfully with a malicious glint in her eye that his mistook as harmless. She was many things but harmless was not one of them.

Sweet Pea released his grip on her and turned enough to lead her into his trailer. He made sure his pants stayed up as he unlocked the door and pushed it open. He looked over his shoulder at her, noticing that her eyes seemed almost black in the darkness. Not just her irises, her entire eyeballs looked void of all color. He blinked and they were normal again. He thought nothing of it, a trick of the light. He was seeing things.

Inside the trailer was basic. A dirty American flag hung on the wall above a beat up couch. It wasn’t impressive and Lav knew then that no one was around to miss him if his life were suddenly snuffed out. Though, to be fair, it wouldn’t have bothered her if there was. She’s taken the souls of many family men in her time. Men that were looking for a good time and not willing to keep it in their pants. Those types of soul also had their own type of flavor. Like amaretto almost. Sweet and light, but satisfying nonetheless.

She broke out of her reverie when she noticed that Sweet Pea was trying to gauge her reaction. Her pink tongue moved across the metal on her lips slowly and deliberately. Suddenly her eyes were connected with his again, hungry and devoid of any kind of regret for being brought here. That was exactly what he wanted to see.

Pea put an arm around her waist and led her to his bedroom, “I keep my best souls in here.” He whispered to her darkly, thinking he’d sound edgy instead of like a dork. A devilish smile curled on her face as she stepped into the small room. It was dark but plain, much like the living room.

Suddenly he kissed her again, this time a little more forceful and eager. He wasn’t hesitant anymore. Lav’s hand found its way into his pants again. She gripped him firmly through his boxers, thumb rubbing along his shaft slowly. He groaned into their harsh kiss. He sucked on her lower lip and tasted the metal of her piercings. He ran his tongue across them like she just had in the living room a few minutes before.

She moaned softly to edge him along. It was quite an enjoyable kiss if she did say so herself. Most of the time they were nothing to write home about, but this one. This one had fire and passion and a spark of something else…longing? Yes, that was in. Longing for someone to become one with. Longing to not be alone. It tasted light salt, bitter and gritty but flavorful in its own way.

He shifted his position to back her towards his double bed. She obliged him by laying down, however as soon as he was on top she flipped them over. She pulled out of the kiss and smirked down at him, “sorry, baby, I’m doing all the riding tonight.” She said in a low voice that was laced this nothing less than the upmost desire to fuck him senseless. Well, fuck him lifeless was more like it.

Sweet Pea didn’t mind the girl doing the work for once. He was tired after all from working all day. Seeing this gothic beauty on top of him was nothing short of a perfect picture. She peeled off her crop top as well as the fishnet top that was underneath. Her pale breasts were bare in front of him and he could not resist the urge to reach up and run a thumb over the barbell that ran through one of her nipples.

“You enjoy pain?” He asked without much thought behind the question. Certainly all of these body modifications hurt. He could now see the industrial in one ear and line of piercings going up the other. Her body was littered with metal and glittering purple jewels. It was beautiful, arousing, and for a moment he found himself wanting to know more about her.

But did she enjoy pain? No, not really. These piercings didn’t hurt because she conjured them up when she made her human form. She enjoyed the display, the rise she got out of men when they saw her genital piercings. She was wild and untamable and somehow they portrayed that better than anything else could.

No, she didn’t enjoy feeling pain. But she did enjoy giving it. Ever the sadist in taking lives from orgasming men. Never fully satisfied until her hands and teeth are covered in someone else’s blood. The smile on her lips was cruel and cold. Almost as bitter as his longing. “If the moment calls for it.” She said vaguely in an attempt to answer his question.

He hummed back a nonverbal response as he continued to play with her nipples in awe. He pulled on one to test the waters. A thrill of pleasure ran up her spine causing her whole body to shudder. Sweet Pea smirked as if finding a secret button he wasn’t supposed to know about.

He pulled on the other one and elicited the same reaction. Lav let out a small moan as her eyes slid shut. Her hips moved against his, her clothed core rubbing against his hard penis. He couldn’t help but moan back at her, feeling tingles of excitement flow through him. She could feel him throbbing against her.

Lav dipped down low to give him a chaste kiss on the lips before smirking, “there’s something else I want to ride first.” She said in a sweet tone that almost sounded diabetic. Sweet Pea gave her a curious look.

“And that is?” He asked with growing interest. As much as he wanted to be inside her right now, there was nothing wrong with a little foreplay. Hell, he might even enjoy whatever suggestion she had. In fact, he had a sneaking suspicion that he would.

She lifted up off of him, standing briefly to unzip her skirt and slide it down. He watched, noticing the tiny G-string she was wearing as well as the multitude of tattoos that ran across various parts of her body. All of them in a language he did not recognize. There were a few symbols as well, one he did recognize was the Satanic Cross on her hip bone.

“Your face.” She said in an innocent tone that didn’t match her face or her body. “But you have to take your clothes off first. Don’t you want to take your clothes off, daddy?”

He shuddered at the way she said the pet name. It languished out of her mouth slowly and deliberately. Without much thought on who was calling the shots, he quickly sat up and discarded his shirt and jacket. He kicked off his boots in order to take off his pants.

Suddenly he felt extremely self-conscious with her standing there staring at him so intensely. Lav let out something that sounded like a purr as she got down on her knees and kneeled between her legs. “You’re not shy now, papi, are you?” There was laughter hidden somewhere in her voice making Sweet Pea flush red with embarrassment.

Lav hooked her fingers on the elastic waistband of his boxers and pulled them off forcefully. His cock bounced to life as soon as it was free, standing beautifully to attention. She ran her tongue along the thick vein that decorated the side of his shaft.

Sweet Pea tilted his head back as he moaned, wanting nothing more than to feel the back of her throat. She stood up and pushed him back. His eyes snapped to her and he knew exactly what she wanted from him. She took off her thong before crawling on top of him, making sure to touch him the least amount possible just to torture him.

The succubus was straddling his face then, her core over his mouth. There was another glint of light and he saw the tiny barbell on her clitoral hood, looking identical to her belly button ring only smaller. That was a first.

He couldn’t resist the urge to run his hands over her thighs. One dared to venture to her clit and fiddle with the piercing. This evoked a moan even louder than the one he heard when he played with her nipples.

His thumb stayed there, rubbing in small circles as his tongue ran along her slit. Her breath hitched in her throat and she moved her hips against him to silently urge him to do more than just tease her.

Sweet Pea’s tongue dove into her moist core. It swirled around and thrusted in and out in rhythm with her moving hips. His thumb didn’t stop either. He wondered briefly if the piercing made her more sensitive. He increased his pace slowly, teasing her by circling her entrance a few times. When he did this she let out a delectable whine that he drank in thirstily.

Lav had to hold onto the headboard to keep steady as her orgasm began to build. Her fingers turned white as she tried to control herself so that she didn’t smother her prey before she could devour him. Her back arched, head back and eyes closed as her hips rocked feverishly.

He increased his pace one last time, tongue diving in as deep as it could possibly go. A cry of ecstasy escaped her as she hit her peak, her hips jerked as a shudder wracked her entire body. She stayed in the same position for a moment before letting out a sigh of relief. Sweet Pea tenderly lapped up the excess juices that had spilled out of her.

Once she could no longer feel his tongue against her, only the heavy puffs of breath coming from his lips, she moved so she was straddling his waist. She reached down and grabbed his shaft so she could rub his tip along her folds. Sweet Pea groaned, wanting nothing more than to be inside of her.

He reached over towards his nightstand where a box of Magnums lay open with a few gold foiled wrappers spilling out. “There’s no need for that.” She said in a cooing voice. “I’m infertile.”

This was perhaps the most perfect one night stand in his lifetime. Maybe if she was lucky he’d make her a regular. Josie was gone too much to satisfy him anyway. Plus he was enjoying the way this stranger teased him mercilessly. Of course, he almost crashed his bike but it was still so exciting.

Lav positioned his tip at her entrance and slid down onto him. Both of them moaned in delighted unison. Finally, finally, some satisfaction for the both of them. God it felt so good going in raw. She was tight and wet and…cool? It almost felt like she had used some kind of lubricant to make the inside of her give off a cooling sensation. He hadn’t felt it when he was eating her out though. How the hell did she do that?

What Sweet Pea didn’t know would be the demise of him. Succubi were naturally colder on the inside. Most demons were. It felt so amazingly unique that he didn’t know how he was going to describe this to Fangs next time he saw him. But there won't be a next time.

His rough hands grabbed her hips and moved them. Lav chuckled at how impatient he was before starting to rock her hips against him. He continued to hold onto her tightly, thumb rubbing over the Satanic cross on her right hip bone and the strange symbol on her left. Fuck, he was going to need multiple rounds of this tonight. He wanted this sensation to last forever.

She rode him hard, never letting up her frantic but precise pace. Sweet Pea thrust up into her with great force, hitting her cervix multiple times and causing her to whimper with pleasure every time he did. It was his goal to hit it with every thrust just to hear that heavenly sound.

For a brief moment Lavender’s hunger grew so uncontrollable that she almost started ripping into him. She put his hands on his broad chest to steady herself, long nails lightly piercing his skin causing him to smirk up at her. If only she knew what these nails could really do. He’d be finding out soon enough.

The wet sounds of their slick skin slamming together echoed in the small room. Moans and grunts reverberated off of the thin walls. She was so loud, practically screaming “Oh fuck! Oh Daddy! Fuck me harder! Just like that!” Or anything similar really. She seemed downright creative with her word combos. Sweet Pea loved it. Josie never got this loud or this wild. She was fine with missionary most of the time which was okay with him but god it got so boring. He’d definitely be getting her number later.

Or so he innocently thought.

Lav came first, much harder this time than when she was on his face. Her muscles squeezed him so tightly that he himself orgasmed inside of her. He looked at the face she was making, the high was written all over it. But something was strange he quickly noticed, when she opened her closed eyes they were black as coal just as they had been before. Her walls were still clamped down on him, holding him firmly in place.

Sweet Pea tried to move away but she was holding him down with incredible strength. Her long nails grew into long claws that suck into his chest and soon he was screaming in pain instead of pleasure. Blood spilled from him in gushes and Christ it even felt like something was coming out of his dick.

Basil. She needed basil, as fresh as possible. Gods, why did she run out at a time like this? Her flashlight bounced across the ground as she tried to find the green plant she so desperately needed to bring down Sweet Pea’s fever. It had spiked so suddenly and she hadn’t even realized that she was out. He had managed to croak out where to find his recipe for a simple potion to bring it down. It was in his grimoire, towards the back where most of his remedies were.

She had everything but basil and all of the plants in her garden seemed to wither at once the day before. It was a sign. A terrible sign that she didn’t even want to think about decoding. But sooner or later she would have to. Something had arrived here, something rotting and horrible. Something that sucked all the magic out of their garden.

Her nervous eyes looked up at the moon, beautiful and full. Full. That was the issue. No one on the Southside went out on a full moon if they knew what was good for them. Actually, no one went out after dark anymore. Not with what has been going on. Not with the red circle and their guardsmen out with guns full of silver. She looked human at least. She had no reason to fear them, per se. But what they were after? That was something anyone would be afraid of whether they were armed or not.

Something caught her eye, bright green leaves sprouting from the forest floor. The light shook in her hands as she dropped to her knees to collect as many leaves as she could without killing it. Who knows when she’d need more. She took out a leather pouch to put them in. That’s when she heard it.

A low, feral growl sounded in the unusually quiet woods. Wolves weren’t much of a danger for witches, not normally. This wasn’t any regular wolf though. It was the creature that had plagued Riverdale with so much death and destruction the past few weeks. It was the catalyst of the rift between those that were human and those that were not.

Dry leaves crunched loudly under heavy paws. The underbrush swayed, adding to the noise that had the fair haired witch frozen in place. The flashlight in her hand moved as she managed to project the light onto the shaking bushes. She didn’t want to see what it was, not really. However morbid curiosity had her looking anyway. Something about wanting to see death’s face before she met him.

Slowly it broke from the brush. A face that probably should have been white was actually grey with smudges of mud. She’d seen plenty of werewolves before, most of them were harmless if their heads were on straight. This one however even smelled like death as frothy drool dripped from its gaping mouth. Eyes a bright sunshine yellow that seemed to glow in the dim light. It was about three and a half feet tall, which made it about a head taller than any healthy wolf.

It wasn’t at full height though. Shoulders were hunched as it crouched low to the ground so that it could spring at any moment. Their eyes were connected and she could not find even a trace of humanity in them. No, this creature was too far gone. Too far settled into madness. She realized that it probably didn’t even know what it was.

Suddenly it shifted its weight onto its back feet before lunging forward with a powerful leap. She couldn’t even scream as terror strangled her.

It happened so fast.

A black blur tackled down the pale wolf that was now in midair. A dark furry mass growled, staining the already dirty fur with red. It was a hard hit but the newcomer did not have a good grip with his teeth. The smaller wolf was thrown off in less than a minute.

Lily grabbed the pouch full of basil leaves and scrambled backwards out of the way. The two wolves fought vehemently, the dark one letting out sharp yelps of pain more than a few times. The white one was thrown back again finally as howls let out in the distance. It seemed to cock its head at the sound before snarling. Promptly, the large wolf turned and bounded away.

Lily shown her light on her savior. His once fluffy coat was slicked back in places with thick liquid that she knew was blood. He wasn’t putting weight on one foreleg. His eyes were on her, a dark gold color with specs of honey. There was sanity in them, a kind of calmness. A breath escaped her chest, one she had not realized that she had been holding.

The wolf padded towards her with a heavy limp. It looked at her curiously, head cocked as if to ask what she was doing here.

That’s right, the herbs! Lily looked at her pouch and saw she had plenty of basil in it now. She bit her lip, looking towards the werewolf before glancing back towards the cottage where she lived in the woods with Sweet Pea.

“Come with me,” she finally said softly, “I can heal you, just come with me.” She stood up and offered her hand to him as if he would take it. Suddenly she felt foolish, a blush light on her cheeks as she put her hand away. “Please, it’s the least I can do.”

She turned, hoping that he’d follow her back. After taking a few steps she heard him behind her, following without any objection. He found himself wondering who she was or, more specifically, what she was. She didn’t smell totally human. In fact, she smelled like warm sunshine on an early summer morning. It was pleasant if not somewhat intoxicating. Hopefully she’d be aware that he could not change back until the moon set. This is the form she’d have to tend to for now.

The walk back was short, only about fifteen minutes. Every time she heard a leaf crunch or twig snap, Lily stopped and listened. She waited for a sign that the vargulf had come back to finish them both off. The dark wolf behind her hadn’t done much damage to it during the fight. It only left because it heard the rest of his pack coming closer. It was sick, not stupid.

Once outside the stone house she looked back at her pursuer. He blinked up at her with those same beautifully captivating eyes. She felt her breath catch in her chest again before unlocking the door and walking inside. “Sweets?” She called out into the darkness. He groaned a response from the worn couch he was laying on, half-conscious.

“I need your help.” She said as she walked in. The wolf hesitated at the entrance, looking behind him, scanning the edge of the woods for any sign of someone following them. Once he was satisfied with the silence of the trees, he hobbled inside.

The door shut behind him on its own. He noticed that the girl had flicked her wrist towards it slowly. A thought clicked on in his brain as realization hit him. She was a magic user, most likely a witch. Though he had never met a witch that smelled as wonderful as she did.

He heard the creaking of furniture and shuffling of feet. A tall man wrapped in a multitude of blankets appeared looking more pitiful than intimidating. He smelled woody, like the earth after a fresh spring rain. It was pleasant and much more witch like, the wolf mused.

The male witch spotted the wolf and halted, a scowl spreading across his face. “You brought that into the house?!” He snapped at the witch who dwarfed in front of him, “Daisy is right in the other room! Are you crazy?” He stepped between the two that had just entered protectively. He cut off the wolf’s path towards the rest of their home.

“Nathaniel, calm down.” Lily said dryly and he flinched at her using his real name. “He saved my life and he’s hurt. I need your help healing him.”

Sweet Pea huffed indignantly, “you know my magic won’t work while I’m sick.” He replied in a sour tone. “Even if I wasn’t sick, it won’t work on him in that form. Did you get the basil?”

Lily rolled her eyes and shoved him out of the way. She walked up to the werewolf who was now sitting on the wooden floor. Her hand softly pet his head between his ears, a warm smile on her face. “Go back to the couch and I’ll clean him up.”

“Him? What about me?” Sweet Pea asked in an offended tone. Shouldn’t he come first? He was her best friend and the father of her child. Certainly she should be healing him and not this stranger donned in fur.

She sighed in annoyance of his obvious jealousy, “I’ll brew your potion first then, okay?” Her voice was heavy with frustration. The warlock on nodded in response before sulking back to his place on the couch, his body lost under the layers of blankets. 

Lily grabbed his moleskin grimoire. He had wanted a leather one but moleskin was all they could afford. She had been saving up for months to buy him one for his birthday. Unfortunately their daughter, Daisy, became extremely ill and needed to see a doctor in town. It was a sickness beyond anything they could handle with simple potions and magics. Every penny she had pinched was gone. 

These thoughts perturbed her as she went to the bookmarked page. A frown was on her delicate face as she began to brew the easy concoction. Hopefully this would be all he needed. They couldn’t really afford another doctor visit. Not without skipping out on a bill or two. 

She added the basil to the part she had already half brewed. Once she finished the rest of the steps, she poured the contents into a mug with a broken handle. Purple tinted steam rose up out of the dark liquid. A light, herbal scent wafted from it. 

The mystery wolf sat in the entryway still, not daring to overstep his welcome by going somewhere he wasn’t supposed to. He watched the sad look on the witch’s face and wondered what caused such a sullen expression. He was frowning too, though you couldn’t really see it. Emotions didn’t translate too well in this form. 

Once the potion had cooled enough so it wouldn’t burn going down, Lily took the mug to Sweet Pea who was almost asleep on the couch. She peeled back the layers of old quilts and crocheted yarn blankets to see his tired face. “Here, Pea.” She whispered to him as she handed over the mug. 

Sweet Pea sat up enough to swallow the earthy liquid. It tasted like soil and was bitter going down, but almost instantly he felt relief. Chills stopped running up his spine as he lay back down. A small cough sputtered from his throat as he closed his eyes. “Thanks, Lils.” He mumbled groggily, the medicine taking effect. 

She watched him fall into the deepest sleep he’d had in weeks. A smile lit up her face as she tucked him in lovingly. The wolf, watching them intensely, mistook this tenderness as affection. It wasn’t. Not truly. Sure they had tried the whole dating thing, tried to make things work even after Lily mistakenly became pregnant. But in the end they were better as friends than lovers. They were compatible, sure, yet not quite compatible enough to last. 

So while it looked like they were a couple, it really wasn’t something so serious. Lily cared deeply for Sweet Pea and he cared deeply for her. But love? They were never in love. It was just the comfort of not being alone that they loved. After all, they had no one else in their lives. Orphans with only each other. 

But of course, he did not know any of this. He didn’t understand the pang of regret he felt in his heart. Especially since he had his own fair haired woman waiting for him on the Northside. Though admittedly things were not so great between him and Betty at the moment. The more violence that the Northside rallied for, the more uneasy it made him, and the less she understood why he found himself not wanting to ever risk crossing the railroad tracks. The only reason he did these days were to see her. 

Lily set the mug down on the small end table next to the couch and walked over to the werewolf. She kneeled down, still smiling that beautiful smile that had his pain fading away. “I guess you can’t change back yet. I’ll still clean you up though, okay?” 

He cocked his head at her, not wanting to be too vocal and wake up the sleeping members of the household. She pet his fur between his ears again, making his mouth open and tongue lull out. It was perhaps the most non threatening image of any wolf that had ever existed. He looked like an overgrown puppy that just wanted attention. 

Which was somewhat true. He did want attention, but only hers. Quickly he cursed himself for even thinking that way. 

Lily got up and motioned for him to follow her into the kitchen. He trotted, nails clicking against the hardwood floors. The sound caused her smile to grow ever so slightly. 

Once they were in the kitchen she went under the sink to grab a few towels and what appeared to be a modern first aid kit. He felt this to be a little strange for a magic user to have, though he truly didn’t know a whole lot about witchcraft and what could and couldn’t be done. 

Simple cuts and burns, bug bites and bee stings, didn’t really need magic. It could be seen as a waste of energy. There was such a finite amount that using it on any little thing was truly a waste. Lily practiced magic when it was absolutely needed and she strictly only used white magic. 

Sweet Pea wasn’t as reserved as her, using all kinds of magic (though mostly black) to do whatever it was he wanted to do. She tried to stop him, tried to get him to change, for black magic always comes with a price. Eventually you will owe more than you can give. This scared her deeply, not wanting to see him hurt in any way. 

Lily put her hand on his head for a moment and closed her eyes, “What is your name?” She asked him then. It wasn’t out loud, rather a voice inside his head and he knew what she was doing. 

“Jughead Jones.” He thought back to her. She drew her hand away, not wanting to use any more energy than she had to. Her smile faltered a fraction and he knew exactly why. It was his surname. Jones. His father was the alpha of the largest wolf pack in Riverdale. Those woods they had been in was his territory and he made sure all of Southside knew that. 

“Jughead,” She repeated out loud and he found himself adoring the way she spoke his name. “Interesting,” she giggled then before wetting one of the rags. “I’m Lily Owens and that’s Sweet Pea on the couch. Just ignore him though, he’s being an overprotective grump because he’s sick.” 

She started to wipe away the blood on his fur. The white rag began to turn pink with it. Jughead sat perfectly still, despite the tiny sparks of pain that flurried through him any time she hit an open wound. If Jughead had anything on the gods’ green Earth, it was control. 

But if Lily had anything it was the master ability of picking up even the slightest changes of body language. It was magic that required no energy for her, so when she did touch these places on him she noticed the way his eyes seemed to change for a fraction of a moment. She found herself apologizing in a soft voice whenever this happened.

“You shouldn’t go back out tonight, in case it comes back. You won’t be able to defend yourself, I don’t think…” her voice trailed as the uncertainty in her heart made it waiver. Some of the places were inches deep from long canines sinking into soft flesh. The blood was thickest there, sticky with clots and almost black.

The healing ability of werewolves was fast but not nearly as fast as legends would have you believe. These cuts would scab and fade within a few days rather than a few minutes. It was totally possible to die from things other than silver bullets, though bullets would certainly do the job faster. Regular leaded ones. Silver bullets were actually quite inaccurate due to their weight and hitting something with on was more based on luck than marksmanship. This was something The Red Circle had yet to figure out. Some legends were created as a protective cover for the supernatural. Silver bullets was one of them.

By the time Lily was done cleaning off most of the blood, the rag she had in her hand was a dark and blotchy red. Jughead felt almost a weight lifted off of him as he could feel his fur no longer clumped together with his viscous life force. To be completely honest this was the cleanest he had felt in a very long time.

The witch didn’t need to convince him to stay. Her offer was quickly accepted. The black wolf nodded his head slowly to show that he would remain there with great appreciation of his hostess.

Lily smiled a beautifully genuine smile as she stood up, tossing the red piece of cloth into the sink haphazardly. She’d deal with it in the morning. As of now it was late, past midnight, and she was exhausted. Daisy would be up early without a doubt, though she’d probably pester her father first.

“Do you want me to get you a blanket or pillow or…something?” She asked, unsure of what a wolf would need for comfort. He chuckled inside his head at her, amused by how much she wanted him to feel good.

His answer came in the form of him limping towards the brick fireplace and laying down, curling into a tight ball of fluff. Lily understood this as a sign of him not needing anything and retreated into her own bedroom to try and get some much needed sleep. Although, to be perfectly honest, she wasn’t sure if she would even be able to knowing she had a Jones in the living room. Would FP come looking for him when he didn’t return home? Hopefully not. 

+++

A purple haired demon clicked her long stiletto nails rhythmically across the oak table, obviously bored out of her mind. Waiting on assignments from her boss was even more tortuous than hell itself. She groaned after looking at the clock for the hundredth time.

The old door that led into the old house creaked and the demon’s black eyes lit up with hope. A petite blonde woman walked in, wearing a dramatically heavy robe. Dark makeup swirled around her equally dark eyes. “Have you eaten?” She asked cryptically.

Lav grit her teeth, almost compelled to tell her to go fuck herself however the small mark on her pulse point burned at the mere thought. “It’s been a few days. As you requested.” She finally replied in a strained voice. She could not disobey, not without severe consequence. Though sometimes Lavender wondered if living in hell would be less painful that walking the mortal realm under the heel of Myra’s boot.

And curse Satan for creating something as monstrous and evil as Myra’s father. The demon which taught her everything he knew. The demon that created an even bigger evil than himself. Probably, Lav thought bitterly, an evil even greater than the devil.

She was so impossibly hungry. The longer she spent on Earth with mortals the more she had to eat just to stay sane. But Myra, oh this fucking creature spawned in the depths of hell, forced her to starve herself for the past two days. It wasn’t good for someone as young as her. It wasn’t good at all.

“Excellent,” Myra said with a feverish grin that showed pointed teeth. “I have a very special conquest for you. There is a warlock in Riverdale. He’s been writing checks his body can’t cash and now my father requires his soul.”

“And that’s where I come in,” Lav drawled out in a bored tone. “You want me to fuck his brains outs.”

Myra snorted back a laugh at her crude comment. “Well, I can’t account for how much brain matter he actually has. Fuck his soul out instead.”

“But he’s a magic user. He’ll know what I am.” Lav countered, knowing that bedding a warlock could be dangerous. There were powerful spells that could seriously harm her kind. Unfortunately, she wasn’t very good at hiding her own darkness from others. She was easy to spot…if you knew things like her existed and walked the earth at least.

However, none of this was Myra’s problem. Myra’s problem was her father demanded this witch’s soul and her enslaved soul sucker just had to seduce him to get it. It shouldn’t be hard. Lav was good at what she did, whether she hid herself or not. Talent begets talent and her mother had been one of the best.

Lavender was in truth a hybrid. Her father had been human, her mother a demon. Though most demon women were infertile, barren, and totally incapable of breeding; her father had had just enough of a touch of magic to allow her to be conceived. It was nothing short of a miracle. The high ranking demons demanded the girl be recruited for the army of hell. An army that was to rise up and overtake the mortal realm of earth one day.

In short, the apocalypse.

And in the end, the prince of demons himself would have her under his thumb. Well, more specifically his daughter would have the hybrid under her thumb. Asmodeus bragged more often than not about how his daughter was the one to obtain a virile hybrid into the ranks of hell.

“I don’t want you to just obtain his soul, Shoshanna.” Myra added, her voice dropping to something that sounded more grave for a heavier impact. The use of her old mortal name had Lav on edge, “You are to conceive his child.”

Lavender froze, “You want me to have a baby?” She asked, completely confused as to why anyone would want this. She had been told that because she was a hybrid that she was capable of breeding and that any lesser demon would use her for this purpose, but Myra assured her that she was not a lesser demon.

It would seem that Myra, as she had many times before, twisted the truth when she tricked Lavender to serve under her. “And on top of that you want me to kill that baby’s father?”

Myra scoffed, not seeing what the issue could possibly be. “He won’t die. Magic users can live without a soul, in fact it makes them all the more powerful. He will be thanking you by the time you’re done.”

Deep down Lavender knew she didn’t want to do what was being asked of her. She had no desire to have children, at least not at this point in her immortal life. “So I have this child and then what?” Lavender asked, the inverted pentacle on her throat was burning now. It felt like a fire hot brand was being pressed against her sensitive skin just from thinking about how much she didn’t want to do this. 

And if hurt this much at the thought, then what would happen if she actually went through with disobedience? It was beyond sinful. 

“You give the child to me.” Myra replied as if her minion was the dumbest demon that walked the Earth. “I will raise it to follow Asmodeus’ whim just as I was raised and just as I’ve commanded you to. They will join the legions of hell and we’ll be one step closer to our goal.” 

The gears inside the succubus’ brain clicked into place. “My child is going to start the apocalypse?” It was a bit of a reach, however she knew how Myra operated. She knew what the endgame was and she knew what was needed to get there. A child. A very special kind of hybrid to be exact. 

Myra smiled, cruel and wicked, “as it is written. The child will bring hell on mortal Earth.” She moved closer to the young demon and cupped her face in what could almost be seen as a loving manner. “You are the key, Shoshanna, that is why I have cultivated you into the best seductress on this side of Hell. Do this for me and I will set you free.” 

Freedom. The thought rang suddenly, as clear as a church bell in Lavender’s mind. Freedom which she had been dreaming of for over twenty years was now within reach. Bringing on the apocalypse couldn’t possibly be that bad of a price. After all she was already guaranteed her run of the Earth and her fill in the souls of mortal men. What did she have to lose?

The burning disappeared suddenly and all thoughts of deserting the cause vanished with it. “Deal.”

Suddenly the door broke open, a lean and very naked man stumbled in, holding a shoulder that was drenched in thick dark blood. There were a few other scrapes and obvious bite marks across his arms and upper torso, but his shoulder was definitely the worst.

Lav glanced out of the window and saw the sun was rising. The newcomer collapsed onto the stone floor, his breath ragged and rough. Myra moved at a speed that Lav had never seen before, at his side instantly and scooping him into her arms. The purple haired demon watched with growing curiosity.

“Leave us,” Myra demanded then and Lav sighed. She stood and left after giving a small wave by flicking her wrist nonchalantly. Once she was gone Myra began to brush back the man’s dark hair.

He groaned as he rested his head against her, clearly exhausted from the battle with the moon. He couldn’t remember anything that had happened since sundown. He wasn’t even sure how he had gotten here. The only thing he knew for sure was that he was safe within his demon princess’ arms.

“The Jones boy,” Myra practically growled with seething hatred. “He will pay for this.” She could smell his scent all over her lover as well as the death and decay that her rabid wolf had brought. The blood was not all his and that she knew for sure. The wolf just breathed a heavy sigh in response, not knowing who Jones was or what Myra meant by what she said.

Myra chanted a spell in a demonic language that was older than the Earth itself. At once all of the wounds on his body began to close and heal. The magic slowly worked its way throughout his body so that there was nothing left but the blood that had come from his wounds and from his attacker. His mouth was full of it. Coppery and earthy, it was actually a comforting taste.

“Kurtz,” She said softly as he began to fall asleep, his body torn from the change that caused him to run rampant across Riverdale. “Let’s get you cleaned up, my love.” Her voice was light and almost human.

Hazel eyes peered in through the window, watching with an absurd amount of intrigue. In the two decades she had been enslaved to the blonde demon, she had never seen her act…tender. She had brief lapses where she wasn’t quite as horrid but she was never sweet. Lavender thought she was incapable of such things. Myra was so distracted that she couldn’t even feel her presence there right outside the ramshackle house.

That was perhaps a good thing, as Myra would have tortured her with rage had she noticed.

Myra managed to get the man she called Kurtz up and into the bathtub. She ran him a bath of hot water, adding a few herbs into the mix to help soothe his broken body. The change was so hard on him. The madness wracked his body, causing him to shake in the milky bath water.

She grabbed a washcloth and began to scrub away the blood as he relaxed against the tile, his head falling to the side as he fell in and out of sleep. “The white witch, did I get her?” He asked suddenly in a broken voice that had her withered heart wrenching.

“No, not this time.” Myra replied in a tone that showed no disappointment in him. She was too worried to care if the witch was dead or not. He had come close, she could feel that, but the black wolf got in the way.

They had finally crossed paths, light and dark, and Myra feared that she may be too late to stop them. There was one way the final prophecy could fail, only one, and of course those two had something to do with it. At least as far as she could tell. Decoding ancient texts was not an exact science, rather a fine art.

But there was still time, her slave was now on course to become with child. Soon no one would be able to stop her from raising the depths of hell.

“Soon, my wolf.” She said with a bite to her voice now. Anger bloomed as the water began to turn pink. She stared intently at a sprig of fresh lavender that floated by, “We will get her soon.”