I move slowly along the ground, barely an inch off the forest’s floor. Dusk is falling and my elemental form is nearly imperceptible in the growing dark, a fact I’m counting on. Outrunning Kierra is impossible but if I’m very careful, I can avoid her.

I hear a crack. Really, I’m not sure that I do. It could have been my imagination but I freeze anyway, as tense as my gelatinous body can get.

There. A shape moving through the trees. I can’t be a hundred percent sure that’s my pursuer but I think it is. She’s about fifteen meters away, moving slowly, her head tilted toward the ground. I grin wickedly. This time, I made good use of my head start and laid several false trails. Of course, the elf is slowly narrowing down my position but three minutes have already passed. My goal is to make it to five.

I am entirely still as I watch Kierra investigate the area. Once again, I am grateful for this body that does not need a heart or lungs. I’ve learned that elves have incredible hearing. As close as she is, my heart thudding in my chest could give me away.

She’s following the trail away from me and I contain the urge to jump for joy. Yes! If she follows it I can double back. I could make it past five minutes.

But after a few steps, she stops suddenly and turns back around. The heart I don’t have drops into the stomach I don’t have as she focuses in my direction, eyes narrowing. Maybe she doesn’t see me. Maybe’s she’s just-

Kierra dashes forward. I’m moving at the same time. In a blink, I’ve turned into a wolf and dashed off, darting through the trees. In this form, I can almost match her in speed but my sensitive ears pick up her heavy footfalls as she races after me.

Just as she’s about to catch me, I leap. Midair, I shift back to a blob and throw my tentacle arms out at a nearby branch, pulling myself onto it. I don’t stop there and throw my arm to the next one, quickly ascending. Kierra is right behind me, the thinner footholds doing nothing to slow her down.

Frickin’ stubborn elf. Alright. Let’s see if you can keep up. Take this! The technique I developed while you were sleeping.

I jump off my branch and throw out my arms, catching a low branch the next tree over. I compress my body into a ball and, instead of pulling myself up, I swing forward. At the height of the arch, I let go of the branch I’m on and catch the next one.

With each swing, I speed up. When I’m pretty sure that I have a good lead on her, I chance a look backward.

I almost miss my next branch. What the heck? Wha-this is just ridiculous. Elves are ridiculous. She’s right behind me, jumping through the trees as easily as she runs on the ground. Even from here I can see the big smile on her face as she closes in on me.

No way. I worked too hard on this to get caught so easily. I aim for a higher branch and gain some height. Kierra follows right behind me but before she can get too close, I drop down, leaving her several feet above me.

I keep alternating heights and the gap between us lengthens. For a moment. Then Kierra regains her balance. She moves to branches midway up and does something unexpected. Her hands begin to glow bright green as she works a spell. I curse inwardly as the branches ahead of me and above me wither and die, dropping down to the forest floor.

Using magic is cheating!

Oh no. I’m running out of branches to swing off of and with so few options, Kierra knows where I’m going to be. I can feel her waiting for the moment to pounce. I’m screwed. I’m going to get caught.

Grr. Not yet. I’m not done yet. I prepared a special surprise for you.

I purposely launch myself further into the air than I need to. The extra air time makes me a clear target and, as I expected, Kierra jumps from her branch, ready to tackle me.

As she nears me, I stretch my body out wide, like a net. I have a single moment to relish the surprise on her face before I wrap myself around her, binding her legs together and trapping her arms against her side.

We tumble to the ground. Kierra tries to break free of my hold but the struggle is useless. My human muscles would have caved against her superior strength but not the new and improved me. If I could cackle, I would.

Keep struggling. I love it. I can hear you cursing in that musical language that I don’t understand a word of but your frustration is obvious. The harder you push against me, the more of you I can feel. I tighten around her, squeezing until I hear a groan.

I didn’t do that just to fondle you. No, no. It’s just that you’re struggling pretty hard, you know? I just don’t want you to get free.

Hmm? What is this? I can feel something tingly across my surface. Oh. Her hands are glowing. Is this magic? Is she casting a spell on me? I don’t think it’s supposed to be tickling me. I must be resisting it. I’m magic resistant now? Awesome.

I give her a few squeezes, hoping they can communicate my humor. Haha. Too bad, little elf. Your tricks don’t work on me. This is it. I’ve completely beaten you. Give up now.

As if she can hear me, Kierra sighs in exasperation and goes limp. “You win.”

Hehe.

“You can let me go now.”

Just a minute. I’m enjoying the moment.

“Louuuuu.”

I release my hold on her and slither off to the side. My blob form reshapes into a human silhouette. I wait until she is on her feet and facing me before I break into a victory dance, prancing about in a circle.

Kierra laughs at me and claps along. I ham it up and finish with a dramatic backflip, landing perfectly on my feet. Kierra’s applause becomes louder and I bow, grasping at the air as if I am grabbing flowers thrown to me by a crowd of admirers like the performers do in the city.

My arm is grabbed, halting my theatrics as I’m dragged back in the direction of the tree. We reach it just as the last of daylight disappears beneath the horizon. I jog ahead of her and scramble up the ladder to her room, jumping on the bed as I shift to my human form, a rare thing for me lately. Can’t be helped. To properly brag, I need my voice.

Kierra comes up the ladder, her eyes lighting up with amusement when she sees the way I’ve claimed her bed. I put my arms behind my head and lounge, a cocky smile on my face. “I won.”

“Yes, Lou. You did. We’ve already established that.”

“I beat you.”

“Uh-hmm.”

“You, an elf, got outran. In your home turf. Even using your magic.”

Kierra chuckles as she kicks off her boots and climbs onto the furs, crouching over me. “You like to rub it in.”

I do. I am very proud of this. It is an accomplishment. Weeks of getting tackled to the ground and chewed on by her and I’ve finally won. She even made me change back to being human since her teeth can’t do much to my ooze form. Not that I minded much.

Eventually, it didn’t so much as hurt as feel good. One time, I even moaned when I felt her teeth sinking into me. Kierra never mentioned it so I hoped she just took it as a sign of pain rather than pleasure. Because of her, I think I’m developing some strange interests.

“I’m a bad winner. And a bad loser.”

“I bet you didn’t have a lot of friends when you were younger.”

“Of course I did. Don’t you know that money can buy you anything?”

“That’s a terrible attitude.”

“I’m a terrible person. I fully accept this.”

Kierra runs her fingers across my scalp and I sigh. She does this so often, I think it must mean something in elf culture. I’ve tried asking her about herself but whenever I do, she just smiles in that 'don’t hate me, but I’m not going to answer you' way. “You did good, Lou. You really did.”

I preen under the praise. Heh. I may be lazy but everyone likes doing a good job. “Does that mean I’m ready to leave now?”

Her fingers pause. I look up and see a forlorn expression on her face. “Kierra? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She forces a smile but it’s a shadow of its usual warmth. Her fingers resume their motion. “Yes, you should be able to make it through now. You’ll have to move during the day and find good hiding places at night but that shouldn’t be much concern. You have incredible stamina. If you run straight through, it’ll only take you two days, three at most.”

She sounds sad as she says this. I’ve been wondering about it for a while but Kierra must be lonely. The way she attached to me so quickly, how she nearly insisted I sleep with her. Deer, wolves, and the various monsters nesting in the forest can’t make for great company.

“We’ll have to go over a few more things. Proper directions, animal patterns, and gathering. You can eat wolves but killing tends to attract attention.” Her smile widens into a genuine one. “Looks like you’ll be stuck with me for a little while longer.”

“…you can come with me, you know.”

She shakes her head sadly. “I can’t.”

“But why not?” I sit up, grabbing her shoulders when she turns away. “Kierra, I mean it. Whatever it is that you need to do to get out of here, I’ll help. I owe you at least that much. Between the two of us, we can handle it. Yeah?”

For a minute, I think she’s going to confide in me. I can see she wants to. The secret yearns to burst out of her, her jaw working as it fights to escape her throat. But then she clamps down, locking it behind a sad smile.

I sigh and let her go, relaxing on the bed. Fine. Hold out on me. But what you don’t know is that I’m not leaving this forest until I figure it out. I lied when I said I had a bunch of friends. I didn’t have any, not a single one.

The other nobles avoided my bitter father like the plague. The only ones immune to the poison he spat were just as venomous, their children the same. I much preferred the boisterous farmers’ sons and bakers’ daughters but I was never allowed outside when I was young. By the time I was older and able to sneak off, I had to hide my identity because those laughing children had grown into the same noble-hating attitude as their parents. If they discovered who I was, there were equal chances I would be avoided or robbed for the fat coin purse I didn’t have.

Kierra is my first real friend. No way I’m just going to leave her here when she’s clearly sad. I may be lazy and far from a saint but I’m not heartless. At least when it comes to people I like. Huh. Who’d have thought I’d go out of my way like this?

“Alright then. I’ll just focus on my training. You better be careful. At this rate, I’ll be a better hunter than you when I leave.”

She snorts at that. “I sincerely doubt it. You may have potential but it is like comparing a cub to the mother who feeds it.” Her hand moves from my hair to trail across my cheek. “Are you hungry?”

“Nah.” I don’t know how she manages to do it without me noticing but whenever I’ve told her I’m hungry, dead animals appear on the bottom floor. Mainly green wolves. Apparently, she enjoys killing them. Says she’s cleaning up the forest. Whatever. I get plenty to eat and give her a nice pelt in return.

“Good. Then I think it’s time we discuss your reward.”

I perk up. “Reward?”

Kierra chuckles. “If you get punishments when you do poorly, doesn’t it make sense that you get rewarded when you do well?”

You won’t get an argument from me! “What do I get?”

She moves closer, putting her arms on either side of me as she pushes one of her legs between my own. After back to back transformations, I’ve gotten pretty used to being naked around her but the point is being brought home right now.

Her silver hair falls around our heads in a curtain tickling my cheek as she leans closer. That intensity I admire so much is back but this time, it’s focused on me. Suddenly, the room feels twice as hot and the air is hard to breathe.

“I’ve been thinking about it for quite a while. Originally, I was going to give you my spare bow. That’s the normal gift for young elves and I thought it would be good if you learned to defend yourself. However, you seem able to do that on your own and…I have a feeling I can give you something you’d appreciate a lot more than wood.”

She’s so close now our noses are almost touching. We’re breathing the same air. I know she can hear my heart racing. This can only go one way, right? She can only be talking about one thing, right? Please let that be it. It would be plain cruel if she’s teasing me right now.

Her eyes are pinned to my lips but they flick upwards to meet my own. They peer into me as if they’re searching for something. Waiting. Are you looking for permission? Seriously? Why haven’t you kissed me already? No, you know what? Screw it.

My heart stops as I close the meager space between us, bringing our lips together. Hmm. This is nice, but, hmm. I mean, I was expecting-

My thoughts scramble as Kierra takes control of the kiss. Her fingers grab ahold of my ears to hold me in place and she tilts her head to get impossibly closer. Her lips move against mine in a gentle caress but at the same time, they are also demanding. She won’t let us part for even a moment. Ah, there isn’t enough air. I’m starting to feel dizzy and the rising heat is only making it worse. Still, I wouldn’t pull away if I could. Forgive me for thinking this was going to be lackluster. I had no idea.

I jump as I feel Kierra’s tongue slide across my bottom lip. What? I don’t, I feel like she’s trying to tell me something but I’m not getting it. It’s not my fault. It’s impossible to think right now.

She gets tired of waiting for me to catch on. Her tongue forces its way past my lips to twine about my own. Things inside me twist with pleasure as she leisurely explores my mouth. My hands flex uselessly on the furs but I know where I want to put them. It should be okay now. This is that kind of situation.

Hesitantly, I bring them up, just barely touching her shoulder blades. Then I let them drift down, tracing her spine through her leather vest. Further, until I reach her hips. She moves then and I freeze, losing my nerve. I’m about to drop them but one of her hands grabs my wrist, holding it in place.

“Keep going.” She pulls away from our kiss for a heartbeat to whisper the command and then reclaims possession of my tongue.

Well, since you gave me permission.

My hands move back up to her waist and continue on their original track. It takes a little strength to push them through the waistband of her tight pants but the discomfort is worth it to feel her smooth skin.

Kierra groans and sits up. Her face is greener than before. Hmm? Is that how elves blush? That’s interesting. But even more interesting is the clumsy way her hands undo the string holding her pants up.

The pressure on my hands disappears and I easily reach my destination. I grab her ass and squeeze.

Ooo. This feels better than I expected. The way she bucks when I apply pressure. Jeez, she is toned everywhere. I can feel her muscles flexing.

Kierra uses one of her hands to urge the leg she’s straddling upwards and starts grinding her center against my thigh. I can feel a slick heat pooling between my legs as I stare up at her, my panting breaths harsh to my ears. My fingers flex, my nails digging into her flesh as I pull her against me.

The elf moans. “It’s been so long…I held myself back for so long, but I can have this.” She plants her hands on either side of me for balance as she increases her rhythm. Ah. This time there’s no mistake. The shadow over her eyes isn’t just a trick of the light. It’s lust. “Tell me I can have this, Lou.”

I have to swallow past a dry mouth to respond. “You can have this.”

Her fingers undo the straps on her vest and she shrugs it off, exposing her voluptuous chest. “I won’t be dishonest with you. I claim this is a reward for you but it is just as much for myself.”

“I’m not complaining,” I mutter, my eyes glued to her erect nipples. I’ve heard they grow hard as rocks. I want to confirm this for myself but my hands seem to have gained a will of their own and are communicating their unwillingness to leave their current perch.

“You hesitate so much even though you practically devour me with your eyes.”

I blush and look away. “Sorry. I’ve just never, um-”

A finger on my lips quiets me. “I guessed as much. It’s not a criticism, Lou. There is a certain thrill derived from introducing someone to pleasures like this.” She sheds her pants and tosses them away haphazardly before pressing against me.

Something about the way our bodies press together is too intimate. I have to shut my eyes against the sight even as my hands go around her lower back, hugging her to me. She kisses up my neck and I sigh as she whispers into my ear. “Don’t worry. I’ll be as gentle as a summer rain. Unless of course-”

My eyes shoot open and I yelp as the familiar feeling of her teeth assaults my collarbone. “-you prefer that I wasn’t.”

“I, I-”

She bites me again and my words are interrupted by a moan. “Which is it going to be, Lou? You should tell me quickly or I’ll choose for you.”

Frickin' elf. This is your fault, putting strange ideas in my head. Ugh. You’re chuckling but I can’t even be mad at you for it. Somehow, it’s just making me hotter. I know what I want but I can’t say it. It just so-

“Aah!”

Kierra has switched targets. Instead of tormenting my neck, her face is buried between my breasts. She is suckling at them and her teeth close around one of my nipples, biting down on it mercilessly. Saints save me it stings painfully but at the same time, it feels like bolts of electricity are racing up and down my spine, forcing it to arc and push me into her. Damn me, but I want her to do it again.

“Na-”

“Hmm?” She raises her head, to look me in the eye. Her tongue rolls over my breast, flicking the nipple. Ugh. She just doesn’t quit.

“Na…not…gentle.”

“You’re going to have to be more clear, Lou.”

You little. She’s grinning. She knows what saying this is doing to me. Ah, I don’t want her to stop teasing me. But I can’t say it. Not when she’s staring at me like that.

My hands cover my eyes and in the darkness, I can gather my courage. “Not gentle. I don’t…want gentle.” I’ve said it. That settles it. I am well on my way to becoming a deviant. Well, why not? I’ve already changed species. A person can’t deviate more than that.

I feel pressure on my wrists as my hands are moved aside. Kierra is above me. The only word I can use to describe her is ferocious. I have the feeling I am about to be devoured and the thought makes me tremble with excitement.

“I was hoping you’d say that.”