What's Next? (WT) WIP

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Being immortal is a hoot.

I'm not your average supernatural being though. No my family would never go for the ordinary otherworldly powers, we had to be different.

For several centuries my ancestors didn't do anything. In return, nothing could be done to them. Leave it to my great-grandpa to become bored with that kind of existence. After he'd invented Imbue that is, his crowning glory. See, supernatural beings can drink all the human alcoholic beverages they want, and never get more then, maybe, mildly buzzed. So great granddad came up with a substance that can be added to anything alcoholic that gives it enough kick for our kind.

Then he went to his buddy Ezra's, and the two of them got roaring drunk. While they were lit, great-grandpa got the brilliant idea that his family needed a little more spice in their lives. Now here it gets interesting. See Ezra wasn't just a good friend of great-granddad's he was also a God. He suggested various supernatural powers to my ancestor, like werewolves, or vampires, or mages, but great-grandpa had different ideas.

I once wondered if, after he'd sobered up, he regretted having come up with the brainstorm at all. Now that I'm nearing my thirtieth year on this planet, I know he had it right the first time.

When g-granddad blew off all of the God's suggestions, Ezra had blurted out "what do you want then, you want them all?" Great-grandpa had said "why not?"

And that's how it all started.

See we don't really do anything, not like your average supernatural being, we become different things. Randomly. In effect, everything is done to us.

I could be walking down the street on a bright, sunny day, and suddenly become a vampire. Hey, I wouldn't die, but I would burst into flame and create a hell of a scene while I ran for shelter. To keep things interesting, we never know what we'll become next, or when it will happen. It's like a game to us.

As my father told me when I was five, after I'd turned into a pixie while my brother, the ogre, was sitting on me in the back yard, and I'd been pretty much smashed flat, "Gotta have a sense of humor girl."

You could say that's the code I live my life by.

"Well hell." I felt my face flush with color as I shifted into a new form, and right when I was about to get lucky with one very hot vampire. Of all the blasted things to turn into, I'd become a fucking ritual virgin. Guess I should say a non-fucking ritual virgin, but … fuck it.

I saw the vamp's eyes flare as he scented the change. "Don't get any ideas, I'm ritual." I hopped off the stool and started hustling my ass towards the door as the transformation became complete. Please let me make it out of here.

This was just so much crap, ouch. I enjoyed my freedom, but more then anything else I loved a strong, hot male body as it strived to please me. Ouch! Okay, rule number one; no thoughts about sex for the virgin.

Somebody pinched my ass, and I squealed like a girl. Damn, damn, damn. Ouch! Rule number two; no cussing.

I ran out of the club, digging my cell phone out of my purse as I searched the street for a safe place to hide.

"Max, you've got to come get me." I yelled at my brother as soon as he'd answered the phone.

"Nicki are you okay?" I could hear the rustle of clothing and the soft murmur of a woman's voice in the background.

"No, I'm not okay." I wailed. "I'm a virgin in a miniskirt, in the warehouse district."

His laughter did nothing to calm me.

I spotted an alcove, and tucked myself inside of it, hoping that the shadows were dark enough that I wouldn't be spotted before help arrived.

"Picture where you are." He barked out, as he gasped for breath between snorts.

Thank God our family kept the connection, no matter what we changed into.

I stared hard at the building across the street. "I'm in an alcove right across from that building."

"Got it." He hung up.

I squeezed myself tighter into the corner, and tried to calm my breathing. The virgin in me wasn't having any of it though, panting away in a state of near hysteria, that was sure to draw unwanted attention. Just the thought sent my heart rate skyrocketing.

Suddenly a werewolf appeared before me, his eyes shining in his human face. "Tasty," he growled at me.

"Ritual, I'm ritual, it's sacrilegious to do anything to one of us," I blubbered.

He moved closer, pressing his body against mine, his cock, fully erect, burning into my stomach. He bent his head to my neck and ran his tongue over my flesh.

"Eek," I squeaked, fear flooding through my veins.

He rocked his erection against my belly, as his lips worked their way up to my jaw.

"No, no, no, no, no," I breathed over and over as I started to hyperventilate.

"I suggest you get away from my sister." I heard the words, but they didn't make any sense to me.

The werewolf paused, then straightened and glanced back over his shoulder. "Say again?"

"Get away from my sister." This time I recognized the voice.

"Max!" I blurted out in relief.

The wolf took one long last look at me, then walked away.

I jumped into my brother's arms, and the next moment he was setting me down in my living room.

"This really sucks." Ouch. "I hope this being a virgin doesn't last very long."

Max narrowed his eyes at me. "Hey, you're shaking."

"I was scared out of my mind when that man put the moves on me." I admitted, wishing I could sneer at this turn of events.

My brother just shook his head. "Well, you'd better stay around here till you've become something else." He started to disappear, but paused partway through the process. "Remind me to get some of your blood." Then he was gone.

"Damn." Ouch. I was still a virgin.

Three weeks had passed, and in that time I'd been terrified to leave the house without my brother. The only times he'd taken me anywhere, was when he wanted to bleed me for a spell. He was currently a mage. The bastard. Ouch.

I slumped down onto the sofa, frustrated, disheartened, and horny. Ouch. Flopping over onto my face, I decided to try and sleep until I'd changed again.

I woke up at some point, noticed I was still a virgin, dragged my ass into the bedroom, and crawled under the covers. Mumbling under my breath.

Of course I couldn't pass the time that way, no I came awake with the sun, my virgin a chipper soul that reveled in the start of a new day. Try as I might, I couldn't shut down that part of myself, so that I could go back to sleep.

I stomped off to the shower, scrubbed my body vigorously, hoping to tame the hormones that were boiling through my veins.

All I got for my efforts was nice, shiny pink skin.

I was stepping out of the shower when the electric buzz of magic filtered through me. When the feeling passed, I assessed the situation.

"Yes!" I'd become a sorceress. Now this I could handle.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." I ran around my bedroom, waving my hands in the air, noting the fact that I didn't get a single tweak of pain for my profanity. What I really needed was to get fucked, several times. Hard.

I couldn't think of a single man I knew that I could call at this hour though for the favor.

"I should just be happy I'm not a virgin anymore," I grumbled, and willed myself to believe what I was saying.

I shuffled out to the kitchen, started the coffeemaker, and dropped a bagel into the toaster. I set the cream cheese on the counter, got out a mug, then tapped my toes as I waited, impatiently, for breakfast to be ready.

The phone rang as I was spreading the cheese onto a golden bagel half.

"Hello?" It was too early for most the people I knew to be up and around.

"Nicki," my father said in his deep, rolling voice. "We've got a bit of a family crisis and I'm going to need your help."

"Is everyone okay?" My heart skipped at beat at the thought.

"For the most part," Dad stated, then cleared his throat. "But Dolores just called in a fit of hysterics to say that Benard hasn't been seen since sometime early Saturday morning, and she needs someone to come run the pub until her husband can be found."

"What?" I looked at the phone like it was responsible for the strange words that were coming out of my father's mouth. "Uncle Ben never does anything but run that pub, and dote on his family."

"Yeah, I know," Dad sighed. "But I checked into it and he's really gone missing."

"So why are you calling me?" I eyed the bagel, hungry now, and wanting this conversation over so I could eat.

"Because you're the only one in the family right now that can get to the pub and keep it running," he replied.

"I don't know anything about running a bar."

"Don't think I don't know that, but your mother is currently an imp, I'm a fucking demon, and your brother is a vampire," he chuckled.

"Oh." Didn't look like I had any choice in the matter.

"I knew you'd see it my way." I heard a rustling on his end, then a squeak. "Get to Dolores' as soon as you can. I've got me an imp to play with."

Eeewww. I so didn't want to think of my parents having sex.

"Okay. Talk to you later." I heard a squeal from his end, then a click as he disconnected.

I still didn't see why Max couldn't do this. Bars were mostly open at night, right?

Feeling kind of put out about the whole thing, I ate my breakfast, then stomped off to my bedroom to dress and pack.

"At least it's a pub." I flicked the hangers aside in my closet while I chose several of my more racy outfits to take along.

With a flick of my wrist, the selected items were packed into the magic wardrobe I'd conjured up. I could get used to this.

I added underthings, stockings, shoes, toiletries, and anything else I thought I might need. There was no guarantee I'd stay a sorceress, and I sure as hell didn't want to get stuck in South Carolina without everything I needed.

Figuring I'd spare my aunt a heart attack, I rang her up and let her know I was about to pop in. She directed me to the cottage they owned, and said she'd meet me there as soon as she could make it.

Taking one last look around, I grabbed some last minute items, then whisked myself away.

Auntie Del showed up ten minutes after I'd arrived. Gave me the rundown on Uncle Ben's disappearance, then asked me to follow her to the Olden Oak, the pub she and Ben had owned for over seventy years.

I parked in the back, in a separate area reserved for staff, and trotted inside behind her.

Fuck me. The place was dark, even at this time of the morning. It wasn't open yet, but Aunt Del was rattling on about the place being open from lunch till five in the morning, and that wards kept humans out after the legal closing time of two.

"Did you sweep up all the nut shells?" I asked as I looked around at the scarred oak and leather interior. Spittoons, swell.

"Now Nicki, it's not quite that rustic. We actually get a fairly moneyed crowd in here, twenty to forty-somethings that are all upwardly mobile. And our late night clientele is absolutely the best."

Sure you do. "Aren't those," I pointed to one of the brass cuspidors, "for spitting into?"

"I don't think so." Aunt Del's brow furrowed, then she shrugged, and urged me back the way we'd come, and led me into the office. "You should find everything you need in here."

"What exactly are you expecting me to do here?" I eyed the mounds of paperwork piled on the desk.

"Why, everything of course." With a happy smile on her face, she handed me a set of keys. "Angus McGee is the manager, so I'm sure he'll be able to answer any questions you have." She turned to go. "Oh, your employees will start showing up in about fifteen minutes, so leave the back door unlocked."

With a swirl, she was gone.

I slumped into the chair behind the desk, wondering if she intended I should stay in this wretched place from nine in the morning to five, the following morning, every stinking day. No way.

There was a knock on the door, then a burley man with a thick mop of red hair, and a shaggy red beard came clomping into the room.

"Ye must be Nicki, I'm Angus, the manager here." He stuck out a beefy hand in my direction.

"Thank God." I told him, dropping my much smaller hand into his. "I'm hoping you can tell me what I'm supposed to be doing."

"Never run a pub afore?" He maneuvered his large frame into a comfortable chair on the other side of the desk from me.

"Never ran anything before," I admitted.

"Are ye like yer uncle?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

"What exactly do you mean?" I squinted at him.

"Are ye goin' ta b'come somethin' else wit'out notice?" He rumbled.

"Yes." I straightened up in my seat, getting ready to zap him one if he made a big deal about it.

"Jus' so's I know. T'wouldn't do ta have ye pixified, and squashed by a patron." He nodded, clearly done with the topic. "Now, I've bin keepin' the books fer Ben, so I'll do it fer ye, as well as the inventory, an dealin' wit' the staff on a day ta day basis."

"Sounds good to me." I relaxed, figuring there wasn't anything left for me to do around here, but make nice with the customers. I could do that.

"Ye'll be in charge of the hirin' an firin'. Tha's somethin' I jes won't do. But I'll make it up ta ye by doin' the schedules." He nodded again.

"Do we need to hire, or fire anybody?" I asked.

"We need two more bartenders, one for the regular shift, and one that will overlap into the after hours shift." I gaped at him, wondering where his quaint way of speaking had gone.

He saw me with my mouth hanging open, and barked out a laugh. "I try to keep in practice with my colorful language, for the women, you know." He said with a wink.

I snorted, thinking I was going to get along with this man just fine. "Well then, do I have anyone to interview for the bartender position?"

"There's a Caeden Ames coming in about fifteen minutes." He tapped the watch on his wrist. "And a Given Kilbane coming in at one o'clock this afternoon." He stood, and reached over the desk to a pile of papers on my right. "These are the rest of the applications. You need to go through them. Any that are totally unsuited, put in one pile, anything real promising put in another. Try to keep in mind all the different positions we hire for as you look these over." He shuffled stuff on the edge of the desk. "Here, I printed out a list for you."

I took the sheet and skimmed it. "I never realized so many people worked in a place this size."

He shot me a look. "I'll leave you to it, then." He started for the door, stopping with his hand on the knob, looking back at me. "If you need any help, just ask. I'm more then happy to give you a hand."

He left me alone, staring bleakly at the applications.

Random Excerpts

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This random excerpt is from a work in progress, with the working title "What's Next?"

I will be posting random excerpts from other works in progress ... randomly. :D

There is no timeline with these books, since most of them haven't even been completed. I just wanted to give all of you a taste of the stories I am currently working on.